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‘Microlightning’ in water droplets may have sparked life on Earth

Life may not have begun with a dramatic lightning strike into the ocean but from many smaller “microlightning” exchanges among water droplets from crashing waterfalls or breaking waves. New research from Stanford University shows that water sprayed into a mixture of gases thought to be present in Earth’s early atmosphere can lead to the formation of organic molecules with carbon-nitrogen bonds, including uracil, one of the components of DNA and RNA. The…

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Essential Employee Handbook Considerations for Florida Employers in 2025

Quick Hits Florida employers are facing a complex landscape of evolving workplace policies and legal requirements in 2025, including updates in discrimination prevention, leave laws, and medical marijuana protections. Employers may want to regularly review and update their workplace policies to ensure compliance with changing laws, particularly in areas like discrimination, harassment, leave policies, and wage disputes. Key updates for Florida employee handbooks in 2025 include removing references to outdated…

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Unlocking the future of manufacturing with AI-powered digital thread

Imagine you are the quality control manager at a large electronics manufacturer. You have received reports of a serious, recurring component issue for a newly released product, which unfortunately has led to a recall. Historically, the only solution would be to issue a full recall, which has significant financial, operational, and reputational consequences. However, as part of an industrial transformation strategy, your organization has implemented a digital thread framework to…

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The New ‘Reset’ of US-Russia Relations and Its Possible Prospects

Despite widespread anticipation of possible changes in US-Russia relations in the wake of Trump’s return to power, the shift has been more drastic and rapid than anyone could have imagined, writes Zhao Huasheng in the first installment of his two-part series analyzing the seismic changes in US foreign policy.  Since the Ukrainian crisis, and especially since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, US-Russia relations have been on a downward spiral, a trajectory…

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The Growth Curriculum: How Everyday Struggles Shape Us

What if the challenges you’re facing aren’t obstacles—but invitations to grow? In this episode, Heidi Brooks and leadership expert Jennifer Garvey Berger explore how we grow through uncertainty, not just survive it. They also discuss why change is essential for leaders, how to turn everyday challenges into opportunities for growth and why embracing imperfection might be the key to thriving in an anxious world. Sharing insights from her book Changing…

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New book explores how relationships shape learning in age of AI

When you think about your favorite teacher, you probably don’t remember what grades they gave you – you remember how they made you feel. Maybe they got you excited about a book or a science experiment, showed you care during a hard time, or gave you a piece of advice that stuck.A new book from Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, explores the science behind why…

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Legal Innovation Pioneer Seyfarth Collaborates with Stanford’s CodeX, Accelerating Technology Tools to Streamline Client Efficiencies

NEW YORK – March 13, 2025 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a pioneer in legal innovation for over two decades, announces its alliance with CodeX, the renowned center for legal informatics at Stanford University. Together, Seyfarth and CodeX will combine leading technology and resources to accelerate the research, development, and implementation of industry-leading tools to help resolve the most complex legal and business issues impacting Seyfarth’s clients. “Since our inception 80…

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The North Carolina General Assembly’s 2025 Session: Employment-Related Bills to Watch

Quick Hits The 2025 session of the North Carolina General Assembly is considering employment-related bills related to union organizing and collective bargaining, nondiscrimination in the workplace, noncompete and nonpoaching agreements, and DEI. Senate Bill 120 / House Bill 207 aim to prohibit employers from restricting labor organizations and requiring employees to refrain from union membership as a condition of employment. Senate Bill 154 / House Bill 168 seek to prevent…

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Results of the UN General Assembly vote on Ukraine in February 2025

On February 24, 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted two resolutions on the Ukrainian conflict. On February 17, Ukraine and Poland requested the resumption of the 11th UNGA Special Emergency Session, which had convened after the outbreak of the conflict in February 2022. It last met on the first anniversary of the conflict, in February 2023. In 2024, on the second anniversary, Ukraine did not request the resumption of the…

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HHS’ Withdrawal of 2022 Guidance Raises Questions about Coverage for Gender-Affirming Care

Seyfarth Synopsis: In a move with potentially significant implications for entities subject to the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reversed course and now contends that Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity. In response to President Trump’s directives under an Executive Order that focused on gender-affirming health care to minors (EO 14187), which we…

