Disrupting the Dining Experience, Personal Health Devices, and Cultural Practices

Weekend Reads: November 2, 2018

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Thousands of Swedes Are Inserting Microchips under Their Skin

Maddy Savage | NPR | Tweeted by Adam Thierer

For some Swedes, tech is getting under their skin. Literally.

Uber’s Secret Restaurant Empire

Kate Krader | Bloomberg | Tweeted by Brent Skorup

Unconventional online food delivery-only “virtual restaurants” are disrupting the dining experience at a pace of 20% growth per year. 

The Economic Color Blindness of the Sears Catalog

Phillip Magness | American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

Although former clothing giant Sears filed for bankruptcy a couple weeks ago, the company contributed significantly to eliminating segregation and economic discrimination in the Jim Crow South.

Chocolate: Origins of Delicacy Pushed Back in Time

Helen Briggs | BBC News | Shared by Tyler Cowen

The ancient benefits of chocolate have been experienced for more than 5,000 years according to new research from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Logic of the Vendetta Now Guides Our Politics

Jonah Goldberg | National Review | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

Is “other side-ism” poisoning the way we communicate with those whom we disagree? How does the culture of blame impact politics and human behavior?

Trump’s Next Tariff Blow Could Be 10 Times Worse for US Shoppers

Bruce Einhorn | Bloomberg | Tweeted by Veronique de Rugy                                   

Sources notified Bloomberg that the US is preparing to announce tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports by early December. According to analysts, the effect of a 10% tariff on over $200 billion worth of imports could be 10 times larger than the first or second round the administration implemented.

A Lawsuit Reveals How Peculiar Harvard’s Definition of Merit Is

Print Edition | The Economist | Tweeted by Bryan Caplan

A lawsuit against Harvard University regarding its admissions policy is stirring the national debate on affirmative action.

I Know What It Feels like to Be Unbanked

Jelena McWilliams | American Banker | Retweeted by Brian Knight

While the number of people in the US without a bank account has been decreasing, 8.4 million US households still function without any relationship with a bank. How does this impact these consumers when buying cars, purchasing houses, or receiving credit?

John Taylor Gatto (1935-2018): Remembering America's Most Courageous Teacher

Brittany Hunter | Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) | Retweeted by Christopher Coyne

Legendary educator, writer, and outspoken critic of the US education system, John Taylor Gatto passed away recently. As a New York public school teacher, he dedicated his career to tapping into students’ individual potentials. When he believed the school system no longer served this purpose, he quit and worked to reform public education.

Waymo’s Excruciatingly Gradual Launch Process, Explained

Timothy Lee | ArsTechnica | Retweeted by Jennifer Huddleston Skees

Waymo, a self-driving technology company part of the Alphabet, Inc./Google family, rolled out its self-driving commercial taxi service in October—a revolutionary act that zoomed under the radar of most media outlets.