Technology & Innovation — May 11, 2010

Market Mystery

Last Thursday, May 6th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1000 points in a matter of minutes and we still don’t know why it happened. Heidi Moore investigates.

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Last Thursday, May 6th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1000 points in a matter of minutes. The House Financial Services Committee will be holding a hearing today to try to figure out what happened, but there are still many major unknowns, including, ominously, what caused it, who was to blame, and why the exchanges can’t seem to get their stories straight. Heidi Moore looks at these questions.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Close-up of a weathered wooden utility pole, marked with the number "2," standing resolute against cloudy skies—a testament to the enduring habits of nature and time.

Business

How the “two-day rule” can make your daily work-life much easier

This supremely simple hack can help you establish good habits, break bad ones, and guard against failure.

Aerial view of a large cargo ship with multicolored containers navigating through deep blue ocean waters.

The basics of post-COVID monetary policy, explained by an economist

“Understanding more about monetary policy and the economic regime that you’re living under can help ease some of the fundamental uncertainties [that have been] prevalent since COVID, and help you make better decisions in your day-to-day life.”

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11 min

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with

Joseph Politano

Starts With A Bang

Why the number “1/137” appears everywhere in nature

One of the fundamental constants of nature, the fine-structure constant, determines so much about our Universe. Here’s why it matters.

Golden wheat field under a bright blue sky with sunlight streaming in from the left.

The Present

Biofuels: feeding the earth or feeding the engine?

Around the world, biofuels, so-called green energy sources, are waving major red flags.

Three sculptures depict philosophers with beards, featuring detailed facial expressions and robes.

Thinking

Confucius vs. Aristotle: What the two philosophers teach us about ethics

Two great philosophies — but do they work better together?

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