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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Limits of Joe Bidens Calls for Press Freedom</strong> - After decades of exposing corruption in Guatemala, the journalist José Rubén Zamora has been jailed. Why cant the U.S. help him? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-limits-of-joe-bidens-calls-for-press-freedom">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Deregulating Banks Is Dangerous</strong> - As First Republic Bank is sold to JPMorgan, the Federal Reserve relearns some important lessons. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/deregulating-banks-is-dangerous">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Renewed Importance of the Texas Gay Rodeo</strong> - As conservative politicians try to control expressions of gender and sexuality, a rural haven from hostility offers competition and comfort. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/the-renewed-importance-of-the-texas-gay-rodeo">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Curious Side Effects of Medical Transparency</strong> - When we peer into our patient portals, we dont always see ourselves more clearly. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/essay/the-curious-side-effects-of-medical-transparency">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Risky Gamble of Kevin McCarthys Debt-Ceiling Strategy</strong> - In the face of a catastrophic default, the House Speaker has pitted his most extreme members against the President. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-risky-gamble-of-kevin-mccarthys-debt-ceiling-strategy">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Loneliness is killing Americans. Its time to do something.</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A person sitting on an unmade bed, looking out the window." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QN-ITLf6QruoUtmLk1rNw_4euE8=/576x0:5184x3456/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72244806/GettyImages_1440229538.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A new US Surgeon Generals report warns Americas loneliness crisis is making people sicker. | Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
3 takeaways from a landmark Surgeon Generals report on the US loneliness crisis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qVovmb">
The US Surgeon General is sounding an <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">alarm</a>: Americans are <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/5/11/21245087/america-loneliness-epidemic-coronavirus-pandemic-together">more lonely and socially disconnected than ever</a>, and its a serious threat to their <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/30/14219498/loneliness-hurts">physical and mental health</a> that demands urgent policy action.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="91UhTU">
A <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">new report</a> from the Surgeon General says that social isolations effects on mortality are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes every day. Social isolation (an objective measure of lacking connection to families, friends, and community) and loneliness (a subjective measure of feeling disconnected) contribute to a person having a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia, and make people more susceptible to infectious diseases.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LSlUL5">
Those individual health effects ripple out into the broader community. Communities with more social cohesion have less disease and lower all-cause mortality than those with less so-called social capital. They are better prepared for natural disasters and experience less violence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xUOT2o">
Reports from the surgeon general are reserved for urgent public health issues that require immediate action — and the nations top public health official argues that loneliness and isolation qualify.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pqKez4">
“Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to make the same investments in addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis,” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrote in the opening of the report.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4y4HmJ">
The advisory breaks down the measures of social isolation and loneliness in the US, how they can affect peoples health, and introduces recommendations about how to being to alleviate this epidemic of loneliness. Here are the reports main takeaways.
</p>
<h3 id="w8NTX6">
<ol type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Americans are lonelier and more isolated than ever
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ubWAUi">
Americans are experiencing more loneliness and isolation than at any time in recent memory. Those trends were already underway well before the Covid-19 pandemic, though living through three years of a public health crisis has likely accelerated them, at least for some people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NYfd0I">
Half of Americans say they experience loneliness, according to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31203639/">several</a> recent <a href="https://newsroom.thecignagroup.com/loneliness-epidemic-persists-post-pandemic-look">surveys</a>: Less than 40 percent <a href="https://www.gallup.com/analytics/402911/state-of-social-connections-study.aspx">said</a> in a 2022 study that they felt very connected to others.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XwtNa1">
Loneliness is subjective, and the report notes that a certain amount of solitude, even undesired solitude, can help people become more resilient. But more objective measures also reveal a country in which people are increasingly isolated from one another.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wVfcIa">
In the 1970s, almost half of Americans (45 percent) said they could generally trust other people, according to the surgeon generals report. Today, less than a third <a href="https://gss.norc.org/Documents/codebook/GSS%202021%20Codebook%20R1.pdf">say</a> the same. The amount of time that Americans <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235282732200310X">say</a> they spend alone every day had risen by nearly 30 minutes from 2003 to 2019 and increased another 20-plus minutes in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, which amounted to almost an additional full day of solitude over the course of a month. The amount of time that young people (ages 15-24) spend with their friends in person <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235282732200310X">dropped</a> by nearly 70 percent from 2003 to 2020, as long-running trends got worse when the pandemic set in. Half of the country <a href="https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/">says</a> they have three or fewer close friends, double the number from 1990. Just 16 percent of Americans <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/05/22/what-unites-and-divides-urban-suburban-and-rural-communities/">say</a> they feel very attached to their local community.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8tjoAM">
The causes for this increasing isolation are complex. People are <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/families-and-living-arrangements.html">less likely</a> to get married and are having fewer children. Americans are <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/">much less likely</a> to belong to religious organizations, a historical source of community connection. These are legitimate lifestyle choices. But, as the report notes, people need to be aware of the risks that loneliness brings to their health in order to better appreciate the need to seek out social connection.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tVrv5I">
Other risk factors for loneliness include being a racial or ethnic minority or identifying as LGBTQ, experiencing discrimination, having a lower income, and living alone. Being in poor physical or mental health is also associated with more isolation, suggesting a feedback loop in which loneliness not only contributes to poor health but perpetuates it. The percentage of households that comprise a single person living by themselves has <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/families-and-living-arrangements.html">doubled</a> from 1960 to 2022, to the point that now nearly one in three Americans lives alone.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uco1p2">
The role of technology in fostering loneliness has been scrutinized lately, but the report notes that the relationship is complex. Social media can create opportunities for people to connect with others, but it can also exacerbate loneliness. People who spend more than two hours a day on social media or who are the targets of online harassment <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28279545/">report feeling more isolated</a> from other people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nZ0tpf">
The pandemic likewise had a mixed effect on peoples connection to other people. About one in four Americans <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/09/01/the-internet-and-the-pandemic/">said</a> they felt less close to their family at the beginning of Covid-19, but one in five said they felt more connected, an indication that perhaps “the pandemic exacerbated existing family dynamics of connection or disconnection,” according to the report.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RllG6F">
Whats clear from the surgeon generals report is that neither the pandemic nor technology should be seen as unique causes of this loneliness epidemic, but instead as accelerants. The broader social infrastructure — both cultural and physical — must be addressed in order to alleviate peoples isolation. Because it is quite literally killing them.
