Curio Cabinet
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August 19, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: After two years of regulatory crackdown, why has there been such a stark and sudden change in tone towards the Chinese tech secto...
From the BBC World Service: After two years of regulatory crackdown, why has there been such a stark and sudden change in tone towards the Chinese tech secto...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 19, 2022
charisma \kuh-RIZ-muh\ noun
What It Means
Charisma means "a special magnetic charm or appeal." A person with charisma is...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 19, 2022
charisma \kuh-RIZ-muh\ noun
What It Means
Charisma means "a special magnetic charm or appeal." A person with charisma is...
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FREETravel PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants.
It's an underwater paradise! The Jardines de la Reina, teeming with coral forests, a kaleidoscope of fish, graceful sharks, and the occasional sea turtle and crocodile, has been called the "Galapagos of the Caribbean." The area has maintained the good health and species abundance that has vanished in most areas of the Caribbean, making it a time capsule of what we've lost—and what we stand to lose if we don't protect these fragile waters, too.An archipelago of islands fringed with coral reefs and mangroves, the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) is an 850-square mile marine reserve located 60 miles south of Cuba. Five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus named the area in tribute to Queen Isabella of Spain. Longtime Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro made the area a marine reserve in 1995, restricting fishing and tourism. Castro, who would have been 92 this month, loved to scuba dive and spearfish in the Jardines. He credited Jacques Cousteau, the French marine conservationist, for opening his eyes to the dangers of species and habitat loss; in fact, the Cuban leader put 25 percent of Cuban waters under protection from overfishing.
The Jardines de la Reina's bountiful reefs and seagrass beds host countless species of fish, including sharks and goliath groupers weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Large predators signal a healthy reef ecosystem because they maintain a population balance. The area's protected status is certainly one reason for the area's remarkable good health; fish populations have increased by 30 percent since it was made a sanctuary. But scientists are conducting research to learn if there are other factors that explain its resilience, information they hope can be used to restore ocean health around the world.
Sadly, the area stands in sharp contrast to most of the Caribbean. Like all the world's oceans, the Caribbean has been punished by overfishing, pollution, development, and climate change. Coral reef loss is estimated to be 80 percent over the last several decades; sharks and large fish are no longer a common sight, and invasive algae reign. The waters have deteriorated gradually and out of the eyes of the general public, so this devastating loss risks being overlooked, as photographer and environmentalist Shawn Heinrichs points out: "For most us who experienced these once thriving reefs, memories have faded, and for the younger generations there is no prior reference at all… the current depleted and overfished condition of Caribbean reefs has become the new norm."
The Jardines de la Reina represents a challenge to that new norm: a rich, diverse marine ecosystem like that which once thrived throughout our oceans—and, if we act quickly, perhaps could, again.
Image credit & copyright: joakant, Pixabay
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants.
It's an underwater paradise! The Jardines de la Reina, teeming with coral forests, a kaleidoscope of fish, graceful sharks, and the occasional sea turtle and crocodile, has been called the "Galapagos of the Caribbean." The area has maintained the good health and species abundance that has vanished in most areas of the Caribbean, making it a time capsule of what we've lost—and what we stand to lose if we don't protect these fragile waters, too.An archipelago of islands fringed with coral reefs and mangroves, the Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) is an 850-square mile marine reserve located 60 miles south of Cuba. Five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus named the area in tribute to Queen Isabella of Spain. Longtime Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro made the area a marine reserve in 1995, restricting fishing and tourism. Castro, who would have been 92 this month, loved to scuba dive and spearfish in the Jardines. He credited Jacques Cousteau, the French marine conservationist, for opening his eyes to the dangers of species and habitat loss; in fact, the Cuban leader put 25 percent of Cuban waters under protection from overfishing.
The Jardines de la Reina's bountiful reefs and seagrass beds host countless species of fish, including sharks and goliath groupers weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Large predators signal a healthy reef ecosystem because they maintain a population balance. The area's protected status is certainly one reason for the area's remarkable good health; fish populations have increased by 30 percent since it was made a sanctuary. But scientists are conducting research to learn if there are other factors that explain its resilience, information they hope can be used to restore ocean health around the world.
Sadly, the area stands in sharp contrast to most of the Caribbean. Like all the world's oceans, the Caribbean has been punished by overfishing, pollution, development, and climate change. Coral reef loss is estimated to be 80 percent over the last several decades; sharks and large fish are no longer a common sight, and invasive algae reign. The waters have deteriorated gradually and out of the eyes of the general public, so this devastating loss risks being overlooked, as photographer and environmentalist Shawn Heinrichs points out: "For most us who experienced these once thriving reefs, memories have faded, and for the younger generations there is no prior reference at all… the current depleted and overfished condition of Caribbean reefs has become the new norm."
The Jardines de la Reina represents a challenge to that new norm: a rich, diverse marine ecosystem like that which once thrived throughout our oceans—and, if we act quickly, perhaps could, again.
Image credit & copyright: joakant, Pixabay
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FREEBiology Daily CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Things are going swimmingly for these lucky tuna. Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released their updated Red List of Threatened Species which showed significant improvements in the population of some of the most commonly fished tuna species. The four affected species are: the Atlantic bluefin (Thunnus thynnus), moved from Endangered to Least Concern; the Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered; the albacore (Thunnus maccoyii) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), moved from Near Threatened to Least Concern.
For reference, the Red List categorizes every species of interest as Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. If their population has not been adequately studied or not enough information is available, they are labeled Not Evaluated or Data Deficient, respectively.
The IUCN credits the recovery of these fish to “countries enforcing more sustainable fishing quotas and successfully combating illegal fishing.” Budget conscious seafood lovers might be particularly relieved by the news regarding the albacore and the yellowfin, some of the most ubiquitous tunas on store shelves. They’ll be sharing their Least Concerned status with the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), meaning that they are now considered “sustainably caught and managed,” according to Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List Unit.
However, the IUCN also emphasizes that “many regional tuna stocks remain severely depleted.” For example, the Atlantic bluefin population in the Gulf of Mexico has continued to decline in recent decades, and the yellowfin are still being overfished in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, based on newly available stock assessment data, the Pacific bluefin (Thunnus orientalis) was moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened, being “severely depleted at less than 5% of its original biomass,” according to the IUCN. Nevertheless, Dr. Bruce B. Collette, Chair of the IUCN SSC Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group, said in a recent statement, “These Red List assessments are proof that sustainable fisheries approaches work, with enormous long-term benefits for livelihoods and biodiversity.” That’s good news for both diners and nature lovers.
