A new report, Black Box Biotech, warns of the biodiversity and error risk of AI engineered proteins, aka synthetic or “generative biology”.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 10/8/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Trump’s 2020 polling underestimates vs. margins in the Swing States today (map); the Feds launder migrants through NGOs to firms owned by the American gentry; Boeing’s stock ~
The Sanctions Poison Pill in Putin’s Peace Offer
A discussion of Putin including a not-much-discussed deal term that the West will never accept: sanctions relief.
Quelle Surprise: Vulture Funds Set Their Sights on the Argentine Gold Milei’s Government Just Shipped to Europe
Europe is hardly the safest place for financial assets these days, as Russia and Venezuela can attest. It may now be Argentina’s turn to have its assets frozen or even stripped.
Rob Urie: Failed US Economic Policies Lie Behind Current Geopolitical Tensions
How US fealty to neoliberalism undermined its economy. And why China’s choices are not likely to produce happy outcomes.
Is Israel Waiting For The U.S. Elections To Make Its Biggest Move Against Iran?
More speculation about how Israel might attack Iran.
2:00PM Water Cooler 10/7/2024
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Open thread ~
Book Review: The Mysterious Impact of Music on the Brain and Body
Daniel J. Levitin’s “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord” explores the many ways music can help heal our bodies and minds.
How Will Türkiye Respond to War in Lebanon (and Renewed Destabilization of Syria)?
Türkiye faces a choice: continue working towards normalization with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as urged by Moscow and Tehran or attempt to take advantage of the chaos.
Scenes from Helene: A Report from North Carolina
A extensive report from North Carolina gives an idea of the extent of damage and the (largely community and informal so far) recovery efforts.
Richard D. Wolff & Michael Hudson: Middle East Exploding, Ukraine Crumbling! The US Take Action?
Michael Hudson recounts how he was there when the US decided to rely on proxies like Israel and Ukraine after the draft become a third rail.
New CDC Respiratory Virus “Community Snapshot” Caves to Covid Minimizers, Deceives Those Who Want to Stay Safe
As bad as you would expect. Yellow wader time!