</p>
<h3 id="d9eqzb">
<ol start="2" type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Loneliness and social isolation negatively affect a persons and a communitys health
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ydX1HE">
How does isolation affect a persons physical and mental health? The relationship is once again multifold: physical, psychological, and behavioral.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9nl7Dq">
Isolation can lead to a person experiencing a higher amount of stress, which affects mental well-being as well as causing the body to release stress hormones. Those hormones can contribute to higher levels of inflammation, which is associated with a wide spectrum of health problems. People with stronger social connections are also more likely to behave in ways that lead to better health: more physical activity, better nutrition, and even better management of chronic diseases.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PswTIL">
The empirical evidence is consistent: More social connection is linked with better health outcomes and vice versa. The surgeon generals report notes that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/425958/">one of the first large-scale epidemiological studies</a>, conducted in the late 1970s, found that people with a low amount of social connection were more than twice as likely to die during the study period as people with high social connection, even after adjusting for age, health, and economic status. A more <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316">recent systemic review of the available research</a> also found that a high level of social connection led people to be 50 percent more likely to survive over a long follow-up period, which averaged 7.5 years across the nearly 150 studies included in the review.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jRVmzP">
As the report concluded in one of its most striking passages:
</p>
<blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LV0z0D">
Indeed, the effects of social connection, isolation, and loneliness on mortality are comparable, and in some cases greater, than those of many other risk factors including lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity), traditional clinical risks factors (e.g., high blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol levels), environmental factors (e.g., air pollution), and clinical interventions (e.g., flu vaccine, high blood pressure medication, rehabilitation).
</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jL0ueg">
Social isolation is associated with higher rates of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes. People with stronger social connections are correspondingly <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28087811/">less likely</a> to be readmitted to a hospital after being treated for heart failure and they are generally <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578632/">better at managing chronic conditions like diabetes</a> than people who are more isolated.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="K2xi6p">
Loneliness also comes with the expected effects on a persons mental well-being. More isolation is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm, even if once again the report cautions that these outcomes have complicated origins. But the connection is unavoidable: One study <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096330/">found</a> that men who live alone are twice as likely to die by suicide.
</p>
<aside id="4QS9hN">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tao3HK">
These trends apply not only at the individual level, but also to entire communities. Communities with higher social capital — which can be linked to family structure and involvement, trust in community institutions, popularity of volunteerism, levels of participation in political discussions and voting efforts, and cohesion among community members — experience better health.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gWfZt0">
One study <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9314802/">found</a> that a 10 percent increase in the number of people in an area who say they feel connected to others was associated with an 8 percent drop in all-cause mortality. A county-level analysis of deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0245135">found</a> that “lower levels of social capital were associated with a higher number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 infection,” the report noted.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VLdmfS">
Those population-level effects trickle down to communities with more social cohesion having better experiences during natural disasters (in part because of better preparation) and seeing less violence.
</p>
<h3 id="VpiPlP">
<ol start="3" type="1">
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">How the US can begin to address its loneliness epidemic
</li></ol></h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pIukzP">
So the problem is clear. Objectively and subjectively, Americans are more isolated and lonely than ever. That isolation leads to worse health outcomes at both the individual and community level.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hpFw9D">
So what do we do about it? The Surgeon Generals office sketches out the principles upon which a successful strategy to alleviate the US loneliness epidemic could be built.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cAaANJ">
The underlying causes here span from the individual (chronic diseases, personality, socioeconomic status) to the relational (household, quality of interpersonal relationships) to the community (outdoor spaces, community organizations, health systems) to the societal (norms and values, civic engagement, historical inequities).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pidb1B">
The report includes a long appendix with recommendations targeted to specific organizations at different levels of society, from the government (federal, state, and local) to individual physicians, academics, schools, employers, and even the media.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WGDFjv">
But in broad strokes, the report recommends six pillars for making Americans feel more connected and less isolated from one another:
</p>
<ol>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="brmI1d">
Strengthen the social infrastructure: more communal spaces, more social activities, and better infrastructure to help people access them
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="t6OStD">
Develop “pro-connection” public policies that account for the need to foster connection when passing laws or formulating regulations, from transportation to education to housing
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qUu8uv">
Mobilize the health sector: train health care providers to identify people at risk of isolation and better equip providers to connect patients with the other forms of social support they may need
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WhLgBT">
Reform digital environments: require more transparency from large tech companies and establish safeguards (such as restrictions for young people) that could ameliorate the worst effects of social media on vulnerable populations
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IizxRJ">
Deepen our knowledge: support academic research and public information campaigns to improve our understanding of the connections between isolation and health and make people more aware of the problem in the first place
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BpbVAj">
Cultivate a culture of connection: use all of the vectors available, from politics to entertainment, to reinforce the values of connection and reduce the polarization that can lead to people feeling more isolated in our modern age
</li>
</ol>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mQjcmd">
These are enormous and daunting undertakings. But they are necessary, given the scale of the challenge before the country.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zX9ZAY">
