finance on The Soothsayer / page 14

Canada’s labour minister, Steven MacKinnon, has intervened in the lockout of workers at the country’s two biggest ports, Vancouver and Montreal, to prevent economic self-destruction. The lockout, which has been affecting $930m worth of goods daily, has disrupted supply chains and the local economy. MacKinnon has directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the…

A UK-based health technology start-up, Siloton, has made a significant breakthrough in the development of a portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. This innovative technology uses photonic integrated circuits to miniaturize expensive and fragile optical components, making it possible to capture high-quality images of the human retina. The system has the potential to revolutionize the…

In a groundbreaking episode of “The Joy of Why” podcast, mathematician and statistician Emmanuel Candès discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on prediction science. Candès explains how AI models, often referred to as “black boxes,” can make successful predictions without fully understanding the underlying mechanisms. He also highlights the importance of quantifying uncertainty in…

A massive data breach at American retailer Hot Topic has compromised the personal data of 57 million customers. The stolen information includes email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers, purchases, genders, and dates of birth, as well as partial credit card data. The breach occurred on October 19 and was claimed by a threat actor operating…

The recent US presidential election saw a stunning comeback by former President Donald Trump, with many attributing his victory to the rising cost of living. Despite official statistics showing low inflation rates, voters felt the pinch of increasing prices, which ultimately led to Trump’s win. The Biden administration’s inability to address this issue effectively has…

Former US President Donald Trump’s proposals for sweeping tariffs threaten to hobble exports that drive Asia’s growth. Trump has pledged to impose tariffs of 60 percent or more on Chinese imports and tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on all other foreign goods. This move could result in a particularly serious economic fallout in Asia,…

As climate change threatens global food production, researchers and environmental advocates are turning to regenerative agriculture as a solution. By improving soil health, crops can become more resilient to drought and extreme weather. Governments are being urged to offer financial incentives to farmers who adopt regenerative practices, which include crop rotation, cover cropping, and boosting…