Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at how Ben Mckenzie became a vocal cryptocurrency critic.
Quote of the Day
"In 2016, Americans wanted to Make America Great Again; in 2023, they celebrated the fact that, despite its issues, it’s already pretty great."
(Packy McCormick)
Books
- A Q&A with Ashlee Vance author of "When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach. (fasterplease.substack.com)
- How "The Body Keeps Score" by Bessel van der Kolk has changed how we talk about trauma. (nymag.com)
Technology
- The inside story of how Meta ($META) built Threads. (wapo.st)
- Starlink dominates the satellite internet business. Do we really want Elon Musk with all that power? (nytimes.com)
- Neeva is a better search engine, but nobody uses it. (theverge.com)
Environment
- Texas has always been hot, but for some its now too much. (texasmonthly.com)
- When eco-tourism backfires: the case of fireflies. (biographic.com)
Sports
- Baseball trades have real life consequences for players. (theathletic.com)
- Some untold stories from the world of competitive eating. (thetakeout.com)
Longreads
- Something changed in 2023, for the better. (notboring.co)
- How chronic fatigue, no matter the source, can ruin your life. (theatlantic.com)
- How Barnes & Noble turned itself around. (wsj.com)
- Fish and chip stands are closing all across the UK. (theguardian.com)
- Society's view toward rest has changed over time. (psyche.co)
- Why you feel grief when a big project is wrapped up. (itsnicethat.com)
- How the 2x2 matrix became a thing. (whyisthisinteresting.substack.com)
