Is lithium deficiency an important factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease? A recent paper in Nature provides some convincing evidence, mostly from mice. For example:

Replacement therapy with lithium orotate, which is a Li salt with reduced amyloid binding, prevents pathological changes and memory loss in AD mouse models and ageing wild-type mice.

I know quite a few doctors who would say lithium (carbonate) deficiency is responsible for many behavioral issues in adults, but this is not what they had in mind! (↬Derek Lowe)

In the story of Spanish solar power, the FT finds a country with energy abundance and doesn’t like what it sees. A few choice quotes:

Pedro Sánchez calls his country a ‘global benchmark’ in the transition to greener energy, but prices — and profits — have plunged.

Spain has built so much solar capacity that at certain times of day it produces far more electricity than it needs. Prices have plunged as a result, dragging down owners’ profits with them.

Free power is gratifying for customers, but bad for generators.

Etc, etc. Good for Spain! The monetary matters will settle themselves out.

There is banger after banger in the most recent weekend edition of the FT, which is apparently Steve Bannon’s favorite newspaper:

• Sunday at the garden party for Curtis Yarvin and the new, new right, in which the FT columnist Jemima Kelley meets some interesting people.

Cave turns to me. “So what’s your skill then, spinning stuff into a story?”

“No,” I reply. “My skill is keeping a straight face when someone tells me something, and inside I’m thinking: fucking hell.”

• Don’t mourn the golden age of TV from Janan Ganesh, and I am in general agreement.
• The magic of childhood in the Netherlands from Simon Kuper, and as an uncle to a couple of mostly-Dutch children I tend to agree.
• Why England’s new towns should look to medieval France, which made me drool.

All gift links with limited activations, so enjoy while you can!

Well that was fast:

“At the FDA’s request, Dr. Vinay Prasad is resuming leadership of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said. “Neither the White House nor HHS will allow the fake news media to distract from the critical work the FDA is carrying out under the Trump administration.”

Maybe lobbying isn’t as effective as I thought? I am sure there are stories to be told about what happened during these two weeks.

• From the ever-excellent Kyla Scanlon: How AI, Healthcare, and Labubu Became the American Economy
• From a good friend, Timothée Olivier: Can I confidently say to patients that a 3-year structured exercise program may save their lives?
• From the recently-returned-to-blogging Thomas Basbøl: A simple test
• From the never-stopped-blogging Derek Lowe: In Praise of Weirdness
• From Dorothy L. Sayers, written in 1947, and touching upon everything above: The lost tools of learning

Happy Friday, etc.

Nori Parelius wrote a thoughtful article about taking notes, managing slip-boxes and “working with knowledge” in general. It matches my experience fiddling with various methods: what should be a playful exploration of ideas can easily become laborious bookkeeping. Caveat scriptor! (ᔥZettelkasten)

• Razor, Gun, Fence and American, both from Kieran Healy
• The Paradox of India from Samir Varma (ᔥTyler Cowen (as a good example see Strategic Ambiguity as Wisdom: “Not everything needs to be defined, categorized, and resolved. Sometimes the wisest response is a head waggle that means yes, no, and maybe all at once.”. Indeed.)
• The growth and collapse of autonomy at work (after age forty, feelings of career autonomy apparently tend to decline; perhaps for some)
• Fortune Dark, a TTRPG system with an update here

Here are a few good comments on what recently happened at the FDA:

• Washington Post: What the ouster of a top FDA regulator shows about Trump world divisions
• The Atlantic: The Man Who Was Too MAHA for the Trump Administration
• Science: Vinay Prasad: That Was Fast

V(inay) P(rasad)’s ouster was clearly death by lobbyists, but then they had plenty of fodder. The current administration does seem to be going for a mid-to-late 19th century vibe in many ways, and this is one of them. Sure, Ulysses Grant probably didn’t coin the word, but isn’t that the peak period when those who had the president’s ear could get things done quickly and blatantly? Whether that excites you or scares you, well, that depends on what kind of person you are and what you do for a living.

Selfishly speaking, it will be good to see VP back publishing oncology papers. Here is a recent one about informative censoring in clinical trials, with a lay summary here. More of that, please.