The New Yorker (February 26, 2024): The new issue‘s cover features ‘Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s “All Clear” ‘ – The artist captures New York’s smallest pedestrians as they make their way through the big city.
Workers sent from the country to Chinese factories describe enduring beatings and sexual abuse, having their wages taken by the state, and being told that if they try to escape they will be “killed without a trace.”
Disturbances on the sun may have the potential to devastate our power grid and communication systems. When the next big storm arrives, will we be prepared for it?
An ancient solar storm helps pinpoint when Vikings lived in the Americas, and using magnets to deftly move non-magnetic metals.
In this episode:
00:53 Pinpointing Viking presence in North America
It’s well-understood that Vikings went to North America around a thousand years ago. However, working out a precise date has proven difficult. Now, thanks to an ancient solar storm, researchers have been able to identify an individual year when Vikings were definitely living on the continent.
Scientists have created an array of magnets capable of moving non-metallic objects in 6 dimensions. They hope their new approach could one day be used to clean up debris in space.
27:06 What Francis Collin’s retirement means for the US NIH
After 12 years, Francis Collins announced plans to retire from his role as Director of the United States National Institutes of Health. We discuss his legacy and what this means for the world’s biggest public funder of biomedical research.
Solar storms can hit close to home and have the potential to affect our power grid and cause widespread blackouts. Watch how researchers and engineers are working to make sure important infrastructure—like our power grid—is protected from geomagnetic disturbances caused by space weather.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious