Read it.

Go where you’re treated best.

Daily Beast.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) declined a request by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to appear at this year’s convention, a source familiar with the plans told The Daily Beast.

The news, first reported by theGrio, came hours after Karen Attiah, a co-chair of this year’s NABJ convention, stepped down after the organization announced Donald Trump would appear for a moderated conversation at the Chicago event.

The Trump conversation, focused on “the most pressing issues facing the Black community,” with ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba, has caused significant outrage among NABJ members.

Newsweek.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s disputed election victory spells trouble for Vice President Kamala Harris as the U.S.-Mexico border takes center stage in the race for the presidency.

The presumptive Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential race faces difficult paths to navigate after Maduro was declared the winner on Sunday, most importantly because the result may lead to what one expert told Newsweek said was likely to be a surge in migration from Venezuelans fleeing his regime.

If that happens, Republican lawmakers who have branded Harris as Biden’s “border czar”—a description seen by her supporters as inaccurate—may attempt to capitalize on her comments about Venezuela to further attack her record on immigration policy and border security, particularly as migrant numbers typically rise between August and October.

Other aspects of the Biden-Harris administration’s policy toward Venezuela, which was an important oil supplier to the U.S. prior to sanctions as well as a source for rare earth elements crucial for emerging technologies, may also come under scrutiny.

Various elements of the Biden-Harris administration’s policies in foreign affairs are likely going to come back to bite Jambalaya right square on the ass–and rightly so.

Maduro’s actions are right out of the standard socialist playbook.

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A new test gauging levels of key proteins in the blood was far more accurate than doctor assessments in spotting Alzheimer’s disease in people with early-stage illness.

The test, called APS2 (the amyloid probability score 2), was 91% accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer’s in people with mild cognitive decline or early dementia, compared to the 61% success rate of primary care doctors who examined the same patients.

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Be careful out there.

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The search is on worldwide to find ways to extract carbon dioxide from the air or from power plant exhaust and then make it into something useful. One of the more promising ideas is to make it into a stable fuel that can replace fossil fuels in some applications. But most such conversion processes have had problems with low carbon efficiency, or they produce fuels that can be hard to handle, toxic, or flammable.

Now, researchers at MIT and Harvard University have developed an efficient process that can convert carbon dioxide into formate, a liquid or solid material that can be used like hydrogen or methanol to power a fuel cell and generate electricity. Potassium or sodium formate, already produced at industrial scales and commonly used as a de-icer for roads and sidewalks, is nontoxic, nonflammable, easy to store and transport, and can remain stable in ordinary steel tanks to be used months, or even years, after its production.

UK Telegraph.

Two non-identical twin girls in the US were found to have a level of autism at 20 months old that required “very substantial support”.

A groundbreaking trial saw their parents and a team of medical experts create a bespoke two-year programme of interventions designed to help the children thrive and flourish as much as possible.

Scientists say the programme was successful, with both girls undergoing “dramatic improvements” in the severity of their symptoms.

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A patented experimental propellantless propulsion drive is finally ready to go to space, according to its inventor, a veteran NASA scientist with decades of expertise in electrostatics.

Dr. Charles Buhler, the technology’s creator, says the propulsion system may represent a working version of Quantized Inertia, a theory first proposed by University of Plymouth professor Mike McCulloch. The proposition has been subjected to criticism from mainstream scientists in the past because it seemingly violates Newton’s third law of motion.

The controversial technology, which The Debrief covered in April, is privately owned by Exodus Propulsion Technologies and is not affiliated with NASA.

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We have the technology.

I’ve always thought the pituitary was the spitting gland.

New Atlas.

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated how a specific protein increases in our organs as we get older and actively promotes the aging process. By blocking this activity, it could not only help us live longer, but slow the physical decline that is, right now, an inevitable part of aging.

Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have previously undertaken three different studies to examine interleukin-11 (IL-11) protein expression and its role in heart and kidney, liver and lung health. The lattermost research has led to an experimental anti-IL-11 therapy that’s currently in clinical trials to treat fibrotic lung disease.

Building on this work, the team identified IL-11’s role in the aging process, with its increased production leading to fat accumulating in the liver and abdomen, as well as reduced muscle mass and strength. By blocking this protein expression, these hallmarks of aging could be drastically reduced.

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A group of small freshwater animals protect themselves from infections using antibiotic recipes stolen from bacteria, according to new research led by the University of Oxford that could help develop future medicines.

