After living through near starvation for 17 days, 33 miners had to prepare for the rigors of their rescue. Dr. Jean Christophe Romagnoli developed a training routine utilizing an elastic band that would condition the miners’ muscles to avoid cramps and spasms during their ascent. Dr Romagnoli also monitored the miners’ health and suggested they… Read more »

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera had barely been in office five months when 33 miners became trapped in the San Jose Mine run by Codelco. The president was no stranger to disaster, having ushered the country through recovery after one the strongest earthquakes on record. Once again, the national spotlight was upon him as the country… Read more »

Imagine being trapped underground for more than two months. Difficulties associated with such a plight include food and water availability, personal hygiene, and psychological issues. The Chilean miners were able to overcome these problems through a vast array of technological wonders, including bacteria-killing clothing, cleansing products that required little or no water, and electronics equipment… Read more »

Demonstrators in Japan staged a massive anti-China rally as tensions between the two nations continue to rise. Long-simmering tensions between the countries have been fueled lately as a result of an incident last month when a Chinese boat operating off the coast of islands that both China and Japan claim as theirs purposely collided with… Read more »

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu urged France to more actively support Turkey’s application to join the European Union (EU). Turkey’s EU membership talks are currently stalled in the nation’s long quest to become a member of the world’s largest trade bloc. Mr. Davutoglu called on French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to help accelerate the membership… Read more »

World finance leaders at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington last week urged nations to continue their commitment to multilateral cooperation on currency issues. In his opening remarks, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn outlined four risks to the global economy: public debt, a jobless recovery, inadequate regulation of the financial sector, and the… Read more »

As fiscal policy efforts by governments seem to have stalled in stimulating economic growth, central banks worldwide seem more willing to use monetary policy tools to address stagnating economic growth. Countries are also taking actions to restrain their currencies from rising to protect their export sectors. Japan will begin a $60 billion program to buy… Read more »

It is not uncommon for a sitting President to experience turnover in Cabinet-level appointments during the mid-term. Presidential administrations go through stages and resignations/replacements sometimes follow mid-term elections, when voters indicate their approval or disapproval of policies enacted. What is a bit unusual is that the present administration is seeing considerable turnover in advance of… Read more »

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay’s masterful performance (hard for this Reds fan to swallow) in Game 1 of the National League Division Series is a gem worth analyzing. While most insiders quickly recognize that a no-hitter involves team contributions, Roy Halladay’s entire season should be evaluated from the perspective of individual behavior. Nevertheless, the article… Read more »

In another example of the viral effects of the internet, a passenger on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight recorded attendants dancing their way through the safety briefing. Millions of views generated tremendous publicity both for the fledgling airline and the Phillipines. QUESTIONS: M1. Was this safety demonstration effective communication, efficient communication, both, or neither?… Read more »