We’ve been getting a lot of likes and comments lately, for which we are enduringly grateful. Sorry we can’t list our kind interlocutors -a full list would stretch too long, and to pick a few would be unjust. We attempt-sometimes- to reach your sites and blogs to reciprocate. But anyone who knows us will report that our IT skills are dire: we struggle to know where to click and where to write. But we do look at them, admiring their originality of thought and devotion to purpose. As for their design-some of them are beyond us the way the Artemis moon shot was beyond Magellan’s Victoria. Did you all do three years at the Slade school of Fine Art or Something? Anyway-keep ‘em coming, you are better than half the drivel that flits across our screens daily.
Above all we’re glad you recognise our main purpose; which is to say sensible things in a different way, and different things in a sensible way. And always to brighten up your tea and coffee breaks.
We often showcase the Guardian’s Larry Elliott. not just because he’s good at economics (he is), but also because his articles have a way of illuminating a much broader range of human life including Geopolitics and History to name but a few. And we think today’s called China’s demise was gleefully predicted by the West-but meanwhile it’s built an AI Revolution Is a prime example. As usual, we provide a brief summary of Larry’s main points, accompanied by the earnest imploration for you to read it for yourself. Followed as ever by our own take: thoughts which the article has stimulated in the minds of the Editorial Board of LSS, its staff, and that contract bloke who does the cleaning.
LARRY SAYS
For decades, western experts have been confidently predicting the failure of the Chinese economic model. The Chinese, their wisdom ran, were overindebted, overinvested, over reliant on the property market and didn’t have enough democracy. Even when China began to do well at low level manufacturing it would never, they asseverated, catch the West’s lead in high tech manufacturing and industries of the future. But what has happened? Now the Chinese are leading the world on renewable energy technologies. They don’t even have to import machine tools from Germany, which we find especially significant. As for AI; their models and technologies are breathing down the necks of the leading American corporations. With dire risks to the current US stock market boom, perhaps even to the global balance of power itself. All in all, pretty significant stuff. Which leads us to think:
WHAT WE SAY
Let’s start by looking at how Larry thinks China achieved all this:
When China began to build up its manufacturing strength almost 50 years ago, it saw itself as a developing country. It had no illusions about the scale of the challenge but had a plan and stuck to it. There was no aversion to picking winners. Nor would the strategy be left exposed to the whims of speculators. Instead, there was a willingness to use all the policy tools available: subsidies, tariffs, exchange controls and state investment.
We remember how these were the very years western nations were taking the opposite route. Remember the Washington Consensus, Thatcherism, Monetarism, whatever you want to call it? Free markets were good, it held: and anything the State did was, by definition bad. So: cut taxes, cut regulations, abolish all industrial policy and above all keep labour costs low. If that meant outsourcing jobs to China, what the hey-it would keep those pesky unions in check, wouldn’t it? Nowhere was this policy more rigorously applied than in Great Britain, which has seen itself slide from manufacturing power base to a small offshore island living on tick, whose inhabitants wander bewilderedly through the remains of their past like the impoverished heirs to a squandered fortune.
Yet Britain’s story is the whole West’s really, only more so. We want the western nations to survive, really we do: they represent so much in the common patrimony of humankind. But if they are to do so they must stop thinking like spoiled brats, and start to think like developing nations once more. To learn a little humility, in fact.
We’ve always been big fans of primates large and small. So we hope you’ll be as cheered as we were by this piece Can AI help stop the next pandemic disease? from that redoubtable site Nature Briefing. Because we couldn’t help thinking-if can work for gorillas it can work for humans too. It’s an interesting story in itself: but it made us think much deeper about the true transforming power of AI, upon which we shall riff a little below-after you have read it, gentle readers:
Researchers are harnessing the ability of AI tools to identify patterns in large data sets to try to predict spillovers — the transfer of pathogens between species — before they happen. In Uganda, the approach is showing early promise in protecting endangered mountain gorillas, as well as the livestock and people who interact with them. Other researchers are trawling through databases to identify new zoonotic viruses in samples that were not necessarily collected for that purpose.
So what do we really think? Ostensibly its another good news science story (especially of you’re a gorilla) And it obviously has hopeful implications for when the next pandemic strikes-another LSS old favourite. But-we hope you will indulge us with our own take, because we think there’s something deeper going on. Look at the gap in technique compared with COVID -wracked 2021, the last real pre-AI year. Back then, researchers would only have been able to compare one data set at a time: logs on gorilla movements, human settlements, genomes, weather, livestock………you name it. Now our invisible chums do the lot for us simultaneously, in real time. And to make predictive ecological models, construct counterfactuals and many other things, all based on real time integration of field data. Quite a step change, isn’t it?
