In the News
In The News: Get a Dog, Live Longer
A Swedish study has made the news rounds this week, and with good reason.
According to a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers found that having a dog was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. TODAY pulled out some other interesting findings from the study, including these life-saving statistics: in single-person dwellings, “the presence of a pet lowered the risk of death by 33 percent and chances of a heart attack by 11 percent.”
A bonus: Hunting dogs – a handful of which are Swedish breeds – were associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease. Do it for your heart, folks. Adopt a dog.
Also in the news…
Granqvist dethrones Zlatan as Sweden’s best player
After making his triumphant return to Manchester United following what could have been a career-ending injury, Zlatan Ibrahimović was knocked down a peg after losing the title of Sweden’s Footballer of the Year. Sweden’s national team captain, Andreas Granqvist, was given the Swedish football federation’s Golden Ball after helping the team defeat Italy to play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. According to ESPN FC, Ibrahimović held the title for 10 years before losing out to Granqvist.
Spotify acquires Soundtrap for at least $30 million
Spotify is synonymous with Swedish music, and to make its musical impact even greater, it recently added a new company to its business portfolio. According to Business Insider Nordic, Spotify acquired Soundtrap, the collaborative, online music creation studio based in Stockholm – making it the company’s ninth acquisition since 2016. This recent purchase is the latest fuel to the business fire as Spotify is supposedly preparing a listing on the New York Stock Exchange in Q1 or Q2 of next year.
Get Kinder Eggs in the U.S.A.
If you grew up in Europe or with European relatives, chances are you’ve experienced a Kinder Egg. For those of you who haven’t, your time has come. Finally, those of us living in the States can enjoy Kinder Eggs without having to smuggle them into the country! Food and Wine explains why this news is so great. They’ve caught up with Swedish actress Malin Åkerman, who is helping to promote the product launch in the States.
Can a building really feed 5,500 people?
With population density increasing in our cities and the estimated world population being upwards of 9.6 billion by 2050, we’ll need some creativity to keep our resources thriving. Business Insider reported on a “plantscraper” that’s being built in Linköping, Sweden by the Swedish startup, Plantagon. Dubbed The World Food Building, Plantagon’s CEO Hans Hassle told BI that the plants within the building, which mostly will be green vegetables, will grow without soil in enriched water solutions. The project kicked off in 2012 and is scheduled for completion in 2020.
