Physicists Simulate "Baby Wormhole" in Lab
Physicists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) recently simulated two tiny black holes in a quantum computer and transmitted a message – through the resultant traversable tunnel or a "theoretical" wormhole – without disrupting space and time.
The team first developed a baby Sachdev–Ye–Kitaev (SYK) quantum system and entangled it with another SYK system. They then introduced a qubit – the basic unit of quantum computing equivalent to a standard bit in traditional computing – to one of the SYKs.
Narrative A
Claims in many media outlets that this experiment has turned fiction into reality are overstatements. Scientists did not bring a wormhole into actual physical existence — they merely used Google's qubit Sycamore 2 quantum processor to establish a quantum system which could exhibit the key properties of a gravitational wormhole.
Narrative B
Per comments from the Caltech researchers, there is still a long way to go before we can send humans or animals through an artificially fabricated portal. However, this trial has made a key step forward in experimental science by successfully finding a way to explore the fundamental ideas of our universe in a laboratory setting. Additionally, wormhole simulation in a quantum computer adds weight to the holographic principle of the universe. This experiment is a huge development.
EU Caps Russian Oil at $60 Per Barrel
On Friday, the European Union agreed to a $60 per barrel cap on Russian oil after the final holdout, Poland, agreed to the proposal that was drawn up by the G7. EU nations will block insurance and shipping companies from transporting Russian oil to third-party countries if they are sold beyond the capped price.
The deal aims to limit Moscow's revenue from oil sales, which it uses to help finance the Ukraine war, while keeping global crude prices stable. The price cap is designed to allow Russia to continue to supply energy markets while deterring the Kremlin from recouping the full benefit of its sales.
Anti-Russia narrative
This price cap is a step in the right direction, but sanctions should have been set at $40 per barrel for Russia to feel the maximum bite. $60 per barrel is a tick above Russian production costs, so the Kremlin should feel relieved it wasn't more.
Pro-Russia narrative
A so-called "cap" on Russian oil prices is an anti-market measure that destroys supply chains and can significantly complicate global energy markets. It's nothing less than a price dictatorship and Western vengeance. The repercussions of this proposal will be disastrous for everyone.
Cynical narrative
Regardless of the geopolitical intentions of the EU and G7, implementation of the price cap could be incredibly complicated to manage. The challenge for the EU and G7 is to make sure the price point is correct because if it's miscalculated, the consequences could be harmful to the entire world economy. All eyes will be on the implementation of this cap in the coming weeks and months.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's hypocritical to impose sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, but not on the US for invading Iraq for equally unjustified reasons, or on Israel for invading and annexing Arab lands.
Nerd narrative
There is a 98% chance Russia will be the world's most sanctioned country by February 22, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
DR Congo: M23 Rebels Killed At Least 131 Civilians, UN Says
According to preliminary figures released Thursday by the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO), M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians in a campaign of "killings, rapes, kidnappings and looting" in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in late November.
Last week, Kinshasa accused the M23 of having killed more than 270 people in a massacre in the village of Kishishe in North Kivu province, raising the death toll from an earlier government estimate of 50. MONUSCO stated that the atrocities, if confirmed, could constitute "crimes under international humanitarian law."
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite one peace talk following another, DRC Pres. Tshisekedi keeps fueling the conflict to justify the postponement of the December 2023 elections. While Kinshasa directs the international community's focus exclusively on the allegedly Rwandan-backed M23, there are more than 400 other rebel groups in eastern Congo. As long as Kinshasa blames Rwanda for its security issues, it will be challenging for the international community to provide the required support needed to end this conflict.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the East African community and Kinshasa are constantly engaged in new efforts to finally end the conflict in eastern DRC, the West — which usually never tires of pretending to be committed to world peace — is obviously not very interested in this particular conflict. It's high time for the so-called international community to abandon its double standards and put credible pressure on Rwanda as well as Uganda to end their support for rebel groups operating in resource-rich eastern Congo.
