Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. Wherever possible, free links behind the paywall are used. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at a remarkable new treatment for cystic fibrosis.
Quote of the Day
"Music is invaluable, but to the music industry and the technology companies that now distribute its products, songs are quick dopamine hits in an endless scroll — and musicians are paid accordingly."
(Marc Hogan)
Books
- An excerpt from "Hype Machine: How Greed, Fraud and Free Money Crashed Crypto" by Joshua Oliver. (ft.com)
- A Q&A with Venki Ramakrishnan author of "Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality." (wired.com)
- A Q&A with Rhaina Cohen author of "The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life With Friendship at the Center." (vox.com)
Business
- Another example of private equity ruining a good thing. (nbcnews.com)
- A look at the American industry designed to spoil your dog. (nytimes.com)
Colonoscopies
- What it's like to get a colonoscopy and why you should probably get one. (annehelen.substack.com)
- Why this hurdle to getting a colonoscopy is unnecessary. (statnews.com)
Basketball
- Caitlin Clark is the biggest star in either NCAA basketball tournament. (espn.com)
- Everybody called Markelle Fultz a bust, but he didn't quit. (theringer.com)
Longreads
- The many ways in which life is getting better. (ourworldindata.org)
- Organized crime still runs the illegal marijuana trade in the U.S. (propublica.org)
- How long should a species remain on the endangered list? (theatlantic.com)
- How Becky Kennedy became the latest parenting guru. (thecut.com)
- An oral history of Pitchfork. (slate.com)