No, this isn't a lead story about the election or the new administration appointees. It's about nuclear energy. As our efforts to combat climate change have fallen short, an energy source that had fallen out of favor is making something of a comeback. NYT (Gift Article) takes you to the COP29 talks where much of the talk is about nuclear power. Nuclear Power Was Once Shunned at Climate Talks. Now, It’s a Rising Star. Not everyone is on board. "On Thursday, a group of several dozen protesters held signs with slogans like 'Don’t Nuke the Climate' and 'Stop Nuclear' ... Elsewhere in the venue, a group of young nuclear professionals called Nuclear for Climate held a rally of their own. Two of them dressed up as polar bears and danced while holding up an atom symbol as others handed out bananas to a curious crowd. A banana contains the same amount of radiation as a person would get from living next to a properly maintained nuclear power plant for one year, one said." (You're expecting a banana republic pun here, or maybe an Orange you glad you're not a banana joke. But really, this is just an article about nuclear energy.) 2A Freudian Chip"Broken Bear has purple and tan fur, a placid smile, and patched up circles on his belly: one, he tells me, covers a scar from a broken heart. The avatar of an AI chatbot designed to 'love your broken self,' Broken Bear stands slightly slumped, with his paws by his sides. Even though he looks lonely, he’s not the only AI therapist currently on offer. There’s also Elomia, 'the artificial intelligence that works like a therapist,' and Meomind, 'the world’s first on-demand alternative to therapy.' There’s Wysa, PsyScribe, Lotus, and Youper. There’s Pi AI, 'the first emotionally intelligent AI'; Suno, 'an attentive, supportive friend always ready to listen'; and Xaia, which stands for 'eXtended-reality Artificially Intelligent Ally.'" In Baffler, Jess McAllen travels the weird (and increasingly popular) world of AI created therapists. The Therapist in the Machine. (I needed to lie down on a couch after the first couple paragraphs.) I suppose I've been doing group therapy for years, as most of the time it's me surrounded by several devices. 3Surely You JestersAfter RFK Jr. got picked by Trump as Secretary of Health and Human Services, vaccine and health stocks plummeted. If he gets confirmed, life expectancy numbers could do the same. From WaPo (Gift Article): 10 RFK Jr. conspiracy theories and false claims, in his own words. 4Weekend WhatsWhat to Watch: The limited series Say Nothing on Hulu is a gripping story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The 9-episode series is based on the most excellent book by Patrick Radden Keefe. 5Extra, ExtraSizing Up: "The study ... reveals the striking rise of obesity rates nationwide since 1990 — when just over half of adults were overweight or obese — and shows how more people are becoming overweight or obese at younger ages than in the past." NYT (Gift Article): Three-Quarters of U.S. Adults Are Now Overweight or Obese. It will be interesting to see how the proliferation of Ozempic (a drug that seems to make people three-quarters of themselves) will impact these numbers over time. 6Feel Good Friday"In 1977, Morgan Perigo's gold college graduation ring was lost to the ocean while on a trip to Barbados with his wife and two young sons. Perigo, who graduated from McMaster University in Canada in 1965, searched for the ring in vain ... Forty-seven years later, Perigo got his ring back. The surprise reunion unfolded thanks to Alex Davis, a professional freediver who recently discovered the jewelry while using an underwater metal detector." (I've been looking for a new hobby. Maybe underwater metal detection could work.)
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