First the Science, then the Tech, then the $$

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” – Isaac Asimov

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” – Ibid.

First the Science, then the Technology, then the Dollars, then the Domination: America might be slipping from its place as the world’s leader of scientific research. It’s spending half a trillion dollars annually on research, but China is barreling into second place fast and is actually poised to surpass the US by the end of 2018. Under the Trump administration, unfortunately, many US researchers say their work has been devalued and threatened by budget cuts. And stricter immigration policies are threatening opportunities for collaboration between US and Chinese researchers. Recent restrictions on H-1B visas sent a message to Chinese graduate students that “it’s time to go home when you finish your degree.” Some believe the White House, without a science adviser for more than a year, lacks scientific leadership.

Conversely, opportunities for scientists in China are flourishing. In 2016 its annual scientific publications outnumbered those from the US for the first time. China has 202 of the world’s 500 most powerful supercomputers, 60 more systems than are in the US. It has the largest radio telescope ever built. In 2017, biologists in China became the first to successfully clone a primate. Xi’s government has invested in scientific endeavors for strategic advantage as well as boasting rights. It spends more on infrastructure than the US or Europe, and its middle class has burgeoned, making relocation attractive to foreigners.

A Spanish geneticist, who came to America to supercharge his career at Yale University, began struggling to renew his visa. Eventually, he left his Ivy-League research position to move to China. The perks were hard to resist — a lucrative signing bonus, guaranteed research funding, ample tech staff and the chance to build a genetics research center from scratch. “More and more people keep coming, that’s for sure,” he said. “Right now, China is the best place in the world to start your own laboratory.”

– North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has ousted his top three generals. A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity speculated there could have been dissent in the military over Kim’s approach to foreign diplomacy with South Korea and the US, and Kim may have wanted hardliners out prior to the June 12 nuclear summit with President Trump. (The Guardian)

– Breaking up is still hard to do, but hooking up in Saudi Arabia is getting a lot easier. Just head on down to the White Foam Cafe in Riyadh, order a French-press coffee, and become part of a lively dating scene. Women think it’s dope, but some men are still weirded out. (NPR)

– Over the weekend Guatemala’s Fuego volcano had its most violent eruption in more than 40 years. At least 62 people have died, almost 300 are injured, and an estimated 1.7 million are at risk from ash, toxic gases and waste coming from the eruption. (The Guardian)

– Less than a month ago President Trump tapped Richard Grenell to be the new ambassador to Germany. That’s a position that’s supposed to use “diplomacy”, right? So maybe it wasn’t very tactful of Grenell to go on ultraconservative news outlet Breitbart over the weekend and say that he wanted to “empower” anti-establishment rightwing forces throughout Europe. (The Guardian)

US Military Shifts Focus from Unconventional to Conventional Threats: The US Department of Defense has been conducting a sweeping assessment of the nation’s Special Operations forces worldwide. The review began after the October 4 ambush in Niger resulted in the deaths of four American soldiers. The Pentagon’s investigation of the Niger attack exposed a risk-taking culture among the special operations community, and a “general lack” of “command oversight at every echelon.” This accelerated Secretary Jim Mattis’s decision to abandon some counterterrorism missions in Africa and begin to reduce the numbers of elite forces there, which also aligns with a new DoD strategy meant to focus on combating rising threats from Russia and China.

Some 7,300 special operations service members are currently operating in 92 countries; about half are posted outside the Middle East and South Asia, and approximately 1,200 are on missions in Africa. Mattis is considering reducing the African forces by about half over three years. Since the Niger attack, the number of missions on which American advisers accompany African troops on risky operations has been gradually reduced. Some Army operators have taken issue with the Pentagon’s findings, interpreting them as an attack on the culture of the Special Operations forces by high-ranking conventional military officers who do not understand the nature and demands of the job in difficult environments.

– No food, no water, no worries for the Tunisian World Cup Team. With a perfectly timed sunset injury, the team was able to replenish with water and dates mid-game, allowing them to tie the score against Portugal. (BBC)

– An avid fan of James Franco’s film 127 hours, a crayfish in China has taken the internet by storm with a video showing its daredevil escape from a boiling pot … done so by cutting off its own limb! Attempting the daring maneuver in a restaurant in China. The crayfish was apprehended, but instead of being pushed back into its once imminent demise, it was rescued and given shelter by an onlooker. (Guardian)

– Michael Tubbs, mayor of Stockton, California, has announced a plan to combat poverty: monthly stipends for select groups of residents as a testing grounds for how the programs will benefits communities. This mirrors an experiment in Finland which ends in December, with no guaranteed future budget. (The experiment has, however, changed government outlook on social programs, which has led to the introduction of new legislation helping the impoverished.) (Reuters & Guardian)

– Before packing the bags to live in the dream retirement house along the shores of Hawaii’s marvelous beaches, consider a little detour into the Minnesota life. Get rid of the cigarettes and gear up for some healthy eating, because they’ve been shown to have a tremendous impact on living a long, healthy life. Minute Earth did a rundown of the numbers, so you can see how the odds are stacked for, or against you. (NYT & Minute Earth)

– There ain’t no mountain high enough, but the highest peak in the world may be too low for people nowadays. Record-breaking numbers of successful summits have been recorded, and risk-takers of the past are not happy about it, stating that it is no longer such a monumental feat. (Guardian)

– Elon Musk faces trouble in paradise as he awaits Tuesday’s shareholder meeting, where the fate of his role in the company will be voted upon. Public interest in the company has been on the rise in recent weeks, but not in a good way. Crashes galore have plagued the company’s reputation, as the once innovative self-driving functions have become death traps on wheels. (Reuters)

LAST MORSELS

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.” – Isaac Asimov

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