fun facts

ACT test scores for U.S. students drop to a 30-year low.

This is fun because you can overfit whatever your preferred explanation is to this outcome. “Scores have been falling for six consecutive years, but the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.” I’d love to see some more granular data, starting […]

fun facts

Union busted.

“The ILWU is one of the most powerful unions in the United States. Since bloody riots in 1934 it has controlled all 29 seaports on the west coast of the United States, giving them monopoly power.” They tried to use […]

fun facts

Incandescent lightbulbs are now banned in the US.

The enforced efficiency train keeps chugging along. “A new minimum standard for lightbulbs has been set at 45 lumens—or brightness—per watt. Retailers can’t sell bulbs that don’t meet the criteria, though households can continue using existing bulbs.” ~ learn more

big ideas

Lunar operations.

“It could look something like this: in partnership with the US government, a private company — let’s call it Regolift MegaCorp — sends fuel-cell powered, tele-operated robots to the lunar poles to mine their icy regolith. There, they separate the […]

under the microscope

Can neural stimulation zap addiction?

“This type of brain-zapping therapy, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), has shown encouraging results in clinical trials involving chronic users of cocaine, alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, and cannabis. Regulators in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Israel have […]

to your health

The US health crisis.

I really enjoyed this interview of Justin Mares on the Invest Like The Beset podcast. Justin rattles off statistics and data about the problems in the US food and health systems with the fluency of a politician. But he swears […]

fun facts

The US murder rate is suddenly falling.

This great news brought to you by a journalist who “collected and compiled big-city crime data as a way to assemble a more real-time picture of national murder trends.” His research points to lower murder rates across the country. ~ learn more

fun facts

Estimated US Pickleball injury cost: $350 million.

“[UBS analysts] estimated that in 2023 anywhere from $250 million to $500 million in medical spending could be due to pickleball injuries.” I also read somewhere that it’s the biggest cause of injuries to millennials (unverified). ~ learn more