Tag Archives: December 2022

News: Global Unity Behind Ukraine, Brasil Protests, India-China Border Clash

We discuss the state of global unity on the war in Ukraine with Aliona Hlivco and Michael Binyon. Plus: Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters clash with police in Brasília as Lula unveils his new cabinet and a round-up of fashion news.

Millions face the freezing Ukrainian winter without power following waves of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Dozens of countries have pledged €1bn in aid.

Front Page: The New York Times – December 14, 2022

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Inflation Cooled Notably in November, Good News for the Fed

Consumer Price Index data reinforces that inflation is beginning to slow down just ahead of the Federal Reserve’s December rate decision.

Prosecutors Say FTX Was Engaged in a ‘Massive, Yearslong Fraud’

A criminal indictment unsealed on Tuesday and a complaint by the S.E.C. describe years of wrongdoing in Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire.

Scientists Achieve Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough With Blast of 192 Lasers

The advancement by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers will be built on to further develop fusion energy research.

As Covid Spreads Fast, Beijing Isn’t in Lockdown. But It Feels Like It.

Almost no one is venturing out even after an easing of pandemic measures. Cold and flu medicines are scarce, but food supplies appear adequate.

Science: How Advanced Computer Models Project Future Climate Scenarios

Princeton University (December 13, 2022) – Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces interact and combine in powerful, yet often unseen, ways as part of a complex planetary system that determines the climate.

Over many decades, researchers at Princeton University have played a leading role in the development of advanced computational models that simulate interactions among these elements to inform an understanding of future climate scenarios under varying conditions.

In this video, climate scientists Gabe Vecchi and Laure Resplandy discuss how computational models are used to project future climate scenarios and inform mitigation strategies.

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News: The Toll Of Russian Terror Tactics, Sanctions, Iran Protests, China Covid

The EU discusses further sanctions against Russia. Plus: a second person in Iran is executed for their involvement in the protests, the implications for China’s healthcare now that coronavirus restrictions are relaxed and the latest TV news.

Front Page: The New York Times – December 13, 2022

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Two Decades After 9/11 Inquiry, a Similar Plan for Covid Stalls in Congress

The 9/11 Commission prompted a national reckoning over the Sept. 11 attacks. But some experts fear that the chance to create an independent panel to investigate the pandemic response is slipping away.

Inflation Forecasts Were Wrong Last Year. Should We Believe Them Now?

Economists misjudged how much staying power inflation would have. Next year could be better — but there’s ample room for humility.

In a Wary Arctic, Norway Starts to See Russian Spies Everywhere

Other European countries are too, blurring the line between vigilance and paranoia.

Mass Migrant Crossing Floods Texas Border Facilities

The arrival of up to 1,000 migrants, the latest big group to have crossed the border, was one of the largest single crossings in recent years in West Texas, which has seen a surge in migration.

Reviews: TheScientist Magazine – December 2022

TS Digest December 2022, Issue 2 Cover

TheScientist Magazine (December 2022):

2022 Top 10 Innovations

This year’s crop of winning products features many with a clinical focus and others that represent significant advances in sequencing, single-cell analysis, and more.

Implantable Device Zaps Cancer Cells Using Electric Fields

A wireless brain implant inhibits tumor growth in rats, overcoming many design flaws of current devices used to treat glioblastoma.

READ ONLINE

Report: Secret Diaries Of 3 Women Protesting In Iran

BBC News (December 12, 2022) – Iran has been rocked by daily protests since a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody after being detained by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her headscarf correctly.

Both women and men, who want a life free from the strict rules of the Islamic Republic, have been taking part. We know Mahsa Amini’s story, but what about the everyday risks and dangers that women face, as they continue to protest?

Over two and a half months, women have been sending their thoughts as voice notes, writing and drawings to the BBC’s Saba Zavarei. Here are their diaries, with names changed for their safety. This report contains disturbing scenes.

Design: AI-Generated ‘Gaudí’ Home Appliances

AI-generated series redesigns vibrant household appliances in gaudí aesthetic

designboom (December 11, 2022) – Visual storyteller Marcus Byrne envisions regular household appliances in Antoni Gaudí’s architectural aesthetic using artificial intelligence image generator software. The graphic designer re-imagines everyday objects drawing from the famous architect’s vibrant intricate designs.

The twentieth-century styles such as neo-gothic, art nouveau, and modernism that characterize Gaudí’s designs are reflected in the AI-generated images through vivid colors and free-flowing coral-like shapes. The digital art series are illustrated through the process of combining popular text-to-image software, Midjourney, and Photoshop for additional editing. 

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – Dec 19, 2022

A portrait of Santa.
“Believe,” by George Booth.

@NewYorker Magazine – December 19, 2022 issue:

Shooting Shakespeare with Jean-Luc Godard

Molly Ringwald as Cordelia in Godard’s surreal 1987 adaptation of “King Lear.”

The actress and writer recalls working with French cinema’s enfant terrible.

The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer

Such a device could help address climate change and food scarcity, or break the Internet. Will the U.S. or China get there first?

The Promise and the Politics of Rewilding India

Ecologists are trying to undo environmental damage in rain forests, deserts, and cities. Can their efforts succeed even as Narendra Modi pushes for rapid development?

News: Ukraine Strikes Deep In Russia, Hungary Blocks Ukraine Aid, Next-Gen Jets

The latest on the war in Ukraine and Hungary’s spat with the EU. Plus: Japan, the UK and Italy’s plans to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet, the business news and an interview with former Australian footballer and human-rights activist Craig Foster.