CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-19 18:03:53 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 19 +1s)

The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” contains the American Psychiatric Association’s thinking on what constitutes a disorder of the mind. It is consulted by psychiatrists, insurance firms and anxious patients and parents around the world. No other major branch of medicine has such a single text, with so much power over people’s lives. And that is worrying http://econ.st/Z1BlO0

2013-05-19 16:49:35 (4 comments, 6 reshares, 51 +1s)

Web start-ups inspired by Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site which helps artists, game-designers and gadget-makers find patrons, are helping locals raise cash for improvements to their neighbourhoods. Spacehive, a British site for urban projects, is one of the busiest of these http://econ.st/10DaW3l 

2013-05-18 16:03:31 (34 comments, 35 reshares, 157 +1s)

A report released earlier this month by the Census Bureau found that in 2012, for the first time, voting rates of black Americans exceeded that of whites: 66.2% of eligible black voters cast ballots in the last presidential election, compared with 64.1% of whites (in 2008, the numbers were 64.7% of blacks and 66.1% of whites) http://econ.st/10DaVwh

2013-05-18 15:07:20 (9 comments, 27 reshares, 105 +1s)

Medical implants, such as stents and catheters, bring a risk of infection. Specifically, their smooth surfaces encourage the growth of bacterial films. The trick is to stop these films forming in the first place. Marek Urban at Clemson University in South Carolina thinks he may have a way of doing so http://econ.st/Z1BgtN 

2013-05-18 13:34:08 (37 comments, 41 reshares, 164 +1s)

Brain-computer interfaces are still in their infancy, but there's no reason to suppose they won't progress just as rapidly as artificial intelligence. By 2040, people may well be communicating directly with servers through chips implanted in their brains, which is to say they may be communicating telepathically with each other http://econ.st/10yMIHH

2013-05-17 18:54:52 (16 comments, 36 reshares, 101 +1s)

Daily chart: As the civil war in Syria has dragged on, the rebels have become more Islamist and extreme. For Western governments pondering whether to arm them, Jabhat al-Nusra (Victory Front) is the biggest worry. Today’s chart offers a guide to the key rebel forces in Syria, their leaders and ideology. See chart http://econ.st/10Ded2Q

2013-05-17 15:14:25 (49 comments, 57 reshares, 215 +1s)

The development of caring robots could reduce the work load on nurses, while enriching the quality of life for elderly patients. Researchers reckon people with impaired motor skills could benefit from robotic help with hygiene, eating meals and picking things up from the floor http://econ.st/10yMNef

2013-05-17 08:49:24 (16 comments, 24 reshares, 125 +1s)

An airliner circles above central Spain. Technical problems have left the plane doomed, destined for a crash-landing. Frantic with nerves, passengers and crew-members descend into an orgy of alcohol, drugs and sex. Thus Pedro Almodóvar, the prince of modern Spanish cinema, allegorises the state of his country in his latest film, “Los amantes pasajeros” http://econ.st/YWezr4

2013-05-16 20:00:36 (9 comments, 19 reshares, 103 +1s)

Daily chart: For the second quarter in a row our global business barometer is in positive territory, according to The Economist/FT quarterly survey of over 1,500 executives. In the latest quarter confidence fell slightly, to plus-5 percentage points from plus-7 three months ago. View our interactive business-confidence graphic:  http://econ.st/10ATmNB

2013-05-16 15:46:07 (25 comments, 51 reshares, 228 +1s)

The new issue of The Economist is now available to view online via our website:  http://econ.st/12dUVDs

This week’s cover:
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No… It’s Japan!
Abenomics, nationalism and the challenge to China
May 18th – 24th 2013

2013-05-16 14:40:29 (32 comments, 18 reshares, 112 +1s)

Crowdfunding has been touted as a mechanism for creators without access to ready cash. Is it unfair for famous people to use the crowdfunding site Kickstarter?  http://econ.st/YWeyTV

2013-05-15 20:57:57 (15 comments, 24 reshares, 147 +1s)

The amount of time it takes for an accidental fire to reach flashover, the point at which everything flammable in a room spontaneously ignites, has reduced. Thanks to well-insulated modern homes and fixtures stuffed with hydrocarbon-based foams, American firefighters no longer have the luxury of scouting out a domestic blaze before it takes hold http://econ.st/YWeu6L

2013-05-15 16:49:38 (24 comments, 57 reshares, 158 +1s)

