Stop trying to make FDOC happen! It’s not going to happen!

Happening in the World: Smoke alarms went off in the International Space Station this morning during the recharging of the station’s batteries. While the issue is now resolved, the alarm highlights the age of the station and the danger of its older, outdated hardware, which the Russian space agency claims will make the station inoperable after 2030. (BBC)

Happening in the US: The Robert E. Lee Confederate memorial was removed from Richmond, Virginia’s state capital and the capital of the former Confederacy, yesterday morning. The statue’s removal comes after years of protests and legal complications, and is the final of six Confederate monuments previously standing in Richmond to be removed. The removal, one of many that have taken place in recent years across the South, is another step in the South’s grappling with its Confederate history and its remembrance of the Civil War. (New York Times)

Happening in NYC: In the wake of Hurricane Ida’s historic flooding last week, rodentologists are saying that the deluge likely killed hundreds of thousands of the millions of rats living in New York City—one of the largest hits to the vermin population in decades. At the same time, surviving rats have seemed to take to the streets, leading to a rise in rodent complaints across the city. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: It’s FDOC! But beyond that, if you feel like experiencing time (more than you normally do), check out Allison Costa’s “Time Enough” Installation at Barnard. It’s focused on “our perception and experience through dance and technology” and located in the Movement Lab in Milstein, accessible from 12 to 5 pm today and tomorrow. For more information, click here.

Wait, What Does FDOC Stand For?: “First day of class”! It’s a thing. Trust me. And happy FDOC!

A nice little rat via Wikimedia Commons