Any change in the rate of searches for jobs correlates with up and down movements in the unemployment rate, the professors found.

FORBES: Using Google to Predict the Unemployment Rate

The professors found that investors can beat the market by about two percentage points a year, after trading costs, but only by piggybacking on the shares of every company that engages in this practice.

WSJ: How to Prey on Executive Pay

The professors also found that the CEOs, besides being optimistic about life in general, were upbeat about the prospects of their businesses and were more willing to take risks than members of the general population.

FORBES: Optimists Become CEOs, Study Finds