Statistic of the day

31,159: The number of robots purchased by American companies in 2023. This was a 30% decrease from 2022, a record year for orders that saw 44,196 robots purchased. This sales decline represents the largest year-to-year drop in robot purchases ever and the largest in percentage terms since 2006.
Reuters

The Explainer

The moon, it's shrinking!

The moon is often compared to cheese. But lately, it is more like a raisin. That is because the moon has gradually been shrinking and, in the process, shriveling.

How does it shrink?
The moon has shrunk by more than 150 feet in circumference over the last few hundred million years because of its core gradually cooling. As the moon shrinks, its surface becomes more defaced because the "lunar shrinking process looks similar to how a grape wrinkles when it becomes a raisin," said Popular Science. "However, a grape has a flexible skin, while the moon has a brittle surface. The brittleness causes faults to form."

In a new study published in The Planetary Science Journal, scientists discovered that this "continuing shrinkage of the moon led to notable surface warping in its south polar region," SciTech Daily said. The study's lead author, Thomas Watters, said in a statement, "Our modeling suggests that shallow moonquakes capable of producing strong ground shaking in the south polar region are possible." The shrinking moon will have a negligible impact on Earth but could pose a bigger problem as lunar exploration continues.

What are the implications?
The south pole of the moon has become an area of interest for moon landings, However, the moonquakes could pose a threat to any human infrastructure that might be instated there. "A concept that I think that many people have is that the moon is this geologically dead body," Watters said to CNN. But the moon is a "seismically active body."

The moonquakes are not a death sentence for lunar exploration, because the scope of the upcoming moon missions is small. NASA's Artemis mission, which aims to put people back on the moon, has shown specific interest in the moon's south pole and has 13 proposed landing sites near the region.

Long-term lunar habitation could be a different story. "As we get closer to the crewed Artemis mission's launch date, it's important to keep our astronauts, equipment and infrastructure as safe as possible," study co-author Nicholas Schmerr said in a statement.

TALKING POINTs

Biden makes a Super Bowl TikTok flip-flop

The 2024 election is shaping up to be a frustratingly familiar affair. Looking to shake up the dynamics, President Joe Biden's campaign on Sunday debuted its newest effort to reach younger voters, posting a Super Bowl-themed Q&A on TikTok with the simple caption "lol hey guys."

Just eight months earlier, the Biden campaign disavowed any plans for an official TikTok account, said NBC News. Crucially, TikTok is barred on most government devices over fears of algorithmic manipulation and data collection from the Chinese-owned app. So what’s behind the sudden reversal, and will it really make a difference?

'Meeting voters where they are'
The new account is a way to get Biden's message across "every channel and every platform possible" in a media environment that is more "fragmented and personalized than ever," his campaign said to Axios. It also stressed the use of a "sophisticated security protocol," although it did not expand on those measures. Ultimately, the Biden team hopes its foray into TikTok will help with "meeting voters where they are," campaign officials said to NBC News, which noted the app was a "powerful tool in mobilizing Gen Z in previous elections."

Biden's team has "leaned hard into memes," The Washington Post said, highlighting the account's "Dark Brandon" avatar. Nevertheless, Biden has "jeopardized his standing with younger voters" lately, said The Wall Street Journal.

This White House has "carried on a love-hate relationship" with TikTok, said CNBC. While the administration has "openly courted TikTok stars and content producers" to help spread its messages, it has also "tacitly agreed" with "China-skeptical lawmakers" who have criticized the app.

'Using a Chinese spy app'
TikTok, like any Chinese tech company, "must allow the Communist Party unfettered access to its data," which should be a "nonstarter" for operating in the U.S., said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was more direct in his criticism of Biden for "using a Chinese spy app."

The example Biden is setting "might be even more damaging" than the acute national security risks of his account, said the National Review. By embracing TikTok, the president is "creating a permission structure" for other politicians to join him and "signaling to Americans that they shouldn't listen to the severe alarm" of his own national security officials.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Some people's entire existence and their perspectives are going to be deemed political, like me as a Black woman. This is going to silence a lot of marginalized people."

