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.
|
Listen To This Story
 |
Twitter Alternatives for the Musk-Averse (Maria)
From The Verge: “Twitter users (and ex-users) are still watching to see what the next chapter will be in the soap opera called ‘What Elon Musk Will Do With Twitter Next.’ Oops — sorry. It’s no longer Twitter now, is it? It’s some weird new entity called ‘X.’ If you’re becoming bored with the whole thing and you want to continue following social networking without having to deal with Twitter (let’s still call it that for now), where do you go?”
The Melting Glaciers of Svalbard Offer an Ominous Glimpse of More Warming to Come (Laura)
The author writes, “The remote Arctic islands of Svalbard, Norway, the northernmost settlement in the world, have been called a canary in the coal mine of climate change, warming more than two times faster than other areas of the Arctic and five to seven times faster than the rest of the planet. Because of this warming, Svalbard offers climate researchers a preliminary look at what’s coming for the rest of the Arctic. … As climate change causes more glaciers to melt it could create a feedback loop, with glacier melt from warming producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, producing more warming.”
Had COVID But No Symptoms? You Might Have This Genetic Mutation (Sean)
From Nature: “At least 20% of people who become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus never feel sick. Now scientists have identified a genetic mutation that is linked to a higher likelihood of avoiding symptoms during infection. This mutation might give an advantage to the immune cells of people who have previously been exposed to ‘seasonal’ coronaviruses, which cause the common cold. That extra boost means the immune system can quickly track down and destroy SARS-CoV-2 before it goes haywire trying to defend against the pathogen.”
They’re the Names You Don’t Know. Hollywood’s ‘Journeyman’ Actors Explain Why They Are Striking (Reader Jim)
The authors write, “Jason Kravits gets a lot of this: People recognize him — they’re just not sure how. ‘I’m that guy who looks like the guy you went to high school with,’ says Kravits. ‘People think they’ve just seen me somewhere.’ Actually, they have — on TV, usually as a lawyer or a doctor. … Kravits is one of those actors union leaders refer to as ‘journeymen’ — who tend to work for scale pay, and spend at least as much time lining up work as working. They can have a great year, then a bad one, without much rhyme or reason. … And they, not the big Hollywood names joining the picket lines, are the heart of the actors strike.”
Alaska Prisons Drop Policy Banning Catholic Mass (Al)
From The Spectator: “The Alaska Department of Corrections reversed its policy banning alcoholic wine from religious ceremonies in prison facilities, following a report from The Spectator. The interim policy, which was issued on June 6 and signed by Commissioner Jennifer Winkelman, stated that ‘no altar wine or other alcoholic beverages will be used by anyone who is involved with any activity. The use of a non-alcoholic substitute (juice) for altar wine may be considered.’ The policy effectively banned Catholic masses, which require alcoholic wine in order to be considered valid, from the prison system.”
Toxin-Secreting Hammerhead Worms Are Invading the DC Area (Mili)
From The Washington Post: “The hammerhead worm immediately stops you in your tracks. The striped flatworm slithers like a snake and resembles a piece of whole-wheat spaghetti, led by its mushroom-shaped head. And it also secretes tetrodotoxin, the same debilitating neurotoxin found in puffer fish. Last week, one was spotted in Oakton, Va. More accurately, Peanut, a 6-year-old miniature dachshund, stepped on a 14-inch hammerhead worm. The worm slithered from the grass onto the driveway, stuck to Peanut’s foot, flipped up and entangled itself around Peanut’s hind legs. Then, it broke into multiple pieces. Each piece can function as an independent worm, squirm away and regenerate into more slithering, sticky worms.”
