Last year, Google-owned DeepMind solved the decades-long protein folding problem with an elegant AI approach, fundamentally improving our understanding of our own biology. In this article, Community columnist Aditi Somayajula explains the science behind DeepMind’s solution and explores how big tech is likely to become the new big pharma. Continue Reading

All the data is pointing to a significant decline in sales revenue and demand, signaling that a similar end to that of Toys R Us is near for many toy manufacturers. Or is it? The toy industry is still raking in more than 20.7 billion dollars in sales a year, which begs the question: is the toy industry actually in danger?Continue Reading

The film Nomadland reveals very real problems concerning how policymakers and corporations exploit seasonal workers, specifically elderly gig economy employees. Although temporary employment may be attractive for companies such as Amazon, policy that targets a reduction in elderly poverty would help prevent aging Americans from converting to a tumultuous nomadic lifestyle, where they face low salaries and poor treatment.Continue Reading

The pandemic, as it has done to so many industries, has put in a pin in the production and distribution of movies and television shows, yet as so many people are forced to self isolate, the demand for content new and old has never been higher. As COVID-19 drains some sectors of the film industry and boosts others, we investigate who the biggest winners and losers of the pandemic are in the entertainment industry. Continue Reading

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes in the daily lives of people from all around the world. Video streaming on social media platforms has shown people rushing into grocery stores and stocking up on canned food and toilet paper. Colleges have abruptly transferred to online education via Zoom and other video conferencing tools. About 16 million Americans have lost their jobs since the start of lockdowns across the country. Small businesses and local stores still struggle to keep their businesses afloat.Continue Reading

Enrico Moretti, Professor of Economics, here at UC Berkeley, starts off his book ‘The New Geography of Jobs’ contrasting California’s two cities, Menlo Park and Visalia. Back in 1969, they had comparable income levels and high-paying jobs. But since then, these cities have diverged. Visalia has one of the lowest average salaries in America, while Menlo Park, and the broader Silicon Valley, has the second-highest average salary in the US with its high paying tech employers. Continue Reading

States have a tax problem. The most consistently profitable companies in the Fortune 500 only pay about half the statutory federal income tax rate—a fourth pay less than 10 percent. Some even get refunds from Uncle Sam—despite making over $160 billion in pre-tax profits, an astounding 30 companies have enjoyed a negative income tax rate in the past three years.Continue Reading