[Image description: A group of Atlantic bluefin tuna swim in blue waters.] Credit & copyright: Danilo Cedrone (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)/Public DomainIt's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Things are going swimmingly for these lucky tuna. Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released their updated Red List of Threatened Species which showed significant improvements in the population of some of the most commonly fished tuna species. The four affected species are: the Atlantic bluefin (Thunnus thynnus), moved from Endangered to Least Concern; the Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii), moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered; the albacore (Thunnus maccoyii) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), moved from Near Threatened to Least Concern.
For reference, the Red List categorizes every species of interest as Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. If their population has not been adequately studied or not enough information is available, they are labeled Not Evaluated or Data Deficient, respectively.
The IUCN credits the recovery of these fish to “countries enforcing more sustainable fishing quotas and successfully combating illegal fishing.” Budget conscious seafood lovers might be particularly relieved by the news regarding the albacore and the yellowfin, some of the most ubiquitous tunas on store shelves. They’ll be sharing their Least Concerned status with the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), meaning that they are now considered “sustainably caught and managed,” according to Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List Unit.
However, the IUCN also emphasizes that “many regional tuna stocks remain severely depleted.” For example, the Atlantic bluefin population in the Gulf of Mexico has continued to decline in recent decades, and the yellowfin are still being overfished in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, based on newly available stock assessment data, the Pacific bluefin (Thunnus orientalis) was moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened, being “severely depleted at less than 5% of its original biomass,” according to the IUCN. Nevertheless, Dr. Bruce B. Collette, Chair of the IUCN SSC Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group, said in a recent statement, “These Red List assessments are proof that sustainable fisheries approaches work, with enormous long-term benefits for livelihoods and biodiversity.” That’s good news for both diners and nature lovers.
[Image description: A group of Atlantic bluefin tuna swim in blue waters.] Credit & copyright: Danilo Cedrone (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)/Public Domain -
FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Talk about a comeback story! In 2018, a gigantic specimen of endangered lily pads made a spectacular resurgence. Called Victoria Cruziana, hundreds of these plants appeared on the surface of the Salado River near Piquete Cue, Paraguay—an area where they were just recently believed to be extinct. The lily pads grow upwards of five feet in diameter, and although their robustness seems like an ideal survival trait, it was once a great detriment. Droves of tourists used to flock to the Victoria Cruzianas' native rivers to touch them, ride them, and even make off with them. In 2006, the enormous lilies were put on the endangered species list. All these years later, the environmental effort is finally paying off: the Victoria Cruziana has returned to the Salado River from out of the blue. Or should we say, out of the green?
Image credit & copyright: David Stanley, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Talk about a comeback story! In 2018, a gigantic specimen of endangered lily pads made a spectacular resurgence. Called Victoria Cruziana, hundreds of these plants appeared on the surface of the Salado River near Piquete Cue, Paraguay—an area where they were just recently believed to be extinct. The lily pads grow upwards of five feet in diameter, and although their robustness seems like an ideal survival trait, it was once a great detriment. Droves of tourists used to flock to the Victoria Cruzianas' native rivers to touch them, ride them, and even make off with them. In 2006, the enormous lilies were put on the endangered species list. All these years later, the environmental effort is finally paying off: the Victoria Cruziana has returned to the Salado River from out of the blue. Or should we say, out of the green?
Image credit & copyright: David Stanley, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Move over Dolly, there's a new clone in town—and she's here to save a species! Born December 10th, Elizabeth Ann is a black-footed ferret unlike any other. Created from the genetic material a ferret named Willa who died more than 30 years ago, Elizabeth Ann is the first clone of a U.S. endangered species in history. Elizabeth Ann was created in a joint effort between five conservation and technology organizations. First, researchers extracted genetic material from Willa, who was frozen upon her death in 1988. They then transferred it into an egg cell which had had its own genetic material removed. The egg was implanted into the uterus of a domestic ferret, which gave birth to Elizabeth Ann. The process took seven years. As lead researcher Pete Gober remarked in an interview with CBS, "It takes extraordinary efforts to put humpty dumpty back together once you let him fall off the wall and get cracked." The "humpty-dumpty" Gober referred to is the black-footed ferret species, which used to roam throughout central North America.
Due to human encroachment, much of the prairie dog population, which black-footed ferrets depend on for survival, was wiped out. Today, only around 350 black-footed ferrets survive in the wild. All naturally-born black-footed ferrets alive today share the same seven ancestors. Such close inbreeding causes homozygosity, a state in which offspring are disproportionately affected by harmful recessive traits that would normally be selected out of the gene pool. Elizabeth Ann's genetic material would introduce much-needed genetic diversity to the species.
Researchers are now theorizing that cloning could be key to saving other endangered species, or even bringing back extinct ones, such as passenger pigeons or even wooly mammoths. To think such big things might be possible thanks to one little ferret!
[Image description: Elizabeth Ann, a cloned back-footed ferret, pokes her head out of a tube. Her fur is light brown and white with a dark brown stripe across her eye-area.] Credit & copyright: CNN
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants. Move over Dolly, there's a new clone in town—and she's here to save a species! Born December 10th, Elizabeth Ann is a black-footed ferret unlike any other. Created from the genetic material a ferret named Willa who died more than 30 years ago, Elizabeth Ann is the first clone of a U.S. endangered species in history. Elizabeth Ann was created in a joint effort between five conservation and technology organizations. First, researchers extracted genetic material from Willa, who was frozen upon her death in 1988. They then transferred it into an egg cell which had had its own genetic material removed. The egg was implanted into the uterus of a domestic ferret, which gave birth to Elizabeth Ann. The process took seven years. As lead researcher Pete Gober remarked in an interview with CBS, "It takes extraordinary efforts to put humpty dumpty back together once you let him fall off the wall and get cracked." The "humpty-dumpty" Gober referred to is the black-footed ferret species, which used to roam throughout central North America.
Due to human encroachment, much of the prairie dog population, which black-footed ferrets depend on for survival, was wiped out. Today, only around 350 black-footed ferrets survive in the wild. All naturally-born black-footed ferrets alive today share the same seven ancestors. Such close inbreeding causes homozygosity, a state in which offspring are disproportionately affected by harmful recessive traits that would normally be selected out of the gene pool. Elizabeth Ann's genetic material would introduce much-needed genetic diversity to the species.
Researchers are now theorizing that cloning could be key to saving other endangered species, or even bringing back extinct ones, such as passenger pigeons or even wooly mammoths. To think such big things might be possible thanks to one little ferret!
