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image: theage.com.au

     A new energy policy is taking effect in Queensland, Australia, lowering overall energy consumption costs, but massively inflating prices for energy services. Effectually, according to director of Country Solar Steve Madson, this policy has no effect on energy bills, and can even lower them, while simultaneously removing all economic incentive for consumers to install new solar systems.

     Madson's suspicion is based in precedent. Prime Minister Tony Abbott described climate change theories as 'crap' in 2009, and earlier this year, Australia became the first developed nation in the world to repeal their carbon tax, despite its effectiveness.

More here

     During the final weeks of Spring term '13-'14, I wrote a research paper for my chemistry class titled 'Chemical Enantioselective Synthesis: The Search for the Other Half.' Certain molecules have a property called chirality, which dictates whether or not the molecule has optical isomers. In essence, two molecules that are exactly the same, but are non-superimposable mirror images of one another, are optical isomers. d- and l- optical isomers (or enantiomers), reflect plane-polarized light in different directions.

     d- and l- enantiomers are crucial in the development of medicine and pharmaceuticals, because enzymes in the human body typically only interact with the d- enantiomer of any given substance. If a substance is administered in a racemic (half d-, half l-) mixture, the l- half of the substance might have undesirable side effects, or might just pass through the human body harmlessly. Therefore, enantioselective synthesis is a crucial process for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture controlled and safe medicines.

     Enantioselective synthesis is complicated, and feasible mechanisms are very difficult to discover. In the paper, I discuss some common synthesis methods, instances of marketed racemic mixtures that went awry, and detail the search for an efficient l-glucose synthesis. Since l-glucose is not absorbed by the body, it can be used as a zero-calorie alternative to d-glucose, the much more common enantiomer, and it has the potential to unlock more secrets of optical isomers.

     Here's the paper, I hope you enjoy it!

Enantiomers and Synthesis of L-Glucose.pdf

image: magpictures.com

     Blackfish, a documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, was released in July 2013, and has recently enjoyed a surge of widespread acknowledgement, approximately one year after the film's initial release. The film focuses on an orca named Tilikum, who is one of the orcas living in Seaworld, and raises questions over the ethicality of keeping captive orcas.

     Despite the controversy, Seaworld has elected to keep its orcas (releasing them after having lived in captivity for so long might not be beneficial to the animals), and VP of Communications Fred Jacobs had responded to the movie in an interview with CNN, calling the film 'inaccurate and misleading.'

     Yesterday, (Aug. 13) Seaworld's stock fell nearly 33 percent after discussion surrounding Blackfish rose again on the internet. In addition, a piece of legislation called the 'Orca Welfare Safety Act' is pending while further studies are conducted, and could further hamper Seaworld's business, which CEO Jim Atchison had previously claimed was unaffected by the film. The question still remains whether this business disaster is truly justice for the orcas at Seaworld, or whether Seaworld really is just the victim of an 'inaccurate and misleading' documentary.

More here

     More information has come out recently regarding Uber's rivalry with hire-car service Lyft. Lyft claims to have evidence that Uber employees, including recruiters, have ordered and cancelled over 5500 rides on Lyft since last October. By linking accounts with large numbers of cancellations to phone numbers, Lyft claims to have unearthed a slew of accounts that in fact belong to just a few people, presumed Uber employees. One such user has been linked with 22 accounts, and is accused of over 1500 cancelled rides between the end of May 2013 and June 2014.

     This isn't the first instance of such tactics from Uber either. Earlier this year, Uber was accused of calling and canceling 300 rides on another competitor's app: Gett. In addition, Lyft drivers have reported frequent hires from Uber employees, who take short and low-profit rides, devoting time to convert them into Uber drivers. These questionable recruitment tactics have proven costly for Uber, as negative attention piles upon them, some customers are vowing to discontinue use of the app until their 'act is cleaned up.'  Only time will tell what, if there are any, the consequences will be.

More here 

image: siliconbeat.com

     Uber and Lyft, two companies responsible for the recent boom in the personal transportation sector, have continually fought for supremacy in the United States' growing on-demand taxi market. While Uber does have a $18.2 billion valuation (26 times higher than Lyft), Lyft CEO Logan Green has been doing his best to surpass Uber in new and creative ways. For example, Lyft has recently fitted its cars with pink mustaches (see image), in an effort to bolster its public image.

     However, it does seem as if Lyft has a long way to go if it wants to catch up to Uber. Uber has already expanded to 70 cities outside the United States (including Hong Kong, where I am from), while Lyft has yet to incorporate its services outside the US.

     Finally, the rivalry between these two companies is just another headache for both of them amongst restless protests from taxi drivers. By not implementing a physical 'fare meter', it seems as if Uber and Lyft have bypassed the regulations for taxi companies, sparking outrage in some communities. While Uber was recently declared legal in London, both companies still face legal challenges in the USA.

More on the rivalry (and a nice infographic) here.

Image: stocks.org

     In response to a planned bid by Sprint/T-Mobile for broadcast TV spectrum, Chairman of the FCC  Tom Wheeler proposed an antitrust plan which would prohibit bidding alliances between the largest mobile carriers in the United States. Wheeler's proposal would encourage competition from smaller carriers, and does not inhibit smaller carriers from forming partnerships with the larger companies: T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon.
     Though the incentive behind the bill is clear and well-meaning, there is some concern that by suppressing cooperation between large companies, which theoretically would be able to provide the best product for consumers, the FCC is favoring competition over quality of service. How this proposal will affect the speculated T-Mobile and Sprint merger will become clear in the future.

Read more here.