Five years is a short time for a new world to be born. But it is such, for it carries the true characteristic of a new world-there’s no going back. And somehow its this story that has finally brought it home, at least to this Editorial Board: this AI thing is as big as the advent of metals, or the Industrial Revolution. What do you think? We’d love to know.
Every so often someone comes along with a piece that seems to capture our thinking, give words to what we have been trying to say, only does it much better than we ever could. Such is today’s showcase article: After America: The Causes and Consequences of US Global Decline by Alfred W. McCoy for the Fair Observer.[1] Clear and succinct, it’s an easy voyage across a vast range of time, empires and continents, and you should read it. So magisterial that we cannot summarise it in this short space; but we hope the following, our personal takeaway, will at least whet your appetite for what is a masterclass in history, and a guide to where it may dump us all next.
In McCoy’s analysis, the American Empire rose to final geostrategic dominance in 1945. Its essential strength lay in manufacturing and energy, which was translated into power via its easy dominance of world finance through such diverse means as the IMF, dollar supremacy and other instruments large and small. Its essential strategic act was to dominate the Eurasian landmass (still the overwhelming centre of world population and production). This was achieved by the plantation of subject allies (NATO at one end, Japan and Taiwan at the other) coupled with unrivalled suzerainty over the world’s sea and air communications: a final culmination of the doctrines of Mahan, another Alfred, who had midwifed much at this empire’s birth.[2]
Generally speaking, 1945–2025 seems to be a good run by contemporary imperial standards. Like other empires, U.S. hegemony waned slowly: the rise of large economic blocs such as the EU, ASEAN and MERCOSUR would gradually erode America’s relative position. But the empire which Donald Trump inherited in 2025 was not only largely intact; it seemed actively to be addressing some of the causes of its decline. Chief among these were energy technologies. For just as the British Empire grew great on coal and steam, to which totems it became wedded, so the American fuel of choice was oil and combustion engines. China saw this and began to prepare for the coming age of green renewables, which are both safer and cheaper than planet‑destroying hydrocarbons. And while America had wasted trillions on futile wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Iran, China cashed in its IOUs to build the inexpungable Belt and Road across the crucially contested landmass, relegating its rival imperium to a peripheral role.
We think it is unfair to blame Trump and his acolytes for all that has gone wrong: the trajectory of their empire had long since been sent downwards by the decisions of others a quarter of a century before. But in our opinion the stubborn disregard of clean technologies has squandered a precious opportunity for further decades of leadership — and handed that in turn to a power likely to be far less sympathetic to Westerners in general and certain chosen allies in the Middle East and elsewhere. But once again — read the article, we implore you.
[2]Mahan, Alfred Thayer. The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1890.
The reflections above represent our own reading of Alfred W. McCoy’s article “After America: The Causes and Consequences of US Global Decline.” They are offered as fair comment on a work of public interest. Any interpretations, analogies, or historical parallels are our own and should not be taken as McCoy’s views unless directly attributed to him. Readers are warmly encouraged to consult the original article to appreciate the full nuance of his argument.
Back in the far-off days before global warming, we often chose Spain in September or October. Think of it: the kids were back at school, so the hotel was peaceful and the pool usable. The worse of the summer heat was over (we said this was the olden days) and the very peak of the hordes had long since passed through Gatwick. Oh, the delight of that first cocktail at the old bar, especially if you were regulars, with a whole two weeks to kick your heels and hope you had enough towels to combat the breeze on the autumn beaches. So what better way to remember those golden days than these three tasty Spanish Cocktails, which should be enough to help the most recalcitrant learner master the imperfecto de subjunctivo mood of a tricky irregular verb.
Rebujito
The Andalusian feria classic — the toast of Seville’s spring fairs and Cádiz’s summer nights. Light, minty, dangerously drinkable.
Ingredients: Manzanilla or Fino sherry + lemon‑lime soda + mint.
Our Take: The Rebujito is Andalusia’s answer to heat: sherry made mischievously refreshing.”
Agua de Valencia
Properly Valencian; invented in the 1950s at Café Madrid. Bright, citrusy, celebratory — Spain in its sunniest mood.
Ingredients: Cava, orange juice, gin, vodka.
Our Take: “Many of the early novels of Blasco Ibáñez are set in the Huerta Valenciana.”
