Category Archives: Analysis

Space Ventures: Asteroids As Source Of Precious Metals & Elements (Video)

Mining on asteroids sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it could soon become a reality. Nations and powerful corporations already have plans for such ventures and are hard at work staking their claim to resources from space. How can economic growth continue unfettered once all the earth’s resources have been consumed?

Major companies and governments have long been working on plans to exploit the resources to be found in the vastness of space. How far are humans from achieving this? This documentary examines the technological requirements of space mining. It also assesses how great the desire is to find new sources of raw materials. The film touches on scientific and fundamental societal issues – including humanity’s craving for new territories and our degradation of the Earth as we attempt to exploit all our planet has to offer.

Health: ‘Covid-19 And Chronic Sleep Loss’ (Video)

Since the COVID pandemic began, one in three Americans has had reduced quality sleep. Correspondent Susan Spencer pulls back the covers on how pandemic stress is among the factors affecting people’s already-tortured relationship with shuteye. Spencer talks with Drew Ackerman, a lifelong chronic insomniac whose storytelling podcast, “Sleep With Me,” lulls listeners to slumberland; and with professors Sharon Bowman, Jennifer Martin and Tiffany Yip about the importance of sleep hygiene, and the effects of reduced sleep on chronic health impacts and productivity.

Technology: ‘How Covid Is Boosting Innovation’

Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of technologies and pushed the world faster into the future. As businesses and organisations look towards the post-pandemic era, what lessons can be learned about innovation?

Read more here: https://econ.st/3t6T7yM

Chapters 00:00​ – How has covid-19 boosted innovation? 01:20​ – Drone deliveries 04:20​ – How crises lead to innovation 06:47​ – How restaurants have innovated 09:29​ – Inequality between companies 10:48​ – Some start-ups have thrived 12:57​ – Working from home 14:15​ – E-learning: benefits and challenges

Analysis: ‘Why Tire Prices Are Rising’ (CNBC Video)

Along with the pandemic, big tire brands are facing unique challenges. While trends have increasingly shifted online due to Covid, the tire market has been more hesitant to growing its e-commerce presence. Trade tariffs and the growing popularity of SUV’s and electric vehicles are also driving up the price of tires, posing an issue with attracting focus-savings consumers. Existing in a competitive market, many of the world’s biggest tire brands are focused on standing out to customers.

Analysis: ‘NFT’s And The Digital Art Boom’ (Video)

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, have exploded onto the digital art scene this past year. Proponents say they are a way to make digital assets scarce, and therefore more valuable. WSJ explains how they work, and why skeptics question whether they’re built to last. Photo Illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ

A non-fungible token is a special type of cryptographic token which represents something unique. NFTs are called non-fungible because they are not mutually interchangeable, since they contain unique information, although it is possible to mint any number of NFTs representing the same object.

Conspiracy Theories: ‘Why People Are So Attracted?’

Belief in conspiracy theories is far more widespread than the stereotypes that dominate pop culture. Recently, QAnon, Covid-19 and 5G theories have gained traction and criticism while less controversial conspiracies like the faked moon landing have persisted for decades. We all share hardwired evolutionary traits that make us vulnerable to them, from the way we assign truth to new information to our tendency to find patterns in unrelated phenomena. But if we’re all potentially susceptible to conspiracy theories, how can we manage these cognitive shortcuts?

Analysis: ‘What Is The Paris Club Of 22 Countries?’

The Paris Club, comprising 22 wealthy countries, provides a platform for governments facing financial difficulties to reduce and renegotiate their debt repayments. Formed in 1956, it has signed more than 400 agreements to date, worth more than half a trillion dollars to about 100 countries. As public debt soars in the wake of the pandemic, CNBC’s Timothyna Duncan breaks down how this exclusive club functions and the challenges it faces to stay relevant.

Future Of Travel: How ‘Health Passports’ Work

Health passports were something we had barely heard of a year ago, but now, everyone is talking about them. Some form of passport or proof of health status is likely to be a lasting legacy of Covid-19. But what are they, how do they work, and how will they affect the way we travel?

Morning News Podcast: Covid Relief Bill Analysis & Citizen Unrest In Senegal

Thanks to a parliamentary contortion called reconciliation, the $1.9trn covid-relief plan is likely to sail through—we examine what is in it and what its passage portends for lawmaking in the Biden era. 

Unrest is unusual in Senegal, but citizens are out in force; we ask about the roots of the protest mood. And what ever happened to bespoke ringtones?