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‘The Deepest Map’ Explores the Thrills — and Dangers — of Charting the Ocean (Maria)
The author writes, “In 2019, the multimillionaire and explorer Victor Vescovo made headlines when he became the first person to visit the deepest parts of all five of Earth’s oceans. But arguably the real star of the expedition was marine geologist Cassie Bongiovanni, the lead ocean mapper who ensured Vescovo piloted his submersible to the actual deepest depths. Today, only 25% of the seafloor is well mapped. When Vescovo set out to score his record, the exact deepest location in each ocean was unknown. Bongiovanni, Vescovo and their crew had to chart these regions in detail before each dive.”
Colorado Lawsuit’s Strategy for Keeping Trump Off Ballot Is Starting to Spread (Reader Jim)
From Truthout: “The lawsuit filed earlier this month by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on behalf of six Colorado voters provides a template that can and will be used in other states to keep Donald Trump off the ballot in the primary and general presidential elections. Indeed a similar lawsuit filed September 12 in Minnesota by the progressive group Free Speech For People shows that the strategy laid out in the Colorado lawsuit is already starting to spread. Like the Colorado lawsuit that was filed on September 6, the Minnesota suit, which was brought in the Minnesota Supreme Court, seeks to remove Trump from the state’s ballots based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, known as the ‘Disqualification Clause.’ It forbids anyone who has sworn the oath of office and later ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ or given ‘aid or comfort to the enemies’ of the United States from holding public office.”
From ‘Data Dumping’ to ‘Webbing’: How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sells Misleading Ideas (Russ)
The author writes, “When Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist running a long-shot campaign for president, tried to warn about vaccine risks during a podcast interview in the early days of the pandemic, he used a rhetorical device known as data dumping that is commonly used by conspiracy theorists. In a dizzying three-minute monologue, he offered a litany of acronyms, numbers and obscure methodologies to falsely conclude that vaccine injuries were remarkably common.”
California Misinfo Law Is Destined for the Dustbin (Mili)
The author writes, “California’s attempt to pave a path for its physician licensing boards to discipline doctors who give false COVID information to patients appears to be headed for the dustbin of failed ideas. Inserted two-thirds of the way down in a bill on September 5, a Senate committee amendment would repeal state law authorized by the controversial AB 2098. That law had specifically defined the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation or disinformation by a licensee as unprofessional conduct, subject to board disciplinary action.”
Oregon Sues Fox Corporation Over 2020 Election Coverage (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “New York City’s pension funds and the state of Oregon sued Fox Corporation on Tuesday, alleging the company harmed investors by allowing Fox News to broadcast falsehoods about the 2020 election that exposed the network to defamation lawsuits. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, accuses the company of inviting defamation claims by amplifying conspiracy theories about the election, including a suit Fox News agreed to settle for nearly $800 million with the voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems.”
Heat Pumps Twice as Efficient as Fossil Fuel Systems in Cold Weather, Study Finds (Gerry)
The author writes, “Heat pumps are more than twice as efficient as fossil fuel heating systems in cold temperatures, research shows. Even at temperatures approaching -30C (-22F), heat pumps outperform oil and gas heating systems, according to the research from Oxford University and the Regulatory Assistance Project thinktank.”
These Animals Are Already Adapting to a Changing Climate (Laura)
From Sierra: “In general, scientists expect species will have to move upward in elevation or latitude to cope in a warming world. However, in California, many animals have been adapting to their mutating environments in ingenious ways. They’re prioritizing environmental preferences other than temperature, they’re switching their diets, they’re altering their genetic makeup, and they’re changing their reproductive behaviors. Scientists still cannot tell if these adaptations, no matter how impressive, will be enough to help animals weather the impacts of climate change successfully. Solving this mystery is at the heart of research that might help conservationists save species from vanishing. Here are four groups of animals that experts say are already evolving to meet climate change head on.”
