How King Charles III's coronation robes -- and other historical garments -- are conserved

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How King Charles III's coronation robes -- and other historical garments -- are conserved   Ahead of King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 2023, textile conservators based at Historic Royal Palaces are hard at work. For the occasion, the sovereign is set to don historic ceremonial robes, heavy with history and symbolism.The first piece is the Supertunica, a full-length coat of golden silk, lined with red. It was designed for George V on the occasion of his coronation on June 22 1911 and subsequently worn by George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Continued here

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Helping Neurodivergent Employees Succeed   How welcoming is your organization to neurodivergent employees, and how successful is it at engaging them effectively in the workplace? When it comes to hiring, management, and retention in the workplace, individuals with differences such as autism, dyslexia, or Tourette syndrome are often discounted by employers, to the detriment of the individuals and employers alike.Neurodiversity recognizes that “there is no single way for a brain to be normal” and that these differences benefit organizations and society at large.1 Conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and Tourette syndrome may all be placed under the banner of neurodiversity, but neurodivergent individuals do not represent a homogeneous group; they are a large, diverse cohort that can vary greatly in terms of their skills and abilities.Although the global market for diversity, equity, and inclusion is projected to grow to a staggering $28.9 billion by 2030, the vast majority of DEI programs overlook neurodiversity.2 Despite estimates that 15% to 20% of the global population is neurodivergent, only 1 in 10 organizations specifically includes neurodiversity within its DEI programs.3 Continued here

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Martha Collison's Coronation Crown Scones   While the debate about whether the cream or jam should go on first may rumble on forever, everyone can agree that scones are a favourite celebratory food. The Royal Family is no exception, with scones being served every summer at Buckingham Palace.Martha Collison, British baker, author and food columnist, has created a scone recipe fit for a king with her Coronation Crown Scones, melding the tastes of King Charles with this classic treat. Talking about developing the dish, Collison said, "It is truly a great honour to have been tasked with creating a recipe for the upcoming Coronation. I wanted to choose something quintessentially British, that can easily be shared with friends and neighbours – and something everyone can make using ingredients they might already have in the cupboard!" Continued here

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How to Love the World More: George Saunders on the Courage of Uncertainty   Each month, I spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars keeping The Marginalian going. For seventeen years, it has remained free and ad-free and alive thanks to patronage from readers. I have no staff, no interns, not even an assistant — a thoroughly one-woman labor of love that is also my life and my livelihood. If this labor has made your own life more livable in the past year (or the past decade), please consider aiding its sustenance with a one-time or loyal donation. Your support makes all the difference.Nothing, not one thing, hurts us more — or causes us to hurt others more — than our certainties. The stories we tell ourselves about the world and the foregone conclusions with which we cork the fount of possibility are the supreme downfall of our consciousness. They are also the inevitable cost of survival, of navigating a vast and complex reality most of which remains forever beyond our control and comprehension. And yet in our effort to parse the world, we sever ourselves from the full range of its beauty, tensing against the tenderness of life.How to love the world more by negotiating our hunger for certainty and our gift for story is what George Saunders explores in some lovely passages from A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (public library) — the boundlessly wonderful and layered book in which he reckoned with the key to great storytelling and the way to unbreak our hearts. Continued here

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How Walmart Automated Supplier Negotiations   It’s an age-old problem in procurement: Corporate buyers lack the time to negotiate fully with all suppliers. Historically this has left untapped value on the table for both buyers and suppliers. To address this challenge, Walmart deployed AI-powered negotiations software with a text-based interface (i.e., a chatbot) to connect with suppliers. So far, the chatbot is negotiating and closing agreements with 68% of suppliers approached, with each side gaining something it values. This article offers four lessons to deliver results from automated procurement negotiations: move quickly to a production pilot, start with indirect spend categories with pre-approved suppliers, decide on acceptable negotiation trade-offs, and scale by extending geographies, categories, and use cases. Continued here

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How electric and automated cars are aggravating motion sickness   Doctorant sur le thème de la réduction du mal des transports en voiture, Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard Around 25-30% of the population regularly suffers from motion sickness - a figure which some reckon to be conservative. Symptoms of this poorly understood illness include nausea, sweating, pallor, hypothermia, headaches and vomiting. Mildly affected patients might also experience drowsiness, apathy or decreased cognitive abilities. It is estimated 60 to 70% of travellers will suffer from it at some point. Continued here

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3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking   Too many business leaders are simply not reasoning through pressing issues, and it’s hurting their organizations. The good news is that critical thinking is a learned behavior. There are three simple things you can do to train yourself to become a more effective critical thinker: question assumptions, reason through logic, and diversify your thought and perspectives. They may sound obvious, but deliberately cultivating these three key habits of mind go a long way in helping you become better at clear and robust reasoning. Continued here

