Stephen Hawking wants to use lasers to propel a tiny spaceship to Alpha Centauri

This animation provided by the Breakthrough Initiative shows how the planned light-propelled nanocrafts would travel to another star system. When famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and Russian tech tycoon Yuri Milner announced a $100 million hunt for alien life last year, they pledged to inject a whole lot of funding and brain power into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. At a news conference Tuesday, the duo announced another $100 million moonshot -- or more accurately a starshot. It's the latest project of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, a Silicon Valley-funded group that currently gives the biggest prizes of any scientific award. The 2015 initiative (which is still ongoing) focused on the detection of Earth-like planets and alien signals. Breakthrough Starshot will fund the development of a light-propelled nanocraft -- a spaceship just a few grams in size that would fly through space like ships in the sea, with sails pushed by the physical force of light particles instead of by wind. Its destination will be Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system. Once there, it could try to sense habitable conditions -- or even life -- on the planets. Russian tech tycoon Yuri Milner and renowned cosmologist, Professor Stephen Hawking, during a Tuesday press conference to announce a breakthrough initiative on space exploration and the search for life in the universe. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) "There's one underlying big theme, which is looking for other life in the universe," Milner told The Post. "But this initiative also has a theme of pure exploration behind it." For now, the most distant human spacecraft is Voyager 1. The spacecraft is technically in interstellar space -- beyond the edge of our own solar system -- but it's not destined for stardom. It will take 40,000 years for Voyager 1 to make its closest pass of another star, and even that brush will only bring it within 1.6 light-years of the alien sun. And even if humans are still kicking around by then, Voyager 1 will be tens of thousands of years past its expiration date. It isn't equipped to go sniffing for life in a foreign star system in any case, so the spacecraft will only help us find alien life if it pretty much crashes into their back yard and inspires them to come looking for us. Milner feels that light-propelled spacecraft might be the key. He's not the only one showing a new


computers and sensors for the spacecraft within the next decade. It's worth noting, however, that many experts say the days of this rapid computing growth are over. It's quite possible that scaling down the size of these components will take decades, if not more. The new project relies on a couple other Moore's-Law-adjacent moonshots as well. The team hopes that the rapid advancement of nanotechnology will allow engineers to create incredibly light solar sails to carry the craft, for example. And there's one more thing: Even if Milner's funding can create a spaceship tiny enough to hurtle through space with unprecedented efficiency, there's no way the power of sunlight will push it to the speeds he wants to obtain. "The sun is definitely not going to work for us here," Milner told The Post. "What you need is a much more focused beam." His solution? "A very, very light sail and a very, very big laser," Milner said. He hopes the researchers he funds can figure out how to produce laser arrays powerful enough to give the spacecraft enough of a starting shove. In theory, this is all possible. In practice, it's a long shot in the extreme. Even Milner, who insists that this "is not a crazy idea" admits there are "about a dozen problems that need to be solved." They're big problems, too. But at least now, scientists and engineers who are interested in developing this technology will have a clear (and potentially lucrative) goal. "The message that Stephen Hawking and I want to send is that for the first time ever, this is an achievable goal," Milner said. "We can stand up and talk about it. Fifteen years ago, it wouldn't have made sense to make this investment. Now we've looked at the numbers, and it does." At Tuesday's announcement, Hawking spoke of humanity's need for exploration as a driving force behind the project. "I believe what makes us unique is transcending our limits," he said. "Gravity pins us to the ground, but I just flew to America." "Today we commit to this next great leap into the cosmos because we are human and our nature is to fly," he said. There are certainly worse things than funding smaller, faster computers and thinner, more resilient nano-materials. But at the end of the day, Milner, whose net worth hovers around $3 billion, seems to be motivated most by


Sona Creamery in Capitol Hill is no more

Goodbye, Stuffed Mac n' Cheese, a creation we'll miss at the now-closed Sona Creamery and Wine Bar. (Becky Krystal/The Washington Post) Bad news, cheese fans. Sona Creamery and Wine Bar has closed. The charming eatery and cheese-maker in Capitol Hill, opened by husband-and-wife team Conan and Genevieve O'Sullivan in 2014, shut down for good on Monday, after posting a notice online that same evening: We are sad to announce we will be closing our doors Monday, April 11, 2016. After 3 years of working the regulatory chain to get raw milk in the District, and become the first cheese creamery, we were paying rent for space that wasn't supporting itself. Unfortunately, this has made it impossible to remain open. Even though Sona's concept took too long to fully implement, we are proud of what we were able to accomplish. First commercial cheese creamery in the history of DC Were able to bring first raw milk into the District since 1952 Maintained four stars on Yelp 2015 Slow Food award winner 2014 Hilly Awards runner up for best new restaurant and best new business on the Hill Numerous write ups by food writers and columns Thrillist top new DC restaurants of 2014 We are grateful for the memories and wonderful people we met along this journey. Thank you for all of your support. Sona launched its full-scale cheese-making operation just last fall, making it the first to do so in the city. We'll particularly miss the cheese-on-cheese action of its mac-and-cheese grilled cheese, which earned a spot in this year's edition of our guide to hot cheese for cold nights. [h/t City Paper] Related items: Even more hot cheese for cold nights Hot cheese for cold nights


Thought Japanese trains couldn’t get any cooler? Think again.

Train design by Kazuyo Sejima. (Courtesy of Seibu Railway Company) TOKYO — Japanese trains are already a source of wonder, with their speed and punctuality and cleanliness. But one Japanese architect is trying to take them to the next level by making trains that are almost invisible. Seibu Railway Company Sejima’s most famous buildings include the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and the Louvre-Lens in France. But she had never designed a train before. “I think the biggest difference with standard architecture is that the train is able to travel a variety of locations,” Sejima said when Seibu unveiled the plans. “The limited express travels in a variety of different sceneries, from the mountains of Chichibu, to the middle of Tokyo, and I thought it would be good if the train could gently coexist with this variety of scenery.” Since commuters will be riding the train, she wanted to make it a relaxing, comfortable place like a living room, “so that they think to themselves 'I look forward to riding that train again'.” Like Sejima’s buildings, the design is a minimalist one. The Asahi Shimbun reported that the trains had been designed with a concept "that softly blends in" with landscapes, and would be round-shaped and have a simple coating without any patterns. Seibu company aimed to express "gentleness and softness" rather than "sharpness or coolness" with its trains and wanted to create a relaxing space, the Sankei newspaper added. Seibu plans to widen the seat space and make the windows bigger, in anticipation of as more tourists, the Nikkei business newspaper reported. The company hasn't announced how much the new trains, to be manufactured by Hitachi, would cost, but Nikkei estimates the company will invest about $90 million in the new trains. Seibu wants 56 cars, made of aluminum, for seven trains that will start operating in 2018. The company has previously worked with another famous designer — Kengo Kuma, architect of a new national stadium being built for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His dining cars, dubbed “52 seats of happiness,” is due to debut on Sunday. The four coaches will feature Japanese washi paper and wood on the ceilings and will have seasonal scenes on their outsides, the Japan Times reported. Yuki Oda contributed reporting.


Does Thomas the Tank Engine really need diversity?

To that end, they introduced a purple-skinned, orange-nosed, precocious, 6-year-old girl named Zari. In one upcoming episode, she'll interview a doctor because she is interested in becoming one herself. The fabric that she wears is made up of designs representing the country's four main ethnic groups (Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek). She is one of a growing cast of Sesame Street characters in places like India, South Africa and Egypt, whose lessons go beyond basic arithmetic and spelling and into weightier questions that confront young audiences in those countries (though they are typically slightly older than the average American Cookie Monster fan). Despite the noble goals, some see sinister motives. For instance, the conservative blog Breitbart introduced its readers to Zari on Twitter with the following headline: NOT THE ONION — Sesame Street Unveils Hijab-Clad Muppet ‘Zari,’ a Feminist from Afghanistan https://t.co/gtdJSMM4SV https://t.co/qlMQsoGs4l Comments on that article and across the Internet mocked the idea that feminism can exist, or be heard of, in Afghanistan. They speculated how long it will take for her to be sentenced to death by stoning. They construed the hijab as a symbol of oppression, not as something that Afghan girls might recognize and relate to (not to mention that Zari will only wear hers to school). While some on the far right are up in arms about Zari, others to the left seem more perturbed by Thomas the Tank Engine's multicultural makeover, especially in light of its perceived delay in awakening from a colonial-era mind-set. The primary concern is that, while well-intentioned, the new characters seem to perfectly embody old tropes about people in the countries from which they hail. Here are some of the words used in the marketing material for the film in which the new characters debut: Clockwise from top left: Yong Bao of China, Vinnie of North America, Frieda of Germany, and Ashima of India. (Mattel Creations) Ashima, of India: Gina, of Italy: Frieda, of Germany: Yong Bao, of China: Carlos, of Mexico: Shane, of Australia: And, finally, Racing Vinnie: "All the way from North America, this big engine is not to be messed with. He is big and strong but his competitive nature could be his downfall." I wonder which country in North America Vinnie belongs to. Christopher Keenan, a senior vice president at Mattel Creation overseeing the release of the film, titled "The Great Race," told WorldViews in an


