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☆ Chandrayaan-3 mission finds new evidence to support lunar theory
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Pragyan made 23 measurements as it rolled along a 338-feet (103-meter) region of the lunar surface, located within 164 feet (50 meters) of Chandrayaan-3’s landing site, for about 10 days. The rover’s data marks the first measurements of elements within lunar soil near the south polar region. NASAThe first lunar samples collected during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 led researchers to the theory that the moon was once a molten ball of magma. The Pragyan rover, seen on Earth before being sent to the moon on Chandrayaan-3, used analytical tools to study lunar soil. APXSPOC, PRLPersistent lunar mysteriesThe mission proves why it is crucial to send spacecraft to different lunar regions to understand the history of the moon, Vadawale said.

Persons: Pragyan, Noah Petro, Artemis III, Petro, Santosh Vadawale, Vadawale, “, Shiv Shakti, ”, ” Petro Organizations: CNN, NASA, Mercury, Apollo, Reconnaissance, Artemis, Physical Research Locations: India, Aitken, Ahmedabad

Container ships are berthed at PSA's Pasir Panjang Terminal in Singapore July 15, 2019. Global port congestion has reached an 18-month high, with 60% of ships waiting at anchor located in Asia, maritime data firm Linerlytica said this month. SEVERE CONGESTIONSingapore, the world's second-largest container port, has seen particularly severe congestion in recent weeks. "The peak season, which traditionally starts in June, was advanced by a full month, causing ocean freight rates to soar." Container freight prices from Asia to the U.S. and Europe have tripled since early 2024.

Persons: Edgar Su, Linerlytica, Yemen's, Jayendu Krishna, Drewry, PortCast, Niki Frank, Dimerco, Jonathan Gold, Judah Levine, Jared Bernstein, Gene Seroka, Peter Sand, Jeslyn Lerh, Lisa Baertlein, Lisa Barrington, Miyoung Kim, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Retailers, Ships, Drewry Maritime Advisors, Singapore, Singapore's, Port Authority, Drewry, Keppel, Tuas, Maersk, DHL Global, Asia, Descartes, National Retail Federation, Container, U.S ., of Economic Advisers, U.S, DHL, Thomson Locations: Pasir Panjang, Singapore, SEOUL, SINGAPORE, Asia, Africa, Malaysia's Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Shanghai, Qingdao, China, South Korea, U.S, Europe, U.S . East Coast, U.S . West, of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Seoul

☆ A 13-year-old built a 'death ray' using a 2,000-year-old concept from Greek inventor Archimedes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That's when he found the so-called death ray. AdvertisementSener surmised the Archimedes death ray wasn't impossible if it had used many more mirrors and a hotter heat source. A long history of death ray attemptsMany others have tried to recreate the death ray, with varying levels of success. Most recently, the TV show "Mythbusters" took on Archimedes' death ray three times and never managed to make it work. The reflective surfaces and fiery boats could have become conflated in the ensuing centuries, possibly creating the myth of a death ray.

Persons: Archimedes, —, Sener, wasn't, Syracuse Sener, Roman, Marcellus, Descartes, Athanasius Kircher, Georges, Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, Ioannis Sakkas Organizations: Service, Getty Images Scientists, London Public Library Locations: Syracuse, Sicily, French

☆ Opinion | The 17th-Century Heretic We Could Really Use Now
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Ian Buruma | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Enlightenment philosopher Baruch Spinoza almost died for his ideals one day in 1672. Spinoza, a Sephardic Jew born in Amsterdam in 1632, was a passionate and outspoken defender of freedom, tolerance and moderation. Only one of his books, about the French philosopher Descartes, could be published under his own name during his lifetime. This is perhaps why new books about him are coming out all the time, including Jonathan Israel’s 2023 magnum opus “Spinoza, Life and Legacy” and even a best-selling French novel, “Le Problème Spinoza,” by Irvin Yalom. And all that for a philosopher who was denounced by Christians and Jews as the devil’s disciple long after his own time.

Persons: Baruch Spinoza, Spinoza, Johan de Witt, ”, rousers, hadn’t, Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, demagoguery, Jonathan Israel’s, “ Le Problème Spinoza, Irvin Yalom, George Eliot, unreservedly Locations: Amsterdam, Dutch Republic, British

