Dan Vergano

@danvergano

Editor / Reporter in Washington, D.C. Signal: Delta.357

1.367 Folgt4.965 Follower1.643 Posts

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Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jul 2

Evolutionary Anthropology: "The Origins of Fashion" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... "...began at least 400,000 years ago with pigment use, intensified with the emergence of personal ornaments, and developed into regionally differentiated systems..."

Figure 4

Map

Cartography of the early Neolithic bead-type diffusion following the dispersal of the first villagers from east to west Europe: (A) Large-scale diffusion of exclusively Neolithic ornament types; (B) diversification of early Neolithic ornament types; (C) persistence of Mesolithic bead-types in the Neolithic; (D) emergence of new bead types at the regional scale. Dotted black lines indicate the major shifts in bead-type associations in South East Europe. Dotted orange ellipses show the two areas where numerous new bead-types were adopted at the end of the early Neolithic. Color-shaded areas indicate the geographic distribution of the Mediterranean early Neolithic (pink), Danubian early Neolithic (green), and Baltic early Neolithic (blue) archaeological cultures considered in the analysis. Maps were made by S.R. by using ArcGIS 9.3.1 software (After Rigaud et al. 2015).

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 25

The big regret about getting laid off from SciAm is I never got a mug. I have a collection of mugs & crap from past news orgs that went south (broke BuzzFeed News mug but still have headphones/grimy mousepad). There's a NatGeo tshirt somewhere, a wrong side misprint they gave to staff as a spiff

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 21

Moon may have formed within 4 months after a Mars-sized impactor hit proto-Earth billions of years ago www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

A graphical abstract of the study showing the moon's formation

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 20

Expert Asymmetry: Evidence From Securities Litigation onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/NWAS6C... "...defense-side experts have more “prestigious” credentials, and that defense-side experts are paid at least 36% more on an hourly basis." "reason to prefer an 'inquisitorial' litigation system"

Graphic -- Wage distribution of standard economic expert appearances (2024 dollars). [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 15

sadly can't mine recycle. my copy might be holding up my house rn

66th edition of handbook of chemistry and physics on bookshelf

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 10

"Individual Uncertainty and Policy Compliance During the COVID-19 Pandemic" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... "scant research has examined the extent to which the “target” of public policies complies with or behaves " "radio and other social media have higher levels of uncertainty"

"The findings presented here suggest a complex information environment for individuals who were expected to implement and comply with COVID-19 mitigation policies. This is consistent with the literature on how governments grapple with uncertain and ambiguous policy information in implementation (Taylor et al. 2021; Zahariadis and Exadaktylos 2016). We find that uncertainty was lowest in the spring of 2020, reaching its peak during the late summer of 2020, decreasing slightly in the fall of 2020 (but still higher than spring). However, there is nuance to this trend within policies and states. While this study cannot address the cause of these differences, these trends may also be related to distinct communication approaches across states or differing policy designs that made them less clear to the public.

Equally important, uncertainty does not appear overly partisan, which is surprising given that previous studies have found a seemingly inextricable link between political ideology and policy compliance during COVID-19 (Young et al. 2022; Lim and Moon 2023). Partisanship was not a statistically significant predictor of uncertainty, nor did we observe any discernible pattern across states in terms of their relative level of uncertainty: levels of uncertainty vary across red and blue states alike. This finding may reflect the fact that our measure of uncertainty effectively captures the embryonic stage of compliance, since we are not assessing whether someone agrees or disagrees (or even understands) a policy but whether they simply understand the demands being placed on them by a policy. We assert that this type of baseline understanding of policies is foundational to policy compliance.

Still, this is not to say individuals are tabula rasa when it comes to the presence of uncertainty: a host of individual-level predictors are shown to affect reported levels of uncertainty about policies. "

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 6

Saturday's suburbs puzzler/mystery. Someone left a "Smart Stick" stuck in my side yard? The number onnit yields an unanswered hang-up.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 5

HIV Medicine Association statement: ON THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIV/AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES, WE CAN'T GO BACK “We call on Congress to reject these proposals and fund federal HIV programs at the levels necessary to end the HIV epidemic once and for all.” - Anna K. Person MD - Chair, HIVMA

ON THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIV/AIDS IN THE UNITED STATES, WE CAN'T GO BACK

“As the HIV community reflects on the first report of HIV/AIDS in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 45 years ago and honors the lives lost and those saved by the availability of HIV prevention and treatment, the House of Representatives once again advanced a bill that would upend decades of progress in fighting HIV.

