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3 Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for Quantum Mechanics Work (Maria)

The author writes, “The Nobel prize in physics 2025 has been awarded to British, French and American scientists for pioneering experiments that paved the way for the next generation of quantum technologies. John Clarke, a British physicist based at the University of California at Berkeley, Michel Devoret, a French physicist based at Yale University, and John Martinis, of the University of California Santa Barbara shared the $1.17M prize announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The trio led a series of experiments that demonstrated that the bizarre properties of the quantum world can translate into measurable effects in macroscopic electrical circuits.”

Using Helicopters and Chemical Agents, Immigration Agents Become Increasingly Aggressive in Chicago (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Storming an apartment complex by helicopter as families slept. Deploying chemical agents near a public school. Handcuffing a Chicago City Council member at a hospital. Activists, residents and leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest city. ‘They are the ones that are making it a war zone,’ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Sunday on CNN. ‘They fire tear gas and smoke grenades, and they make it look like it’s a war zone.’”

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team (Sean)

From WIRED: “United States immigration authorities are moving to dramatically expand their social media surveillance, with plans to hire nearly 30 contractors to sift through posts, photos, and messages — raw material to be transformed into intelligence for deportation raids and arrests. Federal contracting records reviewed by WIRED show that the agency is seeking private vendors to run a multiyear surveillance program out of two of its little-known targeting centers. The program envisions stationing nearly 30 private analysts at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Vermont and Southern California. Their job: Scour Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, converting posts and profiles into fresh leads for enforcement raids.”

Shutdown Causes ‘Confusion’ Across the Forest Service (Dana)

From High Country News: “With the federal government in a shutdown, the Forest Service has paused much of the wildfire preparation and prevention work it does on its 193 million acres of national forest. A Forest Service contingency plan, current as of Sept. 30, calls for continued wildfire response. But the work necessary to reduce the fuels for massive wildfires, including prescribed burns, is on hold. Prescribed burns are an important tool to burn excess vegetation, keep landscapes healthy and reduce the risk of destructive wildfires. But starting last week, some Forest Service staff were told not to conduct burns in preparation for a potential shutdown.” 

Cocoa Supplements Show Surprising Anti-Aging Potential (Mili)

The author writes, “Could cocoa extract supplements rich in cocoa flavanols reduce inflammation and, in turn, prevent age-related chronic diseases? In a new study from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), investigators from Mass General Brigham and their colleagues looked at changes in five age-related markers of inflammation among participants who received daily cocoa supplements over several years. They found that hsCRP — an inflammatory marker that can signal increased risk of cardiovascular disease — decreased in participants taking the cocoa extract supplement, suggesting its anti-inflammatory potential may help explain its heart-protective effects.”

Hamlet Is the Gen Z Story We Need Right Now (Reader Jim)

From The Honest Broker: “It’s a familiar story these days. You might even be living inside it. Or, if not, you know somebody who is. A young man returns from college, but he doesn’t have a job. So he moves back home. But here his life is aimless, and he falls into a deep depression. … He knows he needs to get his act together — but how? … It’s the classic Gen Z dilemma. Almost half of them move back home after college nowadays. The odds are stacked against them at every turn. But the story I’ve just told isn’t about Gen Z. It’s Shakespeare’s Hamlet — and it was written more than 400 years ago.”

These Lizards Have So Much Lead in Their Blood, They Should Be Dead. Instead, They’re Thriving (Angelle)

The author writes, “When humans are exposed to lead, they can develop a host of serious health problems, ranging from reproductive issues to high blood pressure. But at least one species of lizard seems to be virtually immune to the effects of this naturally occurring neurotoxin — and researchers say the creature might hold the key to combating heavy metal poisoning in other species.”