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Tulips for breakfast: the flower as food from the war to contemporary gastronomy   Catedrático de Nutrición y Bromatología del Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universitat de València The Netherlands, late 1944. After the liberation from the Nazis, there were still unexpected problems to solve. Trains and river transport were blocked by rivers that had frozen over so people found it more difficult to access food. Continued here

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Pillars of Resilient Digital Transformation - SPONSORED CONTENT FROM Red Hat   The acceleration of digital transformation because of the pandemic recast the position of the chief information officer (CIO) to that of a big-picture strategist. From ensuring ongoing alignment of IT and business demands to leading the transition to full digital enablement, the CIO role requires expert proficiency in a broad range of both technology and management skills. Continued here

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Intelligence agencies have used AI since the cold war - but now face new security challenges   Recent publicity around the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has led to a great deal of public concern about its growth and potential. Italy recently banned the latest version, citing concerns about privacy because of its ability to use information without permission.But intelligence agencies, including the CIA, in charge of foreign intelligence for the US, and its sister organisation the National Security Agency (NSA), have been using earlier forms of AI since the start of the cold war. Continued here

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Thirsty tomatoes emit ultrasonic sounds -   Scientists in Israel record brief pulses of sound coming from tobacco and tomato plants in a greenhouse. They happened more often when the plants had not been watered or at times when they were losing large amounts of water from their leaves.The sounds were about as loud as a quiet conversation but were mostly between 40,000Hz and 60,000Hz, which is too high pitched for human hearing which only goes up to about 20,000Hz. However, they should be audible by dogs, who can hear up to 45,000Hz, or cats, whose hearing goes all the way up to 64,000Hz. Continued here

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Can a photograph change the world?   “Photography is a small voice, at best, but sometimes one photograph, or a group of them, can lure our sense of awareness.” Portraying injustices is not something novel. From the beginning of the twentieth century to present day, many photographers have been concerned about leaving their mark. But can we try to change the world – even make it a better place – through a photograph? Continued here

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Arcturus: what to know about the new COVID variant, omicron XBB.1.16   A new COVID variant XBB.1.16, or “Arcturus”, has now been identified in at least 34 countries including the UK. As of April 17, the latest date up to which the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported data on this variant in the UK, 105 cases of Arcturus had been sequenced across England. Five Britons who tested positive for Arcturus have died. Continued here

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Can Rishi Sunak save the Tories? Voting behaviour over time suggests it will take more than personal appeal to win the next election   The leader personifies the party for many voters, particularly those who are confused about policies and don’t feel attached to any party. They use a simple rule of thumb: if they like a leader then they are inclined to vote for his or her party.Colleagues and I explain this reasoning more fully in our new book, Brexit Britain. Faced with policy choices the consequences of which are difficult if not impossible to forecast, voters rely on their impressions of competing party leaders for assistance. This means that a good deal of voting is about who is in charge as much as about the policies advocated by a party. Continued here

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Raise a glass to your cousin, King Charles III   Millions of people around the world will be watching as Charles is crowned king of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. And it’s fair to say that a huge number of them could claim some degree of kinship with the new monarch as distant cousins at least. It’s how family trees work.Celebrity guests on the BBC’s genealogy TV show Who Do You Think You Are often find out they’re descended from royalty. In 2021, British soap opera actor Danny Dyer learned he was descended from Edward III. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, is related to Richard III. Continued here

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Gordon Lightfoot's music raised awareness of Great Lakes maritime disasters   On May 1, the 84-year-old Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot died at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented that Lightfoot’s legacy will live on in the dynamic Canadian soundscape he helped to shape.In his over 500 songs, Lightfoot was one of Canada’s most beloved chroniclers. Upon his death, we can reflect on Lightfoot’s many impacts on Canadian culture and society. Continued here

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Compensation Packages That Actually Drive Performance   By aligning executives’ financial incentives with company strategy, a firm can inspire its management to deliver superior results. But it can be hard to get pay packages right. In this article four experts break down the key elements of compensation and explain how to put them together effectively. Continued here

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Fed rate hikes, recession fears and political backlash leave ESG investors at a crossroads   The Federal Reserve raised interest rates again on May 3, 2023, by a quarter point, making it the Fed’s 10th rate hike since March 2022 in an ongoing fight to tame inflation. These rate hikes have been reverberating through the economy, raising prospects of a recession amid heightened concerns about the fragile state of banks. The rate hikes are also rattling sustainability-focused investing, better known as ESG investing. Continued here