Daily chart: The euro area remains mired in recession. Forecasts from the European Commission in early May showed annual euro-zone GDP shrinking by 0.4% in 2013, following a contraction of 0.6% in 2012. The economic reverse will be much deeper on the periphery of the single-currency club than in its core. Today’s interactive graphic gives an overview of European GDP, debt and jobs. View graphic: http://econ.st/18LmKrW

2013-05-15 08:40:54 (42 comments, 55 reshares, 282 +1s)

Punk, a counterculture movement defined by its anti-consumerist “do-it-yourself” ethos and rebellious style, may be nearly gone in its original form. But after four decades its legacy lives on in music, design and most notably in fashion. A new exhibition, “Punk: Chaos to Couture”, now on view in New York, looks at the role of punk in fashion http://econ.st/12axRph 

2013-05-14 16:46:51 (31 comments, 62 reshares, 130 +1s)

Daily chart: If you ask a Westerner to name the most disgusting thing they have eaten, there is a good chance that a crunchy cricket or a chewy grub could be mentioned. Yet around 2 billion people eat insects as part of their traditional diet says the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. Today’s chart shows why eating more insects might be good for the planet and good for you http://econ.st/128U5rD

2013-05-14 15:08:39 (79 comments, 98 reshares, 363 +1s)

Almost no bankers have faced legal sanctions for their part in precipitating the financial crisis. Why have so few bankers gone to jail? http://econ.st/128GccY

2013-05-14 09:34:09 (9 comments, 17 reshares, 88 +1s)

According to Needham, an investment bank, YouTube will bring in $2.5 billion in advertising revenue in 2013, but that is not enough to move the needle at Google, or to make it a worthwhile outlet for content companies. Like newspapers that have decided they cannot survive by online advertising alone, YouTube needs to erect a “pay wall” for some of its offerings http://econ.st/10vvNFZ 

2013-05-13 19:00:22 (23 comments, 37 reshares, 85 +1s)

Daily chart: Earlier this month the United Nations estimated that 258,000 people died in the Somalia famine between October 2010 and April 2012. The number of deaths caused widespread shock and the proportion—4.6% of the population—was shockingly high. Today’s chart shows the history of global famine and deaths http://econ.st/126tH1o

2013-05-13 14:26:04 (147 comments, 179 reshares, 1023 +1s)

After ten years in the red, Tesla Motors, a maker of electric cars based in Silicon Valley, has turned a profit of $11.2m in the first quarter on unexpectedly strong demand for its new Model S sedan. The results were well above the forecasts of even the most optimistic analysts http://econ.st/125LFkS

2013-05-13 09:36:41 (35 comments, 36 reshares, 173 +1s)

The original vampires of medieval Slavic myths were described as mindless and decaying, almost pitiable sufferers of the curse they must endure. The popular image of the brooding and sartorial undead charmer was created in the name of entertainment. Over the last 25 years, vampire films have become more stylish and hard-hitting, pushing the boundaries of the genre http://econ.st/YQfpW5 

2013-05-13 22:14:27 (93 comments, 8 reshares, 76 +1s)

The Westboro Baptist Church have vented their scornful feelings over the victims of Boston marathon bombings and the shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school. But free-speech advocates insist on the church's constitutional right to say rebarbative things, and the American courts partly agree http://econ.st/11q4HqY

2013-05-12 16:16:23 (42 comments, 56 reshares, 241 +1s)

Small and independent breweries have thrived during the recession and its aftermath, taking market share away from traditional brands. According to Beer Marketer’s Insights, a trade publication, craft beer has grown over 13% by volume in each of the past three years. This has led to some debate over what constitutes a craft beer and an intra-industry squabble over taxes http://econ.st/11q4JiE

2013-05-12 15:10:00 (5 comments, 10 reshares, 89 +1s)

Behind the Louvre, on a busy thoroughfare lined with international retailers in Paris, sits 59 Rivoli, a former squat that has been converted into a legitimate artistic centre. This was the first such conversion, but is an ongoing project for the city. The scheme enables artists to rent cheap studio space and sell their artworks as long as they do not use the building as a residence http://econ.st/14ajwuu

2013-05-12 00:11:05 (14 comments, 53 reshares, 280 +1s)

Ultimate Library chooses and supplies books on behalf of its hotel clients for use in library, lounge and individual rooms. A decent library can mark a hotel out from its competitors, give it a nicely intellectual feel, and supply guests with another reason to stay in and buy a drink http://econ.st/11q4LXS

2013-05-11 23:14:12 (11 comments, 28 reshares, 92 +1s)

