Hi there,
In the first free week since January, I dedicated myself to studying for summer term exams. In fact, I created the first of three summaries that I’ll be selling soon. I also created another Excel in 60 seconds video that you can find at the end of today’s newsletter.
In this week’s mashup:
⭐Highlight: Shanghai lockdown
🌍Geopolitics: China’s strategic weapons
🌐Web: r/Place, a pixelated look at internet culture
🎁Extra: Supersonic air travel making a return?
✍🏻Blog: MATCH function in 60 seconds
⏭️Next
Have a great week!
⭐Highlight: Shanghai lockdown
In the West, and particularly here in the UK, it feels like the pandemic is over. China, however, is still holding onto its “zero-covid” policy. Because of the increasing infectiousness of newer variants that becomes increasingly difficult. The response: more stringent measures. China locked down the entirety of Shanghai and prolonged the lockdown as well, leaving people short on food and basic supplies. Residents go to their balconies to sing in protest. In an almost surrealistic scene, a drone shows up to urge residents to “control their soul’s desire for freedom”.
For all the harsh measures, the results seem to be lacking. A single line chart says it all: Shanghai is following the same path as Hong Kong, which has much less stringent restrictions in place.
Will Omicron be the turning point for Chinese covid policy?
Shanghai’s lockdown measures are causing tremendous hardship for 25mn residents, from food shortage, inaccessible medical service, to families separated by quarantine. How long will it last? Our analysis of Shanghai’s case curve does not bode well. 1/5 https://t.co/toDXF47OX1
Desperation amid food shortages in Shanghai as Covid lockdown bites | China | The Guardian
Lockdown had been due to end on Tuesday, leaving residents unprepared to be indefinitely housebound
🌍Geopolitics: China’s strategic weapons
China is building up its strategic arms (nuclear weapons) to deter the U.S. from entering into a war to defend Taiwan. An excellent analysis by the Wall Street Journal includes the relationship with the U.S. covid response, the conflict in Ukraine, and satellite images of missile silo fields.
China Is Accelerating Its Nuclear Buildup Over Rising Fears of U.S. Conflict - WSJ
Beijing believes U.S. could turn to nuclear weapons in a war; Ukraine invasion underscores the value of a robust arsenal
🌐Web: A pixelated look at internet culture
Reddit hosted another real-time pixel art canvas for April fool’s this year. On the canvas, a user can change the color of one of the pixels every 5 minutes. Naturally, people quickly created their national flags but there’s much more art to spot here.
Watching the r/Place timelapse is like staring into the heart of Reddit - The Verge
Reddit has wrapped up its April Fools’ art experiment and has posted a treasure trove of data about how people placed tiles on the collaborative canvas.
🎁Extra: Supersonic air travel making a return?
I missed this last year but apparently United has signed an agreement with Boom Supersonic to purchase 15 supersonic planes. Boom Supersonic is developing a Concorde successor. Cool note: fuel efficiency is actually better at speeds just above the speed of sound, because you cover a lot more distance (and can fly higher). The first planes of this type are expected to be produced by 2025 for testing and entering service by 2029.
United becomes first U.S. airline to sign aircraft purchase agreement with Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic is building a faster future. Our supersonic airliner will make the world dramatically more accessible.
✍🏻Blog: MATCH function in 60 seconds
Another video in the Excel in 60 seconds series. I cover the MATCH function after I covered the INDEX function last time. Next up: VLOOKUP and the combination of INDEX and MATCH.
In this video, I look at a basic example of the MATCH function. In the series Excel in 60 seconds, I aim to introduce you to Excel…
⏭️Next
Next week I’ll be working on completing two more summaries for my courses, creating 1 or 2 videos, and hopefully an article as well. I’m also writing an essay about the impact of covid on semi-conductor supply chains, so I may publish that in the future.
Have a great week!