The Art of Lying Fallow: Psychoanalyst Masud Khan on the Existential Salve for the Age of Cultish Productivity and Compulsive Distraction

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The Art of Lying Fallow: Psychoanalyst Masud Khan on the Existential Salve for the Age of Cultish Productivity and Compulsive Distraction   Each month, I spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars keeping The Marginalian going. For seventeen years, it has remained free and ad-free and alive thanks to patronage from readers. I have no staff, no interns, not even an assistant — a thoroughly one-woman labor of love that is also my life and my livelihood. If this labor has made your own life more livable in the past year (or the past decade), please consider aiding its sustenance with a one-time or loyal donation. Your support makes all the difference.I suspect our ability to ask the unanswerable questions that Hannah Arendt knew are the heartbeat of civilization is intimately related to our capacity for dwelling in a particular state of being beyond the realm of our compulsive doing. Bertrand Russell called it “fruitful monotony.” Adam Phillips called it “fertile solitude.” Walt Whitman called it “loafing.” The Buddhist tradition describes it simply as presence. Whatever we may call it, amid a culture of filling the existential void with cultish productivity and an endless stream of dopamine-laced distractions, it is nothing less than a countercultural act of courage and resistance to enact such states of being — states in which our inner voice becomes audible, the voice with which we sing the song of our lives. The Pakistani-British psychoanalyst Masud Khan (July 21, 1924–June 7, 1989) calls this mode of being “lying fallow” and unfurls its psychological tendrils in a short, brightly penetrating essay included in his 1983 collection Hidden Selves (public library). Continued here

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Making 600 Billion Decisions With AI: Expedia Group's Rathi Murthy   The travel company relies on artificial intelligence to deliver personalized recommendations, limit customer-service call times, and mitigate risks around natural disasters and other disruptions.Rathi Murthy has always been passionate about technology roles that allow her to drive business transformation and improve customer experience. In her current role as CTO and president of Product & Technology for Expedia Group, she's able to do both. One of her key goals is to enhance and unify the end-user experience across Expedia's many brands, among them Hotels.com, Vrbo, and Travelocity. Another transformation goal: helping to modernize the entire travel industry by making Expedia's AI technology available to B2B partners throughout the travel ecosystem, such as hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and cruise lines. Expedia Group's travel platform processes more than 600 billion AI predictions each year and relies on AI and machine learning technology to provide a range of services, including fraud prevention, customer service through virtual agents, flight price comparisons, and quick and seamless travel booking. Rathi joins Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh on this episode of the Me, Myself, and AI podcast to explain how Expedia Group is using artificial intelligence to continually improve the customer experience for travelers and travel providers alike. Continued here

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What Makes Health Care Workers Stay in Their Jobs?   Health care organizations continue to struggle to stop the wave of resignations by caregivers of all types and to recruit people to fill vacancies. Yes, competitive pay and other support options are essential to recruiting caregivers, but organizational culture, including a commitment to excellence, is what makes them stay, according to data from Press Ganey. What does drive loyalty and resilience among caregivers? As is true in other industries during these difficult times, getting back to basics is crucial — and in health care that means focusing organizational culture on the noble cause of reducing patients’ suffering and then supporting caregivers in that work. Continued here

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Number One in Formula One   Toto Wolff, the team principal for Mercedes-AMG Petronas—arguably the most impressive team in F1 racing history—has led his organization to unparalleled success. Mercedes earned the Constructors’ Championship (for best overall team performance) every year from 2014 through 2021, and over that time frame it won nearly 70% of the Grand Prix races it competed in. Continued here

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Cost of living: why decreased access to swimming is harming children and young people   Swimming is a unique activity. Not only is it an Olympic sport but it’s also a form of exercise and a life-saving endeavour. How many other physical activities can boast such a claim? So, it is no surprise that swimming holds such appeal in the UK, where there is a diverse range of enthusiasts. We have Olympic champions, a world record holding nonagenarian, a new wave of cold water dippers, competitive swimmers and parent and toddler groups who all love the water. For children, swimming is both a sporting endeavour and a fun leisure activity that is frequently associated with hot summer holidays. Continued here

