keep up with astrophysics news and improve your cultural literacy 
.... now in its 8^th year

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last updated:  8 am  October 31, 2020

This month's guide to the bright planets   or   This Week's Sky-at-a-glance

note:  many publications now have monthly article limits; plan ahead!
(including: NY Times, Washington Post, Raleigh N&O, The Atlantic, Science, Scientific American, Nautil.us)

solar system	stars and in between	exoplanets (and ET life)	galaxies & cosmology	relativity, particle & quantum physics	cultural literacy	teaching/education, science & tech
late October 2020
Where were Jupiter and Saturn (and Uranus & Neptune) formed? (Carnegie Science) Water on the moon (Sky & Telescope) is not only at the poles, but in glass beads, in sunlight, scattered over the surface There's no place like Titan (Astronomy and Astrophysics) but it has the ingredients of life bennu bennu Bennu's surface cratering displays its past history (U Arizona) published article (Nature) OSIRIS-Rex digs into Bennu (Astronomy) Sky & Telescope comments and has images of REx's foot on Bennu Psyche: a ex-planetary core (Sky & Telescope)  a silicate-metal world with surface volcanic iron flow ---------------------- 🔥 climate crisis🔥 how we know the planet is warming the big picture energy Solar is now the cheapest electricity in history (Carbon Brief) World Energy Outlook (IEA) 464-page report not free: 120 euros environment Trump's 125 rollbacks of environmental safeguards (Washington Post) his gift to big polluters & big fossil-fuel producers	black-hole 'family' news Updated catalog (LIGO Caltech) of merger data (events, masses, spins, etc.) summary of new knowledge (Northwestern U) with titles of 3 papers released this week links to papers & flyers published 10/28/2020 (LIGO) ------------------- Living near a white dwarf? (Scientific American) a relatively benign place to be Betelgeuse is closer & smaller than thought (Earth & Sky) and not exploding any time soon R* ~ 750 Rsun; d ~ 530 cyr; doing core He burning, so no explosion for 105+ yrs;  previous dimming behavior due to intervening dust cloud & pulsations	Half of Sun-like stars have rocky potentially-habitable planets? (NASA Ames) preprint (arXiv) with nice graphs New analysis shows no phosphine on Venus (Starts with a    Bang)	Can measurement uncertainties explain ~8% differences in key cosmic parameters? (Starts with a Bang) probably not	The Standard Model is not enough (Starts with a Bang) say recent LHC experiments or are particle physicists making empty promises? (Not Even Wrong) hidden structure of the universe (Quanta) part 1 A new map of all the particles and all the forces is it too complicated to replace the old one? part 2 Black holes can shed information? physics' most famous paradox is about to end? proof by calculation "How the world came to know about black holes" (Earth & Sky) a very short history of human's understanding of black holes	voting & elections Kolena's page on gerrymandering, elections, voting rights, electoral college, and more in NC continued U. S. Supreme Court speaks lasts (Raleigh N&O)   official deadline for receipt of  mail-in ballots: Nov 12, 2020 "We are in control" (Raleigh N&O) the GOP's decade of voter suppression, big-business-over-people fiscal policy, decreasing support for education and labor, and more in general GOP switches from battling election rules to challenging voted ballots (Washington Post) How the media makes election-night calls (Vox) How to prevent war in space (Scientific American, November 2020 issue) free for a very short time	If NC teachers are losing their jobs, legislators should too (Cardinal & Pine) 7 ways this election will affect the future of science, health, & the environment (Scientific American) climate, pandemics, nuclear arms control, science budgets, public lands, immigration, & space a long read How birds branched out and became more diverse (Scientific American, November 2020 issue) free for a very short time Why schools aren't covid hotspots (Nature) probably Playing it down (Washington Post) why the White House was slow to respond to the pandemic -- and the consequences of its inaction in 3 parts
early October 2020
Did the Moon's magnetic field shield the young Earth? (Inside Science) published paper: When the Moon had a magnetosphere (Science Advances) JWST passes another test (Earth & Sky) still on target for launch next year asteroids Bennu NASA to broadcast OSIRIS-REx touchdown on Bennu (NASA) Tuesday, 10/20/20 @ 6:12 pm, EDT NASA presskit for OSIRIS-Rex mission with 20+ links Bennu once had flowing water (New Scientist) when in was part of a larger asteroid and some of the solar system's oldest rocks (Sky & Telescope) plus 4 - 6 boulders from asteroid Vesta on the surface why NASA thinks they're from Vesta Countdown to Bennu touchdown (SWRI) OSIRIS-REx will sample Bennu on 10/20/2020 Arrokoth How Arrokoth the snoman was flattened (Max Planck Astro) Oumaumau Everything we know about the first interstellar comet (Scientific American, October 2020 issue) free for a very short time ------------------------ What Earth owes black holes? (The Atlantic) beyond captivating humans' imaginations? Looking fore pieces of Venus: try the Moon (arXiv) pieces that will tell us Venus's past history the Moon is a big place Mars Mars at its brightest this year (Astronomy) rivaling Jupiter but not bigger than the Moon  1 Gyr-old Martian sand dunes: a key to understanding past Martian climate (Earth & Sky) Mars's subsurface lakes of liquid water (Astrobites) well, liquid or slush Earth & Sky has good radar pictures ---------------------- 🔥 climate crisis🔥 how we know the planet is warming the big picture The climate-consequences election (Duke Chronicle) a catalog of Trump's failures climate warnings New maps show how global warming is making California wildfires worse (Pro Publica) Global warming has killed half of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef (Washington Post) will it ever recover? a new study An unexpected warming in the deep seas (AGU) based on published article (Geophysical Research Letters) the Arctic The worst is yet to come for the Greenland ice sheet (Nature) Washington Post comments an ice-loss rate of 4x the highest-ever-seen seems to be baked in in just a few decades The frozen Arctic goes green as it warms (Nature Communications) The Arctic is in a death spiral.  How much longer will it last? (The Guardian) "The dying Arctic' (Vice) a warning from scientists who trapped themselves in winter We're living in the deep Anthropcene (Aeon) archaeology exposes the extraordinary influence over the planet's past and future The Amazon has seen out future (NY Times) a story in 3 parts Hotter days linked to widening racial gap in education (NY Times) due to worsening performance of Black and Hispanic students published paper (Nature Human Behavior) Can global-warming-caused drought shut down Old Faithful? (Science) it has before A climate-caused downturn in FL housing prices (NY Times) climate politics SC nominee Barrett has read about climate change, but says it's a "contentious matter of public debate" (NY Times) no, it's not! so apparently we're about to nominate a scientific illiterate to the highest court Bringing Democrats and Republicans together on climate change (Science Daily) by watching an episode of 'Years of Living Dangerously' based on published article (Science Communication) The election and climate change (NY Times) a field guide What price is America is willing to pay? climate solutions The differences between Biden's climate plan and the Green New Deal (Washington Post) a difference in size and scope, but both cut emissions while creating jobs Peat bogs: green and soggy fights global warming (NY Times) How to cool a warming planet (Washington Post) without special fuel or electricity with radiative cooling climate non-solutions Astronomy is -- and has -- a climate problem (Science) paywall...Science doesn't want actual citizens to be informed Seeding oceans with volcanic ash? (Chemistry World) another dangerous geoengineering idea with unknown unintended consequences ExxonMobil plans to increase carbon emission by 17% over next 5 years (Bloomberg) say leaked documents...  