04b Theory and Analysis

The Download: AI-designed viruses, and bad news for the hydrogen industry– www.technologyreview.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

The Download: AI-designed viruses, and bad news for the hydrogen industry– www.technologyreview.com
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Artificial intelligence can draw cat pictures and write emails. Now the same technology can compose a working genome.

A research team in California says it used AI to propose new genetic codes for viruses—and managed to get several of them to replicate and kill bacteria.

The work, described in a preprint paper, has the potential to create new treatments and accelerate research into artificially engineered cells. But experts believe it is also an “impressive first step” toward AI-designed life forms. Read the full story.

—Antonio Regalado

Clean hydrogen is facing a big reality check

Hydrogen is sometimes held up as a master key for the energy transition. It can be made using several low-emissions methods and could play a role in cleaning up industries ranging from agriculture to aviation to shipping.

This moment is a complicated one for the green fuel, though, as a new report from the International Energy Agency lays out. A number of major projects face cancellations and delays. The US in particular is seeing a slowdown after changes to key tax credits and cuts in support for renewable energy.

Still, there are bright spots for the industry, including in China, and new markets could soon become crucial for growth. Here are three things to know about the state of hydrogen in 2025.

—Casey Crownhart

 

Are GMOs Safe? A Molecular Geneticist Speaks Out– www.truthdig.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Are GMOs Safe? A Molecular Geneticist Speaks Out– www.truthdig.com
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Are genetically engineered foods safe? In an interview with a leading molecular genetics expert, we discuss the scientific evidence behind health concerns tied to genetically modified corn and pesticides, how genetically modified organisms are changing in ways that increase health risks and how regulatory systems have failed to keep pace with modern genetics.

Professor Michael Antoniou, head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at King’s College London, has studied for more than 35 years how genes function and how they are disrupted. His decades of rigorous independent research into the risks of GM foods and glyphosate-based herbicides have raised serious concerns about the safety of these technologies.

In a report he prepared for the Mexican government, as the country attempted to restrict GMO corn imports for health reasons, Antoniou cited “a large body of evidence from well-controlled laboratory animal toxicity studies that show evidence of harm to multiple physiological systems” from toxic agents found in GM corn.

Here’s Another Big Thing That May Have Factored Into the Kimmel Suspension – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Here’s Another Big Thing That May Have Factored Into the Kimmel Suspension – RedState– redstate.com
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Jimmy Kimmel has said disgraceful things over the years on his show. But he finally appears to have stepped into it big time with his comments about the accused killer of Charlie Kirk, implying he is MAGA.

ABC affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair found that offensive. ABC decided to suspend his show. Sinclair is demanding that Kimmel apologize before they consider lifting any suspension. They want ABC to take more action on professionalism and accountability.

But there’s another problem that may have factored into the network’s calculus: the program’s plummeting ratings. Ultimately, it’s always about the money.

Nielsen data showed sharp summer declines and a year-long slide that leaves him trailing late-night rivals such as Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and CBS star Stephen Colbert.

According to monthly Nielsen figures, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” dropped to just 1.1 million total viewers in August 2025, down 43% from January’s 1.95 million. His August household rating of 0.35 marked the weakest showing of the year.

The advertiser-coveted 18–49 demo also cratered. Kimmel averaged only 129,000 viewers in that bracket in August, off from 212,000 in January and less than half his June peak of 284,000.

 

Moral Relativism and the Justification of Political Violence– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Moral Relativism and the Justification of Political Violence– legalinsurrection.com
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The shocking recent wave of politically motivated violence reveals the radicalization of the American Left. The moderates have been displaced by hard-core radicals who would stop at nothing to destroy the system. History helps us understand the rationale behind the radical Left’s justification of violence.

As early as the 19th century, radical leftist ideologues indoctrinated their followers that violence was unavoidable to destroy traditional society and achieve their utopian vision. They believed in moral relativism and repudiated Judeo-Christian ethics and objective morality. They did not perceive human life as unique and inherently valuable and did not consider murder wrong.

One hundred years ago, radical leftist violence resulted in one of the bloodiest terrorist acts in the world, which happened in my native city of Sofia. Members of the communist party received funding from the Soviet Union to assassinate the Bulgarian government and political elite. The first step was to murder a famous general to ensure a large gathering of prominent figures for his funeral in the church of St. Sunday.

