Creative Art and Expression in Science-Stem and Stream

Art and sciences are two facets of understand the world in which we live. I would like to call this Stem and Stream. Stem offers us the opportunity to think about science from a methodological viewpoint while Stream is more of an unconscious process. Recently, I engaged in a free art class at one of the local dining establishments as both enjoyment and a "Stream" process.

Of course there is nothing like a glass of wine to get the creative juices flowing.

While I cannot say that I am much of an artists, or ever will be, I can say that the process of art does help me think more scientifically. In this case such classes offer an opportunity to socialize in a non-stressful environment that allows you to see new forms in images and people.

In this case, it was a live model that held poses for about 5 minutes for a few hours. You don't get an opportunity to go into specific detail but just enough time to outline and put in a few features.

An important benefit of attending these events is that science is nothing without creativity. Drawing, painting, and other forms of artistic endeavors leads to greater scientific discovery. If you looked into the smallest and smallest components you would still discover nothing without the creative ability to think about things in a new and interesting way.

Isn't that the point of art? Art is a process of creativity which is one of the highest forms of expression according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs but also a fundamentally important part of being a scientific thinker.

The Life of an Academic and Squeezed Budgets

The life of an academic is about using one's brain. There are long-hours involved but often the reward is to help people improve their lives and learn valuable skills they can apply in the workplace. If you are an academic engaged in scientific research there is the added benefit of offering new ideas and thoughts to the world.

The academic life is not for everyone. With squeezed state budgets and inability of many private colleges to meet budget shortfalls the "academic" is disappearing for short-term underpaid, and often ineffective adjunct work. Those with the most knowledge are finding fewer opportunities.

Knowledge is something that has been part of academic life all the way from early philosophers all the way to modern professors. This knowledge costs money and time. New knowledge doesn't come easily and often takes years of planning. It is hard to get a $$$$ out of it.

States often find that new knowledge is something they can't afford and push universities to adapt and change quickly. The easiest thing to do is get rid of full-time professors and the knowledge they offer. In the end, our nation becomes dumber with less prospects for future knowledge and innovation.

Therefore, academics should not expect "doors" to be open for them with plentiful opportunities. They should expect to work long hours, fight against diminishing wages, and be expected to produce more. Research becomes practical and profitable and professors do not have the luxury of often thinking about long-term solutions to long-term value that don't have market return.

The life of an academic is still a wonderful proposition for those who enjoy using their brains. It offers a chance to work on something that can impact society and it allows for one to influence the lives of their students. They are advancing their fields, their nation, and the people they come in contact with. How much is that worth?

Global Warming No Longer Fiction but Supported by Science

While no one can say that the global climate change is a fact there is compelling evidence that we are destroying our environment. A Climate Science Special Report, that has been peer reviewed by the National Academy of Science, found that we are indeed heading for global warming and there are no current viable options to this theory. At present we have already started the process of weather change.

The problem is that we as a species have only one Earth and have not found or advanced enough as a species to reduce the damage we have caused. Technology may some day get us there and we can serious reduce emissions and regrow forests, plankton and other needed "greens" to keep our environment living and moving.

Assuming that nothing changes we should be experience more extreme heat and rainfall. That includes wildfires, flooding, and sea rising. Things will change and our lives will change forcing us to adapt even more to the environment. Our "safe" world may become more chaotic for some as natural disasters become an increasingly common feature.

The Antarctic is also believed to be unstable which could cause our seacoast to rise. All those nice houses on the beach would be at risk of investing significant amounts of money to protect them. Building houses along the coast is likely to become a bigger insurance issue. The coast is expected to rise up to over 8 feet during the next 80 years.

While the report discusses a loss of 1.9 billion labor hours across the national workforce by 2090 in away that could be calculated as $160 billion annually to workers this is really not the major issue. there will be significant changes to our environment and how we live. That means cost to health, pollution, protective measures, new technology, more expensive manufacturing, etc... This is very difficult to calculate accurately.

As the impact of global climate change takes effect we will see a bigger share of our GNP going to resolve this issue. As a country it can be difficult to deal with these issues if other countries share in much of the pollution problem. International coordination will be needed to ensure that we develop the technology to save the planet as well as hold the biggest polluters accountable for their share of destruction.

http://www.globalchange.gov/about/organization-leadership

USGCRP, 2017: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I[Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp, doi: 10.7930/J0J964J6.

Sailing the Classics-1920 Herreshoff Wooden Catch Boat

Last week I sailed a classic 1920 Herreshoff Wooden Catch Boat that was custom built out of Japan for a wealthy family. The boat has been restored and worked on by an individual that has experience as an airplane mechanical engineer. As a cruiser this is a lounge boat used for taking out with friends and family. 

