Belief in conspiracy theories is far more widespread than the stereotypes that dominate pop culture. Recently, QAnon, Covid-19 and 5G theories have gained traction and criticism while less controversial conspiracies like the faked moon landing have persisted for decades. We all share hardwired evolutionary traits that make us vulnerable to them, from the way we assign truth to new information to our tendency to find patterns in unrelated phenomena. But if we’re all potentially susceptible to conspiracy theories, how can we manage these cognitive shortcuts?
Category Archives: Analysis
Analysis: ‘What Is The Paris Club Of 22 Countries?’
The Paris Club, comprising 22 wealthy countries, provides a platform for governments facing financial difficulties to reduce and renegotiate their debt repayments. Formed in 1956, it has signed more than 400 agreements to date, worth more than half a trillion dollars to about 100 countries. As public debt soars in the wake of the pandemic, CNBC’s Timothyna Duncan breaks down how this exclusive club functions and the challenges it faces to stay relevant.
Future Of Travel: How ‘Health Passports’ Work
Health passports were something we had barely heard of a year ago, but now, everyone is talking about them. Some form of passport or proof of health status is likely to be a lasting legacy of Covid-19. But what are they, how do they work, and how will they affect the way we travel?
Morning News Podcast: Covid Relief Bill Analysis & Citizen Unrest In Senegal
Thanks to a parliamentary contortion called reconciliation, the $1.9trn covid-relief plan is likely to sail through—we examine what is in it and what its passage portends for lawmaking in the Biden era.
Unrest is unusual in Senegal, but citizens are out in force; we ask about the roots of the protest mood. And what ever happened to bespoke ringtones?
Analysis: What Is Known About Iran’s Nuclear Sites
While Iran says it isn’t trying to build nuclear weapons, a look at its key facilities suggests it could develop the technology to make them. WSJ breaks down Tehran’s capabilities as it hits new milestones in uranium enrichment and limits access to inspectors. Photo illustration: George Downs
Employment: ‘How Small Cities Are Attracting Remote Workers’ (Video)
As the pandemic changes how — and where — professionals work, some smaller cities and regions are offering hefty relocation incentives to attract remote workers to help jumpstart their local economies. WSJ met one family who accepted an offer to make a new home in the Ozarks. Photo: Craig Kauffman for the Wall Street Journal
Nuclear Power: ‘Why Is It So Unpopular?’ (Video)
The meltdown at a nuclear power station in Fukushima, Japan, ten years ago stoked anxieties about nuclear energy. But nuclear is one of the safest, most reliable and sustainable forms of energy, and decarbonising will be much more difficult without it.
Analysis: ‘Why U.S. Malls Are Disappearing’ (Video)
Shopping malls in the U.S. were already in decline before the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers shifted away from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce. The outbreak has only exacerbated the challenges at malls as social distancing has placed restrictions on stores, movie theaters and restaurants.
So what will become of malls in America after the pandemic ends? Shopping malls across the U.S. have been reeling as restaurant and retail tenants struggle to keep their doors open. Data compiled by Coresight Research shows about a quarter of U.S. malls could close over the next three to five years, accelerating a trend that began before the pandemic.
Simon Property Group — the nation’s biggest mall owner — said earlier this month that its fourth-quarter revenue dropped by 24% on a year-over-year basis to $1.1 billion. However, some analysts think Simon — with its portfolio of A-rated malls and a healthy balance sheet — will benefit as distressed malls operated by its rivals close their doors. The company is also expected to see gains from new additions like hotels and luxury residences.
“Unfortunately there are a lot of centers that don’t fit that high profile and that have lost their competitive edge,” said Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Goldfarb. “The thing about Simon is they’ve been really focused on maintaining it, and that’s both been through a combination of culling the lower productive centers as well as making sure that they keep investing in their top centers.”
Simon Property Group CEO David Simon said the company is also getting a lift from increasing traffic at some of its locations and from tenants paying their rent on time. Malls are a big tax driver for the communities they serve and employ lots of people locally. Watch the video above to find out more about the struggles U.S. malls face and what could become of them after the pandemic ends.
Medicine: Baseball Great Cal Ripken Jr.’s ‘Robotic Radical Prostatectomy’
Known as the Ironman, 60-year old Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. was diagnosed with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with the Brady Urological Institute, Mr. Ripken had a successful robotic radical prostatectomy to remove his tumor and is now deemed cancer free. Watch urologic surgeon Mohamad Allaf and Cal Ripken Jr. discuss his prostate cancer journey at Johns Hopkins and share his powerful message to men across the world.
Retail Psychology: ‘How Museum Gift Shops Decide What To Sell’ (Video)
Gift shops are like the final exhibit of an art museum. They’re often located toward the exit and are unmissable on your way out the door. Souvenirs inside can range from Vincent Van Gogh socks to giant stuffed soup cans to Mona Lisa rubber ducks.
But how do gift shop curators decide what to sell? Stocking decisions often revolve around how curators want visitors to perceive the art lining museum walls. When you see a certain piece of art on a lot of merchandise, that usually means curators think that artwork is important. And thanks to a psychological phenomenon called the mere-exposure effect, the more you see that art, the more you begin to think it’s important.
Read more about this from Micaela Marini Higgs at Vox: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/11…
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