Chapter 1: Celebrating Odd Holidays

Good morning, everyone! Welcome to Bite Sized Beta, your go-to source for the latest buzz in life. Today happens to be National M&M Day, so why not treat yourself to an M&M McFlurry and indulge like a true American?

Ever curious about who invents these quirky holidays? There's actually a website where any organization can propose a national day. It resembles a project from a very enthusiastic middle school camp. Just don’t all rush to submit a request for National Bite Sized Beta Appreciation Day at once!

In this week’s oven: What’s the connection between Yankee Candles and COVID? What are the 5 most relevant headlines? And what are our top 4 discoveries this week? Plus, expect some Thursday memes!

Want to receive this email weekly? Subscribe here.

FRESHLY BAKED: YANKEE CANDLE REVIEWS INDICATE COVID RESURGENCE

Remember COVID? It's like that pesky neighbor you greet once, yet they keep popping up uninvited. Well, it seems to have returned.

A recent study by a professor unveiled an unconventional method to forecast spikes in COVID cases. Instead of utilizing standard data sources like hospitalization rates, he turned to Yankee Candle reviews on Amazon.

It appears we can anticipate COVID surges by monitoring the volume of 1-star reviews that mention “no smell” (indicating the reviewer lost their sense of smell due to the virus).

Why focus on Yankee Candles? Here’s why:

• They boast immense popularity, allowing for a considerable sample size.
• With a diverse array of scents, we can determine if the loss of smell is specific to certain fragrances or if it’s a general trend.
• Real-time data from the government is often lacking, whereas Amazon reviews flow in much faster.

For every 100,000 new COVID-19 cases reported weekly, the study found that reviews stating “no smell” rose by a quarter of a percentage point the following week. Unfortunately, this week has seen a surge in those dreaded 1-star reviews:

In light of this, it may be time to consider getting that new booster shot…

COOKIE CRUMBS: BITE-SIZED NEWS

Research indicates that cannabis can spark creativity but also increases the likelihood of chronic major depression by four times. Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist who has a striking resemblance to a part-time UFC fighter, delves into marijuana's effects on the body and brain.

The SEC is on the hunt again, examining Yuga Labs, the creators of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, regarding the launch of their token, ApeCoin. Currently, ApeCoin has dropped approximately 8%, while Bored Apes have decreased by about 5%.

TikTok is challenging Amazon by setting up e-commerce fulfillment centers across the U.S. to enhance TikTok Shop's reach. Given TikTok's algorithm already encourages us to spend, the prospect of bypassing Amazon's links is alarming—someone freeze our credit cards!

Ride-sharing giants Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are facing stock market declines this week after the Labor Department proposed reclassifying gig workers as employees. Lyft's stock fell by 12%, Uber's dropped by 10.4%, and DoorDash saw a 6% decline.

Meta has launched the Meta Quest Pro, a productivity-focused headset priced at $1499.99. Additionally, they've teamed up with Microsoft to enable the use of Microsoft Teams and Office 365 apps in their metaverse, giving us even more reasons to consider quiet quitting…

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: TOP DISCOVERIES OF THE WEEK

Here are 14 strategies for enhancing happiness. In an unsettling twist, an AI generated a podcast featuring Joe Rogan and the late Steve Jobs, and it sounds remarkably realistic. The Rolex Market Index lets you track the value of luxury watches in the secondhand market; if you had purchased a used Rolex in March 2022, it would have depreciated nearly one-third since then—ouch!

We just wrapped up reading The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley. It's exactly what it sounds like and is an incredible inside look into the legendary PayPal mafia.

SNICKERDOODLES: THURSDAY MEMES

That wraps up this week's edition—see you next Thursday! If you’d like this in your inbox every Thursday, subscribe here. If you enjoyed this post, give it a clap and let us know what topics you’d like us to explore next!