“Climate Change Is Fueling Extremes, Both Hot and Cold.
“The possibility of snow in Tampa, Fla. Record heat and fires in Australia. Scientists say climate change is exacerbating weather extremes… The escaped polar vortex is just one instance of extreme weather playing out right now around the world…”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/climate/climate-change-extreme-weather.html
“The entire temperate Northern Hemisphere is now frozen, with the exception of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain.
“It is rather rare to see the polar vortex spread out so extensively at the same time across both America and Eurasia.” [Meteovillages]
https://x.com/meteovillages/status/2017183165056422071
“Stratospheric Warming Confirmed: Polar Vortex Collapse to Bring Major Weather Disruption in the Coming Weeks.
“New forecasts confirm a Polar Vortex split and collapse in mid-February, following a Stratospheric Warming event. The latest predictions show a breakdown of the polar circulation, creating a prolonged cold weather pattern across North America and Europe, with early signs that it can last into early Spring.”
“At least 28 killed in record snowfall across northern Japan, transport disrupted.
“Weather forecasters warn that more snowfall is expected over the next few days. Niigata Prefecture could receive up to 70 centimetres of additional snow by the morning of January 31, while northeastern regions of Honshu Island may see as much as 50 centimetres.”
“Moscow records heaviest snowfall in over 200 years…
“Snow piles on the ground reached as high as 60 centimetres (24 inches) in some parts of the capital on Thursday… The record snowfall was “caused by deep and extensive cyclones with sharp atmospheric fronts passing over the Moscow region”, the observatory said.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260129-moscow-records-heaviest-snowfall-in-over-200-years
“UK butterfly numbers flat despite hottest summer on record…
“A spokesman from Butterfly Conservation said: “Numbers are a vast improvement on 2024’s record lows but 2025 was no more than an average year for butterflies and urgent measures are still needed to reverse long term declines.””
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/25788270.uk-butterfly-numbers-flat-despite-hottest-summer-record/
“Environmental experts have expressed concern about climate change after more than 700 fish – including hundreds of endangered European eels – died at one of Jersey’s most ecologically sensitive sites last summer.
“St Ouen’s Pond, which is home to a plethora of wildlife, is the island’s largest freshwater lake and one of 30 protected Sites of Special Interest (SSI) as of 2018.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98pmrem7v5o
“Netherlands’ 10 hottest years all in this century; 2025 was exceptionally sunny, dry…
“The year had the highest number of mild days on record… 2025 was the second sunniest year since records began in 1965, just behind 2022 (138 watts). Spring, in particular, was ridiculously sunny, getting almost a quarter more sunshine than is usual.”
https://nltimes.nl/2026/01/29/netherlands-10-hottest-years-century-2025-exceptionally-sunny-dry
“Threat of global warming looms large on next winter Olympics despite being at a high-altitude Alpine city: Study…
“The games are to be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the heart of the Italian Alps. However, a recent study has noted that even the high-altitude Alps do not seem to have enough snow at the peak of winter to hold Winter Olympics due to the impact of climate change.”
“The tornado in Plasencia leaves numerous damages to facades, roofs and enclosures of the buildings of the Ministry of Health. [Spain]
“Sixty percent of the enclosure of the Cereza center, which has not yet been inaugurated, has been destroyed, while the Virgen del Puerto Hospital continues its activity despite the damage.”
“Severe storms flood Izmir streets, knock out water to three districts [western Turkey]…
“Flash flooding transformed streets into rivers in several neighborhoods, trapping motorists and forcing shopkeepers to evacuate water from their businesses.”
“Heavy rainfall paralyzed life in Adana: Roads turned into lakes, and citizens were stranded. [southeastern Turkey]
“Heavy rainfall that hit Adana on January 30th negatively affected life throughout the city. Following warnings from the meteorological service, the rain, which intensified from the morning hours, caused water to accumulate on many streets and roads , and traffic came to a standstill in some areas.”
https://www.habereguven.com/adanada-saganak-yagis-hayati-felc-etti
“Tunisia’s famed blue-and-white village threatened after record rains…
“Last week, Tunisia saw its heaviest downpour in more than 70 years. The storm killed at least five people, with others still missing. Narrow streets of this village north of Tunis—famed for its pink bougainvillea and studded wooden doors—were cut off by fallen trees, rocks and thick clay.”
