Scientists Win Historic Nobel Chemistry Prize for ‘Genetic Scissors’

Two scientists have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the tools to edit DNA. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna are the first two women to share the prize, which honours their work on the technology of genome editing. From a report: Their discovery, known as Crispr-Cas9 “genetic scissors”, is a way of making specific and precise changes…

Introducing Career Learning Paths: Learn the skills to advance your career with confidence

By Janani Subramanian, Senior Product Manager, Coursera Embarking on a new chapter of your career journey can be a powerful emotional experience. You may feel excitement and anticipation, but also anxiety and stress. Whether you’re looking for your first job, pursuing a promotion, or contemplating a mid-career switch to a new field, there are always […]
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Germany Begins Universal Basic Income Trial With People Getting $1,400 a Month For 3 Years

Starting this week, 120 Germans will receive a form of universal basic income every month for three years. Business Insider reports: Germany is about to become the latest country to trial a universal basic income, starting a three-year study of how it affects the economy and recipients’ well-being. As part of the study, 120 people will receive 1,200 euros, or about…

Amazon is Good at So Many Things. Why is it Bad at Games?

In recent years Amazon has become a major force in television and film, so we have seen that the company can succeed in generating popular mass entertainment. Why is the company struggling so badly with games? Discussing the question with people involved with Amazon Games, some common themes emerge. From a report: “We’re bringing a lot of Amazon practices to making…

Upskilling During Difficult Times: How Do We Keep Employees Learning from Home?

By Rich Jacquet, Coursera Chief People Officer What is the future of learning and development? The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly and dramatically disrupted workforces around the world, leading to changes in the very fabric of how we work, collaborate, and learn on the job. Companies are adapting by streamlining workforces and shifting to remote models. […]
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Announcing the Coursera 2020 Global Skills Index

By Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO, Coursera In a few short months, COVID-19 has profoundly reshaped our world. The economic devastation has been staggering, affecting the lives of more than 555 million workers and 200 million higher education students. As we begin to revive jobs and economies, it will be important to understand the impact of the […]
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How children in the UK are coping with the coronavirus lockdown

A survey of families in the UK finds that during lockdown some children are more emotional or disobedient, while others have lower anxiety without the pressures of school Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24732913-700-how-children-in-the-uk-are-coping-with-the-coronavirus-lockdown/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ Has Increased During COVID-19 Pandemic, Small Study Suggests

Rick Schumann writes: Researchers at a Cleveland clinic performed a study with 1,914 patients into a phenomenon called “Broken Heart Syndrome,” where someone can be experiencing heart attack-like symptoms, but it’s not a heart attack or anything related to blocked blood flow to the heart. Turns out that it seems likely that the aggregate stresses of the pandemic (so-called “social distancing,”…

Is Our Technology Literally Changing Our Brains?

Nicholas Carr authored The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains back in 2010. This week he offered an up-to-date assessment in his newest interview with Vox co-founder Ezra Klein. “The point of this conversation is not that the internet is bad, nor that it is good,” Klein writes. “It’s that it is changing us, just as every medium…

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Gives $120 Million To Historically Black Colleges

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, and his wife, Patty Quillin, donated $120 million to the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College, the largest-ever individual gift to support scholarships at historically black colleges and universities. The record donation comes amid protests after the police killing ofGeorge Floyd,…