Omar Kabir

19 followers · 15 following · 492 views

on the atlas — 30

highlights — 15

It is a long and daunting list. But the pay-off, in money and well-being, is likely to be huge. Time to roll up sleeves and prepare health care for the era of the quantified self.
Wearable technology promises to revolutionise health care | The Economist
Inducing even small increases in exercise is good: adding 1,000 steps (0.7km) a day reduces mortality by 6-36% depending on how sedentary you are.
Wearable technology promises to revolutionise health care | The Economist
When doctors can see into a patient’s body in real time all the time, they can provide better care. In a German trial this sort of monitoring of heart-failure patients reduced mortality and the days spent in hospital by a third.
Wearable technology promises to revolutionise health care | The Economist
Then there is the promise of seeing people as individuals, not clones of the theoretical, average human. Most drugs work in just 30-50% of patients. In one person, regularly eating bananas moderates blood sugar; in another, it raises blood sugar to levels that, over time, can cause harm.
Wearable technology promises to revolutionise health care | The Economist
The struggle will be uphill. The pandemic has given governments a plausible excuse to curb press freedom: nearly 100 have done so in the name of public safety.
Press freedom is under attack. It needs defenders | The Economist
Journalists in free countries can help those in autocracies. Cross-border collaborations have exposed scandals such as Pegasus and the Panama papers.
Press freedom is under attack. It needs defenders | The Economist
Here’s another: how might the early days of covid-19 have unfolded if the virus had first emerged in a country with a free press, rather than China? Could the government of such a country have hushed it up for those crucial early weeks?
Press freedom is under attack. It needs defenders | The Economist
The Russian economy is undoubtedly shrinking (see bottom chart), but some economists’ predictions of a gdp decline of up to 15% this year are starting to look pessimistic.
Russia’s economy is back on its feet | The Economist
After a lull in March, Russians seem to be spending fairly freely on cafés, bars and restaurants, according to a spending tracker run by Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank.
Russia’s economy is back on its feet | The Economist
One way humans create social constructs is by structuring what they see and experience into categories. For example, they see people with different skin colors and other physical features and create the social construct of race.
What Is a Social Construct?
Trump’s return to Twitter, some commentators argue, would be a gift to Democrats. “Trump being back on Twitter is terrible for the country but really good news for Democrats,” said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Trump’s tweets would remind moderate voters of just how unhinged the former President is, and emphasize that, while Democrats may be boring, they aren’t deranged or dangerous.
Opinion: Elon Musk's move threatens to bring Trump back to the White House | CNN
“As we continue to restart key international routes, we look forward to welcoming our customers at Toronto Pearson with this one-of-a-kind airport premium experience in Canada, in partnership with one of the world’s most iconic luxury car brands.”
Air Canada Reveals New Electric Porsche Chauffeur Service
“Espionage and foreign interference has supplanted terrorism as our principal security concern,” said Mike Burgess, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (asio), in February. He says his agency recently thwarted an attempt by a person nicknamed “the puppeteer”, working on behalf of a foreign government, to interfere in an Australian election. Using an offshore account, the puppeteer planned to support candidates who either backed the interests of the foreign government or who were deemed vulnerable to inducements and cultivation. “It was like a foreign-interference star…
Chinese political interference has Western spooks worried | The Economist
Britain is not the only Western country sensing a change in atmosphere. American officials also warn of covert attempts by China to bend local politicians to its will. The alarms grew louder during the presidency of Donald Trump. “China is expanding its influence efforts to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and counter criticism of China,” noted William Evanina, then the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, in 2020.
Chinese political interference has Western spooks worried | The Economist
Inflation that is stable and modestly above 2% might be tolerable for the real economy, but there is no guarantee the Fed’s stance today can deliver even that. And breaking promises has consequences. It hurts long-term bondholders, including foreign central banks and governments which own $4trn-worth of Treasury bonds. (A decade of 4% inflation instead of 2% would cut the purchasing power of money repaid at the end of that period by 18%.)
Why the Federal Reserve has made a historic mistake on inflation | The Economist