Weekend Reads: July 20, 2018

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The Great American Melt-Up

 James Pethokoukis | Commentary | Tweeted by Adam Millsap

Partisan rhetoric from the Left and Right claims that the middle class in America has experienced a decades long decline. But what do the experts say? That the American “meltdown” is really a “melt up.”

AI Could Make Detecting Autism Easier

Jeremy Hsu and Spectrum | The Atlantic | Tweeted by Jennifer Huddleston Skees

Researchers may have found a way to utilize artificial intelligence and close the “detection gap” to diagnose autism in young children.

Should You Quit Your Job?

Jeffrey A. Tucker | American Institute for Economic Research | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

The tight labor market empowers employees to leave their jobs, right? Jeffrey Tucker argues that positive job numbers and rising wages boosts worker confidence to leave their current job for a better one. Is this the right move? He examines the new reality in his piece for AIER.

A Precise, Three-Word Address for Every Place on Earth

Chris Sheldrick | TED | Tweeted by Michael Farren

Millions of people live without addresses. Chris Sheldrick and his group, what3words, seeks to solve this. By giving every three-meter square on earth a unique three-word identifier, Sheldrick hopes to solve local problems from building infrastructure to sending aid to disaster zones to delivering hot pizza.

Egypt Will Open Giant Black Mystery Sarcophagus Despite Warnings

Brett Tingley | Mysterious Universe | Retweeted by Robert Graboyes

A team of archaeologists and scientists from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities will try to unwrap a massive black sarcophagus, likely thousands of years old, near the ancient city of Alexandria.

Madagascar Has Faster Internet Than UK, France and Canada

Kemi Lijadu | Quartz | Shared by Tyler Cowen

Despite being one of the world’s poorest countries, researchers found that Madagascar’s broadband speed is more than twice the global average. How did this happen and what are the impacts on the country’s economy?

Prehistoric Bake-Off: Scientists Discover Oldest Evidence of Bread

Helen Briggs | BBC News | Retweeted by Tyler Cowen

Did scientists just find the world's oldest sandwich? Helen Briggs from BBC News explores how to make a sandwich, circa 14,000 years ago.

Who Buys a Guillotine? Someone Who Wants an ‘Amusing Acquisition’

Alex Marshall | The New York Times | Retweeted by Andrea O’Sullivan

French businessman Christophe Février made an interesting purchase for 8,000 euros, one that he views not as a “symbol of death,” but instead, “a historic symbol tied to the common heritage of humanity.”

Butchers in France Seek Protection, Citing Vegans and Violence

Alissa J. Rubin | The New York Times | Retweeted by Veronique de Rugy

A country that considers food “sacred,” how should France confront the growing trend of attacks by vegan activists on butcher businesses?

High Growth Handbook

Elad Gil | Amazon | Retweeted by Tyler Cowen

A new book by angel investor Elad Gil combines lessons from high-growth start-ups like Airbnb, Twitter, Google, Coinbase, and more into a playbook for leaders looking to grow their companies from 10 to 10,000 employees.

Thai Cave Footballers Tell of How They Tried to Dig Their Way out

Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Matthew Weaver | The Guardian | Shared by Tyler Cowen

An article for The Guardian recounts the experience of the rescued Thai soccer team from their attempts at self-rescue to playing checkers with their rescuers.

A Brain-Tickling Board Game About…Alpacas

Tom Mendelsohn | ArsTechnica | Shared by Tyler Cowen

How is a new, seemingly innocent game about Alpacas stumping its players? Tom Mendelsohn of ArsTechnica reviews the exercise “in rude creative health.”