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The familiar steam turbines in wide use at power plants today are based on 19th century technology. They typically range in size from less than 100 kilowatts to more than 250 megawatts, depending on the use case. When used to generate electricity in a central power plant they are massive beasts the size of a bus or larger.

Supercritical carbon dioxide turbines are different. They don’t deploy steam as a working fluid. Instead, they use a concentrated form of carbon dioxide — sCO2 for short — that hovers somewhere between a gas and a liquid.

The Energy Department anticipates that new supercritical carbon dioxide turbines can shave energy consumption at power plants by 10%, but that’s just for starters. They have a much smaller footprint than their steam-driven cousins, resulting in manufacturing efficiencies all along the supply chain.

Which supply chain, alas, does not yet exist.

The independent R&D organization Southwest Research Institute is a leading partner in the project along with the firms GTI Energy and GE Vernova. Construction of the building shell took place between 2018 and 2020, followed by the startup of a supercritical CO2 compressor earlier this year.

In the latest update from SwRI, the team has just marked the completion of the mechanical work on the system, including new turbines that are about 1/10 the size of a conventional steam turbine.

Though only about the size of an office desk, household refrigerator, pony, credenza, or golf cart, the new turbines are powerful enough to generate the electricity equivalent of 10,000 typical homes.

Or will, once they get it into operation, which doesn’t seem to be happening all that quickly.

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The €4 million ($4.36 million) EIC Pathfinder Challenge research project aims to develop a prototype for decentralized room air conditioning within three years. According to the research team, the technology is rated by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as one of the “TOP Ten Technologies 2024.” The US Department of Energy and the European Commission have also declared it to be the most promising alternative to conventional heating and cooling.

The solid-state heating and cooling process is based on transporting heat into or out of a room by loading and unloading a so-called shape memory material, for example in the form of wires. The material absorbs heat when it is loaded, for example when it is pulled, and releases it again when the load is removed.

The researchers, led by elastocalorics pioneer Paul Motzki, are using the superelastic nickel-titanium alloy for this purpose. Materials made from this alloy return to their original shape after deformation because they have two crystal lattices and thus two phases. While water, for example, assumes the solid, liquid and gaseous phases, in nickel-titanium both phases are solid but merge into one another.

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A NEARLY COMPLETE digital library of Whole Earth publications—including the famed Whole Earth Catalog founded 55 years ago by counterculture icon Stewart Brand—has been made available online for the first time. A curious reader can now flip through all the old catalogs, magazines, and journals right in their web browser, or download entire issues to their computer free of charge.

The Whole Earth Catalog was the Sears Catalog for the boomer generation. People of my generation would spend hours ‘shopping with a highlighter’ in our leisure moments, and dreaming.

New Atlas.

It’s an unfortunate irony that while many regions struggle to find enough water, there’s trillions of liters of the stuff floating around in the air everywhere. A new water harvester design from MIT can pull enough fresh water out of the air to meet the daily needs of several people.

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twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug gives young women total protection from HIV infection.

The trial tested whether the six-month injection of lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other drugs, both daily pills. All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) drugs.

Physician-scientist Linda-Gail Bekker, the principal investigator for the South African part of the study, tells Nadine Dreyer of The Conversation what makes this breakthrough so significant, and what to expect next.

The Sun.

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In 1932, Bremer of Harvard filmed the blood in the very early embryo circulating in self-propelled mode in spiralling streams before the heart was functioning. Amazingly, he was so impressed with the spiralling nature of the blood flow pattern that he failed to realize that the phenomena before him had demolished the pressure propulsion principle. Earlier in 1920, Steiner, of the Goetheanum in Switzerland had pointed out in lectures to medical doctors that the heart was not a pump forcing inert blood to move with pressure but that the blood was propelled with its own biological momentum, as can be seen in the embryo, and boosts itself with “induced” momenta from the heart. He also stated that the pressure does not cause the blood to circulate but is caused by interrupting the circulation. Experimental corroboration of Steiner’s concepts in the embryo and adult is herein presented.

Check it out.

If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

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And who could blame them?

Officials have long accused Moscow of intentionally trying to flood the border with Middle East migrants.

Read it.

No fundamental right to force your fantasy on other people’s reality.

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Cancer treatments that aim to destroy deadly cells often cause damage and pain as they wreak havoc on neighboring cells and tissues. However, scientists have discovered a new method of targeting harmful cells using light for precise destruction, according to a recent study.

“Usually treatments for cancer use pharmacological induction to kill the cells, but those chemicals tend to diffuse throughout the tissues and it’s hard to contain to a precise location,” said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign biochemistry professor and study leader Kai Zhang in a press release. “You get a lot of unwanted effects.”

