S U N D R Y

In 2010, only 10% of young adults used texts to ask someone out. In 2013, it grew to 23%. Today, I wonder whether anybody calls someone to ask them out. The lotteryticket-ness of calling someone has been replaced by the slot-machineness of texting them (yes I just made those up). Aziz Ansari shares some social psychology on the texting game — nautil.us

Where are the self-driving cars? Looks like a problem is that the designers of AV (autonomous vehicles) algorithms model that every humans act the same way. People do not, some drivers are more egoistical, some are more altruistic — csail.mit.edu

Every day, about 30,000 people pass through the gallery where the Mona Lisa hangs. It might be becoming a problem for the Louvre. Should it go? — nytimes.com

A primer on the social phenomenon that is signaling. Its origins in biology (and peacocks), why we all do it, and what this wordless means of communication is all about — fs.blog

“During the next few days I shall either put a bullet through my head or commit something more shattering to myself than death. At any rate I shall be quite a different person. I refuse to be cheated out of my deathbed scene.” This letter was written by Rebecca West to H.G. Wells, when he broke up with her. It is interesting in the sense that, in addition to its extraordinary literary quality, it crudely shows the contradictions inherent to self and relationships. — brainpickings.org

Is feeling creeped out an invitation? An invitation to thoroughly analyse whether the cause of disgust is justified. Because being creeped out is ambiguous. Or you know, just follow your gut — aeon.co

The London Review of Books on how to buy drugs. And in it, you'll find a superlative review of why it's better to buy drugs on dark net markets rather than in real life — lrb.co.uk

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This is the Sundry Newsletter. It is a distillation of what I read every week: society, fun facts, history, business, science, branding, art, etc. Thank you for reading — Ulysse Sabbag.