Brooklyn content creator Ena Da speaking to The Washingon Post about Meta's recent decision to stop promoting political content on Instagram and Threads

Poll watch

The migrant crisis at the southern border has led to 44% of Texans being more likely to support secession from the United States, according to a new Redfield & Wilton/Newsweek poll. The poll surveyed 814 Texans and found 21% were "more likely" to back secession, while 23% were "significantly more likely" to back secession.

Puzzles

Daily crossword

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords.

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The Week recommends

3 stunning trails best experienced during winter

Hiking in the snow is more than just a good way to get that heart rate up. It also gives you a chance to see flora and fauna bathed in that exceptional winter light. These three hikes can be enjoyed any time but are extra special when there's snow on the ground.

Bryce Canyon Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
The Rim Trail is what you make of it. It connects the park's scenic overlooks, and you can walk for half a mile, like along the paved stretch between Sunrise and Sunset points, or go on a longer trek. Wherever you roam, there are spectacular views of the bright hoodoos — tall, thin rock spires formed by erosion and weathering — topped with snow.

Riverside Trail, William O'Brien State Park, Minnesota
Bundle up and prepare for a peaceful, albeit chilly, hike on the Riverside Trail. This 2.7-mile loop goes by the St. Croix River and Lake Alice and through a wooded area dominated by 100-year-old pine trees. Since it is a rolled trail, the snow is packed down, and a pair of snow boots with ice grips is an ideal solution.

Ouachita Trail, Arkansas and Oklahoma
The 192-mile Ouachita Trail spans from Arkansas to Oklahoma, with hikers who traverse the entire stretch able to stop at attractions like Lover's Leap, Talimena Scenic Byway and Alum Creek Experimental Forest. You can also go on day hikes along the trail in either state. Expect to see ample wildlife but not a lot of people.

WORD OF THE DAY

Zynfluencer

The "fratty, bro-y" enthusiasts of Zyn, a "modern-day snuff," according to The Guardian. The fandom enthusiastically encourages “Zynning” or using the smokeless tobacco pouches, though the brand denies sponsoring them.

INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Stop pressuring girls to be "cookie bosses"'
Karin Klein in the Los Angeles Times
The "relationship between Girl Scouts and cookies" has changed, says Karin Klein. The sales no longer seem to be the "low-key experience of my childhood," when I asked neighbors to buy a box and raised a "few bucks for the troop." In these "helicopter-parent days," they have become a "high-pressure" activity to learn "entrepreneurial skills," with rewards as incentives. Isn't scouting supposed to be a "healthy counterweight to materialism and peer pressure"?

'I was a young Republican. Now I want nothing to do with either party.'
Jeff Jacoby in The Boston Globe
As a conservative teenager, "I gravitated to the GOP," says Jeff Jacoby. Gradually, the "Reaganesque style of Republicanism" was overshadowed by "intolerant" culture warriors. Like millions of others, "I find myself politically homeless today," equally "turned off by the Democrats' toxic obsession with race and gender" and "the Republicans' shrillness on immigration." Maybe America will move on to "something better," like it did when the Federalist Party and the Whigs "finally breathed their last."

'Pakistan's shocking election result shows authoritarians don't always win'
The Washington Post editorial board
The Pakistan army's effort to block former Prime Minister Imran Khan from power has "backfired," says The Washington Post editorial board. Authorities jailed the cricket star turned politician in August and added more charges days before last week's general election. "It's hard to win an election from prison," but the populist leader's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led all rivals. Khan's party might be squeezed out of the coalition government, but voters "registered growing distrust of the army and its proxies."

Good day 🐝

… for the BeyHive. Not to be outdone by other singers at the Super Bowl, Beyoncé used her appearance in a Verizon ad to announce "Renaissance Act II," the second installment of her "Rennaisance" album trilogy releasing March 2929, before dropping new music. Her two new country tracks showcase her "smooth vocals and Houston, Texas-bred twang," Entertainment Tonight said.

Bad day 🚕

… for driverless taxis. A San Francisco crowd set a Waymo robotaxi on fire Saturday night, the local fire department said. While the motive was unclear, Business Insider said the incident occurred "amid ongoing mistrust of driverless technology in the city." A firework was ignited inside the vehicle, reducing it to an "ashen shell."

How will Finland's new president shape NATO?