In The News

Global Action, Acceptable Climate Future: Phys.org

Francisco Tutella April 22, 2019
The world’s climate will become less tolerable, even as the world is expected to add more than 2 billion people before the end of the century. A range of factors including temperature, costs and consequences must be considered, urges an international team of researchers. “The team defined 'tolerable' as a world where global mean warming at the end of the century is limited to 2 degrees...

Gratitude and Mental Health: DW

Julia Vergin April 22, 2019
Universities are increasingly offering classes in gratitude, happiness and mindfulness to counter a constant focus on what’s wrong with the world or people’s lives. Searching out and recognizing the good aspects of one’s life and surroundings is a start to gratitude, and “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions," suggests psychologist Dirk Lehr who teaches at Leuphana University in...

The Good Life After Work: Project Syndicate

Robert Skidelsky April 21, 2019
Workers worry about losing jobs to robots. Predictions vary about which jobs could vanish – those requiring high or low skills, routine or custom tasks. Experts base assessments on historical disruptions due to technology and mechanization, robot capabilities and aging populations in need of support. “But there is an important caveat to all this: left to the market, the gains from automation will...

AI Nationalism: New Statesman

Sebastian Spence April 17, 2019
With great strides in robotics, some analysts worry about domination, military applications, data collection and destruction of society. “AI increasingly shapes rivalry between the great powers,” explains Sebastian Spence for New Statesman, hence an intense trade war and worries about theft of intellectual property. “Venture capitalist Ian Hogarth has predicted the emergence of ‘AI nationalism...

Debt Hampers Response to Changing Economy: IMFBlog

Vitor Gaspar, John Ralyea, and Elif Ture April 15, 2019
The International Monetary Fund warns that public debt combined with slowed economic growth could constrain future government spending on education, employment, healthcare, infrastructure and retirement. The IMF advises policymakers to encourage more inclusive growth by reducing debt and investing in the futures of their citizens by reducing tax exemptions and improving tax administration. “The...

The Unknowns of 5G Health Effects: Wired

Susan Crawford April 10, 2019
Communities may be rushing toward new technologies, particularly 5G networks, without considering health consequences. The 5G networks, unlike previous technologies, rely on high-frequency radio waves emitted from small cells in close proximity. Regulators rely on standards more than two decades old that focus on heat rather than other effects of radio-frequency waves and electromagnetic...

The Improbable Rise of Huawei: Foreign Policy

Keith Johnson and Elias Groll April 9, 2019
Huawei emerged on the world stage as a tech-savvy company in 2009 after replacing Norway’s entire mobile phone grid. In the ensuing decade, Huawei solidified its place as a global tech magnate and now stands poised as leader in the 5G network race that could dominate 21st century technologies like artificial intelligence. A combination of factors including governmental support, low cost and...