Daniel Yergin explained the state of the world in his 1990 Pulitzer Prize–winning book, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. He did it again in 1998 with Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy and in 2011 with The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. His most recent book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations, detailed how…
Against a backdrop of light blue, three fluffy white clouds release a robust rain of blue pixels. Software as a service (SaaS) refers to cloud-based software programs delivered to users over the internet. You probably use SaaS products even if you don’t realize it; in fact, much of our online lives are supported by SaaS. Google Workspace tools—including Gmail, Google Docs, and more—are SaaS products, as are Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Zoom,…
Quick Hits Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program provides most Maryland employees with up to twelve weeks of paid leave, with some eligible for an additional twelve weeks, starting July 1, 2026, funded by contributions from both employers and employees beginning July 1, 2025. The Maryland Department of Labor has released two sets of proposed regulations for the FAMLI program. Under the FAMLI program, employees in Maryland will…
This commentary originally appeared in Time. With Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos joining the CEO of TikTok as guests of President-elect Donald Trump at Monday’s Inauguration, many have noticed how differently some tech titans are greeting the second Trump presidency. This follows the many CEOs racing to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump, contributing to a narrative that has emerged that “corporate America is going MAGA,” and that “Trump’s…
In 2025, corporate action on nature has evolved from what was often seen as an environmental obligation into a strategic necessity. Taking action is not just about preserving our natural resources—it is a key element of business strategy. Nature plays a critical role as a foundation for the global economy, with more than half the world’s GDP dependent on nature. In this way, nature degradation—including biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and…
Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) such as autism and Down syndrome are often left behind when it comes to literacy instruction – casualties of the misperception that at best, they could only read by learning to recognize common words by sight. But researchers are finding that students with IDD, like their peers without disabilities, can benefit from a more complex approach, including phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. “I always…
COP29 did not bring the global community closer to a single economic and environmental strategy in the development of the resources of the World Ocean, although the “blue economy” has claimed this role. This is primarily due to the fact that divergent economic interests still prevail over the idea of unification in the name of combating global environmental threats, and this balance is unlikely to change over the short or…
Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, factory floors used to spontaneously catch fire. Many industrial operations generated enough sawdust during the working day to make the whole place flammable at the slightest spark. Why does this matter now?…
In honor of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips to help government contractors recognize and prevent the unlawful influence of government actions. Contractors working in the federal marketplace face unique challenges, from avoiding improper gifts to ensuring compliance with lobbying restrictions. Missteps can lead to severe legal and reputational consequences. These tips, drawn from our book, provide actionable…
Quick Hits On September 26, 2024, New York City released updated FAQs for the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) to address the October 2023 amended rules and the January 2024 law allowing private rights of action for ESSTA violations. The updated FAQs clarify and provide guidance regarding the amended rules, processes, and procedures in pursuing a private right of action, while also leaving some questions unanswered. The updated…
The number of women on TSX-listed issuers’ boards of directors has increased steadily from 11 per cent to 29 per cent in the last ten years. However, Canadian public companies have yet to collectively cross the widely touted target of having 30 per cent of women on boards. Considering recent data from the Canadian Securities Administrators, we look at why the glass ceiling is noticeably thicker for some women and…
Current meta-genomic epidemiology can be expensive, time consuming, and complex. As we set up our international hubs, we hope to train a new generation of scientists equipped with knowledge of genomic surveillance that will have impact beyond the lifetime of the grant.Professor Sam Sheppard, Ineos Oxford InstituteDiarrhoeal disease is responsible for killing around 444,000 children every year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Worryingly, antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective…
As the world grapples with rapid technological advancements, demographic shifts, and evolving work paradigms, it is vital to invest in employee health. Why prioritize workforce health? Investing in employee health can substantially increase economic returns. Research by the McKinsey Health Institute in collaboration with the World Economic Forum indicates that enhanced employee health and well-being could generate up to $11.7 trillion in global economic value. Organizations that prioritize health often…
The crystal-clear images show light being emitted from these millimetre-sized pebbles within the belts that orbit 74 nearby stars of a wide variety of ages – from those that are just emerging to those in more mature systems like our own Solar System.The REASONS (REsolved ALMA and SMA Observations of Nearby Stars) study, led by Trinity College Dublin and involving researchers from the University of Cambridge, is a milestone in…
