Blobs of human brain cells cultivated in the lab, known as brain organoids or “mini-brains”, are transforming our understanding of neural development and disease. Now, researchers are working to make them more like the real thing
The restart of the pipeline buys time for governments to decouple from the Kremlin’s exports amid what they expect will be an increasingly unreliable supply of energy.177 min read
The prime minister’s announcement came a day after three large parties in his national unity coalition government didn’t back the prime minister in a Senate confidence vote.1 min read
Take an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal http://wsj.com
The cover shows an artistic impression of marine life in Indonesia’s coral reefs. The question of whether there are limits to biodiversity in the seas is typically addressed by examining the fossil record. In this week’s issue, Pedro Cermeño and his colleagues present a model that combines the fossil record with plate tectonics and Earth’s environmental conditions to offer insight into regional diversification of marine invertebrates. The researchers used the model to examine how biodiversity recovered after mass extinctions during the Phanerozoic eon, covering
some 500 million years of Earth’s history. They found that throughout the Phanerozoic, less than 2% of area of the globe covered by water showed signs of diversity levels reaching saturation. The team also note that as Pangaea broke up into continents, the stability of Earth’s environmental conditions allowed the development of diversity hotspots that helped to drive an increase in biodiversity in the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.
Bizarre sea creatures, a new view of the ocean, the race to the moon, and more
We humans may think of ourselves, or possibly beetles, as typical Earthlings, but to a first approximation, life on Earth exists in the sea. And what spectacular life! Our special package on the oceans is teeming with images of eerie, delicate, elaborate, glowing and occasionally kind of frightening creatures that have rarely been seen by terrestrial species. The in-depth report was guided by sustainability senior editor Mark Fischetti along three main themes: mystery, discovery and surprise.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
Read by: Jennifer Kim and Julian Cihi
Length: 13 hrs, 52 mins.
Speed I listened: 1.7x–1.8x
I haven’t savored listening to a book in recent memory quite as much as I did this novel. It’s about two friends — Sadie Green and Sam Masur — who meet as kids in Los Angeles and then reconnect at MIT, where they begin developing experimental video games together. The lead characters (and let’s throw in the supporting ones too) are at times completely relatable, at times bittersweet, and almost always completely heartwarming. The book is mostly read by Kim except for a short fever dream by Cihi. Kim’s delivery might be monotone in places, but I found it steady, deliberate, and clear, so I didn’t have to miss a moment.
The Church of Baseball, by Ron Shelton
Read by: The author
Length: 8 hrs, 12 mins.
Speed I listened: 1.75x
Does there have to be a book about the making of 1988’s Bull Durham? Probably not. Did I get a kick out of this trip down memory lane with the movie’s writer-director? I did. It’s rare you get a glimpse into the making of a Hollywood movie in minute detail, and this one’s pretty soup to nuts, down to Shelton hiring the on-set script supervisor. These kind of books always start and end with the idea that everyone in Hollywood is crazy, and it’s good to be reminded of that. To that end, here, Kevin Costner’s agents tried to prevent him from starring as Minor League Baseball star Crash Davis, which turned out to be one of his most iconic roles. Shelton has a knowing but aw-shucks vibe that makes great company even if his performance of dialogue scenes from the original script could use more oomph.
Hollywood Ending, by Ken Auletta
Read by: Jonathan Coleman
Length: 19 hrs, 41 mins
Speed I listened: 2x
A darker addition to July’s “Hollywood Is Crazy Files” is this gripping account of Harvey Weinstein’s rise to and fall from power. You’re probably familiar with many of the sordid details in this book, and at 20 hours, it isn’t short. Still, I couldn’t turn off this compendium of the disgraced movie producer’s unbelievable behavior, from his rampant spending on hotel rooms to his truly despicable treatment of so many women. Auletta’s reporting is mostly firsthand, and hearing it cumulatively is jaw-dropping. As the narrator, Coleman is deadpan and direct enough to sometimes make you forget you aren’t listening to an actual thriller. Also kudos to the drippingly ironic title.
The Times Literary Supplement (TheTLS) featuring @ambermedland on Jean Rhys; @joemoransblog on Britain’s housing inequality; @maryanneclark60 on the first true-crime play; @colincraiggrant on In the Black Fantastic; @bjkingape on the science of dogs – and more.
A stunningly illustrated guide to the wonderful world of hummingbirds.
With their dazzling colors, glittering iridescent feathers, fantastic adornments, astonishing powers of flight, and many other unique characteristics, hummingbirds are among the world’s most extraordinary birds – true jewels of nature. This beautifully designed book offers a celebration of all aspects of hummingbirds and their world, presenting the latest scientific information in an accessible style and featuring hundreds of the most spectacular photographs of hummingbirds ever taken, all enhanced by wonderful artwork.
A familiar sight across much of the Americas, hummingbirds have long captured the imagination and played an important part in myths, legends, and other aspects of human culture. Today, hummingbirds are some of the most popular of all birds, sought after by serious and casual birders alike. They are birds that inspire questions in anyone lucky enough to see them. How can they fly like that? Why are they so colorful? How many are there? And where and how do they live? This book answers these and many other questions, offering an enlightening and enjoyable guide to hummingbirds that only deepens their wonder.
A definitive yet accessible account of all aspects of hummingbird life; More than 500 spectacular color photographs; Specially commissioned illustrations; Facts and figures on status, population, distribution, and conservation designations of all the world’s hummingbirds.
Publisher: WildGuides
https://buteobooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15154…
COVER: Voltage pulses from the tip of a scanning probe microscope induce single-molecule chemical reactions with selectivity and reversibility. Different constitutional isomers (distinguished here in shades of red, orange, and yellow) are selected by the polarity and magnitude of the voltage pulse. The findings advance the understanding of tip-induced chemistry and reduction-oxidation reactions in general. See pages 261 and 298.
Check out what’s new this week in Science: https://fcld.ly/uc4b5kh
Nature Magazine – July 14, 2022 Issue
Although the domestic dog can trace its origins to the grey wolf (Canis lupus), exactly when, where and how domestication happened has remained a source of debate. In this week’s issue, Anders Bergström, Pontus Skoglund and their colleagues, take a step towards resolving this question. The researchers analysed the genomes of 72 ancient wolves from across Europe, Siberia and North America, and spanning the past 100,000 years. They found that dogs are most closely related to ancient wolves from eastern Eurasia but that dogs in the Near East and Africa derive
up to half their ancestry from a distinct population related to modern southwest Eurasian wolves. Although none of the genomes analysed was a direct match for either dog ancestry, the researchers say that it has narrowed down where next to look for the ancestors of domestic dogs.
Boomers Daily 