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UK Universities Face Crushing Debt

2025-07-18
UK Universities Face Crushing Debt

British universities are facing a severe financial crisis as the academic year ends. A regulator estimates that 40% of universities are operating at a deficit, with half having closed courses to cut costs. Several universities have already laid off hundreds of staff, and one is reportedly planning to cut nearly a fifth of its academic positions, signaling a potential major upheaval in higher education.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc UK universities

AI: The New Executive Buzzword

2025-07-18
AI: The New Executive Buzzword

Executives are increasingly touting the transformative power of AI in their businesses. JPMorgan Chase boasts 450 AI use cases, while Yum! Brands sees AI as the future operating system for restaurants. Booking.com highlights AI's role in enhancing the traveler experience. The prevalence of AI discussion is striking, with 44% of S&P 500 companies mentioning it on earnings calls in Q1 of this year. This suggests a widespread adoption of AI across various industries.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech business applications

China's Digital ID: A Giant Leap in State Control

2025-07-03
China's Digital ID: A Giant Leap in State Control

China will launch national digital IDs on July 15th, shifting online verification from private companies to the government. This represents a massive shift in state control over citizen data, drastically altering how the digital lives of its citizens are managed and surveilled. The move has implications for the distribution of profits in the online economy and could even reshape the future of AI in China. This builds upon the existing national ID card system introduced in 1984.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech digital ID data control

Multilingualism and Dementia: A Replication Crisis?

2025-06-29
Multilingualism and Dementia: A Replication Crisis?

Countless studies have touted the cognitive benefits of multilingualism, suggesting improvements in executive function (inhibitory control, planning, cognitive flexibility) and even a delayed onset of dementia by around four years. However, replication attempts have yielded mixed results, leaving the true extent and mechanisms of this purported cognitive advantage under question.

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(www.economist.com)
AI multilingualism cognitive benefits

Japanese Couple's Three Divorces, Three Marriages: A Tug-of-War Between Law and Love

2025-06-28
Japanese Couple's Three Divorces, Three Marriages: A Tug-of-War Between Law and Love

Yukari Uchiyama and Yukio Koike, a teaching couple from Nagano, Japan, have divorced and remarried three times to circumvent a law requiring spouses to share the same surname. Deeply in love, they've repeatedly separated and reunited, marrying only to register births and then divorcing to maintain their preferred unmarried lifestyle. Their unconventional situation highlights the conflict between Japanese law and individual freedoms.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc Japanese law same surname marriage laws

NYC Congestion Pricing: From Hate to Love

2025-06-20
NYC Congestion Pricing: From Hate to Love

New York City speech therapist Maura Ryan initially dreaded the new congestion pricing policy, as she drives across the East River multiple times a day to see patients in Queens and Manhattan. However, since its implementation, her opinion has changed. A journey that once took an hour or more now takes only 15 minutes. Many New Yorkers have echoed her sentiment, shifting from strong opposition to support.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc NYC traffic policy shift

Open Source: The Unsung Hero of the Digital Economy

2025-06-18
Open Source: The Unsung Hero of the Digital Economy

The digital economy thrives on a foundation of open-source software, freely available to all. Apache and Nginx, two open-source programs, power the majority of the world's websites. Linux, another open-source powerhouse, fuels most computer servers and underpins Google's Android. Even Kubernetes, a crucial tool for managing cloud workloads, is open-source. A global community of developers tirelessly maintains and improves this essential software.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech

Ireland's Economic Miracle: Half of the EU's Q1 GDP Growth Came from Ireland

2025-06-15
Ireland's Economic Miracle: Half of the EU's Q1 GDP Growth Came from Ireland

On June 6th, Europe received unexpected good news: its economy grew twice as fast as previously thought in Q1, a modest 0.6% increase. However, a closer look reveals a surprising statistic: Ireland's GDP surged by 9.7%, contributing over half of the entire EU's growth. This small country, with a population representing only about one-hundredth of the EU's, has sparked speculation about an Irish economic miracle.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech Irish Economy EU GDP

South Asia's Warming Hole: How Pollution and Irrigation Mask Global Warming

2025-06-10
South Asia's Warming Hole: How Pollution and Irrigation Mask Global Warming