For many Americans the best way to get a real wage increase is to move to the Sunbelt. Compensation is generally lower there. But housing costs are much, much lower. Importantly, this does not seem to be the case for one subset of the American population: the rich http://econ.st/14ajAKB

2013-05-11 20:14:40 (26 comments, 34 reshares, 174 +1s)

India is an ancient civilisation but a youthful country. Its working-age population is rising by about 12m people a year, even as China’s shrank last year by 3m. Within a decade India will have the biggest potential workforce in the world. But although India’s dreamers have faith in its youth, the country’s youngsters have growing reason to doubt India http://econ.st/14ajEtV

2013-05-10 21:20:27 (86 comments, 24 reshares, 141 +1s)

One in six Americans is Hispanic. In politics, ignoring the Latino vote is suicidal, which is why the Republican Party is at last getting serious about immigration reform. In business, ignoring Latino tastes is equally daft, which is why American firms are at last getting serious about pursuing the Hispanic dollar http://econ.st/18zrYHa

2013-05-10 15:44:12 (24 comments, 74 reshares, 337 +1s)

This week's KAL's cartoon http://econ.st/11q3vnq

2013-05-10 09:31:23 (10 comments, 43 reshares, 163 +1s)

Biometric recognition systems, from hand geometry, via face recognition and fingerprints, to iris recognition, are becoming more common. Cardiologists know that everyone’s heartbeat is unique, and researchers around the world have been trying to turn that knowledge into a viable biometric system. Until now, they have had little success. One group may, though, have cracked it http://econ.st/149c3vQ 

2013-05-09 17:24:56 (41 comments, 110 reshares, 237 +1s)

Daily chart: More millionaires live in Tokyo than in any other city, according to a new report from WealthInsight, a consultancy. The city, which boasts 460,700 individuals with net assets of $1m or more (excluding their primary residences), is home to over a fifth of Japan's millionaires. Today’s chart reveals which cities have the most millionaires http://econ.st/11nsiss

2013-05-09 15:41:55 (22 comments, 12 reshares, 104 +1s)

The new issue of The Economist is now available to view online via our website: http://econ.st/146Jsar

This week’s cover:
Worldwide ex India: Wall Street is back
A special report on international banking
India: What a waste
How India is failing its young
May 11th – 17th 2013

2013-05-09 14:26:11 (51 comments, 23 reshares, 107 +1s)

There are perhaps as many as 290m 15-to-24-year-olds not participating in the labour market—almost a quarter of the world’s youth. Why is youth unemployment so high? http://econ.st/18w1YfN 

2013-05-08 18:04:00 (58 comments, 253 reshares, 545 +1s)

Daily chart: Sir Alex Ferguson, the English Premier League’s most enduring manager, announced his retirement today. The Manchester United boss is not only the most successful in the league’s short history, but the only one to have been in his job since its inception. Today’s chart compares the number of trophies won by the richest football clubs since the 1992-93 season. View chart http://econ.st/YuILaf

2013-05-08 15:31:56 (63 comments, 44 reshares, 152 +1s)

In Bangladesh a massacre of hardline Islamic demonstrators unfolded in the early hours of May 6th. It took place in the commercial district of Dhaka, the country’s capital. At least 37 were killed and hundreds more injured in clashes between security forces and members of an extreme Islamic group, Hefajat-e-Islam http://econ.st/143Lx6O

2013-05-08 08:56:48 (106 comments, 144 reshares, 336 +1s)

A gadget that is possibly about to weave its way into our lives is a stamp-sized camera that can be worn on any garment and takes pictures at 30-second intervals, creating a record of a life that can be searched and shared. Developed by Memoto, a Swedish start-up, the device has an app and cloud-storage platform to ensure that no experience will go undocumented http://econ.st/11hScxJ

2013-05-07 17:41:37 (43 comments, 81 reshares, 186 +1s)

Daily chart: Today’s chart shows household electricity prices in the European Union and reveals that prices vary across what is supposed to be a single market. Governments looking to give their economies a jolt might start here http://econ.st/18rTJRX

2013-05-07 14:00:14 (95 comments, 34 reshares, 153 +1s)

Charles Darwin was the first to observe that bees can learn to steal. How can bumblebees commit crime? http://econ.st/11Q4CYB

2013-05-07 09:45:33 (198 comments, 133 reshares, 390 +1s)

The head of the ruling Communist Party in China, Xi Jinping, has called his new doctrine the “Chinese dream” evoking its American equivalent. But what exactly is Mr Xi’s vision? It seems to include some American-style aspiration, which is welcome, but also a troubling whiff of nationalism and of repackaged authoritarianism http://econ.st/140xqPT 