“We are called to build a movement to mend the social fabric of our nation,” Murthy wrote. “It will take all of us … working together to destigmatize loneliness and change our cultural and policy response to it.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>How “enlightened selfishness” can lead to a more fulfilling marriage</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="An illustration of a couple walking hand-in-hand on a beach. On one of their shoulders rides a child." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1D2rwyH7CJviKWTgH9nSiJ9wM7E=/164x0:4735x3428/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72244727/GettyImages_1264127517.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Getty Images/fStop
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The philosopher Agnes Callard on pushing the boundaries of modern relationships.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TjgIOT">
If I asked you to imagine the stereotypical philosopher, whos the first person that springs to mind? If its a historical figure, theres a decent chance its Socrates. Which makes sense, since hes arguably the founder of the entire tradition of western philosophy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PPWhfS">
And even if you dont know much about Socrates, you probably know at least one thing he said: “An unexamined life is not worth living.” That was the guiding principle of his life and it got him into all kinds of trouble in ancient Athens — most famously, leading to his public execution.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="faCuYf">
It would be way too much to call any current figure a modern-day Socrates, but when I think of public philosophers carrying out his legacy in their own way, I think of Agnes Callard. She teaches at the University of Chicago and is constantly writing for mainstream publications like the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/03/philosophy-profundity-purpose-limits/673471/">Atlantic</a> and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/opinion/cancel-culture-friendship.html">New York Times</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="POydWN">
Most recently, Callard was — how shall we put it? — “in the news” after <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/13/agnes-callard-profile-marriage-philosophy">the New Yorker</a>s Rachel Aviv published a profile of her and her highly unconventional marriage. If youre interested in the details of that — including the fact that Callard lives with both her husband and ex-husband, all three of whom are philosophers — the piece is worth a read. But I saw it as a fascinating example of Callards willingness to think publicly and put herself out there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eVq6US">
Shes currently working on a book about Socrates (her philosophical role model), so I invited her onto <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-project-of-socratic-love-with-agnes-callard/id1081584611?i=1000611288941"><em>The Gray Area</em></a> to talk about her approach to public philosophy in general and her thoughts on love and marriage in particular. Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="n0c49i">
As always, theres much more in the full podcast, so listen and follow <em>The Gray Area</em> on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-gray-area-with-sean-illing/id1081584611">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/vox%20conversations">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6NOJ6IkTb2GWMj1RpmtnxP">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/vox-conversations">Stitcher</a>, or wherever you find podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.
</p>
<div id="DtkB6b">
</div>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="dXybHc"/>
<h4 id="HYlYaf">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HlzCzm">
Do you think that we expect too much from our relationships? Is it unfair or unreasonable to expect one person to be enough for anyone?
</p>
<h4 id="Xbw4wP">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zy5I6v">
I think the question, do we expect too much, and the question of expecting one person to be enough, seems separate to me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dUxMX2">
I think we dont expect enough. Im a Socratic about romance and romantic relationships, and Socrates theory of romance is that the way that we behave in connection with romance, is, he uses the Greek word <em>maniae, </em>Mania. Its like were crazy. We become crazy. This kind of craziness, nobody actually thinks, “Oh, the person should be institutionalized or they need to get help.” We think, “Oh yeah, of course, theyre in love, so thats normal.” Weve decided that crazy is normal in a certain kind of context. And to show you how twisted that is, we could substitute another kind of motivation for romance. Like, say the thing that people do where, they keep calling their ex and they keep texting them and they hate this person now. And they dont wanna get back together with them, but they cant stop themselves texting them. Totally familiar phenomenon, right?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zs7Vh1">
Imagine somebody did that with a restaurant. They wanted to go to a certain restaurant and the restaurants closed. So they stand outside the door of the restaurant and theyre banging on the door and you walk up to them and youre like, “You know, this ones closed. Theres all these other open ones. Do you want to go to one?” “No, I can only go to this one.” “Is it because the food is so good?” “No, I hate the food.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9RhiO1">
If somebody did that with respect to food, wed be like, theres something wrong with you. You need help. But when we do it about romance, were like, yeah, thats how it goes. So Socrates thinks this needs interpretation. We need a theory of why it is that this certain kind of craziness starts to take over us.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IzJXty">
And his theory is that its a sign that we didnt come from this place that were in now. Were here, but our home is in another world. And in that other world, the rules are different and things are perfectly beautiful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G1jacH">
But of course the other person whom youve gotten this glimpse of perfection isnt themselves perfect, and so what is it to hold onto that glimpse of perfection? I think Socrates thought that what it is to hold onto it is to try to reconcile yourself to the thought that its not actually in that person, but that that person could be a way of getting at it together with you.
</p>
<h4 id="bWGjDI">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XyzXHB">
I had an excerpt from Platos Symposium read at my wedding — <a href="https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-eng-102-college-writing-ii/chapter/aristophaness-speech-in-platos-symposium/">the famous speech from Aristophanes</a>. Aristophanes is this comic figure, but in the Symposium, hes being super serious about love. And he has this idea that at some point in our past, each pair of lovers were one whole and we were separated. And our great quest is to find that person again and reunite. Thats obviously not true, but its beautiful. And while I still think that speech is fantastic, Im not sure its the right way to think about love anymore.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LahUkp">
It sounds a lot like this notion that the person you love should complete you or help you complete yourself, which sounds a little bit like what youre saying, unless Im wrong about that?
</p>
<h4 id="8epNri">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bgVayh">
So the way the Symposium was structured is it was a bunch of speeches and then theres Socratess speech and then Alcibiadess speech.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C1XX0A">
Socrates says, “I once heard a story about how lovers love their other half?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UxHEyl">
He doesnt name Aristophanes. Its like a subtweet. “I once heard a story about how lovers love the other half. That story is wrong. Thats not what love is.”
