political

World’s largest particle physics lab suspends political ties with Russia | Science

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In responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the politicians who control the European particle physics laboratory, CERN, are trying to strike a delicate balance. In a special session, the CERN Council, which is composed of representatives from the laboratory’s 23 member nations, voted to suspend the “observer” privileges of the Russian Federation, CERN announced today. … Read more

Despite Roscosmos Chief’s Hostile Tweets, NASA Says ISS Cooperation Will Continue

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has placed a question mark over the future of the International Space Station, long a symbol of post-Cold War cooperation, where astronauts and cosmonauts proudly live and work side-by-side.   The outpost was the subject of a menacing Twitter thread by Russian space agency head Dmitry Rogozin, who warned Thursday that … Read more

Scientists Simulated 100,000 Different Futures. Which One We Get Depends Only on Us

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Most of us have at least one moment in our lives when we wish we’d made a different choice. It’s easy to recognize what went wrong in hindsight, but key factors that could have made all the difference at the time are often easily missed as we experience them.   Understanding those pivot points becomes … Read more

Our Environmental Crisis Requires Political Fixes, Not Technological Ones

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Whether via West Coast wildfires that shrouded New York City’s skyline in smoke or historic floods in Germany, in 2021, signs of the climate crisis were everywhere. A group of the world’s leading ecologists summarized humanity’s predicament when they recently argued that our main goal now as a species is to “avoid a ghastly future.” … Read more

This Ancient Peruvian Empire Put Hallucinogenics in Beer For Political Reasons

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The ancient Wari empire of Peru might have used hallucinogenic beer to rally support in new territories. The remnants of a large feast, found at a Wari outpost from the ninth century CE, strongly suggest the seeds of a psychoactive plant called vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina) were once mixed with chicha, a beer made from the fruit … Read more

Anti-trolling law: Australian legislation could be used to target political critics

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A law intended to tackle anonymous trolls on social media is unlikely to stop online bullying, but it could allow Australian government ministers to continue a trend of suing their critics Technology | Analysis 7 December 2021 By Alice Klein Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 2 December 2021 MICK TSIKAS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Australia’s prime minister Scott … Read more