Science, Debate and Booze Loft

So, let's try something new and different from your PNH, with tonight's LINK sponsored by the good folks at George and J. G. Smith, LTD., fine makers of The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky, where we discuss what the news about the vaccine really means.

Spoiler Alert: Not nearly as much as you want to believe.

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It's a late night for your PNH this weekend as the insomnia is kicked into high gear such that even the good folks from Basil Hayden with their Dark Rye can't offer any respite or solace. There is some interesting, and dare I say, good, news this week on the energy and economics front. At least for a time, NextEra Energy became the most valuable energy company in the US of A, beating out ExxonMobil in market capitalization. NextEra is a wind and solar company.

Let that sink in - A wind and solar energy company was more valuable than ExxonMobil.

Maybe there is something to this whole renewables thing.

Wind and solar producer tops Exxon as most valuable U.S. energy company NextEra, a leading provider of clean energy, now rivals oil giant ExxonMobil in terms of its value to investors.

Again, so much Science, so little time, and so much going on, it's been hard to keep focused on at least one thing to the point that you PNH can develop an informed POV on anything these days. But something has come up quick and it is both relevant and worth communicating.

With some caveats.

So without further ado...

Tonight, from the Science, Debate, and Booze Loft, sponsored by the good folks from Hendricks Gin, we have your PNH getting all out of sorts reading this:

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.12.148726v1.full.pdf+html

Here are the caveats - 1. It has not YET been peer-reviewed. 2. The experts in that review process may find some faults that will, I hope, change the message and conclusion.

I'll let you slog through the article at your own pace, and just do the wrong thing and give you the conclusion and a translation.

Conclusion Statement:
"In summary, we show that an S protein mutation that results in more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 also limits shedding of the S1 domain and increases S-protein incorporation into the virion."

Translation:
We, as a people who are beginning to increase our exposure to this virus, are fu**ed.

The D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reduces S1 shedding and increases infectivity SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates encoding a D614G mutation in the viral spike (S) protein predominate over time in locales where it is found, implying that this change enhances viral transmission. We therefore compared the functional properties of the S proteins with aspartic acid (SD614) an...

Hey folks, your PNH here after a long absence and he is very sorry about that. But innovation takes commitment and time and this PNH has a winner for you in the new cocktail called the “Tous Ensemble”, a wonderful blend of botanical gin and vodka. Smooth and subtle with a strong hint of adultiness in the floral and savory notes. But that’s not why you are here, you are here to hear about the wonders of “Highly ductile amorphous oxide at room temperature and high strain rate” as published in the past weeks in Science (sciencemag.org) and written by Erkka J. Frankberg and team.
Why the hell is this important?
They are talking about Aluminum Oxide. Amorphous, ductile Aluminum Oxide. Which, when amorphous, is clear. And it is still strong. Really strong.
Think about this. Transparent. Aluminum. Ductile and formable.
Whales. This will ultimately be the savior of the whales. This we know already. It’s happening now.

So here is some more sobering news, which is hard to come by sometimes in the Science, Debate, and Booze Loft, especially on nights and days when I am alone and just looking around for good science and surrounded by good booze. So your PNH pulled out a bottle of wine and decided to look and see what wonderful things the folks at AAAS are publishing.

Holy living f**k. MIT Media Lab is on fire. And not in a good way.

So the MIT Media Lab has always been an odd organization hovering in that grey area between pure academics and technology development for profit. They don't want to be seen that way, but that is a strong value statement for them. They use technology and media in new ways to make money. If you can make money, then MIT rewards you. As long as you keep the cycle going, you can get some real recognition and do well for yourself and your family. In true academic style, you also get a f**k tonne of control over what you do and the environment you create. That has its own responsibilities. Your PNH will get to that shortly.

So, let's talk about V. Michael Bove (or just Bove, for laziness) a bit. He had 23 years at the Media Lab, and recently was heading up the Object Based Media Group. I don't know what that is but MIT doesn't half-ass anything, so it had to be a big thing. Bove resigned very quickly on the 26th of September. Here is a quote from his resignation letter -

"Following allegations that I acted in a harassing or otherwise unwelcome manner toward some other members of the community, I am no longer at the Media Lab. I very much regret inappropriate and indefensible actions or words by which I have caused pain or discomfort to any of the remarkable, dedicated professionals in the lab, and offer my sincerest apologies. My past actions did not reflect my values, the values of the Media Lab, the values of MIT, or acceptable standards of behavior anywhere, and having at length examined my conscience I have learned essential lessons about responsible, respectful, and appropriate behavior that will guide me throughout my future interactions with people".

He admitted to a past habit of sexual harassment and discrimination. He should have left and he did the right thing. But he should have never did what he did in the first place. Also, his departure puts distance between him and his victims and his apology now gives him some sort of foundation for moral recovery and therefore a bit of a softer landing if anything more were to come of this

Apologies, by their very nature, are bu****it. What was said was said and cannot be unsaid. The pain that was inflicted cannot be magically erased and will be sticking around with his victims for a lot longer than the consequences of his actions. Apologies are bu****it. He's being asked to run away so MIT has less of a mess to clean-up.

And Oh Lawdy, it is a mess!

Let's take a look at where MIT and the Media Lab got a lot of cash. On September 6th, Joi Ito, head of the Media Lab resigned amid allegations of hiding the extent of the Media Lab's connection to a one known pe*****le and child exploitation auteur Jeffery Epstein (yes, there were tapes). JE also didn't half ass anything and really didn't engage in philanthropy that didn't allow him some form of benefit. An unrestricted donation can be returned with a severing of any further connections. Influence and engagement leads to people resigning rather than defending themselves in that fight. So there's that. He resigned from the University.

Lastly, because this needs to end fairly soon, there is the "food computer" fiasco from the Media Lab's actual labs. One of the labs based in Middleton, MA was caught discharging untreated waste water into a well and jacking up the dissolved nitrogen levels in the surrounding watershed. And they new this was happening and they continued to do it until they got nabbed. I suspect, and I say this without any data to back it up, that they could do anything because of who they are and the influence they have. Local community be damned. They just get in the way anyhow. The science impact of this behavior is called "academic misrepresentation" and it is a perfectly viable way to destroy yourself in the science community as it attacks the very foundation of honesty and integrity that WE ALL FU***NG RELY ON.

But there is a light, a beacon, in this s**t storm. It has been customary to downplay why a person may leave under questionable circumstances. You know, the spending time with the family, the trying new things, going in a new direction, etc., type announcements that have been the staple of crisis management for the past decades. The announcement from the Executive Director of the Media Lab, Deb Roy, was pointed and succinct - “Michael was terminated solely as a result of a determination that he violated MIT’s sexual harassment policy. … [T]here are aspects of MIT policies and practices that I believe should be improved. I will work with colleagues at MIT towards better policies for the entire community.”

F**k yeah, Deb, tell it like it is.

This ain't just an MIT thing. This is an "all of science thing", and this type of power tripping, exploitation, and dishonesty is a problem for us all and we are the only ones who can stop it.

Speak Up. Speak Loudly. Be Heard.