Olaf Sholz, The UK Labour Party, and France
Our good friends in Europe have had a pretty interesting past couple of weeks. From the resurgence of the United Kingdom's Labour Party and Germany's new chancellor, to the French presidential election heating up, Europe has some new stuff to look at. And here, I’m going to be covering it all. Let's begin!
What We Know about the Omicron COVID-19 Variant
Over the past month, the new variant of the coronavirus called Omicron has begun making its way across the globe, having now been found on every continent. It has, so far, shown itself to be less deadly, presenting symptoms that generally tend to be mild, but it is far more contagious than the Delta variant. Many cases have been in younger individuals who are fully vaccinated. Here is a quick rundown as of December 12th.
Dorsey Resigns in Twitter Shakeup
On Monday, November 29, Jack Dorsey announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Twitter. He was replaced by Parag Agrawal, the Chief Technology Officer. Dorsey is still the chief executive of the payments company Square.
Inflation Rate Rises as Fed Takes Closer Look
With gas prices skyrocketing and housing costs through the roof, the various stimulus programs throughout the pandemic, record spending by the government, and disrupted supply chains raising costs of goods, it is unsurprising that the annual U.S. inflation rate jumped to 6.2% in October - the highest rate since 1990. Should Americans be worried? Is there anything that can be done to halt the inflation?
Hunger and Loneliness Activate Similar Areas in the Brain
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been isolated from the rest of humanity for quite a while. Hunger is also something that we have all experienced as well. Scientists have discovered that these two states of hunger and isolation are linked.
Mind-Reading? Finally a Reality?
Imagine playing video games by only using your mind. No controller. No keyboard and mouse. Or moving an object somewhere by just thinking about it. Such a superpower sounds familiar in science fiction or in your wildest dreams. But now, scientists and engineers are turning this superpower into a reality. The technology known as a brain-computer interface is enabling computers to read our minds and carry out the tasks in our thoughts.
TRISO: A Prospect for Clean Nuclear Energy
On November 2nd, company X-Energy announced that their preliminary design for a production facility of nuclear TRISO fuel had been completed. If this project is to finish, it is another step towards improvement in nuclear power sources and cleaner energy for all.
An Introduction to Nick Bostrom’s Simulation Theory
“We spend our lives learning many things, only to discover (again and again) that most of what we've learned is either wrong or irrelevant,” writes Chuck Klosterman in But What If We’re Wrong?, a book devoted to the idea that it’s foolhardy to be certain of… well, basically anything. Consider it, though: most of history consists of old ideas being overturned by new ones, and some of the things people faithfully believed in just decades ago are laughable today.
European Protests Over COVID Restrictions
By Maler Suresh
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently placed watchful eyes on the COVID-19 situation in Europe. Regional director, Dr Hans Kluge, said that...
Video Reappearance of Chinese Tennis Star Peng Shuai Still Leaving Many Unsettled
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai finally made a public appearance over the weekend after vanishing from sight for nearly three weeks. After a social media post accusing former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault on November 2, which has since been deleted, her disappearance from the public eye sparked concerns over her safety worldwide. The United Nations placed mounting pressure on China, demanding for Peng’s whereabouts and calling for an investigation into her allegations.