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
"Life is like this. It’s uncertain. It’s uncomfortable. It doesn’t really care whether we really want or need something. It doesn’t care about us at all, really, it just is."
(Ryan Holiday)
Chart of the Day
US honeybee colonies are on the rise, but that does not signal all is well.
Transport
- UPS ($UPS), FedEx ($FDX) and Amazon ($AMZN) are all pushing hard on electric delivery vans. (nytimes.com)
- Ford ($F) is planning to work remotely for longer. (wsj.com)
- Why autonomous ships are a easier ask than autonomous trucks. (ft.com)
- Why now is a hard time to get a good deal on a new car. (axios.com)
Energy
- There is no easy way to recycle old photovoltaic panels. (wired.com)
- Painting wind turbine blades black reduces the amount of bird strikes. (arstechnica.com)
- Solar power doesn't play as well with the grid as it should. (bloomberg.com)
Environment
- The Summer's record heat is being pushed aside by coronavirus news. (washingtonpost.com)
- This summer is a sneak preview of our hotter Earth. (npr.org)
- The US is shifting toward 'managed retreat' when it comes flooding. (nytimes.com)
- Big energy companies are looking to preserve forests in a cap-and-trade world. (wsj.com)
- Carbon emissions are still underpriced. (klementoninvesting.substack.com)
Planes
- American Airlines ($AAL) is planning to layoff 19,000 workers in October. (marketwatch.com)
- Boom is getting closer to unveiling its supersonic, single-seat test craft. (engadget.com)
- Reliable Robotics, founded by former SpaceX employees, is looking to fly planes autonomously. (msn.com)
Travel
- Hotel companies are touting cleanliness standards but not all their franchisees are following through. (nytimes.com)
- The Airbnb aesthetic has gone global which is why every place looks the same. (ft.com)
- Travel companies are looking to a higher standard, regenerative tourism, post-pandemic. (nytimes.com)
- Is trip insurance worth it if companies can decline claims? (wsj.com)
Technology
- Amazon ($AMZN) is launching its own fitness tracker, the Halo. (theverge.com)
- People are slow to replace their phones in a pandemic. (axios.com)
- Five ways to improve your home wi-fi setup. (nytimes.com)
- What Apple ($AAPL) should include in an 'Apple One' bundle. (500ish.com)
Anxiety
- Anxiety was increasing among Americans prior to the pandemic. (marginalrevolution.com)
- The uncertainty unleashed by the pandemic is increasing anxiety especially among younger generations. (bloomberg.com)
- Google searches about anxiety are on the rise. (marketwatch.com)
Behavior
- Despite its effectiveness, why are so many people unwilling to use talk therapy? (marginalrevolution.com)
- Texting with a therapist risks some seriously blurred boundaries. (melmagazine.com)
- Research shows LSD microdosing may help alleviate chronic pain. (newatlas.com)
- On the benefits of being raised near green space. (bigthink.com)
- We adults don't play enough. (primecuts.substack.com)
- On the power of forgiveness. (aeon.co)
Medicine
- The surge in telemedicine is leaving patient privacy at-risk. (fastcompany.com)
- This study says no amount of caffeine is recommended prior to or during pregnancy. (newatlas.com)
- Antibiotic use may interfere with hormonal contraceptives. (nytimes.com)
- How lab-grown milk could replace traditional baby formula. (wired.com)
- It's hard to explain away the higher gun death rate in the US. (vox.com)
Food
- Cheap rotisserie chickens are convenient, but are they a good choice? (tastecooking.com)
- McDonald's ($MCD) is going to introduce spicy chicken nuggets next month. (eater.com)
- Aid programs have done little to help small farmers in the pandemic. (msn.com)
- The US dairy industry has been consolidating for decades. (visualcapitalist.com)
- Almond prices are in free fall. (ft.com)
Drink
- The aluminum can shortage is real. (wsj.com)
- The brewers that are using treated wastewater to make beer. (modernfarmer.com)
- America's dive bars are facing an existential crisis. (cntraveler.com)
Sports
- Why the NBA bubble is ideal for competitive balance. (sciencedaily.com)
- Stanford has long been a home for Olympic hopefuls. Now they are at-risk. (nytimes.com)
Entertainment
- Netflix ($NFLX) has not yet solved the talk show puzzle. (theverge.com)
- UK broadcasters are getting outbid for shows by streaming services (theguardian.com)
Schools
- Therese Raphael, "The biggest factor in allowing classes to reopen safely is keeping the transmission rate in the wider community low." (bloomberg.com)
- The whole economy suffers when schools close. (axios.com)
- Supply chain disruptions are making it hard to get US schoolchildren laptops. (axios.com)
- Video game use may be shielding boys from the worst effects of the pandemic. (wsj.com)
- Roblox and Minecraft are useful teaching tools in pandemic. (msn.com)
- How kids get to school matters in pandemic. (bloomberg.com)
College
- There is no light at the end of the tunnel for college towns yet. (bloomberg.com)
- College kids are getting creative with their living arrangements in another year of remote learning. (nytimes.com)
MBA
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: vaccine myths. (abnormalreturns.com)
- What you missed from our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Podcast links: monopoly and growth. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Every Friday I send out five links for advisers to help them think a little differently about the world. Sign up now! (newsletter.abnormalreturns.com)
