Notices by Matt Willemsen (mattotcha@mastodon.social)

Blinken Says Israel’s Assault Has Created as Many Hamas Members as It’s Killed
https://truthout.org/articles/blinken-says-israels-assault-has-created-as-many-hamas-members-as-its-killed/

Scandinavians came to Britain long before Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, finds study
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/01/scandinavians-came-to-britain-long-before-vikings-and-anglo-saxons-finds-study

NOT (QUITE) READY FOR PRIMETIME
Passkey technology is elegant, but it’s most definitely not usable security
https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/12/passkey-technology-is-elegant-but-its-most-definitely-not-usable-security/

Scientists Just Made Molecules Do the Impossible With Light
By combining photochemical reactions with molecular self-assembly, scientists have achieved the impossible: using light to create molecular fits that defy thermodynamic equilibrium.
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-just-made-molecules-do

Coffee Consumption May Help Improve Cognitive Performance in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
https://www.sci.news/medicine/coffee-atrial-fibrillation-13530.html

Good on ya
Almost 1 million Australians are LGBTQIA+ – and for the first time, there’s a new national health plan for them
https://theconversation.com/almost-1-million-australians-are-lgbtqia-and-for-the-first-time-theres-a-new-national-health-plan-for-them-246143

A sustainable, circular economy could counter Trump’s tariffs while strengthening international trade
https://theconversation.com/a-sustainable-circular-economy-could-counter-trumps-tariffs-while-strengthening-international-trade-245127

Yellen warns ‘wary’ Chinese banks that US sanctions are still a real risk
Treasury secretary says the United States is not ruling out action against Chinese lenders over Russian ties
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3290793/yellen-warns-wary-chinese-banks-us-sanctions-are-still-real

Flesh-eating human parasite sweeping across Central America is raising concerns in US — what to know
New World screwworm was largely eradicated from the U.S. and Central America in the 1960s and 1980s, respectively
https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/flesh-eating-human-para

Fact Check
Unpacking Claim Letter Shows UnitedHealthcare Denied Drugs to Child with Cancer
Rating: Research In Progress
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/letter-unitedhealthcare-child-cancer-drugs/

Plutonium isotope anomalies discovered in Southern Hemisphere glaciers
https://phys.org/news/2024-12-plutonium-isotope-anomalies-southern-hemisphere.html

Neandertal genes in people today came from hook-ups around 47,000 years ago
Two genetic analyses clarify when Neandertal genes infiltrated Homo sapiens DNA
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neandertal-mate-people-47000-years-ago

The ‘Blob,’ an unprecedented marine heat wave, killed 4 million seabirds
This may be the largest die-off of wildlife, specifically nonfish vertebrates, reported in the modern era
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/blob-marine-heat-wave-killed-seabirds

Our sun may be overdue for a 'superflare' stronger than billions of atomic bombs, new research warns
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/our-sun-may-be-overdue-for-a-superflare-stronger-than-billions-of-atomic-bombs-new-research-warns

Burials of 28 people Andrew Jackson enslaved found at his Hermitage plantation in Tennessee
Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, enslaved hundreds of people. Archaeologists have discovered where 28 of them were buried.
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/burials-of-28-peop

Study explores why Republicans are more likely to respond to political polarization by spreading misinformation
Researchers from University of California-Irvine published a new study that finds Republicans spread more misinformation than Democrats and explains the reasons behind this behavior.
https

Traces of 10,000-year-old ancient rice beer discovered in Neolithic site in Eastern China
https://phys.org/news/2024-12-year-ancient-rice-beer-neolithic.html

Our Strategy to Catch the 2024 Geminid Meteors
Don’t let the bright Moon deter you from seeing the one of the best meteor showers of the year.
One of the best meteor showers of 2024 closes out the year this coming weekend.

If skies are clear, watch for the Geminid meteors, peaking on the night of Friday into Saturday, December 13-14th.

Dogs use two-word button combos to communicate, study shows
A new study from UC San Diego's Comparative Cognition Lab shows that dogs trained to use soundboards to "talk" are capable of making two-word button combinations that go beyond random behavior or simple imitation of their owners.
https://ph