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☆ UK finance minister, Bank of England working to minimise SVB fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - Britain's finance ministry and the Bank of England are working together to minimise the disruption that could stem from the UK arm of collapsed U.S. bank Silicon Valley Bank, the ministry said on Saturday. Officials from both groups are working closely together, the finance ministry said in a statement, with talks scheduled for later on Saturday to discuss the issues faced by British tech companies affected by the collapse. Britain's banking system remains strong and resilient, the finance ministry added, saying that the issues affecting Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) were specific to it and did not have implications for other banks operating in the UK. British clearing bank The Bank of London is considering a rescue bid for the UK arm of the U.S. bank, Sky News had reported earlier on Saturday. That came after the Bank of England on Friday said it was seeking a court order to place SVB UK into an insolvency procedure after U.S. regulators took over parent company SVB Financial Group.

☆ Space, Life Science, and Quantum Computing Innovations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With The Uk'S Department For Business | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to the Global Innovation Index 2022, global government R&D investment is growing and the UK is ranked fourth for global innovation (and third most innovative economy in Europe). "Space observation is vital for our planet — the UK invests in the European Space Agency and at the Space Cluster at Harwell, a significant science and innovation park." Jo Hawley, deputy director for aerospace, space and automotive at DBT, reported that the UK space sector spent £836 million on R&D in 2021. The company has reported strong growth of its life science research tools business, reflected in the international footprint of its commercial and distribution operations. The Department for Business and Trade can connect you with dedicated, professional assistance to locate R&D investment opportunities and support.

☆ The 10 worst-paying college majors, five years after graduation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Here's a look at how much graduates with the lowest-paying majors earn early in their careers:Median pay for each of the majors on the list is at least $6,500 less than the median salary for all majors, which is $46,500. Likewise, theology majors often work in educational roles that don't typically pay well. Later on in their careers, the pay disparity nearly doubles, as graduates with the lowest-paying majors earn median salaries less than $60,000 while graduates with the highest-paying majors make over six figures. Six other types of education majors populate the top 10 rankings for lowest mid-career salary as well. Specifically, the data is based on college graduates who work full-time, have a bachelor's degree only and are ages 22 to 27.

☆ ChatGPT failed miserably in Singapore's 6th-grade tests, averaging 16% for math and 21% for science. Days later, it was getting answers right.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI's ChatGPT failed math and science tests that sixth-graders in Singapore take. It made errors in simple addition and could not comprehend any diagrams, per The Straits Times. It scored an average of 16 out of 100 marks for the three mathematics papers it took, per The Straits Times. ChatGPT fared a little better at the science papers, getting an average of 21 out of 100 marks. But on Monday, when Insider tested ChatGPT on two PSLE science questions — one from 2020 and another from 2022 — it got both questions right.

☆ A Shameful Vote in Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Virginia Democrats have hit a new low in their battle to keep Gov. Glenn Youngkin from making good on his promise to give parents more say over their children’s education. Mr. Youngkin’s nominee is Suparna Dutta , an India-born woman who co-founded the parents group at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. That group accused the high school of abandoning its merit-based admissions standards to reduce the number of Asian-Americans admitted. Democrats say she is unqualified to serve on the board because she has no background in education.

☆ UK PM Rishi Sunak overhauls government departments after bumpy 100 days in power
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.K. Prime Minister has announced a mini overhaul of his government as he seeks to reassert his authority after a shaky first 100 days in office. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday unveiled a new government department focused on energy security and announced a mini reshuffle of his cabinet as he seeks to reassert his authority after a shaky first 100 days in office. Sunak named former business minister Grant Shapps as head of the newly launched Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, whose focus will be on securing "long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation." The prime minister also appointed former Trade Minister Greg Hands as his new party chairman, replacing sacked Nadhim Zahawi, in a mini-reshuffle of his top leadership team. The U.K. previously had a Department of Energy and Climate Change, but it was merged with the business department in 2016.

