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☆ Locusts in your noodles? Singapore approves 16 insect species as food
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

From locusts to superworms to honey bees, Singapore has approved 16 species of insects for human consumption. "With immediate effect, SFA will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to species that have been assessed to be of low regulatory concern," the Singapore Food Agency said in a statement. The agency said the following list of approved bugs can be imported for both human consumption and animal feed for food producing animals. Singapore's food agency acknowledged that the country's insect industry is "nascent" and that the critters are a new food item in the city-state. But in announcing a regulatory framework for edible insect imports, the SFA emphasized its priority was ensuring the safety of food consumed in Singapore.

Persons: mealworm, Fura, Insectyumz Organizations: SFA, Singapore Food Agency, House, Sustainability, Seafood Locations: Singapore

☆ Silkworm satay? Singapore approves insects as food
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore’s state food agency (SFA) has approved 16 species of edible insects for sale and consumption in the country, according to a July 8 public circular addressed to food traders. Insects approved by the SFA include locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and several species of beetle. “Insects are an overlooked source of protein and a way to battle climate change,” according to a 2022 report by the World Economic Forum. Live insects are commonly sold in Singapore as food for pets like songbirds and reptiles, but they could be a new and exciting option for human diners. “As the insect industry is nascent and insects are a new food item here, SFA has developed an insect regulatory framework which puts in place guidelines for insects to be approved as food,” SFA said.

Persons: nasi lemak, ”, Grasshopper tacos Organizations: CNN, SFA, ” SFA, World Economic, Grasshopper Locations: Singapore, Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia

☆ Why South Korea's Japan-style measures to boost its stock market may not work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An inflatable bull during a ceremony marking the first day of trading of the year at the Korea Exchange (KRX) headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSouth Korea's Japan-style measures for improving corporate governance may not be enough to boost its undervalued stock markets and tackle the so-called "Korea discount." Asia's fourth-largest economy is striving to boost stock market valuations that are considered much lower compared to peers, with analysts referring to the phenomenon as the "Korea discount." The 'chaebol' problemSouth Korean markets are made up of corporations called "chaebols," which are large family-owned global conglomerates, typically controlled by the founder's family. "The behavior that leads to South Korea's low stock prices is motivated, and therefore seeking to coax South Korean controlling families into 'being nice' to minority stockholders is unlikely to be successful," Pines said.

Persons: SeongJoon Cho, James Lim, Jonathan Pines, Federated Hermes, Daniel Tan Organizations: Korea Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Financial, FSC, Samsung Electronics, LG, SK, Hyundai, Dalton Investments, Japan, Korean Stock Exchange, Federated, Grasshopper Asset Management, CNBC Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Japan, Korea, Tokyo, Asia, Singapore

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ lands but its fate is unclear due to power issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rovers, science experiments, golf balls and other telltale signs of human exploration still sit on the lunar surface, and it’s only just beginning as more space agencies and countries plan trips to the moon. An artist's illustration depicts the SLIM lander's descent toward the lunar surface. JAXAJapan’s “Moon Sniper” robotic explorer successfully landed on the lunar surface Friday but almost immediately encountered a critical issue. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team said it believes the solar power issue is a result of the spacecraft facing the wrong direction. If the Moon Sniper can soak up some sunlight, the mission may continue.

Persons: Smart Lander, Emmanuel Rondeau, ”, Eager, Nick Famoso, Irene Stachon, Trent Ford, Lockheed Martin, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, ”, telltale, JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, North America, University of Alaska, WWF, Force, NASA, Lockheed, CNN Space, Science Locations: Soviet, North, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elma, Malayan, Malaysia, Oregon, Mitchell , Oregon, Scandinavia, Finland, Äkäslompolo, United States, Chicago, Illinois

☆ 29 million-year-old grasshopper nest found intact with eggs, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The eggs and overall nest construction closely resemble the eggs and pods of modern grasshopper species. Insect eggs are extremely rare in the fossil record, and intact egg cases are even rarer. This wasn’t just a cluster of eggs — it was a type of subterranean egg pod called an ootheca, with the eggs cradled by a protective layer that had mineralized into a stony rind. So Lee consulted a global insect egg database, containing more than 6,700 living species, to identify the eggs in the fossil pod. The virtually pristine specimen also speaks to the level of preservation in the national park site’s fossil beds, Famoso added.

