April 24, 2025

Daily Edition:

The Art of the Walk-Back

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Good morning, curious minds!

There’s a quiet kind of shift happening. You won’t see it on trending lists or hear it shouted on the news.

But if you look closely, something’s moving:

Scientists are quietly packing their lives into shipping boxes.

Tariffs quietly coming down after months of thunder.

It’s not always the big headlines that change things — sometimes the quiet pivots tell you where we’re headed.

We followed the noise. And the silence.

Fatih Taskiran

In this issue: ​

Economy Dealing in Reverse Science Exporting Our Geniuses Beyond the Core How to Delete Yourself?

Economy

Dealing in Reverse

Probably the man who slapped China with a 145% tariff is thinking: Maybe that was a bit much. Trump's considering cutting those levies—maybe by half—to calm the chaos he created. White House says it's not folding, just strategizing. China, on the other hand, thinks the U.S. is blinking first.

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No final deal is on the table yet, but both sides are moving closer. But don’t be fooled—this isn’t a détente, it’s a pressure valve release. Markets cheered, but under the surface, the game remains the same: leverage, optics, and very few actual deals. Trump still believes in his mythical dealmaking magic, but Beijing seems far more patient—and less impressed.

In Context: In the tariff war, China has an army of robots. (Gift Article)

Bonus: Has the stock market hit bottom? You can learn from history.

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Science

Emptying the Future

Remember when we said a brain drain was coming? It's not coming anymore — it's here. With Trump cutting billions in research funding and cracking down on universities, job applications abroad are spiking — up 41% for Canada alone.

​France is rolling out welcome mats. Germany's Max Planck institutes are creating whole programs to attract American talent. Grants are disappearing mid-project, studies are suspended, and labs are gutted. Researchers aren't just looking elsewhere. They're being forced out. The question isn't whether there's a brain drain. It's whether we'll have any science left to defend.

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💬 Beyond the Core

📸 Lens to Life

​Award-Winning Photos from the 2025 GCCA Concrete in Life Photographic Competition.

🗓️ Flashback

Fatih Taskiran

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

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