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="University of Chicago philosopher Agnes Callard" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/17yF_pK2rCW0nwcIl4ZYlbNZfo0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24627887/Faculty_Photo_Callard.png"/> <cite>Courtesy of the University of Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>
University of Chicago philosopher Agnes Callard
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W1lh9g">
So Socrates explicitly comes out against Aristophanes and he says Aristophanes is wrong, dont interpret my speech as saying the same thing as Aristophaness speech. Because Aristophaness speech suggests that all you gotta do is find your other half and then thats it. Youre complete. And I think Socrates would say youve confused the beginning of the story for the end of the story.<strong> </strong>
</p>
<h4 id="jDuCDU">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1ZtGIU">
When talking about your divorce, you describe that feeling of losing the initial intoxication that comes with love. We all know what thats like. I guess my question to you is, where does that leave you in the end? That feeling is never sustainable, right?
</p>
<h4 id="1QUoEF">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JvcJfc">
Theres certain feelings like when you first arrive at campus in your first day of classes or when your kid is born and you see them for the first time.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NtXqAO">
There are these kind of transformative moments that cant last. And romance just gives us a big, strong version of that. That sudden experience of everything being possible, it doesnt last. But I dont think thats the same thing as saying its not sustainable.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7muTwi">
The feeling isnt sustainable, that kind of excitement dissipates over time. But hopefully it doesnt dissipate so quickly as for you to try to grab onto what is going to be this project that youre going to engage in with this person.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2bLDJQ">
I see falling in love as your chance to hook onto it, and in a way, that experience has to go away. Because that experience is the Aristophanic experience. Its the experience of, “This person completes me, Ive found my other half, Im done.” Its the experience of being done and in order to have the other experience of just getting started, that has to somewhat fade.
</p>
<h4 id="r259K4">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eIVSKG">
If I understand correctly, the Socratic model of a good life is this attempt to get closer to our ideals. And when someone enters our life and helps us in that aspiration, thats love and thats great. And when someone doesnt do that for us anymore or we dont do that for them, maybe thats the time to part ways. And that doesnt necessarily make your marriage a failure or anyones marriage of failure. But let me push back a little bit on this.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NEmAlW">
You poke fun at your own selfishness in that<em> </em>New Yorker profile. And I wonder if you think its possible that this is too self-centered, a way of thinking about marriage and family and maybe even life itself? Maybe the point of these experiences is precisely to give ourselves over to other people to care less about ourselves.
</p>
<h4 id="nuGx8y">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1L0DQh">
There are bad kinds of selfishness. Lets say, theres a narrow kind of selfishness that is born from an impoverished sense of what yourself is, but theres bad kinds of selflessness that are just born from conformity and a narrow set of expectations as to what other people want. I think whats enticing about another person in the context of love and also in some other kinds of philosophical context is that they bring out possibilities for yourself that you didnt know were there before. In that sense, it can also be selfless because its also directed toward their self, but there are many forms of selflessness that are very unromantic and that people dont really want from us.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L2GZnY">
So I think it is a bit selfish, but as long as its a kind of enlightened selfishness, Im okay with that. And at that point, Im not sure that it is so different from at least one kind of selflessness.
</p>
<h4 id="999Bo0">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qFqQGD">
What role is there in this model of love and marriage for sacrifice?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vo43LY">
Like what role is there for the other? And I dont mean the other merely as a vehicle for our own philosophical growth, but the other, for the sake of the other? If we live entirely or too much for ourselves following our own passions, then I think we can end up bulldozing over the lives of the people we love. But there are higher and deeper forms of love, right?
</p>
<h4 id="d5SCvW">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="78bTvQ">
I think that love involves something known as sacrifice. It involves unpleasantness. Its a package deal and part of the package is suffering. Its true of just about every attachment that you have to another human being — it comes with suffering. But, I guess the reason to stick with it and to continue is the good things that are to be gotten for you. I want to be with someone where theyre getting incredible value out of this relationship.
</p>
<h4 id="7EQcb8">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oL8Yyx">
What should we be expecting of our lovers that we dont?
</p>
<h4 id="4qnWBY">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6h2IXN">
When you fall in love with someone, you see something divine in them, and the expectation would be that that gets realized. Because the thing you see is only a possibility, and that they have the same expectation of you.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nGCD7z">
Now, I want to acknowledge something, which is one reaction that this [New Yorker] piece got from a lot of people is like, wow, she seems really exhausting.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xdT5Sa">
And I think that thats sort of true about me, and maybe theres just different modes of living. One thing I think philosophers are insufficiently sensitive to is the fact that people are different from other people. Theres just a huge amount of variance among human beings.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QLmLsb">
One way to think about it is, there are two kinds of people. Some people think the worst thing in life is stress and suffering and the world making too many demands of you, and then other people think the worst thing in life is boredom and nothingness and having an insufficient number of demands being made on you.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aMsUQT">
I am definitely in the second category. I just always want there to be more. I want everything to happen faster. So I guess the question is, which danger are you more worried about? The thought that failing at this really big task is going to be so dispiriting that youll just give up and wont try at all? Or the thought that not putting a big enough task in front of you is just going to leave you demotivated and think, ah, is this even worth trying?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IK1Xbi">
Im just more in the second category. Just because something is an infinitely large task, I dont think that means that its too big to ask of someone. But keep in mind, I dont have to persuade everyone. I just have to persuade the person Im with. So if most people are like, “Hey, thats not for me,” thats okay because Im not romantically involved with them.
</p>
<h4 id="8W9MKB">
Sean Illing
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LMRmEU">
When I think of Socrates, I think of someone whos just poking holes in what we think we know. I wonder what you think we need most from philosophers today. What other sorts of questions do you think we should be asking right now of philosophers in particular?