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Thabo Bester's escape from a privately-run South African prison raises questions about corruption   Recently, South Africans were told about an extraordinary escape story – they learnt that a convicted rapist, Thabo Bester, had been at large for a year after he’d escaped from a privately-run maximum security prison. In May 2022 the Department of Correctional services reported that he had burnt to death in his cell. But a forensic report – which prison authorities only released recently after dogged reporting by journalists at the news outlet GroundUp, showed that the body wasn’t his.Bester was re-arrested in Tanzania over the Easter weekend and arrests have been made in connection with his escape. Continued here

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The companies that churn through young workers   Sarah had always dreamed of working in the fashion industry. Aged 21, she decided to follow her dream, move to London and find a career she loved. “Like many young people, my passion was fashion,” she says. “But the reality wasn’t quite so glamorous.”After working for less than a year in fashion retail, Sarah secured an e-commerce assistant role in the head office of a global luxury brand. In both jobs, she was surrounded by like-minded twenty-somethings, all of whom wanted to succeed in the fashion world. “It’s like any creative industry: young people always see it as cool to work in,” she says. “And the perks are great, even in sales: we’d get heavily discounted items all the time.” Continued here

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Nearly a quarter of people in the UK flush wet wipes down the toilet - here's why they shouldn't   Whether you’re cleaning your house, your car or your child, there are a variety of wet wipes manufactured for the job. Wet wipes are small, lightweight and extremely convenient. They have become a staple in most of our lives, particularly so during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to Water UK, an organisation representing the water industry, flushing wet wipes down the toilet is responsible for 93% of sewer blockages and costs around £100 million each year to sort out. And the majority of these wipes, about 90%, contain plastic. Continued here

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Why more and more Americans are painting their lawns   That is the question that many homeowners are facing as their dreams for perfect turf are battered – whether it’s from inflation pushing pricier lawn care options out of reach, or droughts leading to water shortages.Increasingly, many are turning in the spreader for the paint can, opting, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, for shades of green with names like “Fairway” and “Perennial Rye.” Continued here

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You Only Have a Few Days to Get 2015's Most Underrated Game for Free   There’s no shortage of excellent zombie games out there: Consider Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, and the recently released Resident Evil 4 remake to name a few. One of the most underrated zombie adventures ever is Dying Light, which originally launched in 2015. This game had several innovative gameplay mechanics that helps it stand out, namely its fun parkour movement that lets you fluidly freerun across the city. And now, Dying Light Enhanced Edition is temporarily free on the Epic Games Store until April 13, 2023, giving you only a couple more days to redeem one of the best zombie games of all time.Dying Light is an open-world first-person action zombie game with RPG elements. In it, you play Kyle Crane, a man who must survive in the city of Harran against hordes of deadly infected. While its action and progression systems are well-designed, the game’s best feature is its parkour movement. Continued here

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Evan Gershkovich: Wall Street Journal reporter latest in long line of journalists punished for doing their job   For the first time since the cold war, Moscow has accused a US journalist of espionage. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29 by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The reporter, a Russia specialist, insists he was there to report on the Wagner Group, a mercenary organisation that fights for Russia in Ukraine. But the FSB has charged him with spying on “one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex”. Not surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal vehemently rejects the allegations. On April 11 the US secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, announced that Gershkovich has been “wrongfully detained” and called for his immediate release, condemning Russia’s “ongoing war against truth”. Continued here

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Yaprakh, the Kurdish version of dolmas   "From late February, the hills in Southern Kurdistan are blossoming with wild foods," recalled chef Pary Baban, owner of Nandine, a Kurdish eatery in the South London neighbourhood of Camberwell. "People forage for herbs and fresh ingredients, cook feasts and bring picnics into the mountains. Newroz isn't just one day; it is the entire season of spring."Newroz, also called "Nowruz" in Persian, is the Kurdish and Persian New Year that has more than 3,000-year-old roots in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism. Each year, Newroz, which literally translates to "new day", is celebrated on the spring equinox to welcome a new year, new life and new beginnings. Continued here

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KSI and the P-word: how the YouTuber's use of the slur slots into a long history of anti-Asian discrimination in the UK   As slurs go, the word “Paki” has a long, dark history in the UK. A video has emerged of the YouTuber, KSI, using the term frivolously – followed by a burst of raucous laughter by his peers. KSI has subsequently apologised. However, this has brought back disturbing and hurtful memories for many people. As BBC broadcaster and DJ Bobby Friction, AKA Paramdeep Sehdev, put it on Twitter: Continued here