South Asia has warmed far slower than the rest of the world over the past 40 years, a phenomenon dubbed the "warming hole." Scientists attribute this to high levels of air pollution and expanding irrigation. Pollutants like sulfate particles and soot reflect or absorb sunlight, cooling the surface. Evaporation from irrigation also has a cooling effect. However, as pollution control measures take effect and irrigation expansion slows, this cooling effect will diminish, leaving South Asia vulnerable to a more dramatic temperature increase and potentially leading to more heat-related deaths. The region faces a challenge in balancing pollution control with climate change adaptation.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech irrigation

US Crackdown on Chinese Student Visas: Targeting STEM Fields

2025-06-06
US Crackdown on Chinese Student Visas: Targeting STEM Fields

The US State Department announced a campaign to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those in science and engineering fields deemed strategically important to China, and those with unspecified ties to the Communist Party. The impact on Chinese students considering US education is significant, casting doubt on America's appeal as a study destination.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech US visas Chinese students STEM fields

California's Carbon Market Crashes, Raising Budgetary Concerns

2025-06-05
California's Carbon Market Crashes, Raising Budgetary Concerns

Results from California's latest carbon allowance auction, released on May 29th, sent a warning signal: prices plummeted to the floor. Companies purchase credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions quarterly, but weak demand led to lower auction revenues, exacerbating the state's $12 billion budget deficit. This poor performance indicates a lack of confidence in the long-term viability of California's cap-and-trade program, the world's fourth-largest carbon market.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech carbon trading

Immigrant Founders: The Secret Sauce Behind America's Tech Giants

2025-05-29
Immigrant Founders: The Secret Sauce Behind America's Tech Giants

Some of America's most valuable companies were founded by individuals who immigrated to the US as students. Elon Musk, for example, lived in South Africa and Canada before studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania. The Collison brothers, founders of Stripe, moved from Ireland to attend MIT and Harvard respectively. Over half of America's billion-dollar startups have at least one immigrant founder; a quarter had a founder who arrived as a student.

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(www.economist.com)
Startup immigrant founders US tech companies startup stories

Trump's Policies Fueling a Brain Drain: Who Benefits?

2025-04-12
Trump's Policies Fueling a Brain Drain: Who Benefits?

President Trump's administration is weakening America's appeal to talented immigrants. Recent actions, including detaining foreign nationals with valid visas and slashing research funding, are pushing skilled workers away. Tech companies are warning employees against leaving the country for fear of being barred from re-entry. This brain drain presents opportunities for other nations. Our analysis identifies the countries poised to gain the most.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc

Europe's Missing Tech Titans: Regulation, Innovation, and Power

2025-04-11
Europe's Missing Tech Titans: Regulation, Innovation, and Power

Critics argue that Europe's over-regulation, red tape, and high taxes stifle the creation of trillion-dollar companies like Amazon, Google, or Tesla. However, Europe's lack extends beyond mere size. The continent also lacks the powerful tech oligarchs who control these behemoths, whose influence often surpasses reality. There are no European equivalents of tech executives wielding vast political influence, or boasting on social media about abusing state resources. While European unicorns are scarce and innovation lags, this absence may also signal a different approach, avoiding some of the negative consequences associated with unchecked tech power.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech

Brazil's Pix: Instant Payments Take Over

2025-04-08
Brazil's Pix: Instant Payments Take Over

Launched in November 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil's Pix digital payment system rapidly gained popularity. Its contactless, instant, free, and user-friendly nature proved a winning combination. Using only a recipient's national ID, phone number, or QR code, Pix facilitated a massive surge in transactions. By 2024, it surpassed cash and cards to become Brazil's dominant payment method, processing 63 billion transactions totaling 26 trillion reais ($4.5 trillion). No other country has adopted a similar system with such speed.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech Pix

Football Match in Dzaleka Refugee Camp: An Unusual Sunday

2025-04-08
Football Match in Dzaleka Refugee Camp: An Unusual Sunday

In Dzaleka, a Malawian refugee camp housing refugees from central African wars since 1994, a football match disrupts the usual Sunday calm. Thousands gather on a dusty field to watch the game, contrasting sharply with the churchgoers leaving nearby. This scene highlights the unique aspect of life in the camp: even amidst hardship, people pursue entertainment and social connection.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc refugees football Malawi

