Tag: toilet paper

‘We Won’t Remember Much of What We Did in the Pandemic’

Tim Harford, writing for Financial Times (not paywalled): Last spring, I returned from the holiday of a lifetime in Japan, and reflected on the richness of the memories it had generated. Time flew by while I was there, but in hindsight 10 days somewhere vividly new had produced more memories than 10 weeks back home. I likened the effect to the…

How To Sell Books in 2020: Put Them Near the Toilet Paper

If you want to sell books during a pandemic, it turns out that one of the best places to do it is within easy reach of eggs, milk and diapers. From a report: When the coronavirus forced the United States into lockdown this spring, stores like Walmart and Target, which were labeled essential, remained open. So when anxious consumers were stocking…

Emergency Preparedness: How Much Food & Water Per Person

Dr. Michael Beach is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, who teaches and practices disaster preparation and response. He’s a member of disaster medical assistance teams and has helped respond to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti—and most recently, those on cruise ships during the COVID-19 […]
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Pepper Spray Sales Soar On Amazon

The unrest following the death of George Floyd has prompted Amazon shoppers to buy pepper spray for self-defense. According to Bloomberg, “a $9.48 canister of Sabre ‘max police strength’ pepper spray shot up to the top-selling rank in Amazon’s sports and outdoors category Monday morning.” The No. 2 spot was a neck gaiter, which can cover the nose and mouth. From…

Mental Health Tips for the COVID-19 Outbreak

Dr. Steve Joordens, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, regularly connects psychology to world events. Below, listen to the conversation or read the transcript, and hear Dr. Steve Joordens’s thoughts on: Tips to manage anxiety and fear around the new coronavirus pandemic How often you should check the news How parents […]
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The Rich Are Preparing for Coronavirus Differently

The new coronavirus knows no national borders or social boundaries. That doesn’t mean that social boundaries don’t exist. An anonymous reader shares a report: “En route to Paris,” Gwyneth Paltrow wrote on Instagram last week, beneath a shot of herself on an airplane heading to Paris Fashion Week and wearing a black face mask. “I’ve already been in this movie,” she…

Frustration Grows In China As Face Masks Compromise Facial Recognition

schwit1 shares a report from Quartz: Face masks are mandatory in at least two provinces in China, including the city of Wuhan. In an effort to contain the coronavirus strain that has caused nearly 500 deaths, the government is insisting that millions of residents wear protective face covering when they go out in public. As millions don masks across the country,…

Welcome To Walmart. The Robot Will Grab Your Groceries.

Walmart is testing back-of-store automated systems that can collect 800 products an hour, 10 times as many as a store worker. From a report: In the backroom of a Walmart store in Salem, N.H., is a floor-to-ceiling robotic system that the country’s largest retailer hopes will help it sell more groceries online. Workers stand on platforms in front of screens assembling…