Most of the comments here seem to be about how high our 25% VAT is. But for that we get all kind of services. I can order almost any book at the library, and they get it for me, even from very far away. Free of charge. And free education and health care as well.

I suffered from sleep apnea for many years. Breathing problems often triggered nightmares, several times a night. A CPAP machine changed my life, I could finally get a whole nights sleep, and the nightmares stopped. I can still recognize an apnea nightmare, which I get if I don't use the machine. Sleep apnea is known to increase many medical problems and to shorten life. I guess other conditions could also provoke nightmares.

I have met a few people whom I would say were in the 10x category. What they had in common was a deep understanding of the technology and the domain they worked in, and a very humble attitude - certainly not bragging about being better than the rest. And a certain dislike of getting into management.

We already have a system - not perfect, but ok - for dealing with academic fraud. This kind of tricks should be considered on the same level as falsifying data, or bribing peer reviewers. Huge mark against the guy, making sure his career ends there.

Couple of years ago I bought a FairPhone 4. It has replaceable battery, and almost everything else. I am not sure about guarantees, but the company is still supporting previous versions. It can be opened without tools for battery and sim card access, and the rest just needs one screwdriver. Unless it gets stolen or seriously broken, I hope to keep it for 5 or 10 years more. Extra bonus is their policy of fairness, taking care where they source their materials and components from.