PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
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Endangered Frogs Have Yet to Croak: Hundreds Released in Wildlife Refuge (Maria)
The author writes, “Hundreds of endangered frogs were released into the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge with the intent to revitalize their population. The roughly 500 northern leopard frogs were collected as eggs by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and raised from tadpoles by Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon zoo staff. The adult frogs were released mid-August. Once abundant across all of North America, the northern leopard frog has been on the Washington endangered species list since 1999.”
The Conservatives Who Sold Their Souls for Trump (DonkeyHotey)
From The Atlantic: “Today, Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review (the flagship conservative magazine founded by William F. Buckley Jr.), published an article claiming that Donald Trump could win the 2024 election ‘on character.’ No, really. But bear with me; the headline wasn’t quite accurate. Trump could beat Kamala Harris, Lowry wrote, not by running on his character but by attacking hers. According to Lowry, you see, one of Trump’s ‘talents as a communicator is sheer repetition, which, when he’s on to something that works, attains a certain power.’ Thus, he argued, Trump could hammer Harris into the ground if he called her ‘weak’ enough times — 50 times a day ought to do it, according to Lowry — and especially if he gave her a funny nickname, like the ones he managed to stick on ‘Crooked Hillary’ Clinton and ‘Little Marco’ Rubio. All of this was presented in the pages of America’s newspaper of record, The New York Times.”
A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. The Principal Kicked Him Out of His Tennessee School for a Year. (Laura)
From ProPublica: “When Belle got a call last September that her 10-year-old had been sent to the vice principal’s office, she rushed over to the school. Her son Lee looked on anxiously as the vice principal explained the situation: The fifth grader had angrily pointed his finger in the shape of a gun. Belle scolded him for not thinking before he acted, agreeing with administrators at the East Tennessee public elementary school who felt that he had misbehaved. While Lee sat at home for a few days serving a suspension, the principal called Belle. The school had conducted an investigation and determined that Lee would be kicked out for an entire calendar year.”
Google and Others Are Developing AI That Can Hear Signs of Sickness (Gerry)
The author writes, “Bioacoustics is the thrilling combination of biology and acoustics, helping us gain insights from sounds produced by animals and humans. Generative AI, the kind of tech that brought ChatGPT to 200 million users worldwide, is now adding a new level of functionality to this field. One foundation AI model built by Alphabet Inc.’s Google uses sound signals to predict early signs of disease, opening up a world of possibilities. The technology can ride in a smartphone and track high-risk populations in tricky geographies. Where expensive diagnostic hardware such as X-ray machines or technical expertise isn’t within easy reach, AI along with a handset’s microphone could come to the rescue.”
Mass Killing of PNW Barred Owls Could Begin as Early as Spring (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “As soon as next spring, barred owls will be shot in the woods in a plan finalized Wednesday. As many as 450,000 barred owls could be killed in three states over the next 30 years in an effort to save the spotted owl. The cull is necessary to prevent extinction of the spotted owl, which is being pushed out of its native range by the barred owl, a native of the East Coast, said Kessina Lee, state supervisor for the Oregon office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which developed the program.”
All-Night Streetlights Make Leaves Inedible to Insects, Study Finds (Russ)
The author writes, “Streetlights left on all night cause leaves to become so tough that insects cannot eat them, threatening the food chain, a study has found. Scientists noticed that trees in urban ecosystems showed far less damage than those in more rural areas. Their research, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, has shed light on a potential reason.”
Famous Roman Dictator Julius Caesar’s Perfume Recreated (Dana)
From Arkeonews: “The Romans are long regarded as heroes in the history of ancient civilizations because of the legacy they have left behind. However, the lives of many emperors continue to be a subject of curiosity. And what about you? Have you ever wondered what a Roman emperor smelled like? Julius Caesar’s ‘Telinum’ perfume has been re-created by the Scent Culture and Tourism Association, which promotes ancient perfumes.”
