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☆ Bears, Binoculars and Bucket-List Birds: A 15-Day Tour in Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Dorothy Spears | Alexis Rockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a 4:30 a.m. breakfast at the Sani Lodge, where our group was staying, my husband, Alexis, and I pulled on our rubber boots. Our birding guide, Jeison Gualinga, whistled for a canoe while flashing his light among the reeds by the main dock. Our birding trip in Ecuador arose like a bird call, by word of mouth. Our friend Olaf Soltau, a devout birder, was tipped off by a respected birder friend to enlist Pablo Barrera of Adventures Columbia to coordinate a tour. Our trip would culminate with five days in the Yasuní National Park, whose humid green jungles are a birding paradise.

☆ AI Technology Like ChatGPT Will Reshape Software Coding Jobs Forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Their conclusion: 19% of workers hold jobs in which at least half their tasks could be completed by AI. Researchers at Microsoft and its subsidiary GitHub recently divided software developers into two groups — one with access to an AI coding assistant, and another without. Amazon has built its own AI coding assistant, CodeWhisperer, and is encouraging its engineers to use it. Another argument from the optimists: Even as AI takes over the bulk of coding, human coders will find new ways to make themselves useful by focusing on what AI can't do. So maybe, long term, human coders will survive in some new, as-yet-to-be-determined role.

☆ The former CEO of Reddit says laid-off tech workers should get in on AI because 'you don't need an enormous amount of technical skill' to make an AI app
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yishan Wong, the former CEO of Reddit, has advice for tech workers: Get into AI now. "You don't need an enormous amount of technical skill," Wong told Fortune. "It feels like a hype train, but actually there's an enormous amount of value overhang," Wong told Fortune. He said he "randomly moved around" from tech job to tech job, and just worked "really hard" wherever he ended up. However, the AI industry itself does have promising inroads for tech workers.

☆ Stanford and MIT study: A.I. boosted worker productivity by 14%—those who use it 'will replace those who don't'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The study is thought to be the first major real-world application of generative AI in the workplace. Researchers measured productivity of more than 5,000 customer support agents, based primarily in the Philippines, at a Fortune 500 enterprise software firm over the course of a year. In some cases, using AI trumped having real-life work experience: Customer service agents with two months of experience who used AI support performed as well or better than agents with over six months of experience working without AI. Meanwhile, the use of AI tools showed a minimal impact on "experienced or highly skilled workers," the authors note, and at times served as a distraction. AI support can be especially helpful to entry-level or early-career workers, says Lindsey Raymond, an MIT Ph.D. candidate and co-author of the paper.

Persons: chatbots, Lindsey Raymond, Raymond Organizations: Stanford, MIT, Bloomberg, Fortune, Tech Locations: Philippines

☆ Weapons Makers Can’t Hire Enough Workers as Ukraine War Drives Demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Doug Cameron | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. military has sought to boost production at facilities such as the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania. Photo: Hannah Beier/Getty ImagesRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has turbocharged demand for weapons. Now arms makers face the challenge of hiring thousands of skilled workers to capitalize on an influx of orders. Defense companies in the U.S. and Europe are working through record order books after Western governments increased spending in recent years amid rising geopolitical tensions. The war in Ukraine is now further fueling growth, partly as the U.S. and its allies begin to replace weapons they have sent to Kyiv.

☆ Covid-sniffing dogs can help detect infections in K-12 schools, new study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Months prior, Glaser and her team were implementing the school’s Covid-19 testing program, using antigen nasal swab tests. It’s not as simple as just handing those things out at school and having the kids do them,” said Glaser, who oversaw antigen testing programs at some California public schools. For now, Glaser and her colleagues described in a new study the lessons they learned from the Covid-19 dog screening pilot program that they launched in some California K-12 public schools. In comparison, Covid-19 BinaxNOW antigen tests have been shown in one real-world study to demonstrate 93.3% sensitivity and 99.9% specificity. The pilot program within California public schools also has left Edwards with hope for future opportunities in which canines can help detect disease in humans.

☆ MBA professors say there is a correct way to schedule your day to get more done. Here are 5 research-backed strategies they recommend.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jessica Love | Kellogg Insight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

They also say stop jumping around from task to ask and be weary of collaborating with others. Specifically, Maria Ibanez and a colleague have found that inspections that occur later in the day result in fewer violations. Each subsequent hour an inspector conducts inspections during the day results in 3.7% fewer citations per inspection that day, likely due to fatigue. For instance, after an inspection that yielded a particularly high number of violations, inspectors were likelier to spot extra violations at the next joint, too. A study from two Kellogg School professors — Nicola Persico and Rob Bray — tested this idea by altering the way Italian appellate labor court judges schedule court hearings.

☆ The layoffs are here for those who chose to 'learn to code'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But for those who chose to "learn to code," Vox reported the wave of layoffs in 2023 is challenging that notion. "If we look at 2023 layoffs, it's software engineers who have overtaken recruiters in layoffs," Ayas told Insider. This shift also signals a change in focus for company layoffs, Ayas said. Since then, Revelio's new data suggests that nearly 5% of tech company layoffs impacted recruiters — the position that saw the most layoffs after software engineers. What started as a wave of layoffs in the tech industry has now rippled to the finance and media industries as well.