“The bill passed by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies would eliminate CDC’s core HIV prevention program and parts of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program at a time when the demand for HIV services is at an all-time high and millions of people risk losing their Medicaid coverage.

“We call on Congress to reject these proposals and fund federal HIV programs at the levels necessary to end the HIV epidemic once and for all.”

— Anna K. Person, MD, FIDSA — Chair, HIVMA

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jun 2

Denver-based Voyager Technologies buying Astrobotics. The move is in pursuit of NASA's Artemis lunar program. The Astrobiotics Moon Base headquarters in Pittsburgh will serve as the center of Voyager's lunar program www.linkedin.com/posts/voyage...

Astrobotics news release

ITTSBURGH, June 2, 2026 — Astrobotic Technology, Inc., America’s pioneer in commercial lunar delivery, lunar power, reusable rocketry, today announced it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG). The transaction marks a major milestone in Astrobotic’s nearly two‑decade mission to make the Moon accessible and to build the infrastructure needed for a continuous U.S. presence on the lunar surface.

Under the agreement, Astrobotic will become a core pillar of Voyager’s strategic lunar initiative, providing the hardware, systems and operational capabilities required to land on the Moon, sustain life there, and perform critical work on the surface.

“From Day One, Astrobotic set out to prove that commercial companies can deliver to the lunar surface,” said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. “Joining Voyager provides the scale, resources, and long-term commitment our mission calls for. Our team, our technology, and our homes in Pittsburgh and Mojave remain at the center of what we’re building. Together with Voyager, we can accelerate the timeline for establishing America's Moon Base.”

Voyager intends to accelerate investment to scale Astrobotic’s programs, including lunar and reusable rocket programs, key elements needed to support NASA’s Artemis program and Administrator Jared Isaacman’s goal of a permanent U.S. presence on the Moon by 2028.

With the acquisition, Voyager will become a lunar platform, with capabilities that span the full arc of lunar operations, including:
• Mission management, communications, and propulsion,
• Surface delivery through Astrobotic’s Peregrine and Griffin landers,
• Surface power via Astrobotic’s LunaGrid solar distribution system,
• Long‑duration habitation through Voyager’s investment in Max Space,
• Dust mitigation with Voyager’s clear‑dust repellent coating, and
• In‑situ resource utilization technologies

Astrobotic’s Moon Base headquarters in Pittsburgh will beco…

DENVER—June 2, 2026—Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG) signed an agreement to acquire Astrobotic Technology, Inc., the Pittsburgh-based pioneer of commercial lunar delivery, lunar power and reusable rockets. Astrobotic is a key strategic acquisition in the company’s lunar initiative road map: the hardware and operational capability to land on the lunar surface, sustain life and execute critical missions.

“We are building the infrastructure foundation that will make America’s permanent presence on the Moon a reality,” said Dylan Taylor, Chairman & CEO, Voyager. "Achieving that vision requires robust operational systems that match the resilience necessary for critical, repeatable missions. With Astrobotic, Voyager is now a lunar platform that will have capability at every infrastructure layer needed to put Americans on the lunar surface and keep them there.”

The acquisition directly supports NASA’s Artemis program and Administrator Jared Isaacman’s commitment to a permanent American presence on the Moon by 2028. Voyager intends to accelerate investment to scale Astrobotic’s lunar and reusable rocket programs in support of America’s Moon Base plans.

Following Voyager’s strategic investment in Max Space’s expandable habitat architecture, the company’s capabilities will span the full arc of lunar operation. This includes lunar mission management, communications and propulsion; surface delivery via Astrobotic's Peregrine and Griffin landers; surface power through Astrobotic's LunaGrid solar distribution system; long-duration habitation through Max Space; dust mitigation with Voyager’s clear-dust repellent coating; and in-situ resource production.

