Sep 28, 2026 · 6 min listen · Last updated September 28, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. It's Chloe, September 28th. Ten stories — evidence-led, no fluff, small inputs compound. Let's get into it. First, from feminism for all. 0 Progressivism.. Nikole Hannah-Jones recently shared a deeply personal essay about her decision to send her daughter to a low-income school with predominantly Black and Latino students, despite the challenges.
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Daily Science Brief · September 28th
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How Nikole Hannah-Jones Wrote the Elegy for Woke 1.0 Progressivism.
Nikole Hannah-Jones recently shared a deeply personal essay about her decision to send her daughter to a low-income school with predominantly Black and Latino students, despite the challenges. She reflected on her own experiences in integrated schools and the privilege they afforded her family. Hannah-Jones emphasized the importance of solidarity with underprivileged students, hoping her family's influence could help improve the school environment.
She recounted her daughter's struggles in a disruptive school, where low expectations from educators led to poor performance. In contrast, another voice in the essay shared their own educational journey, highlighting the impact of systemic racism and the importance of supportive teachers. This narrative illustrates the complexities of educational inequality, revealing how personal choices and societal structures intertwine in shaping a child's future.
Nor'easter winds down as attention focuses on Southwest & Texas drenching from remnants of Polo
The nor’easter that's been affecting the Northeast is winding down, but it's left some significant challenges, especially in coastal New Jersey, where tidal flooding was severe—some areas experienced flooding not seen since Hurricane Sandy. Long Island and parts of New England also faced moderate flooding, but the worst impacts varied widely across the region.
Now, attention shifts to the Southwest, where remnants of Hurricane Polo are expected to bring heavy rain, particularly to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The forecast indicates a risk of flash flooding, especially north of I-10, with some areas potentially receiving up to 6 inches of rain. This could be the most serious impact from a tropical system in the continental U.S. this year, so it's important for folks in these areas to stay informed and prepared.
In Texas, the situation is complex, with a slow-moving cold front likely leading to repeated rainfall across North Texas and Hill Country. Rain totals could reach 8 inches in some areas, with the potential for even higher amounts. Residents should keep an eye on forecasts and be ready for possible disruptions in the coming days.
Overall, while the nor’easter is fading, the remnants of Polo are set to create new challenges, particularly in the Southwest and Texas. It’s a good time to check in with friends and family in those areas to make sure they’re aware and prepared.
The Real-World Data Dilemma — Part 2: Medicine’s new black box
Massive datasets from electronic health records are now central to many studies on drug safety and treatment effectiveness, with regulators like the FDA increasingly using this "real-world evidence" to inform decisions. This shift aims to uncover rare side effects and long-term outcomes that traditional clinical trials might miss. However, a significant concern arises: these datasets are often so processed that researchers and independent reviewers can't verify the information against original hospital records. This issue was highlighted during the Surgisphere scandal in 2020, where a major Covid-19 study was based on a fraudulent database. The lingering question is how we can trust data that can't be traced back to its source.
Wind-up elastic robot jumps forever when fed infrared light
Robots – that is, self-guided mechanisms interacting with or changing their environments – exist in the popular imagination as large, blocky, metallic beings like R2D2 or TARS from Interstellar. But the field of soft robotics offers a vast array of robotic limbs, sensors, and body types that greatly expand our understanding of what shapes a robot can manifest and what tasks it can perform. Category: Robotics, Engineering Tags: North Carolina State University, Soft Robotics, locomotion, Infrared
This essay weaves a personal narrative around the author's great-grandfather, Marco, who rescued an eagle as a child in Italy. This story symbolizes his connection to Italian identity, which the author grapples with throughout his life. Growing up, family rituals centered around food at Lina Stores in London helped anchor his sense of belonging amidst a blended cultural background.
The author recalls a summer in Florence, where he felt like an outsider, struggling to fit in with local youth. Discoveries about Marco’s past, including his internment during WWII and his eventual return to Italy, highlight the complexities of heritage and belonging. The essay reflects on how history and personal stories intertwine, shaping identity across generations.
In a recent video, Mary McGillivray, a digital creator and PhD student, dives into the long-standing human fascination with marble and its imitations. She travels through Europe, highlighting how techniques to replicate marble have evolved from ancient Rome to today’s home improvement stores. McGillivray suggests that this isn’t just about finding cheaper alternatives; it reflects our deeper connection to and competition with the natural world.
The video explores how our attempts to recreate marble reveal insights into human creativity and our desire to mimic nature. It's a thoughtful look at how artifice can be intertwined with our appreciation of beauty, showing that the allure of marble goes beyond its physical properties.
In a Silicon Valley test kitchen, a designer reflects on the challenges of creating a smart oven meant to replicate expert cooking techniques. The kitchen is chaotic, with chefs struggling to communicate their intuitive cooking methods to a machine that relies on data. The designer learns that while the goal is to simplify cooking for the home chef, the complexity of human taste can't be easily quantified. This experience highlights a broader tension in tech: the belief that everything can be reduced to data, which often overlooks the richness of human experience. The designer grapples with the implications of this "computism," where human subjectivity is lost in favor of measurable actions. Ultimately, the narrative critiques the notion that technology can fully understand or replicate the nuances of taste and personal experience.
Animal Eye is a thought-provoking documentary by Carlo Nasisse that delves into how nonhuman animals perceive their worlds, while also questioning our own understanding of perception. The film combines insights from philosophers and scientists with captivating visuals of various animals, focusing on the biology and mystery of their eyes. It suggests that while we strive to comprehend these alien experiences, there are inherent limits to our understanding.
The documentary features a range of segments, including discussions on the shape of animal pupils, the ethics of zoos and museums, and the intricate patterns of animal movement. It also touches on the future of technology in creating prosthetic eyes and explores the cognitive abilities of animals, aiming to challenge human biases. The film ultimately invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of perception and the connections between humans and animals.
It is 9 am on a warm July Sunday in Cambridge, as I head towards a café in the city centre. The bells of Great St Mary’s church play the familiar melody of the Cambridge Quarters. The sound, now often associated with the chimes of Big Ben in London, was first composed here in 1793. The quarters, named for the melody at each quarter-hour, are an immediately recognisable reminder of the passage of time. Each bell produces a note: a wave with a characteristic frequency that travels through the air and reaches our ears.