☆ Fact Check-COVID-19 vaccines do not add a ‘third strand’ of DNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine does not alter human DNA or add a third strand to people’s DNA, as claimed in a video circulating on social media and viewed more than 400,000 times on Twitter. This gave me chills.”However, the video offers no evidence for its claim about the vaccine altering human DNA. The messenger RNA (mRNA) in approved COVID-19 vaccines does not interact with human DNA inside cells, and does not enter the cell nucleus where DNA is housed. Reuters has also addressed other false claims that mRNA vaccines alter human DNA (here, here, here). COVID-19 vaccines based on mRNA do not alter human DNA or add a third strand to the DNA double helix.

☆ Google's ex-CEO Eric Schmidt tapped for federal biotech commission that allows members to keep biotech investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

On Dec. 30, leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees announced the selection of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and 11 others to serve on a new federal commission on biotechnology. The appointment, however, doesn't require commission members to divest their own personal biotech investments — even as they help shape U.S. policy overseeing the industry. The person didn't say when Schmidt made the decision to donate profits, adding that he hasn't yet named any recipient charities. The new federal commission will likely have a say in steering such investments over the two years of its lifetime. Schmidt's biotech investments are relatively recent.

☆ UV light from gel manicures can cause cancer-causing mutations, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In fact, the results reaffirm the reason why some dermatologists have changed the way they get their gel manicures or have stopped getting them altogether. “Tanning beds are listed as carcinogenic and UV nail lamps are mini tanning beds for your nails in order to cure the gel nail,” Curtis said. “I would recommend alternatives to gel nails, such as the new wraps that are available online.” (Gel nail wraps or strips are stick-on gel nail products that don’t always require being set by UV nail dryers.) Some salons use LED lights, which “are thought to emit either no UV light or much, much lower amounts,” Lipner said. Russak doesn’t get gel manicures very often but uses sunscreen and gloves when she does, she said.

Persons: ”, Julia Curtis, wasn’t, ” Curtis, Ludmil Alexandrov, ” Alexandrov, Julie Russak, Russak wasn’t, there’s, ” Russak, Shari Lipner, Lipner wasn’t, Curtis, “, ” Lipner, Lipner, —, Russak, Joshua Zeichner Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Utah, UCAR Center for Science Education, University of California, Dermatology, Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Mount Sinai Locations: San Diego, New York City, corneocytes, Mount

However, Congress in its last session in December didn’t reach an agreement, and finance chiefs say they hope the topic will be revisited. “That’s a 20 percentage point increase in tax for Yelp, so obviously very meaningful for us,” Mr. Schwarzbach said. The higher costs due to the law change will factor into investment decisions going forward, Mr. Schwarzbach said. The tax change has an impact on the company’s net income, Mr. Schwarzbach said. The San Francisco-based company reported R&D expenses of $75.8 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with $69.4 million a year earlier.

☆ A 20-year-old indigenous climate activist says the World Economic Forum is the perfect time for corporations to 'show their commitment' to breaking up with fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Freya Graham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Helena Gualinga is an Indigenous youth climate advocate from Ecuador. Gualinga wants to bring Indigenous and youth perspectives to climate conversations at Davos. The 20-year-old Indigenous youth climate advocate is speaking on several panels at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, sharing the stage with the likes of John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin. Much of the green transition is about electrification — for instance, switching from gas cars to electric ones. Corporations must commit to making a changeAt Davos this year, Gualinga wants to see "a real commitment to climate action."

☆ Russia has screwed up over and over in its war in Ukraine, and Western militaries need to learn from its mistakes, former US Army general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The West needs to learn from Russia's screw-ups in its war with Ukraine, a former US Army general said. "Russia has shown us what kinds of problems a large army can have if it hasn't done its homework," he said. The US and the West, Ryan emphasized in discussions with Insider, should be learning from Russia's mistakes. "We should be preparing our own militaries for a possible war with Russia and or China," the former general said. Looking at the future of the war in Ukraine and Western involvement, Ryan said "the West will probably increase its reactions to Russia's actions as they unfold."