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States Ramp Up Workplace Violence Prevention Efforts with New Legislation in 2025

Quick Hits Numerous states are introducing or expanding workplace violence prevention laws, particularly in healthcare settings, to enhance employee safety amid rising concerns. Specific legislative proposals, such as Alaska’s SB 49 and Massachusetts’s HD.1856, require employers to implement risk assessments, create violence prevention plans, and provide training to protect employees from workplace violence. In recent years, workplace violence has garnered significant attention from lawmakers across the United States, particularly regarding…

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Amplify learning with updates from Microsoft Education

Discover innovative ways to inspire your students and enhance your teaching methods with updates from Microsoft Education. As educators, we understand that you seek innovative ways to inspire your students, enhance your teaching methods, and optimize your daily tasks. To support your mission, we’ve curated a set of updates from Microsoft Education, designed to elevate both your and your students’ achievements. We’ll showcase some of the latest product enhancements and…

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Spinning, twisted light could power next-generation electronics

The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge and the Eindhoven University of Technology, have created an organic semiconductor that forces electrons to move in a spiral pattern, which could improve the efficiency of OLED displays in television and smartphone screens, or power next-generation computing technologies such as spintronics and quantum computing.The semiconductor they developed emits circularly polarised light—meaning the light carries information about the ‘handedness’ of electrons. The internal…

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From pilot to profit: Scaling gen AI in aftermarket and field services

McKinsey analysis of the performance of more than 50 industrial organizations over a 15-year period found that those with a high service focus generated 1.7 times the total shareholder returns (TSR) of those that focused mainly on products. In the aftermarket and field services context, services cover a wide range of activities. They range from the traditional—such as equipment installation and commissioning, or repair and aftermarket supply of components and…

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Aging in Bursts and Other News

Howie and Harlan check in on health issues in the news, including the big bet that went wrong for Walgreens, prohibited words at federal health agencies, the weaknesses of a much-discussed study suggesting that people age in bursts, and the long-term impact of the HPV vaccine. Links: Walgreens “Walgreens to Be Bought by Private Equity Firm in $10 Billion Deal” “Walgreens is heading down a risky path” “Walgreens to Be…

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Iran’s Adaptation Strategies Under Sanction Pressures

Iran currently faces a new wave of challenges that test its strategies. The return of Donald Trump to the White House, Israel's assertive posture in the Middle East, and slow progress on domestic reforms are significant hurdles, writes Daniyal Meshkin Ranjbar. As we reach the culmination of 46 years of sustained sanction pressures against the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is crucial to examine the country’s experiences and adaptive strategies throughout…

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Stanford research informs legislative proposal on California eviction laws

Anita had never failed to pay her rent before. But when she lost her job, she fell behind. Her landlord gave her three days to pay up or face eviction. Anita quickly found a new job and secured rental assistance, but by then, the landlord had already filed an eviction case. Under California law, that meant she had no legal right to stay in her home, even though she now…

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Trump Administration Halts Appeals of Rulings Blocking FTC Noncompete Ban

Quick Hits The Trump administration is seeking to pause the FTC’s pursuit of appeals of two district court decisions that blocked the FTC’s rule banning noncompetes, suggesting an expected shift in the government’s approach to the rule. Despite the motions to stay, and though the FTC may not pursue any further formal rulemaking on the issue, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson is continuing to emphasize his view that noncompete agreements…

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CIPO’s modernization efforts cause patent delays in Canada

This article is an update to "Failure to launch: CIPO’s modernization efforts cause patent delays". In July 2024, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched its new MyCIPO Patents online portal for filing, tracking, and managing patents files, as part of their modernization effort and alignment with the World Intellectual Property Office ST.27 Standard for the Exchange of Patent Legal Status Data. Significant problems began immediately. Although full access to…

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Unlocking the secrets of proteins with AI

Proteins are the tiny machines that power life, from helping us fight infections to breaking down food for energy. But many proteins don’t work alone, they come together in complex structures called homo-oligomers. Understanding how they assemble is key to unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, biotechnology, and disease research. Until now, predicting these structures has been slow and difficult, relying on time-consuming experiments or computational methods that require significant resources  That’s…