Haiti: A Year of Brutal Violence Pushes City to the Brink of Collapse

2025-03-30
Haiti: A Year of Brutal Violence Pushes City to the Brink of Collapse

A year of horrific violence in Haiti culminated in a five-day massacre in December, where 207 people were killed by gangs in a Port-au-Prince slum. The gang leader blamed his mostly elderly victims for practicing voodoo and causing his child's death. Bodies were mutilated and burned. Gangs control approximately 90% of Port-au-Prince and killed an estimated 5,600 Haitians in 2024. The violence continues into the new year, forcing around 60,000 people to flee their homes in the past month. The city teeters on the edge of complete collapse.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc Haitian violence gangs

US Accuses Eight Chinese Nationals of Massive Hacking Operation

2025-03-26
US Accuses Eight Chinese Nationals of Massive Hacking Operation

The US Justice Department charged eight Chinese nationals with large-scale hacking targeting American government agencies, news outlets, and dissidents globally. The alleged operation, orchestrated by a Chinese company, i-Soon, and directed by two Chinese officials, highlights China's expanding cyber capabilities and its rapid advancements in both military and digital spheres.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech

Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

2025-03-23
Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

Studies published in summer 2024 revealed a surprising correlation: individuals vaccinated against shingles showed a reduced risk of developing dementia. Research from Stanford University, analyzing data from Britain and Australia, suggested the original shingles vaccine could prevent roughly one-fifth of dementia cases. Further studies by GSK and British academics indicated that a newer, recombinant vaccine offered even greater protection against dementia. This unexpected finding opens exciting new avenues for dementia prevention.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech Shingles Vaccine Prevention

Beyond Lithography: Particle Accelerators Could Revolutionize EUV

2025-03-20
Beyond Lithography: Particle Accelerators Could Revolutionize EUV

Manufacturing the world's smallest and most complex objects—semiconductor chips—pushes the boundaries of physics. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, using short-wavelength light to etch nanometer-scale patterns onto silicon, is at the forefront. ASML's innovative approach uses lasers to vaporize tin droplets, generating 13.5nm EUV light. However, researchers are exploring particle accelerators to generate even more powerful EUV beams by propelling electrons near light speed, potentially revolutionizing chip manufacturing.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech EUV lithography particle accelerator

Thirty Years Ago: A Glimpse into Rural Indian Poverty

2025-03-11
Thirty Years Ago: A Glimpse into Rural Indian Poverty

Thirty years ago, writer Siddharth Dube visited a small village in northern India, near the site of a historic peasant revolt. He encountered stark poverty: mud huts, primitive plows, barefoot elders, and emaciated children. Villager Ram Dass recounted his youth, working long days for a meager 1.5kg of grain, using rice stalks for warmth on cold nights, and owning only one pair of shoes his entire life. The account paints a poignant picture of enduring poverty and inequality in rural India.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc rural Indian poverty peasant revolt

US ADHD Rates Skyrocket: New Health Secretary Launches 100-Day Investigation

2025-03-01
US ADHD Rates Skyrocket: New Health Secretary Launches 100-Day Investigation

America's new health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is deeply concerned about the soaring rate of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among American children. One in nine children aged 3-17 has been diagnosed with ADHD, two to three times the rate seen in other Western countries. On his first day in office, President Trump tasked Kennedy with leading a special commission to investigate the reasons behind this alarming trend and other chronic conditions affecting American children within the next 100 days.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech US Healthcare

OpenAI's Deep Research: Academic Papers in Minutes?

2025-02-19
OpenAI's Deep Research: Academic Papers in Minutes?

OpenAI recently released Deep Research, a tool designed to produce in-depth research papers within minutes. Academics are praising its capabilities; Ethan Mollick of the University of Pennsylvania calls it incredibly fruitful. Some economists believe papers generated by Deep Research are publishable in B-level journals. Tyler Cowen of George Mason University even compares it to having a top-tier PhD research assistant. The tool has sparked debate, highlighting AI's potential in academic research.