[Image description: Elizabeth Ann, a cloned back-footed ferret, pokes her head out of a tube. Her fur is light brown and white with a dark brown stripe across her eye-area.] Credit & copyright: CNN
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FREEAcrylic Painting Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants.
Title: Wisdom of the Universe
Artist: Christi Belcourt (b. 1966)
Created: 2014
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 67.32 x 111 in (171 x 282 cm)
Current location: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota
This has been a long time coming. In 2019, The Minneapolis Institute of Art opened up Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists, the first major art exhibition of Native American women's pieces. The seminal show, which aims to shine a light on prestigious and sometimes forgotten artists, features work from 115 U.S. and Canadian artists spanning 1,000 years, including Christi Belcourt's Wisdom of the Universe. In beadwork of expanding tendrils, the piece features depictions of endangered species from Canada—like the Dwarf Lake Iris, Cerulean Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher. "90% of Native art is made by women. Native artists know this. It's just non-Native people who haven't recognized that," Co-curator Jill Ahlberg Yohe remarked. Belcourt's work sits among pieces which reflect weaving and pottery traditions that have been passed down for generations, as well as contemporary works which challenge "red face" appropriations of Native art in commercial products, like Louboutin heels and a 1985 Chevy. Whatever the perspective, the art contained in Hearts of Our People deserves to be seen by the masses for the important historical event that it is.
Below: additional works from Hearts of Our People including Jamie Okuma's Adaptation II and Rose Simpson's 1985 Chevy homage to Maria Martinez.
Image credit & copyright: Art Gallery of Ontario, Walbridge / Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Rose Simpson
It's Flashback Friday! In honor of International Orangutan Day, enjoy these curios about endangered animals and plants.
Title: Wisdom of the Universe
Artist: Christi Belcourt (b. 1966)
Created: 2014
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 67.32 x 111 in (171 x 282 cm)
Current location: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota
This has been a long time coming. In 2019, The Minneapolis Institute of Art opened up Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists, the first major art exhibition of Native American women's pieces. The seminal show, which aims to shine a light on prestigious and sometimes forgotten artists, features work from 115 U.S. and Canadian artists spanning 1,000 years, including Christi Belcourt's Wisdom of the Universe. In beadwork of expanding tendrils, the piece features depictions of endangered species from Canada—like the Dwarf Lake Iris, Cerulean Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher. "90% of Native art is made by women. Native artists know this. It's just non-Native people who haven't recognized that," Co-curator Jill Ahlberg Yohe remarked. Belcourt's work sits among pieces which reflect weaving and pottery traditions that have been passed down for generations, as well as contemporary works which challenge "red face" appropriations of Native art in commercial products, like Louboutin heels and a 1985 Chevy. Whatever the perspective, the art contained in Hearts of Our People deserves to be seen by the masses for the important historical event that it is.
Below: additional works from Hearts of Our People including Jamie Okuma's Adaptation II and Rose Simpson's 1985 Chevy homage to Maria Martinez.
Image credit & copyright: Art Gallery of Ontario, Walbridge / Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Rose Simpson
August 18, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: Leaders from the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine are meeting in Lviv to work out how to deal with a backlog of grain exports f...
From the BBC World Service: Leaders from the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine are meeting in Lviv to work out how to deal with a backlog of grain exports f...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 18, 2022
immutable \ih-MYOO-tuh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Immutable means "not capable of or susceptible to change."
// It is...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 18, 2022
immutable \ih-MYOO-tuh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Immutable means "not capable of or susceptible to change."
// It is...
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FREEEngineering Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
These fuel cells are getting a boost. Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney have found a way to make hydrogen fuel cells more viable for storing green energy, according to a paper published in Nature. Currently, hydrogen energy storage cells convert excess power from green energy sources into hydrogen gas. The gas can then be used as clean fuel. The trouble is, hydrogen is a tricky gas to store and takes up a lot of space. It seems more ideal to use a solid form of storage like metal hydrides, materials containing metal or metalloid bonded to hydrogen. Hydrides are compact and safe to handle. They can also hold on to hydrogen for long periods of time, and when needed, it can be extracted as a gas or as a form of thermal or electric energy. It’s a low-cost, low emission way to make use of surplus energy produced by renewable sources…the problem is that metal hydrides have very low thermal conductivity, meaning that they take a long time to charge and discharge the stored energy. Now, researchers have overcome those limitations by fiddling around with the internal heat exchangers of magnesium-based metal hydride energy storage devices. According to Puchanee Larpruenrudee, the first author of the study, the team tried different shapes for the heat exchanger, including helical coils and fins. However, a semi-cylindrical coil shape provided the best heat and mass transfer, resulting in a charging time that was 59 percent faster than with traditional heat exchangers. The research team hopes to continue developing the technology, and have also set their sights on increasing the hydrogen desorption rate. Sounds like a gas!
[Image description: a digital illustration of blue hydrogen molecules.] Credit & copyright: geralt, Pixabay
These fuel cells are getting a boost. Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney have found a way to make hydrogen fuel cells more viable for storing green energy, according to a paper published in Nature. Currently, hydrogen energy storage cells convert excess power from green energy sources into hydrogen gas. The gas can then be used as clean fuel. The trouble is, hydrogen is a tricky gas to store and takes up a lot of space. It seems more ideal to use a solid form of storage like metal hydrides, materials containing metal or metalloid bonded to hydrogen. Hydrides are compact and safe to handle. They can also hold on to hydrogen for long periods of time, and when needed, it can be extracted as a gas or as a form of thermal or electric energy. It’s a low-cost, low emission way to make use of surplus energy produced by renewable sources…the problem is that metal hydrides have very low thermal conductivity, meaning that they take a long time to charge and discharge the stored energy. Now, researchers have overcome those limitations by fiddling around with the internal heat exchangers of magnesium-based metal hydride energy storage devices. According to Puchanee Larpruenrudee, the first author of the study, the team tried different shapes for the heat exchanger, including helical coils and fins. However, a semi-cylindrical coil shape provided the best heat and mass transfer, resulting in a charging time that was 59 percent faster than with traditional heat exchangers. The research team hopes to continue developing the technology, and have also set their sights on increasing the hydrogen desorption rate. Sounds like a gas!
