Mini-CRISPR, a Chinese Moon Base, and Reservoir Computing: Lux Recommends #296

Editor
2 min readSep 24, 2021

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By Sam Arbesman, PhD

Welcome to Lux Recommends #296, this week’s edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (want to receive this by email? Sign up here).

Articles

The Godmother of the Digital Image: “The mathematician Ingrid Daubechies’ pioneering work in signal processing helped make our electronic world possible — and beat a path for women in the field.” — Deena

Engineered ‘mini’ CRISPR genome editing system developed: “Bioengineers have repurposed a ‘non-working’ CRISPR system to make a smaller version of the genome engineering tool. Its diminutive size should make it easier to deliver into human cells, tissues and the body for gene therapy.” — Ankeeta

China Aims for a Permanent Moon Base in the 2030s: “Lunar megaproject to be a stepping-stone to the solar system” — Mike

Scientists develop the next generation of reservoir computingSujude

A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead SeaMike

10 Years Of Moon Pics: NASA Explains Why Moon Shines In Red, Blue And Even PurpleAdam K

Confessions of a Sid Meier’s Civilization Addict: “How the classic strategy game drew me back in” — Sam

Books

The Genome Odyssey by Euan Ashley: “In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease.” — Ankeeta

Agent Sonya by Ben Macntyre: “In 1942, in a quiet village in the leafy English Cotswolds, a thin, elegant woman lived in a small cottage with her three children and her husband, who worked as a machinist nearby. Ursula Burton was friendly but reserved, and spoke English with a slight foreign accent. By all accounts, she seemed to be living a simple, unassuming life. Her neighbors in the village knew little about her. They didn’t know that she was a high-ranking Soviet intelligence officer. They didn’t know that her husband was also a spy, or that she was running powerful agents across Europe. Behind the facade of her picturesque life, Burton was a dedicated Communist, a Soviet colonel, and a veteran agent, gathering the scientific secrets that would enable the Soviet Union to build the bomb.” — Adam G

Films

Schumacher: “Through exclusive interviews and archival footage, this documentary traces an intimate portrait of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher.” — Adam G

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