5SR - August 8, 2023

Hitha on nuclear fusion, the HPV vaccine, and blue aliens

Author

Hitha Palepu
August 08, 2023

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

The progress we’re making on nuclear fusion is both slow and exciting.

And given the potential impact - good and bad - of the technology, I’ll take the incremental progress.

"In an experiment conducted on July 30, we repeated ignition at NIF. Analysis of those results is underway, but we can confirm the experiment produced a higher yield than the December test."

Paul Rhien, spokesperson for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

A refresher - nuclear fusion could be the source of limitless clean energy when produced at scale. Said technology could also be used for weapons, which is why development at secure sites and publishing research at each step of development is important for national security and the scientific process, respectively.

While my particular favorites are the ones Ruby Dixon has written in her fantastic Ice Planet Barbarians series, the obsession with blue aliens is something I’m not alone in sharing.

Chloe Foussianes’ excellent essay that unpacks the history of our obsession with blue aliens (and the creation of this myth) is such a smart and hilarious read.

From their specific hue of cornflower blue to how the obsession with aliens is a way for us to explore taboo topics in a more “appropriate” manner, I loved every word of this essay. If there’s one thing you read today, make it this one.

On what would’ve been her 103rd birthday, the family of Henrietta Lacks reached a settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific for the uncompensated use of Lacks’ cervical cancer cells, reserved from her autopsy, that have since been a critical part of clinical research and pharmaceutical development over the past 7 decades.

I, for one, hope it’s a massive amount awarded to the Lacks family, and that efforts for Lacks receives the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously and her name and story are solidified in our history books - where they deserve to be.

“Black women have done so much to help build America. To help build the world. But everybody in America doesn’t know who Henrietta Lacks is, and that is an injustice. And that’s why we’re fighting. Because Black history is American history. Henrietta Lacks is American history.”

Ben Crump, attorney for the Lacks family

At the end of the day, I think every single one of us is seeking out connection to others and a way to reconcile the micro minutiae of our lives with some greater purpose.

And in a time where information spreads rapidly and what’s accurate and what’s false can be impossible to differentiate, it’s no surprise that a wellness-to-fascism pipeline exists - and is thriving.

This section of the article is particularly revealing - and chilling:

“This sense of conspiracies filling a void is an important one. Academic researchers of conspiracy theories have speculated about whether their rise in the 20th century is related to the decline of religion. In a strange way, the idea that a malign cabal is running the world – while far more worrying than a benevolent God – is less scary than the idea that no one is in charge and everything is chaos. People who have a reason to mistrust the mainstream pillars of society – government, doctors, the media, teachers – are more likely to turn to conspiracy theories for explanations as to why the world is like it is.”

I didn’t get the HPV vaccine when I was younger, and it’s one of my only regrets (my mom accompanying me to my doctors’ appointments and thinking my getting the vaccine meant I was having intercourse was the sole factor in this).

Had I known that I’d be getting a hysterectomy largely due to the HPV 16 that I got somewhere between then and now…I would’ve just gone to a clinic by myself and gotten it. I’ll be making sure my kids get it as soon as they’re able to.

Much of the focus of the HPV vaccine is focused on the youngest ages eligible to be vaccinated, because it is most effective before exposure to HPV has occurred (and if you’re vaccinated before you’re 15, you only require 2 doses).

But what about when you’re on the upper range - or beyond it - for the vaccine?

One of my favorite OB-GYNs and a warrior in the fight against misinformation, Dr. Jen Gunter, shares her experience of getting this vaccine at age 52. If you have your own reasons for not getting the vaccine when you were younger but wonder about getting it now, it’s worth your time.

And honestly, it's something both men and women should read. Health is health, and Dr. Gunter breaks down the science so clearly and honestly.

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