[Image description: a digital illustration of blue hydrogen molecules.] Credit & copyright: geralt, Pixabay
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FREEScience Daily Curio #2498Free1 CQ
Ever feel like the days are getting shorter? Well, it’s not just in your head. Scientists have found that the Earth is spinning faster, resulting in shorter days. Back on June 29, Earth experienced the shortest day ever on record, with the planet completing a rotation 1.59 milliseconds ahead of the 24-hour schedule. Less than a month later, on July 26, it came close to breaking that record when the day ended 1.5 milliseconds sooner than it should have. So, what’s the deal? Is the planet just going to keep spinning faster and faster until every day is just a few hours long? Don’t worry, there’s no looming catastrophe. In fact, these fluctuations are apparently part of a cycle that scientists are just beginning to understand. If anything, days are getting longer overall, but it’s not on a timescale that’s meaningful to humans. The day actually gets longer by an average of 1.8 milliseconds every century, but even at that rate, it takes hundreds of millions of years to get an extra hour. In the short term, the length of the day fluctuates ever so slightly, although the cause isn’t clear.
There could be a number of contributing factors, like earthquakes shifting the Earth’s axis, melting glaciers moving the planet’s mass away from the poles or—the most likely culprit—a phenomenon called the Chandler Wobble, in which the planet’s geographical poles move across its surface. It’s unlikely for anyone to notice the difference in the length of the day without specialized equipment, but it can affect some things that many people use every day. Anyone with a watch or clock that synchronizes with an atomic clock might find their devices showing the wrong time after a while, and GPS devices, which also rely on satellites that sync with atomic clocks, could be rendered useless. Fortunately, the solution is relatively simple. Timekeeping organizations need only add a “drop second” to compensate for the shorter days, much like leap days are used to keep the calendar consistent. Count on humans to always keep our numbers straight.
[Image description: A photo taken from space, showing the sun over Earth’s horizon] Credit & copyright: qimono, PixabayEver feel like the days are getting shorter? Well, it’s not just in your head. Scientists have found that the Earth is spinning faster, resulting in shorter days. Back on June 29, Earth experienced the shortest day ever on record, with the planet completing a rotation 1.59 milliseconds ahead of the 24-hour schedule. Less than a month later, on July 26, it came close to breaking that record when the day ended 1.5 milliseconds sooner than it should have. So, what’s the deal? Is the planet just going to keep spinning faster and faster until every day is just a few hours long? Don’t worry, there’s no looming catastrophe. In fact, these fluctuations are apparently part of a cycle that scientists are just beginning to understand. If anything, days are getting longer overall, but it’s not on a timescale that’s meaningful to humans. The day actually gets longer by an average of 1.8 milliseconds every century, but even at that rate, it takes hundreds of millions of years to get an extra hour. In the short term, the length of the day fluctuates ever so slightly, although the cause isn’t clear.
There could be a number of contributing factors, like earthquakes shifting the Earth’s axis, melting glaciers moving the planet’s mass away from the poles or—the most likely culprit—a phenomenon called the Chandler Wobble, in which the planet’s geographical poles move across its surface. It’s unlikely for anyone to notice the difference in the length of the day without specialized equipment, but it can affect some things that many people use every day. Anyone with a watch or clock that synchronizes with an atomic clock might find their devices showing the wrong time after a while, and GPS devices, which also rely on satellites that sync with atomic clocks, could be rendered useless. Fortunately, the solution is relatively simple. Timekeeping organizations need only add a “drop second” to compensate for the shorter days, much like leap days are used to keep the calendar consistent. Count on humans to always keep our numbers straight.
[Image description: A photo taken from space, showing the sun over Earth’s horizon] Credit & copyright: qimono, Pixabay
August 17, 2022
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Later this year, it’ll be possible to acquire hearing aids without a prescription. We attempt to read the tea leaves on retail data and consumer behavior. Th...
Later this year, it’ll be possible to acquire hearing aids without a prescription. We attempt to read the tea leaves on retail data and consumer behavior. Th...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 17, 2022
wreak \REEK\ verb
What It Means
Wreak means "to bring about or cause (something that is harmful or damaging)." It is oft...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 17, 2022
wreak \REEK\ verb
What It Means
Wreak means "to bring about or cause (something that is harmful or damaging)." It is oft...
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FREEEntrepreneurship Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
The road to business success is paved with education…in more ways than one. 38-year-old entrepreneur Graham Cochrane was an unlikely entrepreneur. Having studied to be an audio engineer, by 2009 Cochrane was pursuing his passion for music as a side hustle while working a 9 to 5 job to support his growing family. All of that changed during the Great Recession, however, when he lost his full-time job. Cochrane was forced to apply for government assistance and to re-evaluate how he made money. Up until then, his side hustle had mainly consisted of doing audio work for musicians, but Cochrane had also started a blog and a popular Youtube channel both called The Recording Revolution, where he reviewed audio equipment and shared audio engineering tips. Realizing that his ability to teach was valuable, Cochrane set about monetizing it. He sought out sponsorships by creating a press kit. He began launching digital products like ebooks and teaching online courses to help not just musicians but entrepreneurs like himself who wanted to make money by sharing their knowledge. Soon, Cochrane had two thriving businesses: The Recording Revolution, through which he sold ebooks and courses related to music engineering, and a personal brand through which he taught others how to launch a successful online business. Since ebooks and pre-recorded online courses generate passive income, Cochrane always has time to create new content to keep his businesses fresh. Today, The Recording Revolution brings in around $40,000 per month, while Cochrane’s online coaching business generates about $120,000 per month. It goes to show that teaching others what you’ve learned can be a business in and of itself.
[Image description: A man and woman talk while sitting in front of their computers.] Credit & copyright: Campaign_Creators, PixabayThe road to business success is paved with education…in more ways than one. 38-year-old entrepreneur Graham Cochrane was an unlikely entrepreneur. Having studied to be an audio engineer, by 2009 Cochrane was pursuing his passion for music as a side hustle while working a 9 to 5 job to support his growing family. All of that changed during the Great Recession, however, when he lost his full-time job. Cochrane was forced to apply for government assistance and to re-evaluate how he made money. Up until then, his side hustle had mainly consisted of doing audio work for musicians, but Cochrane had also started a blog and a popular Youtube channel both called The Recording Revolution, where he reviewed audio equipment and shared audio engineering tips. Realizing that his ability to teach was valuable, Cochrane set about monetizing it. He sought out sponsorships by creating a press kit. He began launching digital products like ebooks and teaching online courses to help not just musicians but entrepreneurs like himself who wanted to make money by sharing their knowledge. Soon, Cochrane had two thriving businesses: The Recording Revolution, through which he sold ebooks and courses related to music engineering, and a personal brand through which he taught others how to launch a successful online business. Since ebooks and pre-recorded online courses generate passive income, Cochrane always has time to create new content to keep his businesses fresh. Today, The Recording Revolution brings in around $40,000 per month, while Cochrane’s online coaching business generates about $120,000 per month. It goes to show that teaching others what you’ve learned can be a business in and of itself.
