Jeff Goldblum was right when he said “life finds a way.” Cosmic ray detectors just really want to keep doing what they are doing!
Happening in the World: Two astronauts on the Internation Space Station just completed their final spacewalk to extend the life of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a cosmic ray detector that processes particles and determines which particles (electrons or positrons) are composed of antimatter. The device initially had a lifespan of 3 years and was not meant to be serviced in flight. However, the device has been able to last 6 years past its original lifespan, and its success has prompted scientists to keep it in operations for a full solar cycle to understand how solar radiation affects astronauts. (NPR)
Happening in the US: The first successful prosecution of pharmaceutical executives connected with the opioid crisis has resulted in the sentencing of John Kapoor, former billionaire and founder of Insys Therapeutics, to 5 years and 6 months in prison. The company manufactured and aggressively marked the opioid Subsys, which was targeted at cancer patients and could cost up to $19,000 a month. Kapoor and other executives were accused of bribing doctors to prescribe their medication to clients. (NPR)
Happening in NYC: Andy Byford, New York City’s Subway Chief, resigned on Thursday after two years on the job. Some believe his letter of resignation points to the scaling back of his position as a reorganization effort by Governor Andrew Cuomo as a reason for his departure. The two had been at odds with differing positions on how best to reform New York City’s flawed public transportation system. Though Governor Cuomo denied that these disagreements are what led to Byford’s resignation. (NYTimes)
Happening on Campus: Bwog is having their FIRST open meeting of the Spring semester tonight! Lerner 510 calls your name, bring your pitches and we’ll bring the grapes. Meeting starts at 9 pm, we would love to see all your bright and shining faces for the new semester. If you’re interested in being a staff writer or daily editor, applications are still open until the 31st.
Documentary of the Week: The Dragon Prince, Season 3. It’s so great, please watch it.
gooooood morning from space via Wikimedia Commons