By Janis Petzel, M.D.

Hello my fellow froggies in the nice warm bath of our daily lives. Is it just me, or is it getting a little hot here on Planet Earth?

Remember the movie, Don’t Look Up, about what happens just before an asteroid hits the Earth? I saw a t-shirt yesterday that expresses my darkest fear: WE ARE THE ASTEROID. And by “we” I mean the men who have the most influence over what happens in this country and in the world. Tech Bros, for example, those overspending artificial intelligence super “geniuses” who have admitted that they’ve created a monster. Their Frankenbots have escaped Pandora’s Box to create a non-negligible chance of ending the world. Literally ending the world. Before the next census.

By Hilsweats & Nimrod

As our loyal readers know, earlier this summer the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) held what was trumpeted to be a breathtakingly brilliant, game-changing solution to the rampant tick-borne diseases on our island. Fortunately, out of the 347 folks who joined us this summer at the “Meet-&-Greet with Our Littlest Neighbors,” all but two of the 346 who fell ill with known, and some as-yet mysterious tick-caused illnesses, have fully recovered.

(Note: the single person who did not fall ill was wearing a full-body diving suit during the day-long DHHS led event. More on this below!)

By Eva Murray

My husband was laughing hysterically in the kitchen the other day. He called to me as I worked at my desk: “You’re on AI!”

“No I’m not,” I muttered. “I hate AI.”

“You are! You’d better come read this,” he more or less giggled. I rolled my eyes, as in: “What the hell next?”

By Sandy Oliver

Severe drought is back. Garden report. Monarchs love zinnias. Early frost? Anyone have a baler?

Severe Drought: Earlier this summer, we had the briefest of respites from “severe drought” when we experienced “abnormally dry.” Now we need six to twelve inches of what is described as low intensity soaking rain above normal rainfall before the ground freezes. That’s a tall order and the recent early season nor’easter we heard so much about just didn’t deliver much for us. You can read more at https://www.drought.gov/states/maine.

By Chloe Joule

Every autumn, I find myself reflecting on transitions in my life, from the tangible evidence of the changing seasons to the less evident changes in life and at IIT.

This season brings much to reflect on. As I write this, I look out the window at a completely different view from in years past. IIT has moved from the sheltered and wooded Cregar house on West Bay Road, with its glimpses of western Penobscot Bay and the Camden Hills, to the open and dramatic views of Blueberry Hill and eastern Penobscot Bay. Though the growing reds and yellows of the surrounding maple, birch, and aspen are a constant from one location to the other, I now take in the scarlet and burnt umber of the blueberry barrens, fields of aster and milkweed going to seed, hawks on the hunt in the open field, and the incredible, expansive views of Parker Cove and the eastern bay.

By Catherine Demchur-Merry

Now that Artificial intelligence (AI) has become more present in our daily lives through the news and Congress, people are becoming more educated, aware, and concerned. Yes, there are some benefits, and there are also risks. These risks involve loss of privacy, misinformation, discrimination, cybersecurity, employment, loss of critical thinking skills, and human dependence on technology. The looming threats to national security, critical infrastructure, and humanity have prompted both Democrat and Republican members of Congress in both the House and the Senate to sponsor bills with plans to put guardrails in place in the event that there is a threat. Opponents to the legislation state that any legislation will limit innovation and restrict U.S. competition with other countries.

By Dylan Purington

“All strong hands. All strong hands to the deck.” Nicole’s call down the companionway of the lurching brigantine got my attention. She was not yelling, but there was a note of urgency in her voice. That, along with the fact that she rarely addressed the crew, caused a swift chain reaction from me and my bunk mate Derek.

The FLORETTE had been rolling in 8-12 foot seas all afternoon. I was off watch, so resting in my bunk, and we were in the Western Mediterranean somewhere between Sicily and France. The Captain, Ronnie Haynes, had been pushing his boat hard to get ahead of a Black Mistral that was supposedly coming to the coast of France in a few days. Hence the heavy weather sailing when we might otherwise be anchored. Never sail on a deadline.

By Amy Mulnix

Recently I committed to learning to be an EMT, and while it has been hard work, it has also been a great deal of fun. This is exactly what I want to be doing in my retirement: trying out new things, working hard, and having fun.

But for much of my life, learning was not joyful. Though I was successful, my early drive came from managing childhood adversities. Studying got me out of a toxic household and academic success earned me positive attention from teachers. After college, wanting to help people, I went to graduate school to become a teacher. Think about that a moment: I committed to a career path that meant I’d spend my life responsible for the learning of others.