</p>
<h4 id="ZNg025">
Agnes Callard
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Dk1V2E">
I would agree with the description of Socrates as poking holes in things. But the way that I would put that is that hes opening a bunch of inquiries. Hes saying, “Hey, heres a bunch of stuff youre just sort of doing. Youre just sort of going through your day with it, but you could ask about it.” I think the really interesting thing about marriage and romance is just that its a place where we will tolerate this, because we are all interested in having philosophical discussions about our romantic lives. And I never realized this so strongly until this piece came out.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tFW50O">
Ive had people report on me and describe me as someone, most of whose work is about romance or my own romances or whatever and none of my academic work is about this and very little of my public philosophy is about this, but people have this impression thats who I am. Why? Because its really gripping to people. And I think this might be the thin edge of the philosophical wedge. If we philosophers want to get people to be interested in their own lives, the place we have to start is romance and marriage, because they will tolerate it there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MqLw5I">
People will have long, involved conversations about ideas if those conversations are about romance.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IMM1uU">
<em>To hear the rest of the conversation, </em><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5A0IlKC5zLFhc1iF8nj7US?si=jNJlEL7QSa-Ut9JMAsb41g"><em>click here</em></a><em>, and be sure to follow </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/thegrayarea">The Gray Area</a><em> on </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-gray-area-with-sean-illing/id1081584611"><em>Apple Podcasts</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/vox%20conversations"><em>Google Podcasts</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6NOJ6IkTb2GWMj1RpmtnxP"><em>Spotify</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/vox-conversations"><em>Stitcher</em></a><em>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.</em>
</p></li>
<li><strong>The most mysterious forests on Earth are underwater</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A scuba diver in a kelp forest." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mqb-B2m3e_V1wWUwIs5YwLfx0g0=/0x0:1779x1334/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72244641/adler_4710.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Photographer and oceanographer Anne De Souza photographs a forest of giant kelp near Monastery Beach in Carmel, California. | Jennifer Adler
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Kelp forests are majestic, life-sustaining ecosystems. Climate change imperils them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pQuRfN">
A few miles west of San Diego is a stretch of ocean thats rather unremarkable from the surface. The water is cold and blue. Theres some green seaweed peeking out.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6jnbhp">
Sink below the waves, however, and a whole other realm appears. Under the sea here, near Point Loma, is a forest as beautiful as any other. Its made not of trees but of strands of giant kelp, a species of algae that can grow taller than a 10-story building.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bBOmPa">
Tethered to the seafloor and buoyed by air-filled chambers, the kelp strands undulate with the current, moving in slow motion. Schools of fish, seals, and other aquatic critters weave through the stalks like birds through a forest canopy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4XhSOP">
“Diving into a forest is like descending into a cathedral,” Jarrett Byrnes, a marine ecologist at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said of kelp forests. Light from the surface filters through blades of kelp as if theyre stained glass, said Byrnes, whos been diving kelp forests for more than 20 years. “Its just amazing.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Kelp forest seen from the seabed, looking up." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hu-f8L2lhmo97rJaCYdi9_OijXA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24627702/adler_5409.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A forest of bull kelp near Carmel-by-the-Sea in California in the fall of 2022.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4AGDm6">
Our planet has a number of great forests — the Amazon, for example, or the boreal forest of Canada and Russia. These iconic ecosystems not only support an incredible diversity of wildlife but store vast amounts of carbon that might otherwise heat up the planet. Its not hyperbole to say that our existence depends on them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eA14Pj">
But equally important are the forests of the sea. Found in cold waters across roughly a quarter of the worlds coasts, kelp forests are the foundation of many marine ecosystems. They underpin coastal fisheries, helping sustain the seafood industry. They also absorb enormous amounts of pollution and <a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2019/how-kelp-naturally-combats-global-climate-change/">help sequester</a> planet-warming gases. A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37385-0">recent study</a> valued these benefits at roughly $500 billion a year, worldwide.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oNtDSJ">
Yet for all they are worth, scientists know surprisingly little about kelp forests. Globally, data on how theyre responding to climate change and other threats, such as the spread of non-native species, is incomplete. Conservation efforts — which have been ramping up in recent years, especially on land — have largely overlooked these marine environments.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yvLnh7">
What biologists do know suggests that many of these forests are in trouble. And a lengthy <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/42255;jsessionid=1E1DF0AB468F4ECD07D00C9DE59F5F91">new review</a> published this week by the United Nations indicates that kelp forests have declined globally. “Kelp have suffered widespread losses across much of their range,” the report states — and climate change stands to make things worse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dLHKqZ">
The full story, however, is much more complicated.
</p>
<h3 id="cmI3qC">
A spectacular undersea world that we all rely on
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LlekRb">
Kelp forests have a lot in common with their land-based counterparts. They form three-dimensional structures that provide homes to animals. They often have a canopy. And kelp stalks themselves look a bit like trees: They have root-like anchors, a central structure similar to a trunk, and leaf-like blades.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gUwmVi">
Yet there are a few key differences. For example, kelp is not a plant but a kind of algae, a group of aquatic organisms in an entirely different kingdom of life (home to things like pond scum and Floridas red tide). They also grow far faster than trees — as fast as two feet per day, depending on the species.
