Signs of the Future

Producer prices in China on the rise

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:42:52 -0800

Producer prices in China on the rise
9-May-2008 Read more...
Chinese factory-gate inflation edged up to 8.1 percent in April, the fastest rate since late 2004, showing a sustained build-up in price pressures that could keep consumer inflation high.

Red Flags for the Decade Ahead

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:42:13 -0800

Red Flags for the Decade Ahead
9-May-2008 Read more...
On our list: family businesses under stress, a dearth of managers, and corruption.

Biofuels backlash in US as food costs hit home

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:41:49 -0800

Biofuels backlash in US as food costs hit home
9-May-2008 Read more...
A biofuels backlash has erupted in major ethanol producer the United States, as lawmakers and experts debate the merits of converting food to fuel to support America's age-old love affair with the automobile.

Sugarcane biofuel becomes Brazil's second energy source

Fri, 09 May 2008 13:40:51 -0800

Sugarcane biofuel becomes Brazil's second energy source
9-May-2008 Read more...
Biofuel and other derivatives from sugarcane have for the first time overtaken hydroelectric power as an energy source in Brazil, according to an annual official study released Thursday.

Even the platypus's DNA is unusual

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:47:31 -0800

Even the platypus's DNA is unusual
8-May-2008 Read more...
WASHINGTON - When the British naturalist George Shaw received a weird specimen from Australia in 1799 - one with a mole's fur, a duck's bill and spurs on its rear legs - he did what any skeptical scientist would do: He looked for the stitching and glue that would reveal it to be a hoax.

Cod fall may speed 'toxic tide'

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:45:54 -0800

Cod fall may speed 'toxic tide'
8-May-2008 Read more...
Declining fish stocks could be partially responsible for algal blooms in parts of the oceans, researchers find.

Stem cells may lessen transplants

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:44:23 -0800

Stem cells may lessen transplants
8-May-2008 Read more...
Scientists examine how liver and bone disease could be treated using embryonic stem cells.

India extends ban on futures trading to cool prices

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:43:23 -0800

India extends ban on futures trading to cool prices
8-May-2008 Read more...
India instituted a four-month ban on futures trading in soybean oil, rubber, chickpeas and potatoes as the government seeks to rein in the fastest inflation since 2005.

UN to probe Canada over lack of greenhouse-gas reporting

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:41:44 -0800

UN to probe Canada over lack of greenhouse-gas reporting
8-May-2008 Read more...
The UN says it will investigate Canada for failing to meet a Kyoto Protocol deadline on greenhouse-gas reporting and could bar it from an international carbon-trading scheme if the probe finds Ottawa broke the rules.

China-India Rivalry Possible in African Telecom Deal

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:40:32 -0800

China-India Rivalry Possible in African Telecom Deal
8-May-2008 Read more...
The battle for the African telecommunications company, the MTN Group, could come down to a clash between the world’s largest, and fastest growing, emerging markets.

Big increase in single households (BBC News)

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:39:43 -0800

Big increase in single households (BBC News)
8-May-2008 Read more...
Almost half of Scottish households will have only one adult living in them within 25 years, new research predicts.

Airline Emissions: Even Worse Than You Think (Wired News)

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:38:08 -0800

Airline Emissions: Even Worse Than You Think (Wired News)
8-May-2008 Read more...
Research shows the airline industry spews 20 percent more CO2 into the atmosphere than previously believed -- and its carbon output could hit 1.5 billion tons a year by 2050.

Water scarcity: A disclosure drought (Canadian Business)

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:36:05 -0800

Water scarcity: A disclosure drought (Canadian Business)
8-May-2008 Read more...
There are always risks to consider when investing in a company, but here’s one for the 21st century: exposure to water scarcity. Trouble is, investors face a veritable drought of information to go on

Artificial Golgi Created By Undergrad (Medical News Today)

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:35:25 -0800

Artificial Golgi Created By Undergrad (Medical News Today)
8-May-2008 Read more...
An undergraduate student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has learned very quickly that a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. In fact, with his invention, the sugar may actually be the medicine.Among the most important and complex molecules in the human body, sugars control not just metabolism but also how cells communicate with one another.

Is Innovation Headed Offshore? (BusinessWeek)

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:32:11 -0800

Is Innovation Headed Offshore? (BusinessWeek)
8-May-2008 Read more...
Apparently not, even though more research and development is joining manufacturing in the shift toward low-cost nations.