Tuesday, April 8
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scores his 895th goal, passing Wayne Gretzky to become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer (More) | Carmelo Anthony and Sue Bird headline Basketball Hall of Fame's 2025 class (More)
> "A Minecraft Movie" hauls in $157M in its opening weekend, the top US domestic debut of 2025 and the biggest opening ever for a video game adaptation (More)
> Ed Sheeran and Weezer join Green Day, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, and Post Malone as headliners for the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 11-13, 18-20) (More) | What is Coachella, anyway? This week's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter goes deep into the festival (Sign up here)
Science & Technology
> Meta releases Llama 4, the latest version of its flagship family of large language models (More) | Anthropic researchers suggest reasoning models—where chatbots explain how they arrived at an answer—cannot always be trusted (More)
> Researchers who discovered and characterized GLP-1, the hormone behind new weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, lead winners of 2025 Breakthrough Prizes (More) | How semaglutides work (1440 Topics)
> Scientists uncover new cellular mechanism that weakens bones as we age; cells that have stopped replicating release chemicals that make bone structures more brittle (More) | Aging 101 (1440 Topics)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets plunge Friday (S&P 500 -6.0%, Dow -5.5%, Nasdaq -5.8%) as countries respond to President Donald Trump's tariff plan (More) | Universal 10% tariff went into effect Saturday, additional tariffs that vary by country kick in Wednesday; see breakdown (More) | Trump adviser says multiple countries have signaled interest in beginning trade talks (More)
> Payment processor Klarna and ticket platform StubHub delay initial public offerings amid economic uncertainty (More)
> Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, reports highest first quarter revenue on record and 24% year-over-year growth; growth driven by demand for AI products (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> "Hands off!" protests held in cities across the US Saturday; estimates say hundreds of thousands of demonstrators call for end to Trump administration efforts, from federal cuts to deportations (More) | See photos (More)
> Pope Francis makes surprise visit to crowds at the Vatican's St. Peter's Square; appearance comes two weeks after the 88-year-old pontiff was released from the hospital after a severe respiratory infection (More)
> Death toll from Myanmar quake rises above 3,350 as storms continue to slow rescue efforts (More) | See previous write-up (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Tues OPED
I read the news today, oboy, the stock market is crashing because of the uncertainty of Trump's tariffs...
This kind of news makes me laugh because the stock market is comprised primarily of two investor groups:
- THOSE THAT PANIC
- THOSE WHO DON'T PANIC
Ever since I graduated from grad school in business, I have had the understanding that the real strength of investing in wall street is not the quick growth money but the LONG TERM MONEY.
It was beat into my head not to invest in wall street unless your investment is money you don't need and money you are not going to touch for 20-40 years.
For example, a mutual fund is a group of stocks (about 150-200) that you money is invested into equally so that when one stock goes down, another goes up, and the investor breaks even.
Over a 20 year period of time, mutual funds average between 8-10% each year although some years they are down.
These daily reports about wall street are as foolish as not flushing the commode after someone takes a crap.
Another idea that many investors use is selected a company that gives you a guaranteed rate of return whether the market goes up or down. It is probably going to be a lesser return but it is guaranteed.
DO YOUR RESEARCH...
Theoretical physicists completely determine the statistics of quantum entanglement
For the first time, theoretical physicists from the Institute of Theoretical Physics (IPhT) in Paris-Saclay have completely determined the statistics that can be generated by a system using quantum entanglement. This achievement paves the way for exhaustive test procedures for quantum devices.
The study is published in the journal Nature Physics.
After the advent of transistors, lasers and atomic clocks, the entanglement of quantum objects—as varied as photons, electrons and superconducting circuits—is at the heart of a second quantum revolution, with quantum communication and quantum computing in sight.
What's involved? Two objects prepared together in a quantum state—two horizontally or vertically polarized photons, for example—retain the memory of their common origin, even if they are moved far apart from each other. When the quantum state of the two entangled objects is measured—their polarization, in the proposed example—a distinct correlation is observed between the measurement results.
Measurement obeying quantum statistics
What does this correlation depend on? First, the degree of entanglement between the two objects may vary, depending on the nature of the source of the entangled quantum objects—in the example, horizontally polarized photons may be produced more frequently than vertically polarized ones. Then, a choice of measurement must be made—such as selecting a direction in which to measure the polarization—which may impact its result.