2013-05-06 21:38:33 (39 comments, 30 reshares, 115 +1s)

The Food and Drug Administration in America has decided to make the Plan B emergency-contraception pill available without a prescription only to those 15 and older. Reproductive rights groups are not thrilled. With the administration fighting an extremely heated battle over the provision of Obamacare, the decision may have been a symbolic concession to religious conservatives http://econ.st/11OIAW4

2013-05-06 17:01:02 (11 comments, 13 reshares, 93 +1s)

Daily chart: Ever since the creation of the European Steel and Coal Community in 1952, the key relationship when it comes to institution building in Europe has been between France and Germany. Like any long-lasting pact it has had its ups and downs. Today’s chart reveals Europe’s key relationship over the last 30 years http://econ.st/11O25hE

2013-05-06 14:39:20 (12 comments, 9 reshares, 89 +1s)

A sense has emerged in the American media during President Obama’s visit to Mexico on May 2nd and 3rd that he and his Mexican counterpart, Enrique Peña Nieto, are skirting the most controversial issue in the relationship: drugs and violence. Yet the two countries are beginning to address on their own account two issues that were deliberately left out of the North American Free Trade Agreement almost 20 years ago—migration and energy reform http://econ.st/11bqxOI

2013-05-05 21:15:00 (205 comments, 29 reshares, 249 +1s)

Northern Ireland is beginning to see American-style culture wars, in which some Protestants and some Catholics bury their theological differences in a common conservative cause. On April 30th, a motion to legalise same-sex marriage was defeated in the Northern Irish assembly by 53 votes to 42 http://econ.st/105Ueiy   

2013-05-05 19:51:20 (20 comments, 23 reshares, 144 +1s)

China’s music scene has come a long way since Wham!, a British pop duo, played Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium in 1985. This week, as spring arrived and the smog relented, tens of thousands of young Beijingers spent their extended Labour Day holiday on the outskirts of the city at two separate indie music festivals http://econ.st/105TY3d 

2013-05-05 14:18:37 (61 comments, 47 reshares, 245 +1s)

Everyone from Michelle Obama to Jamie Oliver is trying to improve children’s diets, but doing so has proved difficult. It is, then, particularly interesting that a solution is emerging from the private sector. Revolution Foods, which is based in Oakland, is trying to make American school meals healthier http://econ.st/108f7nD 

2013-05-09 14:25:15 (160 comments, 20 reshares, 114 +1s)

It might seem only a nasty coincidence. As gay rights advance in the West—France and New Zealand are the latest countries to legalise same-sex marriage—homophobia is on the rise elsewhere. But these apparently contradictory trends may be related. Confounded at home, a crusading squad of American conservative Christians are taking the fight abroad http://econ.st/105TTfS 

2013-05-04 15:35:14 (36 comments, 32 reshares, 247 +1s)

On April 29th Virgin Galactic, a private space firm, lit the engine on SpaceShipTwo, its air-launched suborbital rocketplane, for the first time. Unlike other companies such as SpaceX, which has contracts to launch satellites and resupply the International Space Station, Virgin is focusing on the tourist trade. For $200,000 a seat, customers will get a joyride just over the 100km-high (62-mile) Karman Line, which marks the boundary of space http://econ.st/105TQRb 

2013-05-04 14:21:00 (6 comments, 17 reshares, 118 +1s)

Obituary: Kenneth Appel, mathematician of maps, died on April 19th, aged 80 http://econ.st/11Jqk09

2013-05-03 18:24:22 (26 comments, 99 reshares, 301 +1s)

Daily chart: Musicals have odds like venture capital: only one in ten makes money, and two out of ten lose it all. The hits, however, are huge. “Cats” probably made a 3,500% return for its initial investors. “The Phantom of the Opera” has grossed $5.6 billion worldwide. View today’s chart on high grossing musicals http://econ.st/107K5MK

2013-05-03 15:08:21 (19 comments, 48 reshares, 276 +1s)

The Economist’s channel on Google+ is now in the circles of 3 million people. To mark the milestone we have collated a selection of our top articles posted on the channel since the launch of our page. Take a stroll through some of our most popular articles since November 2011 and let us know which was your favourite by hitting +1

2013-05-05 18:42:53 (168 comments, 228 reshares, 928 +1s)

This week's KAL's cartoon http://econ.st/11GE0ZS