Consumption Week 28
My notes from some of the media I consumed this week.
Contents
The rich are different: Unravelling the perceived and self-reported personality profiles of high-net-worth individuals
https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12360
- Our empirical results confirm these predictions as millionaires (i.e., individuals who hold high status societal and occupational contexts) were more extraverted, open, conscientious, narcissistic, and emotionally stable (less neurotic) and had a more internal locus of control.
- High-net-worth individuals also differed in Disagreeableness and narcissistic rivalry, but these differences disappeared after controlling for demographic differences between the samples.
- The ‘entrepreneurial personality profile’ has been described by a combination of high Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness as well as lower Agreeableness and Neuroticism.
- More than 60% of our millionaire sample indicated that one of their main sources of wealth came from running their own company.
Tags: Wealth, Success, Personalities
The 50 Best One-Year Returns on the S&P 500 (1980-2022)
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/top-sp-500-stocks-by-annual-returns/
Tags: Investing, Profits
New battery-cooling technology means EV charging in under four minutes for student racing team
- The technology has enabled the student team’s InMotion racing car called Revolution with a 29.9kWh battery and a range of approximately 155 miles (250 kilometers) to be completely charged at a maximum charging power of 322 kW, topping it up in just 3 minutes and 56 seconds.
- The team developed a method to enable cooling at cell level, with coolant flowing between each cell.
Tags: EVs, Batteries
INNengine’s e-REX motor offers highly-efficient, 1-stroke engine technology
https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/innengines-e-rex-motor-1-stroke-engine-technology
- An e-REX equivalent to a traditional 2000cc engine weighs just 77 lbs (35 kg).
Tags: Engines, Engineering, Innovation
How Many Things Must One Analyst Get Wrong In Order To Proclaim A Convenient Decarbonization Minerals Shortage?
- Michaux first commits the primary energy fallacy, multiplying the future requirement for energy by a large percentage. As I noted recently, with heat pumps, electrified ground transportation and some more efficient industrial electric heat, the USA’s primary energy demand drops by 50%, even accounting for continued inefficiencies. Fossil fuels are deeply wasteful forms of energy.
- Broadening the grid with HVDC fundamentally drops grid storage requirements by allowing electrons to flow from where they are generated to where they are needed, and from low demand areas to high demand areas. But not in Michaux’ world.
- Michaux then assumes that the only form of energy storage is lithium ion batteries brimming with cobalt and nickel.
Tags: Climate Change, Batteries, Minerals, False Information
[The High Performance Podcast] E203 - Tessa Clarke: What YOU can do to save the world
- I’ve redownloaded the app now I’m in London and loads of people are using it!
- Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2023, Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 2. In the early 1970s, it was the end of December (i.e. mostly sustainable).
- Half of food waste is in home. Food waste is responsible for 6% of global GHG emissions.
Tags: Food, Waste, Recycling, Emissions, Climate Change
This energy efficient technology turns fallen leaves into paper
https://www.releaf-paper.com/news/this-energy-efficient-technology-turns-fallen-leaves-into-paper/
- Releaf’s patented technology extracts cellulose fibres from leaves collected from urban areas rather than forests, which forms the basis of its recyclable and decomposable paper products. The specific properties of leaf fibres also enable Releaf to produce paper with a lower carbon footprint and water consumption than mainstream processes.
Tags: Paper, Recycling, Waste
Penn State’s New LionGlass Is 10X Tougher & Has Half The Carbon Emissions
- With LionGlass, the melting temperatures are lowered by about 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. That in turn leads to about a 30% reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional soda lime glass.
Tags: Glass, Materials, Emissions
7 cool sustainable packages to try: Edible cups, bamboo lip balm tubes and more
Tags: Circular Economy, Waste, Recycling, Seaweed
The sticker that helps cut food waste | World Economic Forum
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/sticker-helps-cut-food-waste/
- The stickers, which are the size of a 50 cent piece, use 100% natural ingredients which replicate the antimicrobial compounds that plants use to protect themselves against post-harvest diseases. Once the sticker is attached to the fruit, the chemicals spread out to create a protective layer covering the surface of the fruit and slowing the ripening process.
Tags: Food, Waste, Innovation
Mapped: Meat Consumption By Country and Type
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-meat-consumption-by-country-and-type/
Tags: Food, Meat
Water cremation will be available for the first time in the UK
- The system is scientifically known as Alkaline Hydrolysis, which uses pressurized water and a small amount of potassium hydroxide to break down the human body gently. The deceased is enclosed in a biodegradable pouch and placed in a container. The process of breaking down the body happens inside the vessel. It takes approximately four hours, and soft bones are left as residue at the end. These are dried and then reduced to a white powder, similar to ash. The remains are then returned to relatives in a sustainable urn. There is no smoke or emissions emitted in the mechanism.
Tags: Death, Cremation, Sustainability
The Broken Economics of the Oceans
- Overfishing due to limited ability to stop - both technologically and financially.
- Deep-sea mining has few regulations - and the USA specifically chose to not join the global protection alliance (because money).
Tags: Environment, Oceans, Nature, Fishing, Food, Mining, Resources
The Insane Biology of: The Sunfish
- Swim more like penguins than fish. And unlike other fish, no swim bladder, they’re simply neutrally buoyant at all depths.
- Ectothermic, so need to keep coming to the shallows for heat (hence the name) - but they also go >1000m down for food, and drop from 20°C to 12°C. They go up and down over a dozen times a day!
- Each sunfish can have >1,000,000,000 eggs, far more than any other vertibrate. Their babies are 0.25cm, adults are 300cm.
Tags: Oceans, Nature, Fish, Evolution
Almost two-thirds of Tinder’s users are already in a relationship - and half don’t even want a date
- The platforms have become sources of entertainment and social connection, while providing them with the confidence boost that comes with collecting likes and matches.
Tags: Dating, Relationships, Society, Social Media, Attention Economy
Why is North up?
- Orient(ataion) comes from the word for East
- In many old societies the most important direction (often associated with “up”/the top) was East, because it’s where the sun rises.
- Ancient Egypt (and then the Arab world in general) has the South at the top because the Nile flows South to North.
- The Chinese invented the compass and said it pointed towards South. Others traditionally used the North star, so flipped it - and European global domination cemented this.
- Grid cities often have North off-up to make the maps look better (e.g. Manhattan)..
Tags: History, Geography
Can Chess, with Hexagons?
- This version seems more fun than normal Chess - I’d give it a go.
Tags: Chess, Games
BMW Motorrad ConnectedRide Sunglasses
https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/en/Equipment/apparel/connectedride-smartglasses.html
- They project relevant riding information, such as speed or navigation, into your field of view. Due to their slim shape, the glasses can be worn comfortably under a helmet. They come with interchangeable tinted and clear lenses and are available in two sizes.
Tags: Motorbike, Technology, Innovation
Why Dark Mode Reduces Your Productivity
- Can reduce power consumption by almost 50% if OLED screen at high brightness
- Can help eyesight/eye strain if in a dark area but damage eyesight if in a bright area
- Reduces reading speed and cognitive performance
Tags: Technology, Health
How Trees Bend the Laws of Physics
- Negative pressure at the top of the trees sucks it up, but because there are no air bubbles, it’s not boiling.
Tags: Nature, Physics
[Sliced Bread] Mosquito Repellents
- Tested on the podcast with real mossies
- DEET, PMD (natural), Icaridin, and IR3535 are best; citronella and tea tree oil are pretty useless
- Oral antihistamines and paracetamol might help post-bite
Tags: Health, Medicine, Travel