Two independent studies produced with the University of Sydney and released via SPARC develop a new accounting method that quantifies the public resources invested into a research article before any publisher is involved. The approach tallies costs across idea formation, grants, ethics approval, data collection, analysis, writing and revision, and is available as a free online calculator. Applied conservatively to one social-science article at a U.S. public doctoral university, the pre-publication cost is roughly US$70,000, and comparing that to independent estimates shows that over 95% of the total investment in a published article typically comes from public sources prior to submission.
A companion analysis tracks RELX (Elsevier), Informa (Taylor & Francis), Springer Nature and Wiley from 2005-2025 and finds academic publishing arms were more profitable than their parent companies in 68 of 69 company-years. In 2025 those divisions reported operating margins of 24-38%; combined operating margin for the largest publishers rose from 14.9% to 27.5% over the period. Between 2005 and 2025 the four returned about US$38.8 billion to shareholders (RELX alone returned US$30.8 billion), illustrating how substantial public investment in research is converted into private shareholder returns. The studies argue these returns divert funds from research and open infrastructure and urge rights retention, deposit in open repositories and support for community-owned publishing.
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Netflix has laid off about 6% of its staff in its largest job reduction since 2022. The layoffs are likely driven by slowing year-over-year growth and impact senior and staff-level roles. (wsj.com)
A man seeks remote work opportunities to support his father, who has two years to live, and fulfill his father's dream of a cross-country trip. He offers extensive programming skills despite lacking formal employment history, asking for a chance to avoid repeating past regrets. (news.ycombinator.com)
Tiny Brutalism is a sandbox simulation game focused on building brutalist-style structures without specific goals. Players can create abstract monuments and explore them in first person, emphasizing relaxation and creativity. (store.steampowered.com)
HOA and condo associations in Florida are contributing to the housing crisis by filing thousands of foreclosure suits, liens, and claims against homeowners, often over small debts. These actions worsen the availability and affordability of homes, with associations frequently foreclosing on their own members for unpaid dues. (hoaspy.com)
Anthropic is creating the Public Benefit Fund, committing a portion of its shares to support AI safety, research, and social impact initiatives. The fund's size will grow as the company increases in value, enabling flexible philanthropy and public good efforts. (anthropic.com)
PalmOS Lemmings is a recreation of the classic game for PalmOS, available on GitHub with source code, images, and level packs. The project allows users to experience the game on older PalmOS devices or emulators. (github.com)
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