The quantum computer race is in full swing. Germany has long been one of the world leaders in basic research. An alliance between Forschungszentrum Jülich and the semiconductor manufacturer Infinion, together with institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (IAF, IPMS) as well as the Leibniz Association (IHP, IKZ), the universities of Regensburg and Konstanz and the quantum start-up HQS, now aims to apply…
Tag: goal
Does Private Equity Investment in Healthcare Benefit Patients? Evidence from Nursing Homes
The summary of a study by National Bureau of Economic Research: The past two decades have seen a rapid increase in Private Equity (PE) investment in healthcare, a sector in which intensive government subsidy and market frictions could lead high-powered for-profit incentives to be misaligned with the social goal of affordable, quality care. This paper studies [PDF] the effects of PE…
Sophisticated New Malware Found on 30,000 Macs Stumps Security Pros
Long-time Slashdot reader b0s0z0ku quotes Ars Technica:
A previously undetected piece of malware found on almost 30,000 Macs worldwide is generating intrigue in security circles, which are still trying to understand precisely what it does and what purpose its self-destruct capability serves. Once an hour, infected Macs check a control server to see if there are any new commands the malware should…
America has sent five rovers to Mars—when will humans follow?
With its impeccable landing on Thursday, NASA’s Perseverance became the fifth rover to reach Mars—so when can we finally expect the long-held goal of a crewed expedition to materialize? Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-02-america-rovers-marswhen-humans.html…
India Lifts Restrictions on Mapping and Surveying To Help Local Firms
India said on Monday local firms will no longer need a license or other permission to collect, generate, store and share geospatial data of the country, bringing sweeping changes to its earlier stance that it admitted hindered innovation. From a report: Until now, New Delhi required Indian firms to seek licenses and additional approvals to create and publish topographical data. India’s…
A new planet next door?
Astronomers have spotted “something” near Alpha Centauri A, in the star system nearest our Earth and sun. If it turns out to be a planet, it’ll be the first time a planet has been directly imaged within the habitable zone of a star. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/alpha-centauri-a-planet-candidate-direct-image-discovery…
Coca-Cola Begins Testing a Paper Bottle
“Coca-Cola is to test a paper bottle as part of a longer-term bid to eliminate plastic from its packaging entirely,” reports the BBC: The prototype is made by a Danish company from an extra-strong paper shell that still contains a thin plastic liner. But the goal is to create a 100% recyclable, plastic-free bottle capable of preventing gas escaping from carbonated…
Resilient Teaching During Times of Change with Dr. Rebecca Quintana, University of Michigan
The pandemic has accelerated the global need for online learning. In the short term, educators mitigated disruption of campus closures by moving their courses, assessments, and even graduation ceremonies online. In many educational settings, the focus has shifted to adaptability—how can we design courses that withstand all kinds of changes, including a pandemic? It has […]
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Spotify Will Let Employees Work From Anywhere After the Pandemic
Spotify is the latest tech company to shift to a flexible work model following the Covid-19 pandemic. From a report: The streaming company announced Friday it’s adapting a “Work from Anywhere” model, which will allow employees to choose whether they want to be in the office full time, be at home full time or a combination of the two. The company…
Disney Says It Now Has 94.9 Million Disney+ Subscribers
Disney announced Thursday that its streaming platform surpassed 94.9 million subscribers, beating its four-year goal in 14 months. CNBC reports: Disney+ exceeded the company’s initial subscriber goal of 60 million to 90 million by 2024 back in November, forcing it to reforecast. The company now expects Disney+ will have 230 million to 260 million subscribers by 2024. Christine McCarthy, the company’s…