2022-10-08
Readings
Juno images from Europa - https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-juno-shares-first-image-from-flyby-of-jupiters-moon-europa
Advances in understanding one of the cell line mishaps that can lead to cancer: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-critical-size-growth-gliomas.html
Designing agents that can break through structures some bacteria make in infections that make them hard to attack: https://phys.org/news/2022-10-bacteria-armor-antibiotic-resistance.html
Some cool images of Europa from the Junocam instrument on the Juno mission: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/citizen-scientists-enhance-new-europa-images-from-nasas-juno
Thoughts
It’s frustrating to want to offer commentary on a take that’s paywalled, but here there’s enough in the preview to offer those who don’t subscribe to see much of it; I want to dispute JVLast’s critique of a tough grader. He argues that between education and a credential, the main good a college provides is a credential; I agree with him that they’re entwined but I think the education should be stressed significantly over the credential (which his take actually, if believed in, would make meaningless). I have some sympathy for the University, and think they may have done the right thing in reigning him in or firing him, but not based on any kind of economic duty to students but because some degree of agreement in the meaning of grades (even if ideally pretty loose) makes the system less arbitrary. -
I find the idea of space-based advertising horrific and would like to see it banned; the imposition is too great, the “just look elsewhere” too unreasonable - https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/9/8/419
I find Twitter’s push for people to retweet rather than screenshot to be intensely frustrating, given that the main reason people do this is that Twitter lets people delete tweets; remove that ability and we’ll talk: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/twitter-knows-you-took-a-screenshot-asks-you-to-share-instead/
I’m not a fan of marketing as a field; were I not committed to free speech (and thus find the move hard to justify), I wonder whether we’d be better off banning most adverts. And then I wonder how well studied it is whether marketing creates demand or just shifts it between products within the same market.
Current Events
Russia’s invasion/occupation of Ukraine continues, with Ukraine continuing to slowly regain control of parts formerly under Russian occupation. Russia has reportedly moved nuclear weapons equipment within Ukraine’s borders, possibly preparing for some kind of nuclear strike within the country, while shuffling personnel managing its invasion.
A snap election was held in Bosnia, but with the government changing election legislation last-minute to help it retain power - https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/10/4/an-illiberal-putsch-in-bosnia
Lesotho Parliament elections: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/7/lesotho-votes-for-new-parliament-amid-ongoing-political-crisis
North Korea filed missiles into areas near Korea and Japan in response to military drills held between Korea and the United States
Reviewlets
Something Rotten (Thursday Next series book) - Still working my way through the series with a very pleasant reread, I had forgotten about a very poignant scene near the end which was both implausible by the way reality works, and very emotionally compelling (I teared up a bit). That’s good fiction writing.
Famous Men Who Never Lived (novel) - This started out with an intriguing premise of refugees from an alternate reality, but it lost all momentum about a quarter of the way through the book; I gave up a ways after that, disappointed at a waste of a premise.
Undeath and Taxes (book in series) - Light entertainment that remains entertaining. I think it’s trying to be something more than it is, but that doesn’t detract from it.
Amusements
I’m not sure about the method or the result, but it’s interesting to see efforts to understand the psychology of listening to jazz rhythms: https://phys.org/news/2022-10-secret-lab.html
Very clever Han Dynasty era artform - magic mirrors:
Interesting to see a fashion curator go over the accuracy of costumes used in various movies:
Recent Music
Spiders - Birdeatsbaby
Evil Night Together - Jill Tracy
In This Place - Kill Shelter - Some good modern darkwave music, with a voice cameo from Beborn Beton’s singer.