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Ig Nobel Prizes 2024: The surprising science that won this year New Scientist (Michael T)
Gorillas self-medicate with plants. We may soon be able to use plants for medicine too. ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin)
Why the world’s smelliest fruit is driving up coffee prices BBC (Robin K) Durian is apparently delicious. You see piles of them in outdoor markets, so that must be why they sell so well.
Never-before-seen earthquake phenomenon triggers tsunami at skyscraper Science Alert (Chuck L)
Why a piano can never be tuned Open Culture (Michael T)
Why do bands mysteriously disappear? YouTube (Michael T)
Cancer, the Hijacking Master Eric Topol (Robin K)
Climate and Environment
In London, fining highly polluting cars has shown an unexpected benefit: more active children. Grist
US authorities say it took 50,000 gallons of water to put out the fire in a Tesla Semi in California. Associated Press (Kevin W.)
As expected, Storm Boris is wreaking havoc on parts of Central Europe, with extensive flooding across the region. Here’s a 50-hour visible satellite and radar loop. Zoom Earth pic.twitter.com/F9KRA2SKeO
— Nahel Berghertze (@WxNB_) September 15, 2024
Central Europe floods lead countries to seek EU aid, funds Eura Active
This is a sequel to the analysis I shared last week on the profitability of China’s NEV sector.
This time, we focus on the profitability of the US EV sector. pic.twitter.com/ALRKBrUTiS
— Glenn (@GlennLuk) September 15, 2024
AI is ‘accelerating’ the climate crisis and uses 30 times more energy than search engines, analyst says South China Morning Post
Climate protesters block Dutch highway, police go on strike Reuters
China?
China needs ‘bazooka stimulus’ to hit growth targets as overall economy slows luck
China’s falling grain demand is a problem for global farmers Bloomberg
Australia
Albanese gets second chance at AUKUS Pearls and Stimuli (Kevin W.)
Africa
Sudanese cities under attack, analysts report ‘unprecedented’ fighting New Arab
Could tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia escalate into war? Day Y
South of the Border
In Honduras, liberals and legal claims threaten national bankruptcy Inside Climate News
European Separation
German border checks carried out amid rising tensions over immigration Bloomberg
The collapse of the Dresden Bridge symbolizes Germany’s decline Don’t join the crowd
A truly extraordinary and powerful interview with former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Gaza.
I cannot emphasize enough how rare it is to hear a former French prime minister speak like this.
He said that France “no longer has a voice on the international stage”, because (among other things) pic.twitter.com/JFr7ZBCcHf
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) September 13, 2024
Old Brittany
Starmer under pressure to distance UK from Italy’s far-right immigration plans The Guardian (Kevin W.)
“Winter fuel costs go towards the vacation fund.” BBC (Kevin W)
Gaza
⚡️ ⭕️ #LebanonHezbollah: Summary of 12 operations against Hezbollah positions and deployments #Israel On Sunday, September 15, 2024, enemy forces launched an attack on the Lebanese-Palestinian border, as follows:
1- Targeting the headquarters of the 188th Brigade’s armored battalion… pic.twitter.com/lq7cvfNMyr
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) September 15, 2024
New Release Norway According to 14 aid groups, “83 percent of needed food aid is not reaching Gaza, up from 34 percent in 2023. This decline means that Gazans are going from an average of two meals a day to one meal every other day.” pic.twitter.com/4G6vjDXsYp
— Nicola Perugini (@PeraginiNic) September 17, 2024
High waves are swept away by the tents of families who fled to Gaza’s central coast, while the world stands silent and indifferent to their suffering. pic.twitter.com/fEpKX6s3BP
— Ramy Abdou | September 15, 2024
Hamas official says terror group is recruiting ‘new generation’ despite war losses The Israel Times
A new cold war
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living abroad reportedly want to renounce their citizenship Machine translated by Overton (Micael T)
NATO Secretary General drops submunition as he leaves Responsible Governance (Kevin W.)
Ukraine war turns into Russian roulette Indian Punchline (Kevin W)
72 minutes until the end of the world George Galloway, YouTube. Ritter is excitable, but he has sources…
The 1979 Russian invasion of Afghanistan was provoked by the US: parallel to the Ukrainian war? Antiwar.com (Kevin W)
Empire Collapse Watch
Canadian military admits new sleeping bags unsuitable for Canadian winters The Guardian (Kevin W). Are global warming predictions too aggressive?
The Collapsing Nuclear Order Foreign Affairs
BREAKING: Massive pipeline fire breaks out in Houston, Texas, sending flames soaring
—The Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) September 16, 2024
Second assassination attempt on President Trump
The would-be Trump assassin exploited a security hole the Secret Service has known about for years, and the photos prove it. New York Post
BREAKING: Meta has already taken down the Facebook page of would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh.
Watch it disappear in real time: pic.twitter.com/nIhlsvJjMt
— ALX🇺🇸 (@alx) September 15, 2024
Kamala
CNN’s Harry Enten warns Harris is currently in the “danger zone” in the polls pic.twitter.com/PmJrdZORV7
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 16, 2024
Kamala Harris helped shut down Backpage.com, and sex workers are still suffering the consequences. POLITICO
2024
Inflation has slowed, but the economy remains a big issue for voters in choosing a president. Kansas Reflector (Robin K)
Pennsylvania court denies Cornel West’s request to appear on the ballot, clearing the way for mail-in voting Associated Press
Police State Surveillance
This is what happens when you put a lot of police on the subway Intercept
The press is no longer free
Truth bomb at the UN Craig Murray
Lawsuit challenges federal effort to shut down vaccine injury claims Taking Back the Net (Michael T)
Elon’s Surprise on Brazilian Corporate Law Adam Levitin, Credit Slip
Mr. Market gets what he wants
artificial intelligence
Chat GPT’s new O1 model escapes the environment and completes an “impossible” hacking task. Should we be worried? ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin)
Nvidia CEO: “Computer graphics are no longer possible without artificial intelligence” TechSpot (Kevin W)
Class struggle
Boeing security guard pulls gun during argument with picketSeattle Times
Radhika Desai’s Marxist lens illuminates the way for a post-capitalist futureAwning Star (Robin K)
Today’s antidote. Tracie H: “The San Diego Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, California, have a lovely little pond that attracts these beautiful plants.”
And bonus (Robin K):
It remains to be seen how this species survives in the wild. pic.twitter.com/aaTaqZNHE1
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) September 15, 2024
Second Bonus (Chuck L):
Lynx and hummingbird. 😊 pic.twitter.com/pzDpuVD9Vf
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) September 16, 2024
