The stimulus didn’t work. The bank bailouts didn’t work. Homeowner assistance and refinancing didn’t work. So could the key to solving the US housing crisis be letting foreigners buy real estate for visas?
Continue reading… “Should we let foreigners buy homes for Visas?”
Radiation is all around you on an airplange.
Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, you’ve probably heard me and other people talk about the radiation exposure we experience in everyday life. All humans, throughout history, have been exposed to background radiation produced constantly by the natural environment. Then there’s added exposures from modern sources: X-rays and medical scans, living near power plants (both coal and nuclear, and the coal is actually worse), and flying in airplanes…
Continue reading… “How much radiation are you exposed to on a plane?”
Bedbugs are a growing problem.
A bedbug is a wingless insect with a flat reddish body that infests dwellings and bedding and feeds on human blood. The common human bedbug of temperate regions, Cimex lectularis, is largely nocturnal, spending the day in crevices in walls and furniture and in bedding. Its bite causes irritation in many individuals, but it is not known to transmit diseases…
Continue reading… “World Bedbugs Registry Database map”
Incredible shrinking ants.
Warmer temperatures and lack of water are causing plants and animals to shrink, researchers said on Monday, warning it could have profound implications for food production in years ahead.
Continue reading… “Climate change causing plants and insects to shrink”
Shortage of pediatric mental health workers partly to blame.
The number of emergency room visits due to mental health problems of children and young adults is on the rise, according to a new study.
Continue reading… “Visits to the ER on the rise for mental health problems among kids”
The number of Americans who lack access to basic necessities like food and health care is now higher than it was at the peak of the Great Recession, a survey released Thursday found. And in a finding that could worsen fears of U.S. decline, the share of Americans struggling to put food on the table is now three times as large as the share of the Chinese population in the same position.
Continue reading… “19% of Americans struggle to put food on the table”
Monopolies are a unbeneficial to overall businesses world.
The pace and power of web-fueled innovation is stunning. One day we’re swearing by Outlook, the next, we can’t live without Gmail. These changes exemplify the beauty of the Internet — the possibility that greener pastures are but a click away.
On the other hand, the list of tech innovations that could have been is quite long. Before we get into those, a few caveats…
Continue reading… “Why no one company will ever Monopolize the Internet”
Not even a college degree is going to help much.
Is this the New Normal? Incomes have fallen since the new millennium began and aren’t expected to catch up until 2021, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of economists’ forecasts.
Continue reading… “Wages remain stagnant and won’t catch up until 2021”
Death around the bacterial corner.
Turns out the Black Death really was the granddaddy of them all. Scientists have mapped the genome of the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague and traced it to all modern incarnations of the disease.
Scientists recently pinpointed Yersinia pestis as the bacteria that killed 50 million people in the 14th century…
Continue reading… “Scientists find relatives of the Bubonic Plague still lurking the earth”
Using corn as fuel is Madness! And not the British band…
The corn ethanol supporters are probably not very familiar with the concept of opportunity cost. Either that, or the subsidies and high corn prices are just to juicy to give up. Only about 20% of all the corn grown in the U.S. now goes to feed humans directly, and more than half of what remains is now being turned into ethanol fuel while the other half goes to feed livestock. The problem is that life-cycle studies show that corn ethanol ranges from barely better than fossil-fuel gasoline to significantly worse, especially if you take into account land use issues and the impact of higher food prices on the poor. Many would agree that corn ethanol is a net loss for society, yet this industry keeps growing…
Continue reading… “The U.S. now uses more corn for fuel than feed!”
The student loan default rate for fiscal 2009 surged to 8.8%, up from 7% in 2008.
Two years ago critics warned that government-backed student loan defaults would rise. The question was how soon would taxpayers feel the pain. This month, the U.S. Department of Education provided part of the answer when it reported that the default rate for fiscal 2009 surged to 8.8%, up from 7% in 2008.
Continue reading… “Student loan defaults continue to grow and the worst is yet to come”
Chicago O’Hare Airport
In 2006 United Airlines Flight 1015 was picking up speed while rolling down the runway at Chicago O’Hare. But at around 10 p.m. on that clear summer evening the pilots saw something heart-stopping on the runway: an Atlas Air 747 cargo plane moving directly into its path. Unable to abort takeoff, the United pilot made a split-second decision to turn sharply. The planes avoided impact by a mere 120 feet.
Continue reading… “Top 5 most dangerous airports in the U.S.”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.