Monday, April 7
Robert Reich
Trump is creating national emergencies to gain more power. In the process, he’s subjecting millions to real harm.
Friends,
It’s hard to remember that only 10 weeks ago, the American economy was quite good, our foreign relations were on the whole positive, we were on the way to dealing with climate change with subsidies for wind and solar energy, and we still lived in a democracy.
Today, all that is disappearing. The economy is in acute danger, our relationships with traditional allies are collapsing, we’re subsidizing fossil fuel polluters, and we’re turning into a dictatorship.
This has happened in part because of Trump’s continuing creation of fake national emergencies.
He has declared foreign trade a national emergency and used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to raise tariffs to levels not seen since the disastrous Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to bring Americans immediate relief through lower prices. Scratch that. Americans now face higher prices for automobiles, groceries, clothes, and other goods.
At A Glance
Can the CEOs of major companies be replaced by AI?
Pepsi's new challenge—winning back pop lovers.
Scientists suggest the cause of near-death experiences.
The origins of the world's strangest-shaped countries.
Ranking music's greatest two-hit wonders.
YouTuber arrested after visiting isolated Indian tribe.
... and an island of penguins and seals now faces US tariffs.
Clickbait: Mars rolls away from the Kennedy Center.
In The NEWS
The NATO exercise that almost led to nuclear war
The "SNAFU" podcast, hosted by actor and comedian Ed Helms, explores some of history's biggest blunders. Season one focuses on the 1983 NATO Able Archer military exercise, a war game that simulated nuclear attacks on the Soviet Union. The USSR mistook the exercise for a genuine threat and prepared its forces for war. Listen to a lighthearted account here.
NATO's missions around the world
"NATO Through Time" is a podcast exploring NATO’s history and its impact on today’s world. This episode features Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s top military leader, as she shares insights from her NATO missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If you’re curious about the role and purpose of NATO after the Cold War, listen to this fascinating podcast episode.
When Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons
After the rapid collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was left with over 1,700 nuclear warheads positioned throughout its territory. A massive global effort ensued, led by the United States, to return these and other nuclear weapons in former Soviet-allied states to Russia. This BBC podcast explores the negotiations that led Ukraine to denuclearize. Listen here.
The Soviet Union's response to NATO: the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, created in 1955, was the Soviet Union’s direct response to the NATO military alliance. The pact included Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR. The pact established collective security and a joint military command between the member countries. Learn more here.
How NATO would respond to nukes
NATO countries' main deterrent against aggression is their ability to respond with nuclear weapons. This video from "The Infographics Show" outlines the purpose of this nuclear arsenal, NATO’s strategy to prevent attacks, and its plans in the event of escalation toward nuclear war. Learn more about the history that has shaped NATO policy today.
How NATO responded to 9/11
The collective defense clause of the NATO constitution has only been invoked one time: after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States. This video explores the immediate actions NATO took to respond to the attacks and support the United States. These firsthand clips from 2001 give a sense of the difficult decisions facing NATO leaders at the time.
The "SNAFU" podcast, hosted by actor and comedian Ed Helms, explores some of history's biggest blunders. Season one focuses on the 1983 NATO Able Archer military exercise, a war game that simulated nuclear attacks on the Soviet Union. The USSR mistook the exercise for a genuine threat and prepared its forces for war. Listen to a lighthearted account here.
NATO's missions around the world
"NATO Through Time" is a podcast exploring NATO’s history and its impact on today’s world. This episode features Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s top military leader, as she shares insights from her NATO missions in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If you’re curious about the role and purpose of NATO after the Cold War, listen to this fascinating podcast episode.
When Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons
After the rapid collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was left with over 1,700 nuclear warheads positioned throughout its territory. A massive global effort ensued, led by the United States, to return these and other nuclear weapons in former Soviet-allied states to Russia. This BBC podcast explores the negotiations that led Ukraine to denuclearize. Listen here.
The Soviet Union's response to NATO: the Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact, created in 1955, was the Soviet Union’s direct response to the NATO military alliance. The pact included Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR. The pact established collective security and a joint military command between the member countries. Learn more here.
