The Weird Times
Inner Monologues and Desultory Reporting from Outer Spaces
The Weird Times: Issue 65, August 8, 2021 (V2 #13)
“The Delta variant is making clear what the Administration should have done back in January: mandate vaccines, mandate passports and crack down on the denialists. Now time is running short.” —Donald G. McNeil, Jr.
“Emperor Nero, it’s said, fiddled while Rome burned. If you don’t want our politicians to continue to follow his example while the world burns, get politically active now.” —Thom Hartmann
“Sometimes I think I'll give up trying,
and just go completely Russian
and sit on a stove and moan all day.” —Dorothy Parker
My friend walks soft as a weaving on the wind
He backlights my dreams
He has built altars beside my bed
I awake in the smell of his hair & cannot remember
his name, or my own.
From “An Exercise in Love,” Diane DiPrima
(Happy Birthday Diane, we miss you)
The Anti-Vax Herp-Derp, Chris Truax, The Bulwark, 8/5/21
“As it’s become increasingly clear that the obstacle to ending the pandemic is now people flat-out refusing to get vaccinated, I’ve struggled with how to characterize and address the arguments these anti-vaxxers are making. But on Friday, I had an epiphany when I read this quote from Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, who was pushing back against Joe Biden’s plan to require federal employees to be either vaccinated or have a current negative COVID test. ‘Forcing people to undertake a medical procedure is not the American way and is a clear civil rights violation no matter how proponents may seek to justify it.’ ‘Aha!,’ I said to myself, ‘Herp derp!’ Herp derp originated, as do so many important philosophical concepts, on South Park. It’s now become an internet meme for something that is just complete nonsense. Larry Cosme’s statement is a textbook example.”
Oceans Away
Maritime shipping causes more greenhouse gases than airlines: Fossil-fuel-burning ships transport a vast amount of cargo across the world’s oceans each year, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 8/2/21
Phytoplankton blooms hint at changing Arctic waters: On the surface, two recent NASA images depict common summer phytoplankton blooms. But signs of climate degradation are in the details, Kevin McGwin, Arctic Today, 8/2/21
Deep sea trawling unleashes carbon from the ocean floor: Sediments at the bottom of the ocean store more carbon than all the soil on Earth, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 8/4/21
A critical ocean system may be heading for collapse due to climate change, study finds: ‘The consequences of a collapse would likely be far-reaching,’ Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 8/5/21
“Human-caused warming has led to an “almost complete loss of stability” in the system that drives Atlantic Ocean currents, a new study has found — raising the worrying prospect that this critical aquatic “conveyor belt” could be close to collapse.
In recent years, scientists have warned about a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which transports warm, salty water from the tropics to northern Europe and then sends colder water back south along the ocean floor. Researchers who study ancient climate change have also uncovered evidence that the AMOC can turn off abruptly, causing wild temperature swings and other dramatic shifts in global weather systems.”
Observation-based early-warning signals for a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Nikolas Boers, Nature Climate Change, 8/5/21
The Race for EV Parts Leads to Risky Deep-Ocean Mining:The electric vehicle boom is driving a surge in demand for prized metals needed for batteries and other components. Some companies say the solution lies in mining the deep oceans, but scientists say that could irreversibly damage a vast, largely pristine ecosystem, Tatiana Schlossberg, Yale E360, 7/29/21
New Discovery Gives World’s Most Endangered Turtle a Fighting Chance: A 500-year-old legend is key to the survival of a rare giant softshell turtle, Hoang Bich Thuy and Nguyen Dinh Thang, Independent Media Institute, 8/5/21
Something is Killing Gray Whales, Susanne Rust, LA Times, 8/6/21
“What Mayoral was witnessing was the start of a leviathan die-off that, for 2½ years, has alarmed legions of whale watchers and perplexed scientists up and down the western coast of North America. Gray whales are known for being hardy and resilient — “the jeeps of the ocean,” as retired U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologist Wayne Perryman calls them — but something has gone badly wrong.
Scientists are now scrambling to figure out what is killing these 40-foot-long marine mammals. The “what” is anything but obvious.”
