44: Echoes of 1919: How Underestimating the PLA After Tiananmen Created a Strategic Failure. Jim Fanell and Brad Thayer connect the current geopolitical threat posed by the PLA Navy to past strategic failures, drawing an analogy to the British Empire's "10-ye

Cockatoos Confirmed as Structural Vandals; Magpie Invites Itself Inside. Jeremy Zakis discusses how the destructive behavior of cockatoos is confirmed as they pulled so many nails from a neighbor's iron roof that the structure is now drooping, necessitating expensive, specialized repairs. Cockatoos are described as "pure evil with wings" and are known for tearing up building structures. Conversely, Dallas the poodle's friends, the magpies, are growing bolder. One teenage magpie walked four feet into Jeremy's kitchen and calmly listened to him before eventually walking back out. Australian magpies are even said to have a unique, twangy "Australian accent."

Ashes Cricket Update: Pat Cummins Out, Steve Smith Steps Up as Captain. Jeremy Zakis discusses how the Australian Ashes team faces uncertainty as expected captain Pat Cummins is likely out of the first match, and probably the series, due to severe shoulder and back injuries. Steve Smith has been selected as the replacement captain. Player selection is ongoing, with Marnus Labuschagne expected to return after improving his one-day international performance. Meanwhile, rivals England were decisively beaten by New Zealand, though this poor performance might be intentional "psychological warfare" before the November start in Perth.

Massive Snake Surge Hits Queensland: Catchers Inundated by Eastern Browns and Red Bellies. Jeremy Zakis discusses how predictions of a snake boom came true in Darling Downs, Queensland, where sightings and bites have soared, potentially tripling last year's numbers. Snake catchers are overwhelmed by the volume of calls. The warm, wet spring accelerated breeding cycles, putting many snakes—including pythons, Eastern Brown snakes, and Red Belly Black snakes—on the move. Eastern Brown snakes are highly aggressive and dangerously fast, with venom that can be fatal within an hour, while Red Belly Black snakes tend to paralyze their prey. Retry

Bureau of Meteorology Removes 'Black' Warning Scale Amid Severe Storms. Jeremy Zakis discusses how the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) launched a confusing new website during one of the Eastern Coast's worst storm seasons. They controversially removed the color "black" from the weather radar scale, which previously denoted the most severe weather, including heavy hail and flooding. When a major Queensland storm hit with only "red" warnings, people were unprepared, resulting in extensive property damage. Meanwhile, Queensland is facing highly unstable conditions, including rare reported water spouts and a tornado watch along the coastline.

The Cockpit Confrontation: How Parliament Lost Their Best Advocate and Franklin's Legacy as a Founder of Science. Richard Munson discusses how Benjamin Franklin was a pivotal figure in the Revolutionary era, initially dedicated to maintaining the colonies' loyalty to the king. The critical turning point occurred in January 1774 at the Cockpit, where Parliament grilled and lambasted Franklin for over an hour without allowing him to answer. At this moment, Franklin realized the English government had lost its "best possible advocate," and he began thinking seriously about independence. Before the break with Britain, Franklin had laid a foundation for colonial unity by creating the American Philosophical Society. Franklin returned to Philadelphia in April 1775 and sailed to Paris in October 1776, where the French adored him. Franklin's legacy has been subject to various interpretations by historians, but Munson emphasizes that Franklin's enduring relevance lies in his role as a founder who championed empirical truths, observation, and experimentation, which is vital in modern times marked by the dismissal of science and facts.

The Conservation of Charge and the Practical Genius of the Lightning Rod. Richard Munson discusses how Benjamin Franklin was an endlessly busy experimenter who began his famous work by studying the Leiden jar, a rudimentary battery. Franklin conducted fundamental research and developed the law of the conservation of charge: the idea that positive and negative electrical charges always seek balance. On Christmas Day 1750, he exposed himself to danger by touching the terminals of two Leiden jars, which violently threw him across the room. In 1751, Franklin published his pamphlet, Experiments and Observations on Electricity Made in Philadelphia, America, which generated international fame before the kite experiment. Franklin sought a practical solution to the danger posed by lightning, and his experiment confirmed the connection between lightning and electricity, leading to the invention of the lightning rod, which became a great practical discovery saving lives and buildings. Franklin also invented the Franklin stove and refused a patent, viewing the invention as a public benefit. He pursued observation and experimentation with "joyfulness," viewing unexpected results as new possibilities.