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tunisia-famed-blue-white-village.html
“Morocco Mobilizes Army, Emergency Services as Flooding Hits Northern Regions…
“Authorities have urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, follow official safety instructions and avoid unnecessary risks, as efforts continue to mitigate the impact of the flooding and ensure public safety.”
“SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE broke for the SEVENTH TIME this month its national record of its hottest January day in history with 34.0C [93.2F].
“Records have been falling all over Africa from the first day of the month every day.”
[Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2016940979811733900
“Endless record heat in the Gulf of Guinea with another extraordinary hot night and MINIMUMS up to 28.6C [83.5F] at Cotonou BENIN one of the highest in January in history in the whole Hemisphere.
“Hottest January night on record at Ibadan NIGERIA Min 26.4C.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2017146223497793825
“Western Cape faces mounting water crisis as consumption spikes and municipalities across the province sound alarm…
“lower annual rainfall has resulted in reduced inflows to major dams, placing increased pressure on the metro’s water supply system at a time when usage remains well above recommended targets.”
“Mozambique: Aid workers scramble to reach starving communities after devastating floods but it’s a mammoth task…
“”We are alive, but the floods are troubling us. We are coughing, we don’t have a place to live, we don’t have food, we don’t have water – the water we are drinking is contaminated because of these floods,” says one of his patients, Raqualina Tamele.”
“Death Toll Reaches 200 After Landslides Collapse Mineral Mines in Eastern Congo.
“At least 200 people were killed this week when heavy rains triggered a series of catastrophic landslides at a major coltan mining site in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to reports from rebel authorities on Saturday.”
“Israel’s freshwater balancing act: The Kinneret under strain…
““The Sea of Galilee now faces a huge problem,” Nadav Tal, a water expert and hydrologist at EcoPeace Middle East, told The Jerusalem Report in a recent interview. “If we do not get a good rainy season, we will be in deep trouble. We’re already in deep trouble, but it will get worse and worse.””
https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report/article-884475
“Dust storms in Tajikistan reach record numbers in 2025.
“In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Bahodour Sheralizoda, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection, revealed on January 29 that in 2025, Tajikistan recorded 63 dust storms, which lasted a total of 216 days.”
“India’s wealthy embrace a new luxury symbol: water…
“”They will all taste different … you should be choosing a water that can give you some sort of nutritional value,” said Mehta, who is 32 and calls herself India’s youngest water sommelier, a term usually associated with premium wine. Her family owns the Aava mineral water brand.”
“Lives at stake as man-elephant conflict continues unabated in Coimbatore forest division [southern India].
“Coimbatore: It’s a fight for survival for both humans and wild elephants, as the conflict between them continues unabated in the Coimbatore forest division.”
“Sam, an orangutan aged approximately 18-20 years old, was spotted by residents foraging in a garbage heap in East Kutai [Indonesia]…
“The orangutan was captured because it was located in a high-risk area, near roads, palm oil plantations, and mining areas, making it deemed unsuitable for wild animal behavior.”
“BNPB: Heavy Rain for 24 Hours Triggers Flooding in Bekasi, Jakarta to Cirebon.
“The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that heavy rain in the last 24 hours caused flooding in several areas in Jakarta and West Java, including Cirebon Regency and Bekasi City… “Nine villages spread across four sub-districts in Cirebon Regency were flooded after heavy rain,” said Head of the BNPB.”
“Day and night, there’s no relief: five ways this heatwave is one of Australia’s worst on record.
“In Australia’s alps, where an average January day might be expected to reach 18C, temperatures climbed above 30C [86F] for the first time. On 28 January, the ski town of Falls Creek recorded 30.5C, and Perisher Valley in NSW reached 30.8C – records for both places. “Those are pretty remarkable temperatures,” Grainger says.”
“Congratulations to Port Augusta AUSTRALIA for recording the most Southern 50C (122F) in world climatic history.
