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Daily Archives: November 4, 2021

Here’s what we really know about COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

Poynter: “If you don’t read any further, know this: No vaccine is 100% effective against any disease. The COVID shots are no exception. Effectiveness in preventing infection — defined as a positive test result — appears in some studies to wane sharply the more time that goes by after completing the one- or two-shot regimen. But on key measures — prevention of serious illness, hospitalization and death — real-world studies from the U.S. and abroad generally show protection weakening slightly, particularly in older or sicker people, but remaining strong overall, even with the rise of the more infectious delta variant of the COVID virus. The bottom line? Getting vaccinated with any of the three vaccines available in the U.S. reduces the chance of getting infected in the first place, and significantly cuts the risk of hospitalization or death if you do contract COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published a study showing fully vaccinated people were more than 10 times less likely to die or be hospitalized than the unvaccinated. “When it comes to what matters, vaccines hold up really well,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They were designed to tame the virus.”..

How to keep your intimate, embarrassing or damaging text messages as private as possible

Washington Post: “…Secure messaging is essential for people like political dissidents, whistleblowers and journalists talking to sources. But a conversation doesn’t need to fall into the hands of a government to be damaging, and you don’t need to be sharing anything high-profile to be at risk. In addition to being subpoenaed by law enforcement, private… Continue Reading

The First Amendment Does Not Protect Replicants

Lessig, Lawrence, The First Amendment Does Not Protect Replicants (September 10, 2021). Social Media and Democracy (Lee Bollinger & Geoffrey Stone, eds., Oxford 2022), Forthcoming, Harvard Public Law Working Paper No. 21-34, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3922565 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3922565 “As the semantic capability of computer systems increases, the law should resolve clearly whether the First Amendment… Continue Reading

Oxford Scientists Find Gene That Doubles Risk of Dying From Covid-19

Bloomberg: “Scientists identified a specific gene that doubles the risk of respiratory failure from Covid-19 and may go some way to explaining why some ethnic groups are more susceptible to severe disease than others. Researchers from the University of Oxford found that a higher-risk version of the gene most likely prevents the cells lining airways… Continue Reading

Raw Photos Of Landfills Show The Extreme Amount Of Waste Humans Produce

BuzzFeed News: “Thousands of diplomats and activists are currently convening in Glasgow to discuss the worsening climate crisis at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Sustainability, pollution, and mitigation will be covered, and with that, this felt like a good time to look at all the things that go to waste. 1,825 pounds… Continue Reading

10 Breakthrough Technologies 2021

MIT Technology Review: “This list marks 20 years since we began compiling an annual selection of the year’s most important technologies. Some, such as mRNA vaccines, are already changing our lives, while others are still a few years off. Below, you’ll find a brief description along with a link to a feature article that probes… Continue Reading

US Department of Labor issues emergency temporary standard to protect workers from coronavirus

OSHA Increases protections for 84M private sector workers and White House Fact Sheet – “The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a new emergency temporary standard to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job. The nation’s unvaccinated workers face grave danger from… Continue Reading

The car becomes the weapon

Boston Globe (paywall) – Demonstrators around the country have been injured and killed by vehicle rammings, but there’s been precious little justice. And new laws could make accountability even scarcer…Given the choice between defending the safety of pedestrians protesting a police murder and the drivers of the vehicles running them down, prosecutors and lawmakers here… Continue Reading