Skip to content

Saturday links: opportunity costs

Chimera readability score 52 out of 100, Graduate reading level.

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 hardest day to invest is always today. The hardest day to start almost anything is today. Waiting for certainty feels safe, but the opportunity cost is often far greater than we realize."
(Ted Seides)
EVs
- The spike in gasoline prices helped drive EV sales. (businessinsider.com)
- EV batteries are lasting a lot longer than expectations. (wsj.com)
- It's getting easier to charge an EV away from home, but it's still not foolproof. (axios.com)
- New American vehicles are increasingly hybrid-powered. (advisorperspectives.com)
- Ionna is rapidly building out its charging network. (axios.com)
Transport
- E-bike injuries are on the rise. (axios.com)
- Incentives work. How congestion pricing has pulled cars off the roads of Manhattan. (apollo.com)
- How a simple white line changed driving. (wsj.com)
- Transport companies are preparing for higher heat conditions. (ft.com)
- Robo-taxi passengers can be pretty gross. (futurism.com)
Energy
- Luckily for the world, the price of solar, wind and batteries continue to fall. (newyorker.com)
- Ukraine and Iran are lessons to countries about the fragility of fossil fuel supplies. (billmckibben.substack.com)
- How banning offshore wind projects is costing jobs. (motherjones.com)
- This tribe is still pushing a utility scale solar project forward. (npr.org)
- A talk with Bill McKibben, author of “Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization.” (nytimes.com)
- The world needs more transformers. (ig.ft.com)
Environment
- The story behind Climate.us. (grist.org)
- How Europe is adapting to extreme heat. (ft.com)
- Signs of chaos behind the scenes at the U.S. Forest Service. (wapo.st)
Animals
- The silver-cheeked puffer fish is devastating the Caribbean. (bloomberg.com)
- New Zealand is at the forefront of lower emission milk production. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
- Sheep do just fine grazing under solar voltaic panels. (electrek.co)
Travel
- Travel to the U.S. has yet to rebound. (bloomberg.com)
- Barcelona really doesn't want more tourists. (nytimes.com)
Technology
- What we lose with one-click search results. (nytimes.com)
- The world is increasingly at risk of a big solar storm. Here is a plan to protect electronics. (wsj.com)
- How to turn an old iPhone into a dumb phone for your kids. (wired.com)
- Why MAGA types hate Wikipedia. (nytimes.com)
Science
- Why Mount Etna is unique for a volcano. (sciencedaily.com)
- Five insights from Lixing Sun's new book, "On the Origin of Sex: The Weird and Wonderful Science of Reproduction." (nextbigideaclub.com)
Fertility
- Some states are looking to limit access to fertility services. (axios.com)
- Why we need limits on sperm donors. (technologyreview.com)
Public health
- The number of babies not getting a Vitamin K shot are on the rise. (nytimes.com)
- The CDC has stopped collecting some vital health data. (theconversation.com)
- Still no sign of a link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism. (sciencenews.org)
Health
- Why ZYN is everywhere these days. (nytimes.com)
- Why are OTC drugs with phenylephrine still on the shelf? (theargumentmag.com)
- Five insights from Stephanie Romiszewski's new book, "Think Less, Sleep More: From Panic & Perfectionism to Stress-Free Sleep." (nextbigideaclub.com)
Fitness
- For sprains and strains, RICE is out. (wapo.st)
- Move your body for your brain as you age. (npr.org)
- Why you should be skeptical of the 'blue zones' hype. (newyorker.com)
Cocaine
- The street price of cocaine in the U.S. is at multi-decade lows. (theatlantic.com)
- Cocaine use does a number on the brain. (404media.co)
Drink
- The truth about (moderate) drinking. (derekthompson.org)
- How alcohol taxes vary across the country, by state. (axios.com)
Food waste
- California has banned 'sell by' dates to reduce food waste. (insurancejournal.com)
- Why more surplus food doesn't get donated to those in need. (theconversation.com)
Food
- How Driscoll's turned berries into a year-round staple. (nytimes.com)
- Why your store-bought ice cream, may not actually be 'ice cream.' (medium.com)
- Why everyone is adding psyllium powder to their diets. (nytimes.com)
- Smucker's bet on Hostess has not paid off. (wsj.com)
Gambling
- Arnold Ventures is going to help fund studies of sports gambling. (cnbc.com)
- How opening a pack of Pokemon cards is now akin to gambling. (barrons.com)
Sports
- Is a reliance on technology ruining the World Cup? (bigtechnology.com)
- Why Lionel Messi rarely runs. (kottke.org)
Movies
- The best movies of 2026 (so far) including 'Obsession.' (variety.com)
- Big screen comedies are on life support. (thebulwark.com)
- Just how impactful is the Black List? (stephenfollows.com)
- Sonny Burch talks with David Thomson, author of "A Sudden Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of Movies." (thebulwark.com)
Entertainment
- What we lose when physical media goes away. (ft.com)
- A great example why contract language matters. (billboard.com)
Earlier on Abnormal Returns
- What you missed in our Friday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Don't miss a thing! Sign up for our daily e-mail newsletter. (abnormalreturns.com)
- Are you a financial advisor? Sign up for our exclusive Talking Wealth newsletter. (talkingwealthpod.com)

