The listing of Coinbase, the largest bitcoin exchange in the U.S., introduces a new way to invest in cryptocurrencies. WSJ explains how Coinbase is trying to distance itself from the risks of bitcoin to succeed on Wall Street. Photo illustration: George Downs
Views: ‘Plate Tectonics – Keys To Geologic History’
Plate tectonics is the narrative arc that ties every episode in Earth’s geologic history together. Thanks to the magnetic compasses hidden in volcanic rocks, scientists know where each tectonic jigsaw piece has been over eons of time. They can replicate the plates’ odysseys in beautiful and precise simulations that reveal the destruction and creation of Earth’s many faces. Lucía Pérez-Díaz, a geologist at Oxford, studies our planet’s stunning ability to constantly change its face.
Covid-19: Why ‘Johnson & Johnson Vaccine’ Was ‘Paused’ In U.S. & Europe
The rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been paused in the US, Europe and South Africa after reports of rare blood clotting in a very small number of people. Health authorities said they were halting the use of the shot while they investigate the cases — and that they were doing this out of “an abundance of caution.” The Astra Zeneca jab was also recently temporarily suspended in some countries after being linked to rare blood clots. Authorities are calling it a short “pause.” The US’s Johnson and Johnson vaccine has hit the same stumbling block as the UK’s AstraZeneca jab did last month: a likely link to a rare and deadly blood clot. Use of Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine has now been halted across the US, Europe and South Africa, with health authorities investigating six incidents of clotting in younger women, one of them fatal. The US-developed vaccine uses an adenovirus to trigger immunity – the same mechanism as the UK’s AstraZeneca vaccine. It accounts for roughly 5 percent of vaccines delivered so far in the US. This is a setback to Europe, too. Johnson and Johnson announced it will delay it’s rollout on the continent. The company had already started processing an order from the EU of 200 million doses. The Janssen jab has been partially rolled out in Africa, where a majority of countries don’t have enough vaccines even for their healthcare workers. The African Union signed a deal for 220 million doses this year. But US authorities remain hopeful. They’re saying it could only be a matter of days before the rollout resumes.
Megaprojects: Norway’s ‘Stad Ship Tunnel’ (Video)
Norway’s grand plan to build the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel is finally going ahead. This is how it’ll be done.
It’s been talked about for years, but now the Stad Ship Tunnel has finally been approved and work will start in 2022. Costing over USD $300M and taking three-to-four years to complete, the project will see a new mile-long shipping route carved under the Stadhavet peninsula at its narrowest point.
Now, we’ve built tunnels for boats before – like on the Canal du Midi in France, but the Norway project takes things to a whole different level – after all there’s a pretty big difference between a small tourist boat and a cruise ship.
Measuring 37 metres high by 26.5 metres wide, and with a depth of 12 metres, the tunnel will be big enough for ships up to 16,000 tonnes to pass through.
This crazy project is the answer to a problem that’s existed for more than a thousand years. Quite literally since the time of the Vikings, traversing the Stadhavet Sea has meant a treacherous journey for boats.
Morning News Podcast: Russia’s Military Buildup, U.S. INflation & Flying Taxis
The troops and hardware piling up at the border are probably just posturing. But look closely: Russia’s military is swiftly getting better-equipped and better-trained.
Outsized inflation numbers in America are partly a statistical quirk—but also a sign of the tricky balance pandemic-era policymakers must navigate. And why you may soon be getting a lift from a flying taxi.
Travel Guides: ’10 Best Places To Visit In Texas’
They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and it is certainly true that there is a large range of things do so, see and explore in the second largest state. The landscape changes dramatically throughout the expanses of the Lone Star State, from deserts and scrublands to swamps, pine forests, and mountains. Texans are fiercely proud, and they have a lot to be proud of. Whether you’re interested in history, art or cowboy culture, it’s all found in Texas. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in Texas:
Design: A Tour Of Top Artisans In Portugal
We unearth the country’s burgeoning design industry. From a ceramics studio in Lisbon to a nautical-inspired clothing brand in Porto, we meet the creatives putting the country on the map.
A walking tour
Gaia Lutz meets woodworker Ricardo Jerónimo of Rival at his Lisbon workshop, and the duo behind ceramic studio Sedimento. Plus: furniture-maker Miguel Saboya.
Hugo Passos
The designer reflects on how attitudes in manufacturing have shifted now that many international companies produce goods in Portugal.
La Paz
We catch up with Jose Miguel de Abreu, co-founder of Porto’s nautical-inspired fashion brand La Paz, to discuss the benefits of basing his business in the city.
Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance
The founder of design studio Made In Situ discusses recent projects and how he is inspired by the landscape and the artisans he collaborates with.
News: Five Top Stories – April 13, 2021 (Video)
Five stories to know for April 13: Protests continue after Minneapolis shooting, Knoxville school shooting, Japan nuclear waste water, Derek Chauvin trial and Russia warns U.S. on Crimea.
1. Minnesota police released body camera footage that shows police officer Kim Potter apparently drawing her gun by mistake, instead of her Taser, when she shot a young Black man, Daunte Wright, to death during a traffic stop. Protests continued overnight in Minneapolis following the incident.
2. A Knoxville school shooting ends with a student shot and killed by police and one officer wounded. Police said the high school student opened fire on them in a campus bathroom, wounding an officer.
3. Prosecutors neared the end of their case in the Derek Chauvin trial. George Floyd’s younger brother Philonise Floyd gave emotional testimony about how his sibling grew up obsessed with basketball and doting on his mother.
4. Japan will release more than 1 million tons of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, the government said, a move China called “extremely irresponsible,” while South Korea summoned Tokyo’s ambassador in Seoul to protest.
5. Russia warned the United States to ensure its warships stayed well away from Crimea “for their own good,” calling their deployment in the Black Sea a provocation designed to test Russian nerves.
Outdoor Recreation: Why ‘Polaris’ Is Going Electric
Polaris Inc. is a dominant player in the off-road vehicle market, selling top-of-the-line ATV’s, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles, among others. Unlike many other companies, Polaris saw its revenue increase in 2020 thanks to an unexpected boom in powersports and increased interest in outdoor activities. While it rides this high, however, some doubt how long it can last. In the past year, Polaris has begun expanding its electric vehicle line-up, hoping to gain some further momentum from the rapidly-growing market. However, some analysts are skeptical of the company’s ability to push into the electric space, which may be challenging given consumer hesitation regarding comparative performance, as well as fierce competition from other leading brands.
Ocean Views: Saving ‘Kelp Forests’ In South Africa
The makers of the Bafta-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher want to preserve the underwater ecosystem it features. The documentary focuses on a film-maker who befriends an octopus – but the unsung star of the show is the kelp forest off the coast of Cape Town. It is one of the richest ecosystems in the world. The makers of the film are part of a campaign to preserve the aquatic forest.
Boomers Daily 