The researchers deploy optogenetics, an approach that uses optical systems to control cell functions, to focus a light beam on a target smaller than one cell.

“That is how we can use light to very precisely target a cell and turn on its death pathway,” Mr. Zhang said in the press release.

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Participation in Gaza solidarity protests and student groups could become a disqualifying factor for applicants at a prominent Wall Street law firm, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The 145-year-old law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, which employs close to 900 lawyers and has had Amazon and Goldman Sachs among its clients, has hired the background check company HireRight to assess an applicant’s participation record in pro-Palestinian protests and student groups.

Check it out.

A Live View of the solar system and planetary positions today.

Freethink.

ÄIO was founded in 2022 by Petri-Jaan Lahtvee and Nemailla Bonturi, a professor and senior researcher of food technology and bioengineering at Tallinn University of Technology, respectively. The two were initially part of a research group led by Lahtvee looking into biotechnology processes that relied on locally available resources.

After a year and a half of building and studying various processes, one stood out as special: a yeast created by Bonturi.

Conventional yeast are microorganisms that consume raw sugars from organic sources like corn, barley, or fruit. Through metabolism, they then convert sugars into various end products known as metabolites. And these are key to many of our favorite foods.

WIRED.

If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

Basically a square knot, but nobody would pay surgeon rates for what any Boy Scout or sailer could do.

Read it.

Our homes are already full of invisible Wi-Fi signals, whizzing around connecting our phones, laptops, lightbulbs, fridges, and basically everything else that can be made “smart” nowadays. While we can’t see or feel these signals, we do leave an impact on them as we move around the house.

Intriguingly, recent research has shown that specialized algorithms can be used to analyze reflected Wi-Fi signals and detect a person in a room, even through walls. Further advances were made to differentiate individual people based on height, body shape, or even the way they walk, and counting up to 20 people in one room.

Now, a Dutch startup called Gamgee is putting that tech into consumer products. The Wi-Fi Home Alarm System is made up of a set of routers that form a mesh network, which first of all ensures a reliable internet connection throughout the house. But the other main function, of course, is that they can then detect motion with the help of built-in algorithms.

WIRED.

The seminal DIY catalogs, journals, and magazines printed by the techno-hippie publishing house are finally available online in digital form, all for free.

Read it.

Help to solve the mystery of a 2,200-year-old ‘computer’ has come from an unlikely source – a YouTuber.

The Antikythera Mechanism is believed to be the earliest surviving mechanical computing device.

The content creator’s research into the device’s interlocking gears was crucial in discovering the truth behind this advanced and ancient artifact.

CNN so use with caution.

Deep inside Earth is a solid metal ball that rotates independently of our spinning planet, like a top whirling around inside a bigger top, shrouded in mystery.

This inner core has intrigued researchers since its discovery by Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann in 1936, and how it moves — its rotation speed and direction — has been at the center of a decades-long debate. A growing body of evidence suggests the core’s spin has changed dramatically in recent years, but scientists have remained divided over what exactly is happening — and what it means.

Part of the trouble is that Earth’s deep interior is impossible to observe or sample directly. Seismologists have gleaned information about the inner core’s motion by examining how waves from large earthquakes that ping this area behave. Variations between waves of similar strengths that passed through the core at different times enabled scientists to measure changes in the inner core’s position and calculate its spin.

Nature.

Computational approaches are emerging as powerful tools for the discovery of antibiotics. A study now uses machine learning to discover abaucin, a potent antibiotic that targets the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

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Antihistamine drugs, such as Benadryl, Allegra, and Claritin, might stave off the coronavirus, according to a recent study published by the American Society of Microbiology Journals.

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Arc Institute scientists have discovered the bridge recombinase mechanism, a revolutionary tool that enables fully programmable DNA rearrangements.

Their finding, detailed in a recent Nature publication, is the first DNA recombinase that uses a non-coding RNA for sequence-specific selection of target and donor DNA molecules. This bridge RNA is programmable, allowing the user to specify any desired genomic target sequence and any donor DNA molecule to be inserted.

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Engineers at MIT and in China are aiming to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive device that is inspired by the ocean, and powered by the sun.

In a paper appearing today in the journal Joule, the team outlines the design for a new solar desalination system that takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight.

The configuration of the device allows water to circulate in swirling eddies, in a manner similar to the much larger “thermohaline” circulation of the ocean. This circulation, combined with the sun’s heat, drives water to evaporate, leaving salt behind. The resulting water vapor can then be condensed and collected as pure, drinkable water. In the meantime, the leftover salt continues to circulate through and out of the device, rather than accumulating and clogging the system.

