Live More And Enjoy Life More: Support This Great Research

Recently, Scott from www.wrevenue.com went to the Emerging Technology conference. The main focus was on neurobiology and other topics. Well the one which he liked the most was on longevity research. He wrote a post about this on his blog and I liked it very much. As I am a young student interested in science. So I am thinking to join this field if possible.

Well he gave 6 reasons for those people who don't support longevity research. Well personally I am much interested in this research. Afterall who doesn't wish to live longer :). But lazy people these days give foolish excuses like:

They don’t like their lives and would therefore choose not to prolong them.

By living longer and healthier we can fulfill all our aspirations. I think with the increase in new technology like nanotechnology we can achieve what was impossible a few decades ago. Afterall new inventions keep taking place. I fully support his article and its a must read here : http://www.wrevenue.com/2008/03/06/living-well-indefinitely-20-blogging-challenge/

Here are some other resources which he provided and you might want to read them:

Life Expectancy Of Yeast Extended To 800 In Yeast Years
The End of Aging? Inside the New Hunt for a Cure to Growing Old
Aubrey de Grey thinks he knows how to defeat aging, live to 1,000.
Stem Cells Enable Paralyzed Rats to Walk, Ready for Human Trials
Rare Gene Mutation Plays Role in Longevity
The Next Big Thing? (Stanley Bing, Fortune.com)

Dollar Rally In 2008?

With the books closed on 2007, analysts are looking ahead to 2008. With regard to the Dollar, market sentiment is surprisingly upbeat, with expectations of a 5-10% appreciation. In blogging circles, the word "oversold" has been cropping up. Commentators cite a mix of technical and fundamental factors in their reasoning. Some economists expect the US trade deficit to decline marginally in 2008 and GDP to grow at 2-4%. These fundamentals, they argue, support a higher Dollar valuation. The price of oil has been singles out as a pivotal input in the US economic forecast. If the price declines by 20% or more, it could offset the still-unfolding housing crisis and provide much-needed support for the faltering economy. he EU could also take steps to support a Dollar appreciation. EU Government and Central Bank officials have voiced concern over the Euro's rise, and could intervene on its behalf via a change in interest rates. BloggingStocks reports:

"So far the ECB's deeds have not matched their words, but one gets the sense the ECB will take actions to strengthen the dollar and weaken the euro in 2008."

Read More: Experts see mild dollar rally in 2008 if economy holds up

A Forex Review Of 2007

As 2007 draws to a close, the Forex Blog would like to formally deliver its second annual 'state of the markets' address. While the picture in most capital markets was blurry and nuanced, the story for forex markets was relatively straightforward. Simply speaking, the story was all about the US Dollar, which followed up its worst year in recent memory in 2006 with an equally abysmal performance in 2007. In fact, over the last two years, the Dollar has fallen over 20% against the Euro, and even further against most of the world's other important currencies.

During the early part of the year, evidence mounted that the current US economic cycle had peaked, and analysts began to speculate that the US Federal Reserve Bank would cut interest rates. Nonetheless, the Dollar traded sideways for the next nine months, until the housing bubble burst and the ensuing credit crisis quickly metastasized to the rest of the economy. The Fed responded by cutting interest rates by 50 basis points, and the Dollar began to unravel, losing 10% of its value in a matter of weeks. After that point, the bad news began to pour in.

The oil-exporting countries delivered a one-two punch to the Dollar, first by announcing that the possibility of accepting payment for oil in other currencies, than hinting towards a collective dissolution of their respective Dollar pegs. The Canadian Dollar reached parity with its counterpart to the south shortly thereafter. Countries in the developing world, including Brazil, Russia, and India, also witnessed surges in their respective currencies. The Chinese Yuan continued its slow climb, rising over 6% for the year, though this figure is probably closer to 2-3% in real terms. Even the Japanese Yen, previously held in place by the carry trade, notched an impressive performance as the credit crunch touched off a cascade of risk aversion. Then, of course, there was the interest rate story: by the end of the year, US interest rates were only 25 basis points above EU rates, and Dollar bears were licking their lips.

The news was not all bad, however. Foreign investors proved that they were willing to continue to finance the US twin deficits, though perhaps to a lesser extent than before. There were even several high-profile investments in US financial institutions, led by Sovereign Investment Funds, which collectively claim hundreds of billions of dollars at their disposal. In addition, the world's Central Banks announced plans to pump over $500 Billion into global capital markets, which should especially benefit the Dollar since the US bore the brunt of the credit crunch. Finally, economic data now indicate that US exports have been helped by the declining dollar.

All things considered, it could have been worse. Tune in later this week, as we unveil our forecast for 2008.