stories we thought were interesting in this week’s media
Is everything illusion or what? The utter strangeness of the quantum world view has always disquieted us- we struggle to understand the basics of the basics. That’s why we thought these three lovely articles from The Conversation might help those like ourselves, The Confused, that is.
https://theconversation.com/quantum-mechanics-how-the-future-might-influence-the-past-199426?utm_
https://theconversation.com/four-common-misconceptions-about-quantum-physics-192062?utm_medium=e
Let’s clear the air A while ago we published pieces here, and in certain newspapers, about the dangers of air quality indoors. Our angle was a little different, but we were clearly on to something, however indirectly! Nature Briefings: The Fight for indoor Clean air
Bars, gyms and other indoor venues in Belgium will soon be required by law to meet air-quality targets and display real-time measurements of carbon dioxide concentrations — a proxy for how much clean air is piped in. It’s just one of an unprecedented number of efforts worldwide to make indoor air safer. Huge challenges lie ahead — retrofitting existing buildings will be an immense, costly undertaking. But countries are set to save billions by reducing the harmful effects of carbon monoxide, mould spores, cancer-causing fumes, particulates and respiratory pathogens.Nature | 12 min read
Read more: We need a proper science of indoor air, write scientists including Christopher Whitty, the UK government’s chief medical adviser (Nature | 11 min read)
Free Speech, innit? Our old friend Dave Watford and his associates are always bad-mouthing someone they call “Woke Lefties” for censoring free speech. But here’s the boot on the other foot-and some!
Solar Powered slugs TED talks have always been a magnificent gateway to anyone who wants a really intelligent take on the world about us. Our researchers were intrigued by this tale of a sea slug which has copied plants, and runs on the power of the Sun alone.
The best genres of music evoke a time and a place. None better than Tango, that lonely, melancholic music of old Buenos Aires, when just about everyone was an immigrant and mired in nostalgia. This arrangement of of Ventanita Florida by Roberto Goyneche and and Nestor Marconi captures that ambience perfectly (Spanish speakers will understand why we took such care to spell Marconi correctly!)
#argentina #tango #sea slug #pollution #air quality #quantum physics #rewilding
Learning, Science and Society 