INI podcast

Quinn Emmett

September 16, 2018

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‍September 14th, 2018

53 days to go

Register to Vote -- Take Action -- Burn It Down

First things first -- it's Friday morning, which means Florence is probably, finally laying waste to a good part of the southeastern US coast. Sending so much love your way, folks.

For reference, here's the other east coast cities most at threat in coming years, and also the crazy-ass people who fly into these monsters to study them. I'm sure they think climate change is a hoax, too.

PODCAST UPDATE

This week's topic was Electrocuting the Shit Out of Cancer!

Our guest was Theo Roth, of UCSF, who has figured out how to -- yes, it's true -- electrocute the shit out of cancer. Brian asks a LOT of questions (you're welcome), and we find out what the future of immunotherapy really looks like. Listen now to find out how you, too, can zap cancer right where it counts.

Subscribe now to get next Tuesday's episode: Can These Scientists Really Save Congress?

Our guest: Shaughnessy Naughton, founder of 314 Action, the advocacy group committed to electing more STEM candidates to office, advocating for evidence-based policy solutions to issues like climate change, and fighting the Trump administration's attacks on science. FUCK YEAH.

On to the news!

Food & Water 🍌🥑🥕🔬💊👩‍🌾🚰

Cape Town Is an Omen

"In its march to slash water consumption drastically, this metropolis of 4 million people also became a harbinger of how water will constrain global cities in the future, and how climate change will bring turmoil and a new slate of challenges to places where class and racial divides are deep. Day Zero is still hypothetical, but Cape Town’s reality will soon impact many global cities, where water will become a constant concern, and democracy will become contingent upon the taps."

+ More Food & Water:

- Probiotics labelled 'quite useless'

Clean Energy 💨☀️⚡️

California passes 100% clean energy bill, but punts on several plans for getting there

"...this includes a plan backed by Gov. Jerry Brown to connect the power grids of as many as 14 western states, as well as a bill that would have promoted geothermal energy development at the Salton Sea. The geothermal bill might have passed, if not for last-minute opposition from state Sen. Jeff Stone, a Republican who represents the Coachella Valley."

+ More Clean Energy:

- Jerry Brown's curtain call includes a massive climate conference this week in San Francisco. Is it enough?

- Arizona voters will decide renewable-energy rules in November

- Trump Administration Wants to Make It Easier to Release Methane Into Air, which is really just fucking incredible, isn't it? I mean. They really just give zero fucks about you. Or me. Or anyone. Not even themselves! Do you think they have a rocket ship we don't know about? To blow this joint once it gets real bad? Who's gonna fly it? Anyways.

- New York and London mayors call on all cities to divest from fossil fuels

- From Rooftops to Algae Pools: Orlando’s Vision for Carbon-Free EnergyImage

Climate Change 🔥🌊💨

A Climate Agenda Without A Housing Agenda Is Incomplete

"In short, unless and until we allow more housing — including more housing density — near job centers and public transportation, we will continue to rely on sprawl development, forcing people to drive everywhere and to drive very long commutes."

+ Do better, California

North Carolina didn't like science on sea levels, so they passed a law against it

"In 2012, the state now in the path of Hurricane Florence reacted to a prediction by its Coastal Resources Commission that sea levels could rise by 39in over the next century by passing a law that banned policies based on such forecasts.

The legislation drew ridicule, including a mocking segment by comedian Stephen Colbert, who said: “If your science gives you a result you don’t like, pass a law saying the result is illegal. Problem solved.”"

+ How's that working out for you? Vote vote vote vote vote vote

+ More Climate:

- US pension funds ‘must consider climate-related risks’

- Young voters and voters of color are key to climate policy, by the amazing Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

- Exxon REALLY doesn't want you to see what they're hiding, appeals to Supreme Court

Biology 401 💉👾💊

If AI is going to be the world’s doctor, it needs better textbooks

"Imagine there was a simple test to see whether you were developing Alzheimer’s disease. You would look at a picture and describe it, software would assess the way you spoke, and based on your answer, tell you whether or not you had early-stage Alzheimer’s. It would be quick, easy, and over 90% accurate—except for you, it doesn’t work.

That might be because you’re from Africa. Or because you’re from India, or China, or Michigan. Imagine most of the world is getting healthier because of some new technology, but you’re getting left behind."

+ More Bio:

- For the first time, researchers will release genetically engineered mosquitoes in Africa

- Why the U.S. faces a growing risk of epidemics

- There’s A New Antibiotic In Town, And We Can Create It In The Lab

Fuck Cancer, Volume CVIII 🖕

There's a goddamn homing system targeting therapeutic T cells at brain cancer

"Successful T cell immunotherapy for brain cancer requires that the T cells can access tumour tissues, but this has been difficult to achieve...

We have therefore developed a molecule that targets the delivery of T cells to brain cancer."