Sunspots 911

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Computing: Gizmodo reports on commonly used passwords that are too easy to hack.

Health: The Scientist reports on a study wherein tetraplegics were able to control a special wheelchair by thinking about where they wanted to go.

Humor: (and food and politics) PBS reports on the question of which President started the tradition of pardoning one or more turkeys at Thanksgiving time. The report has lots of bad puns, by and about various Presidents and turkeys.

Politics: (or something) NPR reports that government employees involved in carrying out executions are often traumatized by their participation.

Science: Tired of, or confused by, milli-, kilo-, tera-, and all the others? NPR reports that these prefixes are not enough, and more have recently been added.

Gizmodo reports that the Leap Second (something like a Leap Year, only a lot shorter) will become a thing of the past. (No joke intended there.)

Sports: NPR reports that women are slowly becoming part of major college and minor league men's baseball teams.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 811

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: A Christianity Today article indicates that, although many people are cautious about altering our genes, evangelical Christians are more skeptical than the general public.

A Relevant article considers the question of whether God may have created (or allowed) intelligent beings on other worlds. (There are about 2 trillion galaxies, and it is supposed that there are many possibly habitable planets in most or all of these.

Relevant also reports that Beth Moore, an evangelical leader, has spoken out against "Trumpism." (And "Bidenism.")

(And politics) Relevant also has an article discussing Christian Nationalism.

Environment: According to a USA Today article, the total mass of all human-produced objects on earth is now greater than the total mass of living things.

(and politics) Gizmodo reports that Ryan Zinke, formerly Secretary of Interior, who facilitated removing over a million acres from Bears Ears national monument, has had an official portrait, featuring him on a horse in that monument.

(and politics) NPR reports that contractors are pushing to get as much of the border wall erected as possible, before Donald Trump leaves office. Environmental groups, and others, are against this.

(and politics) President Trump has done less to protect endangered species than any President since Johnson, according to Gizmodo.

Health: A tool to let you see how full your local hospitals are, and how many COVID patients there are.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight provides a thorough discussion of Presidential pardons.

Science: Some bees have been found to add to their colony defenses by spreading animal feces near the opening. Scientists aren't sure why this works, or if it would repel so-called murder hornets.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!