Myth of virality Millions of tweets & Yahoo news stories
Virality as we imagine it exceedingly rare if not impossible
Idea that handful of people can be responsible for widespread consumption not true
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People aren’t hungry for more virtual connections, they want more real connections.
On the dating site OK Cupid, men are magically 2 inches taller than they are according to medical records.
The club’s coaching staff noticed that Pablo Zabaleta, their dogged and industrious defender, had a habit of sprinting across the field during lulls in play. He had worked out that doing so helped him improve two key physical metrics: total distance covered and the number of high-intensity sprints he had produced.
The manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, noticed that defender Jaap Stam was making fewer tackles than in previous seasons. The data convinced the manager that Stam was past his prime, leading Ferguson to transfer him to Italian club Lazio. But Ferguson had been deceived by data. Stam was making fewer tackles because he was making more interceptions and keeping the ball more as a result. In other words, the drop in tackles showed his performance was improving, not declining. After Stam’s successful stint at Lazio, Ferguson later recognised his mistake, admitting “without a question, I made a mistake there. Jaap Stam was the one.”
The design of Mario was the result of one big constraint. His creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, was limited by low quality hardware, so he made the character as simple as possible; clothing him in red overalls and a blue shirt for contrast, using a cap to avoid drawing the character’s hairstyle, forehead, and eyebrows, and drewing a large nose and a mustache, which avoided the need for a mouth and facial expressions.
People are a lot more negative about their spouses on Google search – where no one will see what they say.
The world’s largest hotel corporation owns very few hotels. Instead, Marriott makes money by selling its brand to franchisees, who then set up Marriot branded hotels and pay an annual fee in return.
No other item of clothing is so expressive as the mask. To some it represents oppression; a muzzling freedom of expression during the pandemic and, as a hijab, a denial of women’s rights. To others it represents freedom; a tool to thwart the state-controlled apparatus of face recognition, or a bold fashion statement (if you’re Kim Kardashian).
The famous framework suggests we must satisfy psychological needs before social needs – safety before friendships – but in reality there is no strict order. Even when we are hungry, we can be happy with our friends.
Mass produced vs handmade
The three-Michelin-star chef limits himself to serving waste food that is normally thrown away. On a mission to reduce the billions of tons of food sent to landfill, he uses wilted herbs, soggy celery, and overripe fruit to create his meals. His signature dish, which Bottura labels ‘the world’s most wasted ingredient’, is stale bread. As the award winning chef states, “what you think is food waste is just an opportunity to create something amazing.”
The need for speed led the McDonald brothers to turn to Henry Ford and the world of cars. If Ford could use a specialised system to build a car in two hours, the McDonald brothers could use it to make a burger in less than a minute. They created a new dispenser that squirted the same amount of ketchup every time, and they replaced the silverware with paper wrappings to remove the need for a space-consuming dishwasher. The resulting ‘Speedee System’ became the basis for modern day fast food as we know it.
The McRib made its debut at McDonald’s in 1981, and while it initially attracted some attention, it wasn’t enough to keep it as a permanent fixture on the menu. But when the sandwich was taken away, many customers expressed disappointment and a desire for its return. This prompted McDonald’s to periodically bring the McRib back, but always for a limited time, over the next few decades. The sandwich’s temporary nature sparked a devoted following, so much so that a McRib locator was created to help fans find it.
McDonald’s is essentially a real estate company, making billions in rent from franchised restaurants.