There are about eight dozen cities and towns along the banks of the great Russian river Volga. One of them is Kalyazin, which may not be among the largest places, but it has a very peculiar history.
News: Rising Covid Rates Hit China’s Economy, U.S.-Africa, EU-Asean Summit
The latest on China’s economic agenda as loosening coronavirus rules are leading to rising infection rates. Plus: the Biden administration looks to reassert US influence in Africa, first-ever summit between the leaders of EU and Asean member states, and Andrew Mueller with What We Learned.
Front Page: The New York Times – December 16, 2022
How a Sprawling Hospital Chain Ignited Its Own Staffing Crisis
Ascension, one of the country’s largest health systems, spent years cutting jobs, leaving it flat-footed when the pandemic hit.
New Federal Rule Has Done Little to Stem Spread of ‘Ghost Guns’
Sellers of key components of the untraceable homemade firearms have been interpreting the rule in the narrowest possible way.
In the World of Wrestling, a Heavy Hitter Steps Into the Ring
The owner of the Los Angeles Lakers believes WOW — Women of Wrestling can be an engine of female empowerment. Her performers, known as “superheroes,” are breaking new ground in the historically male-centric space.
Bribery Case Cracks Open European Parliament — and Finds Hidden Cash
Prosecutors say the glamorous lifestyle of a European lawmaker masked a Qatari corruption scandal. It exposed how vulnerable Brussels is to foreign influence.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – Dec 16, 2022
2022 BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR
Golden eye
A new space telescope makes a spectacular debut after a troubled gestation
Seen with JWST’s midinfrared instrument, the newborn stars of the Tarantula nebula fade into the background while clouds of dust and gas take center stage, including hydrocarbons that will later form planets.NASA; ESA; CSA; STSCI; WEBB ERO PRODUCTION TEAM
RUNNERS-UP
Perennial rice promises easier farming
AI gets creative
Preview: The Economist Magazine – Dec 17, 2022
A looming Russian offensive
Ukraine’s chiefs, in an unprecedented series of briefings, tell The Economist about the critical months that lie ahead
What China can still do to avoid an enormous covid death toll
It must treat hospitals as a precious resource and start stockpiling drugs
Why are the rich world’s politicians giving up on economic growth?
Even when they say they want more prosperity, they act as if they don’t
Views: NASA Unveils ‘Earth System Observatory’ (ESO)
These observations will address the most pressing questions about our changing planet. Taken together as a single Observatory, NASA will have a holistic, 3D view of Earth to better understand how our planet’s complex systems work together and improve our capability to predict how our climate may change.
NASA’s Open Source Science strategy is the key to bringing the data from these missions together into a single observatory to help understand the earth as a system and accelerate our ability to use this understanding. These observations will better inform decision-makers on how our planet is changing, with greater precision on previously unimaginable scales – from entire continents down to individual trees, from atmosphere to bedrock.
Winners: The 2022 Nature Photographer Of The Year
Nature Photographer of the Year is a Nature Photography contest that celebrates the beauty of nature photography.
A group of polar bears exploring an abandoned Soviet village in the Arctic has won Nature Photographer of the Year 2022.
Sascha Fonseca won the Mammals category with a fabulous photo of the endangered snow leopard.
Inside Views: Rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral
Video timeline: 00:00 Introduction 02:10 The Aftermath of the Fire of Notre Dame 05:25 Current Efforts to Rebuild Notre Dame 07:13 Rebuilding the Roof of Notre Dame 14:12 Recreating Notre Dame’s Spire 19:40 The Use of Iron in the Structure of Notre Dame 26:00 Studying Notre Dame’s Stained Glass Windows 33:47 Hazards of Restoring the Burnt Cathedral 36:20 Cleaning the Limestone Vaulting 41:41 Carpentry Practices for Roof Restoration 45:06 Historic Changes to Stained Glass Window 49:47 Racing to Complete Notre Dame Before 2024
The program traces the dramatic human and technical challenges of the project’s first three years, going behind-the-scenes with carpenters shaping lumber for the new roof and spire, stone masons repairing gaping holes in the vault, and artisans who use traditional techniques to restore stained glass windows. A symbol of the nation’s identity and resilience, Notre Dame gradually rises from the ashes, thanks to a restoration project like no other.
Tours: Plas Newydd House Snowdonia, North Wales
The gardens, dating back to the 16th century, owe much of their dramatic beauty to landscape designer Humphry Repton who in 1798, who planted trees to make the most of the views. Repton’s legacy influences the way the National Trust cares for the gardens today.
Discover ornate courtyards, a vibrant rhododendron garden and a tree house – features when the 6th Marquess of Anglesey lived at Plas Newydd with his family. You’ll also pick up a gardening tip to help you keep your flower beds happy and healthy over winter. The gardens at Plas Newydd are only open at weekends during the winter.
Preview: New Scientist Magazine – Dec 17, 2022
How reindeer eyes change colour in winter to help them see in the dark
It turns out reindeers’ amazing night vision is thanks to a strange ‘mirror’ in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum that is extra sensitive to UV light
How a US civil war shipwreck became a template for marine conservation
The USS Monitor, an iconic piece of military history, sank 160 years ago. Now a marine sanctuary, the wreck has become an unlikely testbed for ocean conservation
NASA’s asteroid redirection spacecraft was a smashing success in 2022
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test aimed to change the orbit of the space rock Dimorphos, and it did so perfectly