Exxon then hews and haws Geoengineering to slow additional sea-ice loss would change the biogeochemistry of oceans, atmosphere, and ice (Eos) environment NC sues Dupont & Chemours for toxic pollution of drinking water (NC Policy Watch) Chemours whines that they've tried to do better  -- despite putting profit over citizens' health for years even Raleigh N&O comments despite it not being sports-related meanwhile, there's still 100 million tons of coal ash that Duke Energy needs to clean up in their ponds (NC Policy Watch) Trump proclaimed "The coal industry is back" No, it wasn't (NY Times) a long read and image-heavy Behind the coal industry's Trump-era lobbying (NY Times) documenting Trump's failure to save the largest coal-burning planet in the West the Navajo Generating Station Oil industry's political spending drops during pandemic (Washington Post) to 'only' $71 million/yr and bet you wouldn't have guessed that 85% went to the GOP... and Trump is getting 18x more than he did in 2016 What made a record CA/OR fire season (NY Times) it started with lightning Duke Energy: a take-over target? (Raleigh N&O) includes some bizarre statements claiming Duke is green-energy friendly in what universe? Trump blocks scientific study of effect of Tongass oil drilling on polar bears (Washington Post)	Why the star formation rate has been falling in galaxies (Nature) not enough neutral hydrogen gas Death by spaghettification (Earth & Sky) a star ripped apart by a SMBH beware: the accompanying 'image' is an illustration, not data A potential first γ-ray burst in our galaxy? (The Conversation) in a double-Wolf-Rayet binary with a puzzling wind How interstellar cloud collisions make new stars (Astrobites) An explosive merger of a neutron star and black hole? (AAS Nova) maybe faint blips in both LIGO and Fermi γ-ray detectors, but sub-threshhold A lonely origin for SNR Cas A (ARC Centre) explaining its current lack of binary companion A supernova slice simulates dying stars (Scientific American, October 2020 issue) a door-sized box, but still only in 2-D The mass-radius relationship for white dwarfs (Astrobites) using gravitational redshifts Can we easily and practically predict large solar flares at the moment? (Earth & Sky) despite this article's headlines	Do Earth-like planets come with a Jupiter-like protector? (Max Planck Astro) simulations say 'yes' but more observations needed Early onset of planetary formation around a newborn star (Nature) can planets and their stars be siblings? β Pictoris b and c: a cautionary tale  for exoplanet measurements and planetary formation theories (Max Planck Astro) ET life Can ephemeral salty puddles on Mars's surface sustain life? (Astrobites) Life on Venus? (Nature) hunting for the truth Phosphine detection underscores unknowns of Venus's atmosphere (Physics Today) Some planets might be better for (Earth) life than Earth? (Washington St. U) the top 24 'superhabitables' based on published article (Astrobiology) How 6 molecules could evolve into all of life's building blocks (Chemistry World) says a computer algorithm CH4, NH3, H2O, HCN, N2, and H2S Finding ET will come by finding a biosignature -- not by finding a message (Astronomy) Fermi paradox XI: the Transcension Hypothesis (Universe Today) why bother with messages when you've transcended the physical universe?	Recipe for a powerful quasar jet? Make sure your SMBH has a corona (Chandra) corona = regions of hot gas threaded by magnetic fields Milky Way's shredded companion (Sagittarius dwarf) has clue about dark matter (Science) its distribution is complex We exist.  What can that tell us about the universe? (Starts with a Bang) unhelpful mumbo-jumbo The correlation between SMBH mass and a galaxy's stellar mass seems to be caused by AGN wind feedback (AAS Nova) says modeling 6 primordial galaxies caught in the web of an ancient_SMBH (Gizmodo) 0.9 Gyr A.B. how SMBHs grew  beyond billion-solar-masses?	Celebrate Dark Matter Days, October 26 - 31 (Interactions) not kidding Last chance for WIMPs (Nature) the 2nd last possible set of detectors is operating, but the detectors of last resort are being planned the last possible set might also tell if neutrinos are their own anti-particle The universe's first quantum fields (Starts with a Bang) Particle physicists have one big project left to build (Science) LBNF/DUNE to study neutrino oscillations paywall... it's not as if they're using taxpayers' money, eh? Sorry, Mr. Penrose, there is no evidence of a universe before the Big Bang (Starts with a Bang) Nobel Prize or not upcoming lecture: The Hunt for Dark Matter: new experiments (Astro Society) Wed. 10/14  10 pm EDT No evidence of sterile neutrinos in 8 years at IceCube (APS) despite its appearance elsewhere How dark matter explains the structure of the universe (Starts with a Bang) Captain Einstein: a virtual reality experience in special relativity the movie (YouTube) sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a  fateful trip the paper (American Journal of Physics, October 2020 issue) -------------------- M87 black-hole shadow puts general relativity to the test (Institute for Advanced Study) GR now "500x harder to beat"? (U Arizona) Quantum particles pass a practicality test (Scientific American) read with extreme caution Hints of dark bosons in ytterbium isotopes? (APS) not ready for prime time Lensing of gravitational waves (U Birmingham) Echo-mapping of SMBH disk emissions off dust clouds could determine galactic distances (NASA JPL) read while laughing Fractal universes inside charged black holes? (Live Science) read while wondering why Scientific American publishes claptrap Chances are 50-50 we are living in a computer simulation (Scientific American)	8 million Americans have fallen into poverty; 1 million more newly unemployed just last week -- and Trump asks "Suburban women, please like me" (Washington Post) "Please, please,  I saved your damned neighborhood" index of categoies  below Supreme Court Trump's taxes Trump's health, part 2 Trump vs. the World more Presidential debates, part 2 other news the GOP cult of lies Trump's health, part 1 more Presidential debates, part 1 voting/elections in NC NC candidate endorsements voting/elections in general books art, trips, & museums --------------------- Supreme Court Barrett: a nominee who will take us backwards (NY Times) voter intimidation? 'I have no opinion'; can gay marriage/sex can be prosecuted?  'maybe'; climate change?   'I've read about it, but no firm views' does this person actually think? Barrett: a study in ignorance and evasion (Washington Post) America deserves much better For 200 years, courts have upheld rules to protect Americans' health (NY Times) that's about to change The case against Supreme Court packing (New Republic) The extreme packing of state Supreme Courts by the GOP (Washington Post) hasn't got much attention Supreme Court candidate hearings and the theater of the absurd (538) the same thing? The battle over 1 Supreme Court justice: it's not about the ACA (Washington Post) it's her alignment with Scalia Looking for a single honest GOP member of the Senate (Washington Post) keep looking Amy Coney Barrett's dark and regressive worldview (NC Policy Watch) the anti-RBG an eye-opener ------------------ Trump vs. the world Trump vs.World, part 2 (Politico) the election is not just about America while the rest of the world takes advantage of America (Washington Post) Trump's taxes (NY Times) part 3 The swamp that Trump created part 2 The 2016 Las Vegas infusion Trump's health, part 2 The entire Trump presidency is a superspreader event (New Yorker) high on steroids, down in the polls, Trump is endangering everybody's health a long read Trump calls VP candidate Harris "a monster" and "a communist" (MSN) not to mention 'totally unlikable' the steroids talking? ...and where is the GOP outrage? Trump's 3-day hospital bill: $100,000 (NY Times) lucky he had government-paid insurance helicopter rides extra Trump blames his covid infection on Gold Star families (Politico) "they come within an inch of my face" and "they want to kiss me" gee, were you wearing a mask? Trump: 'a blessing from God?' (NY Times) to the 200,000 dead? meanwhile, working unmasked while infected in the Oval Office pity the workers who have to de-virus the Office every night White House virus outbreak reaches 34 (including 9 unnamed) (Vox) meanwhile Trump refuses to tell us date of his last negative test was he knowingly infected at the first debate?  is that why he skipped the virus test at the debate? Trump demanded doctors to sign NDAs during still-mysterious hospital visit in 2019 (NBC News) 2 refused more debates, part 2  just in: 2nd Presidential debate will be virtual (Politico) due to virus concerns Trump says 'no' to virtual debate... Biden says 'yes' Biden reneges: now a 'no' (Vox) Debate Commission overrules Pence: Pence & Harris at odds over plexiglass protection at VP debate (Washington Post) guess whose side each one is on! VP staff mocks Harris with 'fortress' comment the VP debate: winners & losers (Vox) 5 & 3 --------------------   and in other news Congressman David Price demands answers about CIA torture (NC Policy Watch) wait, so where were you 16 years ago, Mr. Price, when this happened? oh, yeah, in Congress Fed chair Powell: severe economic risks without further stimulus (Washington Post) and long-term economic pain 2 hours later: Trump: stimulus relief negotiations over (Washington Post) till after the election Trump to economy: sink or swim (NY Times) Who owns Durham? (IndyWeek) mostly out-of-staters, unlike 2 decades ago ---------------------- a cult of lies & unreality The Big Question: How can 42% of Americans  support the worst President in history? (Washington Post) "Don't fear covid" says Trump (NY Times) tell that to to the relatives of the 2000,000+ people who have died followed by mask-free photo-op Two words Trump can't say (Science) You'd think that Trump contracting the virus would result in some humility... (Washington Post) ... no, actually  you wouldn't he now 'knows more than the doctors about covid' Trump's drug treatment indicates a severe covid case (NY Times) White House defends lack of forthrightness as 'effort to improve Trump's health' Trump's medical briefing reveals things are worse than we knew (Politico) first Saturday, then again Sunday Infectious Trump leaves hospital for photo-op: Secret Service aghast over forced dangerous behavior (Washington Post) where are the adults?  Trump didn't even try to keep his own people safe (The Atlantic) aides, advisors, donors, Secret Service, golf course workers & cleaners Doctors mystified by Trump physicians' plan to discharge Trump (Washington Post) Sean Conley, presidential physician (Washington Post) and liar Lies and more lies from the doctors about Trump's condition (Raleigh N&O) and contempt for people who came in contact with him after he knew he was infected... was it 9/30 or 10/2? tell us the truth why is he being given experimental drug treatment reserved for severe cases if his symptoms are mild?;  why did one doctor says he's "doing fine" while another says "Trump's vital signs the last 24 hours are very concerning" and "next 24 hours are critical" "with no clear path to recovery"?  