Nerd narrative
There is a 23% chance that the number of forcibly displaced people in the DR of Congo will double in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ariz. County Certifies Election After Judge's Order
In Arizona, the three-member Cochise County Board of Supervisors on Thursday certified the results of the 2022 midterm elections after an order from Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley. Previously, the board's two Republican members delayed certification over alleged concerns about vote tabulation machines, leaving Cochise as the last Arizona county to certify.
The board’s delay in certifying the votes prior to the Nov. 28 deadline risked the exclusion of more than 47K votes. This prompted Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, now the Governor-elect, to file lawsuits before the Dec. 8 deadline her office has to complete a canvass of the whole state.
Republican narrative
The Cochise supervisors took a stand to shine a light on Maricopa County’s flawed election system. The election there featured technical problems at polling sites and long waits, and then officials took more than a week to count the votes. Although they complied with the judge’s order and certified results, these supervisors were part of a cause that will hopefully be continued by gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake and her lawyers.
Democratic narrative
Since 2020, Arizona has become a hotbed for dangerous election conspiracy theories. This situation in Cochise County was the strongest example of the hold misinformation has taken on many citizens despite evidence proving the machines’ legitimacy. This ruling was a victory for those in the fact-based world against politicians who promote falsehoods to remain in or gain power.
Appeals Court Gives DOJ Access to Mar-a-Lago Docs
On Thursday, the three-judge US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed a Florida federal judge's ruling that prohibited the FBI and Dept. of Justice (DOJ) from using nearly all documents seized in the raid of former Pres. Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence on Aug. 8 in their investigation.
The decision suspends the third-party special master review of the documents, as had been ordered by US District Judge Aileen Cannon. The court wrote that "the law is clear" and that it can't write a rule "to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant."
Pro-Trump narrative
Trump's legal team hasn't been treated within their legal rights throughout this entire convoluted mess created by the DOJ. Under the pretense of "national security interest," they've been denied access to the warrant's contents and its probable cause affidavit. How can we know if Trump's fourth Amendment rights were violated if the DOJ isn't required to produce the legal basis of the warrant?
Democratic narrative
The decision is a decisive defeat for Trump and is unlikely to be overturned in the event of an appeal. It's not surprising given the justified skepticism of the mostly-Trump-appointed panel, which rightly resisted the former president's attempts to secure preferential treatment.
Nerd narrative
There's a 16% chance that Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 282 Roundup: Biden 'Prepared to Speak' with Putin; Kremlin Says Putin Open to Negotiations
During a state visit to the US from French Pres. Emmanuel Macron on Thursday — seen as a move to repair a frayed relationship between the US and France amid European concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act — US Pres. Biden said he was prepared to speak to Russia's Vladimir Putin if it meant ending the war in Ukraine.
"The fact of the matter is, I have no immediate plans to contact Mr. Putin," Biden said in a response to a reporter. He continued: "I'm prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he's looking for a way to end the war. He hasn't done that yet. If that's the case, in consultation with my French and my NATO friends, I'll be happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind."
Anti-Russia narrative
In falsely accusing the US and NATO of being participants in this war, the Russian foreign minister slipped up and called this what it really is — a Russian war, not a "special military operation." The true motives of Russian atrocities cannot be obfuscated.
Pro-Russia narrative
Of course, the US and NATO are participants in this conflict. They are supplying weapons, training personnel, and are involved in planning and logistics. However, despite the West's behavior and characterizations, Russia is nevertheless prepared to hold negotiations.
Nerd narrative
There is a 2% chance that Putin and Zelenskyy will meet to discuss the peaceful resolution of the Russian-Ukraine conflict before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US Air Force Unveils New B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber
The US Air Force is expected to unveil its new B-21 Raider stealth bomber on Friday. Designed to conduct long-range and nuclear bomb missions, it's described as a sixth-generation plane, meaning it's the most advanced aircraft on Earth.
