bubble

15 Stories

He Blew Bubbles in Park, Was Cited for Littering

San Diego's Sandy Snakenberg, aka the 'Bubble Pirate,' plans to fight the citation in court

(Newser) - Sandy Snakenberg considers himself a pirate, but not the kind who robs people of their gold. He's the "Bubble Pirate," a performance artist who blows bubbles large enough to surround a person—which, according to the Washington Post , is apparently a crime in San Diego. Snakenberg was...

Lots of Numbers Crunched to Solve Knuckle- Cracking Mystery
Bubble Burst on Mystery
of Knuckle-Cracking Pop
NEW STUDY

Bubble Burst on Mystery of Knuckle-Cracking Pop

Mathematical model points to collapse of gas bubble in finger joint

(Newser) - Nearly everyone has been annoyed by (or indulged in) articular release of the metacarpophalangeal joint—aka, knuckle cracking. Now, per the New York Times , one theory has risen over a competing one in the decades-long mystery of what creates the popping sound. In a study in Scientific Reports , journal researchers...

Greenspan Warns of the Bubble That May Be Bursting Next

And when that bond bubble bursts, it will be fast and severe, he says

(Newser) - More than 20 years ago, Alan Greenspan uttered two words he'd become famous for: "irrational exuberance," which he used to warn about asset prices in the general investment market and how predicting the bursting of such bubbles was a challenging game. Now the former Federal Reserve chair...

Should You Buy Bitcoins?
 Should You Buy Bitcoins? 
OPINION

Should You Buy Bitcoins?

Pundits explore the booming currency bubble

(Newser) - The price of Bitcoins is skyrocketing at a head-turning rate—they're currently worth more than $200 each, up from $90 when we wrote this piece on the phenomenon two weeks ago—which has everyone wondering: Is this a bubble? And should you buy anyway in the likely event that...

Next Bubble to Burst? Higher Education, Says PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel

 Next Bubble to Burst? 
 Higher Education 
OPINION

Next Bubble to Burst? Higher Education

We invest vast sums in a future that may not exist, says Peter Thiel

(Newser) - We’re in the midst of another bubble, and it's not an Internet one, according to PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. It's a higher education bubble, and "like the housing bubble, the education bubble is about security and insurance against the future,” writes Sarah Lacy, who sat down to...

Robert Shiller: Farmland Bubble Could Be Next
 Farmland: The 
 Next Bubble? 
Analysis

Farmland: The Next Bubble?

Robert Shiller shares a hunch

(Newser) - If you’re trying to spot the next big bubble that will roil markets, economist Robert Shiller has a dark horse candidate: Farmland. Sure, farm bubbles are pretty rare—there was only one in the 20th century—but prices for farmland have been booming in the US and UK, Shiller...

Tech Bubble: Silicon Valley Is Showing the Unmistakable Signs Again
 We're in Another Tech Bubble 
OPINION

We're in Another Tech Bubble

Analysts: Just look around Silicon Valley for proof

(Newser) - Don't look now, but another tech bubble is upon us. Signs "have been appearing over the last year—seed and late-stage valuations are rapidly inflating, hiring talent in Silicon Valley is the toughest since the last bubble and investors are starting to openly wonder how this one will end,...

'Dangerous Bubble' Emerging in China
 'Dangerous Bubble' 
 Emerging in China 
analysis

'Dangerous Bubble' Emerging in China

It's reminiscent of the US dot-com bust

(Newser) - American investors are gaga about China, and there's good reason to remain bullish about the nation's economy, writes Shaun Rein at Forbes . Just not too bullish: "A mania about China has gripped too many investors," he warns. "Anything with China in its name gets hot in the...

Scientists Pop Bubble Mystery
 Scientists Pop Bubble Mystery 

Scientists Pop Bubble Mystery

Ring of daughter bubbles form under some conditions

(Newser) - Scientists "playing around in the lab late one night" have burst another scientific mystery: the behavior of popping bubbles. The physicists noticed that when bubbles burst on a liquid surface, they sometimes form a perfect ring of "daughter" bubbles rather than vanish entirely. Each of the daughters then...

As Presidential 'Bubble' Closes, Obama Pokes Back

President-elect ditches the reporter pool to take daughters to a water park

(Newser) - There's a growing gaggle of press and Secret Service standing between Barack Obama and the outside world—not to mention the corner hotdog stand—and the president-elect is showing signs that the presidential "bubble" is wearing on him, Politico reports. Obama ditched the pool of reporters assigned to follow...

US Schools Need Finance 101
 US Schools Need Finance 101 
OPINION

US Schools Need Finance 101

Kids should learn basics to help avert crises

(Newser) - There are complex reasons behind the financial crisis, but one is key: When it comes to money, we’re idiots, Peter Applebome writes in the New York Times. “Insofar as there is a lesson in history,” says an analyst, “it’s that human beings are not very...

Young Americans Ride Out Recession in Dubai

Booming reality counters talk of bubble in Middle East's 'Manhattan'

(Newser) - Back in Texas, Brooke Butler’s friends are worrying about their homes and jobs. Butler has other worries. “I’m thinking it’ll take about 5 years to make a million now,” the 24-year-old saleswoman tells New York. “It’s not that difficult over here.” Here...

Bear With It: Stock Market Has Seen Worse Than 2008

Dow lost 14.1% in Oct., but that pales against 30.7% in Sept. 1931

(Newser) - It would be hard to overstate the impact of the past 2 months on those who work and invest in the stock market, Ben Steverman writes for BusinessWeek. The crisis has surely spurred many investors to reevaluate the risks, but is it a game-changer, historically speaking? Although it was steep,...

Economy's in for Grueling Hangover
 Economy's in 
 for Grueling 
 Hangover 
OPINION

Economy's in for Grueling Hangover

Time to pay for the party

(Newser) - The federal government’s giant bailout plan sparked a stock market surge—but it’s unlikely the economic turbulence will end anytime soon, warns David Leonhardt in the New York Times. “It’s been a long period of excess” lasting over a decade, and now the dot-com, stock market...

Plains States See Boom, But Await Bust

Strong farming economy highlights nationwide differences

(Newser) - Driven by rising food prices and farmers’ access to loans, the Plains states are a bright economic spot amid the nationwide slump, the Washington Post reports. Farm country was able to avoid the housing bust because it also avoided the boom. And retail space is filling up as consumer spending...

15 Stories