why wouldn't they answer questions about whether Trump had been given oxygen? Mark Meadows, the White House unreliable source (Politico) A Trump rally: a catalog of worse pandemic practices (Politico) ------------------------- Trump's health, part 1 The President is infected (Axios) will we finally stop mocking people who wear masks? will we start taking the virus seriously? Now what? (The Atlantic) Why did they let Trump on a place to NJ? (Politico) when they knew he had been exposed to infection Does Trump deserve sympathy for contracting the virus? (teenVogue) White House confusion after Trump infection (Politico) as if there weren't White House confusion before The White House's inability to tell the truth comes home to roost (Washington Post) If the the WH wants to be believed they need to starting overloading us with the truth Missed opportunities (NY Times) but not too late to change? ---------------------- more debates, part 1 Presidential debate rules will change after first chaotic debate (CBS) including a rumored microphone cutoff for repeated abuse and a timeout corner? but maybe even better: Cancel the rest of the debates -- for the sake of the country (George Will, via Washington Post) A drastic cutoff in refugees taken in by America (NY Times) a 7x drop from the Obama years while Trump launches another tirade on immigrants  ...so much for American 'exceptionalism' 50 reasons Trump is bad for workers (Economic Policy Institute) More billions for an airlines bailout, but not much for renters or mortgagers on the verge of eviction (American Prospect) so we're actually going to pay them to spread the virus (because they still won't do pre-flight virus checking) voting & elections in NC Judge says witness signatures are required on NC mail-in ballots (Raleigh N&O) the final word? so those without one must start over? Whose vote counts in NC? (WUNC 35-min podcast) GOP gerrymandering dirty tricks in the past decade, while Dems fell asleep Judge delays 'final' ruling on BoE mail-in-ballot settlement (Raleigh N&O) till next week, 10/15? Federal judge overrules NC judge on BoE settlement (Raleigh N&O) another u-turn NC judge makes u-turn; how to fix mail-in voter mistakes now in limbo (Raleigh N&O) ballots with insufficient info are 'on hold' until a new court ruling NC counties begin processing mail-in ballots (Carolina Public Press) Frontline against fraud:  NC election workers (Carolina Public Press) Bus maps to get voters to Early Voting polling places (Bus to Vote) in Durham and Wake counties 2020 election special report (NC Policy Watch) Purges or voter-list maintenance? how voter rolls became polarized Supreme Court  ruling on Voting Rights Act opened the floodgates to new voting restrictions Voter fraud myth persists despite failure of any proof Battle for the Ballot ----------------------- NC candidates The NC Senate mess: has Tillis's masklessness & Cunningham's extramarital affair changed anything? (WRAL) a new poll says 'not at the moment' Q&A and candidate descriptions for all NC Supreme Court and Appeals Court candidates (NC Policy Watch) Watch the 3rd Tillis-Cunningham debate (no link found yet) Watch the 2nd Tillis-Cunningham debate (WNCT) Watch the 1st Tillis-Cunningham debate (YouTube) NC candidate endorsements continued Indy Week endorsements voting for Biden & Cunningham: incrementalism is dispiriting People's Alliance PAC: progressive politics or power? (IndyWeek) for state offices (Raleigh N&O) paywall for Supreme Court judges (Raleigh N&O) ----------------------- voting & elections general How to avoid covid while voting (Scientific American) The 5.2 million that still can't vote due to their felony record (Vox) The President is most responsible for voting mis-information (Vox) not social media The fight over mail-ballot drop-off boxes (NY Times) in CA, TX, GA, OH Does America need compulsory voting? (Foreign Affairs) can you force people to be voting-educated? A citizen's guide to defending the election (The Atlantic) the time to prepare is now:  5 things America may need international intervention (NY Times) election observers from the U.N. should be a top priority How to fix America's voter registration system (Vox) so that more poeple can vote a long read and yes, it is antithetical to the aim of the GOP The attack on voting (NY Times Magazine) a long read Voters dreading the coming election:  It's going to be hell no matter what (NY Times) How CJ John Roberts made it harder to vote (Slate) by putting an expiration date on the Constitution Texas raises voter suppression to a new level (Washington Post) Trump's re-election chances are dwindling -- will that make him more dangerous? (538) presumably Silver meant 'even more dangerous' swing states continued 10 bellweather counties in swing states (NY Times) is Trump in trouble? The 7 political states of Texas (Washington Post) books & media Fragile Democracy: The Struggle over Race and Voting Rights in North Carolina (NC Public Policy) Totally under control (The Guardian) review of a chilling documentary on Trump's bungled covid-19 response Totally Under Control now available on demand now; on Hulu 10/21/2020 Undaunted (Washington Post) no holds barred a review of ex-CIA-Director John Brennan's new book art/trips/museums Americans: an Indigenous Peoples exhibit (National Museum of the American Indian) St. Matthew: the island that humans can't conquer (Hakai)	Nobel prizes 2020 Physics Discovery of various aspects of black holes (Nobel Prize) theoretical (Penrose) and observatonal (Ghez, Genzel) Ghez only 4th woman to win Physics N.P. Advanced scientific information Popular  science background Andrea Ghez & the Milky Way SMBH: a study no one thought would work (Scientific American) How Penrose brought math to black holes (BBC Future) and accepted singularities Physics Today comments Sky & Telescope comments Scientific American comments Nature  comments Quanta comments why is everyone using the exact same black-holed diagram?  What Ghez did to win the Nobel (Astrobites) What Genzel did to win the Nobel (Astrobites) Take Andrea Ghez's new course of finding & measuring the SMBH at the Milky Way's center (World Science Festival) Chemistry Development of CRISPR for genome editing (Nobel Prize) Popular science background Advanced scientific information Chemistry World had rolling commentary Quanta comments Medicine Discovery of Hepatitus C virus (Nobel Prize) Advanced information (Nobel Prize) Quanta comments Nature comments but little other coverage due to the Trump-infection story ------------------------ science & society science journalism  & politics for the first time in memory, scientific journals endorse a Presidential candidate It's time for scientists to rise in defense of democracy (Scientific American) but it will take more than just signing a statement What a Biden presidency would mean for U.S. science policy (Nature) pandemic, climate, space exploration, ... and Why Nature endorses Biden for President (Nature) Biden's trust in truth, evidence science, & democracy On Nov. 3, vote to end attacks on science (Scientific American) choose fact over fiction (i.e., Donald Trump) New England Journal of Medicine takes a stand America is 'Dying in a Leadership Vacuum' Why science journals need to cover politics (Nature) now more than ever scientists & politics  Tired of science being ignored?  Get political! (Nature) Trump's very disappointing science advisor (Science) "better than nothing", he gets an A for effort, but an F for performance a long read It's time for scientists to rise in defense of democracy (Scientific American) but it will take more than just signing a statement ---------------------- science in  America How Trump damaged science -- and why it could take years to recover (Nature) he made the pandemic worse a long read Is America ready (finally) to become a scientific nation? (Starts with a Bang) with half the nation supporting Trump?!? Conservative disrespect for science is global, but extreme in the U.S. (Pew Research) especially with regard to global warming Ars Technica comments   ---------------------- science & the pandemic Another casualty of the cv pandemic: trust in science (Washington Post) just "another"? How Pence let politics seep into the coronavirus task force work he 'headed' (NY Times) a new report ------------------------ science Bad science is still being published (Vox) and cited are we making any progress? The first room-temperature superconductor (Nature) excites and baffles scientists at 15°C, but at 2.7 million atmospheres in an unspecified compound composed of H, C, & S The blueprint for life, neatly folded (Knowable) in 3-D and 4-D New clues to the chemical origin of metabolism (Quanta) A T Rex sells for $31 million (NBC News) and why science might be the loser 7 nations join U.S. in agreeing on legal framework for lunar exploration (Washington Post) and do they get to ignore the other 200? 10 scientists to watch (Science News) Do students need calculus anymore? (Popular Science) non-science More frequent UFO sightings in the pandemic? (Astronomy) as exaggerated as UFOS themselves pandemic medical news  Reading too much political news is bad for your health (The Atlantic) and happiness Trump's antibody treatment was tested with stem cells derived from an abortion (MIT Tech Review) is the right-wing paying attention? Why rapid covid testing is a bad idea (The Atlantic) there's an accuracy problem Who's really in charge of the CDC? (NY Times) Redfield?  