Saturdays are the day we catch up with all the non-finance related stuff we didn’t get to during the week. You can check out last week’s edition here.
Quote of the Day
"Across the United States, the heights of structures, landmarks, valleys, hills and just about everything else are about to change, at least with regard to average sea level. Most will get shorter."
(Alanna Mitchell)
Autos
- The shift from sedans to SUVs shows no signs of slowing. (nytimes.com)
- How the pandemic could actually boost car sales if people flee public transit. (ft.com)
- The biggest environment bang for the buck comes from scooters and bikes not electric cars. (bloomberg.com)
- What the Dyson EV would have looked like. (engadget.com)
Energy
- The United States is on track to produce more electricity this year from renewable power than from coal for the first time on record. (nytimes.com)
- Solar power just keeps getting cheaper. (rameznaam.com)
- Small nuclear plants could be the future of clean energy. (popularmechanics.com)
- Offshore wind turbines keep getting bigger. (bloomberg.com)
- How this company plans to make green hydrogen from garbage. (newatlas.com)
Environment
- Why isn't ozone pollution down even more? (npr.org)
- Buses and trucks drive a lot of the ozone issues. (axios.com)
- These plant-based bottles are designed to degrade in a year. (theguardian.com)
- Humpback whales have made a remarkable recovery. (news.yahoo.com)
Travel
- Lori Aratani, "The gradual reopening of air travel requires changes to an industry that for years has thrived on volume." (washingtonpost.com)
- An epidemiologist on the questions to ask before you fly. (theconversation.com)
- Just abou everything has changed in the flying experience. (wsj.com)
- Airlines are not doing a great job of consistently enforcing mask wearing. (nytimes.com)
Science
- Scientists have a lot more tools now to predict volcanic eruptions than they did 40 years ago when Mt. St. Helens erupted. (nature.com)
- Researchers have a fabric that kills coronaviruses by creating an electrical field. (indianapolismonthly.com)
- No, NASA did not discover a parallel universe where time moves backwards. (syfy.com)
Visual effects
- Chocolate that shimmers like a rainbow. (nytimes.com)
- Did you know blue jays aren't really blue? (newscientist.com)
Pandemic psychology
- We are in the midst of a global, natural experiment in mental health. (nytimes.com)
- Why those in lockdown may feel a profound sense of guilt. (wsj.com)
- Money issues have jumped to the top of the list of issues to discuss with a therapist. (nytimes.com)
- Therapists and clients have adjusted to online sessions. (washingtonpost.com)
- The challenges Michael Phelps is facing during this time period. (espn.com)
- The pandemic reminds us we are all mortal. (theconversation.com)
Psychology
- Where various psychedelic clinical studies stand. (newatlas.com)
- Strong emotions help us change behavior, but won't keep you on track. (behavioralscientist.org)
- On the benefits of getting out into nature. (bigthink.com)
Medicine
- Hospitals that have faced the coronavirus are bracing for a mental health impact on their workers. (wsj.com)
- A visualization of the drop in elective surgeries during the pandemic. (axios.com)
- The faster you can send someone home from the hospital, the better. (blogs.scientificamerican.com)
- Time-sensitive fertility treatments for some patients have resumed. (wsj.com)
- Covid-19 is putting a crimp in the global push to eliminate polio once and for all. (wired.com)
Covid-19
- Some good news: the coronavirus does not spread easily on surfaces. (washingtonpost.com)
- Indications are warmer, more humid weather will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. (washingtonpost.com)
- The evidence at this time says hydroxychloroquine should not be used in the general population to prevent or to treat Covid-19 infection (statnews.com)
- The presence of T-cells bodes well for longer term Covid-19 immunity. (sciencemag.org)
- A study shows that most elderly Covid-19 patients put on ventilators at two New York hospitals did not survive. (washingtonpost.com)
Antivirals
- More effort should be put into studying antivirals for the newly infected or those at-risk. (nytimes.com)
- Why isn't Gilead Sciences ($GILD) focusing more effort on this compound that is cheaper and as effective as remdesivir. (statnews.com)
Covid-19 after effects
- More research need to be done to track Covid-19 survivors who continue suffer a range of side effects. (ft.com)
- We need more research on how Covid-19 affects the brain, especially of the elderly. (blogs.scientificamerican.com)
Superspreaders
- Superspreaders have a disproportionate impact on coronavirus cases. (sciencemag.org)
- A look at three cases of coronavirus superspreaders. (newatlas.com)
Covid-19 counts
- Medical examiners are not organized enough to conspire about counting Covid-19 deaths. (scientificamerican.com)
- More evidence that Covid-19 deaths are being undercounted. (wsj.com)
Fitness
- Three stretches for the work from home crowd. (nytimes.com)
- SoulCycle ruled cycling. Now not so much as Peloton ($PTON) has become the gold standard. (nytimes.com)
- There's a run on bicycles in the US. (inquirer.com)
- Zero has joined the growing fasting app space. (news.crunchbase.com)
Dogs
- Things to consider if you are planning to adopt a dog in quarantine. (theverge.com)
- Things to keep in mind if you run with your dog. (insidehook.com)
- Dogs go through an 'angsty teenage phase' as well. (bigthink.com)
- Cadaver dogs can even help find ancient, archaeological finds. (nytimes.com)
Food
- The big food delivery companies may not be profitable, but they are powerful. (bothsidesofthetable.com)
- The coronavirus is creating a glut of gourmet food products, including Champagne and Stilton cheese. (marketwatch.com)
- Americans are buying more seafood, but it doesn't offset the loss of restaurant sales. (wsj.com)
- This mill in England has been running full out for months. (nytimes.com)
- Meatpacking plants are tailor made to spread the coronavirus. (vox.com)
Sports
- Despite getting pushed to 2021 there is no assurance the Tokyo Olympics will go off as planned. (nytimes.com)
- How'd the Chicago Bulls do after 'The Last Dance' ended? Not good.... (theringer.com)
- Ratko Rudic may be the greatest coach you've never heard of. (wsj.com)
- Golf is tailor made for social distancing. (washingtonpost.com)
Media
- Netflix has started to terminate accounts that people haven’t used it for a year or more. (variety.com)
- Comedy Central is creative adrift and pretty much runs reruns all day. (nytimes.com)
- Apple TV+ still has not found its signature show. (theverge.com)
- A drive-in movie in an experience not just a chance to see a movie. (wsj.com)
Children
- Summer camps, if they happen at all, are going to look very different this year. (npr.org)
- Opening summer camps require a number of hurdles to overcome. (nytimes.com)
- There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to reopening schools. (politico.com)
- School closings have cut American adolescents off from helpful resources. (nytimes.com)
- What happens to the classroom pet in lockdown? (npr.org)
College towns
- College town businesses are getting crushed by the absence of students and big events like graduation. (wsj.com)
- College towns were an engine for growth, now not so much. (bloomberg.com)
College
- University presidents have their hands full trying manage the impact of the pandemic. (theatlantic.com)
- Universities are going to have to do a lot of coronavirus tests to reopen, despite the costs. (npr.org)
- The University of California system will stop requiring SAT or ACT scores. (wsj.com)
- Universities are cutting costs by trimming retirement plan contributions. (insidehighered.com)
- Even if in-person college courses resume, online coursework will still be a bigger part of the equation. (slate.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Longform links: global in scope. (abnormalreturns.com)
- What you missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Podcast links: the Spotify experience. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Coronavirus links: testing and safety. (abnormalreturns.com)