On January 16, 2025, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion dedicated to the situation on the EU gas market after the termination of transit through Ukraine. Anton Bespalov, the moderator of the discussion, noted that over the past three years, the situation on the gas market has undergone tectonic changes. At one point, Western public opinion was frightened by the weaponisation of Russian energy supplies to Europe, but today…
Research led by the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, raises serious concerns about bias in the UK criminal justice system due to negative stereotyping of accents.These stereotypes, the researchers argue, can affect all parts of the system from arrest to sentencing, and undermine not only suspects and defendants, but also the testimony of witnesses. The study is particularly concerned about accented speakers being incorrectly selected from…
While consumer habits and technologies have changed rapidly, the technology function within organizations has tended to be slower to adapt. That realization—and the desire to create experiences that its customers expect—inspired Verizon Consumer and Business Group (Verizon Consumer Group) to make sweeping changes to its technology organization, from a focus on supporting channels and platforms to supporting complete customer journeys. This shift required a broad set of architectural and operational…
Generating sustainable business value with AI demands critical thinking about the disparate philosophies determining AI development, training, deployment, and use. Michael Schrage and David Kiron January 16, 2025 Reading Time: 32 min Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images In 2011, coder-turned-venture-investor Marc Andreessen famously declared, “Software is eating the world” in the analog pages of The Wall Street Journal. His manifesto described a technology voraciously transforming every global industry it…
Context Reports out of Washington indicate that the United States is poised to impose “universal” tariffs (that is, tariffs on imports from all its trading partners) on health care and other “critical” goods on the basis of “national security”. This would or could – the situation remains “fluid/uncertain”, as reported – include tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, five years after President Trump agreed to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement precisely…
Physical security is a universal requirement for all organizations, which in the U.S. alone deploy an estimated 85 million security cameras to monitor their premises against threats and crime. Yet almost all the exabytes of video data generated by these cameras serve no purpose: They vastly exceed the attentive capacity of people to view them. Indeed, experiments show that even dedicated personnel cannot effectively detect threats or illicit behavior while…
Business leaders today confront a changing world order: intensifying regional conflicts, rising instability, and potential shifts in trade relationships and policy. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Cindy Levy and Shubham Singhal, global coleaders of McKinsey’s geopolitics work, speak with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about how leaders can orient themselves within this evolving geopolitical landscape and, in particular, begin to move beyond mitigating risk to finding and mobilizing on new…
Sarah A. Soule, a scholar of organizational behavior who has held multiple leadership roles at Stanford, will be the next dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford Provost Jenny Martinez announced today.Soule, the Morgridge Professor of Organizational Behavior, has been a member of the GSB faculty since 2008 and served as the school’s senior associate dean for academic affairs from 2016 to 2023. Since September 2023, she has…
Quick Hits The Second Circuit has revived a requirement that New York employers include in employee handbooks a notice informing employees of their right to be free from discrimination or retaliation based on their [the employees’] or their dependents’ reproductive health decisions. The ruling also revived a First Amendment challenge by religious organizations to New York’s Reproductive Health Bias Law (New York Labor Law Section 203-e), impacting how employers may…
On Nov. 28, 2024, the Canadian Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced that the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and the township of Ignace in the province of Ontario were selected as host communities for a repository to be constructed on Revell Lake. The NWMO began its search in 2010 and initially considered 22 potential sites. The NWMO narrowed the site selection process to the following two locations: The Wabigoon Lake Ojibway…
Next week marks the presidential inauguration, a time that often stirs strong emotions in the workplace. Excitement, disappointment, frustration, or even anxiety can find their way into daily interactions. Employees may consciously or unconsciously bring their political wins or losses into the office, and if left unchecked, these emotions can ripple through your organization, disrupting teamwork, productivity, and morale. According to SHRM’s Civility Index, 44% of U.S. workers believe the…
Government agencies often undertake complex missions that can have a large impact on society. Whether they involve modernizing infrastructure or establishing nationwide health programs, such missions could be described as “big, hairy, audacious goals”—the term coined by management experts Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book Built to Last. But measuring the success of such efforts can be difficult. Many public sector agencies tend to fall back on conventional…
Indian farmers expect better near-term prospects following a year of steady output and multiple years of market and weather-related disruptions. About three-quarters of farmers (76 percent) say they anticipate higher profits over the next two years, with more than 65 percent citing improved yields and higher crop prices as catalysts. This is a substantial improvement over 2022, when just 37 percent of farmers expected increased profits. These are among the…
