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☆ High global food prices may finally see a bottom in 2024, says Oxford Economics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rising food prices around the world may finally be seeing a bottom this year. According to Oxford Economics, global food prices are expected to decline in 2024, offering some relief for shoppers. "Our baseline forecast is for world food commodity prices to register an annual decline this year, reducing pressure on food retail prices further downstream," the economic advisory firm wrote in a recent note. The key driving force behind the decline in food commodity prices is the "abundant supply" for many important crops, especially wheat and maize. Wheat harvests are also forecast to come in high, although slightly lower than the record level in marketing year 2022 to 2023, the Oxford report said.

Organizations: Hannaford, Oxford Economics, Farmers, Russia Locations: South Burlington , Vermont, Ukraine

☆ Rising temperatures and floods leave cities with hefty bills. Startups are working to help them adapt to climate risks.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

All of this has given rise to climate adaptation, a sector that aims to mitigate against and adapt to the risks associated with climate change. For James Brennan and Navjit Sagoo, two of the scientists behind climate risk analytics startup Climate X, it is imperative that adaption efforts go hand in hand with those working to curb rising temperatures. Indeed, Bank of America analysts predicted the climate adaptation industry would be worth $2 trillion a year by 2026. Climate X made its calculations based on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's RCP8.5 scenario, which has been deemed to be a "very high" baseline for emissions. Mike Segar/ReutersAll hands on deckThe need for climate adaptation is clear but often overlooked until an extreme weather event occurs, according to Landesman and Chaudhury.

Persons: —, James Brennan, Navjit Sagoo, Abrar Chaudhury, Autarc, Bill Gates, Tucker Landesman, Helge Jørgensen, Mike Segar, Brennan, Sagoo Organizations: Service, Business, Bank of America, Climate, X, Deloitte, University of Oxford's, Business School, New York Times, New, London, Fabian Society, Tech, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Management, Air, International Institute for Environment, Development Locations: London, New York City, New York, California, Autarc , Massachusetts, Medellin, Colombia, Europe, PitchBook, Mamaroneck, Westchester County , New York, U.S

☆ I live in an English city where popular movies are filmed. From avoiding 'Harry Potter' fans to exploring the architecture, here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Annabel Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Head back in time in Oxford's Radcliffe Square. Radcliffe Square appeared in films like "Wonka." Annabel LeeOxford’s period architecture creates a timeless backdrop, which is one of the reasons the city is so often used as a set. For example, Radcliffe Square is an iconic tourist attraction and common filming spot — visiting it feels like you've gone back in time. The site has been used in films like "Toilken," "The Mummy," and "Transformers: The Last Knight."

Persons: Annabel Lee, Radcliffe, you've Organizations: Radcliffe Locations: Oxford's

☆ Who's on the OpenAI board — the group behind Sam Altman's ouster
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On Friday, the board of OpenAI, the buzzy AI company behind viral chatbot ChatGPT, suddenly and publicly ousted its CEO Sam Altman. OpenAI's board said it conducted "a deliberative review process" and that Altman "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities." She is an adjunct senior management scientist at Rand Corporation and has been on the OpenAI board since 2018. "While our partnership with Microsoft includes a multibillion-dollar investment, OpenAI remains an entirely independent company governed by the OpenAI Nonprofit," OpenAI has publicly stated. On that day, Altman told Nadella, "I think we have the best partnership in tech and I'm excited for us to build AGI together."

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Adam D'Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Reid Hoffman, Neuralink, Zilis, Will Hurd, Brockman, Sam, Sutskever, he's, D'Angelo, McCauley, Toner, Andreessen Horowitz, AGI, weren't, Mira Murati, OpenAI's Dev, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Dev, Brad Lightcap Organizations: Thursday's APEC, Summit, Google, Facebook, OpenAI, GeoSim Systems, Rand Corporation, University of Oxford's Center, Georgetown's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Sequoia Capital, Microsoft, CNBC, Fortune Locations: Texas, OpenAI

☆ Trust in AI tools like ChatGPT is high among Gen Z — but Gen X and boomers aren't convinced, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Most Gen Xers and boomers in a Salesforce study reported not using generative-AI tools like ChatGPT. Out of all the respondents who said they didn't use generative AI, 68% were born between 1946 and 1980. And 88% of nonusers ages 57 and above said they weren't using generative AI because they didn't know how the technology would affect their lives. AdvertisementAdvertisementFrom firsthand experience, Rogers said he believed that AI technology could make a positive impact on the lives of people about his age. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn fact, the Salesforce research suggested that older nonusers were open to using AI under certain circumstances.