Trump? and what happens if all the independent scientists leave because of political interference? Why have so many more GOP officials caught the virus compared to Dem officials? (Washington Post) uh, maybe because the former have been idiot anti-maskers but a question still asked by a clueless former GOP candidate for Congress  Face masks: what the data say (Nature) how much evidence is enough White House backtracks on FDA vaccine report (Washington Post) White House blocks new FDA vaccine guidelines (NY Times) FDA's own documents show lax, slow, secretive oversight of clinical research (Science) Moderna: no vaccine for the general public until spring 2021 (Washington Post) Making a vaccine is one thing -- getting Americans to take it is another (LA Times, via Yahoo) lead author is Jenny Xue, NCSSM '04 White House blocks CDC no-sail for cruise ships (Axios) political interference again pandemic education So if school is by Zoom, why is football being played? (Washington Post) Should NC test students and teachers for covid? (Raleigh N&O) some options The least safe states to reopen school are in the South (Raleigh N&O) NC is 27th best; all others are in the bottom 15 education Will NC education leave the dark ages? (Raleigh N&O) not with the GOP in charge of the legislature Howard Manning: still relevant to NC education improvement? (NC Policy Watch) or has he gone over to the dark side? bad media How media should behave in this contested election (Media for Democracy) sad that this has to be written down Mainstream media keep spreading Trump's false information (Washington Post) who needs Russian trolls? bad tech Is free speech really free in the age of disinformation? (NY Times) SpaceX launches 60 more sky-interfering satellites this month (Earth & Sky) Starlink threatens radio astronomy too (Science) The U.S. House report on Big Tech Fbook, Google, Apple, & Amazon guilty of anti-competitive behavior (Vox) says Congressional report gee. who knew? Wired asks if this means Big Tech is evil and mostly reaches the wrong conclusion The actual report (U.S. House Judiciary Committee) Big Tech, out-of-control capitalism, and the end of civilization (Scientific American) how capitalism because extreme Milton-Friedmanism-greed-is-good Scientific American?!? -------------------- An ad ban won't solve Fbook's election problems (Wired) it's the algorithms Fbook and the plot to kidnap MI-governor Gretchen Whitmer (NY Times) Fbook finally acts, blockremoves  Trump lies about flu v. covid (Washington Post) but not Twittter Fbook and Twitter publish Trump's "Don't be afraid of covid" (Washington Post) shut them down A new internet privacy law (Vox) Google and Fbook hate it; therefore, we need to adopt it Amazon finally admits to 20,000 covid-  infected workers (The Guardian) after months of stalling The Social Dilemma (Netflix) reality as fiction... or is it vice versa? good tech? Zuckerberg & Chan donate $100 million more to local election administrators (Washington Post) conservatives are trying to stop it
limited time?  read the most interesting & important stories from  late September 2020:  1)   ET life remains big.... and controversial life in Venus' clouds? life in the solar system? life on Mars? 3 more underground lakes, but life evidence will be difficult to come by but there's still Earth life 2)  speaking of controversial, elections and voting news voters guides candidate endorsements 3)  climate science findings are not controversial (except among loons) more bad news about disappearing Arctic & Antarctic ice an America transformed by global warming and not for the better climate solutions abound  -- is anyone listening?   4)  America in disarray  America  vs.  Trump's America the presidential non-debate no-tax Trump and the American tax code science policy under attack under political attack 5)  new questions about the origin of gold 6)  yes, the pandemic is still with us medical news 7)  M87's SMBH images are now a movie if 13 images strung together count as a movie
late September 2020
The strange surface of Ceres (Physics Buzz) a differentiated interior with no apparent source of internal energy Did Jupiter's migration turn Venus from watery to a living hell? (Space) A second alignment plane for long-period comets (NAO Japan) in addition to the ecliptic Saturn's moons A new chronology of Saturn's moons (Planetary Science Institute) it's not just dependent on the cratering rate unfortunately, neither this summary or the published article abstract give us much info Fresh ice in Enceladus's northern hemisphere (NASA JPL) from new global maps made by Cassini data Are there active geysers in Enceladus's northern hemisphere? (Earth & Sky) Earth life Ancient microbial life used arsenic in the absence of oxygen (The Conversation) The enduring question of the origin of Earth's water (Scientific American) a new clue Did Earth life began in hostile hot springs? (Science News) like Lassen's Bumpass Hell Did volcanic eruptions 238 Myr ago trigger the dawn of the dinosaurs? (The Conversation) and a previously known mass extinction, by the author of the published study (Science Advances)  --------------------- Mars life 3 more underground saltwater lakes found on Mars? (Nature) lakes, or sludge? Sky & Telescope comments Life underground on Mars? (Harvard CfA) Why it will be difficult to find evidence of past life on Mars (Cornell U) acidic fluids erase the evidence ----------------------- The comet with its own aurora (Sky & Telescope) which shouldn't have been a surprise there's gas, there's solar ionizing radiation... what else do you need? Bet you forgot that the autumnal equinox was (9/22) @ 9:30 EDT NASA releases new lunar exploration plan Artemis (NASA) 5 years & $28 billion, but $3 billion funding needed now 74-page report Spaceflight comments What if Earth had rings? (Live Science) Everything we know about the first interstellar comet (Scientific American, October 2020 issue) paywall 🔥 climate crisis🔥 how we know the planet is warming the big picture climate warnings as if you needed more Arctic sea ice reaches 2nd-lowest level on record (Carbon Brief) Extremes become routine in an emerging new Arctic (Nature Climate Change) rapid warming is causing a transition away from a permanently frozen state free to read The hysteresis of the Antarctic ice sheet (Nature) and the bad things that will happen if Paris climate goals are not met paywall U.S. sees an alarming increase in drought and heat waves (Carbon Brief) based on published article (Science Advances) The eve of destruction (The Atlantic) global warming is already killing Americans and destroying its infrastructure $700 billion for the military; $15 billion for controlling climate change New climate maps show a transformed America (Pro Publica) based on published article The future of the human climate niche (PNAS) the geographical range of human climate comfort will shift more in the next 50 years than in the past 8000 How climate migration will reshape America (NY Times) millions will be displaced... where will they go?  The climate and ecological impact of high-performance computing in astrophysics (arXiv) climate solutions The irrational enthusiasm for carbon capture (New Republic) by corporate America How to accelerate energy innovation (Vox) and curb the climate crisis which highlights 2 new studies on energy innovation: 1) Energizing America (Columbia U., Center  on Global Energy Policy) A Roadmap to Launch an Energy Innovation Mission 176-page report (Part 1) 2)  A Progressive Climate Innovation Agenda (Data for Progress) 20 pages Federal policy  Recommendations 14 pages California to ban sales on new gas-powered cars in 2035 (NY Times) but not old ones A personalized climate plan to address global warming (You Change Earth) started by Duke students What happened to the climate tax? (Massive Science) dumped by both parties for different reasons non-solutions Climate change in the 2020 Presidential Debates? (Washington Post) definitely not the first one even though it was polled as the 3rd highest issue (among Democrats), after coronavirus and the economy; the GOP is more likely to believe in QAnon Too bad Margaret Sullivan isn't moderating the first debate (Washington Post) The undoing of U.S. climate policy (RHG) the implications of Trump's rollback of climate and environmental regulations GOP still doesn't care about climate change (The Atlantic) environment Trump proposed to open Tongass National Forest to logging (NY Times) equivalent to putting the pollution of 10 million cars on the road putting America's Amazon under threat is a criminal act	Viewing the core of the Sun (Physics Teacher, October 2020 issue) the detection of CNO neutrinos How to make a planetary nebula (Starts with a Bang) and How planetary nebulae get their shapes (Sky & Telescope) based on (Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars (Science) paywall The 5 most extreme stars in the universe? (Astronomy) hottest, biggest, smallest, most massive, & fastest New interstellar  organic molecules (AAS Nova) in the Taurus Molecular Cloud whence gold? Universe's gold produced by neutron-star mergers? Never mind. (Science Alert) new model says it's supernovae and low-mass dying stars, although what kinds of supernovae is still debated neutron stars don't merge often enough published article The origin of the elements, from carbon to uranium (ApJ) paywall pre-published article (arXiv) new diagram of elements by element formation --------------------- First magnetar distance measured (NRAO) may help decide if magentars are sources of FRBs Planetary nebulae shapes solved? (CFA Harvard) the number, mass, and arrangement of the star's companions decides	The extreme planet WASP-189 (U of Bern) the first examined by ESA's new