[Image description: A man and woman talk while sitting in front of their computers.] Credit & copyright: Campaign_Creators, Pixabay -
FREEHumanities Daily Curio #2497Free1 CQ
Floating over the ocean usually means getting on a ship, but not for these guys. On this day in 1978, the crew of the Double Eagle II helium gas balloon successfully completed the first ever transatlantic balloon flight. The Double Eagle II took off in Maine and landed near Paris after 3,233 miles and 137 hours, but the feat was in the making for far longer. In the late 1700s, the aviation pioneers the Montgolfier brothers made history by taking off in a hot air balloon and achieving human flight. Since then, there have been many developments in ballooning, including the use of lighter-than-air gas instead of hot air to achieve flight. However, while conventional ballooning is relatively safe, it was never viable for long-distance travel because it can’t really be steered. The pilot of a hot air or gas balloon, for instance, can rise or descend, but the balloon’s direction is largely dependent on the direction of the wind at a given altitude. Yet the three crew members of the Double Eagle II, Ben Abruzzo, Max Anderson and Larry Newman, managed to cross an entire ocean just by rising, falling, and riding the wind—and it wasn’t the first time it had been attempted.
At least 14 attempts had been made previously, with some of them resulting in fatalities. Abruzzo and Anderson had also tried it before in the ill-fated Double Eagle, and had ended up having to abandon the balloon over the Atlantic and be reduced by the Navy. Luckily, the Double Eagle II fared better. This time, Newman stayed on a radio communicating with ground crew, allowing them to navigate changing weather more efficiently. To deal with the high altitudes, they brought along oxygen and heated, battery-powered socks. Despite all this, there were some issues beyond their control. The balloon would freeze overnight, which made it descend. When the sun rose, the ice melted and the balloon warmed up, making it rise. These daily fluctuations were difficult to manage, and it nearly ended the flight once when the balloon descended rapidly, forcing the crew to throw much of their equipment overboard. But despite the odds, they managed to land safely in France to a crowd of thousands who had gathered to watch the historic crossing come to an end. They must have been floating on air after getting on the ground.
[Image description: An orange-and-white hot air balloon floats over water.] Credit & copyright: muratart, PixabayFloating over the ocean usually means getting on a ship, but not for these guys. On this day in 1978, the crew of the Double Eagle II helium gas balloon successfully completed the first ever transatlantic balloon flight. The Double Eagle II took off in Maine and landed near Paris after 3,233 miles and 137 hours, but the feat was in the making for far longer. In the late 1700s, the aviation pioneers the Montgolfier brothers made history by taking off in a hot air balloon and achieving human flight. Since then, there have been many developments in ballooning, including the use of lighter-than-air gas instead of hot air to achieve flight. However, while conventional ballooning is relatively safe, it was never viable for long-distance travel because it can’t really be steered. The pilot of a hot air or gas balloon, for instance, can rise or descend, but the balloon’s direction is largely dependent on the direction of the wind at a given altitude. Yet the three crew members of the Double Eagle II, Ben Abruzzo, Max Anderson and Larry Newman, managed to cross an entire ocean just by rising, falling, and riding the wind—and it wasn’t the first time it had been attempted.
At least 14 attempts had been made previously, with some of them resulting in fatalities. Abruzzo and Anderson had also tried it before in the ill-fated Double Eagle, and had ended up having to abandon the balloon over the Atlantic and be reduced by the Navy. Luckily, the Double Eagle II fared better. This time, Newman stayed on a radio communicating with ground crew, allowing them to navigate changing weather more efficiently. To deal with the high altitudes, they brought along oxygen and heated, battery-powered socks. Despite all this, there were some issues beyond their control. The balloon would freeze overnight, which made it descend. When the sun rose, the ice melted and the balloon warmed up, making it rise. These daily fluctuations were difficult to manage, and it nearly ended the flight once when the balloon descended rapidly, forcing the crew to throw much of their equipment overboard. But despite the odds, they managed to land safely in France to a crowd of thousands who had gathered to watch the historic crossing come to an end. They must have been floating on air after getting on the ground.
[Image description: An orange-and-white hot air balloon floats over water.] Credit & copyright: muratart, Pixabay
August 16, 2022
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
From the BBC World Service: William Ruto wants to unite his country after a narrow election victory. More than half the election commission’s members have re...
From the BBC World Service: William Ruto wants to unite his country after a narrow election victory. More than half the election commission’s members have re...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : August 16, 2022
litany \LIT-uh-nee\ noun
What It Means
Litany refers to a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration of something, such a...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 16, 2022
litany \LIT-uh-nee\ noun
What It Means
Litany refers to a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration of something, such a...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
This groove is out-of-this-world. In 1962, UK rock band The Tornadoes created a warbly, spacey, entirely instrumental tune and scored an extremely unlikely American hit. In fact, Telstar, which was written to celebrate the launch of the Telstar communications satellite, became the first song by a British group to reach number one in the U.S. The song features plenty of early-1960s sound effects, including an overdubbed clavioline, a type of early keyboard synthesizer. Toilet flushes played backwards stood in for the sound of rockets. All these experimental elements were dreamed up not by The Tornadoes themselves but by producer Joe Meek, who had the band record the song in his home studio full of odd equipment. In fact, Meek toyed with the song long after the band left the studio, adding layers of effects which they ultimately weren’t too happy with. Luckily for them, the U.S. was in the middle of a space-race-fueled fad in which anything spacey or futuristic was considered “far out.” Telstar became so popular that several other artists, and even Meek himself, tried to release versions with lyrics. They didn't quite blast off like the original, though.
[Image description: The round Telstar satellite, on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.] Credit & copyright: Thomson200, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
This groove is out-of-this-world. In 1962, UK rock band The Tornadoes created a warbly, spacey, entirely instrumental tune and scored an extremely unlikely American hit. In fact, Telstar, which was written to celebrate the launch of the Telstar communications satellite, became the first song by a British group to reach number one in the U.S. The song features plenty of early-1960s sound effects, including an overdubbed clavioline, a type of early keyboard synthesizer. Toilet flushes played backwards stood in for the sound of rockets. All these experimental elements were dreamed up not by The Tornadoes themselves but by producer Joe Meek, who had the band record the song in his home studio full of odd equipment. In fact, Meek toyed with the song long after the band left the studio, adding layers of effects which they ultimately weren’t too happy with. Luckily for them, the U.S. was in the middle of a space-race-fueled fad in which anything spacey or futuristic was considered “far out.” Telstar became so popular that several other artists, and even Meek himself, tried to release versions with lyrics. They didn't quite blast off like the original, though.
[Image description: The round Telstar satellite, on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.] Credit & copyright: Thomson200, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain
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FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #2496Free1 CQ
Imagine being diagnosed with cancer, then being cured of another life-changing disease while being treated for it. That’s exactly what happened to an anonymous 66-year-old who has just been reported as the fourth person ever to be cured of HIV. Referred to by the moniker “City of Hope,” after the hospital in Duarte, California, where he was being treated for leukemia, the patient had been living with HIV for decades. Unfortunately, the man was also diagnosed with blood cancer leukemia at the age of 63. To treat the cancer, his doctors ordered a bone marrow transplant, which is meant to replace cancerous blood cells. No one was expecting it to have any effect on the patient’s HIV status. In a strange twist of fate, however, the donor he was matched with just happened to have a natural resistance to HIV. As the patient recovered from the cancer treatment, his HIV levels were also being monitored, and the numbers kept going down over the following months. Now, the patient has been in remission for 17 months, with HIV completely undetectable in his system.
Dr. Jana Dickter, an infectious diseases specialist at the hospital said, "We were thrilled to let him know that his HIV is in remission and he no longer needs to take antiretroviral therapy that he had been on for over 30 years.” That makes this case something of a medical marvel, as only three other people have ever been fully cured of HIV in the past. The first ever case was that of Timothy Ray Brown, the “Berlin Patient,” who was found to have been cured in 2007. But such cases seem to be picking up in frequency, as a woman with HIV was cured earlier this year, also by way of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Talk about an unexpected ray of hope.
[Image description: A black-and-white digital illustration of human immunodeficiency virus] Credit & copyright: madartzgraphics, PixabayImagine being diagnosed with cancer, then being cured of another life-changing disease while being treated for it. That’s exactly what happened to an anonymous 66-year-old who has just been reported as the fourth person ever to be cured of HIV. Referred to by the moniker “City of Hope,” after the hospital in Duarte, California, where he was being treated for leukemia, the patient had been living with HIV for decades. Unfortunately, the man was also diagnosed with blood cancer leukemia at the age of 63. To treat the cancer, his doctors ordered a bone marrow transplant, which is meant to replace cancerous blood cells. No one was expecting it to have any effect on the patient’s HIV status. In a strange twist of fate, however, the donor he was matched with just happened to have a natural resistance to HIV. As the patient recovered from the cancer treatment, his HIV levels were also being monitored, and the numbers kept going down over the following months. Now, the patient has been in remission for 17 months, with HIV completely undetectable in his system.
Dr. Jana Dickter, an infectious diseases specialist at the hospital said, "We were thrilled to let him know that his HIV is in remission and he no longer needs to take antiretroviral therapy that he had been on for over 30 years.” That makes this case something of a medical marvel, as only three other people have ever been fully cured of HIV in the past. The first ever case was that of Timothy Ray Brown, the “Berlin Patient,” who was found to have been cured in 2007. But such cases seem to be picking up in frequency, as a woman with HIV was cured earlier this year, also by way of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Talk about an unexpected ray of hope.
[Image description: A black-and-white digital illustration of human immunodeficiency virus] Credit & copyright: madartzgraphics, Pixabay
August 15, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 15, 2022
dilatory \DILL-uh-tor-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Dilatory means "tending or intended to cause delay." It can also mean ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 15, 2022
dilatory \DILL-uh-tor-ee\ adjective
What It Means
Dilatory means "tending or intended to cause delay." It can also mean ...
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9 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
We talk cooling inflation and producer price index with Diane Swonk of KPMG, then we examine how the Nasdaq appears to have regained some of its footing and ...
We talk cooling inflation and producer price index with Diane Swonk of KPMG, then we examine how the Nasdaq appears to have regained some of its footing and ...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Here’s an artist who found inspiration in unlikely places. American sculptor Viola Frey, a leading artist in Northern California’s Bay Area Funk Movement, was born on this day in 1933. Her piece above, Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress, is a colorful ceramic sculpture depicting a woman in a colorful dress with her hands to her chest and a slightly open, red-lipped mouth. The sculpture was inspired by Japanese and Chinese statues in which such a pose would indicate that the figure is singing. Frey’s art, which tackled issues like class inequality and gender, was largely inspired by antiques and other objects she found at flea markets. She considered herself a bricoleur, a sort of “junk accumulator” as she called it, and would often make molds from flea market finds and create sculptures melding all of their disparate shapes together. Proof that you can always teach old objects new, artsy tricks.
Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress, Viola Frey (1933-2004), 1983, Glazed earthenware, 107 x 28 x 33 in. (271.8 x 71.1 x 83.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
Below: two more of Frey’s sculptures, Stubborn Woman, Orange Hands and Untitled (Pink Ears and Red Lips Bricolage).
Here’s an artist who found inspiration in unlikely places. American sculptor Viola Frey, a leading artist in Northern California’s Bay Area Funk Movement, was born on this day in 1933. Her piece above, Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress, is a colorful ceramic sculpture depicting a woman in a colorful dress with her hands to her chest and a slightly open, red-lipped mouth. The sculpture was inspired by Japanese and Chinese statues in which such a pose would indicate that the figure is singing. Frey’s art, which tackled issues like class inequality and gender, was largely inspired by antiques and other objects she found at flea markets. She considered herself a bricoleur, a sort of “junk accumulator” as she called it, and would often make molds from flea market finds and create sculptures melding all of their disparate shapes together. Proof that you can always teach old objects new, artsy tricks.
Lady in Blue and Yellow Dress, Viola Frey (1933-2004), 1983, Glazed earthenware, 107 x 28 x 33 in. (271.8 x 71.1 x 83.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
Below: two more of Frey’s sculptures, Stubborn Woman, Orange Hands and Untitled (Pink Ears and Red Lips Bricolage).
