Short Takes – 11-23-22

Drones over D.C.: Senators alarmed over potential Chinese spy threat. Politico.com article. Pull quote: “The officials say they do not believe the swarms are directed by the Chinese government. Yet the violations by users mark a new turn in the proliferation of relatively cheap but increasingly sophisticated drones that can be used for recreation and commerce. They also come as Congress debates extending current federal authorities and adopting new ones to track the aerial vehicles as potential security threats.” Main supplier of consumer quadcopters is DJI, a Chinese company. 

Surge in outbreaks tests China's easing of zero-COVID policy. NPR.org article. Pull quote: “"This is the typical policy dilemma that the Chinese leaders face," said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. "When you relax and open up, it will lead to chaos, and when you tighten policy, it will be too rigid to allow any flexibility."” 

What will chemists do if Twitter goes down? CEN.ACS.org article. Pull quote: “The platform has democratized the chemistry discourse, some Twitter users tell C&EN; a scientist need not be well established in their career to attract a large following. Users say that visibility on Twitter has led them to new career opportunities. Twitter-based movements like #BlackInChem have challenged the scientific community’s culture, and interactions on the platform have given people a sense of belonging.” Many (survey says 41.1%) moving to Mastodon.