How NATO would respond to nukes
NATO countries' main deterrent against aggression is their ability to respond with nuclear weapons. This video from "The Infographics Show" outlines the purpose of this nuclear arsenal, NATO’s strategy to prevent attacks, and its plans in the event of escalation toward nuclear war. Learn more about the history that has shaped NATO policy today.
How NATO responded to 9/11
The collective defense clause of the NATO constitution has only been invoked one time: after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States. This video explores the immediate actions NATO took to respond to the attacks and support the United States. These firsthand clips from 2001 give a sense of the difficult decisions facing NATO leaders at the time.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Maintaining Proper Weight
In 1987, when I was 40 years old, I gave up smoking COLD TURKEY. I had 7 cigarettes left in the pack, so I smoked them and quit... never looked back, and I don't remember if I had a difficult time or not because I was disciplined and determined.
What I do remember is that I gained 30 lbs because of that, substituting candy for cigarettes, as I was spending lots of time in the car. However, the research I did back then indicated that if I controlled my intake of fat grams that I would lose weight... and I did. I counted my fat grams for a year and when I ate above my normal average each week, I gained weight but when I ate below my normal average each week, I lost weight.
I don't remember how many fat grams that was each day but I lost my 30 lbs.
In 2007, when I was 60, I was diagnosed with cancer and the drugs that I took were so toxic that I had to take steroids to prevent sickness. Those steroids put on 30 lbs. According to the research I had done, if I counted my calories and ate below 2,000 calories each day, I lost weight.
It took me of year but after eating less than 2,000 calories each day, I was able to lose the 30 lbs due to steroids. I don't know if fat grams would have worked this time or not, but I decided to go with the most recent research.
Currently at age 77, I have always been one to maintain a proper body weight except during those times that I lost sight of that goal. I suppose at my age, I am entitled to have a few extra pounds but I don't like it and endeavor to eliminate the extra weight when I realize it. Sometimes, one is just not aware of how slowly the weight is put on over time and how difficult it is to take it off.
If Chinese-built containership fines take effect, ‘we’re out of business in U.S.,’ ocean carrier says
Niche ocean carrier Atlantic Container Line is warning the fines the U.S. government is considering hitting Chinese-built freight vessels with would force it to leave the United States and throw the global supply chain out of balance, potentially fueling freight rates not seen since Covid.
“This hits American exporters and importers worse than anybody else,” said Andrew Abbott, CEO of ACL. “If this happens, we’re out of business and we’re going to have to shut down.”
The United States Trade Representative held its second day of this week’s hearings on the fines that would be levied under Section 301 of U.S. trade law on Wednesday, with over 300 trade groups and other interested parties warning the government across comments letters and in testimony that the U.S. is no position to win an economic war that places ocean carriers using Chinese-made vessels in the middle. Soon, Chinese-made vessels will represents 98% of the trade ships on the world’s oceans.
Sunday, April 6
At A Glance
Society & Culture
> Have you noticed Smartfood cheddar popcorn's diminished flavor?
> Why actor Christopher Walken is so unusual.
> Remembering the horror hotlines of the 1990s.
> The comings and goings of the British beard.
> Mapping coffee's rise to global domination.
World History
> The ancient hookup that scrambled human evolution.
> How gladiators were trained.
> Why JFK assassination conspiracy theories are so common.
> Meet the 18th-century French painter of goofy selfies.
> The ancient Greek view of weightlifting.
Business & Finance
> The billion-dollar ghost town in south Baltimore.
> How scam factories rope in honest workers.
> Is there a shortage of air traffic controllers?
> Visualizing the popularity of US billionaires.
> NFL teams regularly mistake the value of their draft picks.
Health & Medicine
> Do we lose spring break as we age?
> The culture shock of flossing in France.
> Would you choose a life without pain?
> How cancer cells spread.
> The overlooked cases of autism in women.
Science & Technology
> Weird ways critical minerals are mined.
> How silica gel packets took over the world.
> Tracing the evolution of space tourism.
> How school buses became the safest vehicles on the road.
> An informative, irreverent explainer on emus.
> The overlooked cases of autism in women.
Science & Technology
> Weird ways critical minerals are mined.
