Lockdown loosens, Coronaman, Cartoon economies and the home of Chinese Punk

Grüezi! I’m Adrian Monck, welcome to this World Economic Forum newsletter.

This week...loosening lockdowns, grim news on the global economy, why your jeans rip faster, and Wuhan’s real claim to fame.

Remember newsletters are like sourdough starters – they’re for sharing!

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1️⃣ Loosening lockdown

As some lockdowns loosen, how do you work out how risky it is to leave home?

An enterprising mathematician has a hopeful formula...

The virus may be scary, but ... masks, sanitizing, and social distancing can protect us in meaningful and understandable ways. The numbers show that we should take these defenses seriously. Stay six feet apart (not four!), wear masks, sanitize religiously — and don’t touch your face!

Scientific American looks at how the pandemic will end:

The question of how the pandemic plays out is at least 50 percent social and political. The other 50 percent will probably come from science. 

The problem? Scientists don’t know enough to be sure about how – or if – any of these will really work. And looking ahead – national pandemic crisis plans are not enough.

⏭ Stay up to speed on COVID–19 here.

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2️⃣ The New Dismal

2020 not really going to plan?

Let’s just fast forward to 2030 says economics’ Dr Doom, Nouriel Roubini:

[A] perfect storm that sweeps the entire global economy into a decade of despair. By the 2030s, technology and more competent political leadership may be able to reduce, resolve, or minimise many of these problems, giving rise to a more inclusive, cooperative, and stable international order.

An academic paper reviewing the hit to the jobs market shares the pessimism:

[T]he economic downturn will be lasting. There are similar effects on directly restricted and only indirectly affected sectors. This implies that the current damage done to the economy is not solely caused by the stay-at-home orders; it is too large and pervasive. Therefore it is unlikely to be undone simply by lifting these stay-at-home orders.

What should governments do?

• Establish a government firewall that can protect the economy during future downturns?
• Or re-engineer tax codes and regulations be re-engineered so that private companies and individuals can more easily adapt to pandemics?

⏭ Who will be the winners in the post-pandemic economy?

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3️⃣ COVID–19: Early Warning

Who got an early heads up on the pandemic in Davos?

Indian star Priyanka Chopra:

I got early information [about COVID-19] at the World Economic Forum in January... and as the outbreak began in China, I remember there was a conversation about it. I work with the World Health Organization a lot and I’m the daughter of a physician, so I spoke to my mom and understood the severity of what it was—and what it could be if it wasn’t handled soon.

⏭ COVID–19: the hidden challenges faced by doctors and patients.

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4️⃣ Coronaman

Creativity has not been a casualty of the crisis – here’s film-maker Bobby Huntley’s take on horror staple Candyman.

⏭ Speaking of creativity, join Robin, Linda, Max and the team for World vs Virus. It’s Apple recommended!

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5️⃣ Modern Clothes are Rubbish

Your jeans and T-shirts now come with built-in obsolescence. Even the expensive ones. Maybe it’s smarter to shop cheaper.

Here’s fashion writer, Emy Demkes:

• “As a journalist writing about the impact of the clothing industry on people and the environment, I regularly get comments about the poor quality of clothing. People who feel like the quality of clothes that were made “back then” was better than what’s on the market today.
• Many pieces seem designed to be unwearable after a few washes or a few turns in the dryer or on the ironing board, a trick we now know all too well from the electronics industry. 
• It’s what keeps us coming back to buy more. Are we being deliberately misled? Or is there something else going on?”

⏭ How to stay sustainable under lockdown.

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6️⃣ COVID–19 and the Cartoon Economy

Nintendo’s animated game Animal Crossing has been a lockdown hit.

The virtual world is a retreat from real life. Or is it?

• The game thrusts the player on to a chirpy, violence-free ecosystem of insect collection, home improvement and resource extraction, where economic activity is often dependent upon bank lending. It did not take long...for players to spot that they could defraud the game’s bank by depositing large sums in saving accounts and then “time travelling” into the future by tweaking the console’s internal clock. The bank duly pays decades of compounded interest, making rapid bell millionaires.

⏭ As coronavirus shocks the real economy, is now the time for transformation?

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7️⃣ What is Wuhan Really Famous For? Punk!!!

If you’ve only heard of Wuhan through coronavirus, read this on the city’s punk heritage. And here’s how Wuhan’s music scene is coping now.

Wuhan punk rockers SMZB go Dropkick Murphys.

⏭ Cooperation not isolation will help us fight COVID–19.

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If you like this newsletter – please share it with friends, family, and co-workers!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this artisan crafted content,

Adrian

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With thanks to all those folks without whose encouragement and critical feedback this newsletter would never get written.