This week, I concluded that Donald Trump may actually win the Republican presidential nomination, but I’ve included no articles about him. Instead, you get pieces on where your smartphone batteries come from, a Kindle reading program in Australia, interviews of diverse voters from across the political spectrum, and an expose on Q-tips. Please enjoy!
Your Smartphone Is Probably Powered by Child Labor at Mines in Africa
Amnesty International says batteries in products made by Apple, Samsung, and others contain cobalt mined by kids in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Not good — and another reason not to get a new phone every year, just because.
Where are they now? Daniel Billing getting hundreds of Indigenous kids reading
It’s the Australian version of the Kindle Classroom Project! I like what Daniel Billing is doing for Indigenous people, plus students get to keep their Kindles if they demonstrate reading gains.
My mom, aunt, and I went whale watching (this is not a whale) in Monterey last weekend as part of her two-weekend birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Mom!
Americans share their hopes, fears, and frustrations in interviews from the campaign trail. (This is much better than listening to the candidates themselves.)
The strange life of Q-tips, the most bizarre thing people buy
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for: a Washington Post article about Q-tips. I’ve never used them (because I heed warnings), but many people I know do, and so for all of us, this article is a crucial read.
Have a great week! Thank you for reading Iserotope Extras. Let me know if you convince a friend to subscribe!