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“Half the Arctic is now a black box of empty data” as Russian scientists and journalists no longer work with the Arctic Council

Alexandra Petri take note The Ink this morning one-ups Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri in reflecting on the “Unity Statement.” You know the ones, the pro forma statements Democratic politicians make in response to mass shootings or, in today’s news, an attempted assassination. Certain stylistic conventions must be followed: First, the statement maker’s spouse’s name should be included prominently somewhere: “Becky and I were sad to hear…” “Corey and I were deeply shaken by the news…” “Charlie and I join together…” The inclusion of the spouse is important here because it signals that this is a special kind of statement. More Christmas card vibes than political statement vibes. The normal rules are suspended. There will be no jabs here, no stridency, maybe not even any truth. Second, the Unity Statement must deplore effects without naming or shaming their causes. Now is not the time for blaming someone for their role in contributing to what has finally now come around to imperil them, too.

Provbaserade mervärdesmått är på många sätt tidstypiska då de med hjälp av mätningar och sofistikerad dataanalys ger till synes objektiva svar på hur väl skolor lyckas med sina uppdrag. Måtten är attraktiva då de justerar för att selektionen av elever skiljer sig mellan skolor, vilket är särskilt värdefullt i ett segregerat skolväsende … Det är […]

“Ukraine played a role.” Once again Russian disinformation networks are weaponising an attempt on the life of a US President

Though her family sometimes received food stamps and occasionally had their utilities cut off, Marcie Alvis Walker’s parents led her to believe that they were an average middle-class Black family. They encouraged her to pursue her dreams and told her that if she worked hard enough, she’d achieve them. The small catch was that Walker’s dream was an elusive one for any cash-strapped and undereducated Black woman: being a New York Times–bestselling author. Now, as a published non-bestselling author, she wishes she’d had a backup plan.

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
— W. B. Yeats, “Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”

As I Was Saying…. Another apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump occurred Sunday. A keen-eyed Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel poking through the perimeter fence of Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla. golf club and opened fire. The gunman, 58, fled in his car and was captured alive miles away. The suspect has a criminal history and a “quixotic past.” Scrambled eggs where his brain should be, by multiple accounts. Trump is safe. Prominent political figures expressed their relief and condemned political violence. Again. We’ll know more about the guy in due course. He’s “all over the map.” Ironically, I wrote hours earlier that “Between now and Jan. 20 anything might happen.” A wrong turn in Sarajevo touched off WWI. Events like this assassination attempt, J.D. Vance and Trump stoking hate against immigrants, and more devious political shenanigans from MAGA Republicans before and after the election are what I had in mind. Political tensions were already running high. People like Elon Musk mean to dial them up to 11.

Thank you for granting me a moment of your precious time, Dread Lord Nyarlathotep. Especially given how busy you are during these final days of your gruesome campaign to reascend the Gore Throne. Very pleased to hear you dodged yet another banishment spell from your enemies—and so proud to see you standing up to the fearsome Swiftie zealots.

Look, you must know I am as committed as the next Death Cultist to getting you back in office. I’ve been an Anti-God advocate ever since that shrieking rip in space-time first vomited you onto the golden escalator. But I… well, honestly, I don’t know how to say this politely. It’s probably best that I just put it out there before you turn my tongue inside out or what have you.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), while useful in some contexts, are often overvalued in economics and social sciences. My critique centres on the following key points: 1. Lack of External Validity RCTs often suffer from problems of external validity, meaning that their results cannot easily be generalized beyond the specific experimental conditions. In the controlled environment […]

On 12 August, Daniela Grudsky, Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to Britain, tweeted a fireside snap with Scotland’s External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson, professing her excitement for Israel and Scotland ‘cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy’. The photo prompted shock and condemnation from figures at the fringes of the governing Scottish National Party, […]

"'Lessons learned' is an entirely vacuous phrase if lessons aren’t being learned" warns new report after a series of deadly warnings were ignored

‘Marks of weakness, marks of woe.’ William Blake captures the suffering and oppression on the streets of 18th-century London

- by Aeon Video

Watch at Aeon

Dolls help children create wonderfully vivid and imaginative worlds, while also serving as unsettling reminders of the abyss

- by Tishani Doshi

Read at Aeon

Temptation can be sneaky – a rationalising voice that subtly undermines your resolve. But there are ways to outsmart it

- by John Schwenkler

Read at Psyche

"Stifling the media is never a good thing and trying to control them is even worse."