Operation Mayan Jaguar & Space-Time

Today's newsletter is packed with so many good articles. I had trouble choosing only two featured articles. There are a few more pieces that I would have featured on any given day. I hope you enjoy them!

Featured Articles

It Was Supposed to Be a Sting Operation. Did ICE Traffic Drugs Instead?

Rolling Stone • 25 Sep 2024 • ~6050 words

Rolling Stone delves into ICE's "Operation Mayan Jaguar," an undercover initiative that allegedly blurred the lines between law enforcement and narcotics trafficking. With claims of corruption, rogue operations, and a tangled web of drug planes, this piece uncovers a potential scandal that raises serious questions about accountability within federal agencies. Sometimes, this reads more like a movie script than a real story.

According to the U.S. filings, the turboprop took off a few months later, in June 2005, to collect a further 2.2 tons of cocaine in Colombia, but suddenly turned back to Venezuela, where the pilots were arrested and then freed by “bribes.” The cocaine awaiting pickup, rather than being seized by ICE, was “stolen” by far-right narco-terrorists.

The Unraveling of Space-Time

Quanta Magazine • 25 Sep 2024 • ~10000 words

This is not a single article but an entire special issue from Quanta, and I’m quoting, that explores the ultimate scientific quest: the search for the fundamental nature of reality. It includes essays, visual explainers, and interviews, and it’s beautifully presented. I highly recommend taking a look if you have even the slightest interest in the topic.

What would it mean for space-time to be “emergent”? The physicist Sean Carroll proposes the following working definition: A system is emergent when you can describe it with two theories, one of which is more complete than the other. Take water. You can talk about it as a smooth fluid or as frenetically colliding molecules. Both theories can be useful, but in some situations the latter picture holds up while fluid dynamics fails. Only molecular physics can explain freezing and evaporation, for instance. Thus, the fluid description of water emerges from the more fundamental, complete physics of H2O molecules.

Recommended Articles

The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US

the Guardian • 26 Sep 2024 • ~3650 words

In an exploration of language exchange, this article dives into how British expressions have seeped into American vernacular, often unnoticed. It examines various examples of "Britishisms" that have become more common in the US, such as "bits," "cheeky," and "gutted," and explores how the meanings and usage of words like "clever" have diverged between two dialects. The article also considers whether American and British English are in danger of becoming homogenized or if the two varieties will continue to maintain their distinct differences.

So it can come as a shock to Britons to learn that their words and expressions have been worming their way into the American lexicon just as much, it would appear, as the other way around. I date the run-up (that’s an alternate meaning of run-up: “increase”) in Britishisms to the early 1990s, and it’s surely significant that this was when such journalists as Tina Brown, Anna Wintour, Andrew Sullivan and Christopher Hitchens moved to the US or consolidated their prominence there. The chattering classes – another useful Britishism – have a persistent desire for ostensibly clever ways to say stuff. They have borrowed from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, teen culture, African American vernacular, sports and hip-hop, and they increasingly borrow from Britain.

Wisconsin’s Wooden Skyscrapers

Belt Magazine • 26 Sep 2024 • ~5650 words

This piece discusses the rise of mass timber construction in the United States, particularly in Wisconsin and the Midwest region. It explores the benefits of mass timber, such as its sustainability and efficiency, as well as the challenges and criticisms surrounding its adoption. The article also examines the potential for the Midwest to become a hub for mass timber production and the importance of developing a local supply chain to support this emerging industry.

. . . the biggest and most transformative benefit of mass timber is invisible. Since trees absorb and store CO2 as they grow, they have the potential to sequester carbon at scale — if harvested responsibly. Buildings could go beyond net-zero and achieve negative emissions. Rather than invest in unproven carbon-capture pipedreams, countries could plant more trees, and use those natural carbon sinks to rebuild our cities. Whether it’s adding more homes and apartments, or space for schools, offices, gyms, or factories, mass timber has the potential to clean up our atmosphere while growing a carbon-free building supply. Is it too good to be true?

Drowning in Slop

Intelligencer • 25 Sep 2024 • ~4150 words • Archive Link

In a world increasingly flooded with AI-generated content, the term “slop” has emerged to describe the low-quality, often incoherent material that clutters our online spaces. This article dives into the implications of this phenomenon, exploring how it threatens to drown out authentic human creativity and the challenges it poses for readers navigating digital content. It also discusses how this “slop” has also started leaking into the non-digital world.

Worse than the havoc it wreaks on the internet, slop easily escapes the confines of the computer and enters off-screen systems in exasperating, troubling, and dangerous ways. In June, researchers published a study that concluded that one-tenth of the academic papers they examined “were processed with LLMs,” calling into question not just those individual papers but whole networks of citation and reference on which scientific knowledge relies. Derek Sullivan, a cataloguer at a public-library system in Pennsylvania, told me that AI-generated books had begun to cross his desk regularly.

