Saturday links: contrived dissent

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 "Contrived dissent is better than nothing, especially if the contrivance itself is taken seriously. But the most valuable form of dissent is authentic, even stubborn and brave." (Tim Harford) Chart of the Day Zoom out to look at improved energy efficiency. (JPMPB via Snippet Finance) AVs - This time around, the AV hype seems real. (wsj.com) - Amazon’s Zoox is preparing to launch its robotaxis in Austin and Miami later this year. (cnbc.com) - PJ Vogt on who wins (and loses) in a driverless world. (freakonomics.com) - The case for taxing driverless cars. (worksinprogress.news) Autos - This Chinese company is at the center of the battery economy. (wsj.com) - A cyberattack on a U.S. vehicle breathalyzer company left drivers across the U.S. unable to start their vehicles. (techcrunch.com) - On the societal balancing act of licensing older drivers. (npr.org) Renewables - One thing the Trump administration is consistent on is opposition to renewable energy. (paulkrugman.substack.com) - Trading wind power for natural gas seems like a bad trade. (prospect.org) - Why not put solar panels on every school's roof? (reasonstobecheerful.world) Energy - China's economy is rapidly electrifying. (libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org) - Higher oil prices, means more oil theft. (audacy.com) - How a 'virtual power plant' works. (msn.com) Forests - Wildfires are starting sooner and in unique places this year. (msn.com) - The American West has a big water/snow issue this Spring. (theconversation.com) - Why the administration wants more roads in national forests. (insideclimatenews.org) Environment - It's not clear that deep ocean mining can be done safely. (arstechnica.com) - Why eradicating the Arundo weed is so challenging. (motherjones.com) - Why everyone hates their weather app. (newyorker.com) - Why restoring mangroves matters. (npr.org) Animals - Ugandan wildlife authorities have reintroduced rhinos into a remote protected area. (apnews.com) - It's (almost) open season on mountain lions in Utah. (hcn.org) - How gophers helped reinvigorate Mount St. Helens. (popularmechanics.com) - What happens when a sperm whale is born. (npr.org) - Beavers as carbon warriors. (sciencedaily.com) Science - Trump's new science advisors don't really have science backgrounds. (nature.com) - Static energy is still a bit of a mystery. (nature.com) - How volcanoes talk to each other. (quantamagazine.org) - How fermented foods interact with our biology. (asimov.press) War - What Ukraine can teach the Mideast about protecting energy infrastructure. (nytimes.com) - Will tourists return to the Gulf, post-war? (wsj.com) Big Tech - They really want you to consume AI slop. (honest-broker.com) - Big Tech is the new Big Tobacco. (spyglass.org) - Opt out is not consent. (feld.com) GLP-1s - What we know about the benefits of GLP-1 drugs. (wapo.st) - An interesting GLP-1 result in menopausal women. (sciencedaily.com) - GLP-1s are changing the food industry. (cnbc.com) Medicine - America's immigrant doctors are facing a chaotic visa landscape. (axios.com) - Radiology seems like a perfect fit for AI, but there are still plenty of radiologists. (worksinprogress.news) - Why leaving medicine is terrifying to doctors. (statnews.com) CDC - RFK Jr.' s CDC is a hot mess. (nytimes.com) - NIH restrictions on overseas research has disrupted programs. (statnews.com) - The CDC again searching for a new leader. (npr.org) Health - It's not just vaccines. Parents of newborns are now refusing other routine care. (cnn.com) - Pregnant women who get vaccinated for Covid pass immunity to their babies. (npr.org) - Islet cell therapy could be transformative for Type I diabetics. (news.mit.edu) - Rising health insurance costs for forcing people to make difficult decisions. (npr.org) - In retirement, spouses play a big role in care giving. (papers.ssrn.com) - Cold weather is associated with additional cardiovascular-related deaths. (sciencedaily.com) - MAHA loves peptides. (wsj.com) Fitness - Variety is the spice of life when it comes to exercise. (insidehook.com) - How to sit better. (twopct.com) Dogs - The dog establishment is fed up with doodles. (newyorker.com) - Humans may have lived with dogs for far longer than earlier thought. (science.org) DIning - Fine dining has a culture problem. (cnn.com) - J Lee talks fine dining and 'Top Chef' with Tom Colicchio. (readfeedme.com) Drink - How to use AI to track the price of a pint of Guinness. (tech.eu) - Why China's wine market has collapsed. (wsj.com) Sports - Which prep races best predict the Triple Crown? (neilpaine.substack.com) - College athletic departments are becoming full-blown content studios. (frontofficesports.com) - The new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers has an interesting background. (propublica.org) College - One way to combat AI is in-person exams. (yahoo.com) - College campuses are not seeing much political dissent. (theatlantic.com) - These African students had scholarships to attend school in the U.S. Their visas have been pulled. (wsj.com) - In this study high school GPA is a better predictor than the SAT for college achievement. (papers.ssrn.com) - Why college? (thecollegefinanciallady.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)