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Why Gen Z workers are starting on the back foot   In some ways, Gen Z employees are thriving in the new world of work. They’ve entered the workforce at a time when flexibility is commonplace, digital communication is ubiquitous and employees have the leverage to ask companies for what they want.At the same time, however, some experts are concerned that remote and hybrid work arrangements are already leaving some early-career workers behind. Many of these worries revolve around the absence of workplace intangibles: a lack of the casual conversations and informal observations that traditionally teach young employees how to act. Amid virtual settings, some experts believe entry-level workers are missing out on picking up vital cues that guide behaviour, collaboration and networking. Continued here

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South African doctors are bound by many rules. Criminal charges for mistakes may have unintended consequences   Claims for financial compensation for medical mistakes in South Africa have been on the rise since 2007. Recently, however, criminal charges for medical errors have also become more prevalent. One such case is that of Dr Danie van der Walt, who was ultimately acquitted on a charge of negligently causing the death of a child. Another example is the case of Dr Peter Beale, who was charged with, but not yet tried of, causing the death of a 10-year-old. Yet another is the ongoing case and charge of murder brought against Dr Avindra Dayanand for the death of a 35-year-old patient. These cases have raised questions about how the medical profession is regulated in South Africa. Is the regulation effective in preventing harm? How are medical practitioners held accountable for harm suffered? What are the consequences of the regulatory environment? The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana spoke to Larisse Prinsen, a medical law specialist, about what’s in place. Continued here

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The rise of 'one-and-done' parenting   When Jen Dalton got pregnant in 2018, she made a spreadsheet. Taking into account maternity leave, family-spacing health recommendations and even potential family holidays, she planned out when to have each of the four kids she thought she wanted. "I look at it once in a while and I giggle at how naïve I was," says Dalton, 31.That’s because, just two months after her daughter's birth, she and her husband decided they were 'one and done'. Part of it was their struggle with sleep deprivation and mental health; Dalton dealt with a traumatic birth, postnatal depression (PND) and postpartum anxiety (PPA). But even when life became easier, the decision felt right. Continued here

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Why children don't talk to adults about the problems they encounter online   “I don’t listen to adults when it comes to this sort of thing”, a 17-year-old told me.We were discussing how digital technology affects his life, as part of a long-term project in the west of England that I carried out with colleagues to explore young people’s mental health – including the impact of digital technology on their emotional wellbeing. Continued here

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Great apes like to spin themselves dizzy, a lot like children do, research shows   Children love to spin. Whether it is by whirling around on their feet, whipping around on a tyre swing, or tumbling down a grassy hill, they revel in the drunken effects of dizziness that follow. As humans mature, they might outgrow spinning on the playground, but find other ways to alter their senses - dancing, skating, roller coasters, and for some of them, psychoactive drugs. It turns out humans are not the only primate with a desire to spin ourselves and stimulate our senses. In a recent study, my co-author Adriano Lameira and I found some other primates like to do this too. The great apes – which include chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans, in addition to humans – have a more complex brain than other primates and share a similar neurophysiology. Our findings suggest that they also share our desire to induce altered states of perception. This may even have played a role in the evolution of the human mind. Continued here

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Why Britain's loudest bird is booming after decades of decline   The Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a reclusive bird belonging to the heron family. Close to the size of a chicken, bitterns are a mix of golden-brown mottled with delicate black and tan. With long, green legs and large feet, these birds are adapted for skulking through reedbeds – the bits of wetland covered by dense patches of common reed – to quietly hunt fish and amphibians.Often invisible, their presence in freshwater marshes is given away by a low-pitched booming note that can be heard at great distances – especially in early spring, as males set up and defend territories. The call is an eerie noise if you are lucky enough to hear it. In the past it provoked superstition and even fear of bitterns, their call being thought to portend some impending doom. Thankfully, times and attitudes to bitterns have changed. Continued here

