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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What’s It Like To Be 70 in Space? Don Pettit Shares (Maria)
The author writes, “Not many people celebrate their birthday by burning a fiery arc through the atmosphere, pulling 4.4Gs in freefall back to planet Earth and thudding into the ground. … No one has ever done it on their 70th birthday. Perhaps this is appropriate because NASA astronaut Don Pettit is a singular individual. His birthday is April 20, and when the Soyuz spacecraft carrying him landed at dawn in Kazakhstan, the calendar had turned over to that date.”
The Group Chats That Changed America (Jeff)
From Semafor: “Last Thursday morning, a bit before 10 am in Austin and nearly 11 pm in Singapore, Joe Lonsdale had enough of Balaji Srinivasan’s views on China. ‘This is insane CCP thinking,’ Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir, wrote to a 300-member Signal group. ‘Not sure what leaders hang out w you in Singapore but on this you have been taken over by a crazy China mind virus.’ Srinivasan, a former Coinbase chief technology officer and influential tech figure who now lives in the city-state, responded that China ‘executed extremely well over 45 years. Any analysis that doesn’t take that into account makes it seem like the US could have held it back.’”
Son of CIA Deputy Director Was Killed While Fighting for Russia, Report Says (Sean)
The author writes, “An American man identified as the son of a deputy director of the CIA was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2024 while fighting under contract for the Russian military, according to an investigation by independent Russian media. Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, died on April 4, 2024 in ‘Eastern Europe,’ according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Juliane Gallina, who was appointed the deputy director for digital innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency in February 2024. The story of how the son of a top-ranking US spy died fighting for Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is an unlikely tale of how homegrown anger at the United States and online radicalization led from a middle-class Virginia childhood to the killing fields of eastern Ukraine.”
VIDEO: Recently Surfaced 9/11 Evidence Includes Video of Capitol, Airplane Sketch (Reader Jim)
From 60 Minutes: “Important questions are being raised about 9/11 as evidence surfaces in a lawsuit against the Saudi government filed by families of the people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.”
California Overtakes Japan to Become World’s Fourth-Largest Economy. But Tariffs Pose Threat (Reader Steve)
From the Los Angeles Times: “If California were its own country, its economy would now rank as the fourth-largest of any nation across the globe, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, a new milestone that comes at a time of major economic turbulence. California has long been a global powerhouse, fueled by a variety of sectors including technology, agriculture, tourism and entertainment. The new ranking comes as the state is facing challenges from a trade war with China and other nations that are key California trading partners.”
High-Fat, High-Sugar Diets Impact Cognitive Function (Mili)
The author writes, “New research links fatty, sugary diets to impaired brain function. The findings build on a growing body of evidence showing the negative impact of high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diets on cognitive ability, adding to their well-known physical effects.”
Rare 3,500-Year-Old Chariot Wheel Discovered at Inverness Golf Course (Dana)
The author writes, “Archaeologists have discovered a rare prehistoric chariot wheel at the site of a future golf course near Inverness. The discovery sheds light on ancient ceremonial practices and the lives of those who inhabited the Highlands thousands of years ago. This extraordinary discovery, unearthed during the excavations for the Old Petty Championship Golf Course, underscores the profound historical significance of the region and beautifully intertwines the threads of modern development with the echoes of its ancient past.”
