Tree-lightful

You didn’t have to know the name of this show to suspect the creators of H.R. Pufnstuf were…puffin’ stuff. A talking flute? A giant friendly dragon? And the Hippie Trees for Peace and Love? That show was a trip 😂

Then again, maybe it wasn’t crazy to think that trees might align themselves in that manner. New research has shown that during solar eclipses, trees communicate and synchronize through bio-electrical signals.

Maybe they send ’em through grapevines ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon eGift Card!)

IN THE NEWS

Consumers still wary of digital price labels

Digital price labels have been in use in some American supermarkets for years, but data suggests they still haven’t led to demand-based or dynamic pricing, despite consumer concerns that they have.

Consumer advocates and some lawmakers have spoken out against the use of such labels, warning that they exist for the purpose of price-gouging, i.e. raising prices on ice cream when it’s hot outside or umbrellas when it’s raining.

A study published by Ioannis Stamatopoulos of the University of Texas, Austin, Robert Evan Sanders of the University of California, San Diego and Robert Bray of Northwestern University found “virtually no surge-pricing” in an analysis of American grocery stores before or after the use of digital labels became popular.

The study looked at data from grocery chains between 2019 and 2024, and found 0.005% of products were affected by dynamic pricing before 2022, and just 0.006% after 2022.

Economists have been puzzled by the lack of dynamic pricing on groceries, but Stanatopoulos says it isn’t surprising.

“Selling groceries is not selling a couch. It’s not a one-time transaction and you will never see them again,” he said. “You want them coming to the store every week.”

TECH TUESDAYS

Phone addiction a growing problem

A 2023 study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto’s psychology department found problematic smartphone use is a growing issue that displays symptoms of addictive behavior.

“Normal smartphone use would become problematic when it starts negatively affecting your daily life and in different ways,” said Jay Olson, a post-doctoral psychology researcher. “It might make you feel depressed. It might be interfering with your sleep or your concentration.”

It’s not something older generations can fully grasp, given they didn’t grow up using smartphones; today, kids are often saddled with devices at a young age and become attached to them in ways that are hard to comprehend.

“Addiction is when you are doing something that you know has negative consequences and you can’t stop yourself from using it,” said Olson. “I see a lot of youth I work with fit in that category. I tend to not label it, because labelling is not doing any good.”

American psychologist Jonathan Haidt—author of The Anxious Generation, which attributes the growing anxiety problem among today’s youth to overuse of smartphones—says social media apps should be age-gated, and not usable for anyone under the age of 16 at the youngest.

INNOVATION

New tech for aging in place

People who want to age in place will soon have nearly all the assistance they need right at their fingertips, thanks to projects like the one recently developed by Ikea, University of Toronto researchers, and non-profit group Age-Well.

The groups collaborated to create a studio in downtown Toronto that resembles a one-bedroom apartment. The studio is a proof of concept for a futuristic living space that could be occupied by those who don’t need direct 24/7 support but could use some daily assistance.

The apartment contains “smart home” technology, including health-monitoring, voice-activated assistants, a service robot that will carry groceries to the kitchen, and a stove that beeps if left on unattended for long enough.

Age-Well’s intentions with the studio are to help foster further technological innovations from startups that can use the space to incubate their own ideas and technology.

“Our ultimate goal is to enable older adults to live independently for longer and enhance their quality of life while fostering collaboration between researchers, companies, and the community,” according to Age-Well Academic Director Alex Mihailidis.

PETS

Steering your pet clear of ticks

Tick populations are up across Canada and the eastern United States, making it all the more important to take preventive measures this year to keep ticks away from your pets, or be prepared with the proper ways to remove them if they manage to latch on.

Ticks will wait for a pet in tall grass or fall off trees onto them as if they’re Tom Cruise. They are meticulous and dangerous, but unlike Ethan Hunt, they can be stopped.

First off, treating your pets with isoxazoline is a good way to make sure ticks die if they try to latch onto your pet, killing them off before they can spread their bacteria-infected saliva.

“These are products that you either use once a month, (or) once every three months,” says Dr. Mary-Ellen Themens, registrar of the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association. “The ticks die. So, they don’t have the chance necessarily to transmit the disease.”

This type of product is most popular because it works on ticks, but also on fleas and mites.

Regardless, if a tick does attach itself to your pet, it’s important to remember to remove it by clasping it as close to the skin as possible, so as to not rip its head off, causing further bacterial spread. This method also avoids squeezing its body and causing it to regurgitate said bacteria.

MUSIC

Prince re-releases

Londell McMillan, who represents Prince Legacy LLC, announced over the weekend that there are indeed reissues of Prince albums on the way that will include unreleased music from the famous Prince vault.

He made the announcement during the annual Prince Celebration in Minneapolis, where the Purple One lived and died.

Among the upcoming releases is a box set of Around the World in a Day, which followed the chart-topping Purple Rain and included hits such as Raspberry Beret and Pop Life. The album was known as a true swerve for the artist, who most were expecting to leverage the formula that made Purple Rain so successful; instead, he went the opposite direction, and still went double platinum in the United States.

McMillan also revealed vinyl editions of Prince’s last two albums—2015’s Hit n Run Phase One and Hit n Run Phase Two—will be released soon, as well.

Finally, according to The Purple Stream, McMillan said "next year is 2026 so everyone is going to see something from Parade,” in celebration of the album’s 40th anniversary.

STAKE TRIVIA

Mix and match

Dark Side of the Moon, Rumours, Born in the U.S.A—every once and a while, a musical act drops an album that solidifies their legacy 😎 🎶 

If we gave you an iconic album, could you pick out the band? And if we gave you a band, could you pick out their album? Find out with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Amazon eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.