‘Science Magazine – May 23, 2024: The new issue features ‘Decoding the Brain’ – A cell-by-cell exploration of neuropsychiatry; Does a breakdown in the body’s internal chatter drive aging…
As birth rates plunge, many politicians want to pour money into policies that might lead women to have more babies. Donald Trump has vowed to dish out bonuses if he returns to the White House. In France, where the state already spends 3.5-4% of gdp on family policies each year, Emmanuel Macron wants to “demographically rearm” his country. South Korea is contemplating handouts worth a staggering $70,000 for each baby. Yet all these attempts are likely to fail, because they are built on a misapprehension.
Governments’ concern is understandable. Fertility rates are falling nearly everywhere and the rich world faces a severe shortage of babies. At prevailing birth rates, the average woman in a high-income country today will have just 1.6 children over her lifetime. Every rich country except Israel has a fertility rate beneath the replacement level of 2.1, at which a population is stable without immigration. The decline over the past decade has been faster than demographers expected.
Times Literary Supplement (May 22, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Other Europe’ – Defining a Continent; An English Country Garden; The church of Peter Ackroyd and Zombie apocalypse…
Times Literary Supplement (May 17, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The future of sex?’ – Dating apps, virtual encounters and polyamory; An American Life; Ripley’s new game; Gurus and primal screams ….
0:15 Banking uplifts women in Pakistan – Pakistan has a large gender gap in financial inclusion. 47% of men have at least one registered financial account but just 13% of women. Even for those with an account, banking can be prohibitively time-consuming, especially for women who are running a business alongside a household. Now a new kind of digital banking service is helping to close this gap.
2:23World’s busiest airports revealed – The world’s busiest airports in 2023 were dominated by the United States, with five airports cracking the top 10. Overall, global airports saw a significant rebound in 2023, handling a total of 8.5 billion trips.
4:39WMO: Asia hardest hit by climate – In 2023, Asia saw a wave of extreme weather events from floods to cyclones. World Economic Forum Head of Climate Adaptation Eric White explains why climate change is making extreme weather more likely.
7:07Saving Earth with space science – Simonetta Di Pippo says that space is already helping tackle the greatest challenges on Earth. Satellite connectivity is improving our management of disasters and powering digital transformation. Which is revolutionizing sectors from healthcare to education, retail and communication.
Financial advisors who bring qualified children on board can set up their practices for long-term success and stability. Here’s what it means for clients.
At first glance, the world economy looks reassuringly resilient. America has boomed even as its trade war with China has escalated. Germany has withstood the loss of Russian gas supplies without suffering an economic disaster. War in the Middle East has brought no oil shock. Missile-firing Houthi rebels have barely touched the global flow of goods. As a share of global gdp, trade has bounced back from the pandemic and is forecast to grow healthily this year.
Boomers Daily 