This line appeared around chapter three of our very first beginners’ Spanish textbook. It was such a magnificent non sequitur — who on earth was Blasco Ibáñez, and how many years would pass before we could read him? — that it became a running joke. Any time the word “Valencia” surfaced, we’d solemnly intone it. And we’ve been doing so ever since.
Granada Sunset
Modern bar invention; Spanish by colour palette and name rather than history. Fruity, layered, sunset‑in‑a‑glass-and, hang on, isn’t Granada supposed to be the home of the pomegranate or something?
Ingredients: Vodka or rum, pomegranate syrup (granada), orange juice, splash of soda.
Move over, Eagles and take your Tequila with you. This is the one to sip while tapping your feet to Rosalía and Aitana at the pool‑side bar, quietly hoping that the hotel’s Thursday‑night “flamenco spectacular” has been miraculously cancelled.
Fiery Doom? Prof Gustaf Hugelius warns that intensifying wildfires and heatwaves are accelerating the release of methane and carbon from permafrost regions, some of which are already approaching — or have crossed — irreversible thaw thresholds, as reported by The Guardian.”
Vaccine crossover Getting vaccinated against shingles could cut the risk of developing not only dementia but heart disease, heart failure and stroke, according to a major study. We like this as it reinforces our old doctrine “research in one area fuels progress somewhere else. Anyway, the Mail explains all:
Life on earth may have started twice This one was so counter-intuitive we’ll just hand you over to Nature Briefing and say no more:they’re much cleverer than us anyway.
Researchers have gathered more evidence for the idea that the first spark that spawned us all — the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) — was a part-organic, part-rock chemical system that formed in the energetically and chemically rich environment of hydrothermal vents. New findings also suggest that the two oldest single-celled domains of life, bacteria and archaea, sprang independently from this first source.
DNA sequences once dismissed as junk may act like barcodes that help matching chromosomes find each other. Another shaker for those of us for whom “junk DNA” was a sine qua non. Until now!
Veteran readers will immediately recall our 2024 offering (LSS 17 2 24) in which we hailed the use of silica nanoparticles to deliver the antibiotic ceftadizine to patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). Well, the world of nanoparticles and antibiotic resistance has not let the grass grow under its feet since that early date. For today we are proud to present no less than four(count ‘em, folks-four!) new developments which will bring a glimmer of hope to all of us interested in avoiding a catastrophic hyperpandemic unleashed by drug resistant microorganisms. Obviously we can’t go into exquisite detail gentle readers, but humbly hope that the following will whet your appetite for further reading along the lise we have indicated:
1. Nanoparticles delivering CRISPR
Nano particles are used to deliver CRISPR Cas engineered entities to knock out resistance generating genes in the target bacterium, such as blaNDM (New Delhi metallo‑β‑lactamase) as well as…..no, that’ll be more than enough gene names for today. But you get the picture.
Reference:Innovative approaches to combat antibiotic resistance: integrating CRISPR/Cas9 and nanoparticles against biofilm‑driven infections.BMC Medicine, Springer Nature.
2. Nanoparticles as Catalytic killers In effect the nanoparticles act as “nanozymes”, artificial enzymes in effect which release reactive species of oxygen molecules and knock out the bacteria directly. From delivery system to weapon system in one fell swoop!
Fans of the COVID 19 pandemic will recall the development of Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to help the mRNA vaccines penetrate biofilm and deliver their loads at the point of maximum effect. Now it is being adapted for the world of antibiotic resistance. Another crossover where progress in one area helps in another, we think!
Reference:CRISPR‑based antimicrobials and nanomotor technologies for drug‑resistant biofilms.Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, March 2026, ScienceDirect.
Always and forever, those pesky gram negative bacteria and their sturdy drug resistant membranes, what a fight they have put up! But now researchers have astutely combined membrane‑disrupting metals such as silver and copper with controlled‑release polymer shells, allowing antibiotics to slip past Gram‑negative outer membranes that previously blocked them
We have always been keen advocates of Nuclear Fusion, hoping for the ultimate in utterly clean utterly abundant power it represents (LSS passim) Until recently, our hopes seemed grounded more in faith than reason; perhaps our mistake was to expect a single, all-changing breakthrough to solve the problem at once. But the last few years have witnessed a series of small but steady advances-nudges, if you like- which suggest this ultimate goal of applied physics is getting nearer and nearer to becoming a practicable method. This item A new Billion dollar bet on Fusion Energy from Nature Briefing is another example of the substantive progress now being made
A company called Pacific Fusion has started to build a fusion machine that it hopes will be the first to generate more energy than it consumes, thanks to the use of immense pulses of electricity to squeeze capsules of hydrogen fuel. The billion-dollar facility, which will sit down the road from a major US nuclear-weapons laboratory, could also be used for research on the country’s ageing stockpile of nuclear warheads. It is one of dozens of start-ups flush with investment, all fuelling the dream of a fusion power plant that supplies virtually limitless clean energy.
We at LSS have a confession: we never much cared for the Country and Westerngenre of music. Perhaps it was certain political and — er — philosophical associations it evoked, perhaps just the sound. But for those of us whose genre is the Baroque and whose Main Man is JS Bach, the good ol’ C&W was something we ignored at best. Until along came Dolly Parton, whose quip “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap” suddenly gave us a moment like those dismayed physicists who first confronted the Michelson–Morley experiment and realised everything you had previously believed was wrong.
For it revealed that we were in the presence of a formidably intelligent and accomplished mind. One that rose from a profoundly humble background to pen such world‑beating hits as Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You. Who worked with the greats in her own genre but also such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, Elton John and many more from the summits of world music. Who starred in successful films like Steel Magnolias and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And whose steely will and business acumen protected her from the fate of many female celebrities, trampled on by the men in their lives. Not Dolly. Don’t even think about it, boys.
But that is not, gentle readers, why Dolly Parton merits a very special place in our Blog’s Hall of Fame. It is her magnificent accomplishments in promoting the virtues of Learning and Science which earn her our highest accolade. Exhibit 1: her munificent donation to Vanderbilt University at the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, which helped support early research contributing to the Moderna mRNA‑1273 vaccine. Exhibit 2: the breathtaking will to found the Imagination Library, which since 1995 has mailed over 300 million books to children across large stretches of the world. If that’s not creating readers for us, then what is?
A few years ago we ran a blog (LSS 9/2/24) in which we mocked a group we called the Great and the Good. We hoped we evoked a world of senior politicians, editors, orchestra conductors and other assorted ranks of la haute bourgeoisie who sit around drinking chianti and telling each other how much they have accomplished. Well, now we are going to evoke those words in their real sense to laud someone who was really Great and truly Good. Sleep well, Dolly — you have earned your rest.
Good morning gentle readers and welcome to another week in which we shall together learn even more about Science and Society. We’ll concentrate on the Society bit today, via economics. Because when two minds as acute as Katy Martin of the Financial Times[1] and Heather Stewart of the Guardian[2] coincide, we suspect that Society may be unravelling rather fast indeed.
WHAT KATY AND HEATHER SAY Both highlight disquieting instability in the US Bond Markets, particularly long term US Treasuries..Remember: this is the key metric by which foreigners judge a country’s future soundness and judgement, it filters out the short-term sound bites of spokespersons, and foxes the spins of friendly media. For US bonds, the outlook is becoming troubling. Yields are rising. And every intervention by Mr Bessent, however well intended, only seems to be making the markets ever more uneasy about US policy signals. What’s worse, all this worry seems to be bleeding into the dollar, the sheet anchor of the world financial system. We should be clear: Bessent is firefighting. The long‑term debt is not his creation, nor his remit. That belongs to Congress and the Presidency, and currently neither seems willing to confront the colossal $40 trillion IOU .Ok, financial ladies summarised :here follows our own gloss.
WHAT WE SAY Well, ever since the 1890s US Treasuries and the dollar have been the rock-solid anchors of the world economy. It’s like that when a superpower is at its peak. Everybody wants your currency: which in turn makes you strong because if you own the reserve currency, you can keep issuing in it long after everyone else runs out. Think the gold and silver backed currencies of Imperial Spain at its zenith, and the enormous role of Sterling and the Bank of England’s gold reserves before 1914. The first signs that these Empires were in decline was series of financial crises. Spain’s manifested themselves as a series of bankruptcies under Philip II and his successors. British readers will recall the interminable series of financial and balance of payments meltdowns -1914, 1931, 1940, 1947, 1956, 1967, 1976-are just the most outstanding as their own Empire declined from world hegemon to just another country in Europe.
Which begs the question: is America about to go the same way? Perhaps, but with some caveats. Firstly this is August and there are always some funny trades around in a quieter month. Secondly AI is competing mightily for funds in the capital markets, putting a squeeze on sovereign debt. And do not forget: this is still only a trend, America still has enormous economic potential. There is still time to elect a different Chief Executive and a different group of lawmakers to undo some of the damage of the last 20 months or so. But the warning from the ladies’ articles is clear: the margin for error is starting to narrow fast.
Learning, Science and Society 