Persons: ”, Jaemin Lee, Nick Famoso, Famoso, Ricardo Pérez, la Fuente, Christopher Schierup, Schierup, “, Lee, Angela Lin, ” Famoso, ” Lee, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Parks Stewardship, University of California, National Parks Service, University of Oxford’s, University of Oregon’s, Imaging, Scientific Locations: Oregon, Berkeley, Mitchell , Oregon, United Kingdom, Eugene

☆ Parasitic worms highjack their hosts' free will, and scientists finally think they know how
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Emily Hein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Horsehair worms can control a host's brain and steer it to water, where it drowns. These parasitic worms, which resemble dark and stringy horse hair, take control of their host's brain and drive it to suicide. Hairworms' magic copy-cat trickHairworms need water to reproduce, so when they're ready they force their host to water, where ultimately the host drowns. Horsehair worms make their hosts more active in the middle of the day , when it's easier to find light reflecting off water. So the Chordodes worms can only control mantises and can't puppeteer other insects or mammals, according to the study.

Persons: what's, —, they're, it's, hairworms, Tappei Mishina, Hairworms, Rather, Mishina Organizations: Service, University of California's, Pest Management

☆ What Distinguishes a Neil Breen Film? Neil Breen.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Rumsey Taylor | More About Rumsey Taylor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

All of Breen’s films seem clearly to mean something, and watching them, one’s suspension of disbelief is constantly threatened by strange directorial choices. “Pass-Thru” culminates in his darkest sequence, with Thgil — another of the messianic aliens in which Breen specializes — walking toward the horizon’s vanishing point. “Fateful Findings,” which I and many others consider Breen’s most deranged film, exemplifies the tonal stiltedness and libertarian rage that pervades his work. For many audiences the natural response to Breen’s films is laughter. Breen plays a double role, twins Cale and Cade, bestowed at birth with superhuman powers and pitted against each other with potentially world-changing consequences.

Persons: Thgil, Breen, Thgil —, “, ”, Tommy Wiseau, Ed Wood, Wood, Cale, Cade Organizations: Media, West Coast Locations: West Hollywood, Calif, Las Vegas, Chicago

☆ China was once a women’s soccer superpower. This year’s World Cup is a first step in reclaiming that status
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Simone Mccarthy Andrew Mcnicol Candice Zhu Cnn | Simone Mccarthy | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The rapid development of women’s soccer programs across Europe and the Americas has fielded a new generation of powerful teams-to-beat. I hope through these matches, we can form a clearer picture of the current position of Chinese women’s soccer,” she told state media earlier this month. China scores against New Zealand during a group match at the 1991 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou. That’s even as more than thirty years ago, when China hosted the first ever-women’s World Cup in its southeastern Guangdong province. But as norms change, seeing China’s women’s team competing on the world stage at events like the World Cup would also “inspire girls” to play, Peng added.

Persons: Shui, ”, Xiao Yuyi, Rajanish, Xi, –, China's Zhang Ouying, Carla Overbeck, Vincent Laforet, Wang Shuang, Germain, Zhang Linyan, Chan Yuen Ting, Chen guo, Chan, Denmark’s Amalie Vangsgaard, Zhang, they’d, China's, Gary Day, William Bi, “, it’s, Qi Peng, China’s, Peng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, AFC Asian, womens, FIFA, Americas, Roses, Denmark, Haiti, AFC, Asian, America, Rose Bowl, Veterans, Paris Saint, Swiss, Grasshopper Club, League, Jiangsu, CNN, New Zealand, Sports, AP Soccer, Xi, Sport Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Europe, China, England, South Korea, Mumbai, India, Pasadena , California, France, “, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Beijing

☆ You Shouldn’t Squish These Bugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Victoria Gomelsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — “Bonkers About Beetles.” “Innumerable Insects.” “Bugs: A Pop-Up Book.” The volumes that line the shelves of the jewelry designer Daniela Villegas’s home in this part of greater Los Angeles underscore what is obvious to anyone who ventures inside: She is passionate about pests. Thousands of specimens — of the six, eight- and 100-plus-leg varieties — hang in frames on the walls, are displayed in bell jars on the shelves and lie beneath the glass atop her oversized coffee table. Much of the collection was acquired at bug fairs and is shared with her husband, the furniture designer Sami Hayek (Salma’s younger brother). It is likely to make visitors think they have wandered into the entomology section of a natural history museum, or rather, its deluxe gift shop. The eccentric décor includes a stuffed armadillo adorned with its own gemstone bracelet; a wicker table in the shape of a grasshopper, topped with a crab sculpture; and a collection of Ms. Villegas’s signature Khepri rings, honoring the scarab-face god of ancient Egypt.