Federal hiring, fixed before, needs fixing again

(James Lawler Duggan/Reuters) Back in 2010, after the Office of Personnel Management revamped USAJobs, the government’s employment website, John Berry, then the OPM director, said fixing federal hiring “is probably the most important legacy item I will accomplish.” Not to disappoint Berry, but while his legacy remains, the system needs fixing again. Berry, now ambassador to Australia, ushered in a series of federal hiring fixes with President Obama’s strong backing. Like a six-year-old car, however, things don’t always stay fixed. Recognizing that, a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee held an informal discussion Tuesday on the hiring system and USAJobs in particular. “I appreciate the millions of great Americans who choose to serve their neighbors as federal employees, especially when you understand the incredible challenge it is to just get through the hiring process,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), chairman of the regulatory affairs and federal management subcommittee. “In recent years, our government has struggled to recruit and keep the best talent, often because of problems with outdated technology, privacy and centralized models for hiring.” It’s a struggle Uncle Sam is not winning, according to Linda E. Brooks Rix, co-chief executive of Avue Technologies, a private firm that works on federal personnel matters. She called the federal hiring process “a deeply broken mess.” Her description of USAJobs sounds like a detention camp for miscreants: “USAJOBS has become home to a seething group of confused and angry job seekers and fulfills a main purpose for a limited set of people desperately seeking any kind of employment or those who don’t really know what job they want.” That certainly is not fair to those who launched more than 1 billion USAJobs searches in 2015. Mark D. Reinhold, an OPM associate director, said 11 million account holders filed more than 22 million applications for federal employment openings. While promoting USAJobs as “a one-stop shop” for federal jobs, Reinhold gave a nod to the system’s problems, saying OPM is helping “agencies confront difficulties in hiring.” Reinhold said his agency recognizes the “frustration for applicants when they do not receive up-to-date feedback from hiring agencies, and to address this we are working to help agencies streamline processes and cut down on the time it takes to fill federal positions.” While Rix’s depiction goes too far, it does reflect a growing dismay with a hiring system that apparently was not fixed as well as Berry


Scientists want to curb prosthetic-leg cheating before technology sprints too far

(Washington Post illustration/iStock) Long before Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder, he was in court for the right to run alongside non-disabled athletes. He prevailed despite fears that his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs gave him an unfair advantage, becoming the first runner with prosthetic limbs to compete internationally against runners without disabilities. Pistorius’s situation raised questions about the implications of using technology to help achieve athletic greatness. Those can apply to other disabled athletes, too, and now engineers are proposing new guidelines to keep prosthetic leg users honest. Bryce Dyer He knew it wouldn’t be easy. “It’s an impossible problem to deal with,” he admits, “but you can’t ignore it either.” Because the field of prosthetics is advancing so rapidly, he says, it’s hard to quantify what’s even out there, much less regulate it. Only in recent years has prosthetic design evolved past mere comfort. Dyer opted for a more-is-better approach. First, he looked at performance data from the men’s 100 meter sprint event at Paralympic games between 1976 and 2012 as a way of establishing how far prosthetic technology has come. When he compared that data to data from the same distance event at the Olympic Games, he found consistent performance improvements on the part of disabled athletes. Next, Dyer tried to come up with a consensus on how prosthetics should be used by disabled runners. He recruited an expert panel that included spectators of disability sports, individuals who design, fit or service prosthetics, governing bodies' members, academics and disabled athletes themselves and asked them what they thought about prosthetics in competition. The process resulted in guidelines that could regulate future use of prosthetic limbs, primarily by addressing how such limbs should compare to athletes’ biological lower limbs. The measure is restored, not enhanced, functionality. Armed with those proposed guidelines, Dyer began watching footage of Paralympic games, analyzing the gait of winning sprinters and showing that even those who crossed the finish line first still exhibited some randomized asymmetry in their stride. All that analysis -- about the perceptions and realities of runners with prosthetic limbs -- led to Dyer proposing a way to evaluate prostheses through drop jumps. Officials, he says, could require athletes to jump down from a platform, land on their (prosthetic) foot or feet and immediately jump vertically or horizontally -- the same method used to assess the sprinting capability of runners without disabilities. It's nearly


could regulate future use of prosthetic limbs, primarily by addressing how such limbs should compare to athletes’ biological lower limbs. The measure is restored, not enhanced, functionality. Armed with those proposed guidelines, Dyer began watching footage of Paralympic games, analyzing the gait of winning sprinters and showing that even those who crossed the finish line first still exhibited some randomized asymmetry in their stride. All that analysis -- about the perceptions and realities of runners with prosthetic limbs -- led to Dyer proposing a way to evaluate prostheses through drop jumps. Officials, he says, could require athletes to jump down from a platform, land on their (prosthetic) foot or feet and immediately jump vertically or horizontally -- the same method used to assess the sprinting capability of runners without disabilities. It's nearly impossible to cheat on such a test: With or without prosthetic limbs, runners have no way of manipulating the effect of gravity. But drop jumps could help officials evaluate prosthetic limbs’ performance with statistical reliability. “Medals could be won or lost based purely on the kind of limbs [an athlete is] using,” Dyer says. “A lot of these philosophical arguments about fairness are going to come into question again in a few months time” when the Olympics return. There’s no telling what is next in the world of super-powered athletic prosthetics, in his view. He thinks we’re in a golden age of prosthetic technology -- with everything from elective amputations to genetic athletic modification closer than you might think. Prosthetics, which are usually custom-made for elite athletes, are far more complicated than a pair of running shoes. And that’s precisely the point, he says. Because the equipment used by elite runners with disabilities is so specialized, “things could change really quickly.” That’s even more reason to pause and look ahead to the next Pistorius-like controversy, even as disabled athletes sprint toward their next great achievements. Erin Blakemore (@heroinebook) is a freelance journalist from Boulder, Colo. She is the author of "The Heroine’s Bookshelf" (Harper). Read More: 1,500-year-old skeleton with prosthetic foot found in Austria New prosthetic arm can restore lost sense of touch, DARPA claims Scientists made cutting edge ‘smart skin’ with Post-its, foil and tape Marvel gave its amputee superhero prosthetic legs — with the help of an Iraq War vet A paralyzed woman flew an F-35 fighter jet in a simulator — using only her mind


Regulators reject plans of 5 big U.S. banks for preventing another taxpayer bailout

This 2013 file photo shows the headquarters of JP Morgan Chase on Park Avenue in New York. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images) In the six years since Congress passed aggressive Wall Street overhauls, regulators have implemented thousands of pages of new rules aimed at preventing another taxpayer bailout of “too big to fail” banks. But, so far, the task is proving a tough challenge. Five of the country’s largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, still do not have credible plans for winding down their operations without taxpayer help if they start to fail, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Wednesday. The banks, which control trillions of dollars in assets, have until October to submit new “living wills” — detailed bankruptcy plans that eliminate concerns that taxpayers could be left on the hook if they fail. If those plans still are not “credible,” the regulators could eventually force the banks to sell off units or close lines of business. These living wills are a critical requirement of the 2010 financial-reform legislation, Dodd-Frank, aimed at preventing a repeat of the taxpayer bailouts that took place during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Congress demanded that big banks regularly submit detailed contingency plans. But regulators found various problems with the plans submitted by Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon, JPMorgan Chase, State Street and Wells Fargo. The rejection will probably add fuel to the debate over whether U.S. banks are still too big to fail. The issue has taken center stage in the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, the senator from Vermont who has called for breaking up the big banks. “This announcement is a very big deal. It’s scary,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a statement. “And it means that, unless these banks promptly address the concerns identified by the regulators, the government must push these banks to get smaller and less complex.” Regulators found shortcomings with Bank of America’s plan, for example, to dismantle its portfolio of derivatives, financial instruments investors can use to make bets. JPMorgan, the country’s largest bank, does not have a credible plan for keeping money flowing through its businesses during a bankruptcy, the regulators said. “Obviously, we were disappointed,” Marianne Lake, the chief financial officer of JPMorgan, said during a conference call with investors Wednesday. “The most important thing is that we work with our regulators to understand their feedback


U.S. officials: The more we know about Zika, the scarier it is

U.S. health officials say the spread and impact of the Zika virus is wider than initially anticipated, but plan to have the first vaccine candidate for the virus in September. Brazilian scientists studying 151 patients who recently sought help at a local hospital for symptoms similar to those caused by Zika have made a worrisome discovery — that the virus may be associated with a second serious brain issue in adults. Maria Lucia Brito Ferreira, a doctor at Restoration Hospital in Recife, Brazil, wrote in an abstract to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting this week and next that two of the patients experienced swelling of the brain and spinal cord that involved the myelin, or coating, around nerve fibers. They were diagnosed as having acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, which is so similar to multiple sclerosis that many practitioners have trouble distinguishing between the two. The condition is a brief but intense attack that often follows viral or bacterial infections. The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke characterizes the long-term prognosis after ADEM as “generally favorable.” However, some patients may have mild to moderate impairment, including cognitive difficulties or vision loss, for the rest of their lives. In rare cases, the condition can be fatal. Clothes are seen hanging on clotheslines as a Cuban military reservist fumigates a house as part of the preventive measures against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases in Havana, Cuba. (Reuters/Ivan Alvarado) Ferreira was cautious in interpreting those preliminary findings, emphasizing that most people who experience nervous system problems with Zika do not have brain symptoms and that a definitive causal link between Zika and the ADEM has not been made. “However, our study may shed light on possible lingering effects the virus may be associated with in the brain,” she said. The epidemic of Zika continues to spread through the Americas, and the results of a wide scope of research only point to its increasingly grim potential. The most devastating consequences are for pregnant women, given the damage the virus is suspected of inflicting on a fetus. In one of the first studies that sheds light on exactly how Zika attacks, researcher Patricia Garcez of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro took human neural stem cells and infected them with virus taken from a Brazilian patient. Neural stem cells — which are able to turn