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FREESTEM Daily Curio #2495Free1 CQ
Roads may be congested, but there’s plenty of room under them. Switzerland is starting work on the Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), an underground cargo-delivery system set to be operational by 2031. The plan is to start with a 43-mile length of tunnels with 10 stops along the way, with two lanes of automated traffic. While similarities have been drawn to hyperloop projects by Hyperloop-TT and Virgin Hyperloop, the CST’s main focus will be to transport freight, not passengers. As such, the CST won’t have to make engineering choices based on comfort and appearance, which would add to the cost of the enormous project. Fortunately for Swiss citizens, the government isn’t planning on using taxpayer backed subsidies to build the CST. Instead, a number of private companies like Credit Suisse, Swiss Railways Cargo and supermarket chains will be backing the project. By 2031, they hope to have the first portion of the CST completed for about $3.7 billion. That will be just a fraction of the total bill, which might get up to $35 billion for another 311 miles of tunnels by 2045.
Looking at the plans, it’s not hard to see why it will be so expensive. The tunnels are set to be around 20 feet wide and over 300 feet underground in some areas. Inside, the cargo will be transported in a vacuum to reduce drag, allowing individual pods carrying one or two pallets of goods to reach speeds of up to 760 MPH. In addition to being autonomous, the entire system is also set to create zero emissions by running entirely on renewable energy. Still, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to move cargo, so why bother? Well, Switzerland is already projected to see an increase of 40 percent in traffic volume in the next 30 years. Aside from the additional carbon emissions, that means there will be less room on the surface for trucks and other cargo vehicles. Sometimes you’ve got to dig down to move forward.
[Image description: A highway tunnel.] Credit & copyright: MPMPix, PixabayRoads may be congested, but there’s plenty of room under them. Switzerland is starting work on the Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), an underground cargo-delivery system set to be operational by 2031. The plan is to start with a 43-mile length of tunnels with 10 stops along the way, with two lanes of automated traffic. While similarities have been drawn to hyperloop projects by Hyperloop-TT and Virgin Hyperloop, the CST’s main focus will be to transport freight, not passengers. As such, the CST won’t have to make engineering choices based on comfort and appearance, which would add to the cost of the enormous project. Fortunately for Swiss citizens, the government isn’t planning on using taxpayer backed subsidies to build the CST. Instead, a number of private companies like Credit Suisse, Swiss Railways Cargo and supermarket chains will be backing the project. By 2031, they hope to have the first portion of the CST completed for about $3.7 billion. That will be just a fraction of the total bill, which might get up to $35 billion for another 311 miles of tunnels by 2045.
Looking at the plans, it’s not hard to see why it will be so expensive. The tunnels are set to be around 20 feet wide and over 300 feet underground in some areas. Inside, the cargo will be transported in a vacuum to reduce drag, allowing individual pods carrying one or two pallets of goods to reach speeds of up to 760 MPH. In addition to being autonomous, the entire system is also set to create zero emissions by running entirely on renewable energy. Still, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to move cargo, so why bother? Well, Switzerland is already projected to see an increase of 40 percent in traffic volume in the next 30 years. Aside from the additional carbon emissions, that means there will be less room on the surface for trucks and other cargo vehicles. Sometimes you’ve got to dig down to move forward.
[Image description: A highway tunnel.] Credit & copyright: MPMPix, Pixabay
August 14, 2022
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : August 14, 2022
shard \SHAHRD\ noun
What It Means
Shard refers to "a small piece or part" of something, and is often used as a synonym o...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 14, 2022
shard \SHAHRD\ noun
What It Means
Shard refers to "a small piece or part" of something, and is often used as a synonym o...
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FREEPolitical Science PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It’s not going too far to call it one of the most important pieces of legislation ever passed. On this day in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act (SSA), forever changing the financial landscape of the United States. The SSA established a tax-funded pension for every American over a certain age and a federal unemployment program. But it wasn’t done out of the goodness of the government’s heart. In fact, it was born out of hardship and nationwide economic desperation.
By the time the Great Depression began, in 1929, elderly Americans were already an impoverished demographic. With no national program to fund their retirement, most older Americans couldn’t afford to retire and had no way to make ends meet once old age forced them to stop working. While the Great Depression affected many industrialized nations, the United States was one of the only ones that had no nationalized insurance program of any kind.
Though Roosevelt’s legacy is forever entwined with the SSA, it wasn’t Roosevelt who originally thought up the idea. Rather, after watching two elderly women in tattered clothing picking through garbage cans in his neighborhood, physician and political activist Francis Townsend wrote a letter to the editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram detailing a plan for an old-age pension program. Townsend stated that anyone who was retired and over age 60 should be given $200 per month, as long as they didn’t have a long criminal history. Oddly, his plan also called for all recipients to spend their money within 30 days, to stimulate the economy. Even though Townsend wrote his letter in 1933, his plan quickly went as viral as anything could, at the time. Soon, Townsend Plan Clubs began popping up around the country. Made up of people who supported the growing “Townsend Movement”, the clubs became an influential political force, putting pressure on Congress to pass Townsend’s plan. Within two years of Townsend’s letter, 3,400 clubs existed, and the movement claimed to have at least five million members.
Congress realized that they needed to do something. But how would it look if the government allowed a private citizen to essentially draft their legislation for them? Rather than jump straight to using Townsend’s plan, the House of Representatives passed the Dill-Connery bill in 1934, which would have relegated more federal funding to dramatically underfunded state pension programs. Roosevelt likely knew that the bill wouldn’t be enough to satisfy most Americans, though. In fact, he secretly met with his supporters in the Senate and asked them to delay passing the bill until his administration could create legislation of their own. Then, with the help of various government agencies, he set about the task of creating a pension program, an unemployment program, and a national healthcare program. The SSA was unveiled in 1935. While similar to Townsend’s plan in many ways, its old-age pension would be funded by workers themselves via a pay-as-you-go tax. Unemployment benefits would be administered by individual states, but all states would be required to do so.
Congressional hearings and debates began immediately. The national healthcare portion of Roosevelt’s plan was quickly expunged. Other parts of the SSA were expanded, however. Congress decided that Social Security should be made available to widows and children, for example. The legislation was far from completely comprehensive, though. While it was decided that Social Security would be funded through a new payroll tax, many professions were outright excluded from the program. Agricultural laborers, nurses, social workers and many others were therefore not eligible for Social Security. Around 27 percent of white workers and a whopping 65 percent of Black workers were excluded, further deepening the racial wealth gap.
Luckily, the SSA was improved over time. In 1950, it was greatly expanded to include more qualifying jobs and to include workers in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The SSA was expanded again in 1960 to include Medicare, finally somewhat accomplishing Roosevelt’s vision of a national healthcare program. In 1972, a cost-of-living allowance was worked into Social Security, to help it keep up with inflation rates. Today, at least 69.1 million people receive benefits of some kind thanks to the Social Security Act. If only someone would name one of its amendments after Townsend!
