Wednesday headlines: Good luck, Barack!

Scientists discover “seismic signals” of liquid water on Mars. / BBC News

China is building a massive wall of solar panels to fight desertification. / Semafor

Analysts explain why Harvard canceled its solar geoengineering project. / The Verge

Is carbon offsetting basically greenwashing? I.e., “a mechanism that allows polluters to hide emissions behind misleading methodologies.” / Climate & Capitalism

See also: A new book by forecaster Nate Silver predicts an economic future that belongs to those who can afford to take risks. / The New York Times [+]

Christine Emba says the song “Man in Finance” connects the end of the girlboss moment with a resurgence of vintage gender norms. / The Atlantic

People respond to President Obama not including Chappell Roan in his summer playlist. “It's like he doesn't even want to pretend to be bi anymore.” / Them

Twenty thousand Taylor Swift fans, disappointed by cancellations in Vienna, visit museums after multiple institutions waive entry fees. / ARTnews

Unrelated: The girls are using ChatGPT to see if men are lying about their height on dating apps. / X

Downtown San Francisco is luring back businesses with free rent for up to six months. / The New York Times [+]

A roundtable of Millennial social media experts assess their industry. / The Trend Report

See also: Rising home prices and smart investments help explain a turnaround in Millennials' finances. / The Wall Street Journal [+]

An overview of “the long history” of tying actors' accents to ideology in movies about the Roman Empire. / Hyperallergic

In case you missed it: Every sport from the Summer Games ranked according to “how terrible it would be for the average person.” / The Ringer

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