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
"Some people hesitate to share an idea because they’re worried it will be stolen. In general, these people are afraid of success, not failure."
(Seth Godin)
Autos
- Japan is planning to phase out ICE-powered vehicles. (wsj.com)
- Used car dealers are having hard time keeping up with demand. (axios.com)
- A number of companies want to become the Tesla ($TSLA) for electric delivery vans. (nytimes.com)
- What we know, and mostly don't, about an Apple ($AAPL) Car. (vox.com)
Energy
- Scotland now generates some 90% of its electricity from renewables. (bbc.com)
- On the progress toward small nuclear reactors. (marginalrevolution.com)
Farming
- U.S. farmers are finding an additional revenue source in carbon offsets. (wsj.com)
- Will rising temperatures make superweeds even stronger? (undark.org)
Environment
- Why we should look to electrify cooking to reduce its carbon footprint. (theconversation.com)
- Why the LEED standard hasn't really caught on. (wsj.com)
- Christmas is a carbon nightmare. (klementoninvesting.substack.com)
Travel
- The U.S. is going to require travelers from the U.K. to have a negative coronavirus test. (wsj.com)
- Americans keep traveling to Mexico for vacation. (npr.org)
- Ski resorts are bracing for another bad year. (nytimes.com)
- Why business travel will bounce back. (gavin-baker.medium.com)
Fitness
Health
- Depression researchers are focusing on the gut microbiome for clues. (wsj.com)
- 2020 was not a great year to be pregnant. (theatlantic.com)
Food
- Chipotle ($CMG) is going all-in on cauliflower rice. (barrons.com)
- Nilay Patel talks with Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat. (theverge.com)
- Hotels are repurposing empty rooms for private dining experiences. (nytimes.com)
Drink
- Craft distillers have been uniquely hurt by the pandemic. (insidehook.com)
- At least the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act is made permanent in the omnibus bill. (forbes.com)
- The story behind a satisfying glass of Costco ($COST) brand bourbon. (esquire.com)
Best movies
- The best films of 2020 including 'Palm Springs.' (arstechnica.com)
- The best movies of 2020 including 'The Assistant.' (theverge.com)
- Some under-the-radar films you may have missed in 2020 including 'The Vast of Night.' (variety.com)
- How to stream some of the best movies of 2020 including 'Da 5 Bloods.' (slate.com)
Entertainment
- Bollywood is embracing streaming. (nytimes.com)
- Why it's so hard to find that show you want to watch these days. (theverge.com)
Sports
- Will future generations support college athletics the way prior generations did? (sportico.com)
- Sports betting firms are paying up for high profile spokesmen like Charles Barkley. (variety.com)
- How MLB crushed the minor leagues. (defector.com)
Children
- When will coronavirus vaccines be available for children? (wsj.com)
- Schools are going to continue to struggle with staffing shortages in 2021. (axios.com)
- Pandemic shouldn't make you put off routine medical care for your child. (nytimes.com)
College
- FAFSA applications in 2020 are down 14%. (nytimes.com)
- Students don't know the data behind what their degree could earn them in the real world. (washingtonpost.com)
- Early-admission applications to Ivy League colleges skyrocketed in 2020. (wsj.com)
- College kids aren't set up for the isolation needed in a pandemic. (theverge.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- Coronavirus links: little steps. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Podcast links: crossover investing. (abnormalreturns.com)
- What you missed in our Thursday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Longform links: focusing your time and attention. (abnormalreturns.com)
- There is only one way through the pandemic tunnel. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Are you a financial adviser looking for some out-of-the-box thinking? Then check out our weekly e-mail newsletter just for advisers. (newsletter.abnormalreturns.com)
Books
- 10 must-read books of 2020 including "Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Manhunt" by Steven Johnson. (nextbigideaclub.com)
- The 10 best science books of 2020 includng "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor. (bigthink.com)
- 20 books Austin Kleon liked in 2020 including "The Gardener and the Carpenter" by Alison Gopnik. (austinkleon.com)