Tuning in to Y Station: Episode IV

Pandemics and politics and pigeons, oh my! This Tuning in to Y Station roundup gives you a glimpse into what our team has been reading, watching and listening to lately.

Chosen by Chris Henderson, Chief Strategist

Article: “Do You Really Need to Fly?” by Farhad Manjoo

In the years before 2020, how did we get so cavalier about the time-consuming task of travelling for business? All my life, the barrier has been cost, not time. Most of us go to some length to avoid inconvenience in our leisure travel, but when it comes to business, we don’t seem to mind two days for 3-4 hours of actual work in some cases.

As we calibrate back to a more normal work routine, will we be more discerning of any of the time we spend travelling, whether it be our commute, crosstown jaunts for a 30-minute meeting, or a panel discussion in Cape Town that you can join remotely? I hope so. I really want to go to Cape Town, though. Invite me to Cape Town, mysterious client!

Chosen by Jenny Black, Brand and Content Strategist

Article: “Five Ways Netflix Used Psychology to Become the World’s Biggest Streaming Platform” by Jennifer Clinehens

If you’re like me, you’ve spent a good chunk of the pandemic catching up on popular Netflix series. Watching a whole season in a day? That’s child’s play. It’s also exactly what Netflix wants you to do. Co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings says that “hours per subscriber per month” is their number one measure of success.

This article breaks down how the applications of psychology and behavioural science, like the Cocktail Party Effect and Social Proof, keep you on the hook.

Chosen by Dayna Tumbach, Project Manager

Article: “Watching Birds Near Your Home is Good for Your Mental Health” by Dr. Daniel Cox

We’ve now been living in a pandemic for over a year and once the workday is done, the last thing I want to do is look at a screen. With the weather warming up, I’ve taken to birding around my neighbourhood. A recent study featured in this article found benefits for mental health of being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home, whether people lived in urban or more leafy suburban neighbourhoods.

Hot Tip: My personal favourite spots to bird watching include the Mill Creek Ravine and Victoria Park.

Chosen by Ann Gordon-Tighe, Strategist

Webinar: It’s Time to End Violence Against Women in Politics 

With the municipal election looming and a potential federal election on the horizon, it’s a perfect time to get a better understanding of the complex, systemic problem of gender-based violence against women in Canadian politics. This webinar, hosted by Arezoo Najibzadeh will look at the issue with an intersectional lens, and will delve into the systemic changes required to tackle this issue.

Chosen by Tracy With, COO

Podcast: Yes Theory

Hosted by three friends who met through a series of serendipitous encounters in Montreal, Canada, each episode of Yes Theory centers around the idea that life’s greatest moments and deepest connections exist outside one’s comfort zone.

Chosen by Anthony Fisher, Junior Associate

Podcast: 99 Percent Invisible Episode 401: The Natural Experiment

As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode from 99 Percent Invisible focuses on how the social restrictions affecting human behaviour have created unique opportunities for research.

Two areas in particular, being able to better track whale behaviour due to less noise pollution and the reduced air pollution in India, provide interesting insight into the changes COVID-19 brought to researchers in a non-medical field. This podcast is a whopping 72 minutes, but it’s well worth the listen. 

Chosen by Cameron Dykstra, Senior Research Associate

Article: “Why Not Tie Minimum Wage to Local Rent?” by Noah Smith

Raising the minimum wage has been a big topic of discussion for a few weeks in the US, and Alberta is no stranger to the debate given the former provincial government’s decision to set the minimum wage at $15.00. Setting a minimum wage is a contentious decision and setting a system for future changes is even more so.

Noah Smith, normally a writer for Bloomberg but writing here in his own blog, provides insight into different options for handling future minimum wage increases—from tying it to inflation, productivity, median wages or even local rents.

Chosen by Jillian Nason, Director of Client Services

Article: “Plant-Based Foods Are Our Future, and Entrepreneurs Are Helping Us Make the Shift” by Christopher Marquis

Since March 2020, the plant-based market has seen an influx in more than 2 million new consumers. The word “booming” would be an understatement and this article explores how entrepreneurs are rising to the occasion. 

Chosen by Emily Mack, Senior Associate

Article: “Why NFTs Are Not the Future of Art but Just the Latest Get-Rich-Quick Scheme for the Cryptosphere” by Jemima Kelly

How much would you pay to own a piece of art or collectible that doesn’t exist in the real world? Imagine paying thousands (even millions) for owning original content that you will never physically touch or see—that’s exactly what happened with a piece from Beeple, which recently sold for a record US$69 million at Christie’s.

This is the latest craze in the digital economy, which involves purchasing digital art called NFT (non-fungible token). This fast-growing market involves high risks and high rewards, and is another bubble just waiting to burst.