There is more to life than the cold numbers of GDP and economic statistics This Index allows you to compare well-being across countries, based on 11 topics  the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and  quality of life. http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/ Start with the topics rated equally, or set your own preferences ...

From the 17th Workshop on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe The financial crisis has revealed fatal institutional and structural deficits at the finance market. Politics has reacted to the financial crisis with a sea of legal bills and regulations. But all regulating efforts are merely system-imminent reparation measures and do not solve the core problems. For this, a fundamental financial reform is needed. This article analyzes the finance system’s shortcomings, documents the reform approaches from the past three years, and designs a base structure for modern finance architecture without banks. Here the article link: www2.euromemorandum.eu/uploads/ws2_lenz_get_rid_of_banks_and_build_up_a_modern_financial_world.pdf

The use of open-source supercomputing opens up the experimental and exploratory part of the plan. Basically we are able to integrate in our virtual distributed computing network anyone who can participate by adding new nodes to the planetary system.  If you want to collaborate to the construction of the first crowd-sourced supercomputing network, let us know www.scimpulse.org

Abstract The unified global efforts to mitigate the high burden of vitamin and mineral deficiency, known as hidden hunger, in populations around the world are crucial to the achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We developed indices and maps of global hidden hunger to help prioritize program assistance, and to serve as an evidence-based global advocacy tool. Two types of hidden hunger indices and maps were created based on i) national prevalence data on stunting, anemia due to iron deficiency, and low serum retinol levels among preschool-aged children in 149 countries; and ii) estimates of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) attributed to micronutrient deficiencies in 136 countries. A number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as India and Afghanistan, had an alarmingly high level of hidden hunger, with stunting, iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin A deficiency all being highly prevalent. The total DALY rates per 100,000 population, attributed...