All posts by Intellicurious

News, Views and Reviews for the Intellectually Curious

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Sept 8, 2023

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Science Magazine – September 8, 2023: Reducing single-use cutlery with green nudges: Evidence from China’s food-delivery industry; Anatomy of a volcanic eruption undersea, and more…

Anatomy of a volcanic eruption undersea

Submarine flows from the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai eruption decimated seafloor cables

In December 2021, an undersea volcano in the southern Pacific Ocean, the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai (hereafter called the Hunga volcano) began erupting. In January 2022 the eruption reached a powerful climax, triggering atmospheric waves that traveled around the globe and a tsunami that swept across the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 75% of Earth’s volcanoes are underwater, and 20% of all fatalities caused by volcanic eruptions since 1600 CE have been associated with underwater volcanism (3).

Reducing single-use cutlery with green nudges: Evidence from China’s food-delivery industry

China’s high demand for online food delivery resulted in an increase in the use of disposable, single-use cutlery. Disposable cutlery increases plastic pollution, and paper napkins and wooden chopsticks contribute to environmental degradation that endangers wildlife and marine species and compromises human health. Informed by the literature on “green nudges, ” which are prompts to promote environmentally friendly behaviors, He et al. collaborated with Alibaba to use its mobile food delivery platform, Eleme, in a longitudinal field study across China.

News: G20 Agrees To Admit African Union, China Law To Ban ‘Harmful’ Clothing

The Globalist Podcast (September 8, 2023) – As G20 agrees to grant membership to the African Union, what else is on the agenda at the summit in India?

Plus: China drafts ‘national spirit’ law to ban harmful clothing, the US Department of Defense will cut support for Hollywood directors whose films are censored by China and the return of a Paris-Berlin train service.

The New York Times — Friday, Sept 8, 2023

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Ukrainians Embrace Cluster Munitions, but Are They Helping?

A Ukrainian soldier firing a 155 mm howitzer, the type of weapon used to launch cluster munitions, in the Donetsk region in March.

The weapons, banned by most countries over human rights concerns, are “not a magic wand,” but some Ukrainian troops say they are making a difference in fighting Russian forces.

How a New City Council Map of L.A. Turned Into a Political Brawl

The University of Southern California campus, in City Council District 9 in Los Angeles.

Blatant political gerrymandering occurs in cities across the country, many of them run by Democrats. In Los Angeles, a scandal over a racist recording was only the tip of the iceberg.

‘They Blew Our Lives Up’: South Sudanese Flee War in Sudan

Hundreds of thousands fled a grisly civil conflict years ago to settle in Sudan, to the north. With war now raging there, they are streaming home to a country ill-prepared to take them back.

A Colorado City Has Been Battling for Decades to Use Its Own Water

Lawsuits, protests and fierce disputes over who controls water in the parched American West have held up a crucial pipeline.

Analysis: Argentina’s Dysfunctional Economy

The Economist (September 7, 2023) – Rampant inflation, a booming black market for US dollars and crippling debt – welcome to Argentina, one of the world’s most dysfunctional economies. How did it end up like this?

Video timeline: 00:00 – Argentina’s economy is in crisis 01:21 – What is happening now? 04:16 – Why is this happening? 05:52 – Overspending 07:00 – Printing money 08:03 – Borrowing money 08:51 – Trade controls 11:06 – What are the solutions?

New York History: Upper West Side Apartment Tour

Architectural Digest (September 7, 2023) – Today AD joins architect Nick Potts in New York City for a walking tour of the Upper West Side. At the turn of the century, apartment hotels such as The Dakota and The San Remo started populating the Upper West Side.

Servants’ quarters, elevators, and the realization of views were making apartment living more appealing to the upper middle classes and increasing the value of the top floors. Join Nick for an in-depth look at how the Upper West Side revolutionized apartment living and became the birthplace of the penthouse in Manhattan.

