Good news for the 5 million people born on February 29th: this weekend, you get to celebrate your birth on the actual day you were born! Leaplings (as they are called) technically get to celebrate their birthdays once every four years, though most celebrate either the day before or the day after.
Did you know that Leap Day is observed because the Earth’s period of orbital revolution around the Sun takes approximately 6 hours longer than 365 whole days? Never fear. Leap Day compensates for this lag, realigning the calendar with the Earth’s position in the Solar System. Phew.
And, according to readers, our Jolt also helps bring things back into alignment.
Why So Crude? Crude oil prices rose last week but tumbled on Monday, trading just under $51 a barrel. Crude oil, along with the market in general, took a significant hit to begin the week as the global coronavirus outbreak worsened. A rash of new cases in South Korea, Italy, and Iran spooked investors and inflamed concerns about falling oil demand as countries scrambled to contain the virus. Crude oil prices did receive some supply-related support due to turmoil in Libya and OPEC’s ongoing attempts to manufacture a shortage with help from Russia. The Baker Hughes oil rig count increased last week, going from 678 to 679 and indicating elevated domestic production.
Bounce Back! Last week, the natural gas market experienced what could be a bounce of the dead cat variety. With two-way trading returning to the natural gas arena, it could be an excellent time to begin trading again. – Seeking Alpha
Out Of Thin Air! An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has harnessed a common bacteria to make surprisingly strong electric currents—pretty much out of thin air – Popular Science
Whoa! Artificial intelligence yields a new antibiotic. A deep-learning model identifies a powerful new drug that can kill many species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.- MIT