☆ Putin was so worried about a conflict with the West that he basically ended up starting one, former US Army general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Putin has wound up basically creating a proxy war with the West, a former US Army general said. Putin's long-held "fear" about a conflict with the West "encouraged" him to invade Ukraine, he said. "Putin believed that war was inevitable with the West," Ryan said. With his attack on Ukraine, Putin has essentially "created this reality of the war with the West," he said. "The Russian leadership believes it is in a war with the West, that the West wants to destroy them," the former general said.

☆ The war in Ukraine could be decided this year, former US Army general says, warning of dire consequences if Russia faces defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's war with Ukraine could come to a conclusion this year, according to a former US Army general. The Kremlin would likely turn to nuclear weapons if Moscow faces defeat in the conflict, he said. Ryan explained: "Both sides are still too strong to agree to say that they don't have a shot at winning this war. Or is it more dangerous that the Russian military should be defeated in the field and destroyed?" Russia suffered a brutal defeat at the end of World War I and "it helped bring to power the communist regime in Russia," Ryan said, adding, "Russia being destroyed — its military being destroyed — would greatly weaken the country and cause internal revolt."

U.S. scientists have achieved “ignition” — a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create — a critical milestone for nuclear fusion and a step forward in the pursuit of a nearly limitless source of clean energy, Energy Department officials said Tuesday. The process imploded a tiny capsule inside the hohlraum that is filled with deuterium and tritium, creating a fusion reaction. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory"We have taken the first tentative steps toward a clean energy source," said Jill Hruby, the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration. The Inflation Reduction Act provided millions in new funding for fusion projects and the White House this year convened the first fusion summit and developed a 10-year plan to commercialize fusion technology. A technician reviews an optic inside the preamplifier support structure at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., in 2012.

New Delhi CNN —At the Bhalswa landfill in northwest Delhi, a steady flow of jeeps zigzag up the trash heap to dump more garbage on a pile now over 62 meters (203 feet) high. India creates more methane from landfill sites than any other country, according to GHGSat, which monitors methane via satellites. Ragpickers at the Bhalswa landfill site on April 28, 2022, in New Delhi, India. In May, CNN commissioned two accredited labs to test the ground water around the Bhalswa landfill. And according to the results, ground water within at least a 500-meter (1,600-foot) radius around the waste site is contaminated.

☆ Elon Musk is an 'avid' reader of science-fiction and likes to text about it, says Affirm CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk texts Affirm CEO Max Levchin texts about their mutual love for sci-fi, Levchin told Wired. Musk has talked about his love for sci-fi books and media in the past. "Our friendship is on a texting basis," Levchin told Wired. "I think what's happening at Twitter is Elon is sort of making sense of it," Levchin said. Levchin knew Musk back when they worked at early-stage PayPal together in 2000 — Levchin was CTO and Musk was CEO.

☆ $1 million worth of Celtic gold coins was stolen from a German museum during a mysterious power outage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over $1 million worth of ancient gold has been stolen in Germany, Bavarian State Police said. The 483 coins were stolen when unknown thieves broke into the Celtic Roman Museum in Manching. On Thursday night, 483 coins were stolen when unknown thieves broke into the Celtic Roman Museum in Manching. The coins, dating back to 100 BCE, were unearthed in 1999 in Manching, Germany, and are considered the largest discovery of Celtic gold coins found in the 20th century. Picture taken on November 23, 2022 shows a broken window at the Celtic and Roman museum in Manching, southern Germany, from where a hoard of Celtic coins was stolen.

