American Consumers Are A Nightmare, Black Algae T-Shirts and the Neuroscience of Eating | Non-Obvious Insights #281

Dear Newsletterest,

I have been on the road traveling for live events this week for the first time in more than a year, and people are excited to be together. There are name tags for people who are vaccinated and willing to shake hands, and for those who aren't. Tables are farther apart, but the energy of a live audience is still a beautiful thing to experience again. In stories this week, you will read about time crystals, black algae t-shirts, why Olympic competitors often cheer for one another, and the neuroscience of eating. Enjoy the stories!

American Consumers Suck. The Pandemic Has Made Them Worse.

"For generations, American shoppers have been trained to be nightmares. The pandemic has shown just how desperately the consumer class clings to the feeling of being served. The experience of buying a new television or a double cheeseburger in a store has gotten worse in your lifetime."

Those stories you hear about flight attendants getting punched, or people fighting over products in stories, or workers quitting en masse after terrible working conditions are not isolated moments. They may be signs of a toxic culture in retail that shows little signs of getting better. There are many reasons for this problem, according to an article in The Atlantic this week, including cost-cutting from businesses and the rise of people working in service-based roles out of necessity as other sectors offer less opportunities.

“The notion that at the restaurant, you’re better than the waiters, it becomes part of the restaurant experience,” and also part of how some patrons understand their place in the world.

The effect of having so much of our identities tied up in how we spend our money is that for many people it offers a sense of superiority and permission to behave badly or demand things that they haven't paid for. This affects everyone involved in a negative way. And sadly, this reality doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

Icelandic Hotel Accepts Northern Lights Photos As Room Payment

Southern Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights and now the Hotel Rangá is seeking a “light catcher” photographer to capture the moment in exchange for a month’s free stay and flights to and from Iceland. Paying influencers through barter is not a new idea, particularly in travel and tourism, but this more than just offering a nice dinner or taking photos of a room. This campaign feels more like inviting a resident artist to stay and create art to be repurposed on behalf of a brand. I'm not sure if that's really a fair trade, but it certainly is an interesting new marketing model to consider.

Why Olympic Rivals Cheer One Another Instead of Hating

Ok, I know that the idea of an Olympic athlete helping a struggling competitor cross the finish line is the most iconic of Olympic cliches. And yes, I do still love those stories when they happen. But this week there were some interesting articles exploring how the spirit of humanity is emerging once again at these Games and why athletes who seem like they should hate one another are actually cheering the loudest for each other in otherwise empty venues at Tokyo 2020. Each one points to the idea that the old rivalries fueled by the Cold War or invented by the media just don't reflect the reality that many athletes often train together with rivals and see one another at events throughout the years leading up to the Olympics.

In other words, they are already friends before the Games ever start. So the next time you're watching one of those overblown TV segments about an epic showdown between two athletes, consider this: they may be rivals in real life, but they may just as likely be sharing a drink together after the competition is over. The world could definitely use a bit more of that.

The Neuroscience of Eating Is About To Become Big Business

What if the act of telling someone the food they are eating is high calorie and unhealthy is actually better than telling them its a diet food? Could the act of getting bariatric surgery itself be a tipping point to getting an obese person to behave more like a lean person when it comes to decisions about food? These are just a few of the counterintuitive ideas for getting people to make healthier eating choices that scientists are reviewing. As this article from INSEAD explores, the neuroscience of why we choose to eat the things we do is getting more detailed, predictive and useful. As scientists uncover how our brain makes eating decisions, it's likely that their insights they unearth now could transform human health in the future.

It's Time For a T-Shirt Made From Black Algae That Eats Carbon Dioxide

Instead of contributing to global pollution and landfills, there is a way that our clothing can be manufactured in a more environmentally-conscious way and it may start with using a black dye derived from a black algae that thrives on Carbon Dioxide. Alongside the suggestion to paint the world's roofs white, this seems like the sort of innovation that should be a no-brainer to get behind. I'm already on the wait list for my black algae t-shirt.

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Every week I always curate more stories than I'm able to explore in detail. In case you're looking for some more reading this week, here are a few other stories that captured my attention ...

How are these stories curated?

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American Consumers Are A Nightmare, Black Algae T-Shirts and the Neuroscience of Eating | Non-Obvious Insights #281

American Consumers Suck. The Pandemic Has Made Them Worse.

Icelandic Hotel Accepts Northern Lights Photos As Room Payment

Why Olympic Rivals Cheer One Another Instead of Hating

The Neuroscience of Eating Is About To Become Big Business

It's Time For a T-Shirt Made From Black Algae That Eats Carbon Dioxide

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Older messages

How An Olympics Without Fans Hurts Athletes, a Missing Ancient Continent and Chief Heat Officers | Non-Obvious Insights #280

Why Everyone Might Quit, Wikipedia Can't Be Trusted and Your Data Won't Last Forever | Non-Obvious Insights #279

A Sneak Preview of What to Expect From the Tokyo 2020 Olympics | Non-Obvious Insights #278

The Upside of an Ego-Driven Space Race, Cup Noodle Ice Cream and An Insanely Useful Color Picking Tool | Non-Obvious Insights #277

Euphoric Beverages, America's Weirdest Holiday and Teaching Asian Kids To Be "Proud of their Eyes" | Non-Obvious Insights #276

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