Generational Dynamics Forum - New Site

The Research Triangle is one of the many places across the US that has doubled down on higher education and health care institutions — often dubbed the “eds and meds” approach — as a way to drive economic growth.

Duke University, which between its university and health system employs some 50,000 people, is the second largest private-sector employer in the state. It’s seeking to slash $350 million in spending to prepare for federal funding cuts, the threat of fewer international students and a potential endowment tax.

The job cuts announced in and around the Research Triangle related to federal funding so far aren’t large enough to throw the region’s economy off course, said Matthew Martin, a regional executive at the Richmond Fed.

The area’s richness in biopharmaceuticals, global health, research “didn’t happen by accident,” San Martin said. “That was the result of decades of consistent investment by the US government in these important areas.”

American workers are stuck in an 'infinite workday,' according to Microsoft report: 'People are feeling very burnt out'

Story by Sophie Caldwell • 9h • 3 min read

If you've ever complained that the modern workday is unending, you may be right.

According to a new report from Microsoft, employees are now experiencing an "infinite workday" of constant emails, meetings and notifications. They check their emails as early as 6 a.m., juggle meetings through the afternoon and then stay online well into the night.

Simply put, "it's a very long day," says Alexia Cambon, senior research director at Microsoft.

Beyond the extended hours, workers are beset with notifications. According to Microsoft's data, employees are interrupted every two minutes by meetings, emails or messages, and receive an average of 117 emails and 153 Teams messages each workday.

As a result, people are feeling overwhelmed: 48% of employees and 52% of leaders reported that work feels "chaotic and fragmented" in Microsoft's Work Trend Index survey, and 80% of global workers said they lack sufficient time and energy to do their work.

“If we have these contaminants in our rainwater they’re getting into our groundwater,” Brahney said. “They’re infiltrating our soils. Every organism is interacting with rainwater.”

Ultimately, what all of this research reveals is that the planet is dirty, even if the filth can be hard to see. These chemicals are in the rain because they’re abundant in the environment — and they’re in the environment because they’re in the rain. And while there’s ongoing research, we don’t yet fully understand how those pollutants impact our bodies and our ecosystems. We just know they’ll be around for a very, very long time.

“To be honest, I cry, because there’s no walking this back,” Brahney said of microplastic pollution. “These particles don’t break down at a time scale that would be relevant. So yeah, we’re not escaping that.”

In response to the oil price shocks of the early 1970s, Congress passed the nation's first fuel economy standards in 1975. The law called for a doubling of passenger vehicle efficiency—to 27.5 miles per gallon—within 10 years.

Higgenbotham wrote: Tue Jun 03, 2025 12:09 pm

Higgenbotham wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:49 pm I've mentioned in these pages that somewhere around 1971, give or take a few years, and it would vary from sector to sector with probably the more complex sectors coming first, that the US entered the maintenance phase of a declining civilization. There was a slow recognition and response to that turning point.

Now Google AI has added its 2 cents.

AI Overview

In the context of the study of societal collapse, the "maintenance phase of a declining civilization" is a concept that describes a stage where a civilization is struggling to sustain its existence and address accumulating problems but is not yet in full collapse.

Key aspects of a maintenance phase in a declining civilization:

Focus on Preservation: Instead of growth and expansion, the primary focus shifts to maintaining existing systems and infrastructure, sometimes to the detriment of needed innovation or adaptation.
Declining Returns on Investment: According to theories like those of Joseph Tainter, as societies become more complex, the benefits derived from increasing complexity may diminish, leading to a state where the costs of maintaining that complexity outweigh the benefits.
Vulnerability to Collapse: At this stage, a society becomes increasingly susceptible to collapse, as the resources and energy required for maintenance may become unsustainable, leaving it vulnerable to internal or external shocks.

Examples from History:

The Mayan Civilization: Some scholars argue that the Classic Maya, while often presented as an example of collapse, experienced a period of reorganization where the political system of Divine Kingship was removed in certain areas, but their culture and language persisted.
The Greenland Norse: These colonists invested heavily in inner-fjord pastures and oversized stone churches, a focus on maintaining their current way of life that, according to some interpretations, hampered their ability to adapt to changing conditions and potentially survive.
The Khmer Empire: This empire, which flourished for centuries, was eventually affected by drought and violent monsoon rains, against a backdrop of a changing climate.

Theories of Societal Collapse:

Complexity Theory (Joseph Tainter): Suggests that societies collapse due to the unsustainable costs of increasing internal complexity.
Five Stages of Empire Model (David Murrin): Describes the stages of empire, including a "decline and legacy" stage where the spending required for maintenance decreases dramatically.
Jared Diamond's Factors: Identifies factors like environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, and withdrawal of support from friendly neighbors as contributing to societal collapse.
General Systems Collapse Theory: Posits that societal collapse results from societal complexity exceeding a sustainable level.
Malthusian Theory: Suggests that population growth can outpace food production, leading to resource scarcity and societal instability.

In essence, the maintenance phase signifies a crucial point in a civilization's trajectory where the balance between maintenance and sustainability becomes a key factor in its future.

AI responses may include mistakes.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22main ... nt=gws-wiz

Trump, in reversal, may exempt farms and hotels from immigration raids

After complaints from farm and hotel owners, Trump said he may halt ICE raids in those industries. If he does, experts say, he will struggle to meet his goal of 3,000 detentions a day.

June 15, 2025, 7:00 AM CDT
By Laura Strickler, Rob Wile and Didi Martinez

President Donald Trump said on social media Thursday that he is willing to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from his nationwide immigration crackdown. The surprise move came after executives in both industries complained to Trump about losing reliable, longtime immigrant workers in immigration raids and struggling to replace them.

“Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” Trump wrote.

FullMoon wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 11:03 am Prepare to live the life that you should have been prepping for all along. And if you have, you're definitely not looking forward to it.