Garcez and her team. Images show a massive die-off of the stem cells, as well as greatly diminished growth for tissue used as part of a second experiment. The team concluded that it appears Zika “targets” human brain cells. The cells they examined by electron microscope were misshapen and necrotic. The research adds to the understanding of how the virus appears to be linked to the thousands of babies in Brazil who are being born with microcephaly, a condition marked by an abnormally small head and, in many cases, brain defects. At the White House on Monday, top federal health officials did not play down the latest developments. “Most of what we’ve learned is not reassuring,” said Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.” She said the virus has been linked to a broader set of complications in pregnancy — not just microcephaly, but premature birth and eye problems, among others. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the mounting neurological evidence about possible harm regardless of age “very serious.” Health officials expressed concern about Zika’s association with a different neurological condition known as Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves, sometimes leading to paralysis. Ferreira’s research involved tracking people seen December 2014 to June 2015 who came to the hospital with a fever followed by a rash. Six people in the group experienced neurological issues, and all were confirmed to have Zika but no related viruses. Four had Guillain-Barré, and two had ADEM. This post has been updated. Like our Health Wellness page on Facebook for more science news about the ins and outs of the human body and mind, essays and advice. You can sign up here for our newsletter. Read more: Frightening images show the insidious way Zika appears to attack babies' brains Cornell study finds some people may be genetically programmed to be vegetarians Mom’s and — surprise! — dad’s pre-pregnancy caffeine intake may affect miscarriage risk, NIH study warns Brain-zapping gadgets promise to make you a better you — smarter, stronger, even happier Beyond Zika: The map of things that keep NIH’s infectious diseases director up at night U.S. details 9 Zika pregnancies: 2 abortions, 2 miscarriages, 1 baby with 'severe microcephaly'


Meet Lockheed’s Outpost, a habitat for the ‘proving ground’ of space

crew of four essentially two rooms of space. The idea is to help develop the “next steps in the proving ground on the way to Mars,” Pratt said. Not that the Outpost could go to Mars. Orion can only sustain four astronauts for 21 days on its own. But the idea is to practice launching and staying in deep space in preparation for a Mars journey. “The moon is an ideal place to practice,” Pratt said at the Space Symposium here, where Lockheed is showing off the Outpost. “It’s far enough away that you can't just push a button and come home in an emergency. You have to be more self-sufficient and able to troubleshoot problems without having to rely on the ground control." But much of the plan in is still in the conceptual stages, existing only in models and an artists’ conceptual rendering that can’t be missed near the restroom at the convention hall here. The program doesn’t have the significant funding it would need to move forward. A specific destination for the Outpost hasn’t yet been decided. And the Space Launch System rocket that would launch Orion, and many of the parts of the Outpost, isn’t slated to take its first test unmanned flight until 2018. The first manned mission of the SLS and Orion won’t be until 2021 at the earliest and could possibly be delayed until 2023. Lockheed’s Outpost is just one of the options NASA is considering under what it calls its NextSTEP program. Orbital ATK, Boeing, and Bigelow Aerospace also are part of the public-private partnership. Bigelow’s BEAM habitat was recently flown to the space station, where it should soon be attached and inflated. As part of the program, NASA is also working with industry to develop advancements in propulsion and small satellites. Unlike Bigelow’s collapsible habitat, which is made of a Kevlar-like material that is inflated with air, Lockheed’s Outpost is a fixed metal structure that looks like a barrel. It would have a propulsion module that would allow it to maneuver in space. In Lockheed’s plan, Orion would ferry the astronauts to the habitat. The Outpost would have sleeping bags that would possibly hang from bungee cords. Or the crew could also sleep in Orion, which has a galley and advanced life-support system. It also could be used as a shelter to protect astronauts in the case of high radiation events.


The most important mystery about U.S. climate change policy

In this June 12, 2014 photo, oil pumps and natural gas burn off in Watford City, N.D. Many companies drilling for shale oil flare natural gas because they do not have the incentives or pipeline infrastructure to capture the gas found along with crude oil. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) On the surface, it looks like extraordinarily good news. The United States is burning less coal — less of the fuel that contributes the most carbon dioxide to the atmosphere when burned. Instead, we’re swapping in cleaner burning natural gas, which could serve as a “bridge” to an era in which wind and solar provide the bulk of the nation’s power. And carbon dioxide emissions are already lower as a result. Yet there’s a nagging problem here that just won’t go away. Environmentalists have charged for some time that the fracking boom — the rise in unconventional natural gas that is the key driver of all of this — has a dark underbelly. Natural gas’s principal component is methane, which is also a greenhouse gas. And if it gets to the atmosphere unburned, it has a much larger warming effect than carbon dioxide does, over a period of about 10 years. So if there are enough leaks from the new wave of unconventional oil and gas drilling operations, it is possible to substantially undermine the climate benefits that accrue from less burning of coal — and moreover, to do so over the crucial next few decades, when all the key changes have to be made if there’s any hope of averting the worst climate damage. Recent events and recent science alike are now forcing this issue. The Aliso Canyon natural gas leak near Los Angeles was simply enormous, pouring nearly 100,000 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere. It was the “largest methane leak in U.S. history,” according to a recent report by the scientific advisory panel of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition, a group of countries and partners trying to reduce emissions of short-lived climate change pollutants, such as methane. Similarly, a recently released infrared camera survey, conducted by helicopter, of some 8,000 U.S. oil and gas well pads in a number of high producing regions found leaks at 327 pads, or 4 percent overall. It concluded that the EPA “may be underestimating” emissions caused by oil and gas tanks on these sites in particular. Meanwhile, still more recent


What the Panama Papers don’t say about global finance is just as troubling

as breadwinners for their families in poorer nations are paying more to send them money through informal channels. In the private sector and among nonprofit groups, some worry that rules issued by the U.S. government, along with the European Union and a 35-nation body called the Financial Action Task Force, are making the problem worse. Regulators must balance "restrictions that you want to put in place to keep the bad guys out" against "restrictions so strong that you keep the good guys out, too," argued Rob Rowe, a vice president at the American Bankers Association. "There's no easy answer." The Obama administration contends that the problem of innocent clients being denied financial services on account of where they do business is limited to a few jurisdictions. Officials say global finance is becoming more interconnected in general, with more money going to developing countries overall. Also, banks might have good reasons for closing their books in some countries, said Adam Szubin, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, at a conference last year. The United States is now becoming one of the world’s largest tax and secrecy havens. Here's why. "We recognize that reduced access could impede the flow of money for a family member in need," Szubin said, but he added, "We don't yet see evidence of systemic retrenchment -- and even if we truly are seeing some consolidation, we have not yet identified its scope." A few cases have made international headlines. Diplomats at the Angolan Embassy in Washington found that Bank of America had closed all of their accounts in 2010, forcing the State Department to intervene. In 2013, Barclays terminated its relationships with about 250 firms that were handling remittances to Somalia, where Oxfam estimates that close to half the population relies on money sent from relatives abroad to meet their basic needs. Barclays did not say exactly why the accounts were closed, but some experts said the banks were concerned that their customers could be using the money for illicit purposes. Banks must comply with U.S. and international rules designed to prevent their clients from avoiding taxes, laundering money, circumventing sanctions or financing terrorism. These rules generally require banks to be sure that their customers are who they say they are. That can be a challenge in the developing world, where many governments don't issue official identification -- and when clients do present documents, tellers might


This unusual test reveals how smart you are

the numbers. About 28 percent of them said they rolled a four, which is statistically improbable. And only 7 percent of them admitted to rolling a two. What’s also interesting is how the smart people lied differently. The low-intelligence liars overwhelmingly went big — most of them claimed they rolled a six, which gave them the highest payoff. But the high-intelligence liars were more modest. They were more likely to lie and say they rolled a four or a five. There are two mysteries here. First, why were the less intelligent people more likely to lie? Second, why were the smarter liars so sheepish about going for the maximum payoff? Ruffle and Tobol believe that more intelligent people may be more cautious about the consequences of lying. Dishonesty can make a situation better in the short term, but who knows what will happen down the road, especially if the lie eventually comes out? “[W]hile everyone is aware of the gain from telling a lie in a given situation, higher cognitive-ability types may be more aware or better able to assess the expected costs,” the researchers say in their report. In this case, for instance, the smarter people might have been more suspicious of the whole setup. They might have guessed that this was a game to test their honesty. They might have wondered if there was a camera watching them in the supposedly private booth (there wasn’t). They might have suspected that there would be some secret punishment for lying. It’s also possible that the smarter people are also more concerned with their self-image. This could explain the second mystery. Perhaps more intelligent people take pleasure in thinking of themselves as honest, upstanding citizens. They might lie a little — zhuzh their numbers up a point or two — but they would avoid making a big lie in order to preserve a little bit of self respect. “[One possibility is that] subjects who score high on the cognitive tests recognize that inflating their report to the maximum possible outcome of 6 forces them to confront the reality that they are cheaters,” Ruffle and Tobol write. There’s a more sinister explanation too. This die-rolling honesty game was invented by researchers in Germany, who first ran the experiment on Swiss university students. They found the same pattern of partial cheating that the Israeli researchers observed among their smarter test subjects. The Swiss