</p>
<div class="p-fullbleed-block">
<div class="c-image-grid">
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="The ball-shaped floats and fronds at the ends of kelp stalks, waving in the current." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-6-NncbjTrR-a4aYnSkP0ek_5XY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24627791/adler_5767.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Young bull kelp growing near Carmel-by-the-Sea in April.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A seal swimming toward the camera in a kelp forest." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7vFIkh4nD0b5MTg6IUNcizUQO0M=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626898/adler_6255.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A curious harbor seal checks out photographer Jennifer Adler during a dive near Monastery Beach in Carmel.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dFbelO">
Some kelp species, like the giant kelp common off the coast of San Diego, reach the surface to form a canopy. Others top off many feet down, creating an understory. And these forests are quite widespread, covering an area of ocean up to five times greater than that of all coral reefs, according to the new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="48gOGP">
These forests support a stunning diversity of life. Kelp blades and anchors (known as holdfasts, the closest thing they have to roots) provide shelter for young fish, a place for adult fish to spawn, and food for invertebrates like urchins and other creatures. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/abs/species-distribution-and-habitat-exploitation-of-fauna-associated-with-kelp-laminaria-hyperborea-along-the-norwegian-coast/16ECBF25C1F4CCD89680498809A09F95">One study</a> found that a single stalk of kelp in Norway supported roughly 80,000 organisms across 70 distinct species. Over <a href="https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/kelp-forests.htm">1,000 species</a> of plants and animals are found in some kelp forests in California.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PWKygp7D3drAnvaz2SQVuWaH1jo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24629353/Fig1.2.jpg"/> <cite>United Nations Environment Programme</cite>
<figcaption>
The distribution of common varieties of kelp (in green) around the world.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gdez6n">
This is especially relevant for people who eat seafood. Research has demonstrated that many popular commercial species including pollack, lobster, and abalone spend at least part of their lives in kelp forests and depend on their existence. A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37385-0">new study</a> in the journal <em>Nature </em>illustrates just how valuable these environments are to the seafood industry: A single hectare of forest contributes an average of roughly $30,000 a year to fisheries, the authors found.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SpiyVf">
The benefits dont stop there! As they grow, kelp forests, like those on land, absorb a lot of pollution including fertilizer runoff from farmland and compounds of carbon (much of which enters the ocean from the atmosphere). Theyre helping offset much of our planet-warming emissions, for free. The <em>Nature</em> study, which examined a handful of services that kelp provide, conservatively estimates that these habitats sequester at least 4.9 megatons of carbon from the atmosphere each year. “Pound for pound,” kelp remove as much as (or more) carbon than other ecosystems, such as terrestrial forests or mangroves, the studys lead author, marine scientist Aaron Eger, told Vox.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ADhYTf">
Combined, the services provided by kelp forests globally — supporting fisheries, cleaning up pollution, and sequestering carbon — are worth half a trillion dollars a year, the study found. And that doesnt take into account other potential benefits, such as coastal protection (kelp forests may tamp down waves, helping limit the impact of storms, the UNEP report found).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pJCDbq">
In short: Kelp help.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="The tops of a kelp forest, seen just below the surface of the water." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BeuWOwowSGBy1DMw6QypmrRrBc4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626895/adler_5195.jpg"/> <cite>Jennifer Adler</cite>
<figcaption>
A forest of bull kelp near Carmel-by-the-Sea in the fall of 2022.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<h3 id="5Rbl4m">
Are kelp forests at risk?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GRCkz9">
The simple answer is yes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0DEeYu">
The <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.1606102113">most recent global analysis</a>, based on data through 2012, found that global kelp forests are declining on average at a rate of about 1.8 percent per year. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128050521000036">more recent review</a> that only considers long-term data (which is more reliable; kelp forests can vary a lot from year to year) points to a more troubling trend. It finds that more than 60 percent of the kelp forests scientists have studied over a period of 20 years or more have declined.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ds4ONL">
“On the whole, when we look at kelp forests over a long time period and in temperate latitudes, were seeing strong declines,” said Kira Krumhansl, a marine ecologist who led the global analysis and was a co-author of the more recent review. Those declines are most severe in regions closer to the equator where the water is warmer, such as Baja California, Western Australia, and southern New England, said Krumhansl, who works at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dcpoCM">
This pattern points to a major force behind shrinking kelp forests: climate change.
</p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A kelp frond with multiple floats, underwater." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sLKd6NNk348Kh-PyVVuqe1glHiY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24627740/adler_4594.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Giant kelp can grow up to two feet per day.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AjWwXB">
Kelp like to grow in cold, nutrient-rich water, yet rising global temperatures — fueled by power plants, gas-powered cars, and so on — are making the oceans warmer and fueling epic marine heat waves. That has pushed some kelp forests past their thermal limits, especially if theyre already in the warmer reaches of their range.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wyLFVx">
An added twist is that warm waters tend to hold fewer nutrients, which makes it harder for forests to grow, according to Byrnes, the biologist at UMass Boston.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k2cyFk">
Another reason why kelp forests have declined is overfishing and the loss of marine predators. Cod, lobster, and sea otters, among other animals, prey on sea urchins. Urchins, in turn, graze on kelp. When fishing nets capture urchin predators, urchins proliferate and mow down kelp forests.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<div class="c-image-grid">
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/asWCqcTn4omOf5Xoa3bR2ShpM10=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24626899/adler_3034.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Purple sea urchins devour stalks of kelp near Portuguese Beach in Mendocino, California.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kGb098nDh0hE9HBi_VUvVjsX87s=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24627744/adler_3604.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
As urchins mow down forests of kelp, they create “urchin barrens.”
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="onOrpV">
This process can create what are called urchin barrens, eerie stretches of sea floor covered in little more than prickly orbs. You can find these barrens all over the world, from California to Tasmania to Japan. (Degraded kelp forests are also increasingly being <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43536-5">replaced by</a> mats of algae that form a turf on the sea floor and prevent the kelp from recovering.)
