a defiant potato

The scientific versions of this make me feel very glad that I’m no longer a lab rat, as the life-defining version of this for me was when I was a young lab rat tasked with tracking down an extremely defrosted armadillo from Texas.

When the consignment of armadillo parts - decorously placed upon dry ice, in accordance with the finest scientific principles - was shipped to a young British scientist and summarily lost in transit, it was one of those academic problems. You know what I mean by that. That means: Problems that only happen to academics.

The late armadillo was too late. Despite earnest emails promising that it had arrived a few days before, this was meant in a sort of spiritual sense, and what you might refer to as the “material” aspect of the dead armadillo manifested many days later. This was the subject of some fraught discussions between the ivory tower and the US Navy, who said rather stiffly that they had shipped a dead armadillo in perfectly sensible dead condition to us, and had no idea why the American postal service had interpreted their instructions as “send the dead armadillo on a quirky little road trip and lie about it.”

Intense discussions about the dead armadillo revealed the US Navy had no sense of humour about Schrödinger’s Armadillo (“we sent you a dead armadillo, and have washed our hands of any downstream issues”) as well as their rather uptight announcement that they would not be sending us any more free dead armadillos unless we could prove that WE were not in the habit of carelessly losing them. The implication being that this important military armadillo corpse had been lost entirely because the postal service had received it in a spirit of unbecoming whimsy, and this was the fault of Elodie, lab rat and designated representative of the United States Postal Service. As the military arm of the imperial core are naturally the primary suppliers of high-quality scientifically reliable dead armadillos, this censorious and frankly ungenerous cooling-off was a topic of some consternation.

Elodie, a very young person at the time, who rather fancied the British postdoc who looked so enthralling in riding breeches, was thus tasked with tremulously arguing with the Navy about how grateful we were for everything, but how fresh armadillos were far more academically interesting, while we were on the topic, if they didn’t mind, and if they could spare another one, if we promised not to allow the mail to become whimsical.!

The academically interesting part of the metaphysical armadillo was eventually run to ground significantly after the point at which the dry ice had become academic. The state of the armadillo inside the box at that point was an extremely academic problem. The late armadillo had become so late that it had surpassed biological interest, yet had not quite entered the realm of palaeontological significance. It was, however, a stage of lateness that was officially Too Late. It smelled of an unusual kind of death, simultaneously pork and mouse.

As the most junior of junior lab rats, it fell on me at the time to sneak the box into the medical waste in someone else’s laboratory (as is only honourable.)

And then I went to the USAmerican Midwest

Rains frequently, but the worst is like standing under a bathroom shower. Genuinely inhospitable rainstorms are uncommon.

Along the coast, it's pretty easy in most areas to walk to at least one store, or else there's usually a bus or shuttle available. There are sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere.

It's a temperate boreal rainforest, so while there are many freshwater lakes and rivers, they're usually pretty cold. The biggest danger is typically getting caught in a strong current, and the most dangerous animals in swimming distance are on land.

Earthquakes happen almost every day, but the vast majority go unnoticed. Buildings are designed to withstand bigger seismic activity, so unless it's a 5 or higher it just kind of feels like having low blood sugar for a second. There are no tornados

Rural Illinois, USA:

One minute it's sunny, then ten minutes later that distant smudge on the horizon has swallowed the entire sky in black clouds and the water is coming down like waterfall and you literally CANNOT SEE. Then there's a crash like cymbals and you need to get indoors because the thunder and lightening are on TOP of you

No sidewalks until you are in the smack dab center of town, which is a three hour walk or twenty minute drive from wherever you are.

There aren't many natural bodies of water other than small ponds and creeks, and because the environment is so much warmer, those are filled with snapping turtles that can grow bigger than a nine year old child and water snakes that are incredibly venomous. These are paired with leeches and mosquitos for that sweet umami flavor.

He likes to ride...

If you were to write a Valerius story, what kind of scene would you write for this outfit?

And when you include blatant falsehoods in your messaging, now nobody believes you when you talk statistics on gun use in domestic violence or other serious issues.

Maybe I'm an outlier in the pro gun control group, because I'm a MechE and I love machines that perform a precise function with clever bits of steel, and i went to a summer camp when i was 11 or 12 where they had a shooting range with dinky little .22 rifles, but like

By which I mean, the kind of toy where if your angry dad said, "You need to respect this, it's not a toy!" he probably had a pretty good reason.

We've never had anybody accidentally discharge a pack of magic cards or a set of golf clubs in front of the valet station, to my knowledge.

Welcome back to Feel Good News! I’ve pulled together a few inspiring highlights to lift your spirits this week.

1. Australia generates so much solar that electricity companies must offer three hours of free electricity during the day

Starting on July 1, households in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia can choose an electricity plan under the Solar Sharer program, which offers three hours of free power daily from 11 AM to 2 PM (or noon to 3 PM in South Australia). A similar scheme, the Midday Power Saver, will be available in Victoria from October 1. The initiative aims to allow households to benefit from Australia’s abundant solar energy, even if they don’t have solar panels. The free power has a cap of 24 kWh per day, suitable for the average usage of a five-person household. To participate, customers need a smart meter, which can typically be requested from their energy retailer at no cost. However, the offer is not available to customers of smaller retailers, those in other states, or those on private electricity systems. Experts suggest that the plan is mainly beneficial for households with batteries or electric vehicles and those who can shift energy use to the free period. While the Solar Sharer plan might not always be the cheapest option available, it offers a structured approach to energy use during cheaper solar hours. Consumers are advised to evaluate their energy habits carefully to avoid higher costs at other times. The government and retailers must provide clear information about the potential trade-offs, emphasizing the need for customers to assess whether they can maximize savings by aligning their energy consumption with the free period. Additionally, various retailers currently offer similar plans, encouraging customers to shop around for the best deals, especially with new offerings expected from July.