The best spots in D.C. for Dates 1, 2 and 3

most other gelato spots offer sorbet as well, so it’s vegan-friendly, too. Start at the Dolcezza in Dupont or Georgetown, then meander through the neighborhood. From the Dupont location, on Connecticut Avenue, walk a few blocks northwest to the Spanish Steps, on 22nd Street, between Decatur Place and S Street NW. It’s quiet and shaded, there aren’t many tourists, and the nearby embassies are a conversational cue to talk about recent travel or countries on your bucket list. You can stop there, or continue through Mitchell Park and on up to Kalorama and Walter Pierce parks. If you’re starting at the Dolcezza in Georgetown, the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens are less than a mile away and offer a similar romantic, yet low-key vibe. Entry fee is $10 for adults. And remember, physical activity that gets the heart rate going can facilitate bonding. It’s hard to do that at a bar. Dolcezza Spanish Steps Dumbarton Oaks (Simone Massoni for The Washington Post) SECOND DATE: Have a drink, mixed with some friendly competition. Like Tryst, one of my old standbys, Colony Club straddles the line between coffee shop and bar, and succeeds at both. The Park View spot starts serving beer, wine and cocktails at 5 p.m. (except on Sundays, which are dry). Grab a drink and a light snack at the bar and, once you’re ready, venture upstairs for table tennis. You can make the game a little more interesting by turning it into a challenge: Every time someone loses a point, he or she shares a fact about themselves. For example, I learned that a recent date is one of eight kids, enjoys taking baths and, as a child, thought he would play professional basketball. Offering up random facts can be a nice change of pace from volleying questions back and forth, like on a regular first or second date. If your date is a sore loser or a total dud, you can call it a game, set, not a match and part here. Or head a few blocks west to grab a bite and another drink at the intimate, dimly lit Room 11. Colony Club Room 11 (Simone Massoni for The Washington Post) THIRD DATE: Go ahead and make dinner reservations. If you’re going on a third date, you’re probably pretty interested in each other. While first or second dates are often framed as the ambiguous “let’s get drinks,” which


3 road trips from D.C. that promise great food and a good night’s sleep

Trevor says. “There’s a lot of intricate custom woodwork we’ve done ourselves, and we made the tables, the booths, the chairs.” The food at the restaurant, located on the first floor, complements the rustic surroundings with a French flair. Using ingredients from surrounding farms, chef Stalnaker whips up plates including steak au poivre vert — made with a brandy and green peppercorn sauce — and house-smoked brisket served with homemade BBQ sauce. Eat up, because regardless of the season, you’ll want to head outside and explore. “Wake up, pick a direction, and you can spend the whole day doing something outdoors,” Trevor says. He’s not exaggerating: The inn is within driving distance of four ski resorts and the Canaan Valley, where you’ll find plenty of hiking, rock climbing and water sports at your fingertips. “A number of our guests make return plans before they even leave.” Joshua Wilton House Chef Brian Brogan taps nearby farms for his French-inspired fare. (Photo courtesy of Joshua Wilton House) 412 South Main St., Harrisonburg, Va.; 540-434-4464, joshuawilton.com. Be thankful you don’t handle the books for this Victorian mansion-turned-B&B. “We work with over 60 local farmers,” says general manager Brad Reese. “It makes bookkeeping a nightmare, but it’s worth it.” The diverse, near-obsessive sourcing means only top-notch meat and produce hits your plate, including pork from Autumn Olive Farms and organic poultry from Polyface Farms. Run by chef Brian Bogan, the kitchen serves Southern classics with a French twist, such as duck breast served with lentils, country ham and a duck confit bon bon. Upstairs, you’ll find five inn rooms decorated with country chic details like floral wallpaper and carved wooden bed frames. Each has views of Harrisonburg, Va. — the city at the heart of the Shenandoah Valley and the home to James Madison University. Explore around the historic campus and you’ll find independently owned boutiques, cafes and breweries. More outdoorsy types can head to a handful of hiking trails (or the Appalachian Trail 18 miles away, if you’re feeling adventurous), ski slopes at the nearby Massanutten Resort or tours of local farms, where you might recognize some ingredients from Joshua Wilton’s menu. Other ways to hit the road: 5 daytrips from D.C. that take 2 hours or less by car, train or bus Three food-focused road trips to take this spring Road trip inspiration: Bonnie Blue Southern Market and Bakery in Winchester, Va.


Met Opera announces Levine’s departure, long overdue

James Levine in 2010, conducting seated during his short-lived tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Health reasons have finally led the Metropolitan Opera to announce that after 40 years Levine will end his music director tenure there, as well. (AP Photo/ Boston Symphony Orchestra, Josh Reynolds) It came not with a bang but a whimper. James Levine, the conductor who led the Metropolitan Opera and its orchestra to new heights of excellence; who did so much to keep vivid the works of Verdi, reanimate Berg, and add languorous length to Wagner; who worked so closely and so thoughtfully with countless great singers over the course of his 40-year tenure, will retire at the end of this season, according to a press release the Met sent out on Thursday afternoon. And alas, this news will be greeted not with shock but with a chorus of, “If only it hadn’t taken him so long.” Levine’s brilliant tenure has been overshadowed, in recent years, by a string of health problems that only seemed to be reported after there was no further denying the persistent rumors (not until this season, for instance, has the Met officially conceded that the “benign form of Parkinsonism” he has been suffering from for years is, in fact, Parkinson’s disease). It wasn’t just the illnesses, but the constant alternation between concealment and an excess of revelation that kept so much attention focused on them and away from the music. Taking his boss, Peter Gelb, to his own doctor’s appointment, and having that reported in the New York Times, marked a particular extreme in what in Internet-speak is known as TMI, after months and years of excessive secrecy. [From 2012: The return of the native: Levine back at Met?] Hanging on too long has had all kinds of consequences. Had Levine left the Met five or ten years ago – say in 2006, when an onstage fall at the end of a performance during his short-lived directorship of the Boston Symphony Orchestra triggered the start of an odyssey of health problems – he would now be remembered mainly as the steward of some of the glory years of America’s leading opera company. Today, however, the Met is struggling with its identity and its box office – sales for some performances are said to be abysmal — and Levine’s often merely nominal tenure in recent years has only


Obama’s top generals are mostly white men. Could the system picking them change?

the general’s father, Domingos Trindade Selva, said in an interview last year. But Portuguese Americans frequently are not considered minorities, and advocacy groups representing them asked the Census Bureau not to identify them as Hispanic, according to a 2014 Census Bureau report. Among current combatant commanders, who each oversee operations in a specific geographic region or specialty, there’s a bit more diversity. The retiring chief of U.S. Central Command, Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, was the first black officer to hold that position. Another black officer, Adm. Cecil Haney, has led U.S. Strategic Command since 2013, and the officer leading U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Harry Harris Jr., is Japanese American. Air Force Gen. Darren W. McDew, a black man, also took over for Selva as the head of Transportation Command last summer. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the retiring commander of U.S. Central Command, was one of the military’s most senior black officers ever. (Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images) Additionally, Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson was recently nominated to take over U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which would make her the first woman to ever run a combatant command. Obama, speaking at the University of Chicago, said last week that he had a “really interesting conversation” recently while meeting with the Joint Chiefs and combatant commanders about what is occurring. It’s unclear, he noted, how much of the lack of diversity is due to young black, Hispanic and female officers is due to their immediate superior not mentoring them or them being steered into positions that are less likely to lead to advancement. “If a lot of those folks are going in as enlisted men and women, because that’s the opportunity that was presented to them and nobody told them they could apply to West Point, what are we doing to find outstanding enlisteds, and saying, you’d make a good officer and we’re going to groom you?” Obama said. The president said that discussions like that are “not as satisfying” as appointing a specific person to fill an opening, but can lead to broad-based change. “That’s something that I really care deeply about because, just as is true in the military, it’s true generally,” Obama said. “Look, our society is changing. You cannot have a successful America if we are leaving out big chunks of the population from opportunity and leadership. It just doesn’t work.” CLARIFICATION, April 18:


Md. added more jobs in March than any other state, and N. Va. topped D.C. region

economist who focuses on Maryland, the temporary spike is likely due to the warm weather. Construction sites that laid dormant during Washington’s frigid February started moving again, he says, causing the D.C. metropolitan area to tack on about 12,100 new jobs in that sector. But even if March was an anomaly for Maryland, the state economy’s performance over the last year has been strong: Suburban Maryland added just over 30,000 jobs in the one-year period ending in March. “Job growth presently in Maryland is as good as it has been during any point this century,” Basu said. “You’d have to go back to [the year] 2000 to see a bigger year-over-year jump in jobs in Maryland.” When taken as a percentage of where it was a year ago, the rate of growth in Maryland is stronger even than Northern Virginia. But when you look at the absolute number of jobs added, Northern Virginia is still the region’s strongest magnet for jobs. Northern Virginia added 42,400 jobs in the last 12 months, and unemployment in the state ticked down a 10th of a percentage point to 4 percent. That’s the lowest the jobless rate since the state’s pre-recession glory days, and among the lowest unemployment anywhere in the country. The good news on Virginia’s unemployment front is tempered by the fact that fewer people are looking for jobs. The size of the labor force declined slightly in March for the second month in a row. By contrast, Maryland’s 4.7 percent unemployment rate was unchanged despite a sizable increase in the number of job-seekers, suggesting more people are finding work in the state. The District’s unemployment rate remain stable at 6.5 percent, compared to a national average of 5 percent. D.C. added 2,400 jobs in March. In a departure from past jobs reports, the combined strength of jobs in retail, construction, hospitality and leisure – industries fueled mainly by consumer spending – outstripped the professional and business services category that includes government contractors. Those jobs tend to pay less than the highly-specialized technology jobs that often flow federal spending. Still, jobs in professional and business services added a respectable 24,100 jobs regionally over the past year. It’s the middle of the spectrum that seems to be suffering. “About two thirds of the jobs we’re adding are below the mean and the rest are above,” said Fuller. “But the middle has hollowed out.”


