What we’re reading (7/30)
“How The Coronavirus Infects Cells — And Why Delta Is So Dangerous” (Nature). “What has emerged from 19 months of work, backed by decades of coronavirus research, is a blow-by-blow account of how SARS-CoV-2 invades human cells (see ‘Life cycle of the pandemic coronavirus’). Scientists have discovered key adaptations that help the virus to grab on to human cells with surprising strength and then hide itself once inside. Later, as it leaves cells, SARS-CoV-2 executes a crucial processing step to prepare its particles for infecting even more human cells. These are some of the tools that have enabled the virus to spread so quickly and claim millions of lives. ‘That’s why it’s so difficult to control,’ says Wendy Barclay, a virologist at Imperial College London.”
“A No-Jerks Policy Ignited Morale at the Company Behind Yankee Candle” (Wall Street Journal). “Founded in 1903 as a maker of curtain rods, Newell grew over the decades by acquiring dozens of household brands, from Rubbermaid and Contigo water bottles to Elmer’s glue and Baby Jogger strollers. In 2016, a megadeal combined Newell with Jarden Corp., whose brands included Crock-Pot cookers, Yankee Candle and Bicycle playing cards. The companies proved to be a poor fit. Many Jarden brands struggled under Newell, which ultimately jettisoned most of them while keeping the largest, Yankee Candle.”
“Why A Looming Copper Shortage Has Big Consequences For The Green Economy” (CNBC). “Copper has played a big role in the world economy for thousands of years. The Bronze Age? That happened because blacksmiths figured out how to forge copper with tin. Now copper is used in electrical and heating equipment because its chemical properties make it such a useful conductor. It’s used in car motors, household pipes, washing machines, all sorts of things we use every day. That’s not to mention all the different copper alloys that get mixed into other metals and items. Also, the metal is so easily recyclable that most of the copper on earth remains in the ground. In fact, only about 12% of all copper on Earth has been mined throughout human history, and nearly all of it remains in circulation. Some of the copper in circulation right now could have once been jewelry or armor in ancient Egypt.”
“The Prospects For Developing Countries Are Not What They Once Were” (The Economist). “From 2000 to 2011, the brics grew on average by a startling 17% per year, in nominal us dollars at market-exchange rates, while the g6 grew at just 4%. They reached half the g6’s gdp by 2017, not 2025. In 2021, the imf projects, bric gdp will be worth about 57% of the g6’s (see chart 1). Last year China announced that it had eradicated extreme poverty. As of 2018 the number of people living in extreme poverty in India had fallen below the estimated 99m people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria. It is a historic achievement. The 2040 prediction looks more troubled.”
“Why Do We Buy Stuff?” (Morningstar). “Imagine you’re in an ice cream shop. There are 20 different flavors to choose from. If you’re like me, you’ll narrow those 20 flavors down pretty quickly by eliminating all the ones that aren’t chocolate. But what if there were 100 flavors to choose from, and 20 of them were some variety of chocolate?”