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North Carolina State University researchers have developed a kirigami-inspired mechanical computer that uses a complex structure of rigid, interconnected polymer cubes to store, retrieve and erase data without relying on electronic components. The system also includes a reversible feature that allows users to control when data editing is permitted and when data should be locked in place.

Washington Poop.

Dozens of awe-inspiring ancient footprints left on the shores of an ice age lake have reignited a long-running debate about when the first people arrived in the Americas.

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Cancer cells hoard iron in unusually high quantities. Scientists have discovered how to leverage this to create safer cancer drugs.

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Scientists in China have synthesized spider silk from genetically modified silkworms, producing fibers six times tougher than the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests.

The study, published September 20 in the journal Matter, is the first to successfully produce full-length spider silk proteins using silkworms. The findings demonstrate a technique that could be used to manufacture an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic commercial fibers such as nylon.

“Silkworm silk is presently the only animal silk fiber commercialized on a large scale, with well-established rearing techniques,” said Mi. “Consequently, employing genetically modified silkworms to produce spider silk fiber enables low-cost, large-scale commercialization.”

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The new party, called the Democrats, is the latest attempt to stem the more than 20-year decline of the Israeli left. Labor, which governed Israel for its first three decades, is now the smallest party in Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Meretz, to Labor’s left, did not receive enough votes in the most recent election to enter Knesset at all — effectively wasting the votes it got.

How appropriate.

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In pre-clinical trials, a small molecule effectively regrew neurons, reduced inflammation, and improved memory, speed, coordination, grip strength, and more. The finding could have a profound impact on aging and the diseases that accompany it.

In conducting the research, scientists at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, turned their focus to telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), an enzyme that is known to help synthesize and extend telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that help cells divide. TERT levels are reduced as we age.

Without sufficient levels of TERT, when our telomeres shrink or get seriously modified, they can lead to a process that continually damages our DNA, which causes cells to release inflammatory compounds that can in turn lead to aging, tissue damage, and cancer.

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• Inductive current transmission unit inside the rotor enables ultra-compact e-motor design
• Performance data on par with permanent-magnet synchronous machines, currently the most common form of drive for e-vehicles
• Advantages: no magnets or rare earth materials, increased security of supply, and better sustainability and efficiency

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Residential heating systems are a major source of carbon emissions in the European Union, with fossil fuel-based heating accounting for approximately 80% of heating systems. If electric heat pumps are a more environmentally friendly option, they are not always efficient enough to warrant replacing gas heating in every household, especially when compared to newer boilers. Two European start-ups are developing a new generation of heat pumps that use thermoacoustic technology. They could offer a more efficient and eco-friendly solution.

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A research team headed by Prof. Jacob Hanna at the Weizmann Institute of Science has created complete models of human embryos from stem cells cultured in the lab – and managed to grow them outside the womb up to day 14. As reported today in Nature, these synthetic embryo models had all the structures and compartments characteristic of this stage, including the placenta, yolk sac, chorionic sac and other external tissues that ensure the models’ dynamic and adequate growth.

I find this somewhat disturbing.

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The proposed freshwater generation systems are inexpensive, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly

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By capturing short-lived RNA molecules, scientists can map relationships between genes and the regulatory elements that control them.

MIT researchers have innovated a method to observe the interaction between genes and enhancers by monitoring their activation times, helping to pinpoint drug targets for genetic disorders. This technique also enhances understanding of eRNA’s function in gene regulation and disease treatment.

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If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

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Costco is building a ‘mixed use’ 800-unit apartment complex in south Los Angeles – with 184 units designated as affordable housing, which some have speculated will allow them to fast-track the construction of an actual Costco Big Box store by taking advantage of a state law which removes significant red tape from such projects, the NY Post reports.

“The planning and land use system in California and in LA is a Rube Goldberg machine,” housing activist Joe Cohen told SFGATE, “and this project is seeing that machine laid bare.”

Would you live in an apartment above a Costco? I would.

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This is news?

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Obama-appointed federal judges blocked parts of the Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan on Monday in response to Republican states’ lawsuits.

Judge John A. Ross of Missouri and Judge Daniel Crabtree of Kansas blocked parts of the administration’s SAVE Plan, which was an income-driven repayment program intended to lower monthly costs for borrowers. The court rulings prohibit the Department of Education from further lowering payments or eliminating more debt through the program, Politico reported.