Newsletter 76
Still In My Tabs special
Subscribers may have noticed a downturn in the consistency of my posting. This was partly related to the summer break, and to the Ukraine trip.
But to make up for the gaps until I get back to full service I will do an extended “In my Tabs”, as they are accumulating rapidly. It includes pieces I have read or listened to and recommend.
🇮🇷 Iran
I’ve started expanding a Twitter list to keep track of events ongoing in Iran. Follow here. As always you can continue to follow events in Ukraine throughout the day, on the Ukraine list.
Still in my tabs
(Or stuff I haven’t read yet, but looks promising)
Time is the Hidden Flank in Assessing Russia’s Mobilisation
In the End, Climate Change Is the Only Story That Matters
Why Is Putin Upping the Ante in Ukraine?
Extreme China heatwave could lead to global chaos and food shortages
The Ragtag Army That Won the Battle of Kyiv and Saved Ukraine (brilliant)
‘A Crisis Coming’: The Twin Threats to American Democracy
Return to the moon: Why are we restarting human lunar exploration now?
The Mystery of Why Some People Don’t Get Covid
HEDGING WITH HUMILITY: REASSESSING CHINA’S POWER PROJECTION CAPABILITIES AGAINST TAIWAN
Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan: The terror and death of a fruitless border conflict
Tweezers based on a crow's beak can outperform traditional ones
South Korea Drops Aircraft Carrier Ambitions, Doubles Down On Submarines
World on brink of five ‘disastrous’ climate tipping points, study finds
Korean nuclear fusion reactor achieves 100 million°C for 30 seconds
We Don’t Have to Speculate About Trump’s Next Term
Chaos Researchers Can Now Predict Perilous Points of No Return
British Typhoon Fighters Helped Sink A Warship For The First Time
How Transformers Seem to Mimic Parts of the Brain
Podcast(s)
(The best stuff I’ve listened to, or been recommended by subscribers)
Ezra Klein interviewed former CIA spook Andrea Kendall-Taylor after her trip to Ukraine and meeting with the administration there. She sums up my own experiences in Ukraine, and the overall situation. She also recommends the people I read the most on Twitter, relating to the conflict (of course they are in my list). (77 mins)
Geopolitics Decanted had two excellent episodes on Ukraine. The first on how the battle of Kharkiv was won (with Dmitri Alperovitch) (45 mins) (he strongly indicated that Ukraine may have been given access to long range US missiles like ATACMS). The second was on the recent mobilisation (54 mins), with Rob Lee and Michael Kofman (and explores nuclear escalation). Worth the full 54 mins)
Odd Lots on how bad the Chinese economy might get. (46 mins)