“It’s one of the several world records being set in this unbelievable heat wave… More records Saturday.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2017314637704778086
“‘We shouldn’t be surprised’: bushfires in Victoria push threatened species to the brink.
“As tinderbox conditions continue to hamper wildlife assessment and rescue efforts, bushfires in Victoria have burned habitat crucial to bird and animal species, including eastern bristlebirds and dingoes. Some plant species are feared extinct.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/30/victoria-bushfires-threatened-species-australia
“Bay of Plenty families remain isolated two weeks after Waioweka Gorge slips [NZ]…
“Even before last week’s storm laid waste to North Island communities – families in the Waioweka Gorge were isolated. On Friday, January 16, torrential rain brought down multiple slips on SH2, trapping around 40 motorists, who had to be evacuated by helicopter.”
“La Niña is Dissolving Rapidly, Marking the Start of a Major Atmospheric and Oceanic Shift for 2026.
“The tropical Pacific Ocean is undergoing a strong transformation as we enter 2026, with La Niña dissolving faster than initially expected. A powerful Westerly Wind Burst has swept across the tropics, erasing a lot of the cold anomalies and signaling the end of an era for the current atmospheric cycle.”
“Record heat in the WAKE ISLAND – 90F [32.2F] – Hottest January day in history.
“For whoever has no idea of where it is: It’s an AMERICAN territory; part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands In The Northern Pacific Ocean.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2016889767829656055
“Record heat in EASTER ISLAND/RAPA NUI.
“The Minimum Temperature last night was 24.3C [75.7F]: hottest January night in history. Oceania has been breaking heat records nearly everywhere, every day of 2026 so far.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2016959570204082540
“The devastation of island land snails: Pacific leads global wave of extinctions, researchers find…
“The research team identified a recurring pattern of extinction that follows human arrival: deforestation and the indirect impacts of invasive species began with the initial arrival of people and became even more extensive and catastrophic following Western colonization.”
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-devastation-island-snails-pacific-global.html
“RECORD HEAT IN THE PATAGONIA – another exceptional heat wave in this scorching South America summer: Yesterday 36.4C [97.5F] at Rio Gallego, Argentina HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY.” [Extreme Temps]
“Yesterday El Calafate (yes, the town near famous Perito Moreno Glacier) broke its all time record! Almost 30°C at the fronts of the Patagonian ice giants… insane!” [Melaine Le Roy]
https://x.com/subfossilguy/status/2017196011433709736
“The Argentine government has declared a state of emergency over the wildfires in Patagonia, which have been blazing in the region since the start of the month.
“The decision was made official through Decree 73/2026… It declared the provinces of Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén and La Pampa both as under fire emergency and as disaster zones.”
“Hot and dry weather in Argentina is threatening corn and soybean yields, Reuters reports.
“In recent days, air temperatures in the country have climbed to nearly 40°C, while key agricultural regions are in urgent need of rainfall. However, no significant improvement is expected until February.”
https://ukragroconsult.com/en/news/heat-wave-hits-argentina-threatening-corn-and-soybean-crops/
“Impressive hailstorm in Buenos Aires: the shocking videos.
“…residents of Cañuelas and Lobos posted shocking videos on social media of the storm passing through those areas… In the case of Cañuelas, in addition to images of the shocking storm, some destruction and material damage were recorded on route 205.”
“New data highlight Peru’s growing oil and gas footprint in the Amazon.
“Peru has the most oil and gas projects heading into production in the Amazon, according to a new data set published by the Stockholm Environment Institute. At 85 blocks in pre-production in the rainforest, that’s more than the 68 in Colombia and 53 in Brazil.”
“Caribbean heat waves intensify over five decades, study finds.
“A new study led by climatologists at the University at Albany has found that extreme heat waves across the Caribbean are becoming significantly more frequent, longer and severe. This study examined extreme summer heat waves in the Caribbean over the last five decades…”
https://www.preventionweb.net/news/caribbean-heat-waves-intensify-over-five-decades-study-finds
“Just insane the heat in MEXICO:
“33.1C [91.6F] Ciudad Guzman 1500m asl January record pulverized… Chipalcingo at 1270m asl in The Guerrero State after a max. Temperature of 34.3C yesterday Today recorded a Minimum of 19.2C, warmest January night in history, typical of the hottest part of the year.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2017411930705826267
“Did Winter Forget The West? Records Are Being Broken For Mild Temperatures And Low Snowpack.