More and more doctors want to make marijuana legal

they knew as "cannabis," which they used to treat a variety of ailments from corns to poor appetite. In subsequent years, physicians were just as susceptible to lurid media reports about the supposed dangers of marijuana use and the "Reefer Madness" era as anyone else. Like most mainstream medical groups, the AMA is now opposed to the outright legalization of marijuana, calling it a "dangerous drug" and "a public health concern." But the group's stance has evolved in recent years. It recently added language to its position statements calling for "the modification of state and federal laws to emphasize public health based strategies," rather than punitive, incarceration-based measures. The group now encourages research into the drug, and has called on federal authorities to make it easier to do so. Doctors often find themselves acting as mediators between patients who want access to marijuana for medical purposes, and a federal bureaucracy that still considers the drug illegal for all purposes. "Physicians are put in the awkward position with respect to individuals who ask for a marijuana recommendation, but otherwise would be perfectly happy purchasing the drug in a retail environment," Nathan said. "We believe that the best way to improve the situation is to enact full legalization with smart regulation. That would more clearly separate medical from personal use." Products made with marijuana are displayed for sale at a licensed medical cannabis dispensary in Canton, Ill. (Seth Perlman/AP) Not all medical professionals are happy about relaxing attitudes toward what they see as a dangerous, addictive drug. The notion of doctors advocating for marijuana legalization is "totally idiotic," said Robert DuPont, who served as the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and as the second White House drug czar, in an interview. "The idea that we cannot manage the health problems related to marijuana because it's illegal, that doctors are somehow inhibited from dealing with marijuana use and marijuana problems, is completely wrong." "The idea that legalizing is going to stop the illegal market is equally stupid," he added. DuPont thinks that the current legal status of marijuana is sufficient to address the risks associated with marijuana use, and that punitive measures for drug sellers and users can be a powerful tool for helping at-risk people get treatment. "The criminal justice system is a wonderful vehicle for getting people into treatment and recovery," he said. Other physicians would like


8 times other animals wanted freedom as much as Inky the octopus

was briefly one of Washington’s most wanted. (Smithsonian National Zoo via AP) In the steamy summer of 2013, Rusty the red panda was a new kid in town, having come just weeks before from a children’s zoo in Nebraska. And he evidently wanted to explore the nation’s capital. He slipped out of the Smithsonian National Zoo on a Monday morning and immediately became the talk of the town (and the subject of a question at a White House news conference). But shortly after lunchtime, he’d been done in by Twitter: A family spotted him in Adam’s Morgan and tweeted his photo, then called the zoo. Zoo and Washington Humane Society personnel found him in a tree and nudged him with a pole into a safety net. In January 2014, he was transferred to the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., so he could mate with a fellow local red panda, Shama, in private. He’s now a father of three. The zoo said it didn’t know how he’d escaped. “He’s a young … male, and we all know how young males like to test their boundaries,” zoo curator Brandie Smith said. The llamas of Arizona In 2015, two llamas bolted upon arrival at a therapy visit to a former llama rancher living at a retirement center near Phoenix. A third llama, which must have been the obedient one, stayed behind when the trailer opened. The daring duo darted in and out of traffic in Sun City —” disobeying pedestrian and vehicular laws,” according to the Arizona Republic — as the nation watched livestreams of their O.J.-like flight, and the Twittersphere lighted up with updates on the #llamadrama. The Post devoted six reporters to the story. The llamas were rounded up by onlookers after an hour, but their fame has lived on (and maybe inspired others of their kind). The bull from Queens A bull that escaped a New York City slaughterhouse got taken in by comedian Jon Stewart. (Reuters) Just this month, a black-and-white Angus bull destined for slaughter decided to make a bid for freedom. He escaped from a livestock holding area and raced down a busy thoroughfare. Trouble was, he was in Jamaica, Queens, where there’s neither a wide open horizon nor a dense forest good for concealing a one-ton body. Still, the bull headed for the closest thing around to a pasture — the green lawns


Why are some nations’ citizens more likely to cheat on their taxes? What we found surprised us.

and Italy.” Do people from different countries have different levels of “ordinary honesty,” as measured by their tendency to underreport income for tax purposes? We tested about 300 participants in both Sweden and Italy — and we were surprised. We found no significant difference between the propensity of Swedes and Italians to cheat on taxes. Average reported income by round and nationality However, when we dug down a little, we did find important differences in what kind of dishonesty is seen across the two countries. People might be completely honest (paying all their taxes), completely dishonest (paying none of them), or they might be partly dishonest, paying more than nothing but less than they owe. The average result was the same, but the behavior was very different. Our findings suggest that Swedes are more likely to be either completely honest or completely dishonest, whereas Italians are more likely to partake in what Dan Ariely describes as “fudging,” or moderately dishonest behavior. Participants who fudged also were more likely to be dishonest with themselves about their behavior during the experiment. Of the fudgers in our survey, 18 percent indicated that they reported their full income. On the other hand, none of those who were completely dishonest said that they reported their full income. This last finding fits nicely with evidence from Ariely (2012) and Shahar Ayal and Francesca Gino’s social psychological research (2011) showing that individuals choose fudging strategies to maintain a positive moral reputation and self-image. For example, one might be able to maintain a positive reputation and self-image while neglecting to ask for a receipt, because in certain societies norms might actually encourage this type of behavior. The absence of a receipt means a company can opt not to report the sale or service and would then not pay tax on the unreported income Compare this, however, to the reputational consequences of parking your money in Panama. Maybe we should ask the prime minister of Iceland. So Italians and Swedes have about the same average level of compliance with taxes. However, when we look beyond the averages, we find differences by country. Italians are more inclined to fudge their taxes. This might seem harmless on an individual level, but this type of moderately dishonest behavior is particularly hard to control. And it adds up. Moderate dishonesty can be harder to police than outright fraud — but hurts society just


The government spent $18 million destroying marijuana plants last year

The Drug Enforcement Administration's controversial cannabis eradication program continued apace in 2015, new numbers released by the administration show. In 2015, local, state and federal authorities uprooted roughly 4.1 million cultivated marijuana plants in all 50 states, down slightly from the haul of 4.3 million plants in 2014. Federal spending on the program remained at $18 million dollars, consistent with levels seen in previous years. That works out to a cost-per-plant of $4.42, up slightly from a cost of $4.20 per plant in 2014 (yes, really). The DEA's program provides funding to 128 state and local law enforcement agencies to aggressively search for, seize and destroy illegal marijuana grows across the country. Much of the money for the program comes from the Justice Department's asset forfeiture fund, a controversial program in its own right. In many states, the eradication program money is used to fund aerial operations involving helicopters scouring the countryside for marijuana. Sometimes, overzealous or untrained officers seize perfectly legal plants, like okra, mistaking them for marijuana. Last year, a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) tried to pass legislation to redirect marijuana eradication funds to perhaps more productive uses, such as domestic violence prevention programs. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful, and Lieu is dismayed to see the program continue. "Marijuana needs to be removed from Schedule I classification, and DEA should stop this wasteful program," he said via email. Indeed, eradication programs continued last year in states such as Washington and Oregon that have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use. While full state breakdowns aren't yet available, a DEA spokesman said that just under 36,000 marijuana plants were destroyed in Washington last year at a cost to federal taxpayers of about $950,000, or roughly $26 per plant. The DEA did note, however, that at least two states declined to accept federal eradication funds last year: Alaska and Colorado, where marijuana is now legal. Those states conducted their own enforcement efforts against illegal marijuana grows. In many ways, the federal marijuana eradication program is a holdover from the earlier days of the drug war. Four states plus the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult use, several other states are hoping to do so this year, and a growing chorus of researchers, lawmakers, doctors and the general public is calling on the federal government to change course on marijuana policy. "It makes zero sense


Traffic, transit tips for blossom parade weekend

track work programs because of the crowds for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which ends this weekend. Favorable weather also is likely to draw people out across the D.C. region. The Capital Weather Gang forecast verges on the spectacular for local travel. Sporting events: The Capitals resume their first-round playoff games in Verizon Center at 7 p.m. Saturday. D.C. United plays in RFK Stadium at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Nationals are on the road, but there’s a street festival Saturday in the Nationals Park neighborhood. Here are more details about the various events — including the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and the D.C. Emancipation Day celebrations — that could add to your travel time this weekend. Street closings for D.C. firefighter’s funeral Traffic delays are likely along that route and on the nearby streets. World Bank-International Monetary Fund meetings Washington celebrated twice as the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Emancipation Day parades kicked off hours apart. Cherry Blossom Festival events The Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in the Capitol Riverfront area near Nationals Park. This is a new location for the festival, which will include performances on three stages, as well as cultural exhibits and street vendors. Nearest Metrorail station: Navy Yard. Sunday’s Anacostia River Festival is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. at Anacostia Park, Anacostia Drive and Good Hope Road SE. The celebration of the river includes art workshops, fishing workshops, music, boating and tours of historic Anacostia. Nearest Metrorail station: Anacostia. Shuttles will run from the Anacostia and Eastern Market stations to the festival. The Metro parking garage at the Anacostia station is free on weekends. D.C. Emancipation Day The parade is from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, starting from 800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW and moving west to the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Emancipation Day concert is scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday in Freedom Plaza, at 1355 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. A fireworks show is scheduled for 9 p.m., after the concert. Nearby Metrorail stations: Federal Triangle, Archives, Metro Center. D.C. police announced these street closings for the Saturday events from about 7:30 a.m to midnight: E Street NW from 14th Street to 13th Street NW; Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 14th Street to 12th Street NW; 13th Street NW from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Capitals at Verizon


Research shows — yet again — that there’s no scientific debate about climate change

