1) A recent Pew survey found 56% of Americans think putting computer chip implants in human brains to “advance cognitive skills” is a bad idea for society. Notably, 46% think facial recognition tech used by police is a good idea for society.
2) According to the National Confectioners Association — which, by the name of it, sounds like a lovely association — in 2021, there was $36.9B in US candy sales. Non-chocolate sales grew faster than chocolate sales, at 14.5% and 9.2% growth rates, respectively.
3) Out of the 68 teams that made March Madness this year, 39 wear Nikes, 16 wear Under Armour, and 13 wear Adidas. Of the Nike teams, 6 wear Jordans with the infamous “Jumpman” logo. Notably, the Jordan Brand has increased revenue from $2.6B in 2015 to $4.7B in 2021.
4) Researchers at Duke and Florida State University estimate that 170m+ Americans alive today were exposed to high levels of lead in their childhoods, contributing to population-wide IQ loss of 824,097,690 IQ points as of 2015.
5) A recent survey by a luxury mattress company found that 7 in 10 people have had a dream about a brand as a result of interacting with regular ads or using a product in daily life (42% said Apple has appeared in their dreams).