Saturdays we catch up with the non-finance related items that we didn’t get to earlier in the week. You can check out last week’s edition. Have a great weekend!
Quote of the Day
"The kind of human capital that’s more difficult to replace is the kind that deals with things which aren’t in the dataset because they haven’t happened before."
(Dan Davies)
Autos
- Ford ($F) has ambitious targets for the new Fathom electric truck. (wsj.com)
- Goodyear Tire's ($GT) turnaround is tentative, at best. (cnbc.com)
- How stolen Canadian cars end up in Russia. (nytimes.com)
- What it's like to drive a solar-powered car. (wapo.st)
- Car sunroofs keep exploding. (wsj.com)
Transport
- Robotaxis are trying to learn their way around London streets. (nytimes.com)
- Another case for congestion pricing, faster ambulance transit times. (nber.org)
- Are bike lanes 'DEI'? (nytimes.com)
Heat
- 2026 is set to become the hottest summer on record in the U.S. (washingtonpost.com)
- How higher temperatures are affecting how we enjoy Summer. (grist.org)
- Are we undercounting the number of deaths due to heat? (npr.org)
- Nepal didn't cause global warming but it is paying the price. (newyorker.com)
Animals
- The government is tracking every federally permitted lobster boat from Maine to Virginia. (washingtonpost.com)
- How to eliminate unneeded mosquito species. (unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com)
- How chickens became optimized for rapid weight gain. (ft.com)
Science
- Scientific advisory committees play an important role. (npr.org)
- Scientists can now tell fake ancient pottery from the real thing. (today.ucsd.edu)
- Why downgrading Pluto was a mistake. (theguardian.com)
- Jonquilyn Hill talks with Adam Kirsch, author of the new book "We Want to Believe: How Aliens Went Mainstream and Why It Matters." (podcasts.apple.com)
Robots
- If manufacturing is going to boom in the U.S., it's going to require even more robots. (ft.com)
- Why we enjoy watching robots fail spectacularly. (wsj.com)
Technology
- Millions of drivers licenses are for sale online. (arstechnica.com)
- Open networks are getting clogged with bad actors. (seths.blog)
- Just how much should you trust Pangram? (wired.com)
- How noise-cancelling headphones work. (nytimes.com)
Behavior
- What we need to understand about psychopaths. (theguardian.com)
- What does it say about society that so many people are living on stimulants like energy drinks? (currentaffairs.org)
Health
- Some preliminary research that psilocybin could reduce chemotherapy side effects. (science.org)
- The closure of rural hospitals is putting expectant mothers at risk. (indianacapitalchronicle.com)
- Major medical groups have released their seasonal vaccine recommendations. (npr.org)
- What the research into long Covid shows. (smithsonianmag.com)
- The first surgical Apple Vision Pro application was approved by the FDA. (asymco.com)
- Don't ignore persistently dry eyes. (npr.org)
Sitting
- Prolonged sitting is bad for your health. (sciencedaily.com)
- Bryan Walsh talks with Manoush Zomorodi, author of "Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being." (podcasts.apple.com)
Fitness
- How exercise changes our brains. (psychologytoday.com)
- Yoga is losing mind share to other activities. (theatlantic.com)
Dogs
- On the parallels between canine and human aging. (sciencedaily.com)
- On the prospect of truly hypoallergenic dogs. (smithsonianmag.com)
Drink
- Most NA beers have some alcohol. (wsj.com)
- THC drink makers are in regulatory limbo. (cnbc.com)
- Wineries are desperately trying to diversify their revenue streams. (nytimes.com)
- Scotland has a Scotch whiskey problem. (ft.com)
Food
- There are relatively easy ways to protect food safety, but we choose not to. (theatlantic.com)
- This San Francisco restaurant can't hire a dishwasher, even at $50 an hour. (sfgate.com)
- The restaurants that have embraced AI slop. (newyorker.com)
Entertainment
- A look at this Summer's box office including a big season for Imax ($IMAX). (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Can AI help us find content in the long tail? (newsletter.drorpoleg.com)
NBA
- The NBA took the Clippers' salary cap circumvention seriously. (theringer.com)
- A summary of the NBA's findings on the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. (huddleup.substack.com)
- 22 suggestions to fix the NBA, including 'Lose the conferences.' (theringer.com)
Gambling
- How Circa's Survivor contest became a phenomenon. (espn.com)
- Kalshi is all over the US Open this year. (benrothenberg.com)
- Is the Supreme Court going to decide the fate of prediction markets? (politico.com)
Sports
- How HD changed how we watch sports. (neilpaine.substack.com)
- Sports insiders are NOT journalists. (awfulannouncing.com)
Children
- AI is turning students into cheats. (theatlantic.com)
- How to help children adapt to a new school year. (joylere.substack.com)
- Why smartphone bans in school don't show bigger effects. (newyorker.com)
- Has youth football done enough to reduce head impacts? (msn.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- What you missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- On the high cost of adulting in America today. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Don't miss a thing! Sign up for our daily e-mail newsletter. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Work in wealth management? Sign up for our exclusive Talking Wealth newsletter. (talkingwealthpod.com)
Facts Only
* Ford has targets for the Fathom electric truck.
