Curated Commons // Edition 38
Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the Thirty-Eight edition of Curated Commons. Let’s dive right in.
Try new things. And be happy
What’s in an origin?
Lots, if you are speaking about the origin of SARS-COV-2 virus. From fring conspiracy theory to now mainstream attention, the story has come a long way. Thanks in no part to what many dismissed as a weird corner of Twitter. And with Two very good stories.
How Amateur Sleuths Broke the Wuhan Lab Story and Embarrassed the Media
The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins
Automation is coming for cloud kitchens in India
Not something one’d have expected, given the nature of traditional Indian cuisine. Interesting story.
Can a bot look after healthcare needs?
Automated decision systems are taking over healthcare, often with built-in inequity.
Slowly, and then suddenly. How ransomware came to center-stage
The stories around ransomware just don’t stop coming.
The world’s biggest meat processor was taken down by one of the more aggressive ransomware franchise - https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/attack-on-meat-supplier-came-from-revil-ransomwares-most-cut-throat-gang/
The US is now going give ransomware hacks similar priority as terrorism - https://www.reuters.com/article/cyber-usa-ransomware/exclusive-u-s-to-give-ransomware-hacks-similar-priority-as-terrorism-official-says-idUSL2N2NC1SD
“Pharmaceuticals, hospitals, healthcare, public companies, organizations that don’t have the talent and skills to defend themselves—they’re getting sucker punched,” That’s the CEO of FireEye talking of ransomware - https://www.wsj.com/articles/ransomware-is-an-intolerable-situation-fireeye-ceo-says-11622649180
Edge cases are still cases
What happens when an autonomous car trails a vehicle carrying traffic lights?
3D-Printing organs. In space.
There’s a global shortage of organs for transplants. And there are early experiments to 3D-print organs using bio-ink. But why in space?
Scientists are steering robotic surfboards into hurricanes
Sensors + autonomy = peak into what was thought undoable a few years ago!
Organizations are beginning to rethink just-in-time
Three very good stories in the NYT that show how organizations are beginning to question long-held beliefs around JIT manufacturing and global, distributed supply chains. The pandemic might end up indeed being a giant reset button for the way the world has done business.
"In a time of extraordinary upheaval in the global economy, Just In Time is running late." - https://nytimes.com/2021/06/01/business/coronavirus-global-shortages.html
“One lesson from the pandemic is that you need to be nearer to your production because if everything shuts down, you can probably still drive to Portugal to pick up frames, but not to China.” https://nytimes.com/2021/06/02/world/europe/portugal-bike-boom.html
“Global shortages of many goods reflect the disruption of the pandemic combined with decades of companies limiting their inventories.” - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/business/coronavirus-global-shortages.html
Are direct to consumer brands becoming bigger faster?
Good read on how DTC brands are becoming big, really quick.
What happens when a private equity firm takes over a hospital?
Expected outcome, but sad read.
“When a private-equity firm bought a Philadelphia institution, the most vulnerable patients bore the cost.”
More interesting links:
Moderation is hard. For the victims and for the people doing the moderation. And Internet makes it terrible - https://www.propublica.org/article/addressing-rape-in-four-minutes-or-less-dating-app-reps-left-unprepared-to-respond-to-assault-victims
Where do credit card rewards come from? (well, most of it, if not all) - https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22454885/who-pays-for-credit-card-rewards
The Englishman trying to save American bookstores from Amazon - https://www.ft.com/content/b943e6c1-f899-4fa4-b0d4-1b60cf51e5d0
There is a surprising correlation between baseline pupil size and several measures of cognitive ability - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pupil-size-is-a-marker-of-intelligence/
mRNA brought us a Covid-19 vaccine in record speed. Next it could tackle flu, malaria or HIV - https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mrna-vaccine-revolution-katalin-kariko
Some things don’t change. Jeffrey Skilling of Enron fame is back with more McKinsey colleagues in a new energy investment play - https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ex-enron-ceo-taps-mckinsey-colleagues-energy-investment-venture-sources-2021-06-03/
Interesting read on the world’s largest video game cheating empire - https://www.vice.com/en/article/93ywj3/inside-the-worlds-largest-video-game-cheating-empire
The future is here! “Weaponized Drone in Fully Autonomous Mode Hunts Down and Engages Human Target” - https://www.autoevolution.com/news/weaponized-drone-in-fully-autonomous-mode-hunts-down-and-engages-human-target-162275.html
Story of our times! The dark side of Congo’s Cobalt rush - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/the-dark-side-of-congos-cobalt-rush
NewYorker, as always, is on the dot!
Stay safe, and happy reading! And if you liked the newsletter, please do share on your social networks. My DMs on Twitter are always open for any feedback.