Episode
What Really Happened After the Affirmative Action Ban + Deep Sea Discoveries and Moon Base Missions
- Podcast
- What Could Go Right?
- Published
- Jun 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1045
- Processing state
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Summary
The Supreme Court ruling banning race-based affirmative action is almost three years old, and almost nothing has played out as expected. Black and Hispanic enrollment dropped at the country's most elite universities, but rose at the vast majority of colleges across the US. And in a twist nobody planned for, the end of race-based admissions may have quietly accelerated the rise of class-based affirmative action. Plus, scientists have discovered what may be one of the world's largest deep-sea coral reefs off the coast of Argentina, an ecosystem that is home to 40 species new to science. A golf ball-sized, bright blue octopus near the Galapagos Islands has just been confirmed as a brand new species. NASA has unveiled its renderings for a permanent moon base, with three missions targeting launch before the end of 2026. Additionally, researchers in the Czech Republic are racing to climate-proof the Saaz hop, the backbone of Czech pilsner, before droughts and heatwaves do the unthinkable. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyemmavarv/