Space: The Next Frontier | The Obesity Epidemic | Turkey’s Brain Drain

“According to the surgeon general, obesity today is officially an epidemic; it is arguably the most pressing public health problem we face, costing the health care system an estimated $90 billion a year. Three of every five Americans are overweight; one of every five is obese.” – Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma

“You are what you eat is a truism hard to argue with, and yet it is, as a visit to a feedlot suggests, incomplete, for you are what what you eat eats, too. And what we are, or have become, is not just meat but number 2 corn and oil.” – Ibid.

Beijing, We Don’t Have A Problem: China’s Chang’e 4 lunar explorer, which launched in early December, has made a soft landing on the far side of the moon. The six-wheeled rover landed in the southern section of the Von Kármán crater, near the moon’s south pole. China’s Xinhua News published a photo it says was taken by the probe “on the never-visible side of the moon.” Photos of the normally hidden far side of the moon have previously been taken from space, but this is the first image ever captured from the surface.

A planetary scientist at Purdue University described the far side of the moon as being much more primitive than the near-side, with crust that dates back to the very earliest solar system.

“There are rocks all over the far side that are over 4 billion years old,” she said. “We’re really excited to see what those look like up close.” The Change 4’s mission is largely scientific, but it’s also a key step in preparing to send Chinese astronauts to the lunar surface. Only 12 humans have set foot on the moon, and all were Americans. 

Additional Reads on China:

– “US warns citizens traveling to China to exercise caution: State department travel advisory cautions ‘arbitrary enforcement of local laws’ following detention of two Canadians in China” (Guardian)

– “Chinese Consumers’ Confidence Sags, Casting a Pall Over the Global Economy” (NYT)

– “Apple’s Precarious and Pivotal 2019: Yesterday’s updated guidance wasn’t just about China…” (500ish Words)

Three Satellites and You’re Out: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a warning to Iran Thursday: do not proceed with plans to launch three satellites into space. Iran had announced in November it intended to test three Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs) “on various orbits” for telecommunications purposes. American officials believe the satellites could be used to carry intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Pompeo didn’t say how the US might react if Iran goes ahead with its announced intention, but it could mean the imposition of new sanctions. (WaPo)

From Yellow Jacket To Orange Jumpsuit: French authorities are trying a tougher approach to curbing anti-government protests carried on by yellow-jacketed demonstrators. Wednesday night one of the leaders of the movement was arrested for organizing an unauthorized protest as he headed towards the Champs Élysées in Paris, where several demonstrators were waiting for him. Eric Drouet, a lorry driver, already faces trial in June for “carrying a prohibited category D weapon” after he was allegedly found carrying a wooden stick at a previous protest. (Guardian)

Locked Up For Crimes Against The Government(‘s Ego): Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has launched a wave of repression against civil society groups and journalism outlets that is strangling what little remains of democracy in this Central American country. It is the latest stage in the government’s efforts to destroy a protest movement that began last April and has swelled into giant demonstrations demanding Ortega’s resignation. In the past few weeks the government has stripped nine civil society groups of their legal standing and seized their assets. News organizations critical of Ortega’s administration have been shuttered, editors have been jailed and charged with crimes including conspiracy to commit terrorists acts, and human rights activists have had to go into hiding. Eight months after they started, the anti-government protests have largely been extinguished and the Nicaraguan economy, largely dependent on tourism, has begun to shrink. (WaPo)

– “Experts urge Egypt to rethink two-child population strategy: Medics say limiting families is not the answer for a country where a baby is born every 15 seconds” (Guardian)

– “Irish PM says he has escalated no-deal Brexit preparations: Ireland planning as seriously for no deal as for May’s agreement, says Leo Varadkar” (Guardian)

– “What it’s like to live in a well-governed country: From Canada to Botswana, these six nations consistently rank highest for their progressive social policies, trust in government and effective justice system.” (BBC)

Turkey’s Brain Drain: Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power 17 years. Most of that time he spent crafting an extension of his country’s influence, by increasing trade and military might, and raising living standards with continued economic growth. But after a failed coup attempt in 2016, Erdogan embarked on a sweeping crackdown. He won reelection in 2018, becoming more authoritarian with greatly enhanced executive powers. But then the lira’s value plunged, the economy began to falter, and the exodus of talent and capital began in earnest. 

