Banks prepare to hit the debt ceiling | Top 10

+ cybersecurity lessons from Star Trek's Picard US Edition - Today's top story: War rooms and bailouts: How banks and the Fed are preparing for a US default – and the chaos expected to follow [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 May 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday – and welcome to the best of The Conversation. First, here are some of our recently published stories: - [Balance declines with age, but exercise can help stave off some of the risk of falling]( - [Strippers join servers, baristas and ice cream scoopers in new labor movement]( You probably read a few headlines last week about how President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are negotiating to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Here’s just one headline from The New York Times on Friday: Debt Limit Talks Hit Snag as G.O.P. Declares a ‘Pause.’ But leaders of America’s banks aren’t just sitting idly by waiting to see if the politicians can put together a deal, writes John W. Diamond, director of the Center for Public Finance at Rice University. In one of our most-read stories last week, Diamond lays out a few of the ways the biggest banks and financial regulators are preparing for a potential default on U.S. debt, including [convening war rooms and planning speedy bailouts](. Later this week, we’ll bring you stories about how employers are using big data in hiring and promoting employees, research on how cities should govern themselves at night and why Buddha has five different birthdays around the world. Until then, enjoy your Sunday. Emily Costello Managing Editor ‘Default doomscrolling’ again, Mr. Powell? Kimimasa Mayama/Pool Photo via AP [War rooms and bailouts: How banks and the Fed are preparing for a US default – and the chaos expected to follow]( John W. Diamond, Rice University Major players in the financial system are pondering the unthinkable as the US inches closer to an unprecedented default. - [Quantum physics proposes a new way to study biology – and the results could revolutionize our understanding of how life works]( Clarice D. Aiello, University of California, Los Angeles Studying the brief and tiny quantum effects that drive living systems could one day lead to new approaches to treatments and technologies. - [Lessons from ‘Star Trek: Picard’ – a cybersecurity expert explains how a sci-fi series illuminates today’s threats]( Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County ‘Star Trek: Picard’ is set 400 years in the future, but, like most science fiction, it deals with issues in the here and now. The show’s third and final season provides a lens on cybersecurity. - [Co-workers could bear costs of accommodating religious employees in the workplace if Supreme Court tosses out 46-year-old precedent]( Debbie Kaminer, Baruch College, CUNY The Supreme Court appears poised to change the definition of ‘undue hardship’ so that employers have to accommodate more of workers’ religious requests. - [Why so many South Korean women are refusing to date, marry or have kids]( Min Joo Lee, Indiana University The South Korean government’s embrace of gendered citizenship has fueled the virulent gender war between men and women, with digital sex crimes used as ammunition. Editors' picks A casual stroll on the beach can leave enough intact DNA behind to extract identifiable information. Comezora/Moment via Getty Images [You shed DNA everywhere you go – trace samples in the water, sand and air are enough to identify who you are, raising ethical questions about privacy]( Jenny Whilde, University of Florida; Jessica Alice Farrell, University of Florida Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions. - [I’m an educator and grandson of Holocaust survivors, and I see public schools failing to give students the historical knowledge they need to keep our democracy strong]( Boaz Dvir, Penn State There have been numerous efforts to limit students’ access to books and curricula about certain historical and societal topics. But history itself shows democracy suffers when people are uninformed. - [Bees can learn, remember, think and make decisions – here’s a look at how they navigate the world]( Stephen Buchmann, University of Arizona Scientists are learning amazing things about bees’ sensory perception and mental capabilities. - [‘Mistaken, misread, misquoted, mislabeled, and mis-spoken’ – what Woody Guthrie wrote about the national debt debate in Congress during the Depression]( Mark Allan Jackson, Middle Tennessee State University Folk singer and activist Woody Guthrie actually had thoughts about the national debt – and politicians in general. They’re remarkably apt today. - [When wolves move in, they push smaller carnivores closer to human development – with deadly consequences]( Calum Cunningham, University of Washington; Laura Prugh, University of Washington Reintroducing wolves can restore important ecological processes, but it can have unintended effects when smaller predators like coyotes are driven closer to people, a team of ecologists found. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on renaming military bases, a 75th anniversary, a $14 trillion pricetag and bees. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. 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