Nathalie Rothschild described the latest trend in Sweden: Lunch time Rave Parties:

• In 2010 a group of friends decided that they wanted to spend their lunch hour dancing and started doing so in the office garage. Soon more and more people started to join in.
• The movement is now called “Lunch Beat” and can be organized by anybody. Some of the rules include:
  • The event must start promptly at 12 and end at 1.
  • A takeaway meal must be offered and is included in the ticket price.
  • No drugs or alcohol.
• The organizers say that by completely removing employees from the workplace they help employees forget about work and come back refreshed and re-energized.
• Observers say there is no sexual tension at the rave-like events. It is more of a fun alternative to a lunchtime workout.
• Some companies now buy tickets to these events for their employees as a perk.

To read more about what the Lunch Beat events are like, why Sweden is different from Denmark and the Netherlands, the success of a Belgian version of the movement, why participants say they enjoy it, what the Swedish language council has to say about it, and why organizers want dancers not gawkers, click here.

Source: Slate

Audrey Tempelsman explored the growing market for meteorites:

• Starting in the 90s the market price of meteorites began to soar.
• Some attribute this to the rise of the internet and its ability to create online markets that are easily accessible by all.
• Others suggest that value started to rise because there were a string of high-profile auctions and news stories that discussed the stunning amounts that meteorites could sell for.
• Meteorites from Mars can be worth $1,000 a gram. Only 61 out of 41,000 meteorite specimens are from Mars.
• Different countries have different laws about meteorites. In the United States it belongs to the owner of the land where it crashed. In Japan it’s finders-keepers. In India meteorites must be handed over to museums.

To read more about the market for meteorites, the legality of purchasing them, why the Natural History Museum is being left behind, the laws that make Antarctica a good place to hunt for meteorites, the role that NASA plays, and why the “good guys” out in the world are so important, click here.

Source: The Naked Scientists

Via: Marginal Revolution

A lot of contemporary research focuses on how the identity of the CEO affects the direction of a company, writes L.V. Anderson. What do researchers have to say about military CEOs? Highlights of the report include:

• Between 1980 and 2006 30% of CEOs in America’s top companies had some experience with the military. This was primarily because of the draft and the Vietnam and Korean wars.
• Military CEOs are only half as likely to engage in fraud when compared to non-military experience CEOs. This is especially true when pressure is highest and industry profitability is lowest. Civilian CEOs are almost five times more likely to doctor the books then.
• In general companies with military CEOs perform better during harsh economic times.
• However military CEOs perform worse when economic times are good.
• This is perhaps because they are less risk-taking, which, while creating stability, means that they don’t capitalize on opportunities when they come.
• Military CEOs spent up to 20% less on R&D than their civilian counterparts.
• On balance, if you consider both the good and bad years, military CEOs perform slightly worse than civilian ones.

To read many more details including why fraud might just be a burden that society has to bear, the merits of having an MBA, the methodology of the study, some famous case studies, and what business schools should try to foster, click here.

Source: Slate

After looking at the data Veronique de Rugy asked: where is this much discussed austerity?

• Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Greece are widely believed to have implemented severe austerity measures.
• Yet their spending is still higher than pre-recession levels.
• In fact, France and the UK didn’t cut spending at all.
• While Italy did cut spending between 2009 and 2010 it increased it by more than what was cut in 2011.
• Countries have raised taxes more than they have cut spending.

To read a further discussion about how in an age of economic woes, flat spending might be a sign of austerity, why raising taxes is a bad idea, what successful reform actually looks like, and what European countries need to do, click here.

Source: National Review

Via: Marginal Revolution

The Economist looked at the quirkier side of CEO’s and business performance:

• According to one expert, a male CEO with two wives is ideal. He has to pay alimony which creates an incentive for him to work hard. However three wives is a negative sign because that many divorces suggest reckless behaviour.
• Single bosses have more volatile returns than married ones.
• Managers who have a greater ownership in the firms they run take fewer holidays.

To read many more quirky and interesting relationships, and more details about each of the ones described above, click here.

Source: The Economist

Via: Freakonomics

After a while in France Karen Le Billon picked up on an interesting trend: French people don’t snack. Highlights of her article include:

• Studies suggest that North American children have three meals a day and snack thrice a day.
• French children on the other hand have four square meals a day and don’t snack.
• French ads for snacks on television carry a warning similar to those on cigarette packs, informing people that snacking in between meals can be dangerous for one’s health.
• French strollers don’t have cup-holders. Nor do cars for that matter.
• While France is renowned for its café culture, most of the people having meals at the cafes are tourist. French people will either be seen walking around or sitting down for a cup of espresso.
• In the rare occasions that French people do snack they eat things such as fruit and yogurt. They are looked down upon when they do this.

To read more about what the French words for snacking reveal about France’s snacking culture, some of the clear advantages this has for parents, how this relates to Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the controversy about snacking in France’s school system, click here.

Source: Babble

Via: Marginal Revolution

As the Eurozone crisis continues to sputter on Suzanne Daley and Nicholas Kulish reported on how Europe’s “lost generation” is dealing with the continent’s economic woes.

• While those that are a part of the Euro-Area have always had the opportunity to work in other countries, the comforts of home and language considerations meant that not many did.
• This is now changing with the Euro-Crisis causing the economies of several countries such as Greece and Italy to stall.
• Germany has already benefitted a lot from the Euro. The currency has stayed low, helping German exporters, and as the strongest economy in the Eurozone the interest rates on its debt have also been low, allowing it to borrow at low rates. Now these skilled immigrants are heading to Germany for jobs.
• If the Eurozone growth crisis doesn’t end soon then these people will begin to settle and establish families in Germany, reducing the likelihood that they will ever return.
• Engineers can make twice as much in Germany as they can in Spain.
• Spaniards are often surprised at how formal the workplace is in Germany, and how direct and quiet Germans can be. Spontaneous hallway conversations about work are discouraged, and instead employees are told to schedule meetings.

To read more about population growth in Germany, why “welcoming culture” has become a part of the vocabulary for Germans, the country’s experience with integrating minorities from other countries, where most of Germany’s immigrants come from, why Germany is referred to as El Dorado by some, how taxes compare, and why the situation currently benefits both countries, click here.

Source: New York Times

Via: Marginal Revolution