What's happening inside the Greenland ice sheet?

+ unpacking momentous SCOTUS session; gravitational waves ripple spacetime US Edition - Today's top story: Meltwater is hydro-fracking Greenland’s ice sheet through millions of hairline cracks – destabilizing its internal structure [View in browser]( US Edition | 1 July 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( If it's too hot outside, our lead story today about the Greenland ice sheet might help cool you off. Alun Hubbard, a glaciologist, spends a lot of time on the Greenland ice sheet, and he does some of the most dangerous scientific work I have ever seen. That includes rappelling down into moulins – the deep holes that meltwater rivers bore through the ice sheet. He [describes the scene below the surface]( and the way millions of deep cracks in the ice are allowing water to deteriorate the ice sheet from the inside as global temperatures rise. That meltwater and Greenland's accelerating ice loss have widespread impacts for coastal communities around the world. The photos alone will send chills up your spine. This week we also liked stories on the growing [threat to privacy from AI and commercial data brokers](, [detecting neutrinos from the South Pole](, and [Daniel Ellsberg’s impact on media law](. Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor Richard Bates and Alun Hubbard kayak a meltwater stream on Greenland’s Petermann Glacier, towing an ice radar that reveals it’s riddled with fractures. Nick Cobbing. [Meltwater is hydro-fracking Greenland’s ice sheet through millions of hairline cracks – destabilizing its internal structure]( Alun Hubbard, University of Tromsø Glaciologists are discovering new ways surface meltwater alters the internal structure of ice sheets, and raising an alarm that sea level rise could be much more abrupt than current models forecast. Black holes and other massive objects create ripples in spacetime when they merge. Victor de Schwanburg/Science Photo Library via Getty Images [A subtle symphony of ripples in spacetime – astronomers use dead stars to measure gravitational waves produced by ancient black holes]( Chris Impey, University of Arizona Astronomers have for the first time detected the background hum of gravitational waves likely caused by merging black holes. An eastern box turtle crossing a rural Pennsylvania road. Julian Avery [By ‘helping’ wild animals, you could end their freedom or even their lives – here’s why you should keep your distance]( Julian Avery, Penn State A newborn bison calf in Yellowstone National Park had to be euthanized after a visitor handled it in May 2023 – a recent example of how trying to help wild animals often harms them. Supreme Court - [Now that President Biden's student loan cancelation program has been cancelled, here's what's next]( William Chittenden, Texas State University The Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s student loan program that aimed at delivering up to $20,000 of relief per borrower. - [A business can decline service based on its beliefs, Supreme Court rules – but what will this look like in practice?]( Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton A designer opposed to same-sex marriage argued that a Colorado anti-discrimination law would effectively force her to speak against her beliefs. - [Co-workers could bear costs of accommodating religious employees in the workplace, as Supreme Court reinterprets 46-year-old precedent]( Debbie Kaminer, Baruch College, CUNY The Supreme Court on June 29, 2023, changed the definition of ‘undue hardship’ so that employers have to accommodate more of workers’ religious requests. - [Overtime Elite – a private school, basketball league and media conglomerate – just sent two players to the NBA]( - [English dialects make themselves heard in genes]( - [US agencies buy vast quantities of personal information on the open market – a legal scholar explains why and what it means for privacy in the age of AI]( - [The New York Times worried that publishing the Pentagon Papers would destroy the newspaper — and the reputation of the US]( - [Paris riots: when police shot a teenager dead, a rumbling pressure cooker exploded]( - [IceCube neutrino detector in Antarctica spots first high-energy neutrinos emitted in our own Milky Way galaxy]( - [South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world – and that doesn’t bode well for its economy]( - [Researchers can learn a lot with your genetic information, even when you skip survey questions – yesterday’s mode of informed consent doesn’t quite fit today’s biobank studies]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( The Supreme Court ruled in Moore v. Harper that state legislatures must do what when drawing up congressional district maps? - A. Pinky-promise to be fair - B. Obey state court rulings - C. Divide populations evenly - D. Have a blood alcohol level of .08% or less [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - 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. 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