2020 Disasters just keep on coming

Argent Stonecutter

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Next up, randomly selected names of characters from the Lord of the Rings. Or Legend of Zelda...
In Chester Anderson's novel "The Butterfly Kid" the author-proxy identifies his killer robots as units "Toggle-Xylophone" and "Marshmallow-Buggywhip" because he is bored with greek letters.
 
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Beebo Brink

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Climate change, Brexit, COVID-19 -- the one uniting thread of 2020 is that it's showing us in no uncertain terms that humans are emotional, illogical, tribal, short-sighted, superstitious, self-interested, petty, and mean. We've got it turned around when we assume that the best we can be -- intellectual, rational, generous, altruistic -- is the default state and that these other reactions are the aberration. Humans by default are a grab bag of primate impulses, most of them pretty nasty. We rise "above it all" only under the most fortunate of circumstances, and it's a fragile attainment, easily lost.

So my early New Year's Resolution for 2021 is to keep reminding myself that as species go, we're like a talking dog. There's no point in getting so upset when we act like selfish idiots, the surprise is that we can express any altruism at all.

People will be people. It's what we do. Consider how amazing and fantastic it is that even a few individuals have the ability to self-reflect and point out how our actions are ultimately self-destructive. It's not a necessarily useful ability, given how little things change, but it's nonetheless an impressive parlor trick.
 

Grandma Bates

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Climate change, Brexit, COVID-19 -- the one uniting thread of 2020 is that it's showing us in no uncertain terms that humans are emotional, illogical, tribal, short-sighted, superstitious, self-interested, petty, and mean. We've got it turned around when we assume that the best we can be -- intellectual, rational, generous, altruistic -- is the default state and that these other reactions are the aberration. Humans by default are a grab bag of primate impulses, most of them pretty nasty. We rise "above it all" only under the most fortunate of circumstances, and it's a fragile attainment, easily lost.

So my early New Year's Resolution for 2021 is to keep reminding myself that as species go, we're like a talking dog. There's no point in getting so upset when we act like selfish idiots, the surprise is that we can express any altruism at all.

People will be people. It's what we do. Consider how amazing and fantastic it is that even a few individuals have the ability to self-reflect and point out how our actions are ultimately self-destructive. It's not a necessarily useful ability, given how little things change, but it's nonetheless an impressive parlor trick.
Wow, I did not anticipate you becoming a conservative. You just need to take the final step in which "emotional, illogical, tribal, short-sighted, superstitious, self-interested, petty, and mean" is interpreted as being patriotic, but only for real members of the correct tribe.

From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Like
 
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Argent Stonecutter

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They powered through Kappa Lambda Mu Nu all the way to Omega in a week?
 
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Beebo Brink

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Here's hoping we don't need separate threads to track this in 2021.

 

Rose Karuna

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Here's hoping we don't need separate threads to track this in 2021.

It's certainly scary. I think that our society has been changed irreparably because of COVID. Many of us have changed our awareness levels and behavior. I doubt that I'll ever fly on a plane again without a mask, even if I do get the COVID vaccine. What COVID has shown us is that we are not invincible. Many of us are paying a lot more attention now to potential epidemics and pandemics. We are just lucky that COVID, while highly transmittable is not more deadly than it actually is or we'd be living "The Stand" right now. I keep watching it escalate and escalate: Overtaxed Idaho health facilities on brink of rationing care

Everything Fauci has said so far has come to be. Most of our hospitals are overrun. These are very scary times and I think we should keep an eye on this.
 

Tigar

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North American hornets kill people. These new hornets are dangerous to our bees. Also have a press worthy name.

Worried about shit killing you? Keep washing your hands.
 
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:qft:

The earliest reports of illness from Wuhan caught my attention, back in January. Not every report is going to be the start of a pandemic, but I'd rather be extra cautious than be caught unawares.
You sure did!

Death toll up to 17 (I heard 19 on NPR this morning), so I think this topic warrants a thread of its own.

Washington Post: Chinese cities cancel New Year celebrations, travel ban widens in effort to stop coronavirus outbreak
You were also correct the topic warranted a thread of its own.
 
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danielravennest

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Here's hoping we don't need separate threads to track this in 2021.

Turns out those people have high levels of nickel and lead in their blood, which points to toxins rather than a disease.
 

Rose Karuna

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<----- Rifling through the barn for the Faraday cage. 🤖

Nope, not too late for another 2020 disaster. Now the sun's decided it has indigestion and is burping up a massive CME towards earth.


Hopefully all it results in are some pretty lights in the sky.

If your favorite radio station crackles with static or your GPS strays by a few yards, it's not just another byproduct of a crazy year. The incoming solar weather can actually cause communication disruptions such as GPS positioning errors and interference within our power grid. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says that the potential exists for strong storm levels "if the magnetic field carried with the CME connects well with Earth's magnetosphere."
 
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