"Astrobotic was built to prove that commercial companies can deliver to the Moon," said John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic. "Joining Voyager gives that mission the scale and long-term commitment it has been building toward for nearly two decades. Our team, our technology and our homes in Pittsburgh and Mojave remain at the c…

Dan Vergano@danvergano· May 30

Politics and institutional change: The Water Commission Act of 1913 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... "efficiency-enhancing change can be stymied when a dominant political coalition fails to coalesce to support the change. " -> Plus ça change

A map of California showing 1913 voting patterns by county, with approval coming heavily in coastal southern counties.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· May 22

for anyone interested in this shtuff, I fed the latest files, with the first release, into a search engine, and asked for aliens. Here is response: tldr: bupkis

Does a government official ever confirm a contact with aliens in these files?

2 documents

No, a government official does not confirm contact with aliens in these files.
The "Thoughts on the Space Alien Race Question" memo discusses hypothetical scenarios of encountering alien intelligence, and the correspondence from James L.
Tuck mentions UFO sightings and a book about unidentified flying objects, but neither confirms contact with aliens.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· May 2

"Elucidating the use of rhinoceros teeth by Neanderthals: Between experiments and the fossil record" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... "teeth as soft hammers and anvils, suggesting that these elements could be part of the Neanderthal tool kit"

A map of Europe showing the research sites in modern day France

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 30

"a fundamental cleavage in how partisans associate meaning with the phrase 'election fraud.'" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... "Our findings suggest that researchers studying election fraud beliefs should move beyond generic questions that assume shared understanding of the term. "

Text: In the American context, for Republican leaders, casting a wide net with fraud allegations can be an effective strategy to mobilize their base. By labeling various unfavorable circumstances as fraud or part of a rigged system, they tap into pre-existing suspicions among their supporters. Our analyses show that many rank-and-file Republicans have indeed internalized this broader conception of fraud. Accusing a biased press, globalist donors, or overzealous prosecutors of election interference blurs the line between genuine legal violations and general unfairness, but it resonates with voters who feel the entire system is stacked against them. On the other hand, Democratic leaders typically refrain from using the phrase “election fraud” except to refute Republican allegations or to describe unquestionably illegal acts. “Election fraud” for many Democrats invokes the bogus nature of Trump's narrative. As a result, they hear “fraud” and think “the Big Lie.” Thus, a single phrase can trigger very different cognitive frames.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 28

"America's Empty Homes: The Overlooked Rural and Nonmetropolitan Housing Vacancy Problem" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... "Appalachia, the Black Belt, Mississippi Delta, and much of the interior from Texas through the Plains states"

Percentage of structurally (top) and seasonally (bottom) vacant housing units by county. Source: Authors (Based on American Community Survey, 2019).

Two maps of the USA darkened in counties with higher vacabt housing.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 27

"Valves" says NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, asked what he needs more to get to the moon. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRbb... Just not a lot of suppliers of small order, high-requirement valves on rockets. NASA not a great customers for firms, he sez

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 16

RFK Jr. claims U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has been "lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years" going to replace with new members, more meetings, at hearing this morning, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h_B...

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 8

Roadmap toward a Planetary Sunshade for Space-based Solar Geoengineering www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... "critically dependent on progress in solar sail technology. "

Fig. 4. Conceptual visualization of a Planetary Sunshade System during in-space assembly operations.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Apr 1

Here is the NASA Moon Base plan graphic from last week's headquarters event fwiw.

Moon base plan presented at NASA 3/24/26 - 67 launches to moon by 2036.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Mar 29

A yearly time waste as NFL draft approaches, charting league's own pre-draft ratings of prospects - www.nfl.com/draft/tracke... - starting player drop-off steep this year, starts at pick 8 - drafts drifting worse since 2023 - 7.0+=Pro Bowl talent, 6.7+=Year 1 starter ~ typical draft by pick 20

chart showing draft rating from nfl.com for prospects 1-80 from 2023 to 2026. steep two tiered drop apparent before pick 20 all years

Rank 2023 2024 2025 2026
1 7.11 6.86 7.15 7.04
2 7.02 6.83 7 6.78
3 6.82 6.76 6.89 6.77
4 6.8 6.75 6.77 6.73
5 6.77 6.74 6.71 6.73
6 6.74 6.73 6.7 6.71
7 6.73 6.71 6.5 6.7
8 6.72 6.7 6.49 6.48
9 6.7 6.7 6.47 6.48
10 6.7 6.5 6.47 6.47

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Mar 10

News: The Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Is Moving to Europe (after 35 years in the USA) After 35 years in the USA, the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is moving to Europe. This coming September, the 36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony will take place in Zurich, Switzerland. improbable.com/upcoming-eve...