☆ The only thing Elon Musk understands about Twitter is how to kill it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Biologists, anthropologists, and information theorists do think that social networks, like Musk's bird app, show at least some signs of being flocks. "Elon's tweet is basically espousing the invisible hand of social behavior," Bak-Coleman says. In this construction, a social network might have become a collective superintelligence, had capitalists left it to its — our? Under Musk, Twitter has entered the dance-off phase. I'll be sad if the Twitter superintelligence starts singing a Kubrickian cover of "Daisy" and implodes into a pile of melting isolinear chips.

☆ New Delhi’s air pollution leaves residents gasping for breath
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Gafira Qadir | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

By the first week of November, New Delhi’s air quality index was 472, high enough to affect healthy people while having a serious impact on those with existing conditions. In some areas of the city, the reading exceeded 800, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, a regulatory body. Experts say exposure to low air quality levels increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer. In response to the poor air quality, Delhi officials ordered the closure of primary schools and reduced outdoor activities for older students from Nov. 4 to 9. A government vehicle sprinkles water to control air pollution in New Delhi last month.

☆ U.S. CFOs Ask Congress to Repeal Change to R&D Tax Rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | In A Letter Finance Chiefs On The Change To R D Deductibility Tax Rules. | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

For decades, businesses were allowed to deduct certain R&D expenses straight away to reduce their taxable income. Tax deductions are subtractions from taxable income while tax credits get subtracted from the amount of tax owed. Over the course of this year, companies have been making estimated tax payments that incorporate the R&D change, tax attorneys said. On the agenda: Agreeing on funding the government to avoid a shutdown, aid for Ukraine, alongside potential changes to the treatment of R&D expenses. When it comes to a potential repeal or deferral related to R&D deductibility, timing is crucial, said Shelby Ford, a tax partner at Crowe LLP, a public accounting, consulting and technology firm.

☆ India and climate change: Can Modi deliver what the world needs?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

By 2030, Modi wants half of India’s energy to come from renewables. The state is fast becoming a hotbed of solar energy, yet is also home to at least seven coal-fired power plants. “Even during Covid it hasn’t stopped.”At COP26, Modi outlined a series of targets for India’s efforts to combat climate change. It’s also a question of funding – investing in renewable energy and other climate change mitigation efforts is expensive. And your other burning questions answered 03:37 - Source: CNNIf India doesn’t receive the financial support it needs, maintaining its pace on developing renewable energy will be difficult.

☆ 'Planet killer' asteroid hidden by the sun may threaten Earth in a few thousand years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Astronomers discovered a "planet killer" asteroid that may pose a threat to Earth in future millennia. That makes it a "planet killer," Scott S. Sheppard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, said in a press release announcing the discovery on Monday. But there could be other planet killer asteroids lurking unseen in the blind spot where 2022 AP7 was discovered: within the orbits of Earth and Venus, between us and the sun. That makes it very difficult to spot asteroids located between Earth and the sun. "There are likely only a few [near-Earth asteroids] with similar sizes left to find," Sheppard said in the release.

☆ Iran appears to be using Chinese knock-offs of Western parts to build suicide drones for Russia's war in Ukraine, researchers find
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Iran appears to be using Chinese knock-offs of Western hardware in its suicide drones. According to a new report from the Institute for Science and International Security, these weapons appear to be built using Chinese parts that are based on Western designs. Iran has also designed its own parts that are based on these knock-off Chinese parts. And this Chinese engine is based on a British design. It's also unknown when specific Chinese parts arrived in Iran.

☆ China launches third and final space station component
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING — China on Monday launched the third and final module to complete its permanent space station, realizing a more than decade-long endeavor to maintain a constant crewed presence in orbit. Many waved Chinese flags and wore T-shirts emblazoned with the characters for China, reflecting the deep national pride invested in the space program and the technological progress it represents. China’s crewed space program is officially three decades old this year. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its military ties. Prior to launching the Tianhe module, China’s Manned Space Program launched a pair of single-module stations that it crewed briefly as test platforms.

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