Daily Reads-66 (Level-2)

Reading Suggestion-1

Millennials v baby boomers? We all have more in common than we realise
Author name: Gaby Hinsliff
Source: The Guardian
Category: Sociology

Summary for this article:

The baby boomers or the Millennials? Which generation is the worst? Well, if we really need to get into the discussion!

The article says how every person born during the millennial generation needn’t necessarily be unique, superior or the ones that have all the answers. Similarly, not every baby boomer need be wise and selfish. The writer says that these myths surrounding one generation vs. the next and assigning clichés to every generation, based on the time and the advent of technology needn’t necessarily be true. By getting into arguments such as which generation is definitively the worst that ever lived and diving deep into their differences; whose interests are we trying to serve? Moreover, by just mindlessly following the age-based stereotypes against each generation one tends to ignore the fact that every individual, at some point, was part of their own ‘me generation’.

The author says that these two generations the Millennial and the baby boomers in fact have much in common than we could have ever anticipated.

Words to learn from this article :

Surreptitiously – doing things in a very secretive fashion
Albeit – although
Remorselessly – without any pity, regret or guilt
Twinge – a sudden, sharp stab of pain
Frantic – panic-stricken

Reading Suggestion-1: Click to read full article

Reading Suggestion-2

Article Name: Ever-Elusive Neutrinos Spotted Bouncing Off Nuclei for the First Time

Author name: Jesse Dunietz
Source: Scientific American
Category: Science

Summary for this article :

To understand this article better, let’s understand what are Neutrinos and why is it so important to detect these?

Neutrinos are chargeless particles that’s basically present everywhere. They are different from the other elementary particles in that it cannot be separated down further. It’s almost massless and almost noninteracting. “These particles are present everywhere – a trillion from the sun pass through your eyes every second “. Because they so rarely interact, it’s almost impossible to observe them, and you certainly don’t feel them. Neutrinos are the only component of dark matter that we understand, and figuring out the rest will help us understand the structure and evolution of the universe.” (source)

Now, coming to the article, this article talks about one of the breakthroughs in the field of science. It talks about a new technology that has been successful in detecting neutrinos like never before. The research carried by the researchers of the Oak Ridge Laboratory has been successful in detecting the never-before-seen neutrino interactions using a detector which is the size of a fire extinguisher.

Although, there were many approaches existing previously to detect neutrinos, those relied on physicists compensating thousands of tons of atoms for passing neutrinos to strike.

This new experimental collaboration, known as COHERENT, instead looks for a phenomenon called CEvNS (pronounced “sevens”), or coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. CEvNS relies on the quantum mechanical equivalence between particles and waves, comparable to ocean waves.

The article talks about the problems the scientists had to face and how they were finally able to find solutions to all, ultimately landing onto such a terrific result.

The experts are all elated at the COHERENT experiment. The research paper publishing these results have been lauded by many physicists and experts. “This finding is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a whole lot more exciting stuff to come.”

Words to learn from this article :

clandestine – a secret execution of something because it is forbidden by law
quibbles – to disapprove of something
formidable – causing someone to have fear or respect for somebody especially because that somebody is very powerful or difficult
debris – scattered pieces of waste material

Reading Suggestion-2: Click to read full article

Reading Suggestion-3

Article Name: Extraordinary Measures for Ordinary Times
Author name: Harold James
Source: Project Syndicate
Category: Economics

Summary for this article :

The 2007 global financial crisis is something that shook the entire world apart. It is considered as the worst financial crisis since the Great depression by many economists.

The writer starts the article by saying how interconnected the global financial crisis of 2007 was and how its legacy still stays in today’s times. Some of the extraordinary measures that were taken during that time proved to be a failure and were either abandoned or revised. There were bad decisions that were not easily revised. Still, the overall response to the financial crisis was strikingly successful.

The writer says that while unconventional policies were effective, they are now considered necessary responses to any problem, and carries the cost of eroding the constitutional norms.

The writer then talks how in today’s time, with Russia’s Putin and Turkey’s Erdogan setting examples of a post-crisis mentality that a powerful leader can and should fix things by himself, is keeping with the German political theorist Carl Schmitt’s doctrine of “decisionism.” As per Schmitt, a sovereign “needs” to act to protect threatened interests. He then says that protectionism is no different. With Trump imposing import tariffs against German based vehicles and Europe shooting back with a strong answer; the politics of symbolism is widely seen.

The writer concludes by saying that unfortunately such an approach has eroded the established norms with new norms being formed.

Words to learn from this article :

Stimulus – something that evokes or arouses an activity or energy
Bazooka – a long, tube-shaped gun that is held in the shoulder and is used for launching rockets
Unilateral – something that does not involve others. Eg. A unilateral decision is the one that is taken without considering others point of view or involving others
Despotic – someone who is dictatorial

Reading Suggestion-3: Click to read full article