by Chris Becker
Morning all, here are some additional links and reading for Sunday with some added commentary. Daily links will resume next week but will be the only regular posts until January the 5th unless there are some interesting macro developments! (and no, I didn’t get that present, maybe next year….)
Science and Technology:
- Top 10 strategic technology trends for 2015 – Barry Ritholz (I would contend that security will be the number 1 trend next year, perhaps even a bubble as corporates/States overreact to the NK hacking etc)
- The biggest scientific breakthroughs of 2014 – IO9 (the galactic supercluster, Philae and Orion are my favourites, but the top comment there is sobering!)
- Europe is a great place to be a meat eater – Smithsonian (go carnivores! At first I thought this article was going to be about Europeans abandoning vegetarianism, but no…)
- Solar power and electric cars could save the bloated suburbia – WP (this may also shift the political power balance (sic) away from the central city elite. Funny how history repeats as new technologies emerge and are adapted….)
- Are you sure you want to use email? – WSJ (given email is basically like sending a postcard in the open, both corporates and SME business may well revisit older tech (wrapped up as new) to improve security)
- Gizmag’s best of 2014 – my favourite sci/tech website and should be yours! (and run by an Aussie)
Weekend Economics:
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- When did globalisation start? – The Economist (an oldie but a goodie – especially the chart on Chris Columbus and inflation which started the whole palaver.)
- Economics of web delivery of “The Interview” may not add up – Bloomberg (NK wackery aside, this is a fascinating development with regard to media delivery in the future. Anyone watched the movie itself yet?)
- Why the Chinese are richer but not happer – Psy Blog (this is a worldwide phenomenon that transcends race and culture, although it may have something to do with political dissatisfaction, which is similar in the West where Gen X/Y/Mill have had their futures mortgaged)
Investing, Trading and Psychology (but I repeat myself):
- The Basic simple truths of Investing by Barry Ritholz – a short but powerful list that I largely agree with, except all of point No.1 (stock picking) although the bit on randomness/luck is apt.
- New Years resolutions may do more harm than good – Business Insider (great article, reminds me of that tenets required to start new habits, like going for a daily jog/walk or giving up sugar (two of my harder 2014 resolutions!))
- A better way to think about risk – HBR (a great summary of the emotional inputs and how taking risk is a good thing, and how we do not act as the cool calculated homo economus the economists think we all are. Now theres a failure!)
Some investing inspiration from Michael Jordan who explains why focusing solely on the win/loss ratio (or picking on market timers without realising that most cut their losses if they get it wrong) and “getting it right” is counterproductive:
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And what investors can learn from expert gamblers (i.e traders):