HAVE YOUR SAY.
We are proud to announce the inaugural session of The Bullpen, where the members of the Scientific Inquirer community get to shape the site’s editorial decision making. We’ll be discussing people and companies to profile on the site. On Wednesday June 8th at 5:30pm EST, join us on Discord and let’s build the best Scientific Inquirer possible.
SOMETHING MUST GIVE.
In what can only be viewed as an urgent public health message for America, its Commander-in-Chief urged politicians to take action and pass legislation limiting access to firearms. Per the Associated Press, “‘Enough, enough,’ President Joe Biden exclaimed over and over as he delivered an impassioned address to the nation imploring Congress to take action against gun violence after mass shootings he said had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into ‘killing fields.’ If legislators fail to act, he warned, voters should use their ‘outrage’ to turn it into a central issue in November’s midterm elections. Speaking at the White House on Thursday night, Biden acknowledged the stiff political headwinds as he sought to drive up pressure on Congress to pass stricter gun limits after such efforts failed following past attacks.” Will Republicans compromise? Don’t hold your breath. https://bit.ly/3x2GrwI
SHOWTIME ON MARS.
It’s time. Time for what, you ask. Per Nature, “More than fifteen months after landing in Jezero Crater on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover has finally begun its hunt for ancient life in earnest. On 28 May, Perseverance ground a 5-centimetre-wide circular patch into a rock at the base of what was once a river delta in the crater. This delta formed billions of years ago, when a long-vanished river deposited layers of sediment into Jezero, and it is the main reason that NASA sent the rover here. On Earth, river sediment is usually teeming with life.” Showtime, baby. This is what the excitement about Perseverance’s landing was all about. Not just taking a spin around Mars for a laugh. https://go.nature.com/3NkW8Gu
NAT GAS ISN’T GOING AWAY.
Developers plan to build a series of liquefied natural gas export facilities across Southwest Louisiana, already the heart of the industry. Even in a state with a heavy industrial base, these facilities are among the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses in Louisiana. Not everyone is particularly thrilled at the prospect. Per the AP, “‘They’re an absolute powerhouse for greenhouse gas emissions,’ said Naomi Yoder, a staff scientist at Healthy Gulf, a nonprofit that advocates for clean energy. That’s because these export facilities tend to burn off, or flare, natural gas… For a while, it looked as though an era of steadily expanding fossil fuel facilities might be ending. Last year, after taking office, President Joseph Biden announced his intention to fight climate change by eliminating fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2035 and by sharply reducing emissions from the rest of the economy.” Sometimes, making good on those campaign promises are a little bit more complicated than the announcements themselves. Fiction meet reality. https://bit.ly/3xcxp1o
MINECRAFT TEST FOR AI.
Minecraft has long been used by the scientific and tech industry as a testbed for research. This is particularly true for artificial intelligence. Per Wired, “At the Microsoft Build developer conference today, the company’s chief technology officer, Kevin Scott, demonstrated an AI helper for the game Minecraft. The non-player character within the game is powered by the same machine learning technology Microsoft has been testing for auto-generating software code. The feat hints at how recent advances in AI could change personal computing in years to come by replacing interfaces that you tap, type, and click to navigate into interfaces that you simply have a conversation with.” In the past, researchers have used the open sandbox world of Minecraft to test how AI can innovate by building structures in the world. https://bit.ly/3zcsnDv
RELATIONSHIP WARNING SIGNS.
Here’s one that will surely cause a bit of heated dinner table debate. According to Psychology Today, infidelity is not only predictable, but also has well defined risk factors. Yep. According to the article, “The conventional wisdom says gender is key, that men are much more likely than women to be unfaithful. Indeed, that was the case in this report’s two samples. The men cheated more both in-person and online. Gender matters. But the researchers note that over the past several decades, the infidelity gender gap has narrowed as women’s opportunities for cheating have expanded—thanks to greater education, more work choices, and more opportunities to travel. Today the researchers argue, gender is no longer a major infidelity predictor.” For anyone concerned, here are the signs to look out for: Relationship dissatisfaction. Desire differences. Less regard for each other. Sexual satisfaction. The same goes for online infidelity. https://bit.ly/3PZljQl
Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.
IMAGE CREDIT: Gage Skidmore.