Sunday assorted links

1. Anecdotal: “But Herring’s refusal to give up his @Tennessee handle, federal prosecutors say, led to a night in which the shocking and confusing sight of police with their guns drawn outside his home caused the computer programmer to suffer a massive heart attack that killed him. His death in Bethpage, Tenn., was triggered by “swatting” — the illegal practice of calling in fake life-threatening emergencies to provoke a heavily-armed response from police.”  Bizarre throughout.

2. What would actually happen if a major asteroid were headed toward earth?

3. RNA breakthrough to boost agricultural productivity?

4. Machtverfall — on Merkel’s final term.  And here is Tony Barber in today’s FT: “Above all, the floods have exposed weaknesses in Germany’s disaster response systems and opened up a debate about the long years of under-investment in infrastructure under Merkel. They indicate that Germany’s much-admired federal model of government can fail the people if the politicians in charge are complacent or slow to act.”  Yes people, I do know that Germany has better bread, streetcars, vacations, whatever.  The point remains that German political norms are not working well any more.  It is time to wake up to this fact.

5. Why is Japan vaccinating so badly?

6. Do data from books indicate we are becoming more depressed over time?