Links For November

• “Several studies have indicated that, for men, regular blood donation results in a massive reduction in heart attack.” New idea for reducing heart disease: introduce vampires into the population.

• Google’s targeted advertising is dumber than you expect. According to that page, my main interests are banking and makeup, which makes it sound like I’m planning a heist.

• “there is a negative correlation between trading profits and the superstition index. We find that these losses arise from poor trades at nearly all price points for a superstitious trader … suggesting that superstition may be a symptom of a general cognitive disability in making financial decisions”

• Should you believe that last link? “Echoing a recent disturbing conclusion in the medical literature, we argue that most claimed research findings in financial economics are likely false.” (via The Money Illusion)

• An economist watches a Disney movie.

• In the United States, if you move from making 8 thousand dollars a year to around ~23,000 dollars, your marginal tax rate on the income between is around 66%, and sometimes as high as 95%.

• Speaking of which: How corrupt is your government? The corruption perception index.

• Drunks are more likely to make utilitarian decisions in moral dilemmas. Maybe Canada’s strong showing on the corruption index is thanks to Rob Ford’s alcoholism.

• And while we’re on the subject of scientific findings that sound implausible: Social science is a ghetto. (via gwern)

• So, cooking pasta, allowing it to cool, and then reheating it makes it healthier. (Speculative-ish.)

• Pew Poll finds that men are more likely than women to be harassed online. PBS faithfully reports the findings with, “Pew: Women Suffering Online Harassment Worse Than Men.” (via SlateStarCodex)

• When it comes to running and foot strike — that is, where one’s foot first meets the pavement — there is incredible diversity, even among Olympians. So just do whatever you want.