People march during a rally against climate change in New York, Sept. 21, 2014. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz) It’s a well-known and widely cited statistic: 97 percent of scientific experts agree that human-caused climate change is real. The consensus has been supported by numerous studies — and yet the idea that the statistic is made up, or wrong, is still a common position among climate doubters and a major tool used to foster public uncertainty about climate change. Now, researchers have reinforced this finding of a scientific consensus once again in a While the consensus has been documented by many studies over the years, the most widely cited is a 2013 paper led by Earlier this year, however, University of Sussex professor After examining the comment, however, Cook and a team of other researchers concluded that these arguments were problematic at best. In their new paper, they re-examined the published literature on the climate consensus, finding that the 97 percent calculation remains a robust and well-supported statistic. “The biggest flaw [in Tol’s argument] is that he misrepresents many of the other studies on the consensus,” said Cook, lead author on the new paper. “He tries to argue that our paper is an outlier — is different to all the other studies in their estimates of the expert consensus,” Cook said. “But the way he arrives at the expert consensus is by using groups that include non-experts, which is a classic technique to try to obtain lower estimates of the scientific consensus.” It’s true that scientists who don’t study climate also don’t accept the scientific consensus as strongly. But this variability is to be expected when non-experts are included, the authors of the new paper explain. “A significant contributor to variation in consensus estimates is the conflation of general scientific opinion with expert scientific opinion,” they point out. When defining experts as scientists who actually study and publish on climate change — the people who are best qualified to take a position on the subject, in other words — the surveys consistently find consensus rates well above 90 percent. The comment by Tol also took issue with another aspect of Cook’s 2013 paper — the fact that his analysis only considers papers that took a concrete stand on whether human-caused climate change is occurring. “The question that our research addressed was: Is there an ongoing scientific debate in the peer-reviewed literature about global


Scientists need you to count cute baby penguins

do it. The scientists in question are penguin researchers at the University of Oxford and the Australian Antarctic Division. A couple of years ago, they set up dozens of cameras, some in very remote locations, to shoot images of penguins across Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands. The idea was to document how things like climate change, pollution and fishing might be affecting the little waddlers, some species of which are in decline. Are they breeding at different times or in different spots? Are there new predators lurking around? Penguins, the researchers say, are “considered sentinels of changes within their ecosystem.” But because there are now more than 100 cameras and they take photos every hour, the scientists have amassed a collection of images far too huge to go through. That’s where you come in: As a volunteer for “Penguin Watch 2.0,” which is essentially a grand penguin census. This map shows five penguin species and the locations of some of the cameras. (Penguin Watch) All you need to do is go to the project’s website, look at penguin photos and count the adults, fuzzy chicks, eggs and any other photobombing animals you see by clicking on each one. School groups can be assigned an entire penguin colony to monitor. Here’s what a marked photo looks like: (Penguin Watch) “We can’t do this work on our own, and every penguin that people click on and count on the website — that’s all information that tells us what’s happening at each nest, and what’s happening over time,” lead researcher Tom Hart told the BBC. Penguin Watch is one of an increasing number of “citizen science” projects that involve — and in some cases rely on — the public to collect and analyze wildlife and other data from the natural world. If you’re more into bats than penguins, for example, you can listen to and classify bat calls at Bat Detective. If you want to know where your cat roams when it goes outside, enroll in the Cat Tracker project based out of North Carolina. Fancy a safari but can’t afford it? Tag aardvarks, antelopes and other African animals for Snapshot Serengeti. And feel good about it! Science thanks you. Read more: Your cat is a lot deeper than you think Wild tiger numbers are up for the first time in a century One man’s wild idea for saving rhinos: Airlifting them to Australia


Watch Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s charming quantum computing lesson

The Internet’s love of Justin Trudeau knows no bounds. And it grows greater still. The Canadian prime minister’s outspoken feminism Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau schools reporter on quantum computing during press conference Here’s what happened: Trudeau was in Waterloo, Ontario, announcing a $50 million investment in the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics to help the institution fund research, training and education in order to further an understanding of the nature of the universe. Heady stuff. World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking made an appearance. Trudeau toured the facility. There were a couple hundred high school students in attendance, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was all very ceremonious. Then came time for questions. Welcome to Perimeter Institute in Canada's Quantum Valley, Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau! https://t.co/pCsBCEeSdF One reporter began his with a joke: “I was going to ask you to explain quantum computing, but …,” he said to a smattering of chuckles from the crowd. Once he finished asking his real question about the Islamic State, Trudeau launched into an answer to the fake one. “Very simply, normal computers work by …,” he said to laughter from the crowd. Smiling, he went on: “No, no, no don’t interrupt me. When you walk out of here, you will know more — no, some of you will know far less — about quantum computing, but most of you. “Normal computers work, either there’s power going through a wire or not. It’s one or a zero, they’re binary systems. What quantum states allow for is much more complex information to be encoded into a single bit. A regular computer bit is either a one or a zero: on or off. A quantum state can be much more complex than that because as we know, things can be both particle and wave at the same times, and the uncertainty around quantum states allows us to encode more information into a much smaller computer. “So that’s what’s exciting about quantum computing.” And the crowd went wild. It turns out his explanation was pretty good, too. Global News, a Canadian news network, spoke with an expert about Trudeau’s response. “I have never seen a prime minister attempt anything like that,” said Lucien Hardy, a theoretical physicist at Perimeter. “He did a pretty good job of explaining it.” But, according to at least one report, the exchange might not have been as impromptu as it seemed. Colin Perkel,


After 13 years, CIA honors Green Beret killed on secret Afghanistan mission

training and equipment than the small team was able to provide and offering little knowledge of the lawless border region where Hotel was trying to go, the deal fell through. As things unraveled in Pakistan, Afghan forces, their path paved by devastating U.S. airstrikes, seized Kabul. Just days after Thanksgiving, Team Hotel left Pakistan for Afghanistan’s capital. Hotel would stay in Kabul for roughly a month, spending Christmas there. A detachment of operators from Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC, would bring the team to 11 members for an upcoming mission in Khost, a rugged town on Afghanistan’s eastern border. Christmas was the last time Chapman called home, his father recalled. He didn’t tell them where he was, just that he was safe. He passed the phone around to his mother Lynn, and to Keith Chapman, his older brother who was recently married. His grandmother and grandfather also managed to get on the line. “I said to him at the end of the conversation, I’m sorry you’re not able to be with your family,” his father said. “I know, Dad,” he replied. “But I’m with my second family, and they’re a great bunch of guys.” A copy of this painting was given to the Chapman family and signed by members of Team Hotel following Chapman’s death. It depicts a standard CIA operation in the early days of the war in Afghanistan (Courtesy of James Dietz) Behind enemy lines Roughly a week later, Hotel loaded onto one of the CIA’s Russian-built Mi-17 helicopters and flew the 90 miles to Khost. According to Satterlee, the agency had to pay its way into the town, offering large sums of money to one of the tribes in exchange for admission and some protection. Hotel would go in and “plant the flag” for the CIA and deny al-Qaeda a base of operations, according to a CIA officer present during the team’s operations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a covert operation. They were the first Americans there since the war began. The team set up, along with some of their newly acquired Afghan escorts, a rudimentary base of operations in an old Russian schoolhouse in the middle of town during the final days of the year. The night before Chapman’s death, a small four-man element from Hotel slipped into the darkness to conduct reconnaissance on an abandoned Soviet airfield a few miles


Why populist uprisings could end a half-century of greater economic ties

“Trying to go back in time, trying to safeguard the achievements of the past will backfire. Because we cannot do that,” said Hans Timmer, the World Bank’s chief economist for Europe and Central Asia. “If countries step away from globalization, we will see a very negative economic backlash.” At a minimum, disentangling long-standing economic relationships is almost certain to be messy: Ending Britain’s 43-year membership in the EU would trigger renegotiation of trade, financial and social welfare agreements with the rest of Europe. The mere prospect of Brexit sent the pound plunging to lowest levels in seven years. Recent polls show residents roughly split over the decision, with a sizeable faction still undecided. Financial markets are bracing for a wild ride. Investors are betting London’s major stock index could swing by as much as 6.5 percent around the Brexit vote on June 23, according to an analysis by Macro Risk Advisors. This month, the Bank of England warned that departure could lead to another drop in the pound, cause credit to contract, and send interest rates higher for consumers and businesses. The volatility alone could be enough to undercut current economic growth, though the true impact of a vote to leave would not be clear for years as Britain and the EU negotiated the terms of departure. A recent analysis by think tank Open Europe found that in a worst-case scenario, a bumpy exit could lower UK growth by 2.2 percentage points in 2030, although it said a well-executed departure could boost growth in the long-run. The report also does not factor in the potential for Brexit to invigorate nationalist movements across Europe and the economic ripple effects. In France, the far-right National Front party has vowed to hold a referendum on EU membership if it comes to power in the nation’s presidential elections next year. An offshoot group in Germany has become the country’s third-largest party. “What we’re basically facing is a very protracted period of uncertainty in which we don’t know what the world looks like,” said Colin Ellis, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. The IMF this month lowered its outlook for the global economy this year from 3.4 to 3.2 percent -- the fourth time it has been downgraded -- and even that may be too optimistic. Officials said the risks to its forecasts are growing, and pointed to rising nationalist sentiment among them. “There is


Here comes your own little place in space. It’s not a room with a view.