Confessions of a (Former) Christian Nationalist

Mother Jones • 25 Sep 2024 • ~3700 words

This article is a first-person account from a former Christian nationalist who details his involvement in efforts to influence the U.S. government, particularly the judicial branch, to advance a right-wing Christian agenda. It explores the author's journey from a young minister to an influential political operative, and the ethical reckoning that led him to ultimately reject the Christian nationalist movement. I found this to be an eye-opening piece.

We in the religious right helped foster a political culture that has produced the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and former President Trump. It also gave rise to the Mississippi Republican legislators who challenged Roe v. Wade, handing Justice Alito the opportunity to write the opinion that destroyed it. My task was to convince religious leaders, officials on every level of government, and big-money benefactors that our nation was literally going to hell and the only way to rescue it was a mass conversion to Christian sensibilities. Preachers and politicians might be able to persuade some people, but the force of law would be necessary to coerce others. Much to my present regret, we succeeded.

Your Favorite Musician’s Favorite App Is About to Disappear

Slate Magazine • 26 Sep 2024 • ~1800 words • Archive Link

The article discusses the impending discontinuation of the popular music notation software Finale, which has been widely used in the music industry for decades. It explores the significance of Finale, its history, and the challenges faced by the music community as they transition to alternative software options. Beyond the specifics, this article provides a good example of how some commercial software can become an essential part of our lives.

If you’re unfamiliar with Finale, you may have trouble understanding why a program for placing musical notes on staffs has enflamed such passions. The most succinct way to explain its significance may come from David Pogue, the CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and former Broadway producer, who claims he wouldn’t be where he is today without the program. “Finale is as close to being the Microsoft Word of sheet music as there is,” said Pogue. “If you were working with an arranger or a conductor, you would just be able to say, ‘I’ll give you the Finale files,’ and you’d know that they’d be able to open it.”

The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Psyche • 26 Sep 2024 • ~1750 words

Ever wondered what happens in your brain as you drift off to sleep? This article explores the twilight zone between wakefulness and slumber, revealing how this unique state can enhance creativity and memory processing. Dive into the science of hypnagogia and discover why this in-between moment is more than just a prelude to sleep.

The phased descent into sleep explains why you might not recall the last few moments before dosing off while watching TV or reading. The parts of your brain responsible for processing scenes or flipping pages remain active, even after other areas, particularly deeper ones, including the thalamus and hippocampus, have already slipped into slumber, disrupting your ability to form new memories of those final minutes.

Without the neutrino, the Universe might be an empty void. But this inscrutable particle isn’t giving up its secrets easily

Aeon • 26 Sep 2024 • ~4250 words

The article explores the history and ongoing research surrounding the neutrino, an elusive subatomic particle that may hold the key to understanding the origins of the universe. It delves into the decades-long quest to detect and study these ghostly particles, and the ambitious Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) that aims to uncover the secrets of neutrinos and their role in the imbalance between matter and antimatter that allowed our universe to exist.

The engineering required to make DUNE work is comically out of proportion to the infinitesimal particles it will study. Mossey chuckles in disbelief at the scale of the project: neutrino detectors that measure five stories tall and 200 feet long, sheltered a mile underground, containing nearly 70,000 tons of cryogenic liquid argon. In February 2024, Mossey’s team completed the excavation of the primary workspace for DUNE, three enormous caverns to house those enormous detectors. That task alone required excavating 800,000 tons of rock. ‘And all this had to be done through a mineshaft that’s five feet wide,’ he says. ‘Think of the hoist, think of the power, think of the ventilation.’

Political animals

Conspicuous Cognition • 26 Sep 2024 • ~3100 words

In a world where political beliefs often seem tangled in a web of bias and identity, this article delves into the psychology behind why we cling to certain ideas. It explores the concept of politically motivated reasoning, suggesting that our allegiances may shape our understanding more than we realize. If you're curious about the forces that guide our political opinions, this piece offers a perspective.

. . . extensive psychological research suggests that people’s understanding of the political universe is heavily biased by motivated reasoning. Instead of approaching politics as disinterested truth seekers, people appear to be motivated to endorse whatever conclusions align with their political preferences and partisan allegiances. Given this, they seek out, interpret, and process information in ways conducive to rationalising those conclusions, not discovering the truth.

The Last Statements of Death Row

The Garden of Forking Paths • 25 Sep 2024 • ~2700 words

In the wake of a troubling execution in Missouri, this piece provides a sobering look at the final words of inmates executed in the United States, particularly in the state of Texas. It explores the context of capital punishment in the US, the racial disparities in executions, and the varying sentiments expressed by the condemned in their last moments before death.