CHEOPS ET life on Venus? Venus: how life could have got there? (The Conversation) 3 scenarios Astrobites chimes in The spaceship missions that could find life on Venus (Scientific American) Cloudy with a chance of microbial life (NY Times) The question of life on Venus (Astronomy) Prospect of life on Venus fuels interest in robotic missions (Washington Post) What's next with Venus and phosphine (Sky & Telescope) 2 of NASA's next 4 proposed missions would go to Venus (NASA) the others, to Io and Triton Vox interviews Sara Seager on Venus a living rain? -------------------------- ET life in the solar system? The 4 most promising places (The Conversation) Mars, Europa, Enceladus, Titan A giant planet orbiting a white dwarf (Nature) how did the planet survive the star's evolution? and how so close? the first-ever found around a white dwarf Is stellar phosphorus a marker for habitable planets? (SWRI Colorado) ------------------------ ET The case for building a SETI observatory on the Moon (Supercluster) and orbiting one for a spare $20 million; a far-side one for 10x more? Fermi paradox X: The First-Born Hypothesis (Universe Today) the first civilizations only recently arrived on the scene and haven't had the chance to reach us yet	How (almost) all galaxies manage to have an exponentially-declining smoothness (Iowa St. U) it's all in how star clusters and gas clumps scatter stars Reconstructing the evolution of the H2 (and thus the baryon)  density over the universe's history (Max Planck Astro) by measuring the CO, dust, and star formation historical evolution but the important graphs are only in the published article Precision cosmology by studying the universe's voids (Astrobites) are these the voids we're looking for? the M87 SMBH The first-ever image of a black hole is now a movie (Nature) the movie (YouTube) with a description from Event Horizon Telescope published article (ApJ) --------------------- On the stability of the universe (Starts with a Bang) it depends on the stability of matter does the proton decay? Galaxy color is correlated with mass of SMBH (Physics Today) astronomers suspect that SMBHs in Es and S0s grow quickly via mergers (like their host galaxies), but spirals might grow more slowly, feeding on infalling gas If the Big Bang wasn't the beginning, what was? (Starts with a Bang) just his usual answer: inflation	1 Higgs, 3 discoveries (CERN Courier) its spin; it's non-composite; it gives mass to both the t and b quarks Do tetraquarks exist? (CERN Courier) observations are leading theory The disagreement between dark matter simulations and observations (Starts with a Bang) a clue to the nature of dark matter? Renormalization: the most important advance in physics in 50 years? (Quanta) how it saved particle physics Quantum radar is a thing? (Science) read with caution Black holes as dark matter? (Quanta) "a crazy idea", revived read with extreme caution Signs of cosmic strings from the Big Bang? (Quanta) Quanta goes over to the crazy dark side, again We live in a 5-D world? (Medium) yes, if we assume this and that and this and ...	the non-debate A moment of national shame (Politico) Debate loser: American voters (Washington Post) "a dumpster fire", "a train wreck", "a disgrace" An embarrassment to America (Washington Post) cancel the debates! or get a mute button No respect for the truth -- or human decency (Washington Post) Why Biden lost the debate (Salon) American democracy needs a champion not a nice guy lacking vision No-tax Trump The average American spends 15x more on health care than Trump does on taxes (Cardinal & Pine) The first grifter presidency (NY Times) Trump ran for President to enrich himself and his family What we know and what we still don't know (Washington Post) America's broken tax system (NY Times) Trump's tax returns illustrate the profound inequities in the tax code -- and its lax enforcement and how Trump stole his fortune from his siblings (Washington Post) and changed his father's will while he was in a state of dementia ---------------------- The postal slowdown in NC (Carolina Public Press) extends beyond the mailbox How Amy Conan Barrett could change the Court -- and the country (Politico) scary thoughts The Court at a tipping point (Washington Post) A woman killed.  An officer shot.  And no one is legally responsible. (Washington Post) no justice for Breonna Taylor valuing walls over Black lives 200,000 deaths: a failure of empathy (The Atlantic) apparently not that many people care about the death of the elderly the real America How to end America's unemployment nightmare (Vox) a reimagined unemployment program that treats the unemployed as clients and not criminals The legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Vox) and the future of the Supreme Court Global opinions of America plunge to new lows (Washington Post) among 13 wealthy democracies, America's approval rating sites at 16% among leaders, Trump's 'no confidence' rate is 83%, lower than any other, including Putin &  Xi Has supposed American exceptionalism blinded our leaders to learning from other countries? (Washington Post) An American government that has given up on reality (The Atlantic) it's been coming for 50 years Whose America is it? (NY Times) an election in apocalyptic times? Trump's America The escalation of AG William Barr's abuses (The Guardian) Finally, a 'new' Trump health-care plan (Washington Post) promised 4 years ago, it re-brands Obamacare, and admits that it can't replace it The GOP is an authoritarian world outlier (Vox) with the statistics to prove it CIA report: Putin "probably directing" campaign against Biden (Washington Post) you're known by your friends GOP senators' statements about filling a AC vacancy in 2016 (NY Times) which contradict their statements now there are 20 statements, made by 11 senators Trump's town hall: 4-Pinocchios, again and again (Washington Post) the lies, documented but is anyone paying attention? A.G. Barr suggests bringing sedition charges against protestors (The Guardian) and then compares to partial lockdown to slavery (Washington Post) A president disconnected from reality (Vox) FEC chair calls  separation of church and state "a fallacy" (Religion News) and the 2020 election is "a spiritual war" Trump's 10 distracted days (Washington Post) the virus went rampant, while he pretended it didn't exist and tens of thousands died needlessly while he golfed & did parties Weapons of war stockpiled for Lafayette Square 'invasion' (Washington Post) says a whistleblower including a 'heat ray' deemed too anti-human to be used in Iraq North Carolina Thom Tillis, master of the flip-flop Tillis caves to Trump on Supreme Court nomination (Raleigh N&O) after opposing it 4 years ago Oh, so now NC will be exempt from offshore drilling (Raleigh N&O) just in time for the election, huh? but we should be thankful for small favors ------------------------ Living and working during the pandemic: NC ranks 38th (NC Policy Watch) Court of Appeals: NC's gerry-mandered legislature can still pass laws (NC Policy Watch) voter-id law may be reinstatable but not for Nov election Dan Forest says he will open all schools without masks if he's elected (WUNC) death threats as a campaign tactic? voting & elections NC voting has begun 16 NC lawsuits that could change how the election is administered (Raleigh N&O) although some appear to be settled perhaps the recent settlement that led to GOP State Board of Elections resignations The tentative consent agreement signed by all 5 members (Wake County Superior Court filing, via Amazon Web Services) and presented to a Wake Co. Superior Court (a hearing is set for next week) The previous court decision that led to this settlement (Raleigh N&O) requiring NC to allow vote-by-mail mistakes to be fixed, allow properly-postmarked ballots to be received & counted up until 9 days after Election Day, and allow minimal-contact absentee drop-off boxes Raleigh N&O reporting says GOP members lied in previous statements about their resignation NC BoE records release shows GOP members lied about 'not being informed' (Carolina Public Policy) links to records within and it gets worse: Resignations forced by GOP leaders & lawyer? (Raleigh N&O) can GOP reprehensible behavior get any worse? apparently so A Berger-Moore manufactured crisis (WRAL) GOP foments election chaos GOP Lt. Gov Dan Forest ask AG Wm. Barr to look into the settlement (Raleigh N&O) even before the scheduled court hearing next week? ---------------------- 2020 voter guides with candidate data, statements, Q&A, endorsements, etc. Judicial Voter Guide (NC State Board of Elections) has only candidate statements and part work record NC 2020 Voter Guide (Common Cause & Democracy NC) has candidate statements and answers to questions except for Thom Tillis, who refused 2020 NC Voter Guide (Raleigh N&O) Breaking down the NC statewide races (WUNC) somewhat minimal 2020 endorsements 2020 endorsements (Durham People's Alliance) no contextual reasons 2020 endorsements (Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People) no contextual reasons IndyWeek voter guide comes out  10/25/2020 ---------------------- An election that might break America (The Atlantic) can Trump be stopped from throwing the election into chaos and subverting the election? The White House, Senate, and Supreme Court all hinge on North Carolina? (NY Times) A Democratic Senate majority runs through NC (Vox) NC's Senate race, explained (from afar) 6 ways to protest the election (NY Times) start by making a plan -- now -- for how to vote If you wait until Election Day, you're too late (The Nation) nonsense, leftist nonsense A truly contested election in the time of a pandemic (Healthy