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The Evil Dead: The horror shocker that set off a culture war   "The ultimate experience in gruelling horror": so suggests the subtitle of Sam Raimi's infamous, brilliant film The Evil Dead (1981). Made when the director was just 20 years old, Raimi's calling card quickly earned its place in the horror pantheon with its mixture of extreme gore, sly humour, and technical trickery. Now, more than 40 years on, the film's lineage continues with a growing body of sequels that includes Evil Dead Rise, the fifth film in the franchise, written and directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin, that is released next week. But all the while, the original remains a landmark work, which still has the power to scare, influence and entertain.More like this:– The horror that still terrifies, a century on – The mysterious power of the 'eerie' – Why The Devils is still being censored Continued here

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'Tron: Identity' Transforms Disney's Cult Franchise Into a Cerebral Noir   A light cycle speeds past me, nearly knocking me flat, then speeds off, leaving only an orange trail of solid light in its wake.This blink-and-you-'ll-miss-it moment is one of the most action-forward scenes in the entirety of Tron: Identity. It features one of the most iconic elements of the Tron universe, light cycles, and hints at the idea of fast-paced chases. Yet it is the only time you will see a light cycle. If that sounds disappointing, don't worry — the game has something far more interesting in store. Continued here

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Anyone can claim to be a journalist or a news organization, and publish lies with almost total impunity   Headlines in early March 2023 implied Fox News mogul Rupert Murdoch had made a damning confession. He had affirmed that some of his most important journalists were reporting that the 2020 presidential election was a fraud – even though they knew they were propagating a lie. It was an admission during pretrial testimony in a libel lawsuit filed against Fox by a voting machine company that says it was defamed by the lie. For journalism practitioners and devotees, the admission should signal the end of the Fox News empire. Continued here

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Brain training probably doesn't help ADHD - new study   Drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be very effective, but they can come with a range of undesirable side-effects, such as increased anxiety, trouble sleeping and loss of appetite. It is not surprising that people have sought other treatments.Brain training – “exercising” your brain with attention and focus – is one such treatment. These computer- or app-based exercises are widely believed to help reduce symptoms of ADHD (such as restlessness and impulsivity) by boosting working memory – the ability to briefly hold and manipulate information in the mind. But does the evidence stand up? Continued here

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Israel's judicial reform efforts could complicate its relationship with US - but the countries have faced other bumps along the road   President Joe Biden startled many Americans and Israelis when he recently asked the Jewish state’s new far-right government to make its controversial attempts to reform the judicial system disappear like leavened products before Passover.Biden’s unexpected request came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to weaken the ability of Israel’s Supreme Court to review or toss out laws. The country has no written constitution, so some observers think this could throw its checks and balances into disarray. Continued here

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Why some terror campaigns escalate to civil war and others don't - study reveals surprising new answers   Isa Haskologlu is affiliated with Beyond the Horizon International Strategic Studies Group. Most terrorist campaigns are short-lived. But some aren’t. In some cases, terror campaigns (low-intensity violence) turn into civil wars (high-intensity violence) where militants fight the government for control of the state. Continued here

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'Genshin Impact' 3.6 Release Date and Time, Maintenance Details, and Rewards   It’s time to savor some of the final bits of lore from the Sumeru region. We’ll finally get a second story arc for Nahida, Teyvat’s youngest Archon, and get to challenge two new bosses. The next update will also usher in long-awaited characters like Liyue’s most popular pharmacist, Baizhu, and the softhearted but broke Sumeru architect, Kaveh. Let’s also not forget the upcoming academic festival, which promises a crossover between some of Sumeru’s most entertaining characters.It’s another lore-packed update you won’t want to miss. Here’s exactly when you can play Genshin Impact 3.6. Continued here

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The mindset that brings unlimited willpower   We all face demanding days that seem designed to test our self-control. Perhaps you are a barista, and you have some particularly rude and demanding customers, but you manage to keep your poise throughout. Or maybe you are finishing an important project and you have to remain in quiet concentration, without letting your attention slip to other distractions. If you are on a diet, you might have spent the past few hours resisting the cookie jar while the sweet treats silently whisper “eat me”.In each case, you would have relied on your willpower, which psychologists define as the ability to avoid short-term temptations and override unwanted thoughts, feelings or impulses. And some people seem to have much greater reserves of it than others: they find it easier to control their emotions, avoid procrastination and stick to their goals, without ever seeming to lose their iron grip on their behaviour. Indeed, you may know some lucky people who, after a hard day at work, have the resolve to do something productive like a workout – while you give up on your fitness goals and fall for the temptations of junk food and trash TV. Continued here