2. Millions of People in Pakistan Got Tired of Blackouts and Built the World’s Fastest Rooftop Solar Boom, Making Solar the Country’s Largest Source of Electricity

In 2025, Pakistan emerged as the world’s largest importer of Chinese solar panels, achieving this milestone without government subsidies or formal programs encouraging the adoption of solar energy. This rapid transition reflects a significant grassroots movement as individuals sought solutions to persistent power outages and rising electricity costs, making Pakistan’s solar boom possibly the fastest deployment of distributed solar energy globally. As of 2025, solar energy became the predominant source of electricity in Pakistan, contributing around 25% of total electricity generation during peak periods. An estimated 33 GW of distributed solar capacity was installed, predominantly on residential rooftops, driven by a mistrust of the unreliable grid and escalating electricity prices—average tariffs tripling from 2015 to 2025. Despite the boom, Pakistan’s transition serves as a cautionary tale. With an oversupply of electricity generation capacity, the country faces a circular debt issue exceeding 2 trillion rupees, where public utilities struggle to recover costs and manage electricity distribution. Higher fixed costs, compounded by a shrinking customer base as wealthier households turn to solar, risk creating a utility death spiral, wherein those remaining on the grid face higher bills and further drive others to solar solutions. This scenario raises equity concerns, as solar adoption tends to be higher among wealthier households, leaving low-income consumers burdened by the costs of an increasingly strained grid. The government has attempted to mitigate these issues through regulatory changes, but these measures may hinder solar adoption and protect the failing centralized model. Looking forward, Pakistan’s experience may foreshadow similar patterns in other developing nations grappling with energy demands, suggesting that widespread adoption of distributed solar can occur without traditional development pathways. However, the challenge lies in developing a supportive infrastructure, regulatory framework, and equitable distribution of grid costs to sustain this growth without deepening systemic crises. Jan Rosenow, an expert in energy policy, emphasizes that while deploying solar is straightforward, creating a viable market system around it is considerably more complex.

3. Weird Al Yankovic Pulled Out of AI Ad Despite Offer to Make a ‘Nice Pile of Money’: ‘I Can’t Be the Poster Boy for AI’

“Weird Al” Yankovic recently discussed his reservations about artificial intelligence (AI) in an interview ahead of his “Bigger & Weirder” tour stop in Syracuse, New York. He revealed that he declined a lucrative offer to star in a commercial for business software after discovering it involved AI. Yankovic stated, “I can’t be the poster boy for AI,” emphasizing his disapproval of the technology. His sentiments align with other Hollywood figures who have expressed concerns about AI. For instance, director Kane Parsons labeled AI as “genuinely harmful,” while actress Emma Thompson described it as inducing “intense irritation” in her creative process. Madonna also commented on the adverse effects of AI and algorithms on artistic expression, asserting they contradict the risk-taking essential to art, despite her own project utilizing AI artists.

4. Scientists Regrew Knee Cartilage in Human Tissue That Had Deteriorated to the Point of Requiring Replacement Surgery

A Stanford Medicine-led study has shown that a treatment targeting the protein 15-PGDH, linked to aging, can restore knee cartilage and prevent arthritis in older mice. This approach has also yielded promising results in human cartilage samples collected during knee surgeries, suggesting potential for reversing damage caused by aging or osteoarthritis with injections or oral medications. Current osteoarthritis treatments mainly alleviate pain without addressing the underlying issues. The study highlights how inhibiting 15-PGDH can enhance tissue regeneration, as previous research showed its correlation with other age-related degenerative conditions. Unlike other tissues, cartilage regeneration occurs through existing chondrocytes shifting to a more youthful state rather than relying on stem cells. The team observed significant cartilage thickening in treated mice and reduced risks of developing arthritis after ACL-like injuries. The study indicates a pivotal shift in understanding cartilage repair mechanisms, with future clinical trials anticipated to explore the efficacy of this treatment in humans. The research received funding from various institutes, and the authors have filed patents related to the findings.

5. Scientists built a solar reactor that eats plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen at scale 7-2-2026

A team from Cambridge University has developed a new device that addresses two pressing environmental issues: plastic pollution and the production of hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that is currently largely derived from fossil fuels. The device is capable of using sunlight to break down plastic waste into hydrogen and was constructed using simple materials and a paint sprayer, making it feasible for large-scale production. This new reactor measures about one square meter, significantly larger than a previous version tested only in laboratory conditions. It uses room temperature processes to create light-absorbing panels and employs a special catalyst made of cobalt and zirconium. Tested outdoors, the reactor successfully extracted hydrogen from sources like plastic bottles, glucose, and cellulose, with glucose yielding the highest amount of hydrogen. The innovative spray-coating method significantly reduces production costs, but the hydrogen generated remains expensive. Ongoing work is needed to enhance the reactor’s efficiency and durability. The findings have been documented in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering.

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That’s it for last week :)

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