17 must-read stories for the weekend

Latin America fights back. Brazil may face challenges, but Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru are in better shape.

Century-old teaching techniques are failing. Distance learning, ‘flipping the classroom’ and soft skills are the new vision for education.

Wearable technology offers all sorts of health and fitness benefits. And three big privacy and data challenges.

Small companies, big impact. In the face of a global economic slowdown, could SMEs be the solution?

Online search is flawed and unfair. It needs to be more like a conversation.

Unfinished business. The international response to the financial crisis was unprecedented. But it didn’t go far enough.

How do you win a Nobel prize in economics? Argue for better institutions, rather than aid, to help the world’s poorest people.

Has Al Gore discovered a new way to invest? James Fallows thinks so. Felix Salmon is not so sure.

Where are the twentieth century’s most socially disruptive technologies? Look in your kitchen.

What will happen to economies with ageing populations? A surprisingly sunny retirement is in prospect.

Worried about secular stagnation? Think austerity is the answer? Think again, says Oxford University’s leading economic historian.

An infrastructure investment opportunity with two drawbacks. It’s 1,480 light years away, and may involve negotiating with aliens.

How virtual reality solves real problems. “Cinema helps us feel compassion for people who are different from us,” as participants in Davos found out. (Fast Company)

Most Indian women don’t think there’s a gender pay gap. That’s not what Forum research says. (Economic Times)

Switzerland runs like clockwork. But by closing its doors to workers, could it undermine its competitive edge? Cites the Global Competitiveness Report. (CNBC)

TPP: the disintegration of global trade? Cites the Global Risks Report. (Forbes)

Saying no to all-male panels. Gatherings like World Economic Forum meetings are the perfect venue for practising what we preach. (Washington Post)

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Author: Adrian Monck is Managing Director and head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum.

Image: Brazilian graffiti artist Eduardo Kobra (C) puts the final touches to his piece of art in tribute to Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, next to his assistants, at the financial center on Sao Paulo’s Avenida Paulista January 22, 2013.REUTERS/Nacho Doce