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NZ farmers worry about 'carbon leakage' if they have to pay for emissions, but they could benefit from playing the long game   The recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the urgency of emissions reductions. For Aotearoa New Zealand, where 50% of emissions come from agriculture in the form of methane and nitrous oxide, this means the primary sector must be part of the response.New Zealand is indeed the first country to investigate introducing a price on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Continued here

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Defying the Holocaust didn't just mean uprising and revolt: Remembering Jews' everyday resistance   Richard Glazar insisted that no one survived the Holocaust without help. To this Prague-born Jewish survivor, who endured Nazi imprisonment at Treblinka and Theresienstadt, plus years in hiding, it was impossible to persevere without others’ support. Glazar conceded that some of his fellow Treblinka survivors were “loners,” but he nevertheless believed that they “survived because they were carried by someone, someone who cared for them as much, or almost as much as for themselves.”Carrying someone else took many forms. For fellow Treblinka prisoner Samuel Goldberg, a Polish Jew born in a small town called Bagatelle, it was the moment the women of his work detail stood up to a guard to save Goldberg’s life. For those around Glazar, it was the times he brought them more to eat because his position as a fence builder gave him chances to buy food outside the camp. Still more prisoners benefited from a friend willing to literally hold them up during roll call so no guard would notice they were sick – a near-certain death sentence. Continued here

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View from The Hill: Julian Leeser shifts his own dial in the Liberal Party   The decision of Julian Leeser, who has resigned from the opposition frontbench to campaign for a yes vote on the Voice to parliament, is both principled and pragmatic.Principled because only rarely in politics do we see people make a significant personal sacrifice for their beliefs. Continued here

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Looming behind antibiotic resistance is another bacterial threat -   Have you ever had a nasty infection that just won’t seem to go away? Or a runny nose that keeps coming back? You may have been dealing with a bacterium that is tolerant of, though not yet resistant to, antibiotics. Antibiotic tolerance happens when a bacterium manages to survive for a long time after being exposed to an antibiotic. While antibiotic-resistant bacteria flourish even in the presence of an antibiotic, tolerant bacteria often exist in a dormant state, neither growing nor dying but putting up with the antibiotic until they can “reawaken” once the stress is gone. Tolerance has been linked to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Continued here

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Corporate social responsibility: Why family businesses get more bang for their buck than non-family firms   Della Phillips Martha Schenck Chair of American Private Enterprise, University of Central Florida Executive Manager, Telfer Family Enterprise Legacy Institute (FELI), L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa Continued here

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What causes motion sickness? Here's how to reconcile the mismatch in what your senses are telling your brain   Then, slowly I began to feel warm and to salivate. I felt exhausted, although I was well rested. There were intense waves of nausea, and I began vomiting. It was a long afternoon. Once back on shore, I felt as if I were still moving. I didn’t feel back to normal until the next day.In retrospect, this was the perfect situation for a bout of motion sickness. I was focused on my immediate environment – the table covered with ocean specimens – which was visually stable. My eyes were unaware that we were, in fact, shifting up, down and side to side with the waves. But my inner ear was signaling all of this movement to my brain. Sensory signals from the muscles and joints of my body were providing information that was like a cross between the visual input from my eyes and the balance feedback from my inner ears’ motion detectors. Continued here

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4 ways that AI can help students   As artificial intelligence systems play a bigger role in everyday life, they’re changing the world of education, too.OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing and Google’s Bard all come with both risks and opportunities. Continued here

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The Archers' electric vehicle row shows why rural areas may oppose chargers - but they also have so much to gain   Long-running BBC radio soap opera The Archers might conjure images of an idyllic country life, but its storylines frequently highlight real tensions in British society. The series, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, has been criticised in recent years for storylines which supposedly pander to younger listeners or fail to represent rural life accurately. But the Archers has never shied away from environmental issues, from the escapades of eco-warrior Tom Archer in the late 1990s to more recent episodes about soil health. Continued here

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Nollywood could see a major boost from Nigeria's new copyright law - an expert explains why   Nigeria has finally updated its 2004 copyright law, bringing it into the digital era – where the entertainment industry has been for decades already.Before the late 1990s, it was difficult even to get telephone services in Nigeria. And it was very expensive for private enterprises to make films. Since then, digital technology has unleashed a multitude of ways to receive information and entertainment. Continued here