The assassins planted a bomb under the roof of the church and placed it in such a way as to target primarily the government officials present at the ceremony. It so happened that the general’s casket needed to be moved from its original location to accommodate the multitude of attendants. This managed to partially block the blast and spare most of the government members. Unfortunately, hundreds of others were killed or severely wounded.

Leftism (album) - Wikipedia

Stop Asking Me To ‘Unify’ With The Violent Left– thefederalist.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

Stop Asking Me To ‘Unify’ With The Violent Left– thefederalist.com
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We’ve entered a very dangerous time in our country. That should be clear to everyone — political violence is a sign of a deep and corrosive sickness in any society.

In America today, the problem is not political violence in the abstract. It is a specific kind of political violence which is overwhelmingly driven by a specific set of actors and groups. None of this emerged out of thin air.

Over the past week, leaders from across the political spectrum have come out and forcefully condemned Charlie Kirk’s murder and political violence more broadly. For that, we’re all very grateful. We should be grateful. There have been calls to unite and come together in the wake of Charlie’s murder, and I want to do that. I do.

Someday, I pray that we can be united as a country again and go forward together as one people, under one flag. But we are not united.

Upstream from the dehumanization and demonizing, political violence and rhetoric tearing apart our country, there is a divide on how we view America and Americans. Is America good? Is America evil? Is there something inherently special about Western civilization, or is this 2,000-year project rotten to the core?

Gerrymandering saps faith in democracy– www.futurity.org

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

Gerrymandering saps faith in democracy– www.futurity.org
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When politicians redraw congressional district maps to favor their party, they may secure short-term victories. But those wins can come at a steep price—a loss of public faith in elections and, ultimately, in democracy itself.

That’s the conclusion of a peer-reviewed study led by University of California, Riverside political scientist Shaun Bowler in Political Research Quarterly.

The research finds that partisan gerrymandering—the manipulation of district boundaries to lock in political advantage—does more than distort representation in Congress. It undermines the belief that elections are fair, a cornerstone of democratic legitimacy.

Bowler, a professor of political science, says survey data from tens of thousands of voters in the 2020 and 2022 elections show that Americans view gerrymandering with the same disdain they reserve for bribery and other blatant forms of political corruption. The difference, he says, is that gerrymandering is carried out in full public view, cloaked in arguable legality.

Consider the current push in Texas, where Republican legislators and Governor Greg Abbott, encouraged by President Donald Trump, are working to redraw congressional districts to add five GOP seats as part a Republican effort to retain control of Congress after next year’s midterm election.

“It’s out in the open,” Bowler says. “They’re saying, ‘We’re rigging the midterm election to produce an outcome.’”

 

‘I will not pull back from CELEBRATING’: Law professor’s Charlie Kirk comments lead to calls for her termination– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

‘I will not pull back from CELEBRATING’: Law professor’s Charlie Kirk comments lead to calls for her termination– www.thecollegefix.com
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Excerpt:

Key Takeaways

  • Arkansas state officials are calling for the termination of law professor Felicia Branch after she made controversial comments celebrating the death of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
  • Branch, who recently joined the University of Arkansas Little Rock, was suspended after posting on Facebook that she would not pull back from ‘CELEBRATING’ Kirk’s death, calling him ‘an evil man.
  • Attorney General Tim Griffin and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned Branch’s remarks as unacceptable, with Griffin stating that her comments justify political violence and do not align with the standards expected of educators.
  • The Chancellor of U. Arkansas Little Rock emphasized the need for educators to maintain higher conduct standards and condemned Branch’s remarks as contrary to fostering a civil and rigorous academic environment.

When a Generation Stays Inside: Civic Consequences of Our Digital World | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser September 18, 2025 0

When a Generation Stays Inside: Civic Consequences of Our Digital World | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org
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A new survey reveals that Gen Z spends, on average, less than an hour outdoors on weekdays and many can go days without leaving their homes. By contrast, members of Gen X average more than an hour outside, with time outdoors still part of daily life. Nearly 70 percent of young adults say they regularly spend multiple days entirely indoors, citing bad weather, lack of time, and discomfort with being alone.

At first glance, this might seem like a lifestyle quirk. In reality, it signals how profoundly our patterns of movement, socialization, and engagement with the world have changed with serious implications for civic life.

Time outdoors has always been about more than exercise or fresh air. Parks, sidewalks, and playgrounds have historically been places where neighbors meet, children play, and civic bonds form. Athletic fields and the front porch were once shared spaces where democratic habits were practiced. When younger generations spend less time in these settings, we lose more than recreation. We lose arenas where trust, norms, and community are built.

