Will current outrage over racism, at last, give rise to improved justice? Let’s dare to be optimistic. To avoid a second wave of infection the R number must be kept under one – we must rise to the challenge, locally and individually. Taking a run (or a walk) could help.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I think the 12 weeks of lockdown have purified our sense of justice.” – Ben Okri
Ben Okri, ‘Something is in the air’: Ben Okri on the fight against racism
(The Financial Times, 12 June 2020)
Among the innumerable recent articles on the significance of George Floyd’s death and the ensuing mass protests against racism, this one stands out. The renowned poet and novelist thinks that a global movement for justice is finally taking shape. A sharp, incisive, moving analysis of what racism is and what it entails. It ends on a note of optimism (reads in 8-9min, sadly behind a paywall but you can ask your friends who subscribe to send it to you).
Click here to read the full article.
Barry Eichengreen, Rage Against the Pandemic
(Project Syndicate, 8 June 2020)
Many commentators observe that the social turmoil triggered by the murder of George Floyd may worsen the COVID-19 crisis. The connection also runs in the opposite direction – from the pandemic to the demonstrations – but it has received far less attention. “Even without more images of police brutality, the situation facing many African-Americans, disproportionately affected by the pandemic, was already approaching the unbearable” (reads in 6-7 min).
Click here to read the full article.
Adam Kleczkowski, Coronavirus: what a second wave might look like
(The Conversation, 1 June 2020)
A mathematician explains in simple terms what needs to be done to avoid a second wave of Covid-19. It boils down to keeping R below 1. R (the reproduction number: the average number of new cases caused by one infected individual) above one means the number of cases is increasing, whereas below one they are declining. Even a relatively modest change of R to 1.2 would result in a large outbreak causing the second wave, demonstrating how essential it is for governments to test, trace, and contain. Local responses are now the key element of that strategy (reads in 6-7 min).
Click here to read the full article.
John Thornhill, Startups can re-invent the post-pandemic world, says Armenian president
(SIFTED, 9 June 2020)
This is an interview with the President of Armenia – a trusted friend of the Monthly Barometer. Some of the points he addresses: (1) The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the future, (2) Governments need to help create new jobs, rather than defend old industries, (3) E-governance can reshape the way countries operate, (5) Startups have a vital role to play in promoting innovation,(6), We should not lose our focus on combating climate change, (6) The crisis will encourage the development of distance healthcare, as well as distance learning (reads in 7-8 min).
Click here to read the full article.
Gretchen Reynolds, A Single Session of Exercise Alters 9,815 Molecules in Our Blood
(The New York Times, 10 June 2020)
As (it seems) we are the only research boutique/content platform that takes its clients to the great outdoors, this is music to the ears of the Monthly Barometer. As new research shows, extensive molecular changes occur during and after physical exercise. Once again, this underscores how consequential activity is for our physical and mental wellbeing, including our capacity to make better decisions (reads in 4-5 min).
Click here to read the full article.