Elections Project) 300+ lawsuits, most still unresolved 5 are in NC Prepare for the worst, fight for the best (Just Security) a citizen's guide to election interference 3 Russian scenarios How long will election 'night' take? (Washington Post) check out how long it took to count ballots in the primaries for the 5 states that vote mostly by mail, the average delay = 6.4 days; for in-person voting states, the avg delay = 4 days after the pandemic started (3/17); for in-person voting before the pandemic, the delay = 15 hours The terrifying inadequacy of U.S. election law (The Atlantic) books & music The Climate Crisis and the Green New Deal (Vox) a chat with the authors, Noam Chomsky and Robert Pollin of their book Our most vulnerable election (NY Book Review) review of Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020  by Pamela Karlan $22 for 146-page book? The future of energy (NY Times) review of Daniel Yergin's book, The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations Rolling Stone 'revises' list of 500 greatest albums of all time Marvin Gaye (What's going on) tops the list  Cosmic Clouds in 3D (Astronomy) first stereoscopic book of nebulae has its book launch on 9/23 by astronomer/Queen-guitarist Brian May and 2 others Where Law Ends (The Atlantic) the inside story of why Mueller failed review of Andrew Weissmann's book Fragile Democracy: The Struggle over Race and Voting Rights in North Carolina (UNC Press) "When race has be used as an instrument of exclusion from political life, the result has been a society in which vast numbers of Americans are denied the elements of meaningful freedom; a good job, a good education, hood health, and a good home.  A separate and unequal system of college admissions (NY Times) money talks and privilege walks a review of 2 books on college admissions art/trips/museums Philip Guston Now becomes Philip Guston 2024 (NY Times) delayed b/c of Klan imagery   In dark times, seeking out Caravaggio (NY Times) beauty and suffering   Jacob Lawrence, peering through the cracks of history (NY Times) review of American Struggle (Metropolitan Museum) The Okanagan valley (NY Times) Canada's Napa valley	bad tech The uncertainty of keeping the night sky (Astrobites) are we ready for 20.000+ new satellites? from Tesla & Amazon Online learning cannot be only for those who can afford the technology (Nature) why aren't the big 4 tech companies using their humongous profits to make this happen? We are in danger of losing a clear view of the universe (Science) due to the impending industrialization of space so that we all can have self-driving cars? Facebook has been a disaster for the world (NY Times) fomenting hatred and undermining democracy ------------------------ science MIT's compact Sparc fusion reactor likely to work? (NY Times) the supporting science (Cambridge) Are scientists cruel to new ideas? (Starts with a Bang) science policy Trump administration undermining the credibility of the FDA (Washington Post) write 7 former FDA commissioners political influence run rampant Trouble at the CDC and the FDA (Science) the honorable thing for scientists there to do is resign as long as Trump and Azar think they have "the last word" Trump's Stalinist approach to science (NY Times) bully, ignore, and intimidate the experts  Anti-maskers don't trust science... and it's science's fault? (Duke Chronicle) UNC Board of Governors passes new guidelines for hiring UNC system Chancellors (NC Policy Watch) a power play opposed by HBCUs Inequality before birth contributes to health ineuqality in adults (Scientific American, October 2020 issue) those crazy scientists and their data paywall pandemic medical news The CDC's eroding credibility (Washington Post) internal blunders and external attacks COVID- vaccine results are coming, but scientists' concerns are growing (Nature) about politicization of the approval process as Trump & White House demand FDA justify safety approval requirements (Washington Post) the political interference has already started Dr. Fauci calls out Rand Paul's pandemic lies and misinformation (Vox) to his face! Herd immunity, explained (Vox) by immunologists When and why you should get a flu shot (Scientific American) before Halloween and duh The state of the pandemic in each state (Vox) NC is not in a good place.... yet we're re0opening schools? in maps & charts A new anonymous covid-tracing app for NC-ers (NC Dept of Health) Why most scientists think that covid-19 spread is airborne (Washington Post) despite what the CDC says on its website Vox explains CDC director says covid vaccine "not widely available" until next summer (Washington Post) hours later, Trump claims he's mistaken USPS scrapped plans to ship maks to all Americans in March/April (Washington Post) due to disagreement among Trump, USPS, and Amazon pandemic education A new vision for higher education? (NCEE) a total redesign necessitated by the pandemic  Parents vs. teachers: what's a School Board to do about re-opening? (Raleigh N&O) education Change careers. learn new skills, or just satisfy your curiosity? (NY Times) free online courses We need civics education, but not Trump's white power propaganda (Washington Post)
limited time?  read the most interesting & important stories from  early September 2020:  1)  the most massive black hole merger yet 2)   hints of life on Venus:  phosphine in its cloud decks 3)  dark matter refuses to give up its secrets 4)  coronavirus is still with us, but it's getting tiresome pandemic medical news pandemic education but there's also  education  and  miseducation 5)  if coronavirus doesn't kill us, climate change might Earth has never warmed faster than right now Antarctic glaciers are breaking free of the continent Who and what are causing global warming?    a review in 10 charts there are plans for mitigating or solving climate change 6)  America the troubled  and  Trump the criminal 7)  Voting info     and     election info are here 8)  ET intelligence is unlikely to be nearby
early September 2020
Deciphering Uranus's moons (Max Planck Astro) they appear to be similar to the trans-Neptunian dwarf planets Jupiter & its moons Juno at Jupiter: what's new and surprising (Physics Today, Septenber 2020 issue) Jupiter may have 600 moon?!? (Sky & Telescope) that are at least a mile big 52 more have been found, although the official number still stands at 79 But the known moons raise tides on each other (Scientific American) Stormy times on Jupiter (Sky & Telescope) More on the shift in Europa's crust (Earth & Sky) a 'true polar wander' ------------------------ other moons What Titan might smell like? (Astronomy) musky sweetness (C2H4), bitter almonds (HCN), gasoline (C6H6), & decomposing fish (CH3NH2)? will Dragonfly, arriving maybe in 2034, tell us ------------------------ What makes a planet? (Starts with a Bang) lessons learned, 14 years after Pluto's demotion with some nice graphs Did meteorite impacts seed life on Earth? (Western University) based on published article (Astrobiology) 🔥 climate crisis🔥 how we know the planet is warming the big picture What's causing climate change -- in 10 charts (Vox) An astronomically dated record of Earth's climate over the past 6c Myr (Science) a major breakthrough in climate science paywall Scientific American comments Earth hasn't warmed this fast in millions of years How the Greenland ice sheet fared in 2020 (Carbon Brief) 152 tons of ice lost to melting and iceberg discharge, but less than in 2019 climate warnings Two major Antarctic glaciers are breaking free (Washington Post) based on published article (PNAS) Pine Island and Thawaites show signs of fracture and structural damage A climate reckoning in fire-stricken California (NY Times) global warming is no longer abstract for those fleeing and WA and OR 155 of 216 fire-raging counties had their warmest-ever August on record (Climatewire, via Scientific American) for 39 others, it was 2nd or 3rd hottest ever although bad forest management hasn't helped (Washington Post) and the Arctic is burning like never before (Nature) burning ancient peatlands is releasing more CO2 Managing climate risk in the U.S. financial system (Ars Technica) Wall St. finally gets worried? 173 pages Climate change and astronomy (Nature Astronomy) a special issue The impact of climate change on Astronomy and vice versa (Max Planck Astro) including The carbon footprint of large meetings free The imperative to reduce carbon emissions in astronomy free The ecological impact of high-performance computing in astrophysics paywall The impact of climate change on astronomical observations paywall climate solutions The climate impact of eating meat and dairy (Carbon Brief) Solving the climate crisis (U. S. House of Representatives) a vanilla title hides a dire report 547 pages How American can leave fossil fuels behind (Vox) includes an 11-min video and a detailed flow chart/roadmap How NC can tackle the climate crisis and environmental justice (NC Policy Watch) 6 ways forward based on Building a Just Climate Future for North Carolina (Center for American Progress) follows NC Climate Science Report (NC Institute for Climate Sciences) 236-page report earlier this year There was 1 question on climate in the 2016 debates (Washington Post) will it be different this year? non-solutions Climate arsonist Trump denies science while on wildfire tour (The Guardian) Long-time climate-denier hired at NOAA (NPR) a fox in charge of the henhouse Why aren't Democrats speaking out about the climate crisis (The Guardian) climate reviews Climate extremes and compound hazards in a warming world (Annual Rev of Earth & Planetary Science) 30 pages paywall Climate decision-making (Annual