Printing as High-Tech: Franklin's Wealth Creation and the Dawn of His Electrical Experiments. Richard Munson discusses how Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia at age 17 and, in just 22 years, transformed into an independently wealthy experimenter. Printing during this era was the "high-tech of the age," and Franklin's work involved scientific thinking. A powerful driving force was his ambition to be wealthy, maintaining a strong focus on the bottom line. Franklin leveraged quality to secure contracts and was a savvy real estate investor. Franklin became entangled in a bitter political fight with absentee landlord Thomas Penn, who viewed Pennsylvania solely as a source of money. Franklin's independent wealth, achieved when he sold his successful businesses around 1748, allowed him to pursue science. He immediately began experimenting with electricity, performing fundamental research and defining basic structures, introducing key terms like positive and negative, conductors and insulators. Franklin's rising fame as an experimenter eventually led his neighbors to call on him to represent Pennsylvania in London.

Benjamin Franklin: Bravery, Deism, and the Youthful Pursuit of Independence. Richard Munson's biography emphasizes the complexity and bravery of Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706. A key event occurred in 1762 when Governor John Penn rushed to Franklin's home, needing his help to stop the homicidal Paxton Boys mob, who had massacred Native Americans and were marching on Philadelphia. Franklin, then 56, responded with great bravery and rode out to face down the mob, succeeding in talking them down. Franklin came from the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony but did not attend church, preferring reading to sermons. He believed he would be judged by his good works and described his religious affiliation as a deist, which connected with his scientific mindset. Franklin's early life was marked by a pursuit of independence; as a young lad apprenticed to his older brother James, a printer, he fought with him. Benjamin anonymously wrote essays as "Silence Dogood," a cantankerous widowed woman who challenged the elites. When his brother returned from being taken away, Benjamin, disliking being given directions, broke his contract and fled Boston for Philadelphia.

  The Somers Trial: Mackenzie's Defense, Dana's Support, and the Presidential Intervention. Richard Snow discusses how after the execution, the Navy initiated an inquiry. Richard Henry Dana fully supported Mackenzie, describing him as saintly and honorable. The court of inquiry agreed that Mackenzie had behaved honorably. However, Mackenzie surprisingly sought a formal court-martial because John Spencer and Seaman Small's wife were pressuring for a civil murder trial. The court-martial ran from February 2 to March 31 and initially concluded that Mackenzie was honorably acquitted and heroic. However, President Tyler intervened, refusing to endorse the verdict and believing Mackenzie should have been hanged as a murderer. Mackenzie was acquitted and avoided a murder trial, but his honor was tarnished. Snow recommends readers act as the jury to decide Mackenzie's actions. Retry

The Fateful Secret: Mackenzie's Panic and the Wardroom's Verdict of Death. Richard Snow discusses how the crisis began on Friday, November 24, 1842, when Philip Spencer detailed his plot to crew member Wales, claiming to have recruited at least 20 people to turn the Somers into a pirate ship. Wales reported the plot to First Lieutenant Gansevoort, who reported to Captain Mackenzie. Mackenzie initially dismissed the claim but quickly became convinced and panicky, ordering Gansevoort to spy on Spencer. On Saturday, Mackenzie confronted Spencer and had him put in irons. Mackenzie grew increasingly suspicious, eventually arresting Boatswain's Mate Cromwell and Seaman Small. The ship's environment became one of "collective insanity" and extreme paranoia. Mackenzie suspiciously delegated the choice by asking his wardroom officers to convene an investigation, and the officers delivered a verdict: for the safety of the vessel, Spencer, Small, and Cromwell had to die. Despite being only hours from fortified land in the Virgin Islands, the verdict was executed.