Persons: Xers, —, Gen Xers, Zers, Chris Rogers, Rogers, he'd, he's, Priscilla O'Kesson Organizations: Service, University of Oxford's Institute, Population Ageing, Spectrum Locations: San Francisco, UK, Australia, India, Oklahoma City, Oxford

☆ AI could supercharge the Gen Z takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Alexandra York | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Experts told Insider that Gen Z was well positioned to capitalize on the AI boom. That could supercharge Gen Z careers, as generative AI is expected to affect millions of jobs, and companies are already seeking talent to help navigate those changes. "From that perspective, Gen Z should be in a good position to capitalize on the AI boom." Gen Zers are using AI for research and brainstormingLais Silva, a Gen Z content manager at a social-media startup, said she'd essentially replaced Google with ChatGPT. Older generations could have a competitive edge over Gen Z because of experience — if they're open to learning AI toolsThe AI revolution isn't guaranteed to be a boon for Gen Z workers.

Persons: Z, —, AJ Eckstein, He's, He'll, Eckstein isn't, they'd, Gen Zers, ChatGPT, Carl Benedikt Frey, Eckstein, Lais Silva, she'd, Morgan Young, chatbots, She'll, Oxford's Frey, Columbia's Netzer, Gen Organizations: Service, Fortune, Columbia Business School, Pew, Oxford University, Google

☆ Lab crunch: British science has nowhere to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Property consultants Bidwells put demand for lab space in Cambridge at 1.19 million square feet (110,000 square metres) - but only 7,000 sq ft are available. That has led to an explosion in venture capital, with much of it coming from the United States. Michael Chen moved to Cambridge from the United States in 2012 to do a doctorate in chemistry. She leads a joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General (LGEN.L) to build lab space and homes. Pioneer Group, which provides funding and lab space in Britain, said action was needed now to address the "crazy" demand.

Persons: Zoe, Toby Melville OXFORD, Ros Deegan, Catherine Elton, Bidwells, Elton, Deegan, Diarmuid O'Brien, Rishi Sunak's, Gordon Sanghera, Michael Chen, Artem Korolev, Anna Strongman, Strongman, Glenn Crocker, Alistair Cory, Qkine's Elton, Kate Holton, Toby Melville, David Clarke Organizations: University of Oxford, Science, REUTERS, European Union, Therapeutics, McKinsey, Oxford, Cambridge Enterprise, U.S, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Reuters, Company, Cambridge, PACE, Laboratory, Oxford University, Legal, Thomson Locations: Kidlington, Oxford, Britain, England, Cambridge, United States, London, U.S, France, Boston, North America, Europe, Asia, China

☆ He's played chess with Peter Thiel, sparred with Elon Musk and once, supposedly, stopped a plane crash: Inside Sam Altman's world, where truth is stranger than fiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Melia Russell | Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +41 min

But, "you do at some point need to start having contact with reality," he told Insider. The plan was still only a rough sketch, Blania told Insider, but that didn't seem to matter to his host. "He always wanted to understand everything at a very deep level," Thrun told Insider in an email. (When asked about guns, Altman told Insider he'd been "happy to have one both times my home was broken into while I was there.") When asked about this, Altman told Insider in an email: "i can guess what that's about; these stories grow crazily inflated over the years of getting re-told!