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Tragedies, not accidents: Tougher Canadian and U.S. border policies will cost more lives   A fire recently broke out at a detention centre in Ciudad Juarez on the Mexico-United States border. The blaze killed 38 men and injured another 29 from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia. All of them had been detained because they had crossed borders to seek protection and safety.The detention centre, run by Mexico’s National Migration Institute, is one of many migration facilities in Mexico financed by the United States. Continued here

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Treasurer Chalmers has a $70 billion a year budget hole: we've found 13 ways to fill it   Kate Griffiths's employer, Grattan Institute, has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.No one likes spending cuts and tax hikes, but on our estimate the government will soon need more of them if they are going to make a dent in looming A$70 billion a year budget deficits. Continued here

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Why everyday decisions feel so stressful - and what to do about it   Almost every morning I face the same dilemmas. Whether I should wake up my wife with a kiss or let her sleep longer. Should I get out of bed or just press the snooze button? And that is even before I have had my first cup of coffee. First, sometimes the sheer number of options overwhelms us, as we find it difficult to compare and contrast the options. Economics scholars long championed the notion that it’s better to have more choices. But in 2000, US psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Leeper challenged this idea. Continued here

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Samsung's SmartThings Station Is a Damn Clever Smart Home Hub   I have what any normal person would consider an unhealthy obsession with wireless chargers. I can't get enough of them and I refuse to stop testing new ones until the dream of Apple's canceled AirPower becomes reality or true over-the-air wireless charging replaces our tangly wires once and for all.Tesla's Wireless Charging Platform is a step in AirPower's direction. But the $300 price makes it a luxury convenience most people can live without. Samsung's SmartThings Station is a different take on a wireless charger: it doubles as a smart home hub. Continued here

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Four myths about the financial side of divorce   It’s no wonder many people think divorce involves going to court, huge legal fees and decades of spousal payments, considering these are the cases that dominate our headlines. However, the kinds of divorce cases reported in the news involve the very rich, and are far removed from the reality for most couples.The Law Commission of England and Wales, the body responsible for law reform, recently announced a review of the law of finances on divorce, with a scoping report due in September 2024. Review of this law is much needed, given the legislation governing how couples in England and Wales sort out their financial affairs upon marriage breakdown mainly dates back to the 1970s (the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973). Continued here

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Journalists needs to be more critical of the way governments use 'nudging' to change our behaviour - here's why   Suppose you are in a pub with friends. You drink a few beers, have a good time, and head home. The following morning you realise your headache is milder than usual. You then discover that you were part of an experiment where the glasses at the pub were 25% smaller. In their landmark 2008 book, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, behavioural economist Richard Thaler and legal scholar Cass Sunstein defined a “nudge” as an intervention “that alters people’s behaviour in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives”. Continued here

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Quartet review: did four women really change the world of classical music?   The subtitle of Quartet, historian Leah Broad’s book about four UK women composers, reads boldly: How Four Women Changed the Musical World.But I am unsure that the musical world – for Broad, classical music – was changed in any meaningful way by composers Ethel Smyth (b.1858) Rebecca Clarke (b.1886), Dorothy Howell (b.1898) and Doreen Carwithen (b.1922), however fascinating their lives and careers, and however much their music deserves to be more widely heard. Continued here

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How the world's oldest known meteorite impact structure changed the chemistry of Earth's crust   Meteorite impacts can be cataclysmic events in the history of a planet, melting rock, changing atmospheric chemistry, and wreaking general havoc. However, impacts may also have created Earth’s continents, supported ecological niches that kick-started life, and even developed metal ores. Continued here

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'Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster' Is Finally Coming to Consoles -- What to Know   In time for the franchise’s 35th anniversary, Square Enix is finally bringing the pixel remasters of Final Fantasy I through VI to more platforms. The updated versions of every 8- and 16-bit game in the long-running series have a plethora of gameplay and visual improvements that make them the best way to play these classic roleplaying games. Here is what to know about when you can play the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster on consoles and how to get your hands on a physical copy of the bundle.After only being available on PC via Steam and mobile devices, the new remasters of Final Fantasy I through VI are coming to home consoles. Specifically, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster will be released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Nintendo Switch will make an ideal platform for remasters as handheld mode is a great way to experience classic JRPGs. Continued here

