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PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
3 Physicists Share Nobel Prize for Work on Quantum Science (Maria)
The authors write, “Three scientists jointly won this year’s Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for proving that tiny particles could retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon once doubted but now being explored for potential real-world applications such as encrypting information. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for experiments proving the ‘totally crazy’ field of quantum entanglements to be all too real.”
Most Latinos Say Democrats Care About Them and Work Hard for Their Vote, Far Fewer Say So of GOP (Mili)
From Pew Research Center: “Nearly two years after former President Donald Trump won more Latino votes than he did in 2016, a new Pew Research Center survey of Latino adults finds that most say the Democratic Party cares about Latinos and works hard to earn their vote. Significantly fewer say the same of the Republican Party. At the same time, fewer than half of Latinos say they see a major difference between the parties, despite living in a deeply polarized era amid growing partisan hostility.”
This Multi-Billion Dollar Corporation Exacerbated the Water Crisis in Jackson, Mississippi (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The problems with Jackson’s water supply date back decades. The integration of public schools in the 1960s prompted an exodus of affluent whites from Jackson, eroding the city’s economic resources. Jackson’s declining economic fortunes also prompted the departure of middle-class Blacks, causing an overall population decline. The city went from over 200,000 people in 1980 to less than 150,000 people today. … The state, dominated by Republicans, has been largely unwilling to help a city populated by Black Democrats. In 2021, for example, intense storms left Jackson residents without drinking water for a month. The city asked the state for $47 million in funding for emergency repairs. Mississippi allocated $3 million.”
Pennsylvania’s Chief Justice, Part of a Court Majority to Shield Voting Rights, Died on Friday (DonkeyHotey)
From Bolts: “Max Baer, Pennsylvania’s chief justice, passed away on Friday night after nearly two decades on a state supreme court that has been critical for voting rights and redistricting. He was a Democrat, part of the court’s 5-2 Democratic majority that in 2018 struck down the GOP’s congressional gerrymander and has repeatedly ruled against efforts to erode voting rights. In 2020, the court sank Donald Trump’s bid to overturn Pennsylvania’s presidential results. … Baer was set to quit the court at the end of 2022 as he hit the mandatory retirement age of 75, which would have left a vacancy on the court. His death raised new uncertainty as to the timing of his replacement, and brought a sudden reminder that the fate of the judiciary is also tied into a high-stakes governor’s race.”
Long COVID: What Science Has Learned About the Loss of Smell and Taste (Sean)
The author writes, “More than two years into the pandemic, researchers found an estimated 15 million people may still have problems perceiving odors, while 12 million may struggle with taste.”
Calculating Your Vacation’s Carbon Footprint, One Travel Mode at a Time (Laura)
The author writes, “Planning a vacation? A new tool lets you calculate the carbon cost of your trip, taking into consideration distance traveled, mode of transportation and accommodation type. Created by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the Travel and Climate tool lets a user put in where they are, where they’re going, how many are traveling and for how long. The tool tells users the carbon impact of each of their options, whether they travel by train, bus, gas-powered car, electric car or plane, and whether they stay in a tent, hostel or hotel.”
The CIA Just Invested in Woolly Mammoth Resurrection Technology (Mili)
From The Intercept: “As a rapidly advancing climate emergency turns the planet ever hotter, the Dallas-based biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences has a vision: ‘To see the Woolly Mammoth thunder upon the tundra once again.’ Founders George Church and Ben Lamm have already racked up an impressive list of high-profile investors, including Peter Thiel, Tony Robbins, Paris Hilton, Winklevoss Capital — and, according to the public portfolio its venture capital arm released this month, the CIA.”
