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JAPAN'S RANKING AS THE THIRD WORLD ECONOMY after the US snd China is remarkable for a population of 127 M living on an island s bit smaller than California. After the devastation of the war, they decided that hard work was the sacrifice required to rebuild their society. Along with only 1% of GDP going to military costs, they entered a three decade period of unprecedented growth, slowing in the 1990s. The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan's (INCJ) was recently created to stimulate the economy. As a 22 Bn USD VC fund it is the largest in the world. Plus doubling the money supply. Bold! View in LinkedIn

ANNE RICE'S VAMPIRE CHARACTERS LAMENT THE ENNUI OF ETERNAL LIFE, in her playful but serious books. The characters yearn a finite life. It is fascinating to see the sheer number of postings today on the preliminary hypothalamus findings. Remember the autumn leaf? It is easier to discard accumulated broken systems and build from new than to repair. We have increased our longevity in a few generations, but these aspirations being voiced are simply fantasy. http://lnkd.in/zRrRe3 View in LinkedIn

JAPAN IS AN ISLAND WITH CURIOUS CONSTRAINTS. It has no energy resources, so is the leading coal and liquified natural gas importer, second oil importer, and consequently has a nuclear power policy. It does not farm animals to a great extent and imports 60% of its calories (except rice), and with the world's largest fishing fleet, this 1.8% of the world's population eats 15% of the annual world fish catch. With 98.5% of Japanese ethnicity, and an elderly bubble, it must face a change immigration to endure s future workforce and tax base. These constrains significantly shape its choices. View in LinkedIn

TACTILE FEEDBACK FOR ROBOTIC SURGERIES. View in LinkedIn

A FAMOUS SCIENTIST IN THE LATE 1980'S answered a competitor's request for a sample of his new plasmid with a harsh 'no'. The competitor put the letter into a gentle solvent buffer and extracted enough plasmid to conduct his experiment, and then gave credits in the footnotes. This charming anecdote happens to be true but the names are withheld for discretion's sake. View in LinkedIn

MAY 5th, JAPAN'GOLDEN WEEK ENDS WITH THE DAY OF THE CHILD. This family-centric longest Japanese holiday is a combination of four celebrations, and is a chance to visit family and vacation. The last day celebrates the happiness of the children and gratitude to all mothers. On the 4th in Tokyo was an elaborate three and a half hour procession of marching children's bands View in LinkedIn

"THE MAP MUST BE WRONG". We all know people who live by this mantra. The finger points outward first, inward last. Beware the type. View in LinkedIn

LINKEDIN NETWORKS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF A VALUABLE PICTOGRAM. Huge amounts of data sorted in a visually effective manner. http://lnkd.in/qmfZ-v View in LinkedIn

BRITAIN'S CLIMATE HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED. The long warm summers of my youth, with temperate and scented days are not just the fond memories of an older man, but an emerging fact. Today, the amount of rain has increased, dramatically, and flash-floods, which were unheard of, are not uncommon. The recent TV images of Cornish cars floating down a village river were deeply unsettling to me. This appears to really be more than just wistful thinking of a rose-colored youth. View in LinkedIn

THE SANOFI MAKEOVER IS IN PROCESS (WSJ MAY 3, 2013). Facing the Patent Cliff on a whopping 30% of their products in 2008, or nearly €800 M, today this has almost zeroed out. As part of the remake it adopted outsourcing and in-licensing (at last), took up an interest in rare diseases (the low hanging fruit are long gone), animal health, consumer medicine, and (of course) sales in emerging markets. Extreme pain can prompt even the most staid groups to take drastic steps to avoid a face-plant. View in LinkedIn