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act surrounded by government officials.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress, Public DomainIt’s not going too far to call it one of the most important pieces of legislation ever passed. On this day in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act (SSA), forever changing the financial landscape of the United States. The SSA established a tax-funded pension for every American over a certain age and a federal unemployment program. But it wasn’t done out of the goodness of the government’s heart. In fact, it was born out of hardship and nationwide economic desperation.
By the time the Great Depression began, in 1929, elderly Americans were already an impoverished demographic. With no national program to fund their retirement, most older Americans couldn’t afford to retire and had no way to make ends meet once old age forced them to stop working. While the Great Depression affected many industrialized nations, the United States was one of the only ones that had no nationalized insurance program of any kind.
Though Roosevelt’s legacy is forever entwined with the SSA, it wasn’t Roosevelt who originally thought up the idea. Rather, after watching two elderly women in tattered clothing picking through garbage cans in his neighborhood, physician and political activist Francis Townsend wrote a letter to the editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram detailing a plan for an old-age pension program. Townsend stated that anyone who was retired and over age 60 should be given $200 per month, as long as they didn’t have a long criminal history. Oddly, his plan also called for all recipients to spend their money within 30 days, to stimulate the economy. Even though Townsend wrote his letter in 1933, his plan quickly went as viral as anything could, at the time. Soon, Townsend Plan Clubs began popping up around the country. Made up of people who supported the growing “Townsend Movement”, the clubs became an influential political force, putting pressure on Congress to pass Townsend’s plan. Within two years of Townsend’s letter, 3,400 clubs existed, and the movement claimed to have at least five million members.
Congress realized that they needed to do something. But how would it look if the government allowed a private citizen to essentially draft their legislation for them? Rather than jump straight to using Townsend’s plan, the House of Representatives passed the Dill-Connery bill in 1934, which would have relegated more federal funding to dramatically underfunded state pension programs. Roosevelt likely knew that the bill wouldn’t be enough to satisfy most Americans, though. In fact, he secretly met with his supporters in the Senate and asked them to delay passing the bill until his administration could create legislation of their own. Then, with the help of various government agencies, he set about the task of creating a pension program, an unemployment program, and a national healthcare program. The SSA was unveiled in 1935. While similar to Townsend’s plan in many ways, its old-age pension would be funded by workers themselves via a pay-as-you-go tax. Unemployment benefits would be administered by individual states, but all states would be required to do so.
Congressional hearings and debates began immediately. The national healthcare portion of Roosevelt’s plan was quickly expunged. Other parts of the SSA were expanded, however. Congress decided that Social Security should be made available to widows and children, for example. The legislation was far from completely comprehensive, though. While it was decided that Social Security would be funded through a new payroll tax, many professions were outright excluded from the program. Agricultural laborers, nurses, social workers and many others were therefore not eligible for Social Security. Around 27 percent of white workers and a whopping 65 percent of Black workers were excluded, further deepening the racial wealth gap.
Luckily, the SSA was improved over time. In 1950, it was greatly expanded to include more qualifying jobs and to include workers in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The SSA was expanded again in 1960 to include Medicare, finally somewhat accomplishing Roosevelt’s vision of a national healthcare program. In 1972, a cost-of-living allowance was worked into Social Security, to help it keep up with inflation rates. Today, at least 69.1 million people receive benefits of some kind thanks to the Social Security Act. If only someone would name one of its amendments after Townsend!
[Image description: A black-and-white photo of Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act surrounded by government officials.] Credit & copyright: Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress, Public Domain -
7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Christopher Low measures market activity with us. A wrinkle in the ongoing saga of gas prices: The price of crude is rising. The BBC looks in on how new COVI...
Christopher Low measures market activity with us. A wrinkle in the ongoing saga of gas prices: The price of crude is rising. The BBC looks in on how new COVI...
August 13, 2022
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 13, 2022
carceral \KAHR-suh-rul\ adjective
What It Means
Carceral means "of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison."
// Th...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 13, 2022
carceral \KAHR-suh-rul\ adjective
What It Means
Carceral means "of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison."
// Th...
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
People are still leaving jobs to find new ones at record level, and data shows that it’s generally working out for them. Speaking of records, the demand for ...
People are still leaving jobs to find new ones at record level, and data shows that it’s generally working out for them. Speaking of records, the demand for ...
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FREESports Daily CurioFree1 CQ
A celebrated athlete is hanging up her racket. 41-year-old Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in a recent Vogue article. Williams is widely considered to be one of the best tennis players of all time. In her decades-long career, she’s won 73 career singles titles and 23 career doubles titles, along with almost $100 million in career winnings. Williams admitted that she’s been hesitant to quit tennis, despite her already-cemented legacy. Moreover, she’s been hesitant to even bring up the subject, even with her closest friends and family. She said in the article, “I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist.” Nevertheless, she says it’s time to leave the world of competitive tennis behind, not that she’s planning on taking it easy. As Williams stated, “I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition…Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.” Part of that transition includes having another child, this time without feeling the need to compete even while pregnant, as she did when she won the Australian Open in 2017. She’s also planning on expanding her work with Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm which mostly funds businesses owned by women and people of color. No doubt that even off the court, she’s still on the serve.
[Image description: Serena Williams holds a tennis racket as she waits for an opponent to serve the ball.] Credit & copyright: Edwin Martinez, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size
A celebrated athlete is hanging up her racket. 41-year-old Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in a recent Vogue article. Williams is widely considered to be one of the best tennis players of all time. In her decades-long career, she’s won 73 career singles titles and 23 career doubles titles, along with almost $100 million in career winnings. Williams admitted that she’s been hesitant to quit tennis, despite her already-cemented legacy. Moreover, she’s been hesitant to even bring up the subject, even with her closest friends and family. She said in the article, “I’ve been reluctant to admit that I have to move on from playing tennis. It’s like a taboo topic. It comes up, and I start to cry. I think the only person I’ve really gone there with is my therapist.” Nevertheless, she says it’s time to leave the world of competitive tennis behind, not that she’s planning on taking it easy. As Williams stated, “I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition…Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.” Part of that transition includes having another child, this time without feeling the need to compete even while pregnant, as she did when she won the Australian Open in 2017. She’s also planning on expanding her work with Serena Ventures, her venture capital firm which mostly funds businesses owned by women and people of color. No doubt that even off the court, she’s still on the serve.
[Image description: Serena Williams holds a tennis racket as she waits for an opponent to serve the ball.] Credit & copyright: Edwin Martinez, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped for size