“Hubble tension” could be a signal of new physics. But deciphering it may not be simple
Cleft in fossil skull suggests solution to a long-standing mystery: shoulder tissue evolved from gill arches
Emotional memories are consolidated during REM sleep
The world economy is defying gravity. That cannot last. Threats abound, including higher-for-longer interest rates
Even as wars rage and the geopolitical climate darkens, the world economy has been an irrepressible source of cheer. Only a year ago everyone agreed that high interest rates would soon bring about a recession. Now even the optimists have been confounded. America’s economy roared in the third quarter, growing at a stunning annualised pace of 4.9%. Around the world, inflation is falling, unemployment has mostly stayed low and the big central banks may have stopped their monetary tightening. China, stricken by a property crisis, looks likely to benefit from a modest stimulus. Unfortunately, however, this good cheer cannot last. The foundations for today’s growth look unstable. Peer ahead, and threats abound.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is taking a terrible toll. But unless Hamas’s power is broken, peace will remain out of reach
Trade wars: episode II
You may think his worst ideas won’t get far. Sadly, on trade he has been singularly influential
Record-breaking quantum computer has more than 1000 qubits
The Great Sphinx of Giza may have been blown into shape by the wind
Strange supernova blasts hint we have glimpsed a black hole’s birth
Some insects disguise themselves as spiders to avoid getting eaten
Starfish don’t have a body – they’re just a big squished head
The Globalist Podcast (November 2, 2023) – International Crisis Group’s Palestine analyst, Tahani Mustafa, joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the purpose of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s second visit to Israel and the reported increase in settler violence in the West Bank.
Plus: we explain the biggest challenges addressed at London’s AI Safety Summit and why Switzerland is handing out iodine pills.
Europe’s earliest Homo sapiens seemed to have vanished without a genetic legacy — but genomic studies now show otherwise.
IBM’s NorthPole processor sidesteps need to access external memory, boosting computing power and saving energy.
The Guardian Weekly (November 3, 2023) – The new issue features Bletchley Park, the main center of allied second world war codebreakers, and it’s no coincidence that the English country house was chosen as the venue for this week’s landmark summit on safety in artificial intelligence. The age of AI brings opportunities but also significant risks, as a number of experts in the field outlined in an open letter last week.
Global technology editor Dan Milmo discusses the pros and cons with one of the technology’s leading thinkers, Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, who says the rise of AI must be thought of as seriously as the climate crisis. Then, Observer columnist Sonia Sodha argues that calling for AI to be reined in is not simply a sign of luddism.
As Israeli forces entered Gaza this week, Bethan McKernan and Rory Carroll report for us on the increasingly unbearable nature of life in the besieged enclave, and there’s expert analysis and commentary from Julian Borger, Peter Beaumont and Jason Burke.
BARRON’S MAGAZINE – October 30, 2023 ISSUE:
Treasuries have had one of their worst three-year stretches on record. Why it can’t get much worse.
Rising levels of national debt are scary, but higher rates make government bonds your friend.
Nearly half of poll respondents consider the U.S. stock market overvalued at current levels.
The longtime market strategist vowed never to retire and worked right up until his death.Long read
The Voya Financial analysis assumes employers are contributing to workers’ health savings accounts.
If you pause for a second and think about the activities that occupy most of your day, presumably sleeping, eating, and engaging in social interactions are among the first that come to your mind. Perhaps surprisingly, a small area buried deep inside the brain, called the hypothalamus, is responsible for coordinating neuronal signals related to these activities. By controlling the homeostasis of the neuroendocrine, limbic, and autonomic nervous systems, the hypothalamus is a key brain region for many physiological and pathological processes. Despite its small size, the hypothalamus has a complex cellular organization and circuitry that determine its structural and functional organization. It is composed of 11 nuclei grouped by their location and has vast, mostly bidirectional connections with many neuronal and endocrine systems.
Plants bred or engineered to be short can stand up better to windstorms. They could also boost yields and benefit the environment
To an interstate traveler—or anyone lost in a corn maze—the most impressive feature of corn is its stature. Modern corn can grow twice as tall as a person, but height has drawbacks, making the plants vulnerable to wind and more difficult for farmers to tend. Plant scientists think corn can be improved by making it shorter, and leading seed companies are doing that through both conventional breeding and genetic engineering. Bayer has launched a short variety in Mexico, another company is selling its versions in the United States, and more are getting involved.
How Joe Biden manages the war between Israel and Hamas will define America’s global role
Sergio Massa, the economy minister, will now go head-to-head with Javier Milei
A summit in Britain will focus on “extreme” risks. But no one knows what they look like
Genetic changes to avian influenza viruses have led to spread among many wild species, creating an uncontrollable global outbreak.
Researchers catalogue more than 3,000 different types of cell in our most complex organ.
Recent studies evaluate risks associated with drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
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