NASA reported, “the different layers consist of an air barrier or bladder, structural restraint, micro-meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) layers, and external multi-layer thermal insulation layers,” but, sadly, no windows to gaze out of at the blue marble. The module is deflated for now, but is scheduled to be filled with air in late May to start its two-year testing phase. Here's an animation of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module's extraction and installation on the International Space Station. BEAM was successfully installed on April 16. “Attaching this expandable module to the space station offers NASA the opportunity to expose it to the radiation, temperatures, pressures and micrometeoroid environment, and measure how it holds up,” Julie Robinson, NASA’s chief scientist for the International Space Station, said. After inflation, ISS astronauts will enter BEAM only three to four times a year, to collect data and assess its structural condition, while the remainder of the time it will stay closed off from the space station and its crew. After its two-year-long monitoring, the module will be set off toward Earth to burn up upon re-entry into its atmosphere. But the hope is that bigger and better modules will follow. “After thorough testing, we believe crews traveling to the moon, Mars, asteroids or other destinations could use them as habitable structures or as labs or work areas,” said Rajib Dasgupta, BEAM project manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The BEAM module is attached to the rear port of the space station’s Node 3. After installation, the BEAM expands to roughly 13-feet-long and 10.5 feet in diameter. (Bigelow Aerospace, LLC) Bigelow is working on another version, the B330, that is 20 times bigger than BEAM, and is developing timeshare agreements to lease the structure. Except instead of a typical timeshare that rents beachfront condos to vacation-goers and spring breakers, Bigelow would rent the space to research organizations like NASA, commercial entities and space tourists. Its website’s description reads like a futuristic Airbnb ad: “Occupancy: 6. Approximate length: 57 ft. Usable volume: 330 m3. Life span: 20 years.” The Huffington Post reports that NASA is interested in expandable habitats as crew living quarters during future trips to and from Mars. And outside of B330’s scientific uses, the opportunities are endless. Inflatable space stations are much easier to transport, as they take up far less transport volume on a rocket but can provide a far


Jonathan Aberman: As technology reshapes the workplace, don’t neglect the people

profound societal effect. Two big social challenges arise from speedy technological change. First, conventional wisdom is stretched. For example, what is the definition of “life” when lifeforms can be created in labs or in production lines? What happens if we discover life on other celestial bodies? What if climate change is finally acknowledged and a “solution” is seeding clouds or genetically modifying trees? This is not just the preserve of science fiction — these questions are being asked today. The second big social challenge as we zip into the future is the disappearance of jobs that can be done through repetition and brute force, and the threat to jobs requiring reasoning. Yes, the robotic trucks, meeting-organizing apps and others are swiping jobs, but the lawyer who gets paid to review piles of documents, the radiologist who looks for clues in an X-ray and even your favorite actor should all be worried, too. Some argue the free market will solve these issues. I understand and value free markets and the opportunity that lower taxes and regulation allow Americans to become successful. However, people who benefit the most from technology investing must understand that if we create economic models that do not provide opportunities for others and treat technology solely as a way to reduce expenses, we are missing the point. Our free market economy has proven that applied technology can still make room for people to be part of the value chain. Look at how the music industry rewards song writers by collecting royalties, or how Apple compensates app developers. Consider how automatic pilots make flying safer by assisting pilots, instead of replacing them. How we use technology is ultimately a choice. To pretend that market efficiency will answer all questions is convenient and reassuring, but not a great path towards social stability. The ability for an individual to create a better economic life must continue to be sacrosanct in this country. Yes, technological changes are coming, but free markets don’t hold all solutions, so let’s look at these changes through a more balanced approach. Tech entrepreneurs will continue to enjoy success from harnessing new technology — but they’ll be even more successful if they are sensitive to what jobs are being affected by the advances and they work to foster job creation and professional satisfaction. Free enterprise that doesn’t worry about broader workforce implications won’t be free for very long.


So you want to know more about economic sanctions…

White House press secretary Josh Earnest listens at left as Adam Szubin, treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, speaks to reporters during daily press briefing about combating funds going to the Islamic State on Dec. 16 at the White House. (Evan Vucci/AP) The hard-working staff here at Spoiler Alerts has noted the increased interest and attention that economic sanctions have been receiving in D.C. Last year, sanctions played a surprisingly prominent role in the U.S. National Security Strategy. This month, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew gave an excellent speech outlining some general principles on the subject — the first speech of this kind by a policy principal. On Friday, at a Center for a New American Security (CNAS) event, Treasury Undersecretary Adam Szubin expounded further on the matter. But why should U.S. government officials be the only ones to talk about economic sanctions? Indeed, Szubin was speaking at a CNAS audience because of the rollout of a new report, “The New Tools of Economic Warfare: Effects and Effectiveness of Contemporary U.S. Financial Sanctions,” co-authored by Elizabeth Rosenberg, Zachary Goldman, Julia Solomon-Strauss, and — wait for it — me. I’d encourage anyone interested in economic sanctions to read the full report — I can assure you that, having briefed U.S. government officials late last week, a surprising number of them have already read parts of it. The report examines the effect of post-9/11 U.S. sanctions on targeted actors, as well as the possible systemic blowback from the increased use of financial sanctions in particular. From the report’s introduction: This paper presents new research to suggest that U.S. sanctions targeting states have significant negative effects on foreign investment, corruption, ease of doing business, and other related measures in target states. These findings challenge widespread understandings of the impact that sanctions against states have had and provide principles for designing more effective sanctions programs in the future – programs that better advance security interests and policy objectives. We also discuss the ways in which the effects of sanctions aimed at nonstate actors, particularly counterterrorism sanctions, are more difficult to measure but nonetheless are impactful. My contribution to the report — along with that of my research assistants Aaron Melaas and Mohannad Al-Suwaidan — was to compare how a targeted economy performed relative to “peer” economies once sanctions were imposed. The key findings: 1) It is easy to see why economic sanctions were traditionally


Special Ops diplomacy; new nuclear arms race; and Pentagon feeds bad info on sex assault to Congress

Gen. John F. Campbell, right, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and political adviser Matt Sherman leave a briefing in Kandahar Air Field on Feb. 25. (Andrew Quilty for The Washington Post). SPECIAL OPS DIPLOMACY. NEW NUCLEAR ARMS RACE. PENTAGON FEEDS BAD INFO ON SEX ASSAULT.


More than 1,000 world leaders say the drug war has been a disaster

A home-grown marijuana plant is grown inside an apartment in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post) The global war on drugs has proven "disastrous" and "humankind cannot afford a 21st century drug policy as ineffective and counter-productive as the last century’s." So say more than 1,000 world leaders, including 27 members of the House of Representatives and six U.S. senators, in a letter to the United Nations ahead of a major international drug summit happening this week. The letters signatories also include 24 current and former law enforcement officials, 37 members of the clergy, more than 230 health and medical professionals, and a colorful slate of celebrities, athletes and business leaders, including DJ Khaled, Michael Douglas, Tom Brady and Warren Buffett. The two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have also signed on to the letter. "The drug control regime that emerged during the last century has proven disastrous for global health, security and human rights," the letter states. "Focused overwhelmingly on criminalization and punishment, it created a vast illicit market that has enriched criminal organizations, corrupted governments, triggered explosive violence, distorted economic markets and undermined basic moral values." The U.N. General Assembly will hold a special session on global drug policy in New York this week. The purpose of the meeting is to set the tone and focus of global drug policy for the coming decades. The last time the U.N. held such a session was in 1998. Proceeding under the official motto of "a drug-free world -- we can do it," member states vowed to "promote a society free of drug abuse" and to "develop strategies with a view to eliminating or significantly reducing" the production and use of illicit substances by 2008. Since then, of course, a number of U.S. states have voted to fully legalize marijuana for recreational use. Portugal decriminalized the use of all illicit drugs. And the United States has seen an explosion in the abuse of prescription painkillers and heroin, and deaths caused by overdoses of those two drugs. Reformers had hoped this week's special session would represent a change of course for the international drug control regime. But if the draft declaration that will be discussed at the meeting is any indication, this is unlikely. The language about promoting a society "free of drug abuse" and the need to "eliminate" the production of drugs remains in


Main Street Morning: Gamestop is stepping into the publishing business

Hillary Clinton. - Bernie Sanders meets with Pope Francis. People - A napping FedEx employee is shipped to Texas with packages. - Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk was paid $37,584 last year. Management - These are three financial metrics every business should track. - Goldman Sachs is making some of its deepest cuts in years. - LinkedIn’s Human Resources chief recommends these three books to all new managers. - Why this family owned business supports a five cent charge for plastic bags. Entrepreneurs - This could be Jeff Bezos’ next $10 billion business. - A new mom never “expected” to find the perfect business model. - How this 25-year-old is turning a profit selling pencils. - This entrepreneur has a formula for building a global, scalable business. Restaurants - Google opens a restaurant in New York City for four days. - A restaurant owner complains that a nearby street fair is hurting his business. Finance - More and more banks are hoping to cash in on the “want-it-now” culture. Technology - A realistic robot can chat with real humans. - Virtual reality porn is here. - Gamestop is launching a new video game publishing division. - Apple recovers 2,204 pounds of gold from broken iPhones. Online - How to deal with the rising threat of ransomware. Social Media - Facebook may add news sections to its app, just like Facebook Paper. - This website turns Instagram photos into a coloring book. Ideas - A fruitful idea turns waste food into a tasty snack. - Customers can now realistically test a tattoo with this app before getting it. On This Day in 1906 - An 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit San Francisco. Around the Country - San Francisco demands that Uber and Lyft drivers get business licenses. - Hispanics now lead business creation in California. - Photography tops the list of business uses for drone operators in North Dakota. - The Better Business Bureau warns of fake Chicago Blackhawks tickets. - An economic summit in Utah focuses on and celebrates Utah small business. Around the World - Canada’s Trudeau explains quantum computing in viral video. - Cats are at work in businesses around this county in Canada. Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd PA consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. Follow Gene Marks and On Small Business on Twitter. News we should know about? Email us here.