☆ Morning Bid: Small caps pick up baton, China rating hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. The likes of Microsoft (MSFT.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) fell back over 1%, pressured by a modest bounceback in U.S. Treasury yields. China's blue-chip stocks slumped to their lowest since February 2019 amid fears of a possible cut to China's sovereign credit rating cut after Moody's outlook reduction. By Mike Dolan, Editing by Bernadette Baum; <a href="mailto:mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com" target="_blank">mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com</a>Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Russell, that's, Moody's, Isabel Schnabel, Michael Gibson, Christine Laggard, Mongo, Zero Fox, Bernadette Baum Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Reserve, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Treasury, Reserve Bank of Australia, Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Barclays, Qatar, P Global, Federal, Division, Supervision, Financial Innovation, Descartes Systems, Health, Powell Industries, Dave, Buster's Entertainment, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Global, York, Treasuries, Europe

☆ Opinion | I Teach the Humanities, and I Still Don’t Know What Their Value Is
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Agnes Callard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

You might be surprised to learn that this bit of ignorance poses no obstacle to me in the classroom. I suppose it would if I approached the teaching of Descartes as a matter of explaining why reading Descartes will make you a better person, but that is not how I teach Descartes, nor does any philosopher I know teach Descartes in that way. In contrast, defenses of the humanities are not — and cannot be — conducted in an inquisitive spirit, because a defensive spirit is inimical to an inquisitive one. Politicization is a way of arming the humanities for its political battles, but it comes at an intellectual cost. Politicization silences these and other questions, whereas the function of the humanities is to raise them.

Persons: Descartes

☆ These global stocks are forming the bullish 'golden cross' signal — and have risen every time in the past
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The phenomenon, known as a "golden cross," occurs when a stock's 50-day moving average share price rises above the longer-term 200-day moving average. It comes at a time when the S & P 500 has rallied by nearly 10% from a recent low, and charting analysts expect to see the index rise further . The stocks below are about to signal the golden cross pattern. Canadian stock Descartes Systems rose 7% on average in the month after the golden cross. The stock's price action has shown the golden cross forming seven times over the past decade.

Persons: Kevin Krishnaratne, David Weiss, Shagun Singh, Michael Werner, Hayley Tam Organizations: CNBC, Descartes Systems, Stryker Corporation, Deutsche, Nasdaq, Scotiabank, Stryker, RBC, UBS, CNBC Pro Locations: Canadian, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Singapore

☆ ‘Rivals’ Review: An Experiment in Amiability
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( David A. Shaywitz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The physicists Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein disagreed strongly on various points yet remained close friends. He hoped to deduce all observable phenomena—the paths of planets, the beating of the heart—from a few foundational laws or principles. After years of effort, and despite triumphs such as the invention of analytic geometry, he conceded defeat. But he had little interest in engaging with other researchers or relying on the assistance of volunteers (who would distract him with “useless conversation”). Descartes, explains the historian of science Lorraine Daston, “was probably the last major thinker to believe that science could be conducted in splendid solitude.”

Persons: Niels Bohr, Albert Einstein, René Descartes, Descartes, Lorraine Daston, “, ” Organizations: Getty

☆ 'This is going to get worse before it gets better': Panama Canal pileup due to drought reaches 154 vessels
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A ship navigates through the Panama Canal in the area near the Americas' Bridge in Panama City on April 24, 2023. The Panama Canal is a critical trade link for U.S. shippers heading to Gulf and East Coast ports. The U.S. is the largest user of the Panama Canal, with total U.S. commodity export and import containers representing about 73% of Panama Canal traffic. The massive pileup is a result of water conservation measures the Panama Canal Authority deployed in late July due to drought. West Coast ports saw a decrease of 38.3% in July trade, and top East and Gulf Coast ports processed an increase of 46.4%.

Persons: Luis Acosta, Max, Adil Ashiq, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, Ashiq, Descartes, Stephen Lamar Organizations: Afp, Getty, Panama Canal Authority, Labs, Planet Labs, PCA, Port, MarineTraffic, American Apparel & Footwear Association Locations: Panama, Americas, Panama City, Gulf, East Coast, U.S, Pacific, Port of Balboa, Port of Savannah, North America, Gatun, Coast, West Coast

Seventy percent of Million Dollar Baby's demand is on the U.S. East Coast, executives said. During the first three months of 2023, West Coast ports handled 40% of U.S. container import volume. Extrapolating that first-quarter data over 12 months would show that more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) moved away from the West Coast ports annually, starting in 2021, said Chris Jones, an executive vice president at Descartes Systems Group. Colgate-Palmolive (CL.N) routed 25% of containers away from West Coast ports and has already begun reversing some of that, said Francisco Rodriguez, Colgate toothpaste maker's director of global logistics. Importing to Mexico opens a legal loophole that enables Million Dollar Baby to sell those products to U.S. customers without a 25% tariff.

