Blog
Is Covid-19 Vaccine a victory for Big Pharma
By Stephen Buranyi It’s about as near as science gets to a miracle: A coronavirus vaccine has arrived — and the main reason is that mRNA vaccines, a previously untested technology, appears to work better than almost anyone had hoped. As recently as this summer,...
Why the worst case for climate change doesn’t look realistic: Viewpoint
In recent years, much of the commentary about climate change has gone from sternly serious to wildly despairing. A new report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the effects of climate change are accelerating and that the world has barely...
Robots in finance could wipe out some of its highest-paying jobs
Robots have replaced thousands of routine jobs on Wall Street. Now, they’re coming for higher-ups. That’s the contention of Marcos Lopez de Prado, a Cornell University professor and the former head of machine learning at AQR Capital Management LLC, who testified in Washington on Friday...
Climate change is real: How it is becoming a nightmare for central banks
Jill Ward Bank of England Governor Mark Carney was in no mood for laughter as he stood in his tuxedo before the great and good of the British insurance industry. “I’m going to give you a speech without a joke, I’m afraid,” Carney began his...
Do we need a backup planet to survive?
New Delhi: Billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are at the forefront of a new age commercial space exploration programmes and actually working towards building a base station on Moon and ultimately colonising Mars. And it is not just adventure, glory or money that...
Recapitalisation of Indian public sector banks disappearing into quicksand
Mumbai:: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) opines that it is time to reevaluate the objectives of public sector banks (PSBs) and their role in the Indian economy. While the government has infused huge capital in PSBs, the same has largely been used to mitigate losses...
Climate hits key tipping points, existential threat real, say scientists
It was an odd title for a comedy night, but British stand-up Carl Donnelly turned out to have chosen an environmental theme with impeccable timing. With temperature records tumbling daily in last week's European heatwave, a crowd in an east London bar seemed uniquely primed...
Harnessing India's Youth Power:Running out of time
India, which is home to more young people than any other country, is running out of time to harness the potential of its youth to drive economic growth. Growing old The nation’s population in the under-19 age group has already peaked, government data show. That...
Beware the hype around AI. It has fooled many
Last March, McDonald’s acquired the startup Dynamic Yield for $300 million, in the hope of employing machine learning to personalize customer experience. In the age of artificial intelligence, this was a no-brainer for McDonald’s, since Dynamic Yield is widely recognized for its AI-powered technology and...