> How silica gel packets took over the world.
> Tracing the evolution of space tourism.
> How school buses became the safest vehicles on the road.
> An informative, irreverent explainer on emus.
In The NEWS
China imposes 34% tariff on imports of all US products.
The retaliatory tariff will go into effect April 10 and comes two days after President Donald Trump announced a 34% tariff on Chinese goods, which excludes some categories like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. China's tariff doesn't include any exceptions. China sells far more to the US than it buys (see overview). Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said inflation will likely pick up due to the trade war.
South Carolina, UConn head to women's NCAA championship.
The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Texas Longhorns 74-57, while the Connecticut Huskies beat the UCLA Bruins 85-51. South Carolina and Connecticut will face each other in the championship game tomorrow (3 pm ET, ABC). On the men's side, the Final Four begins tomorrow, with the Florida Gators taking on the Auburn Tigers (6:09 pm ET, ABC) and the Houston Cougars taking on the Duke Blue Devils (8:49 pm ET, ABC).
Trump extends TikTok deadline by an additional 75 days.
TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, now has until June 19 to sell the popular social media app to a non-Chinese company or risk being banned in the US. The latest extension is the second one granted to the company after its original Jan. 19 deadline was delayed by 75 days to today. The administration is said to be considering a number of bids from US companies to buy TikTok, including Amazon.
Trump administration to freeze grants to Brown, sets terms for Harvard.
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to freeze $510M in grants to Brown University over concerns about antisemitism on campus, following similar actions against other universities, including Columbia and Princeton. Meanwhile, Harvard University received a letter from the administration ordering it to adhere to a set of changes to maintain $9B in federal funding, including eliminating its diversity, equity, and inclusion program.
US hiring in March exceeds economist expectations.
US employers added 228,000 nonfarm jobs last month, higher than the 140,000 jobs economists had estimated and up from the revised 117,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate increased to 4.2%, up from 4.1% in February. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3% month over month (as expected) and 3.8% year over year (below expectations and the lowest level since July 2024).
Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault in UK.
Prosecutors charged the British comedian and actor with offenses involving four women between 1999 and 2005. The charges come roughly a year and a half after an investigation into Brand’s past behavior, fueled by media reports. Brand denies the accusations, maintaining that all his past relationships were consensual. He is set to appear in court May 2.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
TRANS in Female Sports
.jpg)
Biological males in female sports, in my opinion, should not be taking place. That is not to say I am against TRANS people or TRANS athletes. They have a right to compete but they should compete only with other trans.
Trans are not as strong as males but they are stronger than females. For the most part, they will always lose against males and always win against females. Of course, there are exceptions.
What has surprised me with this issue is all the females who are supposedly IN FAVOR OF FEMALE RIGHTS, have decided to remain silent as have all those females who support female liberation rights.
I don't really care about the fact that TRANS have bigger bone mass and bigger muscle mass or are, for the most part, bigger all around... the fact remains they are biological males and that fact cannot be denied.
Why would a male ever want to compete against another female outside of the mind?
It is also my opinion that females make better bosses, at least that has been my experience during my 45 year career, but that does not mean all bosses should be female.
There are also thousands of marriages that are completely controlled by females, not the males as was the case before and immediately after WWII. But that does not mean that all marriages should controlled by females.
We need to apply logic however that seems to be a forgotten concept among Americans.
Gravity may arise from quantumness of space
Gravity is part of our everyday life. Still, the gravitational force remains mysterious: to this day we do not understand whether its ultimate nature is geometrical, as Einstein envisaged, or governed by the laws of quantum mechanics.
Until now, all experimental proposals to answer this question have relied on creating the quantum phenomenon of entanglement between heavy, macroscopic masses. But the heavier an object is, the more it tends to shed its quantum features and become "classical," making it incredibly challenging to make a heavy mass behave as a quantum particle.
In a study published in Physical Review X this week, researchers from Amsterdam and Ulm propose an experiment that circumvents these issues.
Classical or quantum?
Successfully combining quantum mechanics and gravitational physics is one of the main challenges of modern science. Generally speaking, progress in this area is hindered by the fact that we cannot yet perform experiments in regimes where both quantum and gravitational effects are relevant.
Saturday, April 5
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)