The boat is a cruiser and easy to manage. Just about everything is manual and doesn't need a crank or any special items or equipment. For those with limited sailing experience it is perfect versus some of the "tupperware" boats made of modern equipment and complex designs. 

Because almost anything can go wrong the use of a simple boat is sometimes better. 

The owner took the boat to Hawaii and back which was about 30 days either way. The boat had minimal problems. I would not be as sure about some of the more complex boats because when something goes wrong it often can't be fixed at sea. 

It was a 6 hour sail but it was nice and leisurely. Not a lot of adjusting sails or playing around. Just point and set. A few adjustments over time but definitely easy enough to handle as a single sailor. The classic design is romantic and functional. 

Reducing Taxes to Encourage Companies to Move their Headquarters to the U.S.

Being the intellectual center of the world has advantages for economic growth. As headquarters move to the U.S., or any other nation, they bring with them their intellectual capital and significant investment in facilities within their location. To encourage companies to move their headquarters and their manufacturing centers to the U.S. it is necessary to create an investment rich environment by lowering corporate taxes.

High tax rates adversely impacts foreign and domestic investment (Abbas & Klemm, 2013). As the tax rate increases, companies seek to put their money into other markets as each % of tax increase has a direct impact on the bottom line. We have experienced the effects of this phenomenon when U.S. companies invest heavily overseas by moving their administrative offices and manufacturing centers overseas to avoid tax liabilities.

We have to think of this issue from a corporate investment standpoint. When the cost of taxes is significantly lower in countries and the amount of dollars being taxed is in the billions it would be wise to move headquarters overseas if there is no major impact on management or company health. While one could make moral and patriotic arguments, the end result is simply the same...the dollar return on investments makes the difference.

As the tax rate increases it has also has a significant impact on the value of the parent firm and its affiliates in foreign markets. Multinational firms are interconnected to the point where a 10% increase in the tax rate at a company's home country reduces capital stock value at foreign locations by 6.5% (Becker & Reidel, 2012). Firms therefore have big incentives to avoid corporate taxes at their head quarters and all of their subsidiaries.

It can be difficult to calculate such a impact throughout the entire corporate network. Yet it determines whether or not a company should invest or move their head quarters to another country. If the U.S. wants to encourage companies to move their intellectual centers to the U.S. then they will need to offer lower tax incentives. Once these centers are attracted and to American soil other investment opportunities arise as suppliers seek to be near their parent company. One possible strategy is to reduce taxes on headquarters (intellectual capital) but not on suppliers that can take advantage of new infrastructure to balance their ROI portfolios. 

Abbas, S. & Klemm, A. (2013). A partial race to the bottom: corporate tax developments in emerging and developing economies. International Tax and Public Finance, 20 (4).

Becker, J. & Riedel, N. (2012). Cross-border tax effects on affiliate investment-evidence from European multinationals. European Economic Review, 56 (3).

5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Smaller Government

The debate between larger and smaller government has raged for at least a few hundred years and doesn't seem likely to end anytime soon. Capitalism, or government forms that allows markets to determine our economic policies, and democracy, that allows for people to elect and rule themselves seems to be one of the few examples that buck the trend of Socialism, Communism, Theocracies and Dictatorships. Yet this form of government has also taken on larger and larger governmental forms with increasing debt structures resembling a more European outlook.

Advantages of Smaller Government:

1. Generally a wealthier society with more investment opportunities and lower tax rates.

2. Local control of government allowing each location and culture to determine how they shall rule and be ruled.

3. More personal "buy in" into the benefits and value of the government system.

4. More freedom and less restriction on life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

5. Natural economic cycles that promote innovation.

6. Generally less debt due to less government expense (doesn't seem to apply to the U.S.)

Disadvantages of Smaller Government:

1. Less control over "mob" mentality and voting based on trends of the day.

2. Transient values that radically change with each generation.

3. Corporate influence over government officials that may not have the best interest of society in mind.

4. Less control and influence over the populations' belief systems.

5. Little short-term control over economic fluctuations.

6. Lack of centralized control over laws.

With bigger government comes more control over our lives, finances, occupations and future. Sometimes this control can be beneficial in helping corporations fulfill their responsibilities to their people but can also limit future investment and innovation. As a species leadership and "big money" often seek more control over the legal system, population, education, and government spending while at the same time desiring less government control over their operations and income. Ensuring a minimal government just large enough to handle the demands of modern society seems to be the most advantageous route to protect investment and individual rights.

Permission to reprint with appropriate attribution-Dr. Murad Abel

Economics and Development in Microstates, Islands, and the Arctic

Economics and Development in Microstates, Islands, and the Arctic
30 November-3 December 2018, Nuuk, Greenland
http://www.islanddynamics.org/economicsdevelopment.html

Economies work differently in microstates and island territories than in larger jurisdictions. Small population size and/or land area, often coupled with remoteness, affect how economies function and encourage potentially problematic governance forms and practices (including conflicts of interest, anti-competitive policies, and dependency on the public sector). Microstates and islands are frequently said to suffer from skills shortages, lack of economies of scale, extreme industrial specialisation and dependence on a small number of external markets (thereby increasing vulnerability), high transport costs, and poor balances of trade.

