Ian Robinson's Weekly Digest - 11th July 2021

Two articles on spaceflight this week, three on how the UK is experimenting with current coronavirus response, and two on chemistry about nomenclature and new ideas on what determines C-C and C-H bond length. Also, a great week for new music, which is listed below. Find me on Twitter to discuss.

Spaceflight: Space Billionaires, Please Read the Room - The Atlantic - Link

So Richard Branson went into space today (barely - call me when you are staying in orbit!) Next week it’ll be Jeff Bezos’s turn for a few minutes. Meh. The only good thing about these flights is that Wally Funk will share those few minutes in space. Shannon Stirone writing in The Atlantic touches on the flights.

Spaceflight: Bezos and Branson are going to space! Or maybe not - Wired - Link

An article by Robin Andrews in Wired on the debate on where space starts above the Earth. In light of the Branson and Bezos flights. Bezos’s Blue Origin says it’s at 100 km height, and Branson’s Virgin Galactic says it’s 80 km. I say who cares. Getting to just poke the spaceship above some arbitrary height for a few minutes is neither here nor there. In my opinion, going to space means going up and orbiting the Earth at least once.

Coronavirus: How we lost our vaccine advantage - Prospect - Link

Another Philip Ball article this week. Yay, tradition! He outlines why the UK is losing the advantage we had from an early start of the vaccination program. The only thing that this Government has done well. Thrown away due to their incompetence and rigid philosophies.

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson cries ‘freedom’ to fill the void where his leadership should be - The Guardian - Link

Rafael Behr in good form on the vacuousness of Johnson and the other Conservatives.

Coronavirus: The NHS is already overstretched – dropping Covid restrictions will spell disaster for patients - The Guardian - Link

Rachel Clarke, a doctor who knows what it’s been like for NHS staff over the last 18 months, on what the end of regulations for face masks, etc., will really mean.

Chemistry: Nonsensical nomenclature - Chemistry World - Link

Dr Kat Day on the battle to standardise the naming of mainly carbon-based organic molecules, using the systematic nomenclature over traditional common names. I have to say I fall on the systematic side of the argument. But I’m not a working chemist. And if you look at the image at the top of this newsletter, it’s hard to argue for the systematic name over retinol.

Chemistry: Chemists reconsider C–H and C–C bond length rationale - Chemistry World - Link

Also in Chemistry World, an article outlining some new work that explains the length of bonds in organic compounds. Really interesting. When I was studying chemistry, the Sp hybridisation amount was taken as settled as the explanation for bond lengths. These new experimental results are a reminder that we shouldn’t think of anything as settled. Rather that this is the best explanation at the current time. This is exactly what the scientific method teaches us.

Mother Mother - Inside - (Album) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Orla Gartland - You’re Not Special, Babe - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Olivia Lunny - Olivia Lunny - (Album) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Maddie Regent - Ego - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Yaëlzoë - Weak Blue World - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Instagram

Emmi - Crown - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Vaarwell - consume & grow - (Ep) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

TGC - Parallels - (Album) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

MadLeo - Reminisce - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Poppy - Her - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Tanja Jeramaz - Boy Tears - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Villforth - Closer To Me - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Bradley Garbett - Runaway - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify

Amale Reina - Speechless - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Instagram

Sahara Beck - Crave Me - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Sad Alex - Ibtc - (Album Ep Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Courtney Barnett - Rae Street - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

John Mayer - Last Train Home - (Single) - Apple Music - Spotify - Twitter

Here are Apple Music and Spotify playlists with all the singles and one selected track from each album or EP. In no particular order. Play them on shuffle!