</p>
<h3 id="bgl72z">
Two things that make the story of kelp more complicated
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XytoZD">
Although research shows that, on average, kelp forests are declining worldwide, some marine biologists are hesitant to make sweeping conclusions about the global trend.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qih5jL">
One reason why is that kelp forests vary dramatically from place to place. Many forests have eroded or vanished entirely, though some seem to be fine or are even expanding. “Every spot on Earth has a different story,” said Tom Bell, a marine scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Stalks of key and fronds, seen underwater from below." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XccB_52hM5v6LLgXqspC83Hqpzc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24628465/adler_5822.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Stalks of bull kelp grow near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, in fall of 2022.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k3rscs">
A <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0271477#pone-0271477-g005">recent study</a> co-authored by Bell documented steep declines in kelp forests along the West Coast, following a spate of intense marine heat waves between 2014 and 2016. While forests in parts of Northern and Central California have yet to recover these losses, some of those off the coast of Oregon have grown substantially.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DjZmoe">
“In some locations, we found jaw-dropping recovery in canopy-forming kelps,” said Vienna Saccomanno, a co-author of the recent study and ocean scientist at The Nature Conservancy, an environmental group. “These places are important glimmers of hope.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xIMB6R">
Kelp forests also appear to be growing in parts of the Arctic. The ocean there is warming, making the water more tolerable for kelp (yet still cold enough for these algae to survive). Melting ice, meanwhile, frees up space for forests to take root. But this trend is not universal or well understood. Melting ice can also make the water cloudier, potentially limiting the growth of kelp forests.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a8GZGT">
Some parts of the ocean, including the coast of South Africa, are also anomalously cooling, causing kelp forests to increase, Byrnes said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pdxTJO">
The other barrier to describing clear trends in kelp forests is a lack of data. Much of the planets kelp forests have yet to be mapped, and theyre rarely monitored, according to UNEP. The 2016 global analysis — which remains the most comprehensive assessment to date — only analyzed data for about a third of the regions home to kelp forests. Information is especially limited in places like the tip of South America and in parts of Africa, Byrnes said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ar1tbf">
“The lack of information about certain parts of the world really worries me,” Byrnes said. “We dont know whats happening. And sometimes it can be alarming.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-left c-float-hang">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6uRj6etsx6ydnys0oOa8k-m3bik=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24629347/adler_4763__1_.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Photographer Effie Benjamin freedives in a bull kelp forest near Carmel Point, California, in April 2023.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x1Xxfx">
Kelp forests are harder to monitor than most other ecosystems. Often, marine biologists get in the water and count kelp stands by hand, which is expensive, labor intensive, and requires some special skills. Kelp forests can extend for miles.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aqjb3e">
“It is a challenge to monitor [kelp forests], and thats partly why they havent been as much of a focus for conservation or engagement,” Krumhansl said. “Nobody actually sees them. Theyre not like a forest on land that you can walk through and see the changes happening for yourself.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0AsB5G">
To an extent, tech is helping fix this problem. Instead of diving into a forest, scientists can now analyze images of the ocean taken by satellites for subtle changes in color that correspond to kelp forest canopies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="av18eW">
Bells recent analysis was based entirely on this approach. He used satellite-based data from <a href="https://kelpwatch.org/">Kelpwatch</a>, a website he and other scientists designed to make this kind of data freely accessible. (You can do a similar analysis yourself on the website, though for now theres only data for the west coast of North America.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PM16Xh">
Theres one big caveat to this new era of kelp forest monitoring: Satellites, at least for now, can only detect canopy-forming kelp. And just a portion of kelp species form canopies, Byrnes said. That means we may not have a clear picture of these habitats for decades.
</p>
<h3 id="PRmV8x">
The future of kelp forests
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WFRvDp">
In the years to come, kelp forests may still face a raft of problems including overfishing and the spread of invasive species. But none are likely to be more threatening to their long-term existence than climate change.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6BZJA1">
The oceans are warming, and marine heat waves — extended periods of abnormally hot temperatures — are almost certainly becoming more common. Since the 1980s, the frequency of marine heat waves has doubled, according to a <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/">2021 report</a> by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN group that studies warming.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bS5eZP">
Thats a problem for kelp, Krumhansl said. “They are cold-adapted species,” she said. “So the future doesnt look great.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vulilh">
Yet there are things that countries and environmental advocates can do to lessen the damage and give kelp forests a chance at survival.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nOvZKj">
One approach is to protect kelp forests with marine parks. Right now, these ecosystems are underrepresented in the worlds network of protected areas, according to UNEP, yet theyve been shown to help kelp forests recover. By safeguarding marine predators, such as lobsters and sea otters, parks can keep urchin populations under control.
</p>
<div class="p-fullbleed-block">
<div class="c-image-grid">
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A scuba diver with a mesh collecting bag picks samples off the sea floor." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E1OMpFuH5q1_EAQ0uT8c9aRcl0w=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24628267/adler_0336.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Marine ecologist Rachael Karm collects bits of bull kelp for a research project at Russian Gulch State Beach in Jenner, California.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<div class="c-image-grid__item">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A scuba diver removes sea urchins from kelp blades near the ocean surface." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WHzXC8-kpvxGnyxiWLzzLRFXY5c=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24628272/adler_5055.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Iris Flores, a doctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, collects purple sea urchins at Stillwater Cove off Pebble Beach, California, to study the impacts of coastal upwelling on the grazing behavior of sea urchins.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nOWKKF">
Another approach is to manually remove urchins from a reef — an activity that is oddly satisfying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GchTAzPh23k">to watch</a> — or kill them en masse with poison, which can be highly effective in restoring kelp forests, according to a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.831001/full">recent review</a>. (There are plenty of other approaches to kelp forest restoration and an <a href="https://kelpforestalliance.com/">entire organization</a> working toward that cause.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Q4eSWM">
The good news is that when you take away some of these threats, kelp forests can quickly bounce back, Byrnes said. Kelp is resilient. And again, it grows incredibly quickly. “Kelp is just phenomenal,” Byrnes said. “As long as the conditions are right, it will grow and it will thrive.”
