How Russia hooked Europe on oil and gas

+ a love story or two US Edition - Today's top story: How Russia hooked Europe on its oil and gas – and overcame US efforts to prevent energy dependence on Moscow [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 February 2022 [The Conversation]( President Joe Biden over the weekend again warned his Russian counterpart of “swift and severe” consequences should the latter invade Ukraine – a likelihood that may be imminent, American officials suggest. Meanwhile, European leaders raced to find a diplomatic solution as more countries emptied out their embassies in Kyiv and urged their citizens to leave Ukraine. Biden’s threat of punishing sanctions against Russia is one of the tools the United States hopes will deter Vladimir Putin from sending troops into his neighbor. But experts say its effectiveness depends on a united front among Western nations. [That may be a problem](, writes Ryan Haddad, who studies national security, trade policy and economic diplomacy. “Russia has something that may undercut that solidarity: a network of European countries, Germany in particular, dependent on it for energy exports,” he explains. “This issue has tended to divide America and its allies – in part because of how Russia has exploited the ambiguity of its intentions.” Also today: - [Evaluating the social cost of carbon]( - [A breakthrough in treating a rare childhood disease]( - [Webinar: the physics and psychology of cats]( Bryan Keogh Senior Editor, Economy + Business Is it a weapon or merely trade? AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky [How Russia hooked Europe on its oil and gas – and overcame US efforts to prevent energy dependence on Moscow]( Ryan Haddad, University of Maryland The Biden administration hopes the threat of harsh sanctions from a united West will deter Putin from invading Ukraine. But Russia has a long history of using energy to divide the US and Europe. Environment + Energy - [What is the ‘social cost of carbon’? 2 energy experts explain after court ruling blocks Biden’s changes]( Jim Krane, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University; Mark Finley, Rice University The social cost helps regulators factor in harm from climate change when they consider new rules and purchases, like buying electric- vs. gas-powered trucks for the Postal Service. Arts + Culture - [How Sylvia Plath’s secret miscarriage transforms our understanding of her poetry]( Jason Miller, North Carolina State University Two poems that were originally excised from ‘Ariel,’ Plath’s seminal poetry collection, vividly channel the painful experience of losing an unborn child. - [Physics and psychology of cats – an (improbable) conversation]( Beth Daley, The Conversation; Thalia Plata, The Conversation Have you wondered why cats are so nimble and seem to fit perfectly in cups, boxes, and other small places? Or how cats communicate with humans? A physicist and a psychologist explain. Science + Technology - [Technology is revolutionizing how intelligence is gathered and analyzed – and opening a window onto Russian military activity around Ukraine]( Craig Nazareth, University of Arizona National security professionals and armchair sleuths alike are taking advantage of vast amounts of publicly available information and software tools to monitor geopolitical events around the world. - [First gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease successfully given to two children]( Miguel Sena-Esteves, UMass Chan Medical School Tay-Sachs is a rare and fatal neurodegerative disorder that most commonly affects children. Researchers have developed the first Tay-Sachs treatment to reach clinical trials. Ethics + Religion - [What do students’ beliefs about God have to do with grades and going to college?]( Ilana Horwitz, Tulane University Researchers have spent decades studying how demographics affect American students’ opportunities and performance, but many questions remain about religion and school. Health + Medicine - [Why do people get diarrhea?]( Hannibal Person, University of Washington Poop comes in many shapes, sizes and textures. The kind that’s too runny might be the result of wayward germs, Crohn’s disease or lactose intolerance. Valentine's day - [What the mythical Cupid can teach us about the meaning of love and desire]( Joel Christensen, Brandeis University A scholar of early Greek classics explains what the myth of the weapon-carrying god of love, Cupid, a child of the gods of love and war, conveys about the pleasures and dangers of desire. - [For the birds? Hardly! Valentine’s Day was reimagined by chivalrous medieval poets for all to enjoy, respectfully]( Jennifer Wollock, Texas A&M University The view of Valentine’s Day as a day for lovers can be traced back to two medieval poets who stood up for romance and the freedom to choose. Trending on site - [50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age]( - [Does outer space end – or go on forever?]( - [Midlife isn’t a crisis, but sleep, stress and happiness feel a little different after 35 – or whenever middle age actually begins]( Reader Comments 💬 "I feel this as an adult so for sure kids would be vulnerable. I grew up during the Vietnam War which was called “the living room war” as we all watched it on TV news every night. I cried myself to sleep each night thinking about all the men who were killed in action and the Vietnamese children who were living through such violent times.” – Reader Lisa Pegnato on the story [Disaster news on TV and social media can trigger post-traumatic stress in kids thousands of miles away – here’s why some are more vulnerable]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( - - Do you appreciate The Conversation? Forward this newsletter or [share a link with your friends and colleagues](mailto:Insert%20your%20friends%27%20emails?subject=Check%20out%20The%20Conversation&body=I%27ve%20been%20reading%20this%20fact-based%20news%20source,%20and%20definitely%20think%20you’d%20find%20it%20interesting%20as%20well.%20It%20has%20academic%20experts%20writing%20understandably%20about%20stories%20in%20the%20news,%20based%20on%20their%20research.%20I%20learn%20something%20new%20every%20time%20I%20read%20it.%0D%0DYou%20can%20check%20it%20out%20here:%20%0D. - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](