The Moon illusion + what babies can't remember | Top 10

+ the chemistry behind why BBQ tastes so good US Edition - Today's top story: Why does the Moon look close some nights and far away on other nights? [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 June 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday. The top 5 most-read stories of the week are displayed below. You can get these stories in [a magazine-style e-book, too.]( Also listed below are five editors’ selections that we want to make sure you don’t miss. I personally know two people – both young and seemingly in good health – who died in a hospital of sepsis. What I didn’t realize was that sepsis is a leading killer of hospitalized patients in the United States and that it can cause lasting health effects even in patients who recover from it. Kristina Rudd and Emily Brant, two critical care doctors at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, are working to [“change the way scientists and doctors think about sepsis”]( and learn more about how community factors play a role in who gets this disease. Next week, we’ll continue [our coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings]( and bring you stories about purity culture in the Southern Baptist Convention and the momentum behind the movement to unionize Starbucks. If you’re looking for a little escape in the meantime, I recommend [this long-form piece about artificial intelligence that can produce images on demand](. Computer scientist and artist Aaron Hertzmann from the University of Washington asks whether these images can be art if a machine is doing the creative work. After reading it and checking out a few of the images this AI made, I created a self-portrait that I’ve posted to my Twitter account, @MLEeditor. If you’re on Twitter, I’d love to see what you can make. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks The Moon often looks enormous when it first rises because of what is known as the Moon illusion. Roadcrusher/Wikimedia Commons [Why does the Moon look close some nights and far away on other nights?]( Silas Laycock, UMass Lowell The Moon illusion is what makes the Moon look giant when you see it rising over a distant horizon. An astronomer explains what causes this awe-inspiring trick of the mind. - [Ice world: Antarctica’s riskiest glacier is under assault from below and losing its grip]( Ted Scambos, University of Colorado Boulder Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf appears to be splintering, and scientists fear it could give way in the next few years. A polar scientist takes us on a tour under the ice to explain the forces at work. - [As one of Vladimir Putin’s closest advisers on Ukraine, Nicolai Patrushev spreads disinformation and outlandish conspiracy theories]( Susanne Sternthal, Texas State University As Russia’s assault slogs on in Ukraine, one of Vladimir Putin’s long-standing friends has considerable influence over the Russian president. His name is Nicolai Patrushev. - [What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good? The chemistry of cooking over an open flame]( Kristine Nolin, University of Richmond Barbecued food has unique and often delicious flavors. A food chemist explains how the process of grilling over an open flame can produce flavors unattainable through other cooking methods. - [Global arms industry getting shakeup by war in Ukraine – and China and US look like winners from Russia’s stumbles]( Terrence Guay, Penn State Weapons manufacturers in China are likely to benefit most from Russia’s losses, while US companies will also see a boon. Editors' picks Will either sibling remember this momentous meeting? ArtMarie/E+ via Getty Images [Why can’t you remember being born, learning to walk or saying your first words? What scientists know about ‘infantile amnesia’]( Vanessa LoBue, Rutgers University - Newark Psychologists know babies can form memories soon after birth. So why can’t people remember anything that happened to them before around age 2? A child development expert describes possible reasons. - [Sepsis still kills 1 in 5 people worldwide – two ICU physicians offer a new approach to stopping it]( Emily Brant, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences; Kristina E. Rudd, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Sepsis onset can be difficult to recognize, in part because its symptoms can mimic those of many other conditions. A treatment delay of even a few hours can make the difference between life and death. - [Did the assault weapons ban of 1994 bring down mass shootings? Here’s what the data tells us]( Michael J. Klein, New York University Analysis of the 10 years in which the US banned sales of assault weapons shows that it correlates with a drop in mass shooting deaths – a trend that reversed as soon as the ban expired. - [Primaries are getting more crowded with candidates, and that’s good news for extremists and bad news for voters]( Matt Harris, Park University The number of candidates running in party primaries has ballooned since 2010. That may result in extreme, inexperienced or controversial nominees who do not represent a majority of voters. - [Give this AI a few words of description and it produces a stunning image – but is it art?]( Aaron Hertzmann, University of Washington The text-to-art program DALL-E 2 generates images from brief descriptions. But what does it mean to make art when an algorithm automates so much of the creative process itself? 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