Rev of Environment & Resources) 33 pages paywall Urban climates and climate change (Annual Rev of Environment & Resources) 33 pages paywall Impacts of ocean acidification on marine ecosystem and human communities (Annual Rev of Environment & Resources) 33 pages paywall environment California on fire (The Guardian) and in pictures Duke needs a climate school (Duke Chronicle) the ultimate in interdisciplinary studies Trump rolls back limits on coal ash wastewater (Washington Post) another one bites the dust The volcano that helped bring down the Ming dynasty (Geophysics Research Letters)	Another unique supernova? (Florida St U) triggered by the merger of the core of an AGB star and a white dwarf star orbiting within it? Missing RNA ingredient found in a GMC (Physics Today) hydroxylamine (NH2OH) GW190521 A black-hole binary record breaker (Sky & Telescope) 85 and 66 Msun black holes merge, leaving a remnant of 142 Msun (more than some galaxies' central black holes) the 2 original black hole masses have no currently known origin explanation: the supernova process should not produce masses between 65 and 120 Msun   LIGO adds some details the bh spins were misaligned Taped webinar (9/3) on the discovery (YouTube 1-hr videocast) Mindboggling, with forbidden masses (Nature) Scientific American adds some interesting tidbits the rapid-spinning black holes axes were surprisingly misaligned Starts with a Bang says it foretells a revolution and for the non-scientist (NY Times) 2 published papers: The merger event (Phys Rev Letters) System properties and Implications (Ap J Letters) --------------------- The history of black-hole mergers (AAS Nova) from the gravitational-wave background is the peak merger rate at 2 ≲  z ≲  4?  LIGO is currently limited to mergers at z ≲ 1  (or d ≲ 330 Mpc) A novel origin process to explain a lopsided black-hole merger? (MIT) GW190412: the more massive bh was the product of a previous bh merger and then captured another bh and merged	ET life life on Venus? Hints of life in Venus's atmosphere? (Royal Astronomical Society) phosphine (PH3) detected at 20 ppb in the cloud decks A planetary scientist comments (Washington Post) Earth & Sky comments phosphine found where Venusian temps & pressures are Earth-like Sky & Telescope comments it's probably some photo-chemical process Don't bet on aliens (Starts with a Bang) bet on chemistry The Conversation comments reminding us that phosphine has also been found in Jupiter & Saturn published article: Phosphine in the cloud decks of Venus (Nature Astronomy) free! and 2 recent papers: Phospine as a biosignature gas in exoplanets (Astrobiology) Atmospheric haze might be a home for microbial life (Astrobiology) and from the non-scientists: Washington Post comments no non-biological explanation found NY Times comments  -------------------- Red dwarfs might not be hospitable host stars after all (Earth & Sky) b/c of uv flares or maybe Life finds a way (Astrobites) even around M dwarfs? A new instrument to detect complex biotic/pre-biotic compounds on robotic landers (Astrobiology) Air & Space comments Murchison array finds no sign alien technology in 10 million star systems (ICRAR) only 100 billion to go (in our galaxy) Fewer than 1 in 1600 nearby stars have transmitters more powerful than Earth's (Earth & Sky) a milestone in SETI? Big money is powering the search for ET intelligence (Science) Want to talk to aliens?  Change the channel to not radio (Scientific American) Fermi paradox resolution #9: Brief-window hypothesis (Universe Today)	Origin of the most extreme galaxies: environment (CFHT Hawaii) both ultra-dense and ultra-compact galaxies found in densest clusters An untenably thin universe? (Quanta) arguing over S8 & σ8 without saying it another cosmic tension to be resolved Andromeda's halo mapped (NASA Goddard) the collision with the Milky Way has already begun? How astronomers revolutionized our view of the cosmos (Scientific American, Sept 2020 issue) bigger and weirder than imagined 175 years of cosmology free for only a short time read with caution A new origin for dark energy (U Hawaii) "a vast sea of compact objects spread through the voids between galaxies" formed early in the universe and acquired social distancing through rapid spinning	Why physics is stuck (Salon) an interview with Avi Loeb... including a striking dismissal of string theory do we need another Einstein? dark matter  New study claims our understanding of dark matter is flawed (Hubble) b/c of discrepancies between dark-matter distribution observations and simulations based on published article (Science) small-scale lensing effects are 10x larger than expected paywall Science News comments Sky & Telescope comments and a follow-up interview with co-author Priyamvada Natarjan (World Science) the dark matter part begins an hour into the video with host Brian Greene sadly she is much more fascinated by herself than dark matter WIMPs ruled out as source of excess  γ-rays from galactic center (KAVLI Japan) but not other types of dark matter What dark matter might look like if we could see it (Harvard CfA) What we still don't know about dark matter (Starts with a Bang) how many kinds? does it interact with itself? does it have an anti-particle? are there dark atoms? and, worst of all, how do we detect it? a better-than-average review Dark matter forms halos at all mass scales? (Universe Today) not just big ones An alternative to dark matter and MOND: general relativity itself (Astrobites) by not ignoring the self-interaction field -------------------------- Unique neutrino and gravitational signals from the interior of a collapsing supernova? (Nanowerk) if core undergoes a QCD phase transition to quarks & gluons based on published paper (Phys Rev Letters) a GW-signal 30x larger than the SN core collapse bounce -- and ditto for a 2nd, more intense ν burst paywall Gravity is unable to cause wavefunction collapse? (Science) if so, one of its chief explanations is lost A new mass for the deuteron (Nature) may help resolve some nuclear and neutrino mass issues read with caution Are primordial black holes back on the table as dark matter candidates? (Astrobites) yeah, those things that we have zero evidence for Is there a limit on how massive black holes can be? (Astrobites) but interlaced with primordial-black-holes speculation A propellant-less thruster to the stars? (Wired) or just a passion for fringe physics? a long read	America Why the U.S. couldn't control the pandemic (NY Times) we refused to do a travel quarantine The Hammer and the Dance author documents a very long read We're 28th and dropping (NY Times) in comprehensive quality-of-life index only the U.S., Brazil, & Hungary are less well off today than in 2011 we're #1 in world-class universities, but #93 in basic quality education; we're #1 in medical technology, but #97 in access to health care; our equals are Estonia, Cyprus, & the Czech Republic... we're far behind UK, Norway, and France Full report (Social Progress) A country spiraling toward political violence? (Washington Post) drivers plowing into protestors; right-wing militants shutting down legislatures; unidentified police in unmarked vans and more Is mail delivery getting slower? (NY Times) yep, here's the map to prove it the economy Strike now! (NY Times) the government is unable to help workers.... what else is left? Gross domestic misery is rising (NY Times) the recovery is bypassing the people who need it the most The economy: Trump's vs. Obama's (Washington Post) in 16 charts Wall Street's greedy indifference to human misery (New Republic) ---------------------   Democracy: in flux and under threat (Science) a special issue from Science?!? including Human-centered political redistricting in the age of AI Campaigns influence elections less than you think ------------------- Trump's despicable treason Trump admits leading the death cult (Washington Post) complicit in the pandemic death of thousands but Woodward's withholding of Trump's 'playing it down' is as contemptible (The Guardian) as his silly excuse (Washington Post) Trump appointees meddled in CDC pandemic reports & warnings (NY Times) to revise data unflattering to Trump The most shameful moment in the history of U.S. science policy (Science) Trump lied Whistleblower: Trump officials told me to suppress Russian interference evidence (Washington Post) and white supremacy claims the underplayed story The Trump Report Card (NY Times) and the promises unkept The loser President calls dead American veterans losers and suckers (The Atlantic) The most damning part is how believable it all is (Rolling Stone) but a caution on 'anonymous sources' and 'confirming' a story (The Intercept) Trump caught in tweet calling McCain "a loser' and another denying he ever did so (Twitter) It's time for Trump's generals to go on record (Slate) anonymous sourcing just doesn't cut it GOP Congress 'leader' puts out doctored video of Biden (NY Times) and then defends it is there no longer ethics in Congress?   