“The only people we can think of as normal are those we don't yet know very well.”
Alain de Botton (School of Life)
Greetings!
I sometimes can’t help but wonder about the paradoxical nature of human beings. We can be exceedingly caring and vulnerable, unsettlingly quirky and wicked, and stunningly astute and creative. This week we investigate the marketing push for insect protein, the importance of a good slumber, the mystery of Havana Syndrome, the awe-inspiring sport of figure skating, the retirement of Angela Merkel, and a miraculous underground rescue. Enjoy.
ENTOMOPHAGY: What better occasion (and crowd) than The Davos Agenda to discuss how to properly manage the world’s resources, and set goals for what kind of car people should drive, what size of house we should live in, and what foods we should eat. And, of course, who better to set the stage for the conversation (for the second year in a row) than the leader of a country where every year roughly 2 million people die from air pollution and 20 million dogs are killed for human consumption (and don’t get me started on Hong Kong’s hamstercide). Self-described “yuck reaction absolutist” Peter Franklin hypothesizes about market (or perhaps other obscure) forces at play. Read HERE.
SLEEP HYGIENE: One of the world’s preeminent voices on the topic, Dr. Matthew Walker has spent more than two decades studying what he calls "the silent sleep loss epidemic”. But rather than an alarmist, he prefers to see himself as the ‘sleep diplomat’. In this TedTalk, Dr. Walker shares some of the science behind a good night’s rest and explains how the lack of sleep can affect our health and well-being in the short and long-term. More importantly, he offers some valuable tips to the general public. For a deeper conversation you can go HERE. Wanna know your chronotype? Take the Morningness-Eveningness self-assessment HERE. And lastly, if you think you might benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (sleep coaching), you can go HERE.
IMMACULATE CONCUSSION: An act of war? Mass psychogenic illness? The CIA recently determined that most cases of the mysterious head injuries affecting hundreds of U.S. diplomats across the world are not linked to a widespread targeted campaign by a hostile foreign power. According to the agency, the typical symptoms described by victims - including headaches, nausea, vertigo, dizziness, as well as hearing, vision and memory loss – could be explained by environmental factors, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress. Another group of cases, many of which originated at the U.S. Embassy in Havana in 2016, is still considered unresolved. Over the past 6 years, cases have been reported in Australia, Austria, China, Colombia, Cuba, France, Germany, Russia and, more recently, Switzerland. For some, the affliction was severe enough to end their careers. “While we have reached some significant interim findings, we are not done”, CIA Director William Burns said.
BAN SHOUTING?: Apparently, China is enforcing a strict set of rules at the Winter Olympics next month to stop the fast-spreading Omicron variant. From a "closed-loop” system (meaning once you’re inside you can’t leave) to a ban on shouting, Beijing promises to knock Tokyo off the top of the podium at least on one metric: insipidness. Luckily, there has been plenty of excitement for athletes and spectators around the world in preparation for the big event. Watch this performance on ice by the second highest ranked women's singles skater, Alexandra Trusova.
ZIS IS ZE LIFE: Love her or hate her, former chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel (otherwise known as Mutti), left an indelible mark after 16 years in office - for better or worse. Does anyone miss her?
FLICK OF THE WEEK: In the documentary film The Rescue, Oscar-winning producers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo and Meru) tell the story of how an international community of volunteers, explorers and doctors came together in the summer of 2018 to locate and extract twelve boys and their soccer coach from the flooded depths of a labyrinthian cave in Northern Thailand. It is a dramatic retelling of one of the most audacious and extraordinary rescues in recent memory, highlighting the efforts of the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and U.S. Special Forces, and the unexpected heroism of a handful of cave diving enthusiasts.