“Out of the 365 sites monitored by the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, nearly 30 have experienced their mildest winter so far on record according to their Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI).”
“Colorado is gearing up to fight for water rights as the Colorado River stalemate continues…
““If it comes to a fight, we will be ready,” said Becky Mitchell, the Colorado River commissioner, who represents the state on the Upper Colorado River Commission, at the Friday, Jan. 23 SMART Act hearing for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources…”
“Plastic pollution may be supercharging algae blooms.
““In the petroleum tanks, fewer zooplankton consuming algae meant more algae remained in the system, which led to the algal blooms we observed.” In other words, plastics may not only be adding stress to ecosystems. They may also be removing key players that normally prevent algae from taking over.”
https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-may-be-supercharging-algae-blooms/
“Climate crisis pushes global food system to breaking point.
“Climate change is tightening its grip on the food system. Floods are destroying crops and endangering livestock, while droughts and extreme high temperatures are turning previously fertile land into no‑grow zones. On top of this, devastating storms are wiping out entire ecosystems.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
I asked Copilot: Will there be enough US farmworkers this year to manually harvest the crops?
ANSWER: The situation regarding US farmworkers for the 2025 harvest season is concerning, as there are significant concerns about workforce shortages.
Immigration Policies: Tightening immigration policies have led to a significant reduction in available labor, with major agricultural states reporting up to a 35% decrease in labor during the harvest season.
Aging Workforce: The average age of farmworkers is increasing, with many nearing retirement ages, contributing to a shortage of younger workers.
Economic Impact: Without sufficient workers, farmers risk unharvested crops and increased food costs, affecting the overall food supply and economy.
Temporary Workers: Many farms are relying heavily on temporary foreign workers, but the H-2A visa program has limitations and is not designed for year-round needs.
Future Solutions: Experts suggest a multi-faceted approach, including advanced technology, policy reform, and innovative workforce strategies, to address the ongoing labor shortage.
Overall, the situation is dire, and there is a pressing need for solutions to ensure a stable food supply and maintain agricultural productivity.
———————-
ME: With all the layoffs now occurring in Amazon, the auto industry, AI-related job losses, and more–> will these people gravitate towards manual field labor to help keep food costs low or steady? Or will rapidly rising food prices lead them to protest, then food riots where grocery stores & warehouses are looted? Would rustling livestock become a not unusual occurrence again?
If a program was instituted whereby field labor from the ‘breadwinner’ would guarantee low food prices and access to guaranteed & guarded foodstocks for the family back home–> would this incentive program work?
——————————
Q&A
What It Will Take to Get U.S. Citizens to Work the Farm — According to Dolores Huerta
The longtime farm labor activist gets candid about the fallout from Trump’s deportation efforts.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/02/dolores-huerta-farm-raids-immigration-labor-interview-00489203
——————-
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
“Immigration Policies: Tightening immigration policies have led to a significant reduction in available labor, with major agricultural states reporting up to a 35% decrease in labor during the harvest season.”
Bob, we have had similar problems here with tougher immigration policies post-Brexit:
“Dairy farmers have warned that a long-running shortage of workers, exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic, has put the UK’s food security under pressure. Five in six farmers who have looked for workers said they have received very few or zero applications from qualified people for their job vacancies…”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/13/dairy-farmers-worker-shortage-threatening-uk-food-security
I got this from Google AI
“Based on reports as of early 2026, U.S. agriculture is facing a significant, ongoing labor shortage, with many producers questioning if there will be enough farmworkers to manually harvest crops. A “perfect storm” of high operating costs, low commodity prices, and stricter immigration enforcement is expected to cause, and in some areas already causing, unharvested crops.”
““Stratospheric Warming Confirmed: Polar Vortex Collapse to Bring Major Weather Disruption in the Coming Weeks”
frome severe-weather.eu
In that LONG article, I saw zero mentions of climate change. This was the closest they got:
“You can see a strong warming anomaly over the polar regions, with temperatures in the mid-stratosphere peaking over 50 degrees C above normal”
Nothing to worry about. Just a little anomaly.
