Supposedly shuttered but toxic oil wells are yet another large-scale cost of the Western addiction to cheap energy.
Friday, November 7, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 8/16/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; new RCP polling table; Reticulum; and quasi-open thread ~
Inside Conservative Activist Leonard Leo’s Long Campaign To Gut Planned Parenthood
How disputed allegations against Planned Parenthood have given a big boost to the anti-reproductive-control juggernaut.
Western Media Finally Begin Warning About the Dark Side of Digital Identity… in China
The volume of critical coverage of China’s proposed digital ID system in Western media stands in stark contrast to the near-total absence of coverage, critical or otherwise, of digital ID systems being developed by Western governments.
Benchmarking the Coming Democratic Convention Protests in Chicago
Democratic convention protests are coming! How do we judge whether they are a damp squib or moved the needle a smidge?
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.