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Corporate Culture Is Built on Actions, Not Words

These days, companies pour significant resources into crafting culture statements, viewing a strong corporate culture as critical to business success. Yet what truly matters is often overlooked: human behaviour. At its heart, human behaviour is about people, that is, how they act, interact and make decisions. While a well-crafted culture statement can act as a guiding vision, it’s only as effective as the people who embody it. Without the right people,…

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Silence Is Not Golden: 5 Ways Lack of Feedback Kills Productivity

Whenever you search on Google or ask ChatGPT for something, you get an answer in a snap. An unintended result of this technology is that we expect immediate feedback from people, too. A lack of feedback kills productivity.  In 2008, tech scholar Nicholas Carr raised a provocative question in a cover story for The Atlantic: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” He argued that the ease of online searching and the…

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The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value

Organizations are starting to make organizational changes designed to generate future value from gen AI, and large companies are leading the way. The latest McKinsey Global Survey on AI finds that organizations are beginning to take steps that drive bottom-line impact—for example, redesigning workflows as they deploy gen AI and putting senior leaders in critical roles, such as overseeing AI governance. The findings also show that organizations are working to mitigate…

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The Hidden Battle for IP Protection in Alliances

1. Office of Public Affairs, “Chinese Company Sinovel Wind Group Convicted of Theft of Trade Secrets,” U.S. Department of Justice, Jan. 24, 2018, www.justice.gov. 2. S. Bengali, “Fraud Charges, Lost Patents: How an LA Auto Legend’s China Venture Crashed,” Los Angeles Times, Aug. 13, 2020, www.latimes.com. 3. J.-C. Friedmann, D. Lavie, and L. Rademaker, “Does the Predator Become the Prey? Knowledge Spillover and Protection in Alliances,” Journal of Management, published…

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Federal Court Denies Dealer Challenge To OEM Internet Sales Policy

A Massachusetts federal court recently granted summary judgment in favor of a motorcycle manufacturer and dismissed claims by a dealer who argued the manufacturer’s internet sales policy breached the dealer agreement between the parties and violated the Massachusetts Dealer’s Bill of Rights, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 93B.  The decision affirms the right of manufacturers to control the manner in which their trademarks are used in online advertising and marketing and…

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DOJ Moves to Challenge Illinois Nonprofit Board Disclosure Law

Quick Hits An activist group has asked a federal district court to strike down an Illinois law requiring the disclosure of nonprofit organizations’ board demographics. The DOJ has intervened in the case, claiming that the law violates the Fourteenth Amendment. The intervention is part of the DOJ’s effort to eliminate DEI practices nationwide. On March 11, 2025, the U.S. District for the Northern District of Illinois granted the DOJ’s motion…

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Responses API and Computer-Using Agent in Azure AI Foundry announced

AI agents are transforming industries by automating workflows, enhancing productivity, and enabling intelligent decision-making. Businesses are leveraging AI agents to process insurance claims, manage IT service desks, optimize supply chain logistics, and even assist healthcare professionals in analyzing medical records. The potential is vast, and we’re excited to introduce two powerful innovations in Azure AI Foundry. AI agents are transforming industries by automating workflows, enhancing productivity, and enabling intelligent decision-making.…

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Talking with Johan Tjärnberg, Group CEO of Trustly: Breaking barriers

In the payments industry, open banking and account-to-account payments have experienced slower adoption in certain markets as they compete with card-based and peer-to-peer systems. In this episode of Talking Banking Matters, McKinsey payments sector leader Roshan Varadarajan speaks with Johan Tjärnberg, the Group CEO of the open-banking and account-to-account company Trustly. The following edited transcript shares highlights from the conversation. For more discussion of the banking issues that matter, follow…

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Video: Can the Tools of Finance Help Combat Climate Change?