Previews: The Economist Magazine – Sept 9, 2023

The Economist Magazine (September 9, 2023): The new Middle East has more money and less mayhem. For now…; America’s Supreme Court should adopt new ethics standards How artificial intelligence will affect the elections; Javier Milei would be a danger for democracy in Argentina….

The new Middle East has more money and less mayhem. For now

Economies are booming and wars are fading. But climate change is looming

If you thought the Middle East was stagnant, think again. The Gulf economies are among the richest and most vibrant on the planet, helped by a Brent crude oil price that rose back to over $90 per barrel this week. A $3.5trn fossil-fuel bonanza is being spent on everything from home-grown artificial intelligence models and shiny new cities in the desert, to filling the coffers of giant sovereign-wealth funds that roam the world’s capital markets looking for deals.

America’s Supreme Court should adopt new ethics standards

Three judges are struggling to hold up the roof of the Supreme Court

Lifetime tenure can easily slip into entitlement

Next term will be agonising for the Supreme Court. Some combination of voters and courts will determine whether Donald Trump becomes president again and whether he goes to prison. President Joe Biden’s son has a case before the courts. Dozens of states have changed their voting laws since 2020 and the nine justices on the Supreme Court may be asked to look at them. If the presidential election in 2024 is close, the court may have to step in and adjudicate. With so much at stake, America needs a Supreme Court that is broadly seen as legitimate and, ideally, impartial. Regrettably, trust in the court is at its lowest point since pollsters began asking about it.

Analysis: Meta, PayPal & X Race To Build A ‘Super App’

Wall Street Journal (September 7, 2023) – Meta. PayPal. X. All of these tech companies have made attempts at a “super app” in the U.S., following the success of WeChat in China, but have yet to get one off the ground. Tech leaders have struggled to combine elements like social media, messaging, payment and more into one place.

Video timeline: 0:00 App efficiency 0:37 The appeal 2:18 U.S. issues 4:03 Regulation 4:48 What’s next?

So what’s holding the U.S. back from having a super app available? WSJ explains why, despite challenges, companies still see it as their holy grail product.

#Superapp#WeChat#WSJ

France Views: ‘Stags’ Of Boutissaint Wildlife Park

FRANCE 24 English Films (September 7, 2023) – Deep in France’s Burgundy region lies the Boutissaint wildlife park. Within its 400 hectares of forest, several hundred animals roam free: stags, roe deer and boars, which visitors can observe as they wander through this natural setting with very few fences. 

The park is the brainchild of the Borione family, which purchased this former priory and its vast abandoned estate in the early 20th century. When it opened in 1968, it was France’s very first wildlife park. FRANCE 24 takes you on a tour.

Read more about this story in our article: https://f24.my/9lgJ.y

News: Secretary Blinken In Ukraine, Elections In Russia, Japan Moon Sniper

The Globalist Podcast (September 7, 2023) – Antony Blinken visits Kyiv as a Russian airstrike kills Ukrainian civilians.

Plus: the mood in Russia ahead of elections on Sunday, Japan shoots for the moon and our music curator on The Rolling Stones’s first album in 18 years.

The New York Times — Thursday, Sept 7, 2023

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Biden Administration to Bar Drilling on Millions of Acres in Alaska

Caribou near a pipeline in Alaska this spring.

The administration will cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and set aside more than half of the National Petroleum Reserve.

In Its First Monopoly Trial of Modern Internet Era, U.S. Sets Sights on Google

The 10-week trial, set to begin Tuesday, amps up efforts to rein in Big Tech by targeting the core search business that turned Google into a $1.7 trillion behemoth.

Bedtime Check-Ins and Verbal Abuse: Women’s Life in Spanish Soccer

More than a dozen women described sexism ranging from paternalism to verbal abuse. “What you really need is a good man,” a former national captain said players were told.

As Abortion Laws Drive Obstetricians From Red States, Maternity Care Suffers

Some doctors who handle high-risk pregnancies are fleeing restrictive abortion laws. Idaho has been particularly hard hit.