(Not) Boring Finds for March 2017

Each month we share some of the interesting reads, views, and ideas that caught our attention. Some relate directly to investing; others challenge and enlighten us for different reasons.

This month we: accepted the fact that we might have a more limited understanding of how toilets work; glimpsed a peek at how the global economy may be rallying; got clear direction on how to take a trust leap; saw confirming evidence that companies do better when they’re in it for the long haul; and we were intrigued by the disruption potential of a vending machine that dispenses Big Macs.

The New Yorker — Why facts don’t change our mind

In a climate where facts are being bent, broken, and ignored, this article draws upon multiple scientific studies that shed light on why we don’t necessarily think straight. Even reasonable-seeming people demonstrate “myside” biases when it comes to maintaining our positions on everything from capital punishment to what we think we know about toilets.

Project Syndicate — The global economy’s surprising resilience

The former Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs notes six indicators from around the world that together provide “a reliable snapshot of what the global economy will look like for the next six months.”

TED — We’ve stopped trusting institutions and started trusting strangers  (Video: 17 minutes 8 seconds)

Rachel Botsman offers a compelling discussion about our modern trust economy that will get you thinking about trust in entirely new ways. We wouldn’t share a 17 minute video unless it was really good.

McKinsey Global Institute — Where companies with a long-term view outperform their peers

This report tackles the issue of corporate short-termism, offering evidence that capitalism favours a long-term approach. As long-term investors ourselves, we appreciate the work McKinsey has done to quantify the benefits of this strategy with relevant stats and metrics. If you don’t want to read the full report, they provide a nice summary.

Quartz — Watch America’s first attempt to automate the cheeseburger

Big Mac ATMs really do exist. After decades of flirting with the concept of automated labour and delivery systems, the restaurant industry is leading the charge in the automation trend.