Tootfinder

I often agree with Robert Reich, but not this time. Trump is a wholly US creation; a product of a national glorification of greed, selfishness, and ego all disguised as some sort of conquering hero.
So, USians: You made him, you elected him, and he is your responsibility. His actions absolutely reflect on you, and he is your responsibility to deal with.
Get rid of him. Now. And then we can talk about being friends again.

The Substance II 🧪
某种物质 II 🧪
📷 Nikon F4E
🎞️ Harman Switch Azure (FF)
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In some Latin American and Caribbean countries, such as Suriname, it is up to 12 times cheaper to drive an electric vehicle than a petrol car (when looking purely at fuel costs)
https://www.agora-verkehrswende.org/publications/fuel-cost-map…

I am here in California where the D party is trying mightily to assure that no D candidate ends up on the general election ballot in November.
For months on end we have been bombarded on all media types with ads from wealthy Tom Steyer (D).
His recent mailers and ads have become nothing but disgraceful attack pieces against fellow D's, thus increasing the chance that there will be only R candidates on the November ballot.
These ads are rubbish, the kind that would come …

Poll: Republicans and Democrats agree on one big election issue (Anna Wiederkehr/Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/09/poll-americans-say-too-much-money-in-politics-00912455
http://www.memeorandum.com/260510/p3#a260510p3

ENGIE has acquired UK Power Networks. Does this mean that the UK’s energy infrastructure is now more integrated with the EU than it was before Brexit?
https://en.newsroom.engie.com/news/eng

ENGIE announces the acquisition of UK Power Networks, UK’s best-in-class electricity distribution network
ENGIE today announces the signing of an agreement to acquire 100% of UK Power Networks (UKPN), the best-in-class electricity distributor in the UK, for an equity value1 of £10.5 billion. This acquisition marks a major milestone in ENGIE’s ambition to become the best energy transition utility, by strengthening its position in regulated electricity networks. It will also bolster the Group’s presence in the UK, which will become its second-largest country of activity.

Collective Electronic Polarization Drives Charge Asymmetry at Oil-Water Interfaces
Gabriele Amante, Klaudia Mrazikova, Gabriele Centi, Sylvie Roke, Ali Hassanali, Giuseppe Cassone
https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.24142 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.24142 https://arxiv.org/html/2603.24142
arXiv:2603.24142v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Why kinetically stable oil droplets in water spontaneously acquire a negative charge remains one of the most vigorously debated questions in interfacial science. Here, we combine neural-network based deep potential molecular dynamics with a data-driven and information theory approach to probe the real-space electron density at an extended decane-water interface. While decane-water clusters show nearly symmetric forward and backward charge transfer (CT) and thus negligible net CT, the extended interface displays a systematic electronic asymmetry, yielding a net CT from water to the hydrocarbon phase producing an average surface charge density of $\sim0.006~e^{-}\,\mathrm{nm}^{-2}$ on the oil phase. This imbalance is accompanied by much larger intra-phase self-polarization, particularly within the hydrocarbon phase, demonstrating that collective many-body polarization dominates the interfacial electronic response. Structural analysis reveals an asymmetry between forward C--H$\cdots$O and backward O--H$\cdots$C motifs, providing a microscopic origin for a net CT from one phase to the other. Curiously, both the water O--H and decane C--H covalent bonds incur subtle contractions which originate from a response to the charge-separation layers at the interface. These features are fully consistent with the weak improper hydrogen-bonds forming at the oil-water interface that results in blue-shifts of the C-H modes.
toXiv_bot_toot

🪨 Diversifying lithium-rich mineral sources with petalite
#lithium

Diversifying lithium-rich mineral sources with petalite
Demand for lithium is surging, as the world transitions to renewable energy and adopts new technologies. Lithium-ion batteries play a central role in this shift, powering everything from cars to portable electronics. To meet the increasing demand, companies are recycling lithium from old batteries and also looking for new sources and better ways to extract it. While recycling supports a circular economy, experts agree that recycled lithium alone will not meet projected future needs.

I agree with SF Chronicle columnist Allison Arieff that we should follow in Paris' footsteps by electing socialist mayors. Ok, she doesn't mention what party they belong to, but Allison does praise Anne Hidalgo and Emmanuel Grégoire.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/opini…