The race is on between green technology and political backlash. Protopias outlining a hopeful future. How to build cyber resistance. How to reap the benefits of exercise for our brains. One author’s view from the deck of the biggest cruise ship ever to sail.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Gregor Schwerhoff, Antonio Spilimbergo, The energy transition: Technology versus political backlash
(CEPR, 4 April 2024)
Since 2015, a set of challenges have emerged for climate policy, including rising populism, shrinking fiscal space, a surge in inflation, higher interest rates, and concerns for energy security. At the same time, technology has progressed much faster than expected (at a speed that even surprised experts), bringing a substantial cost reduction for green energy. The success of green policies in containing greenhouse gases depends on the race between the political backlash and technological progress. To navigate the trade-off, governments must further enable low-carbon technology development and design climate policies that ensure fair burden sharing within and across countries (free access, reads in 6-8 min).
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Neda Ulaby, Dystopias are so 2020. Meet the new protopias that show a hopeful future
(NPR, 1 April 2024)
Since Star Trek in 1964, there hasn’t been a single influential work of fiction (movie, book, etc.) that offers a positive vision of the future. Kathryn Murdoch (Rupert Murdoch’s daughter-in-law) is determined to change that by co-founding Futurific Studios – focused on telling stories that show what the world would be like if we do act to address the issues that beset us. Neither dystopian, not utopian, but protopian – focusing on people who have and offer solutions. As one of them says: “If there’s one bit of advice that you should really ignore, is people saying that something can’t be done.” (free access, reads in 4-5 min).
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Deryck Mitchelson, Key strategies for building cyber resilience in 2024
(WEF, 3 April 2024)
Contains many practical recommendations and based on Check Point’s 2024 Cyber Security Report. Turbo-charged by AI, cyber threats are not a matter of “if” but “when”. Last year, for example, the number of publicly extorted victims of ransomware attacks increased by 90%. How can companies become more ‘cyber-resilient’? With a dual focus. (1) By fortifying operations against constant attacks, ensuring business continuity under what can be considered “normal” cyber warfare conditions; (2) By creating post-breach scenarios and putting into place a plan that goes beyond mere recovery (one that adapts and evolves in response to the incident) (free access, reads in 6-8 min).
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Dana Smith, How Exercise Strengthens Your Brain
(The New York Times, 2 April 2024)
The sciences of exercise and its benefits progresses at a very fast pace. Currently, there is a debate as to whether exercise can cause new neurons to grow in adult humans (a feat previously thought impossible, and a tantalizing prospect to treat neurodegenerative diseases), but even if it were not the case, there is ample scientific evidence that physical activity is excellent for our brains. It does improve mood and cognition through “a plethora” of cellular changes. This article explains why and how to reap the benefits (gifted article, reads in 5-7 min).
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Gary Shteyngart, Crying Myself To Sleep On The Biggest Cruise Ship Ever
(The Atlantic, 4 April 2024)
The best-selling satirical author (notably of “Absurdistan” and more recently of “Our Country Friends” recounts his seven “agonizing nights” aboard the Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built. Witty and hilarious, like: “The number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking.” He describes the whole experience as “part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme”(gifted article, reads in 30min+).
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