Emerging Market Crisis Series

Brazil: no longer the country of the future?

Jun 02, 2016 09:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

When I first served in Brazil in the mid-1960s as a young American diplomat stationed at a small consulate in Belem on the mouth of the Amazon River, the country was in its second year of a 20-year military...

The will of government is key to energy access...

Jun 02, 2016 09:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Bropkas meet the grid In what must surely be a first for the Conversation, I am writing this post from the village of Sakteng in remote eastern Bhutan. That I can do so is a remarkable testimony to the will of the...

If we know so much about disease, where are all the cures?

Jun 02, 2016 09:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Health Science

We know so much about the genes that cause disease, so why are we not approaching an age of Star-Trek-like medicine in which a doctor can wave a handheld device over a patient, claim to have sequenced the genes of the...

In defence of zoos: how captivity helps conservation

Jun 02, 2016 09:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The death of Harambe the gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, shot to protect a child who had fallen into his cage, has caused outrage. Some of the anger has now turned from trigger-happy staff towards zoos in general. Why, some are...

Beyond Asimov: how to plan for ethical robots

Jun 02, 2016 09:20 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

As robots become integrated into society more widely, we need to be sure theyll behave well among us. In 1942, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov attempted to lay out a philosophical and moral framework for ensuring...

FxWirePro: EUR/JPY put spreads to short vols and to bid 2m delta risk reversals

Jun 02, 2016 08:42 am UTC| Insights & Views

In this month, we will see several developments including notably the UK Brexit vote and the June FOMC meeting that could propel volatility factor in FX markets both including spot and OTC markets. We could see that in...

Accurate science or accessible science in the media – why not both?

Jun 02, 2016 08:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Every day, millions of people take to search engines with common concerns, such as How can I lose weight? or How can I be productive? In return, they find articles that offer simple advice and quick solutions, supposedly...