Science
Fractons, the Weirdest Matter, Could Yield Quantum Clues: Theorists are in a frenzy over these bizarre, but potentially useful, hypothetical particles that can only move in combination with one another, Thomas Lewton, Wired, 8/1/21
“When I first heard about fractons, I said there’s no way this could be true, because it completely defies my prejudice of how systems behave,” said Nathan Seiberg, a theoretical physicist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. “But I was wrong. I realized I had been living in denial.”
'Doubly charming' tetraquark is the longest-lived exotic-matter particle ever found: The particle is the longest-lived exotic-matter particle ever found, Ben Turner, Live Science, 8/5/21
“Scientists at the world's largest atom smasher have discovered the longest-lived exotic-matter particle ever observed, and it has twice the charm of anything discovered to date.”
Chinese scientists hope to unlock secrets of human brain with high-res image from a monkey, Stephen Chen, South China Morning Post, 8/1/21
“Chinese scientists have obtained the world’s first high-resolution, 3D image of a monkey brain, which they say could be used for research to treat human diseases such as Parkinson’s.”
Errors in genetic sequences mar hundreds of studies: Misreported nucleotide reagents may be rife in papers on human gene function, Holly Else, Nature, 8/4/21
“A computer-aided analysis of almost 12,000 human-genetics papers has found more than 700 studies with errors in the DNA or RNA sequences of their experimental reagents. That amounts to a “problem of alarming proportions”, because it suggests that a worrying fraction of studies on human genes are not reliable, says the team that conducted the analysis, led by cancer researcher Jennifer Byrne at the University of Sydney in Australia. The mistakes could be accidental but, researchers suspect, might sometimes point to fraud.”
Moon lacked a magnetic field for nearly all its history – new research resolves mystery sparked by rocks brought back on Apollo, John Tarduno, The Conversation, 8/4/21
Genetic variations could one day help predict timing of menopause: Study provides hints about the factors that govern reproductive lifespan — and how they could eventually be harnessed to extend fertility, Heidi Ledford, Nature, 8/4/21
The Tiny Balls of Fat that Could Revolutionize Medicine, Kathryn A. Whitehead, TED Monterey, August 2021
“What if you were holding life-saving medicine ... but had no way to administer it? Zoom down to the nano level with engineer Kathryn A. Whitehead as she gives a breakdown of the little fatty balls (called lipid nanoparticles) perfectly designed to ferry cutting-edge medicines into your body's cells. Learn how her work is already powering mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and forging the path for future therapies that could treat Ebola, HIV and even cancer.”
The Climate and Virus News is Grim but Don’t Despair, Take Action to Make Change
Reduce methane or face climate catastrophe, scientists warn: IPCC says gas, produced by farming, shale gas and oil extraction, playing ever-greater role in overheating planet, Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, 8/6/21
“Cutting carbon dioxide is not enough to solve the climate crisis – the world must act swiftly on another powerful greenhouse gas, methane, to halt the rise in global temperatures, experts have warned.”
California hits drought milestone as Oroville hydropower stops for first time, Debra Kahn, Politico, 8/5/21
“California water managers on Thursday shut down hydropower generation at Lake Oroville for the first time ever due to falling lake levels, a major milestone in the state's historic drought.”
As drought worsens, regulators impose unprecedented water restrictions on California farms, Julia Wick, LA Times, 8/3/21
“Amid intensifying drought, state water regulators voted Tuesday to enact a drastic emergency order that will bar thousands of Californians — primarily farmers — from using stream and river water.”
Scientists expected thawing wetlands in Siberia’s permafrost. What they found is ‘much more dangerous.’ A 2020 heat wave unleashed methane emissions from prehistoric limestone in two regions stretching 375 miles, study says, Steven Mufson, Washington Post, 8/2/21
Our leaders look climate change in the eyes, and shrug: It is not good to be too pessimistic on the climate crisis. That said, it sure does seem like we’re screwed, Hamilton Nolan, The Guardian, 8/4/21
“The G20 is a perfect model of our collective failure to build institutions capable of coping with deep, long-term, existential problems that cannot be solved by building more weapons.”
Address risky human activities now or face new pandemics, scientists warn, Sharon Guynup, MongaBay, 8/3/21
“Experts say that a “One Health” approach is urgently needed to prevent future pandemics — simultaneously addressing human, animal and ecosystem health, protecting humanity and nature, and incorporating disease risk into decision-making.”
