Book review: Our systems have become too complicated to de-bug per Samuel Arbesman author of Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension. (WSJ)
Quote of the Day
"With the advent of L.E.D. bulbs, we now have perhaps the first mass-consumer product of the twenty-first century to challenge planned obsolescence."
(J.B. MacKinnon)
Autos
- Why now is the time for self-driving cars. (businessinsider.com)
- The best cars of 2016 per Consumer Reports. (businessinsider.com)
- How much gas costs around the world. (bloomberg.com)
- What's it like to own a hydrogen fuel cell car. (nytimes.com)
- Why do we still haggle for cars? (priceonomics.com)
Technology
- There is a big difference between sending e-mail and delivering e-mail. (wired.com)
- A $50 smartphone. The Blu R1 HD smartphone may actually be worth it. (wsj.com)
- You can get the Blu R1 HD exclusively at Amazon.com. (amazon.com)
Environment
- Renewable energy is great but it can have some unforeseen side effects. (nytimes.com)
- How Google ($GOOG) uses AI to save money on electricity bills. (bloomberg.com)
Science
- 9 ways to lie with statistics. (theguardian.com)
- Can earthquakes be predicted? (nautil.us)
- The True Size Map shows you just how big countries and continents are. (kottke.org)
Audiobooks
- Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of the book business. (wsj.com)
- You can sign up for a free trial to Audible.com and two books in the process. (amazon.com)
Health
- E-cigarettes may help smokers quit. (bloomberg.com)
- Will Sardinian genes yield their longevity secrets? (next.ft.com)
- Fecal transplants work. But why? (nytimes.com)
- Cold doesn't make colds more likely. (nytimes.com)
- Why placebos work. (wsj.com)
The brain
- The perfect breakfast for people with depression. (qz.com)
- What sleep does to our brains. (newscientist.com)
- Why is paranoia and schizophrenia more common in cities? (theatlantic.com)
- Using virtual reality to treat vertigo. (blogmaverick.com)
- What traits pro-social people share? (nymag.com)
- Why we have a hard time divining our own motivations. (nytimes.com)
Food
- Why are some ethnic cuisines more expensive than others? (theatlantic.com)
- Do NOT wash triple-washed salads at home. (techinsider.io)
- Don't worry about eating too much good fats. (washingtonpost.com)
- How David Chang thinks about flavor. (wired.com)
- The best fast-food according to the world's best chefs. (bloomberg.com)
- Happy cows make healthier milk. (qz.com)
Drink
- Why they don't serve draft beer on airlines. (qz.com)
- How Michelob Ultra stayed cool. (bloomberg.com)
- Can you "rapidly age" bourbon? (theringer.com)
Fitness
- The benefits of strong glutes. (wsj.com)
- Is marijuana use compatible with fitness? (priceonomics.com)
- Rock climbing gyms are the hot new trend. (outsideonline.com)
Sports
- The NBA Summer League is also a proving ground for coaches. (nytimes.com)
- What it's like to be an Olympic-caliber archer. (harpers.org)
- A surprising source of concussions: synchronized swimming. (nytimes.com)
- Are hot baseballs the cause of the recent home run surge? (fivethirtyeight.com)
- Why the movie "Major League" was so good. (theringer.com)
Demography
- Where population is dropping in the US. (medium.com)
- Why does crime feel worse when it is in fact materially lower? (econompicdata.blogspot.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Podcast links: the Internet ruined. (abnormalreturns.com)
- What you missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Our latest monthly book link round up from July. (abnormalreturns.com)
- My piece up at Enterprising Investor: "Academic finance as a check on (blogs.cfainstitute.org)
- How a "vague sense of returns" works against you as an investor. (abnormalreturns.com)
Kids
- Summer camp went from urban refuge to rich-kid refuge. (qz.com)
- Why you should let your kids break the rules sometimes. (wsj.com)
- What is the right age for children to get a smartphone? (nytimes.com)
