Increased immigration would boost the U.S. economy. Immigrants are 30 percent more likely to start new businesses than native-born Americans, according to a research summary by Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney of The Hamilton Project. They are more likely to earn patents. A quarter of new high-tech companies with more than $1 million in sales were also founded by the foreign-born. A study by Madeline Zavodny, an economics professor at Agnes Scott College, found that every additional 100 foreign-born workers in science and technology fields is associated with 262 additional jobs for U.S. natives.
Immigration Is the Easy Problem, by David Brooks in an op-ed for the NYT, sheds light on immigration. This is probably true in European countries too.
Increased immigration would boost the U.S. economy. Immigrants are 30 percent more likely to start new businesses than native-born Americans, according to a research summary by Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney of The Hamilton Project. They are more likely to earn patents. A quarter of new high-tech companies with more than $1 million in sales were also founded by the foreign-born. A study by Madeline Zavodny, an economics professor at Agnes Scott College, found that every additional 100 foreign-born workers in science and technology fields is associated with 262 additional jobs for U.S. natives.
How to land an airplane if you are not a pilot
How to land an airplane if you are not a pilot
Long, explanatory post. Fairly interesting but perhaps it won’t be sufficient. Apparently:
The biggest mistake most first timers do is to coming too slow and too low for landing.
How to land an airplane if you are not a pilot
eduardo.intermeta.com.br/posts/201…
Long, explanatory post. Fairly interesting but perhaps it won’t be sufficient. Apparently:
The biggest mistake most first timers do is to coming too slow and too low for landing.
Two scientists are using the NYT, Wikipedia and more to predict the future
Two scientists are using the NYT, Wikipedia and more to predict the future
Software v. humans:
For example, they examined the way that news about natural disasters like storms and droughts could be used to predict cholera outbreaks in Angola. Following those weather events, “alerts about a downstream risk of cholera could have been issued nearly a year in advance,” they write.
Horvitz and Radinsky acknowledge that epidemiologists look at some of the same relationships, but “such studies are typically few in number, employ heuristic assessments, and are frequently retrospective analyses, rather than aimed at generating predictions for guiding near-term action.”
Two scientists are using the NYT, Wikipedia and more to predict the future
Software v. humans:
For example, they examined the way that news about natural disasters like storms and droughts could be used to predict cholera outbreaks in Angola. Following those weather events, “alerts about a downstream risk of cholera could have been issued nearly a year in advance,” they write.
Horvitz and Radinsky acknowledge that epidemiologists look at some of the same relationships, but “such studies are typically few in number, employ heuristic assessments, and are frequently retrospective analyses, rather than aimed at generating predictions for guiding near-term action.”
#5: “We do a lot of stupid things in foreign policy. Get used to it.” Everyone knows that U.S. policy toward Cuba has been a failure since the early 1960s – that’s half a century, folks – but it never changes because the stakes don’t seem worth it and it would tick off a handful of influential people in Florida. Everyone knows the foreign policy side of the “war on drugs” has been no more successful than the anti-drug campaign here at home, but you didn’t hear Kerry say that during his hearings last week and you won’t hear Hagel (or anyone else) say that either. Everyone knows that most U.S. allies around the world have been free-riding for decades and taking advantage of our protection to pursue their own interests, but saying so out loud wouldn’t be … well, diplomatic. More and more insiders know that the Afghan war is a loser, but we’re going to pretend it’s a victory because that makes it getting out politically feasible. It’s obvious that our basic approach to Iran’s nuclear program has been misguided, and that we’ve spent the last two decades giving Iran more reasons to want a nuclear deterrent and digging ourselves into an deeper diplomatic hole. But don’t expect officials to acknowledge that simple fact, and certainly not in public.
What if foreign policy officials suddenly told the truth?, some funny answers there.
An article by Stephen Walt for Foreign Policy. The link goes to the cached version of the article.
#5: “We do a lot of stupid things in foreign policy. Get used to it.” Everyone knows that U.S. policy toward Cuba has been a failure since the early 1960s – that’s half a century, folks – but it never changes because the stakes don’t seem worth it and it would tick off a handful of influential people in Florida. Everyone knows the foreign policy side of the “war on drugs” has been no more successful than the anti-drug campaign here at home, but you didn’t hear Kerry say that during his hearings last week and you won’t hear Hagel (or anyone else) say that either. Everyone knows that most U.S. allies around the world have been free-riding for decades and taking advantage of our protection to pursue their own interests, but saying so out loud wouldn’t be … well, diplomatic. More and more insiders know that the Afghan war is a loser, but we’re going to pretend it’s a victory because that makes it getting out politically feasible. It’s obvious that our basic approach to Iran’s nuclear program has been misguided, and that we’ve spent the last two decades giving Iran more reasons to want a nuclear deterrent and digging ourselves into an deeper diplomatic hole. But don’t expect officials to acknowledge that simple fact, and certainly not in public.
What if foreign policy officials suddenly told the truth?, some funny answers there.
An article by Stephen Walt for Foreign Policy. The link goes to the cached version of the article.
“To say what is”, is the motto that exhorts Der Spiegel’s 1,200 staff to write and produce what is; to report, analyse and critique the world as it is, factually and faithfully, without fear, bias or influence.