What people say in their final moments reveals aspects of the human condition—love, regret, religion, forgiveness, mental illness, and stoicism. But these statements are also an opportunity for inmates to lash out against a system that they believe has failed them, or to protest their innocence. Some may be innocent. Others may be continuing a useful fiction, committed to the lie until the very end, hoping to shield their own families from the awful truth. For many, we will never know what really happened.

The Human Cost Of Our AI-Driven Future

NOEMA • 25 Sep 2024 • ~4900 words

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, we often overlook the human cost hidden behind the screens. This piece from Noema Magazine reveals the unsettling realities faced by content moderators, who navigate the darkest corners of the internet while grappling with trauma and exploitation. Through personal stories, it challenges the narrative that AI can replace human scrutiny.

The glossy veneer of the tech industry conceals a raw, human reality that spans the globe. From the outskirts of Nairobi to the crowded apartments of Manila, from Syrian refugee communities in Lebanon to the immigrant communities in Germany and the call centers of Casablanca, a vast network of unseen workers power our digital world. The stories of these workers are often a tapestry of trauma, exploitation and resilience, ones that reveal the true cost of our AI-driven future.

Stomaching Wellness

Public Books • 25 Sep 2024 • ~2650 words

This book review examines the intersection of chronic illness, ableism, and the wellness industry. It explores how the wellness industry can exploit and harm those struggling with chronic health issues, by perpetuating ableist ideals and offering unproven "cures" that can further isolate and damage the chronically ill. The article also questions the role of alternative medicine and the need for more supportive, community-oriented approaches to chronic illness.

Even as wellness culture flourishes online and in the marketplace, many have become increasingly attuned to the ways in which the wellness industry repackages thin, white, able-bodied beauty standards as “health”; exploits consumer’s very real mental and physical suffering in the interest of making a profit; and replaces collective social change with individual solutions to a host of problems.

Happily Ever After?

Commonweal • 23 Sep 2024 • ~3600 words

This book review explores the implications of declining marriage rates in the U.S. and the rise of single-parent households. The author delves into the complex relationship between marriage, happiness, and economic stability, raising important questions about the role of marriage in fostering healthier families and communities.

it is dangerous to instrumentalize marriage in the way that Wilcox does. The message “get married to be happy” can be construed as just another way to optimize yourself—to treat marriage as mainly a fix for your loneliness or lack of direction. But approaching marriage as a self-improvement project is a recipe for disappointment and frustration.

NASA spacecraft to probe possibility of life in Europa's salty ocean

Science Advances • 19 Sep 2024 • ~4100 words • Archive Link

NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission is set to explore one of the most intriguing moons in our Solar System. Beneath Europa’s icy surface lies a salty ocean that could harbor life, and this spacecraft will make nearly 50 close flybys to investigate. With advanced instruments poised to analyze the moon's unique geology and potential plumes, this journey might just redefine our understanding of where life could exist beyond Earth.

A lot of things must go right during Clipper’s odyssey to Jupiter. In truth, absolutely nothing can go wrong.

The Richest Man in Germany Is Worth $44 Billion. The Source of His Family Fortune? The Nazis Know.

Vanity Fair • 12 Sep 2024 • ~4700 words

Klaus-Michael Kuehne, Germany's richest man, has a complicated legacy tied to his family's past during the Nazis' rise to power. This article from delves into the troubling history of Kuehne + Nagel, exploring how the company profited from the looting of Jewish property during World War 2 and Kuehne's reluctance to confront this dark chapter.

. . . when the final result was sent to Kuehne in early 2015, including a chapter on the activities of his father, uncle, and firm during the Third Reich, he refused to have the study published. Kuehne rejected the study by saying “my father wasn’t a Nazi” during a phone conference, according to people familiar with the conversation. When the researchers refused to change the chapter, according to these sources, Kuehne said the study wouldn’t be published and ended the call.

Extreme heat takes a toll on animals and plants. What their keepers do to protect them

USA TODAY • 11 Sep 2024 • ~3800 words

As temperatures soar in Phoenix, zookeepers and botanists are stepping up their game to protect wildlife from extreme heat. This article sheds light on the strategies employed at the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden, where dedicated staff monitor animal health and adapt care routines to combat the effects of climate change. The article also highlights the broader implications of climate change on biodiversity and conservation efforts.

Zoos have made mistakes as they attempt to balance serving the public interest with the best interests of individual animals and conservation overall, he says. But zoos also have a rich history of contributing unique intel on how to keep wildlife safe in environmental extremes. That role at America's hottest big-city zoo has never been more critical.