Notices by Minoru Saba (minorusaba@toad.social), page 10

If the USA builds a feasible Fusion Reactor, then they will only share it with a few 'Friendly' countries at a very Heavy Fee with exclusive control.

However, in today's Globalized & Connected world, it is impossible to contain any breakthrough tech forever. Eventually, every country will get it

#mastodon #tech #fediverse #science #knowledge #physics #fusion #energy #politics #scicomm #OpenScience #opinion #thought #usa #discover #explore #quote #truth #analysis #writing #journal #commentary

Infection status
Released Sep 19, 2025.
- As of period from Sep 8 - Sep 14, 2025 -

No. of patients per medical facility (nationwide) 8.43
Change from prev. week +0.31
[Source: Health-Labor-Welfare Ministry weekly report]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001565080.pdf
🔸Week 13 of 13th wave
Saga at 11.04, Tokyo at 4.43, Akita at 8.2, Hokkaido at 4.86, Okinawa at 4.84, #Miyazaki at 17.93

#Influenza (nationwide) at 0.72
Change from prev. week +0.22
Okinawa at 4.93
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001565251.pdf
#CovidIsNotOver #Japan

Turns out that Tomoki Kojima (Aichi Agricultural Research Center) who led the cow-painting research removed a dark jacket to reveal a zebra-stripe shirt during the Ig Nobel biology prize acceptance speech whilst being pestered by "flies".
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkjzxrrkd5o

The research was inspired by work by Prof Tim Caro (Bristol Univ) on the function of zebras' stripes.
https://www.the-scientist.com/zebra-cows-repel-flies-and-win-ig-nobel-prize-73483

"Japanese win Ig Nobel for painting stripes on cattle to reduce fly bites"
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250919/p2g/00m/0sc/003000c
🔸Can almost see the prize recipients stepping up to the podium in pin-stripe suits chanting "There are no flies on us!"

#IgNobel #biology #AichiAgriculturalResearchCenter
#Japan

"Safety concerns linger as year marked since stabbing of #Japanese boy in #China"
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/18/japan/society/china-japanese-boy-stabbing-one-year/
#Shenzhen #MukdenIncident

@babababa Didn't know about Chex, but found someone who compared them to Shreddies.
https://stevendrowe.com/shreddies-vs-shreddies-vs-chex/

"What we have lost, and what we desperately need to reclaim, is a different mode of cognition, a historical sensibility... a temperament that is comfortable with uncertainty, sensitive to context and aware of the powerful, often unpredictable rhythms of the past"

"...history is not a set of lessons to be applied, but a vast reservoir of human experience to be explored"
https://www.noemamag.com/the-lost-art-of-thinking-historically/
#HistoricalSensibility #wisdom

@ToutePerdue
Myaku-Myaku vibes🙂
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/entertainment/myaku-myaku-the-googly-eyed-mascot-of-the-osaka-expo-2025/

@babababa Just remembered Shreddies which were entirely different from Shredded Wheat (which was like an edible version of a Brillo Pad) though both were produced by Nabisco before the company was bought up in the early 90s.
Shreddies were like small malted biscuits which could be consumed without milk, something not recommended for the abrasive Shredded Wheat biscuits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shreddies

It's been a while since I stopped for the steel horses outside our local smoke shop; they've even added a third one!

I would like a herd of life sized steel horses, in all the colors

#horses #publicArt #statues #Tucson

"A hot air balloon styled after Kaohsiung’s Formosan bear mascot" looks like a cousin of PUKAPUKA's Kumamon balloon [1] which was unveiled in March 2021in memory of the 2011 Tohoku Quake and the 2016 Kumamoto Quake.
Commercial usage of Kumamon however is free if the product/service promotes Kumamoto Pref.[2]
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2025/09/17/2003843946

1. https://en.pukawaku.com/balloon/event
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumamon
#クマモン気球 #Kumamon #Balloon

Musing (as one does) about the escapement on pendulum clocks, web search came up with "Clock and Watch Escapement Mechanics" an online book by Mark V. Headrick.
https://www.abbeyclock.com/ttoc.html

The site also provides simulations of the movements of various types of escapements.
https://www.abbeyclock.com/escapement.html
#PendulumClock #escapements

Millions turn to AI chatbots for spiritual guidance and confession
Bible Chat hits 30 million downloads as users seek algorithmic absolution.
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/09/millions-turn-to-ai-chatbots-for-spiritual-guidance-and-confession/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

#MardiPatisserie est passé mais y a une tarte pommes rhubarbe en train de cuire 😁🍎 avec 5km aller retour avec les loupiots pour se rendre à la ferme ! Qui veut qu'on réserve une part ? 🤗

#tarte #tarteauxpommes #septembre #mercredi #cuisine #gourmandise #applepie #yummy

@fgbjr 6 Sept 2025 TBS Newsdig article stated "US immigration authority arrested 475 people, mainly S.Korean, at Hyundai factory in Georgia" for "illegal immigration & employment" without doing much legwork of first-hand reporting.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2154440
As the story developed to include 3 detained Japanese workers, it seems they contacted the local Japanese consulate which confirmed the detention, but little else.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2159371
#井の中の蛙 #FrogInWell

Probably am being charitable to keep wondering if Japan's media are truly clueless about overseas matters and what happened 80 years ago when they helped create a monster of deluded public opinion by being economical with the truth.

Brief TV Asahi news show segment in Japan stated "It has been learnt that the arrested suspect (of Kirk shooting) was involved with a transwoman" omitting that Utah Gov. Cox was the comment source.
TBS Newsdig website states Gov. Cox was commenting on CNN, but nothing on Cox's political stance.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2170252
TV Asahi also showed a clip of US Pres vowing to crack down on "leftists" after the shooting, again without providing context; thus pushing GOP #propaganda

"Voters' frustration - and anger - is palpable in political rallies, as it is in the aisles of supermarkets. It's what, in part, drove many to support a "Japan First" party"
"Another parallel with Trump's Republicans, as well as other right-wing movements and parties across the world, is the focus on immigration"
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2k29233jeo
🔸It's understandable that populists push narratives & misery that promote populism. Hope people wake up & realize they're being scammed.
#AnimalFarm

17/n

A beer bottle flies over the heads of police and protesters in a spray of foam. It will shortly land in the middle of the antifascist group. One of many bottles thrown during this stage of the encounter.

#London #Protest

5/n

Prior to the speeches the mood amongst the 'right' was relatively jovial. I struggle to describe it without resorting to using stereotypes, but something akin to the following might paint a picture:

- Football supporters before a big game
- Lads night out / stag night in a big city between 3pm and 7pm (had some beers, not drunk yet)
- Benidorm in the height of summer

As for the chants:

- Eng-ger-lund, Eng-ger-lund, Eng-ger-lund
- Oh Tommy Tommy, Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy Robinson
- Kier is a wanker, Kier is a wanker, na na na na
- Stop the boats (although not chanted as much as I was expecting).

There was also echos of the ‘left's chants such as “Whose streets, our streets" although this was the exception not the norm.

The chants are non-committal. With the exception of stopping the boats, they don't commit to any particular demand.

#London #Protest