</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Avondale, Meropi, Gallahad, De Villiers and Serdar please</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sonal overcomes Rachita in three sets</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Indian girls to play Vietnam for minor placings</strong> - Sports Bureau</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos gets 3-year ban for doping</strong> - The runner from Botswana tested positive for the banned substance GW1516 last year in the run-up to the track world championships; the ban rules Amos out of 2024 Paris Olympics</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IPL 2023 CSK vs LSG | Chennai Super Kings win toss, opts to bowl against Lucknow Super Giants</strong> - CSK have brought in pace bowler Deepak Chahar in place Akash Singh, while LSG have included Manan Vohra and Karan Sharma in the playing XI</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cinema hall in Assam asked to compensate movie goer five years after rat bite</strong> - The cinema hall authorities declined to offer first aid or any help, the woman had alleged</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SEWA-Union observes May Day</strong> - Women workers from rural areas visited the stretch from PMG to Palayam in the city and honoured workers in the unorganised sector</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India to build Harbour for Maldivian Coast Guard, foundation stone laid</strong> - The development of the Coast Guard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is one of the biggest grant-in-aid projects of India</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In India, people are now getting accustomed to greasing palms of officers even for performing their duty: Madras High Court</strong> - Justice G. Jayachandran says even without an express demand, people know well that their work will not be done unless they pay illegal gratification</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pawar is NCP chief till he thinks over his decision; no deliberations on successor yet: Praful Patel</strong> - Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Patel, who is the NCPs national vice president, also said he himself was not in the running for the top post</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Belgrade shooting: Huge police operation after Serbia school attack</strong> - A 14-year-old schoolboy is arrested after at least nine killed at an elementary school in Belgrade.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Kremlin accuses Ukraine of trying to assassinate Putin</strong> - Moscow said two drones had been used in the alleged attack but they were disabled by defences.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Report puts Russian ghost ships near pipeline blast site</strong> - A documentary reports Russian naval ships were located near the site of the Nord Stream explosions.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Russia scales back Victory Day celebrations</strong> - The traditional Immortal Regiment procession will move online due to security concerns, authorities say.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Lionel Messi suspended by Paris St-Germain for two weeks over Saudi Arabia trip</strong> - Argentina captain Lionel Messi is suspended for two weeks by Paris St-Germain for missing training to travel to Saudi Arabia without the clubs permission.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I used System76s Pangolin for weeks, and Linux was not the biggest problem</strong> - A comfy keyboard, weird trackpad, blah webcam, and notably mature Linux desktop. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1928262">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AIs chaotic rollout in big US hospitals detailed in anonymous quotes</strong> - Health care systems struggle with each step of AI implementation, study finds. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1936159">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pornhub shocks Utah by restricting access over age-verification law</strong> - State senator says he “did not expect adult porn sites to be blocked in Utah.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1936192">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AI-generated beer commercial contains joyful monstrosities, goes viral</strong> - 30-second spot set to “All Star” may inspire awe—or nightmares. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1936137">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Apple and Google introduce standard to combat AirTag and Tile tracker misuse</strong> - Tracker-makers will chime in over the coming months to finalize the standard. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1936023">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>If a pro lifer asks “What if Mary aborted Jesus”?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Replying “it would have sped things along” isnt the answer they were looking for.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/gee666"> /u/gee666 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1362eva/if_a_pro_lifer_asks_what_if_mary_aborted_jesus/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1362eva/if_a_pro_lifer_asks_what_if_mary_aborted_jesus/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A blonde was speeding when a local police officer pulled her over and walked up to the car</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The officer also happened to be a blonde and she asked for the blondes drivers license.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The driver searched frantically in her purse for a while and finally said to the blonde policewoman, “What does a drivers license look like?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Irritated, the blonde cop said, “You dummy, its got your picture on it!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The blonde driver frantically searched her purse again and found a small, rectangular mirror down at the bottom.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She held it up to her face and said, "Aha!
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
This must be my drivers license" and handed it to the blonde policewoman.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The blonde cop looked in the mirror, handed it back to the driver and said,
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
"Youre free to go.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
And, if I had known you were a police officer too, we could have avoided all of this."
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/HelpingHandsUs"> /u/HelpingHandsUs </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1366t2u/a_blonde_was_speeding_when_a_local_police_officer/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1366t2u/a_blonde_was_speeding_when_a_local_police_officer/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Its WWII and theres a little anti-aircraft unit based on the east coast of England. The sergeant has a stutter.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
One dark night theyre playing cards under the glow of their gas lamp, and suddenly they hear the distant sound of aircraft engines. The sergeant barks, “Ggggggggg-ggggg-gggggg-gggg-ggggg-get to the gggggg-ggg-gggggg-ggggg-gggg-ggggggg-ggg-gggggg-ggg-gun.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
All the men throw down their cards and rush over to the gun.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The sergeant says, “Rrrrrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrrrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrrrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrrr-ready.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The men are ready with the gun.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The sergeant says, “Aaaaaa-aaa-aaaaaa-aaa-a-a-aaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaa-aaaaaaa-aaa-aim.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Within seconds the men have the gun aimed at the German bomber.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The sergeant yells, “FFFFFFF-FFFF-FFFFFFF-FFFF-FFFF-FFFF-FFFF-FFFFFFFFFFFFF-FFFF…
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“FFFF-FFFFFFFF-FFFF-FFFFFFFF-FFFF-FFFFFF-FF-FF-F-F-F-F-FFFFF-FFFFFF-FFFF…
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“FFFF-FFFF-FFFF-FFF-FF-FFF-FFFF…
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“FFFF-FUCK it lads, well get em on the way back.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/thermidorthelobster"> /u/thermidorthelobster </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/136g74n/its_wwii_and_theres_a_little_antiaircraft_unit/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/136g74n/its_wwii_and_theres_a_little_antiaircraft_unit/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In Germany, we have a joke.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Sincerely. We do.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/cncpj"> /u/cncpj </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1368blw/in_germany_we_have_a_joke/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1368blw/in_germany_we_have_a_joke/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>My wife just said to me, youre an eight on a scale of ten.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Im confused why did she ask me to Urinate on a Skeleton?
</p>
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