IPCC aims to elevate women’s voices in climate science, Sara Schonhardt, E&E News, 8/2/21
“For too long, the world’s foremost scientific body on global warming has overlooked the contributions of female scientists and the unique impact of climate change on the planet’s roughly 3.8 billion women, advocates say.
Now the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is looking to change that way of thinking. The U.N. group has vowed to diversify its pool of scientists and sources of information, which could bring greater understanding of how global warming is affecting women — particularly those in frontline communities.”
Learn to live with mutating coronavirus, top Chinese virologist says: Shi Zhengli adds her voice to vaccination calls, saying new variants will continue to emerge; Virus does not have unlimited potential to mutate, researcher says, Mimi Lau, South China Morning Post, 8/5/21
U.S. departure from Afghanistan imperils global quest to eradicate polio, Leslie Roberts, Science, 8/4/21
“The Taliban has blocked house-to- house polio vaccination in areas under its reign for the past 3 years, putting up to 3 million children out of reach of the campaign and leaving Afghanistan one of only two countries, along with Pakistan, where the wild polio virus survives.”
Are we facing an insect apocalypse? As bug numbers plummet by 75 per cent in just 50 years, Dave Goulson's brilliant Silent Earth will make you think twice about swatting a fly, Joe Shute, The Telegraph, 8/2/21 (Silent Earth by Dave Goulson will be published in the US 9/28/21)
A long history of building for cold weather may have consequences as the climate warms, Grace Benninghoff, VT Digger, 8/1/21
‘It could feed the world’: amaranth, a health trend 8,000 years old that survived colonization, Indigenous women in North and Central America are coming together to share ancestral knowledge of amaranth, a plant booming in popularity as a health food, Cecelia Knowell, The Guardian, 8/6/21
Indigenous rancher is a 125th-generation land steward: Kelsey Ducheneaux-Scott uses regenerative grazing to mimic the impact that bison once had on the Great Plains, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 8/2/21
Climate change is endangering sacred land. For these Native women, it threatens ‘everything we are.’ Wildfires and droughts are fundamentally changing the relationship between Native women and the land they steward, Ray Levy Uyeda, The Lily, 7/30/21
U.S. to Set Electric-Vehicle Sales Goal of 50% by 2030: General Motors, Ford and Stellantis executives with union leaders are expected to join President Biden in announcing voluntary target, Katy Stech Ferek & Ben Foldy, Wall Street Journal, 8/4/21
The lost history of the electric car – and what it tells us about the future of transport: To every age dogged with pollution, accidents and congestion, the transport solution for the next generation seems obvious – but the same problems keep coming back, Tom Standage, The Guardian, 8/4/21
Cargo bikes deliver faster and cleaner than vans, study finds: Home deliveries are soaring and cargo bikes cut congestion and pollution in cities, researchers say, Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 8/5/21
“Electric cargo bikes deliver about 60% faster than vans in city centres, according to a study. It found that bikes had a higher average speed and dropped off 10 parcels an hour, compared with six for vans.
The bikes also cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans, and by a third compared with electric vans, the report said. Air pollution, which is still at illegal levels in many urban areas, was also significantly reduced.”
The woman who rifles through New York’s garbage – exposing the city’s excesses, Anna Sacks documents her ‘trash walks’ on social media, shining a light on the everyday shame and indignity of producing and living with so much waste, Frida Garza, The Guardian, 8/7/21
“Since 2018, Sacks has been going on what she calls “trash walks” in New York City, rummaging through the city’s discards in search of usable items – and documenting what she finds on Instagram (and more recently, TikTok), under the handle @thetrashwalker. On social media and in real life, Sacks never seems to run out of patience, even when confronted with the scale and pervasiveness of the problem she is trying to solve: our culture of throwing things out, which leads to businesses and consumers alike producing untold amounts of waste.”
‘I came home to fight for my land’: First Nations battle Canada blaze that displaced them: First Nations leaders seek more influence on how forests are managed, and the right to conduct prescribed burns, Cole Burston, Leyland Cecco, The Guardian, 8/4/21
‘People think you’re an idiot’: death metal Irish baron rewilds his estate: Trees, grasses and wildlife are returning as Lord Randal Plunkett recreates a vanished landscape in County Meath, Rory Carroll, The Guardian, 8/7/21
Highly Vaccinated States Keep Worst Covid-19 Outcomes in Check as Delta Spreads, WSJ Analysis Shows:Variant has driven up U.S. cases, but hospitalizations and deaths have risen more slowly in areas with more vaccinations, Brianna Abbott, Jon Kamp, Kara Dapena and Randy Yeip, Wall Street Journal, 8/7/21
“Every state with a higher vaccination rate than the country overall has a lower hospitalization rate.”
