Why the dollar is still ’top’. Will 2035 see a ‘Japanification’ of China? Why social media should have a (mental) health warning. It’s the WBGT (wet-bulb global temperature) that matters. The health-enhancing power of trees.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Eswar Prasad, Top Dollar
(Foreign Affairs, July / August 2024)
This article does a great job at explaining why ending the USD dominance is so hard to do and so unlikely in the foreseeable future. Yes: the US rivals and allies alike want to end the USD dominance. Yes: the US is doing all it can to help them (with a gargantuan debt, erratic and unpredictable policy, an erosion of the rule of law, etc.). Yet, the trends expected to weaken the dollar are only strengthening its global dominance. The reasons: the US economy’s size and dynamism relative to other major economies; the fact that the rest of the world is in no better shape than the US (populism and authoritarianism on the rise almost everywhere); and geopolitical turmoil intensifying the quest for safe investments, leading investors back to the USD (metered paywall that may require prior registration, 8-10 min).
Click here to read the full article
Jacob Dreyer, China In 2035
(Noéma, 11 June 2024)
What will happen in China as the country ages and slows down? We must be careful in extrapolating: “Our imagination of what will come is a mirror of our attitudes about today” (the reason why projections about the future often don’t come to pass). To foresee China in 10 years from now, Japan offers a good template. Most economists and investors argue that a “Japanification” of China is impossible, but Dreyer disagrees: “Japan is the sort of stasis that many urban Chinese yearn for.” A rather intriguing and counter-intuitive take on how economies and societies age (free access, 20 min+).
Click here to read the full article
Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms
(The New York Times, 17 June 2024)
The US Surgeon General considers that the mental health crisis among young people is an emergency for adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media, and who face a doubling risk of anxiety and depression symptoms (in the US in the summer of 2023, the average daily use in this age group was 4.8 hours). He recommends a “warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.” This, he hopes, should increase awareness and change behavior (gifted article, reads in 6-8 min).
Click here to read the full article
Umair Irfan, This number can measure how dangerous a heat wave is for you
(VOX, 17 June 2024)
The context: 2023 was the planet’s warmest year on record and perhaps in the last 100,000 years. Extreme heat is now routine, with heat waves getting hotter, longer, deadlier and costlier. This article explains what the wet bulb temperature is and why it’s so critical. WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature), which tracks temperature, humidity, and sunlight better warns against the dangers of hot weather than temperature alone. Scientists consider that the upper limit wet-bulb temperature for human survival is 35°C or 95°F for “average” young, healthy people. 35°C wet bulb temperature represents 35°C of dry heat as well as 100% humidity, or 46°C at 50% humidity. Read on to grasp the biochemistry and physiology of wet bulb temperature (free access, 6-8 min).
Click here to read the full article
Wynne Armand, How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
(Harvard Medical School, 19 April 2024)
Trees are a miraculous source of personal health and economic wealth. They help prevent flooding, release oxygen, reduce pollution, and boost both health and mood. Forest therapy works – we’ll explore and experience this at our next Summit of Minds. Simply put, trees enhance life in a multitude of ways. If you need convincing, this article, a 3–4-minute read, should be enough (free access).
Click here to read the full article