Cassandra, I’ve noticed that that site tends to focus in-depth on the meteorological nitty gritty without placing it in the wider context of climate change. I don’t get the impression that it comes from a place of deviousness or obfuscation though. I think they just have a narrow brief and stick to it.
It stands to reason that Arctic warming will mean a weaker polar vortex making stratospheric warming events more likely and more intense, but apparently the science isn’t absolutely settled. 🤷♂️
They seem to be getting more common over Antarctica, too, even though the polar vortex down there is stronger. This from Sept 2025:
“A rare rise in stratospheric temperatures over Antarctica could influence weather into summer, with previous events driving hotter and drier conditions for south-east Australia. The phenomenon – called sudden stratospheric warming – is extremely unusual in the southern hemisphere.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/26/fears-of-abnormally-hot-days-in-southern-australia-after-sudden-stratospheric-warming-over-antarctica
Global warming and climate change doesn’t consistantly keep the eastern side of the US much cooler (relatively speaking) than the rest of the world for a decade straight.
There is something else at play here, and I strongly believe climate engineering, solar radiation management (and other forms of weather manipulation) are being used to temporary cool the planet. I live in Sherbrooke Quebec, and we have not had 1 bloody full day of sun since the fall time. We used to have bright sunny days all winter. And if I understand correctly, the planets’ natural cloud making capacity is waning drastically due the disruption in atmospheric chemistry. So we should be having less cloud cover, but due to solar radiation management, climate engineering, and the jets putting their aersols into our skies we have way more.
I do wish the climate science community would start to acknowledge what is taking place in our skies.
Hello Karl Butler,
I hope you will do more research to understand that local weather manipulation is practically impossible. Sure, some local cloud-seeding might bring a little more rain or snow momentarily, but the atmospheric forces of nature are gigantic.
https://bsky.app/profile/climatecasino.net/post/3lupt7eja6k27
————————————
As of the latest CERES data for May, 2025, the 36-month running mean for the Earth energy imbalance grew slightly to 11.36 Hiroshimas per second.
That’s roughly 980,000 Hiroshimas per day in planetary warming.
Hot times ahead!
from a commentor: EEI is 11.36 Hiroshimas per second, or
one Barringer [Meteor] Crater impact every 60 seconds. [1,000 meters wide and 200 meters deep]
——————————
ME: Eliot Jacobson is a PHD in Math. his blog is: https://climatecasino.net/
Our release of GHGs results in a global climatic effect, but we certainly cannot control exactly when & where & for how long a certain weather event is stationary over a certain area.
Karl, sorry to hear about your relentlessly overcast winter. It’s been pretty grey here on Islay, too, but we’re used to that. 😅
I don’t think the eastern US has been relatively cooler for the past decade. In fact, the coastal and northern areas of the US are warming faster than most of the interior areas, with New England leading the charge:
“The breakneck speed of New England’s transformation makes it the fastest-heating area of the US, bar the Alaskan Arctic, and the pace of its temperature rise has apparently increased in the past five years, according to the study.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/03/new-england-warming
Pan’s post above: “Israel’s freshwater balancing act: The Kinneret under strain…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee
—————————
Its area is 166.7 km2 (64.4 sq mi) at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 43 metres (141 ft).[5] The lake is fed partly by underground springs, but its main source is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south with the outflow controlled by the Degania Dam.
————————
ME: basically an 8 mile by 8 mile = 64 sq. mile pond below sea level necessitating uphill pumping for most urban & rural usage. The population that depends on this are in extreme risk, IMO.
Recall my earlier speculation that if the US wants Israel for a giant military base in the Mideast, then relocating the non-combatant citizens to Greenland may be the only viable solution.
Perhaps when the water supply becomes critical 10 million Israelis will be welcomed by the citizens of Greenland if a truly fair consultation process and economic deal is reached between the trio of Greenland, European countries, and the US.
As of now we still have no details of what is included in the ‘Greenland Framework’.
“Recall my earlier speculation that if the US wants Israel for a giant military base in the Mideast, then relocating the non-combatant citizens to Greenland may be the only viable solution.”
