Democratic convention protests are coming! How do we judge whether they are a damp squib or moved the needle a smidge?
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Confronting Low Fertility Rates and Population Decline
Some practical ideas for how to manage population shrinkage. But will neoliberalism get in the way?
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/15/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Walter Kirn on Kamala; Trump to jail September 18?; Sanders on 2020; Monkeypox ~
The Rat Race for Research Funding Delays Scientific Progress
How bad incentives and funders’ love of glitz lead to poor scientific research outcomes and demotivated academics.
Americans Love Free Speech, Survey Finds − Until They Realize Everyone Else Has It, Too
A new American norm: “Free speech for me, but not for thee!”
Saving in Itself Is Merely Negative
Debunking yet another appealing-sounding but elite-serving idea, here the premise that savings is always good and more is better.
US Defense Firms Reluctant to Cooperate with Ukraine Due to Safety, Corruption
Quelle surprise! The grand scheme to build a weapons industry in Ukraine appears to be going pear shaped.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/14/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics ~
Culture Clash: What 14 Million Images Tell Us About Times A-Changin’
An effort to track culture changes over time via diversity of coiffure and attire….but the data has some not-acknowledged biases.
Reflections on the War on Work as a War on Workers
Recalling what good union jobs once meant for workers and communities and describing some damage done by the war on labor
FDA Rejects MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Treatment – A Drug Researcher Explains the Challenges Psychedelics Face
The FDA is wary of approving club drugs like MDMA and psychedelics for medial purposes.
America Needs Intel Economically and Politically—But Is It Too Late?
On Intel’s storied history and self-destruction via greed, and now US stealthy financial support with no accountability.
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/13/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Transcript of Trump’s X interview; NIH shuts down its COVID-19 treatment guidelines website for special populations; geofence warrants banned by Fifth Circuit; €16.9 trillion in labour extorted from the Global South by the Global North. ~