The new report highlights that this disconnect is felt culturally as well as physically. Nearly half of respondents say there is a “nature deficit” in the media and entertainment they consume. People may stream endless content about the natural world, yet rarely experience it firsthand. Gen Z, in particular, reports a desire to disconnect from screens, but their actual time in nature is lower than previous generations. This gap between aspiration and behavior shows that younger adults are not rejecting nature outright, but face barriers—social, physical, and cultural—that make engagement harder.

The Media’s Duty After Charlie Kirk: Help Rebuild Civil Society | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

The Media’s Duty After Charlie Kirk: Help Rebuild Civil Society | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org
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Excerpt:

National traumas can reveal our best instincts—and our worst. The assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was gunned down while engaging in political debate on a college campus, has done both. Many responded with compassion for his family and calls for greater civility. Others, disturbingly, cheered his murder.

As Matthew Continetti of the American Enterprise Institute observed, the shooting “struck at the ties that hold a free society together,” for it was an assault not just on a man but on the practice of open and civil discourse. The Free Press put it bluntly: “The principles we once took for granted in this country…feel endangered in a way they didn’t a decade ago.”

Via Associated Press.

What explains the acceptance and celebration of political violence? It would be easy to blame overheated political rhetoric. But something deeper is at work. Surveys show that one in three college students today expresses some support for the use of violence to silence a campus speaker—a 50 percent increase from just a decade ago. This shift reflects more than partisan anger: It signals a corrosive set of ideas, nurtured in classrooms and amplified in public forums, that reject the foundations of Western civilization.

These corrosive doctrines—rooted in postmodernism and critical theory—deny any source of morality outside the self, dismiss the intrinsic worth of every human, and reduce politics and law to raw quests for power. In such a worldview, silencing an opponent—even through violence—can seem not only permissible, but virtuous.

JD Foster: Trump Is Right In Calling For The End To Quarterly Reporting– dailycaller.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

JD Foster: Trump Is Right In Calling For The End To Quarterly Reporting– dailycaller.com
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Sometimes, it’s the little things. Sometimes, it’s bigger things. This time it’s the quarterly earnings report required by law of America’s publicly traded companies. And it’s President Trump suggesting on Truth Social that we should do away with quarterly earnings statements in favor of bi-annual statements. He’s right.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires publicly traded companies to report their earnings quarterly. In contrast, the hyper-regulative European Union and United Kingdom require six-month reporting, though corporations are allowed to make quarterly statements if they want.

Quarterly reporting is just one of the hundreds of rules U.S. publicly traded companies face that privately held companies don’t. Nearly all of these rules make some sense in isolation, but collectively they represent an enormous burden, one effect of which is that even as the American economy has grown steadily over the years, the number of publicly traded companies had fallen by half. Houston, we have a problem.

Quarterly reporting is expensive to the corporation and a major time burden for senior management. These are relative nuisances.

For Britain, independence is its only hope of survival– www.americanthinker.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

For Britain, independence is its only hope of survival– www.americanthinker.com
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Irony of ironies, the British government, which oppressed its American colonists to the point of revolt, is now doing the same on its own island.  English law, which provided the foundation for our own laws, and for our own freedoms, including freedom of speech, is now being used to suppress and silence British patriots.

Britons are now literally put in prison for expressing opinions that in America are taken for granted as a protected right.  Offending a sex pervert in Britain is a serious crime.

The oppression stems from unrestricted immigration, especially of Muslims, who share nothing in common with Classic British liberal values, neither in language nor culture nor common law.  Worse yet, while Britons remain underserved in return for the excessive taxation and regulation which Parliament imposes on them, their Muslim guests receive luxurious accommodations at taxpayer expense.

Muslim law, which blames non-Muslim women if they are raped by Muslim men, has found its way into British courts, where the rapes of small children and British women are treated as a minor misbehavior—and the rapes are reaching near epidemic proportions.  Bear in mind that Muslim law, as practiced by Muslims, does not recognize any rights of any non-Muslim.