☆ Sam Altman is building his utopia, whether you want it or not
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Melia Russell | Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +41 min

Altman told Insider, "We debate our approach frequently and carefully." "I don't think anyone can lose your dad young and wish he didn't have more time with him," Altman told Insider. Altman told Insider that his thinking had evolved since those posts. (When asked about guns, Altman told Insider he'd been "happy to have one both times my home was broken into while I was there.") When asked about this, Altman told Insider in an email: "i can guess what that's about; these stories grow crazily inflated over the years of getting re-told!

Oxford scientist Adrian Hill said Ghana's drug regulator has approved the vaccine domestically for the age group at highest risk of death from malaria - children aged 5 months to 36 months. Oxford has a deal with Serum Institute of India to produce up to 200 million doses of the vaccine - known as R21 - annually. "This shows how close the world is to having a second approved vaccine to fight malaria," he said. MEETING THE NEEDThe first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix from British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L), was endorsed by the WHO last year after decades of work. Since it began in 2019, 1.2 million children across the three countries have received at least one dose of the Mosquirix vaccine.

☆ COVID led to sharp rise in vaccine compensation schemes, but gaps remain -Oxford
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Regulators globally have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and adverse events are extremely rare. But in those rare cases, the pandemic exposed problems in some countries -- such as in the United States -- with vaccine compensation schemes when large proportions of populations are inoculated. In January 2020, when the pandemic began, only 26 vaccine compensation schemes existed. She named Brazil as a country that has no compensation scheme, for example. The draft pandemic treaty which is being negotiated by World Health Organization member states calls for a global compensation scheme for vaccine injuries.

☆ Cambridge do double on Oxford in boat race
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Rowing - University Boat Race - Oxford v Cambridge - River Thames, London, Britain - March 26, 2023 Cambridge in action ahead of Oxford on their way to winning the men's race Action Images via Reuters/Peter CziborraLONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - Cambridge's male and female rowers claimed a double over Oxford in the university boat race on the River Thames on Sunday. Earlier the women's crew were dominant as they beat Oxford for a sixth successive time. "The rush of emotions when we crossed the line, there's nothing like it," Cambridge men's cox Jasper Parish, whose brother Ollie was also part of the team, said. Cambridge's women's crew won by four and a half lengths although Oxford complained of encroachment. Cambridge lead the rivalry 47-30 in the women's event, while Cambridge men have won 86 times to Oxford's 81.

☆ How an AI breakthrough from Alphabet's DeepMind 'changed scientific history' and could lead to new cures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"AlphaFold has sparked a wave of innovation by showing people what's possible," said Chris Bahl, the chief scientist at AI Proteins, a Boston startup using AlphaFold to help develop drugs. "AlphaFold, amazing as it, is just the beginning," Demis Hassabis, the CEO of DeepMind, said on a podcast last year. AlphaFold2 was built with far more biological and physics knowledge of proteins, Jumper said. Next uses will be 'progressively harder' as DeepMind stays secretive on its future workJohn Jumper, a senior staff research scientist at DeepMind who helped develop AlphaFold. "But AI will also continue to progress rapidly, and the folks at DeepMind are very good, so I'm optimistic."

☆ Billionaires like Elon Musk want to save civilization by having tons of genetically superior kids. Inside the movement to take 'control of human evolution.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

"We are the Underground Railroad of 'Gattaca' babies and people who want to do genetic stuff with their kids," Malcolm told me. Ellison, meanwhile, who has two children in their 30s, has reportedly resumed having kids — with his 31-year-old girlfriend. "The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children," Simone said. The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children. Before she met Malcolm, Simone was convinced she wanted to live her life single and child-free.

☆ Elon Musk says 'population collapse' is more dangerous than global warming. Experts say that won't happen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-02 | by ( Isobel Asher Hamilton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk is scared low birth rates could lead to what he calls "population collapse." Experts told Insider the global population is still growing, and when it shrinks it'll be gradual. "Global population decline is therefore still some way off, and is likely to happen gradually when it does take place. Dr. Peter Matanle, an expert in East Asian social and cultural geography, agreed low birth rates "will not cause a population collapse." Reid also disputed Musk's claim that low birth rates are a "bigger risk to civilization than global warming."

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