The work has been commissioned by the UK government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology after a review by the UK Chief Medical Officer in 2019 found the evidence base around the links to children’s mental health were insufficient to provide strong conclusions suitable to inform policy.The project – led by a team at the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with researchers at several leading UK universities – is aimed…
The allure of generative AI is undeniable, but it should not eclipse the proven capabilities of analytical AI. Consider a better way to ideate on the best AI projects for your organization. Pedro Amorim, Teresa Bianchi de Aguiar, Luís Guimarães, Bernardo Almada-Lobo, and Bruno Teixeira January 15, 2025 Reading Time: 10 min Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Large language models, with their ability to generate humanlike text and assist…
Through the publication of CSA Staff Notice and Consultation 11-348 Applicability of Canadian Securities Laws and the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Capital Markets (the AI Staff Notice), the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) have put registered firms on notice that using AI in virtually any fashion may trigger additional regulatory expectations to demonstrate compliance with securities laws. Best practices for the responsible use of AI All firms should consider…
This commentary originally appeared in Chief Executive. Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, like Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, faced staff revolts, prominent resignations and thousands of readers canceling their subscriptions when his paper suddenly decided to drop political endorsements. CEOs do make bold choices and reverse prior positions as market conditions and business priorities shift. As PepsiCo’s CEO, Indra Nooyi boldly shifted the company’s product mix to be more…
By the numbers, the United Kingdom’s start-up technology ecosystem has a lot to be proud of. By value, it is the largest in Europe, employing over three million people and surpassing $1 trillion in valuation in 2024. Much of start-up technology investment in the United Kingdom goes to climate technology businesses, which have a positive environmental impact at their core. With over 5,000 budding climate technology start-ups and scale-ups, second…
Every day, millions suffer from preventable and treatable diseases that disproportionately affect underserved communities. At the same time, the threat of the next global outbreak looms large. The Global Health Network is transforming how these challenges are met by empowering all levels of healthcare workers with the skills, tools, and connections to conduct research that directly benefits their patients and communities. This is disrupting outdated hierarchies and driving equity in…
When he was a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles in the 1990s, Stanford Law School Professor David Sklansky often participated in the selection of juries. “I would hear potential jurors talk about their views about criminal justice, the police, and about crime in their neighborhoods, and I was repeatedly struck by how complicated and nuanced those views were,” says Sklansky, author of the recently published Criminal Justice in Divided America:…
The events of February 2022 provoked a sharp change in rhetoric among the authorities of the Nordic states and pushed two countries that had not previously planned to join the alliance to take more decisive action. Thus, it can be said that from their point of view, NATO has become the only option for articulating and ensuring their military-political interests in the Baltic Sea region and in the Arctic. The…
Quick Hits The New Jersey Data Protection Act (NJDPA) takes effect on January 15, 2025, as New Jersey joins eighteen other states with comprehensive data privacy laws. The NJDPA defines a “consumer” as a New Jersey resident acting in an individual or household context, excluding those acting in commercial or employment contexts. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs will provide a grace period for enforcement of the NJDPA until…
Introduction On Jan. 10, 2025, the federal Minister of Health released long-awaited guidance on the delivery of insured health care services pursuant to the Canada Health Act (the CHA). The Honourable Mark Holland, Federal Minister of Health (the Minister), issued a letter clarifying the Government’s position that patients should not be charged for services provided by any health professional if those services would otherwise be covered when delivered by a…
15 January 2025By Matteo Ciccarelli, Matthieu Darracq Pariès, Bettina Landau and João SousaCentral banks project future developments based on past data patterns and a set of assumptions. Crises can change economic structures, complicating this forecasting. The ECB Blog explains how scenario, risk and sensitivity analyses address the new uncertainty.We use economic models and data patterns from the past to project the future. In normal times, assessing what conditions will be…
Launched on 19 December 2013, Gaia’s fuel tank is now approaching empty – it uses about a dozen grams of cold gas per day to keep it spinning with pinpoint precision. But this is far from the end of the mission. Technology tests are scheduled for the weeks ahead before Gaia is moved to its ‘retirement’ orbit, and two massive data releases are tabled for around 2026 and the end…
At a glance Falling fertility rates are propelling major economies toward population collapse in this century. Two-thirds of humanity lives in countries with fertility below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per family. By 2100, populations in some major economies will fall by 20 to 50 percent, based on UN projections. Age structures are inverting—from pyramids to obelisks—as the number of older people grows and the number of younger people…