* Goodyear Tire's turnaround status is tentative at best.
* Information exists regarding stolen Canadian cars in Russia.
* There is information about driving solar-powered cars.
* Car sunroofs are reportedly exploding.
* Robotaxis are attempting to learn London street navigation.
* Congestion pricing is suggested for faster ambulance transit times.
* 2026 is projected to be the hottest summer on record in the U.S.
* Nepal's role in global warming is noted as paying a price.
* The government tracks every federally permitted lobster boat from Maine to Virginia.
* Research exists on eliminating unneeded mosquito species.
* Chickens were optimized for rapid weight gain.
* Scientific advisory committees play an important role.
* Scientists can distinguish fake ancient pottery from real items.
* Downgrading Pluto is cited as a decision.
* Information is available regarding Jonquilyn Hill and Adam Kirsch's discussion on aliens.
* Manufacturing boom in the U.S. requires more robots.
* Millions of driver's licenses are for sale online.
* Open networks face threats from bad actors.
* Noise-canceling headphones operate via a specific mechanism.
* Preliminary research suggests psilocybin could reduce chemotherapy side effects.
* Rural hospital closures affect expectant mothers.
* Major medical groups released seasonal vaccine recommendations.
* Research on Long Covid is available.
* The first surgical Apple Vision Pro application received FDA approval.
* Persistent dry eyes are noted as an issue.
* Prolonged sitting is linked to poor health outcomes.
* Exercise changes the brain.
* Yoga is losing mental share to other activities.
* Parallels exist between canine and human aging.
* There is research on truly hypoallergenic dogs.
* Most NA beers contain some alcohol.
* THC drink makers face regulatory limbo.
* Wineries are seeking revenue diversification.
* Scotland faces a Scotch whiskey problem.
* Food safety protection methods exist but are not always chosen.
* Restaurants face hiring difficulties (e.g., dishwasher positions).
* AI is used in content finding for the long tail.
* The NBA took salary cap circumvention seriously.
* Research exists on the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.
* There are suggestions to fix the NBA, including 'Lose the conferences.'
Executive Summary
The provided content is a curated collection of news headlines and topics categorized into various thematic areas, including Autos, Transport, Heat, Animals, Science, Robots, Technology, Behavior, Health, Sitting, Fitness, Dogs, Drink, Food, Entertainment, NBA, Gambling, Sports, Children, and earlier updates on Abnormal Returns. Topics range from specific industrial concerns like electric trucks and tire turnarounds to broader societal issues such as the impact of rising temperatures, public health research involving psychedelics and long COVID, and technological developments in AI and autonomous systems. There is a focus on tangible, often complex, real-world data alongside philosophical or behavioral inquiries regarding human capital, societal structures (like bike lanes and congestion pricing), and the psychological effects of modern life.
The information presents a broad snapshot of current concerns across various domains. For example, there are financial and industry updates concerning automotive and energy sectors alongside scientific breakthroughs in areas ranging from astrophysics (Pluto) to neuroscience (exercise and behavior). Health topics touch upon vaccine recommendations, mental health research regarding psychopaths and stimulants, and physical well-being related to prolonged sitting. The collection suggests an environment where immediate commercial interests intersect with long-term existential and behavioral questions, offering diverse angles for reflection on contemporary life.
Full Take
The compilation reveals a tension between accelerating technological and commercial realities and slower, more complex societal or biological transformations. The sheer volume of disparate topics—from AI and autonomous vehicles to climate change impacts and fundamental behavioral psychology—suggests an information landscape where immediate, tangible concerns (like vehicle performance or public health alerts) are juxtaposed against deep, abstract questions about human nature and existence.
A key pattern emerging is the focus on knowledge gaps and complexity in novel domains: how systems are managed (robotics, networks), how environments are changing (heat, climate), and how human experience is being reconfigured (sitting, digital interaction). The quote regarding human capital dealing with unmeasured things highlights a specific anxiety: the failure of existing datasets to capture emerging realities. This points toward a structural imbalance where empirical knowledge lags behind rapid systemic change, forcing reliance on speculative frameworks in areas like predicting market outcomes or assessing long-term health risks.
The juxtaposition between high-level, abstract philosophical discussion (e.g., psychopaths) and highly specific regulatory or commercial facts (e.g., NBA salary caps) implies that public discourse often shifts based on the immediacy of the threat or opportunity. The mechanism appears to be exploiting this cognitive dissonance: framing complex issues in terms of either immediate risk (heat, health crises) or potential disruption (AI, new mobility). This dynamic requires scrutiny to determine which domains receive adequate attention and resource allocation, as the costs of ignoring "things that haven't happened before" accumulate across these fragmented realities.
BRIDGE QUESTIONS: If the focus remains on cataloging these disparate facts, how do we develop frameworks capable of synthesizing knowledge across deeply divergent scientific, behavioral, and commercial silos? What mechanisms are necessary to ensure that solutions derived from data related to quantifiable reality (like climate or vehicle specs) are adequately integrated with understanding derived from unquantifiable human experience? What responsibility exists in disseminating information when the underlying patterns are still being actively constructed?
Sentinel — Human
This text appears to be an automated or compiled newsletter digest rather than original analytical content, showing characteristics of curated indexing.