Inside Der Spiegel’s Tent, a thorough article published in the Global Mail (a great web magazine, check it out) where Eric Ellis explains how Der Spiegel is a profitable, print magazine.
It seems like they know their base reader as well and quite accurately so:
“I would love to say [it’s] a 22-year-old, very bright woman [but] it’s probably a male, in his 40s, a family man, a bit sceptical, professional, interested in politics, business and history, a bit sports-minded. A banker maybe, who has another language, most likely English and [is] fairly well-travelled.”
“To say what is”, is the motto that exhorts Der Spiegel’s 1,200 staff to write and produce what is; to report, analyse and critique the world as it is, factually and faithfully, without fear, bias or influence.
Inside Der Spiegel’s Tent, a thorough article published in the Global Mail (a great web magazine, check it out) where Eric Ellis explains how Der Spiegel is a profitable, print magazine.
It seems like they know their base reader as well and quite accurately so:
“I would love to say [it’s] a 22-year-old, very bright woman [but] it’s probably a male, in his 40s, a family man, a bit sceptical, professional, interested in politics, business and history, a bit sports-minded. A banker maybe, who has another language, most likely English and [is] fairly well-travelled.”
A startup culture slide deck by Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix
Originally published in 2009, this slide deck presents Netflix’s company culture as described by its CEO.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO called it the most important document to come out of Silicon Valley, ever, in a recent feature on Netflix in GQ.
A startup culture slide deck by Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix
Originally published in 2009, this slide deck presents Netflix’s company culture as described by its CEO.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO called it the most important document to come out of Silicon Valley, ever, in a recent feature on Netflix in GQ.
Break passwords into bits, keep them safe
Interesting new approach, explained in a MIT Tech review article by Tom Simonite. Back in 2012 Yahoo! and LinkedIn suffered important security breaches. Here is how our password could be safer:
That kind of data dump happens when an attacker gains access to the server storing user passwords. Researchers at computer security company RSA have created a system that splits passwords in two and stores each half in different locations. The two halves never come together, even when a person logs in and has his password verified. That should make it harder for someone to steal them, because a thief would need to break into both those servers, which can be protected in different ways.
Break passwords into bits, keep them safe
Interesting new approach, explained in a MIT Tech review article by Tom Simonite. Back in 2012 Yahoo! and LinkedIn suffered important security breaches. Here is how our password could be safer:
That kind of data dump happens when an attacker gains access to the server storing user passwords. Researchers at computer security company RSA have created a system that splits passwords in two and stores each half in different locations. The two halves never come together, even when a person logs in and has his password verified. That should make it harder for someone to steal them, because a thief would need to break into both those servers, which can be protected in different ways.
Nordic countries as political role models
Fascinating article in last week’s Economist on how Scandinavian countries could be a political role models for any other country, as they masterfully combine elements from the right and the left, to govern successfully.
All Western politicians claim to promote transparency and technology. The Nordics can do so with more justification than most. The performance of all schools and hospitals is measured. Governments are forced to operate in the harsh light of day: Sweden gives everyone access to official records. Politicians are vilified if they get off their bicycles and into official limousines. The home of Skype and Spotify is also a leader in e-government: you can pay your taxes with an SMS message.
This may sound like enhanced Thatcherism, but the Nordics also offer something for the progressive left by proving that it is possible to combine competitive capitalism with a large state: they employ 30% of their workforce in the public sector, compared with an OECD average of 15%.
Nordic countries as political role models
Fascinating article in last week’s Economist on how Scandinavian countries could be a political role models for any other country, as they masterfully combine elements from the right and the left, to govern successfully.
All Western politicians claim to promote transparency and technology. The Nordics can do so with more justification than most. The performance of all schools and hospitals is measured. Governments are forced to operate in the harsh light of day: Sweden gives everyone access to official records. Politicians are vilified if they get off their bicycles and into official limousines. The home of Skype and Spotify is also a leader in e-government: you can pay your taxes with an SMS message.
This may sound like enhanced Thatcherism, but the Nordics also offer something for the progressive left by proving that it is possible to combine competitive capitalism with a large state: they employ 30% of their workforce in the public sector, compared with an OECD average of 15%.
Did Boeing bite off more than they could chew?
Did Boeing bite off more than they could chew?
Interesting analysis on Babbage — the Economist’s tech blog — about the three technological advancements tried to pack into one product, the 787 Dreamliner.
It seems like their gambles haven’t paid off so well (right now).
Did Boeing bite off more than they could chew?
Interesting analysis on Babbage — the Economist’s tech blog — about the three technological advancements tried to pack into one product, the 787 Dreamliner.
It seems like their gambles haven’t paid off so well (right now).
An individual, to Facebook, is the sum of their interactions with the site — can never be more. You are a collection of data, beginning as an empty vessel when you sign up, and gradually growing in complexity and depth. This much is self-evident.
Facebook has a categorial imperative: Its reason for being may be to provide a service, but its means for being is to systematize individuality.
Facebook’s Categorial Imperative is a great post overall, written by Devin Coldewey for TechCrunch.
(Probably their best writer, his other posts are here.)