Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Japan Display announces turnaround plans. The smartphone screen manufacturer is expected to slash over 3,500 jobs and seek an outside investor to help finance its overhaul. The joint venture by Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi has struggled, even after a $677 million injection from a state-backed investor last year.
India’s scientists take to the streets. Inspired by April’s global “March for Science,” scientists will demonstrate in over 30 cities across India. Protesters hope to draw attention to funding shortages, as well the ”rising wave of unscientific beliefs and religious bigotry” in India.
Belgium’s parliament holds an emergency egg meeting. Parliament will convene to discuss food safety after a poisonous insecticide forced an egg recall. A similar panic in 1999 caused a major political crisis (paywall).
While you were sleeping
North Korea has produced an ICBM-ready nuclear warhead… US analysts say Pyongyang has the technology to sufficiently miniaturize its weapon (paywall)—a key threshold to becoming a full-fledged nuclear power. US president Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if it continues its nuclear threats.
… And is now threatening to strike Guam. Pyongyang said it’s considering missile strikes on the US territory in the Pacific in response to Trump’s threats against North Korea. Guam is home to a number of US bases and thousands of US military personnel.
Kenya’s incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta is ahead in vote counting. With 80% of ballots counted, Kenyatta has 55% of the vote compared to 44% for opponent Ralia Odinga. Odinga is disputing the results as “fictitious,” as the electoral commission urges Kenyans to exercise restraint and patience for fear of a repeat of the violence that marred the 2007 general election.
An earthquake in southwestern China killed at least 13 people. Chinese state media said a 7.0-magnitude quake struck the scenic tourist hotspot of Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan province. Another quake struck the western Xinjiang autonomous region on Wednesday morning, with no casualties reported yet.
Disney will ditch Netflix and launch its own streaming services. The entertainment giant’s move to end its exclusive streaming deal when the current contract expires in 2019 sent Netflix shares down by more than 6%. Disney plans to launch a series of streaming services, including an ESPN sports offering in 2018.
Quartz obsession interlude
Cassie Werber on the people in rich countries who are dying of loneliness. “Such ‘epidemics,’ while not confined to rich countries, are linked to prominent features of affluent culture: longer life expectancy, decreasing marriage rates, people having fewer children, more people getting divorced, and more people living alone.” Read more here.
Markets haiku
“Fire and fury” / Sell HBO subscriptions / But stocks? Not so much.
Matters of debate
Biological determinism can’t explain tech’s gender gap. It’s an argument that is always used to justify social hierarchies.
Marriage is increasingly the province of college-educated women. Social shifts have made “high-investment parenting” a more attractive prospect.
US CEOs have China Stockholm syndrome. They’re cooperating with Beijing (paywall) even while being forced to give up technology in return for market access.
Surprising discoveries
Boeing and NASA are copying geese to save jet fuel. “Wake surfing” planes could fly in a V formation.
A man is suing Heineken for a gecko-infused beer. He claims to have PTSD after drinking a can with two dead lizards inside.
The man who wrote the book on online passwords says he got it all wrong. Bill Burr wrote the US government guidelines that require special characters and other useless rules (paywall).
There’s a scientifically optimal dunking time for Oreos in milk. An analysis of capillary action suggests that three seconds will almost saturate the cookies.
Autonomous car tests are getting seriously weird. Reporters spotted a self-driving car in Arlington, Virginia that turned out to be a regular car, driven by a human who was disguised as a car seat.
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