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Desk Notes Newsletter, March 17, 2021

Inside the March 2021 edition: Tell us how can we support you! Plus updates for freelancers, grant and fellowship deadlines, meet a new member, & more.

Michelle Nijhuis: Beloved Beasts—Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction

Over the last 500 years, our planet has lost at least 755 animal species and 123 plant species, Michelle Nijhuis reports in Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. Humans continue to kill species and destroy habitats, while climate change amplifies these threats. Growing worldwide conservation efforts, she says, have averted extinction of many species and aim to save more.

Unpacking Perseverance: a look into the updates on NASA’s new rover

NASA’s newest rover, Perseverance, landed on Mars last month equipped to hunt for signs of life—and to pave the way for human exploration in the future.

Light, Perception, and Architecture: How Your Environment Can Make You Feel Better

Walking into the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is a feast for the senses. Through the graceful curve of the cavernous ceilings, the gentle diffusion of light permeating the floor and the grandness of an echoing space, the nearly 800-year-old iconic house of worship serves as an example of how our built environment influences the human sensory experience.

Artificial intelligence is getting chatty, but still hasn’t perfected the gift of gab

It’s one thing to be able to talk; but it’s another to converse. And artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to check off the latter. Even with tremendous progress over the last years, the technology still hasn’t achieved the level of naturalness that would make you want to trade your best friend or favorite coworker for a smart virtual assistant.

Indigenous knowledge vital to resilience of coastal communities, experts say

More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods, according to the U.N. Coastal landscapes and communities, however, are increasingly threatened by environmental degradation, climate change and overexploitation. Some experts believe meeting this ecological and economic challenge is contingent on creating connections between modern science and Indigenous knowledge.