Birdland
Surprising insights into the migration pattern of world’s farthest-migrating species, Katherine Came, UBC, 8/5/21
“The Arctic tern—which has the world record for the longest annual migration—uses just a few select routes, a key finding that could help efforts to conserve the species, according to a new University of British Columbia study.”
How landscapes of fear affect the songbirds in our backyards: New research suggests that fear is responsible for underweight nestlings, UMass Amherst., Science Daily, 8/3/21
"This is a largely unexplored component of human/wildlife interaction," says Grade. "Birds are very in-tune with what's going on, and if they see, or in this case hear, a predator, they'll change their behavior." For instance, the parent birds might spend less time finding food for their nestlings to avoid predation. "These landscapes of fear," says Grade, "can have a greater effect on behavior and survival than the actual predator itself."
SOPHISTICATED LADY
Why did Ellington say music was his mistress
and not baseball?
Somewhere between swing and bebop
Satchel Paige took the mound.
Fingering the keys is as beautiful
as fingering the ball.
Cool Papa Bell believed he was cooler than jazz.
Turn out the lights and grab the bass by the bed.
Did Dizzy Dean ever wear a beret?
Dizzy did.
—E. Ethelbert Miller
Words are more than Commodities
Kate Zambreno Talks Writing as a Mother Under Capitalism, Ellie Nash, Observer, 8/4/21
“I exist so much in a notebook space. Making lists, making notes, allowing myself to have a notebook turn into a reading notebook. Even just allowing myself to read, which can be such a difficult thing when you are so crunched for time. Just allowing myself to read. Then allowing things to stew for a while. And having time somehow, which to me is the form of my partner taking both of them outside of the apartment, which is increasingly difficult, for an hour. Allowing myself to think. And, I need to have sleep.
To me sleep is more important than time. Even when I get time the thinking isn’t really there. I also have become gentler on myself. Like: I’m just going to survive today. Maybe I’ll read a couple pages or maybe I’ll write in a journal. I allow things to ferment in a mass of notes for a while and then I allow the thinking to hopefully become more sophisticated.”
Why the words media use to describe climate change matter, Robert Hackett, Julia Dzgoeva, National Observer, 8/4/21
“Framing the terms of a debate is halfway to winning it. "Framing is about getting language that fits your worldview," writes linguistics professor and Democratic adviser George Lakoff. "The ideas are primary — and the language evokes those ideas."”
Why We Have Police: Race, Class, and Labor Control: Philip V. McHarris Traces a Line Through American Chattel Slavery, Reconstruction, Civil Rights, and the “War on Drugs” Phillip V. McHarris, Lithub, 8/4/21
“Police are said to be the stewards of public safety, but across the country policing emerged as a tool of racial and class domination and control. Over time, we have seen that policing has been centered on maintaining the status quo, which has been shaped by white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism. The police violence we see throughout the country in the present is not a fluke, or aberration. The criminal-legal system today is not broken—it is operating exactly as it was designed: a violent tool of race and class control.”
From the essay “Race, Place, and the Policing of Public Housing” by Philip V. McHarris, in Violent Order: Essays on the Nature of Police, Haymarket Press, edited by David Correia and Tyler Wall.
As I compiled this week’s Weird Times, I worried that there is just too much to report right now. Even as this issue is so long it barely fits the space I am allowed, I omitted a raft of links to articles that are just as important as what is included here. Virus and vaccine news is everywhere. Delta has alot of us nervous and scared, and who knows, Lambda may be worse. We’re all surfing the news and trying to figure out what comes next. There was so much climate news this week, I felt obligated to focus on it, but there is so much else to think about that next week’s issue will be on other matters that matter just as much.
Stay safe, send news of what you are doing, reading, talking and thinking about. Writer and artist friends are always invited to send work.
Best wishes and warm regards to all who receive this latest expression of some of the weirdness fit to share.