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Tiredness of life: the growing phenomenon in western society   Reader in Education with Psychology and Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath Molly was 88 years old and in good health. She had outlived two husbands, her siblings, most of her friends and her only son. Continued here

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Thousands of unknown viruses discovered in baby poo - why this is not necessarily a bad thing   An international team of scientists who spent five years studying the poo of 647 Danish babies found something astonishing. The nappy samples contained 10,000 species of virus – ten times the number of bacterial species in the same children. Most of the viruses had never been described before. This may alarm many readers. Viruses haven’t exactly had a good reputation in recent years. But what many people don’t realise is that the overwhelming majority of viruses do not make people sick and do not infect humans or animals at all. Continued here

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Dominion threw away its shot by not requiring a correction and apology from Fox News   Tucker Carlson’s abrupt exit from Fox News was a startling turn that could have been indicative of reform and remorse for the company’s deviations from credible journalism. The separation came just days after Fox’s historic US$787.5 million settlement of a libel lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems for lies spread by multiple Fox employees, including Carlson, its prime-time star. The lawsuit claimed Fox spread lies promoting a now-debunked claimed that Dominion was part of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 presidential from Donald Trump. Continued here

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Why post-Brexit Britain is still open for business - despite what Microsoft says   The UK’s ability to attract business has recently been called into question after its competition regulator blocked tech giant Microsoft from buying gaming firm Activision for US$68.7 billion (£55 billion). Microsoft’s president not only said this decision was “bad for Britain”, but that the “the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom”. A spokesperson for Activision suggested: “The UK is clearly closed for business.” Continued here

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Nigeria's elections faced five serious challenges - how to fix them before the next polls   Nigerians will see their new president-elect, Bola Tinubu, sworn in late May. A number of court cases are still being pursued against the election outcomes from votes cast earlier this year, but these aren’t expected to affect the inauguration.As a political scientist who studies elections and observed the elections, I believe there are five takeaways from the elections that need to be addressed before the next general elections in four years’ time. Continued here

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Strategies for Learning from Failure   Many executives believe that all failure is bad (although it usually provides lessons) and that learning from it is pretty straightforward. The author, a professor at Harvard Business School, thinks both beliefs are misguided. In organizational life, she says, some failures are inevitable and some are even good. And successful learning from failure is not simple: It requires context-specific strategies. But first leaders must understand how the blame game gets in the way and work to create an organizational culture in which employees feel safe admitting or reporting on failure. Continued here

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Heading to a beach this summer? Here's how to keep harmful algae blooms from spoiling your trip   Plunging into the ocean or a lake is one of the great joys of summer. But arriving at the beach to find water that’s green, red or brown, and possibly foul-smelling, can instantly spoil the party.Toxins produced during these blooms have been implicated in human and animal illnesses in at least 43 states. Scientists have estimated that in the U.S. alone, freshwater HABs cause more than US$4.6 billion in damage yearly. Here’s what to know about them if you’re bound for the water’s edge this summer. Continued here

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Paul Kagame could be president of Rwanda until 2035 - what's behind his staying power   Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), recently concluded its 16th congress. This also marked 35 years of its existence. The centre piece, however, was the election as chairman, yet again, of the country’s president Paul Kagame. With 99.9% of the votes – 2,099 of the available 2,102 votes – Kagame was re-elected and put on course to potentially run for yet another electoral term in 2024.The constitution allows Kagame to seek re-election until 2035. That’s a long way off and he has not indicated when he would be willing to usher in a transition from himself. He has acknowledged the need for change as he so often implores his party to reflect on change in continuity. At 65, there is no sign that he will exit the stage just yet. Continued here

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AI is helping astronomers make new discoveries and learn about the universe faster than ever before   I’m an astronomer who studies and has written about cosmology, black holes and exoplanets. Astronomers have been using AI for decades. In fact, in 1990, astronomers from the University of Arizona, where I am a professor, were among the first to use a type of AI called a neural network to study the shapes of galaxies. Since then, AI has spread into every field of astronomy. As the technology has become more powerful, AI algorithms have begun helping astronomers tame massive data sets and discover new knowledge about the universe. Continued here

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What the Iraq War can teach the US about avoiding a quagmire in Ukraine -- 3 key lessons   Leaked Pentagon papers showed in early April 2023 that the U.S. is allegedly following the inner workings of Russia’s intelligence operations and is also spying on Ukraine, adding a new dimension to the United States’ involvement in the Ukraine war. While the U.S. has not actually declared war against Russia, the documents show that it continues to support Ukraine with military intelligence as well as money and weapons against the Russian invasion. Continued here