Nevertheless, many microstates and subnational island jurisdictions (nonsovereign island territories) have achieved economic success and/or stability, in part through their engaging – consciously or otherwise – in strategies that ‘make the most of smallness’. Political and/or economic integration with one or more larger states provide some territories with a steady flow of resources, even in the absence of strong domestic production. Some subnational island jurisdictions (SNIJs) staunchly defend their nonsovereignty and reap the benefits of political affiliation with a metropolitan state, while some microstates successfully deploy their sovereign status in pursuit of strategic goals. Around the world, both microstates and SNIJs frequently engage in niche, specialised, or innovative economic practices, literally trading upon their apparent insignificance. Such strategies often run counter to generally held development goals, which have typically been designed from a large-state perspective.

Arctic regions, with their small populations, transport difficulties, and remoteness from centres of political and economic power possess many of the same challenges and opportunities.

This interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, international conference considers the economic and developmental advantages and disadvantages faced by microstates, island territories, and arctic regions, exploring theory, empirically grounded best practice, and political-economic strategy. The conference welcomes contributions from government representatives, NGOs, business actors, and academic researchers (from economics, human geography, anthropology, development studies, business studies, and other disciplines).

What can theoretical models of microstate, island, and arctic development tell us about the functioning of small economies in small polities? What are (and were) the relative benefits of industrial focus on tourism, extractive industries, the knowledge economy, import substitution, 'selling sovereignty' or trading in 'strategic services', and other strategies in small territories? How does sovereign or nonsovereign political status affect a territory's economic potentials? Can economic and political objectives be reconciled in territories that have experienced colonialism or are home to Indigenous peoples? Are mainstream economic 'laws' at all applicable to small societies? Is 'development' always worthwhile, or might other economic goals make more sense for some territories? The conference will consider these questions and more.

About Nuuk, Greenland.
Greenland is a highly autonomous subnational island jurisdiction of Denmark. Although Greenland's government and administration are modelled after those of Denmark, the territory is confronted by apparently intractable economic, political, and social problems. Greenland is economically dependent on an annual block grant from Denmark, saddled with exceptionally high costs due to its remoteness and arctic environment, struggling to provide services to a population of just 57,000 spread out across many dozens of towns and villages with no fixed transport links, largely dependent on skilled labour imported from Denmark. The Greenlandic public nevertheless overwhelmingly desires eventual political independence from Denmark, seeking to escape a difficult relationship that remains coloured by a history of colonial paternalism. Recent years, however, have seen a dwindling of hopes that a growth in extractive industries will allow Greenland to pay its own way. The nation stands at a political and economic crossroads.

Nuuk (population 17,500) is Greenland's capital and largest town, a centre for government, services, business, and culture. Greenland’s rapid urbanisation since the 1950s has seen Nuuk transform into a town of massive apartment blocks and residential skyscrapers, challenging local conceptions of what it means to be a Greenlander in the modern world.

About the conference.
On 30 November-1 December, academic presentations will be held at Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland. On 2 December, delegates will take a boat trip out into fjords beyond Nuuk, seeing the stunning nature and visiting a small, remote settlement. On 3 December, delegates will explore Nuuk, speaking with local government representatives, business people, and other community members to learn about how Greenland's economy functions. Delegates will have a good chance of witnessing the northern lights. If you have any questions, please e-mail convenors Adam Grydehøj (agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org).

How to make attend and make a presentation.
Presentations are welcome on all aspects of economics and development in microstates, islands, and arctic regions. Presentations last 15 minutes and will be followed by around 5 minutes' question time.

The deadline for abstracts is 28 February 2018. You can submit your abstract here: http://www.islanddynamics.org/economicsdevelopment/cfp.html. The deadline for early registration is 31 March 2018.

Publication.
Participants will be invited to submit expanded versions of their papers to a special thematic section of Island Studies Journal (http://www.islandstudies.ca) on the topic of 'Island Economics and Development', to be published in May 2019. Island Studies Journal is an open access journal published by the University of Prince Edward Island's Institute of Island Studies. The deadline for paper submission is 31 May 2018. All submissions will be subject to peer review. Please direct all publication enquiries to both Adam Grydehøj (agrydehoj@islanddynamics.org) and special thematic section editor Javier L. Arnaut (jaar@uni.gl).

This conference is a collaboration of: Island Dynamics & Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland's Department of Economics and Business.

http://www.islanddynamics.org/economicsdevelopment.html