Bob, Greenland as The Promised Land 2.0 seems very unlikely to me but we live in strange times.
BTC all-time high was $125,251 on October 6, 2025. Currently BTC is $77,874.02
125,251 −77,874.02 = $47,376.98 less
47,376.98 divided by 125,251 = 0.3783 or approx. 38% less than its all-time high. Double Ouch!
Gold/oz all-time high was $5586 on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2026. Currently gold is $4889
5586-4889 = $697 lower
697 divided by 5586 = 0.12 or 12% less than its all-time high. So far, real gold has been a much better investment than the ‘digital gold’.
Silver reached approx. $120/oz and is now $85. now down 120-85 = $35 bucks/oz
35/120 = 0.29 or 29% less than its all-time high. Thus, even silver has been a better buy than BTC when a market correction occurs.
Let us see how these two real objects and a digital number sequence work out in the future.
If you were a BTC holder in Ukraine and now without power and internet would you be content to ignore the present value, or would you be frantic to sell?
I’m not really sharp on all this and thank you in regard to the above analysis/explanation.
I noticed the article in Pan s selection
La Niña is Dissolving Rapidly, Marking the Start of a Major Atmospheric and Oceanic Shift for 2026.
“The tropical Pacific Ocean is undergoing a strong transformation as we enter 2026, with La Niña dissolving faster than initially expected. A powerful Westerly Wind Burst has swept across the tropics, erasing a lot of the cold anomalies and signaling the end of an era for the current atmospheric cycle.”
So, this coupled with other factors we are entering perhaps into an age of “Organized Chaos”, which, by the way, a book I read a long while ago in regard to water.
How exciting (sarcasm)
Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air by Theodor Schwenk (originally published 1965) is a seminal, scientifically grounded, and philosophical work that explores how water, despite appearing chaotic in its flow, creates highly organized, rhythmic patterns and forms. It illustrates how this fluid “sensibility” shapes rivers, clouds, and even blood vessels.
Key insights from the book include:
Fluid Dynamics: Water forms vortexes, spirals, and meanders that exhibit an inherent, underlying order, moving from “chaotic” motion to structured forms.
Biological Connections: The book draws parallels between the patterns in water and the structures found in nature and the human body.
Scientific and Artistic Approach: It bridges the gap between scientific observation and a more, holistic, and artistic understanding of nature.
Sounds fascinating! You are a wonderful reader, VPK.
The faster transfer to El Nino would be in-line with there being more energy in the atmosphere and upper oceans and therefore more dynamic changes but also with recent predictions that the ENSO might become more regular and more frequent and that the La Nina phase might disappear.
The last two months indicate the PDO has come off record negative values and might be transferring to a positive phase – the most recent El Ninos have all coincided with negative phases so maybe it will just stay slightly below zero, if not things could get even hotter than a hot El Nino in 2027. It’ll be interesting to see if the winds drop off again so there’s increased stratification as in 2024, I think that would fit in with the break down in the jet streams in both hemispheres that has been happening (e.g. polar vortices splitting, SSW etc.).
We have mentioned decreasing attention spans before, and Pan has probably provided related articles too, especially on the student’s lack of highly focused concentration on complex written topics [just like what is offered here on C & E].
It now appears that college kids [who choose to be film majors!] cannot even stay focused on a single movie:
——————–
The Film Students Who Can No Longer Sit Through Films
The attention-span crisis goes to the movies.
Everyone knows it’s hard to get college students to do the reading—remember books? But the attention-span crisis is not limited to the written word.
Professors are now finding that they can’t even get film students—film students—to sit through movies. “I used to think, if homework is watching a movie, that is the best homework ever,” Craig Erpelding, a film professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, told me. “But students will not do it.”
I heard similar observations from 20 film-studies professors around the country…..
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/college-students-movies-attention-span/685812/
—————————————–
ME: …focus…..focus…..focus….stay focused….concentrate….c’mon, concentrate….
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
JFC, Bob, even without LtG or ecocatastrophe we would be doomed. 😱
Here’s the whole article:
https://archive.vn/x9GLZ