Science is Not the Enemy via @MadArtLab
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Hundreds of companies have signed an open letter to Trump & Congress encouraging the…
Hundreds of companies have signed an open letter to Trump & Congress encouraging the US to honor its Paris climate commitments, as in the long run it will be better for our economy (not to mention the ball of rock that we live on). It's not just the companies you'd expect like Ben & Jerry's. Several of the giant agribusiness conglomerates like Unilever, Mondelez and General Mills and Mars are on the list as well.
The Viruses That Made Us Human
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/endogenous-retroviruses/
The Viruses That Made Us Human
Wikipedia Wants You to Improve Its Coverage of Indigenous Peoples
Careful not to name Mylan specifically, but good to know
A Statement from the CEO of FARE
The recent concerns raised about epinephrine pricing practices have led to questions on FARE’s relationship with commercial organizations. As CEO of FARE I think it’s important to address these questions.
Careful not to name Mylan specifically, but good to know: “We have therefore decided that until meaningful competition exists in the epinephrine auto-injector space we will no longer accept donations from companies marketing these devices.”
Why it’s so hard to get rid of Argentine ants.
Meet the worst ants in the world
Why it’s so hard to get rid of Argentine ants. Also some interesting insights on how founder-effect genetic bottlenecks can change the behavior of species as they move into new ecosystems. In their original habitat, each colony fights each other ruthlessly. But when a colony hitches a ride on a ship or train and expands in a new region, all that region’s ants descend from the same colony and read each other as friends, not foes.
An interesting look at desalination in the Middle East
Israel Proves the Desalination Era Is Here
One of the driest countries on Earth now makes more freshwater than it needs
An interesting look at desalination in the Middle East and how to deal with drought in lands that are already dry to begin with. Israel and Jordan are also working on a joint project on the Red Sea with the intent of sending the brine discharge to the Dead Sea.
Interesting perspective: IoT has given the internet “hands and feet.”
Interesting perspective: IoT has given the internet “hands and feet.”
Local hot spots
People Want Driverless Cars with Utilitarian Ethics, Unless They’re a Passenger
Nice photo from APOD. The sun is behind the camera, and the shafts of light appear to converge on the other side of the sky.
Anticrepuscular Rays over Colorado (II)
Nice photo from APOD. The sun is behind the camera, and the shafts of light appear to converge on the other side of the sky.
Wow, that’s messed up: Comodo, TLS certificates and business ethics
Wow, that’s messed up: Comodo, TLS certificates and business ethics
Demonizing Rent’s Benny vs. Lionizing Hamilton’s Alexander
My comment on GeekDad’s Demonizing Rent’s Benny vs. Lionizing Hamilton’s Alexander.
Great analysis! I recently picked up the Rent soundtrack again after letting it sit for a while and found that my perspective has changed over the years.
I was thinking about Benny vs. Aaron Burr the other day: Benny’s the designated villain because he’s on the other side of the conflict from the rest of the main cast. Personal flaws aside, he’s not evil, he just has different priorities. But the show clearly presents him as the bad guy.
Hamilton literally has Aaron Burr *call himself* the villain, but the show does so much to humanize him that it’s hard to read him that way. (At least as far as the cast album goes.) Antagonist, yes. Opponent, absolutely. But he’s presented much more sympathetically than Benny, even though he actually kills the hero.
Reducing water use saved as much energy last year as the biggest electricity utilities’
Water Conservation Saves Energy in California
Reducing water use saved as much energy last year as the biggest electricity utilities’ conservation efforts. Double-win!
That’s an awfully specific crime spree.
Manhattan Beach police arrest suspects with 95 stolen side-view mirrors
That’s an awfully specific crime spree.
Worth noting that LA’s air continues to get better…
Worth noting that LA’s air continues to get better, and the region has seen a *90% reduction in particle pollution* over the 17 years the report has been running.
LA Still Has Nation’s Unhealthiest Air, But There’s Reason to Breathe Easier
Los Angeles continues to earn its reputation for smog, but air pollution dropped to the lowest level in 17 years of monitoring.
Interesting approach: Figure out exactly what makes a bacteria strain resistant to a given antibiotic…
Interesting approach: Figure out exactly what makes a bacteria strain resistant to a given antibiotic, then find molecules that counteract that resistance, allowing the old antibiotic to still be effective.
Sidekick chemicals reverse antibiotic resistance in microbes
Mouse study suggests molecules safely restore antibiotics’ ability to take down MRSA.
Giant “Make your hair great again” hat stolen from giant chia head.
Huge Trump-Like Hat Stolen Off Redondo Beach Head Sculpture on Pacific Coast Highway
Giant “Make your hair great again” hat stolen from giant chia head.
Wow. These are seriously amazing high-res images from orbit.
https://slate.com/technology/2016/03/sentinel-3a-returns-incredible-photos-of-earth.html
Wow. These are seriously amazing high-res images from orbit.
Graphics showing the effect of vaccines on some high-profile diseases
http://graphics.wsj.com/infectious-diseases-and-vaccines/
A nice collection of graphics showing the effect of vaccines on some high-profile diseases over the 20th century. It's interesting to see some of them drop off dramatically while others taper off slowly (perhaps due to slower distribution?) It's also interesting to see just how prevalent some of these diseases used to be.