THE LONG-TERM INTERNATIONAL PLAN

For the future, the general plan is to hold the ceremony in Zurich this year, and again every 2nd year, thus in 2028 again. Each interim year — each odd-numbered year —the ceremony will be hosted in a different European city. “In that respect,” says Abrahams, “it will be a little like the Eurovision Song Contest with a base in Zurich.”

Cities in Europe and elsewhere are formulating plans to host the ceremony in the coming years and to host webcast-watching parties.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Mar 9

Official word comes that the IACC meeting scheduled for March 19, 2026 has been postponed. --> www.scientificamerican.com/article/rfk-...

email: he IACC meeting scheduled for March 19, 2026 has been postponed. An updated announcement with a new date and new public comment deadline will be published in the Federal Register and shared via the IACC website. Previously submitted public comments will be retained and provided to the Committee along with newly received comments.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Feb 15

Uh no. Who tests a zap gun on themself and not lab animals first? Pretty sketch. Beats me. Ken Foster has suggested a mechanism, but spooks not exactly honest. So who knows? Simple solution: publish tests/details. Where does dingus fit this JASONs report diagram? Be good to get answers.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jan 21

Center for Democracy & Technology: Shield Laws in Flux: State Protections for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Data in an Era of Interstate Conflict cdt.org/insights/shi...

us map of state shield law status

Nine states have enacted shield laws that explicitly protect
reproductive health care information regardless of the patient’s
location. This includes California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts,
New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jan 8

"On the Brink, a Population of Hedgehogs in Central London" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... "...once common in the Royal Parks but are now confined to The Regent's Park..." "After a decade of monitoring, the remaining hedgehog population is critically small and faces extinction"

Map of the Regent's Park (166 ha) showing (in red) the boundaries of seven survey zones (1–7). Spotlighting survey routes in each zone are the dashed blue lines. Zones 1 and 2 were divided into two sections (a, b) for carrying out the surveys. The areas shaded yellow were private and inaccessible or only occasionally accessible throughout the study. Permission for surveys to be carried out in the grounds of Regent's University was granted in 2015. OAT = Open Air Theatre.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Jan 7

At this hearing, Rep. Pallone is hammering the point that administration is undermining the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which threatens the nuclear "renaissance" that Republican want. People don't trust nuclear power safety, he observes. Defenestrated NRC won't help.

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Dec 24

Gotta admit I am having trouble reading the new Netflix Privacy Policy onscreen

unreadable text on a black screen. 85 pages of it according to arrows

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Dec 20

this checks fwiw, it's in a download from yesterday, not available rn from Vol. 1 website (see. page 9) www.justice.gov/epstein/doj-...

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Dec 16

Congressional Research Service: #NIH Grants Policy Under the Second Trump Administration www.everycrsreport.com/files/2025-1... "In many cases, these changes have differed from prior agency practice."

Figure 2. NIH New and Competing Awards
January 21 through September 30 of each year shown

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Dec 13

US Medical Prices and Health Insurance Premiums, 1999-2024 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... "insurance premiums have increased at 3 times the rate of workers’ earnings since 1999, accompanied by escalating hospital prices. "

Graph: Between 1999 and 2024, mean worker contributions toward family premiums increased by 308%, while total premiums increased by 342% (Figure 1). Over the same period, mean worker earnings increased by 119% and inflation by 64%. JAMA Network Open

Dan Vergano@danvergano· Dec 11

Statement: AFGE Applauds House Passage of Bill to Restore Federal Workers’ Union Rights, Urges Swift Passage by Senate House-passed bill would restore collective bargaining rights for more than 1 million federal workers --> union covering some NASA workers