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May 5, 2023, lunar eclipse will be a subtle show of astronomical wonder   On May 5, 2023, people around the world will witness a a lunar eclipse when the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon and casts part of its shadow on the Moon.The eclipse will be visible in Africa, Asia, Australia and large portions of Europe, though not in the U.S. this time around. This eclipse is not what some call a “blood moon,” as it will not turn red. Instead, the Moon will dim slightly as it passes through a lighter part of the Earth’s shadow – called the penumbra. Continued here

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Black mothers trapped in unsafe neighborhoods signal the stressful health toll of gun violence in the U.S.   Loren Henderson is affiliated with Association of Black Sociologists. I am the Executive Officer of the Association of Black Sociologists.Black mothers are the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to the mental and physical harms of stress from living with gun violence in America. Continued here

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Sudan's entire history has been dominated by soldiers and the violence and corruption they bring   Sudan’s Central Reserve Police (CRP) recently announced it would be deploying officers to the streets of Khartoum to “secure public and private property”. That may sound puzzling in the context of the current violence: what are the police doing in the middle of this?The answer is simple. The CRP are not “police” in any civilian sense – they are one of several paramilitary groups in Sudan, and they are intervening on the side of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). Continued here

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How to find out if your company has a toxic culture and if it supports victims of workplace bullying   When people speak out about poor treatment at work, it should be taken seriously. This has been happening a lot in the UK recently. The Baroness Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police reported widespread bullying and harassment. Business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry has also announced a major overhaul after employees blew the whistle on its toxic culture, following multiple reports of sexual misconduct. Continued here

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Before the MCU, Ghostface Killah Made Iron Man Cool   In the winter of 2000, Ghostface Killah returned from a long period of turmoil to deliver his masterpiece. The years since his solo debut, 1996’s Ironman, had been wrought with trauma for the reclusive Wu-Tang Clan fire-breather. Sickened with diabetes, he battled debilitating headaches and dizziness and thought he might be dying. In 1997, the rapper (born Dennis Coles) traveled to West Africa, where he received natural treatments from a bush doctor. Then, in 1999, he was forced to plead guilty to a trumped-up attempted robbery charge from years earlier and served four months behind bars in Rikers Island.Like a superhero, he emerged from the near-death abyss stronger than ever. In the early months of Y2K, Ghostface released Supreme Clientele. Arguably the greatest of Wu-Tang solo albums, Supreme Clientele is a wild tapestry of blasted-out beats and head-spinning, free-associative rhymes that could fit in no other rapper’s mouth. But when fans eagerly popped the CD into their Discman, it wasn’t Ghostface’s voice that greeted them. It was… a grainy jingle about Iron Man lifted from the 1966 Marvel Super Heroes TV cartoon? Continued here

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How do _Candida auris_ and other fungi develop drug resistance? A microbiologist explains   One of the scariest things you can be told when at a doctor’s office is “You have an antimicrobial-resistant infection.” That means the bacteria or fungus making you sick can’t be easily killed with common antibiotics or antifungals, making treatment more challenging. You might have to take a combination of drugs for weeks to overcome the infection, which could result in more severe side effects.The yeast Candida auris has recently emerged as a potentially dangerous fungal infection for hospital patients and nursing home residents. First discovered in the late 2000s, Candida auris has very quickly become a major health challenge due to its ease of spread and ability to resist common antifungal drugs. Continued here

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How to move without legs or wings: Helping trees migrate to new regions   PhD student in Forest Ecophysiology, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) Chercheuse scientifique et professeure associée, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) Continued here

S32

Climate change protest: a single radical gets more media coverage than thousands of marchers   Gil Scott Heron argued that the Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Yet recently in the UK that statement is being challenged by disruptive environmental protesters unexpectedly gatecrashing live sporting broadcasts. At the end of April, live on ITV the animal rights protesters Animal Rising delayed the country’s biggest horse race, the Grand National, by 15 minutes. And then two Just Stop Oil (JSO) protesters halted the snooker world championships during a live broadcast on the BBC by dumping orange poster paint over one of the tables. Continued here

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Australia is facing a 450,000-tonne mountain of used solar panels. Here's how to turn it into a valuable asset   There were an estimated 100 million individual solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in Australia at the end of 2022. We estimate this number will likely grow to over 2 billion if we are to meet Australia’s 2050 net-zero emissions target. This growth means Australia is facing a 450,000-tonne mountain of used PV panels by 2040.Managing all those discarded PV panels will be a huge job. Rather than treating them as “waste”, though, these panels could be a source of social, environmental and economic value. Our new industry report outlines how we can realise that value. Continued here