Links: leftovers from last year

Le Guin’s Subversive Imagination by Michael Chabon.

Le Guin: "They may not be your relatives. They may never have spoken your language. They may have been dead for a thousand years. They may be nothing but words printed on paper, ghosts of voices, shadows of minds. But they can guide you home. They are your human community."

Meet the Mad Scientist Who Wrote the Book on How to Hunt Hackers by Andy Greenberg.

Thirty years ago, Cliff Stoll published The Cuckoo's Egg, a book about his cat-and-mouse game with a KGB-sponsored hacker. Today, the internet is a far darker place—and Stoll has become a cybersecurity icon.

I had dinner with a friend and Cliff Stoll in Berkeley thirty years ago, on his book tour for The Cukoo's Egg. Interesting to see this followup.


It’s Ok to Opt Out of Mammograms by Christie Aschwanden.

While 61 percent of women who have annual mammograms will have a callback for something ultimately declared “not cancer,” this isn’t the most damaging problem. Such false alarms are more devastating than they might seem (I can’t think of another recommended medical test with such a high false positive rate), but most women would probably gladly accept this risk in exchange for a reasonable chance to prevent a cancer death.

Here’s the bigger problem: screening mammography has failed to reduce the incidence of metastatic disease and it’s created an epidemic of a precancer called DCIS.

I keep having this conversation with medical providers and "concerned" friends.

It's Not Just You—Wild Swings in Extreme Weather Are Rising by Jim Robbins.

As the world warms, scientists say that abrupt shifts in weather patterns, like droughts followed by severe floods, are intensifying.

I noted this link after a friend said it wasn't *proven* that worsening weather is caused by climate change. Grumble.

Links: social distancing dilemmas, hope, past vaccine history

The Answer to All of Your Social Distancing Loophole Questions Is No by Rachel Miller.

I hope that people’s questions about “good” behavior during this pandemic will soon begin to shift to ones rooted in the assumption that we’re committed to social distancing, public health, flattening the curve, and not getting others or ourselves sick.

I've been on a couple of bike rides with my biking buddy in the last month. We tried to stay more than 6' apart, but I've seen info that when you're exercising it takes more distance to be sure not to spread contagion. Last time, I wore a bandana over my face, and he didn't. I had the uneasy sense that I was bending if not outright breaking the rules, and I decided a week ago to stop riding with him for now. A) I want to be a good example. B) If he gets sick, I don't want to be implicated. But damn, long bike rides really do make me feel better. I can do some on my own, but I don't know some of the back roads as well, and I'm not as motivated, and there are some places I feel safer with company.

What Will It Be Like When the Lockdown Lifts? by Bryan E. Robinson Ph.D.

Self-care makes your use of time more sustainable. Healthy eating, rest, and regular exercise give you the stamina to withstand any threat to your survival. Take good care of yourself first, and you will have more to give to others.

Long bike rides are definitely good for my mental and physical health. It's an ongoing challenge to find the right balance between individual and community well-being.

'The impossible has already happened': what coronavirus can teach us about hope by Rebecca Solnit. "In the midst of fear and isolation, we are learning that profound, positive change is possible."

One Voice, Many Vaccines by J. Cavanaugh Simpson.

An iconoclast who slung swear words like the proverbial sailor, Hilleman helped develop an astounding 40 vaccines: to prevent measles, mumps, rubella, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis A and B, and other infectious diseases. The measles vaccine alone has saved an estimated one million lives a year. “Maurice’s genius was in developing vaccines, reliably reproducing them, and [taking charge] of all pharmaceutical facets, from research to marketplace.”

Music! Two distance collaborations, and one the old way from the old time

The Bulgarian Voices Angelite: Kalimanko Denko In a 2002 concert, Krassimir Kyurkchiyski plays gdulka (a small vertically-played stringed instrument) in duet with a singer. Watch how they listen to each other and synchronize together. Lots of musicians missing that interplay right now!

asakiyume linked to DAAN CORONA, a collaboration by 20 Senegalese musicians to raise awareness and funds. Great to hear the music and see them sing.

This Coronavirus Cretan Ballad Has People In Tears written by Gregory Pappas. Another lovely distance collaboration.