Words that last, by Wilson Andrews and David Brown, May 6, 2013 “A research team led by Mark Pagel at the University of Reading in England has identified 23 ultraconserved words that have remained largely unchanged for 15,000 years. Words that sound and mean the same thing in different languages are called cognates. These are… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
WorldCat database reaches 2 billion holdings
News release: “WorldCat, the most comprehensive online database of resources available through libraries around the world, has reached another major milestone with the addition of its 2 billionth holding… WorldCat is a database of bibliographic information created and continuously updated by some 25,000 OCLC member libraries around the world. WorldCat records describe specific works and… Continue Reading
Copyright in the Digital Era: Building Evidence for Policy
“Over the course of several decades, copyright protection has been expanded and extended through legislative changes occasioned by national and international developments. The content and technology industries affected by copyright and its exceptions, and in some cases balancing the two, have become increasingly important as sources of economic growth, relatively high-paying jobs, and exports. Since… Continue Reading
American Chemical Society – Polluting plastic particles invade the Great Lakes
News release: “Floating plastic debris which helps populate the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean has become a problem in the Great Lakes, the largest body of fresh water in the world. Scientists reported on the latest findings from the Great Lakes here today at the 245th National Meeting &… Continue Reading
Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides
“The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are responsible for protecting species that are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and for protecting habitats that are critical for their survival. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for registering or reregistering pesticides… Continue Reading
Pew – The Power and Relevance of Libraries
The Power and Relevance of Libraries. “At the American Library Association’s National Library Legislative Day, Pew Internet Director Lee Rainie will discuss 11 key takeaways from the Project’s libraries research.” Continue Reading
Revolutionary Secrets: Cryptology in the American Revolution
Revolutionary Secrets: Cryptology in the American Revolution, Jennifer Wilcox, Center for Cryptologic History, National Security Agency, 2012. Continue Reading
Uncertainty, Liquidity Hoarding, and Financial Crises
Tanju Yorulmazer: “One of the most interesting phenomena marking the recent financial crisis was the disruptions in the interbank market, where banks borrow and lend reserves to each other. This post draws upon my paper with Douglas Gale, Liquidity Hoarding, to discuss this practice by banks during times of increased uncertainty about future liquidity needs… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Federal Employees' Compensation Act,
Federal Employees’ Compensation Act – Case Examples Illustrate Vulnerabilities That Could Result in Improper Payments or Overlapping Benefits, GAO-13-386, Apr 3, 2013 VA Construction – Additional Actions Needed to Decrease Delays and Lower Costs of Major Medical-Facility Projects, GAO-13-302, Apr 4, 2013 Continue Reading
Social Security Report Calls for Increased Attention to the Death Master File
“Today, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ranking Member Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Financial and Contracting Oversight Subcommittee Chairwoman Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ranking Member Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) highlighted a report detailing troublesome yet preventable errors in the Social Security Administrations (SSA) master database of deceased individuals. The SSA Office of… Continue Reading
Brookings – Should the United States Have 2.2 Million More Jobs?
Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, The Hamilton Project | May 3, 2013 – Should the United States Have 2.2 Million More Jobs? “In this months employment analysis, The Hamilton Project examines the trajectory of public-sector employment since the onset of the Great Recession and contrasts this decline to periods of economic recovery after previous recessions.… Continue Reading
Gallup: Americans' Financial Worry Lowest Since Before Recession
Gallup: “Americans’ financial worry has eased to the lowest level since before the recession. Gallup classifies 53% of Americans as highly or moderately worried about their finances, down from a peak of 61% a year ago, and the lowest since 45% in 2007. The results are based on Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance survey,… Continue Reading