☆ A fund manager who beat 95% of competitors in the last 2 years explains how he finds 'tremendous opportunities' for value creation and returns amid today's volatile stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Companies with healthy balance sheets and access to low or no-cost funding are likely to outperform. Ferguson is a fund manager for the BNY Mellon Dynamic Value Fund at Newton Investment Management. Across all sectors, Ferguson believes that companies with strong balance sheets and good liquidity will widely outperform their peers, especially in the face of a looming economic slowdown. Strong balance sheets in particular can help businesses endure turbulent times, since companies aren't forced to issue — and eventually pay back — a lot of high-cost debt. Likewise, Ferguson is currently bullish on the energy sector due to its incredibly strong balance sheets and focus on return of capital versus growth.

☆ 3 in 4 managers say Gen Z is the most 'challenging' generation to work with — and 40% of the group flagged a lack of technological skills, effort, and motivation: survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The managers said Gen Zers lack technological skills, effort, and motivation. It's so bad that 27% said they've fired a Gen Z employee within the first month. About 40% of that group said it's because people in this age group lack technological skills. The same proportion of managers also felt Gen Z employees — those born between 1997 and 2012 — lack motivation and get "easily distracted." The tensions between the generations are so bad that some managers who found Gen Z challenging to work with said they fired a Gen Zer promptly after hiring.

☆ Remove these 7 buzzwords from your resume: Having too many ‘just looks like fluff’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A majority, 69%, stick to one page, according to resume writing site Kickresume, which recently analyzed 176,220 resumes written in 2022. When it comes to the content of one's resume, there are various rules to keep in mind. Another thing to remember: Avoid overusing popular buzzwords that clutter and don't necessarily help make the case for your candidacy. But "if you're using a collection of these or if you're using one of these words multiple times throughout your resume, it's not a good look." When writing your resume, consider, "What was the impact of what you did?"

☆ AI like ChatGPT could change the day-to-day of white-collar jobs the most and reverse decades of tech-driven inequality — if we use it the right way
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Artificial intelligence could cheapen educated labor and reduce inequality. "The general presumption is that AI — and even before that, office software — would impact middle-skill workers," Acemoglu told Insider. That word "exposure" means AI could either replace high-income workers, which would reduce inequality, or make them even more productive, which would increase it. "You can imagine devolving some of the most highly skilled tasks to less skilled people," Autor said. Additionally, "the more skilled workers may be able to shield themselves," he said.

☆ More students are learning to be mechanics, chefs, and construction workers as college enrollment shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Construction, culinary, and mechanic trade programs all saw enrollment increase last year. Across construction, culinary, and mechanic trade programs, all experienced increases in enrollment between spring 2021 to 2022, the study found. Enrollment in culinary programs increased 12.7% and 11.5% in mechanic and repair trade programs over the same time period. Prior to the pandemic, these sectors were experiencing labor shortages in skilled trade workers, particularly in construction, according to data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data. Overall, total college enrollment was down 4.1% from spring 2021 to spring 2022.

☆ Overwhelming majority of Gen Z workers would quit their jobs over company values, LinkedIn data says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Company values are increasingly important to employees, and can be deciding factors for those considering quitting, or choosing a new job, LinkedIn says. A survey from LinkedIn found the vast majority, 87%, of Gen Z professionals would be prepared to quit their jobs to work elsewhere if the values of the new company were more closely aligned. At a time when many are bearing the brunt of a cost-of-living crisis, Graff said the survey's findings underscore the importance of company values to an employee. Over the past two years, there has been a 154% increase in entry-level job postings that mention company values, the platform says. The change is paying off for companies — job ads that talk about values receive almost double the amount of applications compared to two years ago, LinkedIn says.

☆ Joel Embiid Says He Can ‘Do Anything’ on the Court. Let Him Show You.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Scott Cacciola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I think he thinks he is a guard,” 76ers shooting guard Tyrese Maxey said of Embiid. Embiid was not always so comfortable handling the ball. At the time, Rivers said, he heard from fans who wanted Embiid to stop drifting to the perimeter. But Rivers said he resisted their pleas to shape Embiid into more of an old-school center. Get him on the post!’ ” Rivers recalled in an interview.

SL Naturenergie's predicament is common in the renewables sector where companies, from startups to medium sized and blue-chip firms, are competing for a limited pool of labour with appropriate skills. Currently it faces a shortage of around 216,000 skilled workers needed for the expansion of the solar and wind energy sectors, a study by German organisation KOFA, or the Competence Centre for securing skilled labour, showed. In many jobs in the renewable energy sector, pay is above average, he said, citing a renewable energy wage premium of more than 10% in construction and installation activities, as well as architectural and engineering services. Volker Quaschning, a professor of renewable energy systems at HTW university in Berlin, says a third of places on these courses at HTW are unfilled. Last month Germany also unveiled draft reforms on skills training accreditation and promoting immigration in a bid to plug labour shortages in the economy.

