Author: Josh

  • Health: Every breath you take (of fungus)

    Every day, with each breath, humans inhale a diverse collection of microscopic life. Far from being just a mix of gases, the air we breathe carries a vast array of biological particles, collectively referred to as bioaerosols. These include bacteria, fungi (especially spores), viruses, pollen, and fragments of microbial cells. While many of these particles…

  • UK: M&S and Co-Op Outages

    May 7, 2025 – Two of the UK’s most trusted retailers, Marks & Spencer (M&S) and the Co-op Group, are grappling with significant disruptions caused by cyberattacks, plunging their operations into chaos and leaving customers frustrated. These incidents, which began in late April 2025, have led to empty shelves, suspended online services, and, in the…

  • USA: Renaming of the Persian Gulf?

    (Disclaimer: This is AI generated so may not be accurate!) May 7, 2025 — The geopolitical landscape of the Persian Gulf, a region long marked by power struggles and strategic maneuvering, is once again in the spotlight following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to officially rename the body of water the “Arabian Gulf”…

  • USA: Trump v Harvard so far…. (30 Apr 25)

    The conflict between Harvard University and the Trump administration has intensified sharply in recent weeks, revealing deep divides over campus governance, academic freedom, and the federal government’s role in shaping higher education. What began as a dispute over antisemitism policies has since ballooned into a sweeping standoff involving billions in federal funding, legal challenges, and…

  • Philosophy: Anti-Sad Truths

    A Counterpoint to Harsh Truths Life is not always a brutal instructor, nor are its lessons invariably jagged and sorrowful. While the original article paints existence as a relentless gauntlet of painful truths, this perspective risks overshadowing the softer, more hopeful currents that also define our journey. Life is as much a nurturing guide as…

  • Philosophy: Sad truths

    (I don’t think the AI is as profound as it attempts. Meh, this is still interesting enough…. I’d like to try “happy truths” as some point. inspired from https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1k8xwm5/what_is_saddest_truth_youve_come_to_accept/) Life is a relentless teacher, imparting lessons that are as harsh as they are illuminating. The truths of existence are not gentle platitudes but jagged realities…

  • Philosophy: Eudaimonia

    In the ceaseless unfolding of human existence, we stand at a crossroads, perpetually wrestling with a question as ancient as it is urgent: What should we strive for? Across millennia, philosophers, poets, and everyday dreamers have offered a constellation of answers—happiness, meaning, pleasure, virtue, knowledge, freedom—each a beacon promising to guide us toward a life…

  • Econ: The End of the Great Depression

    (note, like all articles this is ai generated, and a different analysis may raise other issues; this is still worth thinking about. The AI model introduced the “هستید” right there, which means “Are you” – no edit by me) The Great Depression, a cataclysmic economic collapse that gripped the world from 1929 to the late…

  • Econ: Tariffs, part 2

    I. IntroductionTariffs, taxes imposed on imported or exported goods, are a cornerstone of international trade policy, wielded by governments to protect domestic industries, generate revenue, or exert geopolitical leverage. Yet, when major tariffs are introduced without warning, they can unleash economic shockwaves, disrupting markets that thrive on predictability. These surprise shocks ripple through supply chains,…

  • Science: Neonicotonoids, plants, and bees

    I. Introduction: The Toxic Betrayal of Modern AgricultureNeonicotinoids, commonly known as neonics, represent a class of systemic insecticides that have been heralded as a cornerstone of modern agriculture since their introduction in the 1990s. Marketed as a precise, efficient solution to pest control, neonics promised higher crop yields and reduced environmental impact compared to older…