Book notes: Michael Booth’s The Almost Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia is “fun plus you will learn something.” (Marginal Revolution)
Quote of the Day
“This is simply too much television..My sense is that 2015 and 2016 will represent a peak in U.S. TV, and afterward we’ll see a decline.”
(John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks)
Technology
- How technology is assisting truck drivers and allowing them to drive closer to them. (wsj.com)
- How California is pushing the electric vehicle on the world. (bloomberg.com)
- Companies want to optimize, using wearable technology, your work experience. (bloomberg.com)
Energy efficiency
- Efficiency gains are slowing America's power needs. (bloomberg.com)
- The California energy miracle. (priceonomics.com)
Ad blocking
- The ethics of modern web ad-blocking. (marco.org)
- Internet users are inadvertently killing the free web by using ad blockers. (cjr.org)
- Why you shouldn't apologize for using an ad blocker. (slate.com)
Health
- A clear, graphical illustration of the risks of the PSA test. (econlog.econlib.org)
- Can fish oil help stave off schizophrenia? (newscientist.com)
- Humans wouldn't have such big brains without cooked starches. (nytimes.com)
The brain
- How the brain conjures the placebo effect. (wsj.com)
- How rumination plays a role in various psychological issues. (wsj.com)
- Can envy be good for you? (newyorker.com)
- Playing Tetris can help block cravings. (scienceblog.com)
Food
- Can aspartame-free Diet Pepsi ($PEP) turn around a secular slump? (wsj.com)
- The average Shake Shack ($SHAK) location does $100,000 in sales a week. (buzzfeed.com)
- McDonalds ($MCD) is shrinking. (washingtonpost.com)
- Bacon prices are surging. (bloomberg.com)
Drink
- If you work hard you are more likely to drink hard. (slate.com)
- 'Hard' root beer is the hot new thing. (wsj.com)
- In the UK pubs are closing while craft beers surge. (ft.com)
- When did Rosé become a thing? (vanityfair.com)
- Brewers are seeking new and novel types of hops. (wired.com)
Fitness
- What do long distance runner's think when they are running? (nymag.com)
- How much exercise do we need to offset cognitive decline? (well.blogs.nytimes.com)
Sports
- Why are fans so crazy for foul balls? (sportsonearth.com)
- Why the IOC should add the 1,500 meters for women's swimming. (slate.com)
- On the decline of the club golf pro. (wsj.com)
- Data analytics are making headway in the world of professional tennis. (nytimes.com)
Music
- 10 great albums from 2015 that you may have missed. (grantland.com)
- Where did all the hip-hop groups go? (wsj.com)
- RIP, Columbia House. (wsj.com)
Entertainment
- The big, tragic funny life of Chris Farley. (newyorker.com)
- Publishers are taking note of the fact that people are reading more books on their phones and phablets. (wsj.com)
- Why Sesame Street made a deal with HBO. (slate.com)
- The number of companies supporting self-publishing are multiplying. (ft.com)
- Kids don't seem to appear in kid's movies any more. (theguardian.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- What you may have missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Podcast links: peak performance. (abnormalreturns.com)
