The New Yorker: What Happens If Donald Trump Fights the Election Results?

The New Yorker: What Happens If Donald Trump Fights the Election Results?

By Eric Lach

    First, could he do it? He's already set the stage. He has been simultaneously saying that the USPS might not get all absentee votes in while trying to defund the agency. An election dispute has happened, in 1876. The Republican party was falling apart after a failed Reconstruction, while the Democratic party was almost sure to win. But the Republicans couldn't give up yet. They called their party's election officials in southern states and told them to disqualify votes that supported the Democratic candidates. The three states in which this happened sent in reports to Congress saying that the Republican candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, had won the state. But the Democratic elector sent in a different report, saying that the Democratic candidate, Samuel Tilden, had won. Congress battled in a heated debate over who won for months, up to the then-March inauguration date. Days before the inauguration, the Democratic House and Republican Senate came to a consensus. The Democrats would cede the presidency if the Republicans ended the Reconstruction and anti-segregation.

    So, could Trump dispute results or have Republican electors rig the election? A think tank ran simulations of a game where dice rolls determined the moves that Biden or Trump would make. In one scenario, Trump initially looked to be in the lead, but Biden eventually won. The key was that Biden won in what is know as the blue shift. This occurs because many Democratic voters vote by mail, whereas Republicans typically vote in person. This could allow Trump to dispute the election results by claiming that the postal service did something, which led to a scenario with no President in January. Or, Republican electors in swing states could send in conflicting vote counts, potentially leading to another 1876 scenario.

    The President himself has not officially said anything, saying in an interview that he would decide when the time comes. His campaign, meanwhile, has continued to assert that in any fair election, Trump would win.

TedEd: When is water safe to drink?

A TedEd by Mia Nacamulli

Water is essential for life. But is it always safe to drink? Ten percent of all people cannot be certain that their water is safe because of improper sanitation, hygiene, and protection of water sources. This creates sewage contaminated water, leading to growth of bacteria and viruses. This is very dangerous; diarrheal disease from contaminated water is the main cause of death for children under the age of 5, and microbial disease kills more people than war. However, sanitization can prevent this in 3 steps: sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Sedimentation is when water is allowed to sit so that heavier particles drop to the bottom. Then, filtration puts the water through layers of sand that trap small particles in them. Finally, water is disinfected with a combination of chlorine and ozone, which kill pathogens and sanitize the water pipes. However, too much chlorine can result in byproducts that corrode the pipes, releasing metals into the water, so its use is highly regulated. These types of contamination can lead to long-term health effects, which are very hard to identify. Water with high amounts of turbidity, organic compounds, or metals are unsafe to drink. Most of these can't be seen without tests, but odd coloration or odor are indicators that you might need to check. Water contamination tests can help you make sure, and point-of-use filters can help you solve any water contamination. These devices often use ionization and activated carbon filters to clean water. They are also easy to install and move around. Hundreds of millions of people don't have access to clean water. But implementing and repairing systems can help alleviate the strain.

Time: How the Postal Service Became Donald Trump's for the Taking

Time: How the Postal Service Became Donald Trump's for the Taking

By Alana Abramson

    In the light of the election, the controversy over Trump's appointments to the USPS is growing. The USPS is overseen by a Board of Governors, who are appointed by the President, approved by Congress, and serve 7 year terms. It is designed so that it will be nonpartisan. However, terms for all but one of the governors ended during the Obama administration, and Congress repeatedly struck down his appointees. So, President Trump arrived in office with a mostly empty Board, which he promptly filled. The Board now has 4 Republicans and just 2 Democrats.

    Recently, they appointed Louis DeJoy, a Trump supporter, to Postmaster General. He has since been a proponent of massive cuts, much to the dismay of Democrats, who have recently accused him of trying to delay service for mail-in voters. In response, he has delayed all funding cuts until after the election, but that has not yet satisfied the Democrats.

TedEd: What causes insomnia?

A TedEd by Dan Kwartler

Why do you stay awake at night? There might be many quickly resolved reasons, but there is a type of stress that causes continued sleeplessness. Insomnia is stress about not being able to sleep, which seems like an endless loop. There are many common reasons like pain and emotions that may keep you awake, and longer sleeplessness that is caused by jet lag when your circadian clock is off. Usually, fatigue puts us to sleep. But sometimes, underlying conditions can prolong this, and the bedroom becomes associated with the stresses of insomnia. This causes the brain to produce hormones that are normally produced when in danger, causing you to become hyper. In this state, you are constantly looking for threats, so even the slightest thing becomes major to you. So even when you do get some sleep, you do not get good sleep. Usually, your metabolism slows to conserve glucose, which the brain needs. But PET scans show that insomniacs increase metabolism, draining glucose and making them tired. When this lasts months, it becomes chronic insomnia, which may also cause anxiety and depression. Fortunately, there are treatments. You can relieve stress, make sure there are no distractions in your bedroom, and try to make yourself tired with relaxing activities. You should also sleep on schedule to keep your biological circadian rhythm in place. Of course, insomnia-like symptoms can also be caused by genetics. Some people have circadian clocks that last longer than 24 hours, making it seem like they can't sleep, but they can get sleep, too - just on their own schedule.