Vox Quick Hits

It’s a question the US has struggled with since its founding.

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Believe it or not, scientists still don’t know exactly how the sense of smell works. But they’re looking at how powerful it is — dogs can actually sniff out cancer and many other diseases — and they’re trying to figure out how to reverse engineer it. In fact, one MIT scientist may have built a robot nose without completely understanding how his invention works.

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Now that the Covid-19 vaccine is here, a lot of people want it as soon as possible. The problem is, there aren’t enough shots to go around. A lot of emotions stem from that, including a new trend — vaccine shaming — where people pile on those who got vaccines, wondering how they qualified and feeling like the system is unfair. Vox senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos explains why people feel compelled to shame others in the pandemic, whether it’s an effective tactic, and who’s really to blame. 

References: 

Read Alex’s piece on vaccine shaming here

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President Biden says all adults will be eligible for a vaccine by May 1. But for the world to truly return to normal, young people will need shots, too. ProPublica’s Caroline Chen explains how, and when, that might happen.

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The hit series on Disney+ may be over, but new possibilities for superhero movies are just getting started.Vox culture writer Alex Abad-Santos nerds out with Rebecca Jennings and explain why WandaVision changed the action hero genre and why the show resonated with so many of us.

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The filibuster, a Senate rule that was put in place by accident in the 19th century, is standing in the way of much of President Joe Biden’s agenda. A growing chorus of Democrats are calling for the Senate to scrap the filibuster, arguing that it’s the only way the party can act on issues such as voting rights, gun control, and climate. Not everyone is in agreement — including, importantly, Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains what’s going on.

References: Read Andrew’s filibuster explainer here

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Early in the pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom got credit for keeping Covid-19 cases low in his state. Now, over a million Californians want him recalled. The Los Angeles Times’ Melanie Mason explains.

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This week on What to Watch critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff recommends the Apple TV+ space series For All Mankind. `

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Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge news out of Brazil this week, where a judge annulled the corruption conviction of the country’s former leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, opening the door for him to possibly run for president in 2022.

References:

Here’s Lula’s recent interview with The Ink where he discusses his, uh, vigor.

Voice of America offered a good rundown of the case against Lula.

Reuters covered Lula’s “stump speech” that has many speculating about his 2022 plans.

Bolsonaro’s messaging on Covid-19 has been disastrous, BBC News reported.

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President Biden’s American Rescue Plan has been signed into law. Vox's Dylan Matthews explains why it’s a revolution in American welfare disguised as stimulus.

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