The eerie stability of Trump's approval ratings (Vox) can anything change peoples' minds? How Trump incites violence (Vox) it only takes a few crazies yet blames everyone but himself (Washington Post) and now Woodward changes his story (NPR, 9/14/2020) he thought Trump was talking about the pandemic in China The defender of white America (NY Times) Justice Dept claims insulting women is an appropriate part of Trump's job (Washington Post) voting the election is now just 2 months away NC mail-in vote update (NC Policy Watch) 10% of reg. voters have requested a mail-in ballot; requests up by 15x over 2016; 23,709 received & accepted; 734 rejected A reminder that 7 years ago, the NC legislature passed the most anti-voting law in the U.S. (NC Policy Watch) led by Speaker Thom Tillis  (elected to the U.S. Senate 1 year later) 50 states, 50 sets of ballot-by-mail rules (Vox) deadlines to register, request, and send in ballots NC: the first in the nation to vote (Cardinal & Pine) NC's 2020 election preparations (Healthy Eletions) a 10-page summary items in bold have been adopted; those not, not on voting twice (it's illegal -- and a felony in NC) Trump suggests NC voters should vote twice, once in person & once by mail (Washington Post) and thereby commit a felony 'in order to test the discovery of fraud' is there no end to this contemptible man? Could/should Trump be prosecuted? (Election Law Blog) so much for a 'law and order' presidency and how this will create chaos and problems for election boards (NY Times) and an AG (Barr) who doesn't know that voting twice is illegal? (New York) You can now request a mail-in ballot totally electronically... nothing to mail (DCoVotes.com) if you vote in Durham County it should work for any NC county, and maybe even any state? So far, GOP requests are up by 7x; unaffiliated, up 17x; Dems, up 22x elections Why it's impossible to predict this year's election (Washington Post) How next-gen computer- generated maps detect partisan gerrymandering (Science News) The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip (CNN) NC is #4 on the list The 10 House districts mostly likely to flip (CNN) none from NC are listed, which is bogus, b/c almost certainly NC-2 and NC-6 will change from R to D (but the incumbents are not running) Why we won't be voting online soon (Ars Technica) swing states, continued The 5 political states of Minnesota (Washington Post) The 7 political states of Pennsylvania (Washington Post) The 8 states where the election will be decided (Politico) 2020 candidates Beasley vs. Newby (NC Policy Watch) for NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Raleigh N&O Nov 2020 voter guide see who's on your ballot and a brief candidate comparison for each race (although mostly happy talk) old treason Bush-Cheney phone surveillance of U.S. citizens in wake of 9/11 ruled illegal (Washington Post) 19 years too late Black Banners, declassified: how torture derailed the war on terror (NPR Fresh Air, 48-min podcast) interview with Ali Soufan and see Books, below Cheney's 9/11 orders to shoot down U.S. airlines (Washington Post) pandemic politics NC GOP leaders pretend to fix NC's covid-caused problems (NC Policy Watch) but mostly it's a ruse 5 failures books  Black Banners, Declassified: how torture derailed the war on terror (NY Times) book review of Ali Soufran's new edition and compare pages of redacted and unredacted versions, side by side (NY Times) The Great Secret (Nature) the WW II disaster that launched the deadly war on cancer review of book by Jennet Conant Quantum Reality: The quest for the real meaning of quantum mechanics (Nautil.us) putting the blame on physicists' dismissal of metaphysics Sabine Hossenfelder reviews Jim Baggott's new book and another short review (Not Even Wrong) "refreshingly sane and sensible" by someone who isn't "personally offended" Rethinking America's 'Deficit Myth' (50-min podcast WBUR)  discussion with author (Stephanie Kelton) and others Donald Trump v. United States: how democracy came under assault (The Guardian) how WH insiders protected Trump from behaving worse... and why the investigation of Trump's crimes failed a review of the books by Michael Schmidt an interview with Michael Schmidt (41-min Fresh Air podcast) art/travel/ museums T Rex -- with feathers! (NY Times) review of T Rex: the ultimate predator (American Museum of Natural History) through spring 2021 2020 Astronomy photographer-of-the-year winners (The Guardian) A nostalgic Rte-66 road trip through NM and AZ (NY Times) A virtual tour of Malawi (NY Times) formerly Nyasaland Donald Judd, the minimalist who wasn't (The Atlantic) review of the MOMA exhibit A new virtual tour of the Gauguin & impressionist  exhibit (Royal Academy of Arts) 21-minute video (but moving camera only... no narration)	science & politics Scientific American makes first-ever endorsement for President, for Biden 81 Nobel laureates endorse Biden (Physics World) based on science policy -------------------- A long-awaited update for radiocarbon dating (Scientific American) will change some dates The myth of the International Space Station (Supercluster) and the politics behind it Origin story? (Aeon) looking for the origin of life -- or maybe just thinking about looking for it a long read can science be falsified? yes & necessary (Scientific American) no (and dangerous) (Why Evolution is True) education A science class for kids who think they don't like science (The Atlantic) did you know that teachers now have an average of 3 years of experience? whereas 20 years ago, they had 15 Postdocs in crisis? (Nature) are we risking the next generation of scientists? The internet is still not for everyone (Vox) what it will take to make it happen   NC legislature fails public education (NC Policy Watch) again NC Leandro judge orders $427 education upgrade (NC Policy Watch) but will the GOP legislature pay for it? (Raleigh N&O) The best reason to go to college? (NY Times) to find out how much you don't know  mis-education A claim of prejudice against the uneducated is instead a celebration of ignorance (NY Times) a shameful article, especially in the time of pandemic denial while confidence in scientists suffers (Washington Post) The failings of NC VirtualPublicSchool (NC Policy Watch) plagarism, copyright infringement, & lack of rigor Dirty rush (IndyWeek) you didn't really think that a little pandemic would stop sorority & fraternity parties did you? It's time to remove law enforcement officers from schools (NC Policy Watch) replace them with counselors pandemic education Testing alone is not enough (Washington Post) to prevent an outbreak, unlike masks and physical distancing The students thriving in remote learning (Vox) The problem with modeling college students pandemic behavior (Nature) it didn't occur modelers that students would walk around after testing positive Rising pushback against in-person education at U.S. colleges (Nature) by professors, grad students, & housekeeping workers concerned about health much of article focuses on UNC system There are not good options for re-opening schools right now (Scientific American) Colleges' dilemma: fight the outbreaks -- or send sick students home (Politico) Pandemic learning pods: here to stay? (Washington Post) an education disrupter? When going back to teach means putting your life on the line (Washington Post) 6 tech tips for remote learning (Washington Post) protect your kids' data & make then look good on Zoom The oxymoron of remote learning (NY Times) more needs to be done to get kids back in schools science Dawn of the topological age? (Physics Today, Sept 2020 issue) electron band  structures and all that Myriam Sirachik, never gave up on physics (NY Times) The peopling of South America (The Scientist) pandemic medical news How many more people will die of covid before America gets it right? (Time) the numbers don't lie Why young adults can't dismiss covid-19 (Science News) Despite Trump claim, we're no 'rounding the corner' (Washington Post)  410,000 U.S. deaths by new year CDC institutes eviction moratorium till year's end (NY Times) yes, the CDC has the power to do this, because evictions will worsen pandemic infection will Trump claim it was his idea? but beware all the rules and exceptions (American Prospect) How to decide who gets the covid-19 vaccine first (Scientific American) The unsettleed science of physical distancing (Undark) 3 ft?  6 ft?? The state of the pandemic, state-by-state, in 5 maps (Vox) which few states are succeeding in control; which are the worst NC does not fare well Did mass testing prevent a covid spike at Duke? (Raleigh N&O) NC Gov. Cooper reopens gyms, & museums starting Friday (Raleigh N&O) but not bars and theaters... b/c "numbers have stabilized" yeah, but at the highest number of daily deaths & infections Trump to spend $250 million to 'defeat despair' (Politico) but no campaign to encourage defeat the pandemic by masking and distancing? Counting the true number of deaths from covid-19 (Nature) Another Trump fake pandemic remedy: the convalescent plasma mess (Washington Post) and a forced retraction from the FDA there is no 35% mortality reduction rate b/c tests have not been done bad tech SpaceX's satellites are still too bright for astronomy (Scientific American) DarkSat has not been a success Fbook will limit political advertising 1 week before election -- but still allow political ads that lie (CNN) How Google & Fbook harm local & global communities (American Economic Liberties Project) break them up is the only solution Another Fbook tantrum: threatens to remove news from Australia if it actually has to pay the news publishers for it (Axios)
limited time?  read the most interesting & important stories from  late August 2020: 1) coronavirus, still going strong medical updates local education news pandemic economics 2) elections & voting:   will it change the state of America? or bad behavior in NC? the GOP national convention the Democratic national convention sabotaging the USPS  just in time for the election 3)  pandemic education the big news:  local universities shut down in person & go online (well, except for football, of course) 4)  astronomy news moons asteroids planets the first map of the coronal magnetic field more ridiculous Fermi Paradox 'explanations' 5)  climate warnings on the rise the scariest: is the Greenland ice sheet now toast?