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'The Mandalorian' Is About to Finally Solve a Huge Palpatine Mystery   Now that the issues of Darksaber ownership and Mandalorian leadership have finally been resolved, the final two episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3 promise some major drama. Plus, heading into The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7, we know that at least one notable villain is set to appear. Last week’s cameo-filled episode mostly took a detour as Din Djarin and Bo-Katan solved crimes on an Outer Rim planet — until the end of the episode, when a big event for the Mandalorians took place. And thanks to a sneak peek of Episode 7 for fans at the recent Star Wars Celebration, there’s actually some plot intel heading into the next installment. Continued here

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Heidegger in ruins? Grappling with an anti-semitic philosopher and his troubling rebirth today   The story of German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) and his posthumous reception almost reads like the plot of an airport spy thriller. Heidegger rose to global fame with Being and Time (1927). This work, which shaped philosophical existentialism, claimed Western culture had lost touch with what he portentously called the “meaning of Being”. We have become too preoccupied with material things and the ephemera of fast-moving modern societies, forgetting the larger significance of our lives. Continued here

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New Star Wars Movie Could Fix Disney's Biggest Canon Blunder   When Disney rebooted Star Wars with a new sequel trilogy, it unwittingly opened a whole new can of worm-shaped questions. How did Emperor Palpatine manage to survive the events of Return of the Jedi? How did the Empire make such a quick comeback after its crippling defeat? Fortunately, the answers already existed thanks to the Star Wars Expanded Universe (a branch of the saga populated by novels, games, and comics). Unfortunately, Disney made the decision to officially de-canonize the EU in 2014 and rename it “Legends.”But now, thanks to arguably the only person who actually understands the entire Star Wars franchise as well as George Lucas, we may finally be getting some canonical answers. Continued here

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'Terra Nil's Chill City-Building Is a Welcome Reprieve   You can’t help but smile when, after so much time spent transforming a barren wasteland into a thriving ecosystem, adorable waddling penguins emerge to brighten the scenery.Devolver Digital's Terra Nil is billed as a “reverse city builder” where instead of building cities, you’re restoring desolate environments, creating biomes, and bringing nature and animals back through the use of advanced technology. It’s a fascinating game that uses the framework of a city builder but ultimately ends up feeling like a puzzle game more than anything. Its strong environmental message is backed up by a gorgeous aesthetic and tremendously chill vibe that gives a nice reprieve from all of 2023’s abundance of over-the-top action. Continued here

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First near-complete sauropod dinosaur skull found in Australia hints at ancient links between continents   In May and June of 2018, Australia’s first near-complete skull of a sauropod – a group of long-tailed, long-necked, small-headed dinosaurs – was found on a sheep station northwest of Winton in Queensland.I was part of the dig team from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum that made the discovery, and subsequently had the privilege of leading the team that studied the skull. After years of work, our results are published today in Royal Society Open Science. Continued here

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'The Marvels' Trailer Brings Together Three Generations of Superhero   Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau go higher, further, and faster in the first trailer for The Marvels.So far, aside from Wandavision and Loki, the promise of cinematic synergy between the MCU Disney+ shows and the films hasn’t been fulfilled in a satisfying way — but that’s getting ready to change based on the first trailer for The Marvels. Continued here

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Tracking health care's global environmental impact is a step toward more sustainable health systems   Adjunct Faculty, Department of Surgery (Neurosurgery), Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University HealthcareLCA is supported by CASCADES (Creating a Sustainable Canadian Health System in a Climate Crisis), which is a Canadian capacity-building initiative to address health care’s contribution to the climate crisis that is itself funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Climate Action and Awareness Fund for Community-Based Climate Action Projects. HealthcareLCA is also supported by the Creating Sustainable Health Systems in a Climate Crisis flagship project at Dalhousie University’s Healthy Populations Institute and Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS). Continued here

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Banning TikTok could weaken personal cybersecurity   TikTok is not be the first app to be scrutinized over the potential exposure of U.S. user data, but it is the first widely used app that the U.S. government has proposed banning over privacy and security concerns. So far, the discussion has focused on whether TikTok should be banned. There has been little discussion of whether TikTok could be banned, and there has been almost no discussion of the effects on cybersecurity that a TikTok ban could cause, including encouraging users to sidestep built-in security mechanisms to bypass a ban and access the app. Continued here