Northrop Grumman Corp. was awarded the contract to build the plane in 2015. While the exact cost to develop, purchase, and operate the bombers is unclear, 2010 data put the price at $550M each — around $753M today. The Air Force reportedly plans to build 100.
Pro-establishment narrative
The accomplishments of this program are two-fold, as the US faces growing scrutiny over both its budget and security. The B-21 was developed in a timely fashion and within budget, overcoming past failures to do so. Its stealth and long-range capabilities are also needed today as the US faces both hypersonic technologies and advanced mobile and deeply buried targets from its adversaries.
Establishment-critical narrative
This unveiling proves that the imbalance between military and non-military spending is alive and well. After decades of unnecessary wars, the Pentagon is now using the Cold War 2.0 trope to trick the nation into spending billions of dollars to fight its new enemies, Russia and China — a policy that completely disregards other major challenges. If the nation continues to hand over a blank check, there will be no signs of peace or military downsizing in sight.
Nerd narrative
There's a 19% chance that there will be a US-China war by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Syria: US-Backed Forces Suspend Anti-IS Operations
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that it would suspend “all coordination and joint counterterrorism operations” with the US-led coalition battling remnants of the Islamic State (IS), as well as “all the joint special operations we were carrying out regularly.”
The SDF stated that the reason for the decision was Turkey's alleged increased attacks on SDF-controlled territory in northern Syria following the bombing of a popular tourist street in Istanbul last month.
Narrative A
Though Turkey says it's fighting terrorism, in reality, it's just attacking the Kurdish people. Turkey has always sided with groups like IS when it served its interests, and another ground invasion would be a gift to the group as SDF forces would be pulled from other regions in northeast Syria to resist Turkish aggression, thus allowing IS fighters to regroup and launch attacks. The US must pressure its so-called ally into not attacking northern Syria.
Narrative B
Turkey can't allow rampant terror on its border with Syria. Though the SDF pretends to be some sort of bulwark against IS, Turkey has consistently proven a reliable partner against the group. The Turkish army has killed over 4k IS terrorists, and its local Syrian allies, the Syrian National Army, are more than capable of handling security in northern Syria. Turkey must respond to Kurdish terrorism.
US Economy Adds 263k Jobs in November
The Department of Labor released its monthly jobs snapshot Friday morning, reporting that nonfarm payrolls added 263k jobs in November — lower than October's 284k but higher than the predicted 200k— with unemployment remaining at 3.7%.
Restaurants and other industries in the leisure and hospitality sector represented a large portion of the job growth, adding 88k jobs.
Democratic narrative
The Biden economy continues to roar as the Labor Department reported another massive increase in jobs and wages under President Biden’s leadership. After nonsense claims of a recession, detractors must face the fact that the American economy is growing and will continue to do so under Biden.
Republican narrative
The US economy doesn't actually appear to be rebounding under Biden’s leadership. Despite superficial appeal, the added job and wage growth signal that Biden’s inflation continues to be out of control, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates more economic pain for the American people in 2023.
Pfizer Will Invest $2.5B to Expand Manufacturing in Europe
US-based drug manufacturer Pfizer Inc. has said it will invest a combined $2.5B in Belgium and Ireland — hoping to make up lost revenue as COVID vaccine sales decline and patents on other drugs expire.
This includes an investment of $1.26B, announced Friday, to expand its Puurs facility in Belgium, which, in a partnership with German company BioNTech, played a key role in the production of its COVID mRNA vaccines.
Establishment-critical narrative
Having made billions of dollars off of its monopoly on vaccines and undue influence on policymakers, Pfizer has come out the one true winner of the COVID pandemic. Now, having finally run its money-making racket dry, the company is looking to Europe for its next unscrupulous profiteering venture.
Pro-establishment narrative
This investment, particularly for Ireland, is a continuation of half a century of business between Pfizer and its European partners. This expansion is an opportunity to advance both Europeans' health and their economy and is a smart business decision for the pharmaceutical giant.