Plastic of the Future

Bioplastics may offer one solution to the plastic predicament — and a West Sacramento company is leading the way.

Origin Materials is part of a small but growing bioplastics market. Regulation, recycling and changing consumer behavior have proven ineffective in curbing the environment impacts of plastic. With plastic production projected to double over the next 20 years, Origins founders think the key solution lies in the bottles themselves. 

Jun 19, 2018 Sena Christian

DNA Detectives are Searching for Killers in Your Family Tree

In April, investigators arrested a suspect in the decades-old case of the Golden State Killer after sifting through online genetic data. The arrest has set off one of the most vigorous recent debates about privacy in the digital age. 

Jun 21, 2018 Kristen V Brown

How to Avoid Getting Sick From Financial Markets

Major stock indexes have given up much of their year-to-date gains after the past several days of selling. The year is days away from being half over, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is up a few percentage points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is little changed for 2018.

Jun 20, 2018 Barry Ritholtz

Buzzwords: Algorithm

According to a study by Big Data & Society entitled “Algorithms in Culture,” algorithms have graduated from purely technical jargon into the realm of cultural influence and should be studied anthropologically.

Jun 14, 2018 Eva Roethler

The Role of Plastic Regulation

For advocates looking to curb disposable plastic use and pollution through regulation, California represents the benchmark. But for industry groups, the regulation is overly burdensome, going too far to restrict what businesses can do, which they argue would ultimately increase costs for consumer goods.

Jun 19, 2018 Sena Christian