I work on trying to understand the motivations and the drivers of investors’ preference for green investment. I try to understand how can investors use the financial insurance that they have access to better ensure themselves against potential climate change damages or damages from regulation of climate change. ‌ I think, by now, most people realize that climate change could have potentially very large implications for the economy, and financial…

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Kenneth Goodson named vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs

Kenneth Goodson, professor of mechanical engineering and senior associate dean for research and faculty affairs in the School of Engineering, has been named Stanford’s vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, Provost Jenny Martinez announced. His tenure begins April 1. “I’m thrilled that Ken has agreed to be the next vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs. Ken is an example of an excellent mentor who truly cares about…

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Our Guide to the Spring 2025 Issue

subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Lessons Learned From Outside Innovators Simone Ferriani and Gino Cattani Key Insight: When creative thinkers bring fresh ideas to an organization, it can spark innovation — if they can find supportive allies. Top Takeaways: People from outside an organization can offer a unique perspective that challenges established norms and catalyzes innovation. But that won’t happen if these unconventional thinkers find themselves in an environment where insiders don’t…

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FTC Requests Stay of Appeals to Challenges to FTC Non-Compete Rule Citing New Administration

Sebastian Pichler, Unsplash On March 7, 2025, lawyers for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed motions requesting a 120-day stay of the agency’s appeal of district court decisions in the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuit, which had blocked the FTC’s proposed ban on non-competes (the “Rule”) in the Ryan v. FTC and Properties of the Villages (“POV”) v. FTC cases, respectively. The nearly-identical filings cite the change in presidential administrations…

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Copilot in the C-suite: Grant Thornton’s Sandie Boswell on supporting employee wellbeing 

Tax specialists typically put in long hours to meet client deadlines. After the COVID-19 pandemic, audit, accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton Australia noticed its people were especially tired and introduced a “nine-day fortnight,” essentially giving employees a day back every two weeks to rest and recharge.  Sandie Boswell, chief managing partner for tax at Grant Thornton Australia based in Sydney, is a big advocate and takes an afternoon each…

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How the Most Resilient Companies Adapt to Disruption

Global risks are rising, and many companies are struggling with how to adapt. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report makes it clear that challenges like escalating global tensions and conflicts, climate change, economic instability and supply chain disruptions are interconnected and build on one another. And they’re here to stay.Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump’s tariff threats are creating more unpredictability in global trade.Companies have no choice but to constantly adjust their strategies. For many…

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Powering productivity: Operations insights for 2025

In an era of persistent change, how can companies foster an environment that empowers employees to anticipate, respond to, and even leverage unexpected shifts in the business landscape? In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, host Daphne Luchtenberg is joined by McKinsey Senior Partners Dan Swan and Ruth Heuss, global co-conveners of McKinsey’s Operations Practice, to explore strategies and approaches to technology, workforce planning, and sustainability that will help organizations remain agile…

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Water resilience: Closing the funding gap for utilities

Recent years have seen the publication of a number of reports about how water and wastewater utilities in the United States can become more resilient, particularly when it comes to addressing rapidly aging infrastructure, optimizing operational efficiencies, and contending with increasing water demand. There has been significantly less discussion about how state and local leaders (including mayors and county offices) can help water utilities invest in resilience. We believe that…

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Routine asthma test more reliable in the morning and has seasonal effects

Using real world data from 1,600 patients, available through a database created for speeding up research and innovation, the team also found that its reliability differs significantly in winter compared to autumn.Asthma is a common lung condition that can cause wheezing and shortness of breath, occasionally severe. Around 6.5% of people over six years old in the UK are affected by the condition. Treatments include the use of inhalers or…

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Who’s in Control?

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share In times of uncertainty, people seek the comfort of control. Compensatory control theory, developed by researchers in 2009, suggests that when people feel a lack of control in their environment, they often try to restore it “by imbuing their social, physical, and metaphysical environments with order…

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Cybersecurity In Construction: How To Effectively Mitigate Cyber Risk

Towfiqu barbhuiya, Unsplash The construction industry’s reliance on digital data and devices has reshaped the construction process. When used properly, digital technology facilitates collaboration and increases productivity. However, growing dependence on digital innovation has also rendered construction companies a prime target for cybercriminals. The stark, inescapable reality is that the construction industry has been experiencing an alarming increase in cyber attacks over the last five years. Construction companies should mitigate the…

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