☆ Companies are betting on a demand rebound in second half of year, DHL says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

That marks the second consecutive month that U.S. imports increased and are higher than 2019 levels, according to data provided to CNBC from Descartes Datamyne, a global trade data platform. The combination of a slow ramp up from "Zero Covid" in China and the reopening of manufacturing plants in the country delayed exports. The top Vietnamese imports in the latest data are wrought iron fencing and plant stands, imported for companies including Home Depot. Black jewelry bags for Zales and men's and boy's t-shirts for Nike rounded out the list of U.S. imports data from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and India reviewed by CNBC. In April, the trade data shows that vitamins and containers of pencils were bound from India to Walmart , and zip polos and t-shirts for Guess .

☆ Scientists identify mind-body nexus in human brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers called this system the somato-cognitive action network, or SCAN, and documented its connections to brain regions known to help set goals and plan actions. "Basically, we now have shown that the human motor system is not unitary. A second system, the SCAN, is more important for integrated, whole body movements, and is more connected to high-level planning regions of your brain," Gordon said. I'm not a philosopher, but one succinct statement I like is saying, 'The mind is what the brain does.' "Some neuroscientists think of the brain as an organ intended primarily to perceive and interpret the world around us.

☆ The new Bing is acting all weird and creepy — but the human response is way scarier
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

It's a profit-making move designed to leverage our very human tendency to see human traits in nonhuman things. Look, I don't think we don't need to treat chatbots with respect because they ask us to. Making chatbots seem as if they're human isn't just incidental. So the real issue involving the current incarnation of chatbots isn't whether we treat them as people — it's how we decide to treat them as property. The robots don't care."

☆ Companies Rush to Trace Sprawling Supply Chains as Sustainability Rules Loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The rules come as businesses, especially small and midsize companies, have a limited view of their supply chains and are struggling to broaden their oversight, sustainability analysts say. Imagine that in the landscape of supply chain,” said Tim Constable, partner at law firm Dentons advising companies on supply chains. There are a host of other regulatory developments threatening to affect companies’ supply chains. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg NewsUnilever has a sprawling global supply chain, with around 54,000 suppliers in 150 countries. It doesn’t matter how sophisticated the program is.”Internet-of-things startups can go beyond aggregating data and instead track actual items.

☆ Freight Forwarder Flexport Is Laying Off 20% of Its Workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Freight forwarder Flexport Inc. is cutting about 20% of its global workforce, or more than 600 workers, as the digital-focused business copes with falling shipping demand and repositions its operations to offer more supply-chain services. Mr. Petersen in June had estimated gross revenue of nearly $5 billion in 2022. The layoffs come amid a broader pullback in freight demand since the middle of last year as inflation has taken a toll on consumer demand and retailers have pulled back from earlier inventory restocking efforts. Mr. Clark, who led Amazon.com Inc.’s logistics expansion over his 20-plus years with the company, started as co-CEO at Flexport in September alongside the freight forwarder’s founder, Mr. Petersen. Mr. Clark is scheduled to fully take over the day-to-day leadership role on March 1, the company has said, and Mr. Petersen will then become executive chairman.

☆ U.S. Container Imports Tumbled Close to Prepandemic Levels in December
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Paul Page | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. ocean imports closed 2022 extending a monthslong slide closer to prepandemic levels, according to a new report, leaving the shipping sector bracing for deeper declines in container volumes this year. U.S. container imports overall fell 2.8% last year from 2021, according to Descartes Datamyne figures, but the 28,276,129 containers were still 18.5% ahead of 2019 volumes. Bottlenecks at U.S. gateways have eased since last year, but new projections suggest shipping volumes will fall at an even steeper pace in the first half of this year. That would put trade behind the prepandemic levels and roughly equivalent to imports in early 2020, when Covid lockdowns crashed global shipping volume. “After nearly three years of Covid-19’s impact on global trade and consumer demand, import patterns appear to be returning to what was normal prior to 2020,” said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett.

☆ U.S. imports of containerized goods retreat to pre-pandemic level
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. imports of goods in ocean shipping containers in December fell to levels approaching those last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report said on Tuesday. December 2022 U.S. container import volume topped 1.9 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), according to Descartes Systems Group. Then, the pandemic spawned an unexpected container cargo surge that overwhelmed seaports and upended global supply chains. Despite the sharp volume downturn in December, 2022 is shaping to be the second-busiest year after 2021 for U.S. container imports. Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Container Imports Are Plummeting to Close the Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Big U.S. ports are reporting steep declines in inbound container volumes for November, signaling a downturn in goods imports is accelerating and adding to concerns over a deeper slowdown in 2023. The ports also handled about 98,000 fewer inbound boxes last month than in November 2019 and imports have been below prepandemic levels since September. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the U.S. is seeing a slowing of imports. They also diverted goods to Gulf Coast and East Coast ports due to fears of a work slowdown as West Coast dockworkers negotiate a new multiyear labor agreement. The downturn is reaching East Coast ports, which have seen relatively strong trade as companies shipped around California’s congested gateways.

