By Christopher Amaral, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Bath
A recent study of the car loans sector showed that a machine learning algorithm could make decisions that were 34% more profitable than salespeople in dealerships.
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By Andi Hoxhaj OBE, Lecturer in Law, UCL
Tension in the western Balkans, which has been troubled by ethnic tensions since the wars of the 1990s, is becoming an increasing concern for the EU and Nato.
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By Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, Lancaster University
Anyone following the US presidential race may have noticed independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a particularly harsh-sounding voice. The cause is a neurological condition called spasmodic dysphonia. Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dysphonia, often results in a shaky, tight or strained-sounding voice. It does not affect other functions of the vocal cords, such as laughing, crying or shouting. It affects about one in every 50,000…
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By Richard Werner, Professor of Banking and Economics, University of Winchester
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years on March 19, bringing an era of negative interest rates to an end. The key rate was hiked from –0.1% to a band from zero to 0.1% – a token effort to offer some tightening after decades of loose but unsuccessful monetary policy. Despite the adjustment, Japan remains the major economy with the lowest interest rates in the world. In my opinion, the move is not designed to end Japan’s monetary policy dilemma; instead, it confirms…
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By Nathalie Weidhase, Lecturer in Media and Communication, University of Surrey
When Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 in 2011, many felt the world had been robbed of one its greatest stars who had barely shown us the extent of her talent. The new biopic Back to Black – directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and named after Winehouse’s seminal second album – attempts to make sense of her tumultuous life and musical output. The film follows Winehouse – played by Marisa Abela – from the early days of her career in early-2000s London, through to global stardom. In the…
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By Amnesty International
Responding to news that the Georgian Parliament made the first steps to approve the contentious bill “On transparency of foreign influence,” which is similar to last year’s widely contested and ultimately withdrawn “foreign agents” bill, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said: “We urgently call on the Georgian authorities […] The post Georgia: Stop the bill “On transparency of foreign influence” that threatens civil society appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By China Media Project
The China's State Council is the sole shareholder Contemporary World Publishing Co., Ltd, the company behind Star Media Group's latest media partner, Contemporary World Magazine.
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By Cem S. Kayatekin, Assistant Professor of Architecture / Urbanism, IE School of Architecture and Design, IE University Lorenzo Uribe Sanmiguel, Junior Architect at OMA, IE University
As of 2007, most humans live in cities. Though this is a relatively recent trend, many of our settlements contain street, block, and building patterns that have developed over centuries. These patterns – which collectively make up what we call “urban form” – are far from a neutral backdrop: they influence who lives where, what businesses find footholds in which locations, and what makes some areas more diverse than others. “Bottom-up” and “top-down” are terms which are often used to pin down the two ends of the vast…
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By Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire
Most people are aware of earthworms, but probably give them little thought. Some have a notion they are “good for the soil”. Others regard them with distaste and think of slimy animals associated with decay. But these alien-looking animals are remarkable and control the foundations of life from their subterranean world. Earthworms engineer the soil that grows the food we eat and the flowers we love to look at. Indeed, they are the…
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By Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film Studies, Bangor University
Curb Your Enthusiasm, the show that revelled in awkward social encounters and misanthropy, came to an end on April 7 2024. Over its 12 seasons and 120 episodes, the show became a cult classic, leaving a lasting legacy on television comedy. Debuting in 2000, just over two years after the end of Seinfeld, we had a new groundbreaking sitcom from one of its creators. The show’s popularity was attested to by the number of stars who wanted to appear in it including…
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