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May 12, 2016
An article from the Economist briefly summarizes the processes of high-speed quantum computing: Superposition breaks down bits into qubits – a conventional computer can work in one of 16 states at a time while the quantum computer can work with all 16 at once. Entanglement allows the quantum computer to combine qubits, exponentially increasing the number of states working on a large data set. As...

How to Meet SDG and Climate Goals: 8 Lessons for Scaling Up Development Programs

Johannes F. Linn May 11, 2016
Most countries of the world have agreed to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals and targets to limit carbon emissions as outlined with the Paris Climate treaty. Writing for Brookings, Johannes F. Linn, a former World Bank vice president, points out that governments must find ways “to meet the top-down objectives with bottom-up approaches.” He offers recommendations for meeting the goals that...

A Recipe for Disaster

Nayan Chanda May 9, 2016
Widening inequality has fueled a populism in democracies like the United States and France that counters the agenda of political elites. “Now the Panama Papers revealing a massive tax avoidance scheme by the world’s elite have added another black mark to globalization,” explains Nayan Chanda, founding editor of YaleGlobal Online in his column for Businessworld, referring to a massive leak of bank...

Behind Global Crackdown on NGOs, Recognition of Their Power

Peter Ford May 2, 2016
Lawmakers in China, India, Malaysia, Russia and many other countries are cracking down on non-governmental organizations and activists that press for reforms. CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations, describes “serious threats to civic freedoms” in 96 countries, as reported by Peter Ford for the Christian Science Monitor. Methods used against NGOs that push for government...

Managing Debt in an Overleveraged World

Michael Spence April 29, 2016
Debt still threatens the global economy. Debt as an investment in the future, delivering high yields or serving a long-term purpose is not necessarily a problem, notes economist Michael Spence for Project Syndicate. He reviews the risks: high levels of household and individual debt are more problematic than corporate or government debt; slowing growth without inflation could increase defaults;...

OPEC’s Control Over Global Oil Prices Slips Away

Chris Miller April 26, 2016
Member countries of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries produce about 40 percent of the world's crude oil, with exports representing about 60 percent of petroleum traded internationally. But when OPEC failed to reach agreement on controlling oil production levels at its April meeting, prices surprisingly crept up higher. For now, the global market has concluded that no producer...

Uncertainty Clouds Climate Deal as Nations Prepare to Sign Accord

Pilita Clark April 22, 2016
More than 150 nations are expected to sign the Paris climate change accord that aims for net zero carbon emissions by 2100. Delays are expected from countries that must pursue legislative approval. Scientific research overwhelmingly supports that the world is warming due to human activities. The United States is expected to balk at final approval: The US Supreme Court blocked regulation of...