☆ Sudan's army chief, the warlord and a feud that risks civil war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Michael Georgy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

ABANDONING THEIR BENEFACTORAmid the bloodshed, Hemedti captured the attention of Bashir, a general who came to power in a 1989 coup. Bashir also gave his family and associates free rein to sell Sudan's gold, helping him amass a fortune. In the aftermath, Hemedti secured the post of deputy head of state, a position that technically reports to Burhan. Like Sudan's army, the RSF deployed fighters to Yemen where Gulf Arab states have fought a proxy war for years against Iranian-backed Houthis. The military wants the RSF integrated into the regular army and under its controls, two military sources said.

☆ ChatGPT and Generative AI in Media and Advertising: With Use Cases Set, the Battle for Hearts and Minds Begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Generative AI can already do much of the work and low-skilled labor that powers modern media and advertising. As the drive to combat burnout builds, Generative AI has inserted itself into low-risk functions such as mockups and copywriting. The need for intermediate agencies would diminish as platforms could use generative AI technology to create business ads themselves. Although the negative sentiment around AI continues to build, according to Morning Consult 52% of consumers believe that generative AI will stick around. Want to learn more about ChatGPT and Generative AI in Media and Advertising?

☆ The US still waits for its high-speed rail revolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

So why doesn’t the United States have a high-speed rail network like those? Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. William C. Vantuono, editor-in-chief of Railway Age“Many Americans have no concept of high-speed rail and fail to see its value. Corridors for the greatest potentialBrightline West and CHSR offer templates for the future expansion of high-speed rail in North America. “Where those conditions apply in Europe and Asia, high-speed rail reduces air’s share of the market from 100% to near zero.

The size of subsidies under the EU Chips Act, which aims to tempt the world's top chipmakers to build factories in the bloc and double its share of global output to 20% by 2030, lags the $52 billion CHIPS for America Act. Taiwan accounts for more than 60% of global chip production and concerns are growing about heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing. But Europe's relatively modest subsidies could put a brake on its ambition, said Richard Windsor of research company Radio Free Mobile. GOOD STARTThe EU Chips Act is a good start given the EU has little choice but to join the subsidy race, but the bloc should play to its chipmaking strengths, said Christopher Cytera, research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis. Catching up on the chips race is more than just building factories and the Chips Act acknowledges this with its focus on developing skilled labour for the future, said Anielle Guedes, senior research analyst at IDC Technologies.

☆ Chinese trapeze artist falls to her death during performance with husband
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Chinese acrobat has fallen to her death during an aerial silks performance, sparking horror and outcry on social media over the lack of safety measures. She was taken to hospital but died of her injuries, the Tongqiao district government said in a statement Monday. How come there are no safety measures?”The acrobat couple are seen performing another set of aerial silks routine before the accident. The show was hosted by a local farm business owner, who contracted the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company to run the performance, the statement said. The report added that the female acrobat had been married to her husband for more than a decade and left behind two children.

☆ Boeing's 737 Max problem is the latest headache for airlines hungry for new planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An aerial view of the engines and fuselage of an unpainted Boeing 737 MAX airplane parked in storage at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, June 1, 2022. The problem is related to two of several brackets in the aft fuselage of some 737 Max planes, including the most popular model, the Max 8. Boeing has a backlog of 4,196 Max planes, according to a tally on its website. "Boeing contacted us regarding an issue with a supplier's manufacturing process that will affect the delivery of Boeing 737 MAX planes to Southwest," the company said in a statement Thursday. A worldwide grounding and production pause of the 737 Max followed two fatal crashes of the Max.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden attends the groundbreaking of the new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio, U.S., September 9, 2022. But all that new construction has a real estate problem. That would be a problem for the Biden administration, which has pushed through legislation to fuel the developments. A White House official said it was a "high-class problem" to have, adding: "Folks are finding places to build. The governors of South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina have each proposed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on readying industrial sites in the coming years.

☆ ICON prepares to build on the lunar surface. But first, a moonshot at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Casey Dunn/ICONA thread running through ICON’s work is building homes for disadvantaged people, including accommodation for the long-term homeless, often in collaboration with non-profits. Bailey suggested the success of 3D-printed housing could hinge on how it is perceived by prospective residents. Instead of Lavacrete, ICON is experimenting with using lunar regolith, the mineral-rich dust and rock that covers the moon’s surface. ICON's Project Olympus will see a construction system built by the company on the moon later this decade. Apis CorCOBOD is responsible for what it claims is the tallest 3D-printed building in the world, a three-story house in Saudi Arabia.

☆ Elon Musk says Warren Buffett should run the US Treasury - and the investor could do the job in under 1 hour per week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk would prefer Warren Buffett to be US Treasury secretary instead of Janet Yellen. The Tesla chief said the Berkshire Hathaway boss could do the job in less than 1 hour per week. "Probably Buffett," Musk tweeted. "Any highly successful investor with a long track record would do a good job – the job is essentially fund management at scale," he added. As for Buffett, he's questioned Musk's Twitter habit in the past, and jokingly challenged the auto executive to take on Berkshire in the candy business.

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