DDIntel - War in Europe, Market Impact and Obsession with Conflict

The world is at a turning point. As Russian soldiers march into the rebel territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine, the world holds its breath, wondering what the Kremlin might do next. Over the last month, Moscow has been at odds with the US and the west over the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. For Russia, Ukraine joining it is a huge threat. 

The NATO commitment clause, otherwise known as casus foederis, commits each member state to consider an armed attack against itself if one of its members is attacked. Ukraine bound by the clause is a no-go for President Putin.

Thus, the invasion by Russia is a means to stop Ukraine from joining the ancient treaty. In short, it is a way to prevent the west from encroaching on Russia’s backyard and enabling Putin to seize control of Ukraine before it is too late.

Scholars of International relations have watched as the Ukraine and Russia backed rebel groups in Donetsk and Luhansk have exchanged blows. Many have argued that soon, with provocation from the west, Russia may invade Ukraine. That time has seemingly come. 

In this issue of DDIntel, we dive into the Russian Ukraine crisis, analyzing why a potential war is imminent, the impact the crises could have on markets and why humanity got obsessed with conflict in the first place.

Asel Siriwardena is a deep learning researcher who recently graduated from the University of Westminster. He previously worked as a software engineer at a stockbroker and is heavily involved in a vision research project.

Asel is also adept in programming languages such as Python, Javascript and AWS. He can help with your coding, software development, and mobile development. He is also a Rust lover, making him the perfect expert in our books.

Book a session with him today.

A few weeks ago, we covered the possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Although many in the social science community agreed that a possible invasion of Ukraine was possible, many hoped it would not lead to war. However, their greatest fears may have been realized—Russian forces marched on Donetsk and Luhansk, ready to take over the provincial areas. It is highly likely after capturing these areas, Russia may take it one step further and invade the true state of Ukraine. Only time will tell. Ras Vasilisin goes into more detail about why war in Europe is imminent and how it may impact markets. A sobering read for many, Europe could be soon at war. 

What’s a bear market? No, it’s not a stock exchange filled with bears betting on goods. A bear market is a market where prices are falling, encouraging people to sell. As we have highlighted previously on other issues of DDIntel, selling assets when prices are low is not a good strategy. Nevertheless, many do, leading to large amounts of trading. Currently, cryptocurrency is about to enter this bear market, which is partly down to the geopolitics presently happening in the world. The Russian invasion into Eastern Europe has caused prices to dive, leading to fear in the markets.

When did we start worshipping war? In contemporary times, the world has moved away from traditional geopolitics and the horrors of the 20th century and has focused on achieving peace through diplomatic efforts. With potential war on the horizon in Ukraine, we ask ourselves, why did humans ever start a conflict in the first place. When did humanity start worshipping war? We all know the tyranny of colonial Europe and the past, so how did it all begin? Jerry Lawson sheds more light on this fascinating concept in his article. Check out this excellent read above. It is sure to delight the history buffs out there. In light of the recent happenings in Europe, you need to read this piece.

Artificial Intelligence is the future of modern-day programming. However, it can be incredibly hard to build good and effective AI due to the sheer amount of data needed to supply it. However, a solution to this problem could be synthetic data. Synthetic data is data generated by an AI algorithm. It replaces basic data, which makes synthetic data perfect for prediction. All in all, Synthetic data is the ideal data type. It makes AI effective through faster data. Well known Digital Anthropologist Giles Crouch gives us more insight into how synthetic data works. AI might one day take over the world, but that’s not stopping us from obsessing over it, is it?

Do you like Dinosaurs? We all like Dinosaurs. I mean, how can you not? But did you know that scientists discovered the world’s largest Jurassic Pterosaur fossil off of the Scottish coast recently? Probably not! The scientists found the fossil after seeing the creature’s jaw bone in limestone on the isle of Skye. The discovery has turned what we know about pterosaurs on its head, with the finding pointing towards the possibility that Pterosaur grew far larger, earlier than expected. In the article above, slashdotted gives a far greater account of the discovery and its meaning for science. If you love Jurrasic park or anything dino related, this article has got you covered.

The fishing industry is one of the biggest food sectors in the world. The sector provides 60 million people with employment. However, most of the people employed in the industry lack regulatory protection. Katarzyna Rybarczyk outlines how modern slavery is rife in Southeast Asia. She dives into why this is and whether there is a solution to this problem. Although a monumental task to eradicate modern-day slavery, it is possible through the increased regulatory procedure of nation-states across the globe, putting pressure on countries where slavery is prominent.

Posting online doesn’t have to be hard. Linkedin is one of the best platforms to spread informative content. Unlike traditional social media platforms, where your likes and followers mean very little, Linkedin turns your followers into genuine connections that can help you down the road. Likewise, Linkedin’s algorithms are also a lot better than other social media platforms, enabling you to post links that are not penalized for taking traffic away from the platform itself. At its heart, Linkedin is Facebook for business. Your connections can turn into employers. If you are a writer, you need to start posting your content on Linkedin! Cal Axe explains more in his article above. Trust me, it works.

We’ve all been there. Standing heartbroken, we look at our barely one-year-old iPhone lying face-first on the ground. We cautiously pick up the phone, heart pounding as we check to see if the screen has smashed into a million pieces and the phone’s body is disfigured. Stressful right? Luckily, this problem may be over, with the release of much sturdier iPhones coming soon. Robert C., in his above article, outlines how the most sturdy iPhone may be upon us. He details what this new iPhone may look like and what it is made of to make it so durable.