Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com
More male than male
In common, we suspect, with most readers, Feedback is casting around for explanations of how the world got into its current position. So we were intrigued by journalist Michael Hobbes’s post on the social media site Bluesky, highlighting a 2013 paper in the American Journal of Sociology called “Overdoing Gender: A test of the masculine overcompensation thesis”.
The hypothesis is that, when men’s maleness is threatened, they overcompensate with “extreme demonstrations of masculinity”. For example, when men were told they were feminine, they responded by expressing more support for “dominance hierarchies”, and said they wanted more personal power. They also became more supportive of war and homophobia.
But the bit that got Hobbes’s attention, because it’s so utterly ridiculous, is that they expressed interest in buying a sports utility vehicle (SUV).
Reading all this, Feedback was to be found staring into space while the faces of prominent people flashed past. We remembered when singer James Blunt was interviewed on Jessie Ware’s podcast Table Manners. He admitted that during college days he went on a meat-only diet to prove his manliness and annoy vegan friends– only to be diagnosed with scurvy.
We remembered the many instances of right-wing US men confessing on social media that they did not believe in the existence of the female orgasm because they had never seen a woman experience one.
We remembered Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg trash-talking each other over a proposed cage fight for a year. And we thought those sociologists might have a point.
Ready and not ready
While we are all still trying to adapt to the rise of artificial intelligence, the next technology revolution is on its way: quantum computers. Regular readers will know this already, thanks to issue 3530. But what about all the poor souls that didn’t pick that up?
Fortunately, computing giant and Netscape-killer Microsoft has the solution: a Quantum Ready programme, to help business leaders prepare their companies for the coming era.
What is on offer? Why, teaching that will help leaders create “a clear and comprehensive quantum-ready strategy for durable, competitive differentiation”. Quantum computing, we are promised, “will soon solve meaningful problems and unlock business value in various areas”. Steady with the hype, Microsoft.
As a result of all this coming quantum computing power, leaders must “understand the organizational change required to lead in the quantum era through a structured approach to business transformation aligned with your organization objectives”. They should “assess quantum’s impact” on their companies, and “execute a quantum application roadmap”. In other words: do some research, make a plan and carry it out. Truly, you can’t put a monetary value on advice that combines quality and originality to that extent.
Of course, the problem is that we don’t know if/when quantum computers will become useful, or exactly what they will be useful for. So a company might spend a lot of time preparing for the quantum future, only to find that a startlingly different quantum future actually occurs.
In a very real sense, even if a company is quantum-ready, it isn’t quantum-ready. If only there was a thought experiment that could illustrate such a situation.
How to leave the planet
Given the aforementioned state of things, Feedback occasionally wonders if we might depart planet Earth for pastures new. Admittedly, space travel is fraught with perils like meteorite strikes, intense radiation and the sheer mind-boggling scale of interstellar distances that make your death inevitable long before your craft reaches another star system.
But on the other hand, maybe the grass is greener. In idle moments, we fantasise that the approaching asteroid 2024 YR4 is a disguised flying saucer, and we might be able to cadge a lift to Alpha Centauri.
So you can imagine our surprise when we learned, via sustainability consultant Niki Rust on LinkedIn, of an unusual job posting on Indeed.com. A company called Black Book Resourcing Ltd was seeking a “Pioneer Colonist – Mars Settlement Program”. Responsibilities include: “establish and maintain life-support systems”, “generate power and manage resources for long-term survival” and (just a little bit of understatement here) “work as a team under extreme conditions”.
The rather long “essential requirements” list includes “peak physical and mental endurance” and a “background in engineering, medicine, botany, geology, or survival skills”. Confusingly, the list demands both “adaptability and resilience in complete isolation” and “strong teamwork and leadership skills”. Finally, you must have “no dependency on Earth’s luxuries–only grit and determination”. “Prior experience in extreme environments” is optional.
Don’t all rush: the listing has expired, and we are not at all sure it was genuine. Besides, given the frankly strenuous requirements, Feedback was stunned to see the proposed salary was just £60,000-£100,000 per year. However, the company deserves credit for listing the job as “permanent” – it most certainly would be. Bonus points for the location, which was described simply as “remote”.
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