Short Takes – 1-15-23

Japan is reacting to Russia and China rationally. It is only the beginning. WashingtonPost.com article. Japanese counter strike capability. Pull quote: “China is in the early stages of what might be the biggest military buildup in history. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine effectively ended the post-Cold War era. Japan is reacting to those developments rationally. But beware: As the global order frays, the chain of action and reaction is only beginning.”

Mass-market military drones: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “Most important is simply its availability. US-made drones like the Reaper are more capable but costlier and subject to stiff export controls. The TB2 is there for any country that wants it.”

The James Webb Space Telescope Is Finding Too Many Early Galaxies. SkyAndTelescope.org article. New information always raises questions about current knowledge. Pull quote: “As the James Webb Space Telescope views swaths of sky spotted with distant galaxies, multiple teams have found that the earliest stellar metropolises are more mature and more numerous than expected. The results may end up changing what we know about how the first galaxies formed.”

Flood watch covers nearly all of California amid severe storms. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) asked the public to prepare for the ninth atmospheric river that is set to hit Sunday night going into Monday. He added that erosion and tree damage that will continue even after rainfall stops.”

Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy, wary opponents, prepare to work together. WashingtonPost.com article. A slightly contrarian view of the political future. Pull quote: ““Since he has become president, he hasn’t had us down very often,” McCarthy told reporters last year when asked about his relationship with Biden. “I think that will change now. Look, the election is over. I can work with anybody who wants to work to make America better.””