This week, I've been reading about nighttime in the brilliant book At Day’s Close by Roger Ekirch. The book explores what night meant to people in early modern Europe, how nighttime functioned as both a limiter (candles were expensive and offered little light) and as an expansion of freedom (young unmarried couples would sometimes be allowed to stay up all night chatting in a phenomenon hilariously known as "bundling").

This summer, nights here in Indianapolis have meant a break in the heat and the emergence of fireflies. Because my dog wakes up so early, I'm usually walking him in the dark, before dawn, and so night also means cups of coffee and early morning Wordle. But it's fascinating to consider how people in the past (and the relatively recent past!) had to reckon with night as a place with limited light, a place of danger and opportunity. As we live through a time of danger and opportunity, I've found reaching back into history helpful. It's both a consolation and an encouragement.

John

When I was born in the 1990s, the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United Kingdom were about six times higher than in China, but these trends have converged in my lifetime.

You can see this in the chart: in 2022, China’s per capita emissions matched those in the UK.

Once a country that ran on coal, the UK has closed its last coal plant. This has been the main driver of its emissions decline.

Meanwhile, rapid economic growth, powered mainly by coal, has ramped up emissions in China.

These emission numbers are adjusted for trade. Based on domestic production, China’s per capita emissions are much higher than the UK's. But since China is a net exporter of goods (and emissions) and the UK is a net importer, the gap closes when we adjust for consumption.

These emissions are based on domestic consumption and do not include international aviation or shipping, where Brits are likely to emit more.

There are many ways to compare national contributions to climate change; explore them here.

Did you know Crash Course has a kids channel? Made for 3rd- to 5th-grade learners, Crash Course Kids already has videos exploring STEM subjects like engineering and life sciences. And now, we’re back with a brand new series that has more than meets the eye… Crash Course Kids Literature!

In six episodes, we'll be putting on our detective hats at R.E.A.D. agency, investigating stories, their characters, plots, settings, and themes. We'll learn how to describe characters, understand figurative language, compare and contrast, and more.

We hope this is a helpful resource for students and anyone with children in their lives.

Introducing Study Hall's new Statistics series hosted by Sabrina Cruz!

How do we know what we know? Statistics helps establish a baseline and, through that, an understanding of our world, including what we can consider either more or less common. Some of the biggest moves of our time have been motivated by statistics, like vaccination rates and climate action. But data can also be deeply misused and harmful. How can you tell when you’re being misled?

Throughout this 30-episode series, Sabrina will teach us everything from probability to regression, with lessons grounded in real-world examples and a few goat shenanigans sprinkled throughout. Check out the preview episode below and tune in every Tuesday for new episodes!

And if you want to earn college credit while you sharpen your spreadsheet skills, anyone can take Study Hall’s online Statistics 226 course for just $25! Learn more at gostudyhall.com/stat226.

4×3 (by Hank Green)

SpellCheck.xyc (by Answer in Progress)

Download Gubbins on iOS or Android!

If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” (https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)

Last week, we asked for fish art! Thank you to everyone who brightened our inbox with a cool fish.

What’s your go-to travel snack? We want to know what you grab at the gas station or airport shop, or what you pack from home!

Send your travel snack to [email protected].