Tracking maritime activity far from shore

+ chickadees presage climate change US Edition - Today's top story: We used AI and satellite imagery to map ocean activities that take place out of sight, including fishing, shipping and energy development [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [To resist temptation, think short term]( - [How to rehumanize medical care]( - [Can public officials block people on social media?]( Lead story The ocean affects your life every day, regardless of where you live. It provides us with food, energy, transport, tourism and a myriad of other benefits. But many human activities on the ocean take place far from shore and are hard to monitor, which means they’re hard to regulate. In a newly published study, researchers used satellite images, GPS data and artificial intelligence to produce the [most comprehensive maps of marine activities available](. They showed some surprising things: For example, 75% of fishing vessels they detected were missing from public monitoring systems. These new images “radically changed our knowledge about the scale, scope and location of fishing activity,” writes University of Wisconsin-Madison environmental economist Jennifer Raynor. The data will be made freely available and updated periodically, providing a valuable new resource for managing and protecting the oceans. [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Cities Editor Many commercial fishing boats do not report their positions at sea or are not required to do so. Alex Walker via Getty Images [We used AI and satellite imagery to map ocean activities that take place out of sight, including fishing, shipping and energy development]( Jennifer Raynor, University of Wisconsin-Madison A new study reveals that 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are hidden from public view. Environment + Energy - [The chickadee in the snowbank: A ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate change in the Sierra Nevada mountains]( Benjamin Sonnenberg, University of Nevada, Reno These tiny songbirds have extraordinary memories for the tens of thousands of spots where they hide food. But that doesn’t help when heavy snow blocks their access. Politics + Society - [How the Iowa caucuses became the first major challenge of US presidential campaigns]( Steffen W. Schmidt, Iowa State University A political scientist traces the development of the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses and how the small, rural state became influential in presidential politics. - [Pundits: Central to democracy, or partisan spewers of opinion who destroy trust]( Mike McDevitt, University of Colorado Boulder Pundits are everywhere, giving their analyses of current events, politics and the state of the world. You’ll hear a lot more from them this election year. Is their rank opinion good for democracy? Science + Technology - [Focus on right now, not the distant future, to stay motivated and on track to your long-term health goals]( Kaitlin Woolley, Cornell University; Paul Stillman, San Diego State University Long-term goals can be hard to stick to if the benefits are only way off in the future. Research suggests ways to focus on the here and now to help you ultimately achieve your more far-off targets. - [Drugs of the future will be easier and faster to make, thanks to mRNA − after researchers work out a few remaining kinks]( Li Li, UMass Chan Medical School The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the promise of using mRNA as medicine. But before mRNA drugs can go beyond vaccines, researchers need to identify the right diseases to treat. Ethics + Religion - [Seeing the human in every patient − from biblical texts to 21st century relational medicine]( Jonathan Weinkle, University of Pittsburgh The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on how fragmented medical care can be. Relational, or person-centered, medicine is attempting to provide solutions. Education - [School board members could soon be blocked from blocking people − and deleting their comments − on social media]( Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton A law scholar examines a pair of cases that pit free speech rights against politicians’ online prerogatives. Health + Medicine - [Stories about war, violence and hate crime can cause anxiety, anger and depression in kids – here’s how to discuss bad news with your children]( Robin Gurwitch, Duke University Talking about violence with teens and tweens is very different from the conversation you’ll have with younger children. Podcast 🎙️ - [Wolves return to Europe: what to do about them is a people problem]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation More Europeans are having to learn how to live alongside predators again. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. Trending on site - [The curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mind]( - [Economic lookahead: As we ring in 2024, can the US economy continue to avoid a recession?]( - [AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024]( Today's graphic 📈 [The number of weather and climate disasters exceeding $1 billion in damage each has grow in recent decades, with costs adjusted for inflation.]( From the story, [2023’s extreme storms, heat and wildfires broke records – a scientist explains how global warming fuels climate disasters]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? 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