Weekly readings – 1st Feb 2020

This post is a little bit late since I have been sick the whole weekend

The decade of the very poor and the super rich

A good read on marketplace and under-utilized assets

How the Dutch Use Architecture to Feed the World. I didn’t know that Netherlands is the second biggest exporter of agricultural products in the world.

Uber tests letting drivers set their own prices. I never thought Uber would, one day, let drivers set up their own price, but apparently they seem to be experimenting on it. I wonder whether Lyft will follow suit and whether this development will pave the way for aspirational startups.

I am very disgusted and disappointed by Southwest. After all the consequences that Boeing has had to face in the aftermath of Boeing 737 Max, Southwest still doesn’t learn the lesson. I hope they will soon

Southwest pilots flew more than 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over roughly two years, and in 2019 smashed both wingtips of a jet on a runway while repeatedly trying to land amid gale-force winds, according to the Transportation Department report, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Source: WSJ

An Electronic Heath Records system provider worked with a drugmaker to implicitly encourage more opioid prescriptions to patients, despite an alarming rate of deaths by overdose.

Groundwork for the deal between the companies began in 2013, according to the statement of facts agreed to by Practice Fusion under a deferred prosecution agreement. The idea was to get the opioid maker’s pain drugs to certain kinds of patients: ones who weren’t taking opioids, or those being prescribed the company’s less profitable products. It also aimed to secure longer prescriptions, according to the court papers.

Source: Bloomberg

Automated farming in China

I came across a video clip showing how farming is automated in China. It’s not widely adopted yet, but I don’t think the day when that happens is too far away from now.

This is how farming is done in Vietnam

Source: Wharton University

Admittedly, even though there must be innovation in agriculture in Vietnam and technology is used to some extent, the photo above illustrates the current inferior technique adopted in my hometown.

Imagine the difference in efficiency and value created between the automated method and the manual laborious one.

If you are one of the workers who don’t own land and who is hired to work others’ land, automation isn’t good news for you. Your job is threatened. Nonetheless, if you are in the agriculture business, automation is a boon improving efficiency and lowering costs. If you are an end user consuming agricultural goods, automation can bring the prices down.

If we look at it from a collective standpoint, technology or automation in particular, in the majority of cases, should bring net benefits to the society. Innovation and advancements come from standards continuously being raised, I believe.