Scientists Regrow Teeth, Americans Need Chaos and Why Your Next Flight Might Be Delayed On Purpose | Non-Obvious Insights #181

This week the dual themes of selfishness and unselfishness emerged in the stories I'm sharing below. On the selfish side - Instagrammers sharing tone deaf posts about the Bahamas, a study finding a disturbing portion of America simply wants to destroy things and the dire side effects of Amazon's quest for faster delivery. On the unselfish side, a new airline software change that asks us to feel more empathy for each other and Kit Kat tests environmentally friendly (and fun) packaging. Enjoy the stories!

Kit Kat Tries New Packaging That Can Be Folded Into Origami

This might be the most Japanese idea ever, but I love the utility and creativity behind this idea to use paper for the new KitKat packaging and let consumers fold it into origami once they are done. Of course, like most origami your folding probably won't look anything like the picture, but at least you can enjoy some chocolate while you feel bad about yourself.

Elon Musk Wants To Sell Tesla Owners Car Insurance Too

Elon Musk is offering insurance directly to Tesla owners in California. This comes on the heels of the brand announcing they will close showrooms to move entirely to an online sales model. So now Tesla sells their cars, services the cars, collects all the data from users and sells the insurance too. This is the ultimate closed loop and if it works, it might be the future of the automotive industry.

Disturbing Study About American's Need For Chaos" Wins Award

A team of researchers interviewed thousands of people and found that a staggering number agreed with chaos-supporting statements like "I think society should be burned to the ground," or "sometimes I just feel like destroying beautiful things." The researchers concluded that "a not insignificant slice of the American electorate seems to be driven by a desire to tear down the system." The survey didn't ask what they might want to replace it with.

Amazon Deliveries Are Making The World More Dangerous

If you are an Amazon customer, this story should bother you. It's a long read, but the short version is that our demand for overnight delivery may end up costing someone their life. Thanks to impossible delivery goals, offloading responsibility for delivery to third party vendors and few regulations, Amazon's delivery network is making America's roads (and all of us) less safe.

Why Your Next Flight Might Be Delayed (On Purpose)

United Airlines has a new software program called ConnectionSaver that will automatically delay flights to allow connecting passengers to catch them. They are betting most passengers won't mind a small delay if it helps their fellow travelers avoid missing the flight. An experiment that adds more humanity back into traveling and asks passengers to consider someone other than themselves? That's a big idea.

Scientists Regrow Teeth, Regenerative Dentistry Becomes A Thing

Normally tooth enamel doesn't grow back, but a team from China believe they have found a way to help it regrow. People are already talking about how this innovation might lead to a new form of "regenerative dentistry" and change the dental industry in the process.

Instagrammers Share Bikini Photos To "Support" The Bahamas

In a misguided attempt to offer support to those devastated by the damage caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, people are posting throwback bikini photos of themselves there on holiday. It's a good reminder that the best way to help isn't usually doing something to make yourself feel better. Instead, read this article on how to actually help the people affected by this tragedy.