A presenter looks past the status quo

audiences alike. (I was struck, recently, by the huge response I got to a piece I wrote on artists who take sabbaticals; it seemed the idea struck a nerve, and that many felt the risk of burning out.) Jenny Bilfield, the president of Washington Performing Arts, said to me in an interview last week that artists were sometimes surprised when she encouraged them to come to her with projects they actually wanted to do, rather than the things they were “supposed” to do. And Washington Performing Arts’s upcoming season does seem to reflect some of that interest. [Give me a break: classical musicians who step away.] Washington Performing Arts has a tricky line to walk because even those who want innovation also want to be reassured that the biggest and brightest names are coming back. The orchestra season is a good example of how it’s pulling off its balancing act. Given the evident challenges of selling tickets to orchestra performances, it’s not surprising that there are fewer orchestras on its regular orchestra series next year, but they’re good ones: the Concertgebouw with Semyon Bychkov in Mahler’s 5th and a piece by Detlev Glanert; Temirkanov with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Nikolai Lugansky in an all-Russian program (Temirkanov evidently not having the same scruples about female executives that he does about female conductors); and Philadelphia, a regular visitor to DC, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Louis Lortie playing Chopin’s first concerto and “Petrouchka.” Of course, there are more orchestras coming, as well: Washington Performing Arts and the Kennedy Center already announced the lineup for the inaugural Shift Festival, the reincarnation of the festival of American orchestras that began as “Spring for Music” at Carnegie Hall. A refresher, for those who have forgotten: DC will also be hearing the Boulder Philharmonic, the North Carolina Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Knights, in some interesting programming. [Four orchestras in five acts: SHIFT announces 2017 line-up.] And then there are ensemble appearances beyond orchestral limits. The season will see the start of a five-year partnership with the Kronos Quartet that includes a cycle of co-commissions called “Fifty for the Future;” a multi-media puppet performance of an opera based on a graphic novel, “Nufonia Must Fall,” by DJ Kid Koala, performed with the Afiara Quartet, turntables, and other instruments; and the DC iteration of a multi-media visual accompaniment to Messiaen’s “Des Canyons aux Etoiles,” in which


Stephon Marbury has become a permanent Chinese resident

Former NBA star Stephon Marbuy is something of a sensation in China. As told by the New York Times in December, he has led the Beijing Ducks to three Chinese Basketball Association championships. There’s a Stephon Marbury statue and a Stephon Marbury musical and a Stephon Marbury postage stamp. There is a Stephon Marbury museum. Suffice it to say, the people of China like Marbury so much that they decided to give him the equivalent of a green card, bestowing permanent-resident status. Former @NBA star Stephon Marbury announces Mon he has become a permanent Chinese resident https://t.co/Db4W7yhsus It’s kind of a big deal, apparently. According to the Times, only about 5,000 foreigners out of the 600,000 or so living in China have been given a green card. None of them were professional basketball players. 现在。中国历史上第一个获得绿卡的外籍运动员。 Right now. In Chinese history, the first foreign player to win a green card. #starbury https://t.co/bba87bIv0J With the green card, the 39-year-old Marbury no longer will have to apply for a visa in order to stay in China, the Times reported. After turning down a one-year contract with the Boston Celtics for the veterans’ minimum in 2009, Marbury signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association in January 2010 and has never left, playing for three Chinese professional teams.


Actually, Justin Trudeau doesn’t get quantum computing

Over the weekend, a video of the boyishly handsome Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, briefly discussing quantum computing at a news conference made the rounds. “A bit of genius,” rhapsodized New York magazine, while Gizmodo’s headline said, “Everyone Should Be Able to Explain Quantum Computing Like Justin Trudeau.” Choose a popular science or tech publication (or The Washington Post) and you’ll find a version of the same breathless headline. Even the Guardian’s science blog, while arguing that “we should raise our expectations,” called his explanation “quite a good one.” Except that Trudeau’s explanation of quantum computing was actually not quite right. (Never mind that the question was the punchline to a joke that Trudeau had set up earlier.) “Normal computers work, either there’s power going through a wire or not,” he said. This much is correct, as was Trudeau’s explanation of classical bits: “Regular computer bit is either a one or a zero, on or off.” But Trudeau’s succinct attempt at glossing quantum bits was wrong: “What quantum states allow for is much more complex information to be encoded into a single bit.” This isn’t the place for a full primer on quantum computing, though Seth Lloyd’s “Programming the Universe” is a good non-technical introduction. A single qubit, or quantum bit, is neither a 0 nor a 1 until it is measured. This doesn’t mean it has “more complex information” encoded into it, though. Once you measure it — which you have to do if you are to do any computing — you can get only a 0 or a 1. There’s no additional complexity there. As this quantum computing textbook explains, you can gain only one bit of information about whatever question you were originally asking by measuring one qubit. Why, then, are quantum computers powerful? A quantum computer measures a qubit (or qubits) at the end of a computation or series of computations. Because intermediate steps have been taken while each qubit is neither a 0 nor a 1 but in a mixed state that has some probability of being one or the other, a quantum computer can do some types of computations much faster than a normal computer could. The power of quantum computers grows when you entangle many qubits together. The capability of quantum computers, in a sense, grows exponentially — very, very fast — with the number of qubits you can successfully entangle together. Keeping


Florida zookeeper was preparing the tiger night house, then tragedy struck

Staff at Florida's Palm Beach Zoo mourned the zoo's lead keeper, who was killed by an endangered tiger. UPDATE: The Palm Beach Zoo on Sunday said the tiger that attacked its keeper will remain with the zoo. Stacey Konwiser was making moves. She had just accepted a new job with the federal government, with a long-term goal of working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Palm Beach Zoo, where she was lead keeper, was creating a new position in an effort to persuade her to stay. But that all came crashing down on Friday, when Konwiser, 38, died following an attack that afternoon by one of the tigers she cared for. The animal-involved fatality — the first in the West Palm Beach, Fla., zoo’s 60-year history — occurred in the “tiger night house,” an area out of view of the public in the back of the tiger exhibit. “Konwiser was preparing the night house for the evening routine, which includes cleaning and feeding,” Jan Steele, the zoo’s general curator, said in a statement. She was airlifted from the scene. Stacey Konwiser smiles during the dedication of the new tiger habitat at the Palm Beach Zoo on March 7, 2015. (Brianna Soukup/Palm Beach Post via AP) The animal never escaped, and the public was never in danger, the zoo said. “The Zoo has a safety protocol in place for crisis situations and these protocols were employed today. Immediately after the Code Red was issued guests, who were never in any danger, were ushered out of the Zoo in an orderly fashion and the Zoo went into lockdown,” spokeswoman Naki Carter said Friday in statement. The West Palm Beach Police Department and West Palm Beach Fire Department EMS were first to respond. The zoo said it is now working with the police, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration as the investigation continues. Zoo management met with staff early Saturday to mourn Konwiser’s death. At that meeting, her husband, Jeremy, also a keeper at the zoo, read a note of support. Staff were provided access to grief counselors, and the zoo is working with Konwiser’s family to establish a memorial fund. “Our focus remains on providing adequate support for our staff and family members who have been affected by this tragic incident,” Steele said in the statement. The male Malayan tiger that attacked her was tranquilized


2016 Boston Marathon: Ethiopian runners sweep men’s, women’s races

winner Meb Keflezighi, skipped the Boston race after competing in the U.S. Olympic trials in February. Winning at Boston, therefore, may help Desisa and Hayle secure berths at the Rio Games this summer. However, both Ethiopia and Kenya have come under scrutiny from anti-doping authorities recently, with Ethiopian officials telling the Associated Press they must conduct hundreds of doping tests by November or face a possible ban. As for Kenya, the World Anti-Doping Agency said it has given officials there an extended deadline of May 2 by which to adopt stronger policies. Zachary Hine of Dallas was the top U.S. male finisher, winding up 10th, and Neely Spence Gracey, of Superior, Colo., was the top American woman to finish, in ninth place. A noticeable police presence patrols the finish line of the storied race. The 120th running of the Boston Marathon took place on a perfectly beautiful, if warm, Patriots Day and one of the race’s new trademarks, strong security, was evident. “There will be a large contingent of plainclothes and investigative officers who will make observations of any suspicious activity, and observe the behavior of members of the public along the marathon route,” David Procopio, a spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police, said (via USA Today). “Behind the scenes, the public will not feel it, but there will be heavy intelligence as well.” Authorities said there were no credible threat to the race. Now: buzzing, later: roaring. #BostonMarathon #boston2016 #runbold https://t.co/vF4GUgpruP Patrick Downes and Adrianne Haslet-Davis, two runners who lost parts of their legs in the bombings, were attempting the course, each running on a prosthetic leg. Downes’s wife, Jessica Kensky, lost both her legs in the bombings and the couple hand-cycled the race the last two years. Everyone at Walter Reed wanted to know: When would Patrick Downes start running again? https://t.co/PlX5B83jPr https://t.co/SL5dvZfAZD “I feel like I’m celebrating the body that I have left, and it feels spiritual,” Downes, of Bethesda, Md., told The Boston Globe before the race. “It feels triumphant.” Dan Mullen, the Mississippi State football coach, was another first-timer and he wasn’t running in just his first marathon, it was his first race. He had never even done a 5K. “It’s one of those bucket list things you want to do in life,” Mullen said (via USA Today). “It’s like skydiving. The Boston Marathon made more sense than skydiving as I’ve gotten older.” To follow