We can learn something from the trees: it’s not only the fittest that thrive – knowing how to co-operate is also key to survival. Low-interest rates favour equities over bonds. Post-COVID cities may well favour urban villages and pedestrians over the automobile.
The world may be as ill-prepared for the post-pandemic wave of mental illness as it was for the pandemic itself.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Laughter saves lives” – Giovanni Boccaccio (in The Decameron – a collection of tales composed between 1349 and 1353 about 10 young people fleeing the plague in Florence)

Ferris Jabr, The Social Life of Forests
(The New York Times, 3 December 2020)
A fascinating and insightful read combined with stunning photos! Through the work of a scientist named Suzanne Simard, it documents how trees not only communicate but also cooperate through subterranean networks of fungi (they form partnerships known as mycorrhizas). Contrary to a majority of biologists, Simard advocates for a greater focus on cooperation over self-interest and on the emergent properties of living systems rather than their units. The bottom line: cooperation seems to be as central to evolution as competition. Are trees social creatures? Do plants possess some form of sentience or agency? Read on and enjoy every minute of it (12-15 min)!
Click here to read the full article.

Robert Shiller, Laurence Black and Farouk Jivraj, Making Sense of Sky-High Stock Prices
(Project Syndicate, 1 December 2020)
Many (including us) have been puzzled that the world’s stock markets haven’t collapsed in the face of the pandemic and the economic downturn it has wrought. The author of Irrational Exuberance and two professional investors measure what they call the Excess CAPE Yield (ECY) to put the long-term outlook for the world’s stock markets in better perspective. In their opinion, with interest rates low and likely to stay that way, equities will continue to look attractive, particularly when compared to bonds (reads in 6-7 min).
Click here to read the full article.

Farhad Manjoo, The Hidden ‘Fourth Wave’ of the Pandemic
(The New York Times, 9 December 2020)
This article is about the US where the situation may be particularly acute, but the increase in mental health problems is a universal phenomenon caused by the pandemic. According to a Gallup Survey, Americans’ assessment of their mental health is “worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades.” As the pandemic is raging in the country, “the next three months could bring a level of collective grief, anxiety, depression and overall stress that may eclipse all that we’ve experienced so far this terrible year” (reads in 6-7 min).
Click here to read the full article.

Derek Thompson, What Will Happen to Cities in 2021
(The Atlantic, 9 December 2020)
This is a short article that sifts through some of today’s clues to forecast the future of cities. Some of the predictions: (1) Since many cities will slash their public-transit budgets, they’ll feel weird for a while and the return to downtown offices will be delayed; (2) the progressive elimination of cars from downtown areas will lead to the rise of the “15-minute city”. Read on! (7-8 min)

Michael Dulaney, It can be hard to hear your mum thinks the Earth is flat. But saving a loved one from conspiracy theories is possible
(ABC Australia, 7 December 2020)
A maths teacher drifts away from friends and family after having joined the ‘tribe’ who asserts that the earth is flat. She then becomes a ‘fully-fledged’ conspiracy theorist. Three observations: (1) Conspiracy theories appeal because they offer simple explanations for complex issues; (2) Belief in conspiracy itself isn’t necessarily misguided and conspiracy beliefs can also be a powerful form of individuation; (3) Social media creates a greater possibility of casual engagement around conspiracies.
Read on, including the recommendations on how best to deal with conspiracy theorists (7-8 min).
Click here to read the full article.