Month: April 2024

Republicans and Russians

Posted on by Cheryl Rofer

Russia’s attempts at interference in American politics aren’t going away. We see only bits and pieces of them, though. most recently, Marjorie Taylor Green was explicitly quoting from Russian and Hungarian propaganda, but she’s not alone.

The effort seems to be distributed across Russian agencies as well, with the FSB (civilian intelligence agency), GRU (military intelligence agency), and probably individual oligarchs and other government agencies reaching for some of their own advantage.

The interference varies over time, as well. The NRA was a focus, now not so much as the organization self-immolates.

Donald Trump and Paul Manafort, however, have been connected to Russia for a long time. Trump has been fascinated by Russia since the 1980s, and the Mueller Report makes clear his more recent ties. There is also Kevin McCarthy’s famous quote about Dana Rohrabacher and Trump being two who are likely paid by Russia.

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A Neutron Bomb Is Not A Death Ray

Posted on by Cheryl Rofer

In fact, death rays do not exist. Not neutron bombs, not whatever is causing Havana Syndrome (Anomalous Health Incidents). I am sad to be the bearer of these tidings, but whatever role a death ray pistol plays in your fantasies, it will have to stay fantastic.

The big problem is the amount of power required for your typical death ray, if you assume that there are physical and biological principles that allow killing people without leaving a mark. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that nobody has shown how it works, the energy interaction with the human body.

Yes, neutrons can fry living organisms. But what does it take to produce those neutrons?

Stephen Schwartz posts on the history of nuclear weapons. He’s on Bluesky, not Twitter, and worth following if that’s one of your interests. Today he posted a thread on the neutron bomb.

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