☆ SpaceX Starship launch: Was it really a 'success?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —After the first test launch of a SpaceX Starship rocket — the most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed — ended in an eruption of flames over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the company sought to frame the mission as a success. Within the space industry, Thursday’s Starship test mission wasn’t considered an outright failure, Caleb Henry, director of research at the space research firm Quilty Analytics, said. The SpaceX Starship exploded after launch for a flight test on April 20, 2023. There isn’t just one Starship vehicle that’s spent years in the development pipeline. The SpaceX rocket that flew on Thursday “was really just a bare bones,” Reisman added.

☆ Emerging venture fund managers had few banking options to begin with. After Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, where do they turn now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Melia Russell | Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Silicon Valley Bank had long banked a class of startup investors known as emerging managers. He was able to quickly switch from Silicon Valley Bank with an email to his contact at AngelList. Novak is part of a contingent of investors who are shifting their banking strategy in the fallout of Silicon Valley Bank's failure. After Silicon Valley Bank's demise, the big banks have gotten more selective, the three investors said. The big banks like JPMorgan set account minimums for its private banking group, locking out emerging fund managers.

☆ Investing in Space: Launch jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even today's private U.S. launch leaders, SpaceX and Rocket Lab , had their share of failures when first gunning for orbit. "In a launch vehicle, you have lots of different complex systems … and traditionally, we've been talking about expendable launch vehicles. "We're finally transitioning to a reusable launch vehicle mentality, and I think you're going to see more and more of that kind of testing," Nield said. But even with one-off rockets, Nield remains "very bullish" on the launch market.

☆ Ivory Coast cotton output to fall 50% in 2022/23, says minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABIDJAN, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's cotton output for the 2022/23 season is expected to fall by 50% to 269,000 tonnes due to parasites, Agriculture Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani said on Friday. A tiny green grasshopper-shaped parasite called "jasside" has infested cotton crops and slashed output forecasts across West Africa for the 2022/23 season. Adjoumani said that the government would allocate 34.52 billion CFA francs ($57.48 million) to help compensate farmers for their losses. Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, was among Africa's leading cotton exporters before civil war broke out in 2002. Ivory Coast cashew nut output rose 6% to 1,028,172 tonnes in 2022 due to good weather conditions.

☆ How to make money as a 'starving artist,' according to one creative who turned her talent into a $1.2 million business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Amanda Breen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Miriam Schulman started teaching art classes online 10 years ago. Schulman said a "starving artist" mentality holds creative entrepreneurs back. She's been an artist for two decades, and 10 years ago, she started teaching online art classes after one of her customers on Etsy inquired about it. So Schulman investigated how other people filled their online classes — and soon realized the importance of building an email list. "Not just the online classes — but I also [built the email list to] be able to sell more of my artwork."

☆ 'Crazy stuff is happening at my work': Silicon Valley engineers are really freaking out right now
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-01 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Silicon Valley, perhaps even more than the rest of corporate America, has long been engaged in a two-sided battle over the pursuit of happiness. In the Silicon Valley that emerges on Blind, the engineers who strive for work-life balance are just as burned out as the late-night grinders. But Silicon Valley has always overindexed for Optimizers. If this is Silicon Valley today, nobody's happy, and everybody's burnt. Stereotypically, Silicon Valley engineers are grinders.

☆ This Map Shows How Americans Speak 24 Different English Dialects
▼ + stars: | 2013-12-02 | by ( Max Nisen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementA fascinating map from Long Island University's Robert Delaney highlighted by Reid Wilson at The Washington Post shows that the divisions are even more complicated than you might think. He highlights 24 different distinctive dialects. These aren't just accents, but genuinely distinct ways of speaking beyond just the way words sound. Some original Hudson Valley words are stoop (small porch) and teeter-totter. The name comes either from the Gola tribe in Liberia or the Ngola tribe in Angola.

Persons: Cooter Brown, Robert Delaney, Reid Wilson, Delaney, Deutsch, Porgy, Bess, Twi, Vai, Temne Organizations: The Washington Post, Pennsylvania Dutch, Virginia Piedmont, UH Locations: America, Long, Alaska, Hawaii, Hudson, New York, Dutch, olycooks . Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina, Gola, Liberia, Angola

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