Saturday roundup

I hate to do this, but we have to talk about nuclear weapons--specifically, "hydrogen bombs." The term "hydrogen bomb" most commonly refers to a two-stage thermonuclear weapon. SciAm has a decent description:

A thermonuclear weapon, or hydrogen bomb, uses a nuclear fission reaction to ignite a secondary hydrogen fusion reaction that makes greater use of the weapon’s atomic fuel, typically uranium or plutonium.

So, naturally, does The Bulletin:

A modern hydrogen bomb is a two-stage device that uses a fission bomb to drive the second stage fusion device.

As both pieces note, it is possible that what North Korea tested was a boosted fission bomb, which can be described by the term 'hydrogen bomb' but usually isn't.

Much of the media seems to be stating or implying that a thermonuclear weapon is fusion-only (making too clear-cut a distinction with a basic fission weapon) and/or stating that the difference in yield is attributable to the greater energy output from fusion versus fission, when really, it's more complicated than that.

The Post is confused, would once again benefit from turning it's fact-checking powers on itself. pic.twitter.com/dAHaeEyemY

— Rose glow barberry (@rgbrb) January 7, 2016

For reliable information on North Korea's test, consult CTBTO's page.

Moving on...

The legacy of Willie Horton is holding back criminal justice reform, although great strides in screening (among other things) have been made since.

Vanilla-ISIS is confused by its own revisionist history.

Those hippies at Johns Hopkins have found that animal agriculture is really bad for the planet.

This is in reference to Richard Dawkins, in an otherwise forgettable article:

One of the most important and destabilizing things any of us can learn from social media is that some of the most widely respected people we know are, in day-to-day online life, difficult to tell apart from the least respected — the throwaway accounts having laughably predictable arguments in forums and comments sections. NITSUH ABEBE

I don't think all stories are the same.

You almost have to admire this couple for knowing themselves and being themselves.

In this day and age, there are social and personal pressures on single men of a certain age, too.