Charlie Kirk, George Floyd, and EVERYTHING Different About the Left and the Right – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser September 15, 2025 0

Charlie Kirk, George Floyd, and EVERYTHING Different About the Left and the Right – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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A large part of me feels filthy comparing the two because Charlie Kirk doesn’t deserve for anyone to lump him into the same category as George Floyd. Even if we accept the central thesis of the Black Lives Matter movement — that George Floyd was murdered in a senseless act of police violence — the circumstances between the two were extraordinarily different, and no one should lose sight of why:

George Floyd was convicted of eight separate crimes between 1997 and 2005 alone. (It’s unclear how many times he was arrested.) In 2007, he was sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. On May 25, 2020 — the day he lost his life while police officer Derek Chauvin handcuffed him — he was in the process of being arrested (yet again) for ripping off a convenience store with counterfeit money.

Chauvin was found guilty of three murder and manslaughter charges on April 20, 2021. He was sentenced to over 22 years in prison.

In stark contrast, Charlie Kirk didn’t have a criminal record or a violent past. He dedicated himself to promoting his political beliefs and testifying about his faith in Christ, traveling throughout the U.S. heartland, having civil, peaceful discussions with Americans of every walk of life. Conservative or liberal, Christian or atheist, straight or gay, white or black, he was willing to speak with anyone and everyone.

On Sept. 10, 2025, an assassin ended Charlie Kirk’s life with a single bullet. Three unfired rounds were engraved with the words: “Hey fascist! Catch!”

Britain’s Spirit of Freedom Is Dying – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser September 10, 2025 0

Britain’s Spirit of Freedom Is Dying – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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… British politics has gotten frustrating in recent years for true conservatives, and watching Britain slide into authoritarianism on free speech is something even a dyed-in-the-wool Anglophile like me can’t support. And I’m not alone.

Last week, Lee Cohen wrote a column in The Spectator that resonated deeply with me:

Today, for the first time, I find Britain indefensible. The affection and historical respect remains. The confidence is gone.

Britain now prosecutes her own citizens, not for violence or treason, but for words. Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a tweet in the wake of the Southport murders last year. Her crime was expression, harsh perhaps, but still speech. This week, Graham Linehan, the award‑winning creator of Father Ted, was arrested at Heathrow Airport by armed officers for online comments defending women’s spaces. Arrested, by police carrying weapons, for his opinions. This is the country that gave the world John Stuart Mill.

“Such cases expose what Britain has become: a two‑tier system of justice. Those branded far‑right, nationalist, or ‘Islamophobic’ are persecuted with zeal,” Cohen added. “Those spreading incendiary rhetoric from Islamist or minority factions are, all too often, met with indulgence.”

Trump enters Zelensky summit with approval ‘surging upward’– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 1

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Voter approval of President Donald Trump surged “upward” following his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, likely giving him an advantage entering his peace meetings Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other world leaders.

InsiderAdvantage found in its three-day survey that 54% of voters approve of Trump while 44% don’t, a big swing up from where he was entering the Putin meeting.

Pollster Matt Towery said, “Overall, his approval numbers are surging upwards post-summit.”

Dad Sues Abortionist for Killing Two of His Children in Abortions– www.lifenews.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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A Texas man is suing a California doctor, claiming that the doctor mailed abortion pills to his girlfriend, violated state and federal law, and caused the wrongful death of his two unborn children.

According to the complaint against Dr. Remy Coeytaux, filed July 20, Jerry Rodriguez is seeking an injunction to stop the doctor from distributing abortion drugs in Texas on behalf of “all current and future fathers of unborn children in the United States.” Rodriguez also seeks $75,000 in damages.

Rodriguez filed the suit after his girlfriend took abortion drugs on two separate occasions to end two pregnancies. The complaint alleges that Rodriguez’s girlfriend became pregnant with his child in July 2024 and planned to keep the baby. Her estranged husband, from whom she had legally separated but not yet divorced, wanted her to abort the baby and ordered abortion drugs from Coeytaux in September.

 

Democrats are reliving the GOP’s 2012 nightmare. A Trump-style rebellion is needed– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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Of course, Trump made waves by questioning former President Barack Obama’s claim to birthright citizenship in 2011. But he didn’t become a true political force until he savaged low energy Jeb Bush (Jeb!), Little Marco Rubio, and the rest of the Republican establishment in the 2016 primaries. That’s when America realized something new was happening.

Trump’s dynamic rebellion catapulted not only him into the national spotlight, but also the Republican Party, whose national relevance had faded since former President George W. Bush’s fall from grace, with approvals dipping to the mid-20s by the time he helicoptered back to his Texas ranch. In the years that followed, the Tea Party’s groundswell fueled GOP congressional victories, but it failed to produce strong national leaders during the Obama era.

