Chrome Update Bug Hits Millions of Android Users
The Weak Spot in Some Superbugs' Defenses ; Can Putting Pebbles on Beaches Help Solve Climate Change? ; and More Picks
Scientists Find a Weak Spot in Some Superbugs' Defenses ; Can Putting Pebbles on Beaches Help Solve Climate Change? ; and More Picks 12/19
Tech Giants Sued Over ‘Appalling’ Deaths of Children Who Mine Their Cobalt (Chris)
From CBC: “An international advocacy group has launched a lawsuit against some of the world’s largest tech companies for the deaths and injuries of child miners in Congolese cobalt mines. International Rights Advocates brought the case on behalf of 14 Congolese families whose children were killed or injured while mining for cobalt. The metal is key ingredient in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power most electronic devices. The defendants named in the suit include Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Tesla and Google’s parent company, Alphabet.”
Scientists Find a Weak Spot in Some Superbugs’ Defenses (Mili)
The author writes, “Enterococcus isn’t an inherently dangerous bacteria; most humans have some living in their gut. But some enterococcus strains have evolved into a virulent form, called vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, or VRE, that affects more than 540,000 Americans every year. They are especially prevalent in hospitals, where they flourish among patients with weakened immune systems … A study out today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, though, offers new hope — along with clues about how drug developers might fight back against this foe.”
Afghan Papers Inadvertently Document WaPo’s Role in Spreading Official Lies (Russ)
The author writes, Doesn’t [the Washington Post] have a responsibility to examine how it served as a primary vehicle for [US] officials to … spin the coverage in the desired fashion?”
Could Putting Pebbles on Beaches Help Solve Climate Change? (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “California’s top climate scientists not only support the notion that rocks can sequester carbon, they are clamoring for viable experiments to test the theory.”
Digitally Altered Paintings Strikingly Illustrate the Impact of Climate Change (Gerry)
From Open Culture: “Have a gander at these digital updates of masterpieces in Madrid’s Museo del Prado’s collections.”
