Thread by @Importantnotimp

Our weekly newsletter is out!

This week: what your community can do about the heat, COVID quackery, an explainer about “forever chemicals”, depression’s relationship with serotonin, and an incoming federal data privacy bill.

A quick summary of why all of that is #important(1):

🌎 It’s hot AF, everywhere, and while federal climate action might make you want to scream into a pillow, there’s a lot that can be done at the state and city level (plant trees, install cool roofs, electrify transit, etc) @natrubio__ @jeffsaintjohn @AlisonTakemura (2)

😷There’s still a lot we don’t know about Long COVID, but what we do know is that we were short hundreds of thousands of nurses pre-COVID, and that number is growing. Technology alone isn’t going to save us - we need people @BethMarieMole @jcouzin @Angus_Fierce @Jasonmmast (3)

🧪Forever chemicals (aka PFAS) are in pretty much everything and don’t break down, at a detriment to the environment and health. Get up to speed with the first issue of our new “Explainers” series newsletter.importantnotimportant.com/p/explainer-fo… (4)

🧠Serotonin abnormalities may not cause depression, and while SSRIs have helped millions of people, this could be a step toward rebuilding the mental health support system including more research into psychedelics and environmental triggers @tribalscientist @sarahemilywild(5)

💾 Companies may actually have to fix any racist/sexist/otherwise discriminatory algorithms in a new bill that would supersede state laws, but requires more teeth and funding @JuliaAngwin (6)

Want to know what you can do about all of the above? Read the full issue here newsletter.importantnotimportant.com/p/285-beat-hea… (7)

Or listen to the audio version here podcast.importantnotimportant.com/newsletter-285… (8)