December 11, 2023 3 min read Building codes that don’t fully account for climate change are “one of the most significant factors” in increasing disaster risk, a federal report says By Thomas Frank & E&E News Neighborhoods are seen submerged in flood water from the Meremac River on December 31, 2015 in Pacific, Missouri. CLIMATEWIRE… Continue reading Millions of U.S. Homes Risk Disaster because of Outdated Building Codes
The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing
The following is a condensed version of “The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing” by Rachel Lu, published at Law & Liberty. A year or so after we were married, my husband asked me a question. It was unexpected, but it started a train of thought that returned to me as I was reading David Brooks’ latest… Continue reading The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing
New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
Earth’s fate rests on a coin flip. In 5 billion years, our sun will balloon into a red giant star. Whether Earth survives is an “open question,” said Melinda Soares-Furtado, an astrophysicist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Sure, Earth could be swallowed by the sun and destroyed. But in some scenarios, Earth escapes and… Continue reading New Clues for What Will Happen When the Sun Eats the Earth
Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration
Successful public health campaigns and medical advances have enabled the United States to conquer a range of disfiguring and damaging diseases. Polio, which paralyzed thousands of Americans annually, was wiped out by widespread vaccinations. In 1999 the nation’s last hospital for lepers closed its doors in Louisiana. A global campaign eradicated smallpox, while lethal tuberculosis,… Continue reading Leprosy, Polio, Malaria, TB, Measles … and Massive Unscreened Illegal Immigration
World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time
Last week at the start of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, 134 countries signed a declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from processes related to producing and consuming food. It’s the first time in nearly three decades of climate summits, which were established to set the world’s direction in tackling climate change, that… Continue reading World Leaders Agree to a Climate Deal on Food for the First Time
Why Do We Dream? Maybe to Ensure We Can Literally ‘See’ the World upon Awakening
Dreams have fascinated people for millennia, yet we struggle to understand their purpose. Some theories suggest dreams help us deal with emotions, solve problems or manage hidden desires. Others postulate that they clean up brain waste, make memories stronger or deduce the meaning of random brain activity. A more recent theory suggests nighttime dreams protect… Continue reading Why Do We Dream? Maybe to Ensure We Can Literally ‘See’ the World upon Awakening
The Biggest Discoveries in Computer Science in 2023
Quanta Magazine > 0; if (typeof predicate !== ‘function’) { throw new TypeError(‘predicate must be a function’); } var thisArg = arguments[1]; var k = 0; while (k We care about your data, and we’d like to use cookies to give you a smooth browsing experience. Please agree and read more about our privacy policy.Agree… Continue reading The Biggest Discoveries in Computer Science in 2023
The Biggest Discoveries in Math in 2023
It was also an exciting year in geometry. The most attention-getting result of the year was the discovery of a new kind of tile that covers the plane in a pattern that never repeats. A two-tile combination that does this has been known since the 1970s, but the single tile, discovered by a hobbyist named… Continue reading The Biggest Discoveries in Math in 2023
Washington’s Rejection of Dictatorship An Example for All Americans
“I want to be a dictator for one day,” proudly declared former President Donald Trump to the New York Young Republican Club on December 9, 2023. Two hundred and forty years earlier on December 23, 1783, General George Washington humbly informed Congress that he did not want to be a dictator – not even for… Continue reading Washington’s Rejection of Dictatorship An Example for All Americans
Subterranean ‘Microbial Dark Matter’ Reveals a Strange Dichotomy
Devoid of light and deprived of nutrients, the depths of Earth might seem too barren to bother scouring for signs of life. But subterranean microbial organisms actually make up an enormous part of our planet’s biosphere. They are second only to plants in terms of total estimated biomass. Now an abandoned gold mine in South… Continue reading Subterranean ‘Microbial Dark Matter’ Reveals a Strange Dichotomy