☆ Jamie Dimon sounds off on the economy, Fed, and crypto
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There are few top executives who draw as much attention and speak as freely as Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan. "Inflation is eroding everything…and that $1.5 trillion will run out sometime mid-year next year," Dimon said. Never one to mince words, Dimon then blasted the cryptocurrency sector when asked what he thought of the FTX collapse. Meanwhile, days after the EU's $60 per barrel price cap kicked in, oil prices slumped to levels not seen since before the invasion of Ukraine. There's been much debate about how the measure will alter oil prices moving forward — but PIMCO commodities strategist Greg Sharenow said it's going to come down to three factors.

☆ The Logistics and Supply-Chain Slowdown Has Begun. Here’s How to Take Advantage.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Paul Page | C.H. Robinson Worldwide Ceo Bob Biesterfeld | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

After the pandemic-driven surge in consumer demand that triggered a frenzy of shipping activity and skyrocketing prices, logistics and transportation companies are signaling a fast slowdown. The weekly Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, which measures shipping prices out of China, recently dropped to $1,443.29, about one-third the level it hit in early June. The jaw-dropping declines also measure the spot market prices. Most freight business moves on contract rates, and those long-term prices haven’t fallen nearly as fast as the spot market. Here are some tips for logistics and supply-chain managers to take advantage of a changing market.

☆ Descartes & Mauss: New strategy needed for CEOs to navigate unprecedented times
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDescartes & Mauss: New strategy needed for CEOs to navigate unprecedented timesMaurice N'Diaye, founder at Descartes & Mauss, discusses the return of Bob Iger to Disney, and the importance of systemic modeling moving into 2023.

☆ Imports Into Southern California’s Ports Plunged 26% in October
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Imports into the nation’s busiest container port complex in Southern California are plummeting as U.S. trade sputters and retailers and manufacturers shift their supply chains amid increasingly contentious West Coast port labor negotiations. Importers have said they are avoiding West Coast ports because previous contract talks have turned contentious and led to cargo slowdowns. Over the past few months, several West Coast ports have experienced sporadic work disruptions, although port officials say overall container movements remain steady. The declines are a contrast to East Coast ports that continue to see strong cargo volumes. That has also contributed to the recent decline in cargo volumes during what is normally a peak season for ocean shipping.

☆ U.S. container imports tumble as supply stress gives way to slack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, Oct 20 (Reuters) - After more than two years of surging demand, the volume of container imports coming through U.S. ports has tumbled sharply, raising questions about where a sector once tracked as a supply-chain stress point will hit bottom. Container import volumes across all U.S. ports hit an all-time high in May and pulled back slightly before plunging in August and September. Volume surged as much as 40% from 2019 levels during the pandemic as retailers raced to meet soaring demand for goods. As recently as March, the Biden administration supply chain task force had tracked container imports as part of a "dashboard" to monitor the distress in the distribution of goods and a contributor to higher prices. Kemmsies said the August and September pullbacks in the volume of container imports is the result of retailers like Walmart (WMT.N) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O) cancelling billions of dollars of orders earlier this year.

☆ Freight Operators’ Peak Shipping Season Is Crumbling
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Paul Berger | Paul Page | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

The peak shipping season is fizzling as overstocked retailers cancel overseas orders and freight companies scale back expectations for heavy freight volumes heading into the holidays. Many retailers pulled peak season orders in early this year to avoid a repeat of 2021 when supply-chain congestion caused delays and product shortages during the holidays. Container shipping rates that hit record highs last year have also pulled back sharply, although they still remain above 2019 levels. The peak shipping season cascades down into package transport, as United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and others typically handle growing volumes as the calendar counts down to Christmas. Citi analysts say they expect a “weaker peak season and a large amount of uncertainty in terms of the magnitude of demand.”—Esther Fung and Liz Young contributed to this article.

☆ Freight Operators’ Peak Shipping Season is Crumbling
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Paul Berger | Paul Page | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The peak shipping season is fizzling as overstocked retailers cancel overseas orders and freight companies scale back expectations for heavy freight volumes heading into the holidays. But a range of measures of shipping demand across the U.S. are sliding, freight rates are falling as a result, leading carriers to pull back capacity amid concerns a deeper downturn is coming. Many retailers pulled peak season orders in early this year to avoid a repeat of 2021 when supply-chain congestion caused delays and product shortages during the holidays. Container shipping rates that hit record highs last year have also pulled back sharply, although they still remain above 2019 levels. The peak shipping season cascades down into package transport, as United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and others typically handle growing volumes as the calendar counts down to Christmas.

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