In the past two to three years students and academics, entrepreneurs and businesspeople have fled the country, along with thousands of wealthy individuals who are selling everything and moving their families and money abroad. It shows a startling loss of confidence in Erdogan’s leadership that threatens to set Turkey back for decades.

Red Is The New Trump: On Wednesday President Trump delivered lengthy comments brimming with revisionist history during a televised Cabinet meeting. Trump praised the 1979 Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan that he described as a fight against terrorism. The president claimed “the reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia,” adding that “[Russians] were right to be there.” Trump’s remarks were a striking departure from the Republican narrative dating back to President Ronald Reagan, who saw the invasion as an attempt to spread communism, and aided insurgent forces fighting Soviet troops. (WaPo)

Additional reads: “Why Trump’s Afghan comments are bad history.” (BBC) And “Trump Says Mattis Resignation Was ‘Essentially’ a Firing, Escalating His New Front Against Military Critics” (NYT)

A House Of Cards With A Queen At The Top: The new Democratic majority in the US House of Representatives was sworn in Thursday by just-elected speaker Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat garnered 220 votes from the 430 members present, while Republican leader Kevin McCarthy grabbed 192 votes. Democrats burst into applause when the tally was announced. Pelosi had overcome an internal party rebellion, from members wanting a generational change at the top, to return to the position for which she made history as the first woman elected to the speakership. The new 116th Congress is also making history, not only because it includes the largest number of women members to date (102), but also because the incoming freshman class is the youngest and most racially diverse in history. One Democratic aide hailed Pelosi as a “mastermind” for her comfortable win, but noted that, unlike Pelosi’s first stint as speaker, “managing this caucus will be more difficult than back in 2007.” (Guardian)

Humanity’s Relationship With Corn, Chickens, Cockroaches, and Rodents: The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a fascinating read that reveals how interconnected humans are with corn and chickens. Other organisms we seem to be connected with are cockroaches and rodents. “Is There Any Humane Way to Kill a Mouse?: Glue traps, snap traps or poison? What do you do about a pest whose only crime is being a pest?” (NYT) and “The Kernel of Human (or Rodent) Kindness: What we can learn from lab rats that don’t show empathy for other rats.” (NYT) and “A Book That Will Make You Terrified of Your Own House: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live ” (NYT)

A fascinating YouTube video on “That Time a Guy Tried to Build a Utopia for Mice and it all Went to Hell.”

YouTube’s Disastrous Influencers: The more we spend time on YouTube the more skeptical we have become of the site overall. Yes, it can be a good website-platform to learn new things but it is also a bottomless pit when it comes to pseudo-science and conspiracy theories. Be especially skeptical of a good number of YouTube influencers: “YouTube’s Biggest Stars Are Pushing a Shady Polish Gambling Site.” Where is the FTC or CFPB? YouTube is complicit for allowing such “influencers” to encourage the fleecing of children and uneducated viewers.

Trump’s Holy Alliance With the Religious Right: One of the most fascinating phenomena within American politics is how the Christian right forged a holy alliance with Trump. This alliance will have political and religious implications for the years and decades to follow. “Why Trump Reigns as King Cyrus: The Christian right doesn’t like the president only for his judges. They like his style.” (NYT) “Jerry Falwell Jr. can’t imagine Trump ‘doing anything that’s not good for the country’” (WaPo) “Evangelicals Seek Detente With Mideast Muslim Leaders As Critics Doubt Motives” (NPR) And “The walls around Trump are crumbling. Evangelicals may be his last resort.” (WaPo)

Eat Pray Love Swim Bike Run Walk Move: “Why exercise alone won’t save us: Sedentary lifestyles are killing us – we need to build activity into our everyday lives, not just leave it for the gym.” (Guardian)

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