Headlines

AI reckoning makes South Korean economy run for cover

TOKYO — South Korea has outrun the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2008 Lehman shock, and the 2013 taper tantrum. Whether it can outrun its own AI boom is a harder test — and one the last week of Kospi whiplash put on stark display. Korea sits at the front of a pack of

Asia

Nostalgia hinders Takaichi’s vision for Japan

Two themes dominate Japan’s elite thinking at present: a blend of awe and fear about the ambitions of Japan’s powerful prime minister, Sanae Takaichi; and concerns about the US-Japan security alliance. Takaichi became prime minister last October through winning a party

Asia

Learning to better understand bone-like minerals

A University of California San Diego research team has found a better way to understand and stabilize hydroxyapatite, the calcium phosphate mineral that makes up much of our teeth and bones. By adding tiny amounts of europium, a rare-earth element that mimics calcium, the team