Goldilocks economy

Just learn a buzz word, Goldilocks economy, from radio. First bowl is too hot (inflation rate is too high) while 2nd bowl is too cold (inflation rate is too low) and 3rd bowl is perfect (inflation rate lands at the magic 2%). Obviously, U.S. is inching toward the Goldilocks economy.  

Disrupting Cancer

Tonight's CBS "60 Minutes" had a very intriguing story, "Disrupting Cancer", about Patrick Soon-Shiong, 黄馨祥, the wealthiest man in Los Angeles. He has spent more than $1B of his own money to prove his innovative idea: "If focusing on mutation, cancer can become just a chronic disease and drug can be developed in tow". His approach is pretty comprehensive: genome mapping of cancer, T-cell gobbling cancer cell, and separating cancer cells in the bio-microchip. This is a formidable task but does not seem to be a pie-in-the-sky. If successful, this wealthiest man in LA may become a Nobel prize laureate.http://www.cbsnews.com/…/billionaire-doctor-fights-cancer-…/

Most disruptive 85 ideas

Latest issue of Businesweek has listed 85 most disruptive ideas. No. 1 is jet-engine (jaw-dropping?) and No. 2 is microchips (rightly so).  Most disruptive 85 ideas

Enigma of Income inequality

Something is fishy about income inequality. According to US Congressional Budge Office, top 20% households earn 10 times more income than the lowest 20% and pay 11 times more tax. However, when taking government subsidy into account, top quintile households pay $46,500 tax while lowest quintile earn $8,650. Income inequality is a hard fact or just a figment of imagination? 

Mistakes are the portals of discovery

In a video in PBS TV news tonight, it shows a tagline, "Mistakes are the portals of discovery", affixed at the entrance of a school with innovative approach and curriculum. "An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made."

cognitive capital

以前和朋友聊天時，共同的感覺是55 歲左右最可能被公司"嫌棄"。最近看到一篇美國聯邦政府的研究報告(如附圖)，一個人在經驗增加，但分析能力降低(從20歲起，每年降1%)的相互影響下, 綜合能力在50-60歲達到高峰(不考慮薪水因素)。這似乎也驗證55歲左右是"很危險"的年紀。如果再加上越來越聰明的電腦競爭，情形更不樂觀。

High development cost to justify failure

USD $2.6B cost for average new drug development? That is the number in a new study to "justify" the exorbitant price tag of brand-name drugs. However, other independent study estimated the development cost less than $0.5B. The stiff price tag for brand-name drug is sometimes intimidating. For example, Baraclude sold in Taiwan is NT$210/pill but at a gouging price of NT$1,050/pill elsewhere.
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21635005-startling-new-cost-estimate-new-medicines-met-scepticism-price-failure