The performative morality of the college mind sifter– www.americanthinker.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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A couple of psychology researchers from Northwestern University did a study of nearly 1,500 young men and women enrolled at both Northwestern and the University of Michigan, asking this: “Have you ever pretended to hold more progressive views than you truly endorse to succeed socially or academically?”

The result? “An astounding 88% said yes.”

They conclude that “on today’s college campuses, students are not maturing — they’re managing. Beneath a facade of progressive slogans and institutional virtue-signaling lies a quiet psychological crisis, driven by the demands of ideological conformity.”  They call it performative morality.

AI ‘interview’ with school shooting victim raises question every parent must ask– www.theblaze.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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Jim Acosta’s AI-generated interview with a victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, Joaquin Oliver, has stirred the internet. Created from a video made by Oliver’s parents for what would have been his 25th birthday, it’s a reminder of the enduring pain felt by the community, survivors, and victims’ families of atrocities like Parkland.

The ethics behind Acosta’s “interview” may be questionable, but as a father of four preparing for back-to-school, it also raises the question: Are schools ready to protect students if — God forbid — a mass shooter attacks?

If a safety plan can’t withstand basic questions, it likely can’t withstand a real threat.

Yes, Adam Schiff Can And Should Be Prosecuted For Leaking Classified Info– thefederalist.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 1

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If recent reports are true, Sen. Adam Schiff could have some explaining to do. According to newly-released documents, a Democratic whistleblower told the FBI that Schiff approved leaking classified information regarding the alleged Russiagate scandal to smear President Donald Trump. According to the report:

“When working in this capacity, [redacted staffer’s name] was called to an all-staff meeting by SCHIFF. In this meeting, SCHIFF stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP. SCHIFF stated the information would be used to indict President TRUMP.”

Schmitt Leverages Free Speech Case to Push Strategy Against Left– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) urged Republicans to continue to use the court system to counter leftist policies, drawing on his success in cases like Missouri v. Biden, which exposed the Biden administration’s censorship agenda.

In a Fox News Sunday interview, Schmitt discussed his new book, The Last Line of Defense: How to Beat the Left in Court, and called on Americans to “stand up and fight” for their values, including free speech, using similar legal strategies as the left.

Red State Institutions Are As Left-Wing As Their Blue Counterparts– thefederalist.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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A common trope trotted out in defense of the modern GOP is that, for all its shortcomings, electing Republicans to positions of power is better than electing Democrats. If that argument is true, then why are the institutions in so many so-called “red states” just as left-wing as their blue state counterparts?

A new report authored by the State Leadership Initiative (SLI) and obtained by The Federalist reveals how many Republican-run states “remain deeply entangled in the same bureaucratic bloat, cultural drift, and economic stagnation” that are features of those run by Democrats. While red and blue states often differ on major political issues (ex. gun rights and tax policy), the 2025 State Leadership Index shows how the implementation of these policies — specifically those in red states — “often operate within a [left-wing] framework that remains fundamentally unchanged.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics is a left-wing activist group– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

The American Academy of Pediatrics is a left-wing activist group – washingtonexaminer.com

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The American Academy of Pediatrics has given up the ghost. Each set of recommendations and guidance from the organization shows it to be a left-wing activist group that should no longer be treated with the reverence that it once was.

The AAP has split from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for children. The CDC removed the COVID-19 vaccine from its immunization schedule recommendations for children, which lists vaccine recommendations from birth to age 18. The first COVID-19 vaccination recommendation for children was at six months old, along with their first vaccination for the flu.

The End of Handwriting | WIRED– www.wired.com

pgnewser August 22, 2025 0

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People often credit my good handwriting to my Catholic school education—like a nun with a ruler and a taste for corporal punishment perfected my penmanship. But that’s not why. It’s because of my mom. An engineer by trade, she can execute the kind of perfect block letters that only come with years of working on a drawing board. As a kid, I worked to mimic her print as well as her incredibly ornate cursive. I don’t practice those skills nearly enough as an adult, though: As a reporter, speed trumps beauty when it comes to taking notes. Now, with so much of my job being done on a keyboard, I worry even that scrawl is at risk.

Mine is not an isolated devolution. Parents, educators, and fellow penmanship advocates have been lamenting the end of handwriting for years. Email began edging out cards and letters decades ago. Then smartphones hit the market, and our reliance on paper notes, wall calendars, and Post-it reminders dwindled. In US public schools, the focus has shifted from handwriting to typing, as more and more kids are exposed to iPads and computers in tandem with pencils.