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125-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Feathers Reveal Traces of Ancient Proteins. Paleontologists at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in fossil feathers that sheds new light on feather evolution. Previous studies suggested that ancient feathers had a different composition to the feathers of birds today. The new research, however, reveals that the protein composition of modern-day feathers was also present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds, confirming that the chemistry of feathers originated much earlier than previously thought.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:18 PM PST - 2 comments

‘Heat-proofing’ coral: Aussie discovery throws a lifeline to world’s dying reefs. Australian biologists are using "assisted evolution" to breed heat tolerant algae in an attempt to make coral reefs more resistant to bleaching.
posted by neonamber at 6:16 PM PST - 10 comments

One of the recurring motifs of Obi Zulol’s brand mythology is that it helped build modern Tajikistan. In the country’s journey from post-Soviet disarray and violence to the ostensible stability of today (NB: it scores poorly on the Democracy Index), this company brought economic might, jobs, and a sense of national pride that you could literally taste in the water. In contrast to Coke’s many efforts to get involved in local economies, RC Cola’s role in Tajikistan this—as an international corporation—appears to be minimal. from Why is RC Cola popular in Tajikistan? [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 1:18 PM PST - 18 comments

Four progressive teachers in Washington’s Mukilteo School District wanted to protect students from a book they saw as outdated and harmful. The blowback was fierce. (Gift link)
posted by girlmightlive at 12:31 PM PST - 63 comments

A Winter of Low COVID Vaccination Will Probably Seem Fine – Until we start to see the longer-term consequences of missed shots Missed vaccinations still translate into more days spent suffering, more chronic illnesses, more total lives lost—an enormous burden to put on an already stressed health-care system
posted by folklore724 at 11:20 AM PST - 129 comments

Hundreds of bands you have never heard of...
"San Francisco Public Library’s Bay Beats is a brand-new local music collection that celebrates and supports the Bay Area music community. This online showcase features the exciting musical talent in our own Bay Area backyard." [more inside]
posted by dfm500 at 10:46 AM PST - 3 comments

VFTTD is an acronym for Villains Falling To Their Deaths. And it's a Youtube playlist (thirty strong and counting) of, you guessed it, villains falling to their deaths in horrific yet somehow mesmerizing and stress relieving ways. WARNING: completely concerned with villains falling to their deaths, often including some preliminary violence, also actual landings. SPOILER ALERT: shows how many movies you may not have already seen more or less resolve themselves with their villains falling to their deaths.
posted by philip-random at 8:37 AM PST - 43 comments

By the end of the 1990s, capital had triumphed and consolidated a new neoliberal spirit of the laws. But, as Maier makes clear, neoliberalism was not about expanding the reach of the market, the rallying cry of its advocates, per se. Rather, it was about shifting the income distribution from labor to capital. This was to be done by any means necessary. While it sometimes required deregulation and the removal of the state, it just as frequently required the use of state power – especially American power – and the legitimacy conferred by recommendations from Harvard experts. from The Evolution of Modern Political Power [Project Syndicate; ungated]
posted by chavenet at 2:17 AM PST - 10 comments