Did COP28 accomplish anything?  According to Time magazine: COP28 Ends With Historic Deal to ‘Transition Away’ From Planet-Warming Fossil Fuels This global warming annual meeting this year was held in Dubai and chaired by Sultan Al Jaber of the United Arab Emirates.  He is, of course, a fossil fuel baron.   This UAE Consensus ended the summit to applause and cheers by the delegates. While it falls short of any kind of details to actually phase out, no previous COP text ever mentioned moving away from oil and gas. Considering who was in charge and where this gathering occurred, it was better than nothing. I brought with me on my 5-week Japan trip the October 2023 issue of  Scientific American .  There were several noteworthy articles that over the next few weeks could well become blog postings. What happens during a supernova? Metals that self-heal. Talking with animals.  How AI is changing the potential for intelligent communication. A fourth article,  Why We'll Never Live in Space