demigod-of-berk

[demigod-of-berk]

You have just been magically transported into a random ao3 fic!

Spin the wheel of ao3 tags three times to find out what your fic is about. Put in the tags what your fic tags are!

[demigod-of-berk]

"In a new study, University of British Columbia researchers set out to answer the following question: Would you rather have 10 cents in your pocket or a 1-in-10,000 shot at $1,000?

Their findings indicate that they may have figured out a way to get people to recycle more. 

The researchers, whose work was just published in the journal “Waste Management,” tested the idea of offering people who return used bottles a small chance to win a big cash prize, instead of the standard 5- or 10-cent deposit earnings.

The result? Participants recycled 47% more bottles for the chance at a $1,000 prize.

“This small change in how we reward recycling made a big difference. People were more excited, more engaged, and they brought in more bottles,” Dr. Jiaying Zhao, associate professor in the department of psychology and senior author of the study, said in a statement for the university.

“It turns out that the thrill of possibly winning a big prize is more motivating than a small guaranteed reward. It’s the same reason people buy lottery tickets; That tiny chance of a big win is exciting.”

The researchers ran three experiments in British Columbia and Alberta, where bottle deposit systems already exist. Despite the fact that these deposit stations give people a small refund when they return their recyclables, many bottles still end up in the trash.

In the first two experiments, people could choose between a guaranteed 10-cent refund or a chance to win a larger amount, ranging from $1 to $1,000. Even though the odds of winning were low, many people chose the lottery-style offer.

In the third experiment, participants were randomly assigned to either the guaranteed refund or the lottery-style refund. Those given the lottery-style option brought in almost three bottles for every two returned by the control group. 

The researchers found that people even felt happier when they had a shot at the big prize, even if they didn’t actually win — a feeling called “anticipatory happiness” — that made the act of recycling more enjoyable. 

All of this is modeled after an existing scheme in Norway.

“Norway is the only country in the world that has a similar recycling lottery, and their bottle return rate is close to 100%,” Dr. Zhao said. “The probabilistic refund could be their secret sauce. We hope Canada can adopt this innovative idea as well.”

In Norway, the bottle recycling lottery was implemented over a decade ago, and now, approximately 97% of all plastic beverage containers are returned across the country. 

Here, the model is choice-driven, giving people the option to choose between the guaranteed refund or the chance to win anywhere from 5 to 100,000 euros.

“The system also doesn’t encourage gambling,” Fast Company reported, “because there’s no way to enter with cash, and there are no ‘near misses’ like with other kinds of gambling.”

Norway has also implemented a program where some of the lottery’s proceeds go to the Norwegian Red Cross.

“Instead of 10 cents back to you, what if the proceeds go to a food bank or charity?” Dr. Zhao asked Fast Company. This is also part of her team’s research, with results soon to be published. 

It’s important to note that the lottery-style refund wouldn’t cost more than the traditional system, with both options sharing the same average payout. Cities could adopt this approach without spending an extra dime.

Additionally, Dr. Zhao mentioned that it’s important for cities to consider the choice-based model, giving people the option to get the regular 5- or 10-cent returns, alongside the new lottery initiative, to help canners and binners who rely on this kind of income.

“We don’t want to take the short gain option away,” she told Fast Company. “Instead, we want to give people the option to choose.” 

Aside from the valuable psychological insights of the study, Dr. Zhao and her colleagues are optimistic about a future in which more people are engaged in recycling. 

“Creating new bottles comes with a lot of carbon emissions, and not recycling bottles also comes with a lot of pollution,” Jade Radke, a lead author on the study, said. “So it can be a meaningful way to decrease all of those things.”

According to the UBC press release, if this approach is widely adopted, it could help recycle millions more bottles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking one million cars off the road each year."

-via GoodGoodGood, June 25, 2025

[demigod-of-berk]

fictional characters can kill as many people as they want but it’s illegal for them to be annoying hope this helps

[demigod-of-berk]

To those of you who don’t know what’s buried in this Big Bogus Bill…

[demigod-of-berk]

“tattoos are going out of style” they’ve been around for a thousand years im sorry you’re conservative now get well soon ig

[demigod-of-berk]

I have some news for members of the united states armed forces who feel like they are pawns in a political game and their assignments being unnecessary.

[demigod-of-berk]

This is who is leading the NYC mayoral democratic primary rn

[demigod-of-berk]

i’m obsessed with how every single person can be stupid in their own special way and infinitely smart in another. simultaneously

[demigod-of-berk]

I don't wanna hear one more bitch saying that contacting your senators&reps doesn't work

Btw, this is FAR from getting rid of the land selloff from the BBB. Keep at it. Mike Lee specifically is notable because he's from Utah, the state that's pushed for that sell off very heavily for mining income.

[demigod-of-berk]

My brother's girlfriend had HPV, so he went to get himself the HPV vaccine. There is a fee to pay (nothing much, something like €87) but it's completely free if you're in one of the "at risk" groups.

"What does that mean," he asks. "It's free if you're gay," he's told. "Ah. Would I have to like, prove it, or...?" "Just put in a check mark here."

My brother is in no way, shape or form attracted to men, but also he's stingy as it gets. So now he's officially gay. Congrats bro.

[demigod-of-berk]

From the article:

New research from Colorado State University and Cornell University shows that the presence of solar panels in Colorado’s grasslands may reduce water stress, improve soil moisture levels and — particularly during dry years — increase plant growth by about 20% or more compared to open fields.

One of the biggest downsides to renewable energy sources is that they usually take up more physical space--and therefore more habitat--than fossil fuels. However, there is increasing evidence that combining solar panels with certain food crops or types of habitat can actually be beneficial to both!

This study is particularly heartening because it implies that solar panels may help certain ecosystems weather the increased droughts brought on by climate change.

[demigod-of-berk]

JACK O'CONNELL as Remmick Sinners (2025) dir. Ryan Coogler

[demigod-of-berk]

Black Sails 3x01 / Black Sails 4x10

[demigod-of-berk]

nah okay its actually so funny now bc thinking about it how the fuck did Ronan get away with saying his ENTIRE BACK TATTOO was only $900 thank god no one in the group had experience getting a tattoo because they would have called his one percent disposable income ass out ain't no way he got an ENTIRE BACK DONE in ONE FUCKING SESSION and that shit was QUALITY for NINE HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS Ronan Lynch you are not just a liar but so full of bullshit and rich kid ignorance there is something so funny about that not even being a believable lie if anyone in that damn group had an idea of what a tattoo should cost/how long something that intricate would take i KNOW they would have clocked Ronan's secret IMMEDIATELY this is potentially the funniest fucking lie ronan ever told "yes I, a sixteen year old, rawdogged an entire back tattoo in one go and yeah it was nine hundred dollars also bananas are fifty cents right?"

[demigod-of-berk]

[demigod-of-berk]

i don’t know how to explain to you people that no matter what a country’s government is like i do not and will not support the US indiscriminately bombing that country’s civilians and i don’t know why that’s a controversial take tbh

[demigod-of-berk]

it is so funny when your cat pretends not to hear you but their ears are cocked in such a way you know they are listening…..stop ignoring me you menace