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Cake day: July 5th, 2023

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  • Summary: The article from EL PAÍS discusses a study predicting a significant decline in the global population by 2100. Here’s a summary:

    Global Population Decline: The study, published in The Lancet by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, forecasts that by 2050, 155 out of 204 countries will have fertility rates too low to maintain their populations. By 2100, this will rise to 97% of countries.

    Fertility Rate Drop: The fertility rate is plummeting worldwide. For instance, Spain’s fertility rate decreased from 2.47 children per woman in 1950 to 1.26 in 2021, with projections of 1.23 in 2050 and 1.11 in 2100. This trend is mirrored globally, with France, Germany, and the European average also experiencing declines.

    Economic and Social Impact: The study urges governments to prepare for the economic, health, environmental, and geopolitical challenges posed by an aging and shrinking population.

    Regional Differences: While rich countries already face very low fertility rates, low-income regions start from higher rates. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, will see a significant increase in its share of global births, from 18% in 2021 to 35% in 2100.

    Migration as a Temporary Solution: The authors suggest that international migration could temporarily address demographic imbalances, but as fertility decline is a universal phenomenon, it’s not a long-term solution.

    The article highlights the need for strategic planning to address the impending demographic shifts and their associated challenges¹.







  • The article compares the different approaches and goals of China and the US in developing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

    China is focusing on building large-scale AI systems that can perform specific tasks such as facial recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous driving. China aims to use AI to boost its economic growth, social stability, and global influence.

    The US is pursuing more fundamental research on the nature and limits of intelligence, both human and artificial. The US hopes to create more general and adaptable AI systems that can learn from diverse data and environments, and solve complex problems across domains.

    The article argues that both countries face challenges and risks in their AI endeavors, such as ethical, legal, and social issues, as well as potential conflicts and competition. The article suggests that more cooperation and dialogue between the two countries could benefit both sides and the world.




  • Tldr: The AstraZeneca vaccine, which uses an adenovirus to smuggle instructions into human cells to make antibodies against the novel coronavirus, has saved countless lives. However, a tiny proportion of those vaccinated developed blood clots. This blood clot syndrome is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). In people with this condition, something goes wrong with the immune response and people make antibodies that can stick to one of the body’s own proteins. Researchers believe that a variation of a gene that makes parts of antibodies is linked to VITT and this is more common in people of European descent .