About one in every two Americans is currently engrossed in some type of book, according to Gallup's latest measure of the public's reading habits. About half of Americans also say they have read more than five books in the past year, not much different from the number reported a decade and a half ago. There is no widespread pattern as to how people select their books -- some choose by the author, others based on recommendations from their friends, and still others by browsing.| Gallup.com
Patrick J. Loehrer, Sr., M.D., the Director of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, wrote a letter to all members of the Cancer Center this week about the use and abuse of science and scientists during the pandemic and throughout history. We’re publishing the letter as an IUCB blog, with Dr. Loehrer’s approval, since these topics are so central to thinking about ethics involving knowledge, uncertainty, and action during this pandemic.| blogs
On the Dampening of Art & Literature on TikTok| madisonhuizinga.substack.com
A decade before Airbnb persuaded homeowners to transform their homes into hotels, Netflix convinced its users to turn theirs into mini Netflix warehouses. Customers who held onto their DVDs for longer meant fewer shipping costs for Netflix, and fewer DVDs for the company to manage and store. Netflix tracked heavy users of its service — labeling them internally as “pigs” — and secretly throttled their deliveries. It didn’t matter if Netflix rented fewer DVDs than Blockbuster,...| n+1