Facts Only

* EV sales were driven by increased gasoline prices.
* EV batteries are lasting longer than expected.
* It is becoming easier to charge EVs outside of home, though challenges remain.
* New American vehicles are increasingly hybrid-powered.
* Ionna is building out its charging network.
* E-bike injuries are increasing.
* Congestion pricing reduced cars in Manhattan.
* Transport companies are preparing for higher heat conditions.
* The price of solar, wind, and batteries continues to fall.
* Ukraine and Iran serve as lessons regarding fossil fuel supply fragility.
* California banned 'sell by' dates for food waste reduction.
* Some states are considering limiting access to fertility services.
* The number of babies not receiving a Vitamin K shot is rising.

Executive Summary

The content covers a wide range of topics across various sectors, including technology (EVs, search, solar storms), energy (fossil fuels, renewables, battery technology), transportation (E-bikes, congestion pricing, robo-taxis), the environment (climate adaptation, pollution, wildlife), public health (vaccinations, drug regulation), and personal well-being (sleep, fitness). A central theme emerges around systemic transitions—the shift away from fossil fuels, the adoption of new energy sources, and evolving societal norms regarding technology and health. Specific points address market dynamics, scientific findings on reproduction, food systems, and behavioral economics related to investment and consumption. The collection functions as a curated digest touching upon immediate concerns about the climate and environment alongside more niche topics in personal finance, media, and health.

Full Take

The collection demonstrates an underlying tension between immediate, tangible systemic changes (like the fall in energy prices or EV adoption) and complex, often intractable human or behavioral challenges (such as skepticism regarding 'blue zones,' the psychological impact of search algorithms, or reproductive policy). The juxtaposition of hard scientific and economic data on climate fragility alongside discussions about consumer habits, media consumption, and public health suggests a narrative where large-scale, solvable physical problems coexist with nuanced, resistant social and cognitive systems. The focus on opportunity cost in investment, the fragility of supply chains (fossil fuels), and the slow pace of adaptation (e.g., Europe's heat response) highlights that while technological and energy solutions are advancing rapidly, human inertia, established economic structures, and deep-seated psychological patterns act as significant limiting factors. The pattern suggests an exploration of friction points: where physics meets policy, and where collective action struggles against immediate cognitive biases or entrenched institutional inertia. The question underlying this assemblage is whether the speed of technological change is sufficient to overcome the slow resistance inherent in human systems.

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

This text appears to be an index or curated collection of news links organized into topical categories, characteristic of a newsletter rather than a continuous narrative article.

Signals Detected
low severity: High lexical diversity and specific source citation; structure is list-based rather than dense prose.
low severity: Content is a curated collection of disparate headlines, lacking the flow or argumentative arc of a single editorial.
medium severity: The format strongly suggests an internal newsletter or curation feed rather than standard journalistic reporting.
low severity: Source attributions are present and varied, suggesting human compilation of external links.
Human Indicators
The structure is highly curated, resembling a newsletter roundup rather than continuous article writing.
The inclusion of specific, niche sources (e.g., motherjones.com, nextbigideaclub.com) suggests a personalized filter by a human curator.
Saturday links: opportunity costs — Arc Codex