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(www.economist.com)
AI

Tech Titans Hype AI's Transformative Power at Paris Summit

2025-02-14
Tech Titans Hype AI's Transformative Power at Paris Summit

At a recent Paris summit, tech CEOs made bold predictions about AI's transformative potential. Sundar Pichai of Alphabet called it the "most profound shift of our lifetimes," while Anthropic's Dario Amodei predicted the "largest change to the global labor market in human history." OpenAI's Sam Altman even suggested that within a decade, everyone could accomplish more than today's most impactful individuals. These pronouncements reflect immense confidence in AI, but also raise questions about its future direction and potential risks.

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(www.economist.com)
AI Tech Summit Future Predictions

1812: The Birth of Energy as a Service

2025-02-13
1812: The Birth of Energy as a Service

In 1812, Frederick Winsor, a visionary entrepreneur, revolutionized energy delivery. His Gas Light and Coke Company pioneered the concept of a public utility, piping gas directly to London homes instead of relying on individual coal and firewood purchases. This model leveraged economies of scale, lowering costs for consumers and improving efficiency. Winsor's innovation laid the groundwork for the modern 'energy as a service' model.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech public utility economies of scale

Interconnecting the World's Grids: A Cheaper, Greener Power Future?

2025-01-25
Interconnecting the World's Grids: A Cheaper, Greener Power Future?

Norway's decision to curb electricity exports due to price spikes caused by neighboring countries importing power highlights the need for global grid interconnection. Currently, less than 3% of the world's power is internationally traded, representing a huge untapped opportunity. Interconnected grids can significantly reduce electricity costs and facilitate the use of renewable energy sources. However, national interests and energy security concerns pose challenges to international cooperation.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech global grid electricity trade

Reality TV Show 'The Traitors' Offers a Surprisingly Useful Economics Lesson

2025-01-19
Reality TV Show 'The Traitors' Offers a Surprisingly Useful Economics Lesson

The Economist highlights the surprisingly insightful economics lesson embedded within the popular reality TV show, 'The Traitors'. The show, filled with deception and betrayal, provides a real-world example of game theory in action. Participants must make decisions under conditions of incomplete information, mirroring many real-life economic scenarios. The article uses the presenter, Claudia Winkleman, as a relatable example to explain the game theory principles at play, showcasing how the show illuminates the complexities of uncertainty and information asymmetry in economics.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc game theory reality TV

Russia Engulfed in Hundreds of Arson Attacks: A Calculated Campaign of Psychological Warfare?

2025-01-14
Russia Engulfed in Hundreds of Arson Attacks: A Calculated Campaign of Psychological Warfare?

Hundreds of arson attacks have swept across Russia, targeting banks, post offices, and police cars. The Kremlin attributes this to a campaign of psychological warfare aimed at destabilizing the country. However, some cases present puzzling details. An elderly man arrested for setting fire to an ATM claimed he was acting under the instructions of unidentified telephone scammers. These incidents raise questions about the perpetrators and their motives, highlighting potential vulnerabilities within Russian society.

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(www.economist.com)
Tech Russian Arson Attacks Psychological Warfare Social Instability

Training AI Might Not Need Massive Data Centers

2025-01-14
Training AI Might Not Need Massive Data Centers

Tech giants are vying to build massive data centers with tens or even hundreds of thousands of GPUs to train AI models. However, an article in *The Economist* suggests this trend may soon change. Future AI model training might not require massive hardware infrastructure, potentially eliminating the need for dedicated hardware altogether. Advances in distributed computing and new algorithms will allow training complex AI models on regular computer networks, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for AI research and promoting wider adoption of AI technology.

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(www.economist.com)
AI AI training distributed computing

Why Japanese Kids Ride the Subway Alone

2025-01-14
Why Japanese Kids Ride the Subway Alone

An article in The Economist explores the phenomenon of young children in Japan riding the subway independently. It suggests this is linked to Japan's rigorous primary education and societal order. Children receive strict discipline and safety training from a young age, fostering independence and responsibility, making solo commutes possible. This highlights Japan's emphasis on children's independence, but also sparks discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

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(www.economist.com)
Misc Japanese education social order child independence
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