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'Barry' Season 4 Review: HBO Delivers an Unpredictable, Flawless Finale   It took four years for Bill Hader’s old partner in crime to get a role on Barry. In an early episode of the HBO dark comedy’s fourth and final season, another beloved Saturday Night Live alumni finally makes his debut in the show’s twisted universe. Like almost everything about Barry Season 4, it was worth the wait.To say too much more about it would be a pretty big spoiler, but like so much in Barry, this cameo manages to both meet and defy any expectations you might have. Is he funny? Yes, but that comedy is capped off with a violent twist that’s too brutal to be played for laughs even in the hands of two of the best comedians around. Continued here

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Adding charter schools to Ontario would exacerbate student inequities   Rochelle Wijesingha is affiliated with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Association. She is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.Parents and other advocates who are dissatisfied with the current state of public schooling often call for the expansion of school choice. Continued here

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We rely on expert predictions to guide conservation. But even experts have biases and blind spots   When faced with uncertainty, we often look for predictions by experts: from election result forecasts, to the likely outcomes of medical treatment. In nature conservation, we turn to expert opinion to assess extinction risk, or predict the long-term responses of plant species to fire management.But how reliable are these predictions? There’s a well known saying, “Prediction is difficult, particularly when it involves the future”. Continued here

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Why reading books is good for society, wellbeing and your career   TikTok allows video up to 10 minutes, but says surveys show almost half its users are stressed by anything longer than a minute. An Instagram video can be up to 90 seconds, but experts reckon the ideal time to maximise engagement is less than 15 seconds. Twitter doubled the length of tweets in 2017 to 280 characters, but the typical length is more like 33 characters. It’s easy to get sucked into short and sensational content. But if you’re worried this may be harming your attention span, you should be. There’s solid evidence that so many demands on our attention make us more stressed, and that the endless social comparison makes us feel worse about ourselves. Continued here

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Refugee team offers a way for Russian and Belarusian dissidents to compete at the Paris Olympics   The International Olympic Committee (IOC) began 2023 with high hopes of maintaining its solidarity with Ukraine, but its call to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to attend the 2024 Paris Games has caused backlash. In response to this position, international athlete-led organization Global Athlete released a statement by Ukrainian athletes in February calling on Olympic officials to withdraw support for the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Olympic Games. Continued here

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With Iran purportedly capable of making a nuclear bomb in a matter of months, what will its leaders do next?   PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University The on-again, off-again talks between Iran and western powers over Tehran’s nuclear program have stalled yet again due to disagreements between the two sides. Continued here

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'The Marvels' Trailer Disproves a Huge 'Secret Invasion' Nick Fury Theory   Sometimes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe tips its hand. Marvel’s next two projects, Secret Invasion and The Marvels, are slated to explore different aspects of the galaxy, and at the center of the drama is Nick Fury. Secret Invasion is being touted as Fury’s big spotlight, with the recent trailer even featuring him declaring his upcoming adventure, “one last fight.” But if this is his last fight, why is he featured in the trailer for The Marvels? The trailer could be a huge spoiler for the end of Secret Invasion... or it could offer insight into the peculiarities of the MCU timeline. Continued here

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The Disastrous Potential of the Texas Abortion-Pill Ruling   Last week, two federal judges issued conflicting rulings on the abortion drug mifepristone, setting the stage for a clash that is likely to end up in the Supreme Court. First, a judge in Texas ruled that mifepristone would be banned nationwide in seven days. Then, a judge in Washington ordered the F.D.A. not to make any changes to the availability of the drug, which the agency approved for use more than two decades ago and which has an extensive safety record. While the legal process unfolds, abortion providers and health professionals are caught in limbo, exacerbating the challenges they have faced since last year’s Dobbs decision.I recently spoke by phone with Jody Steinauer, the director of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, to better understand how abortion care changed after Dobbs and what a ban on mifepristone would mean for women’s health care. Our conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below. Continued here

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Another COVID winter is coming. Is this the calm before another peak?   Australia is currently experiencing the longest break between infection peaks since Omicron arrived in late 2021 and community-wide transmission took off. With winter looming, it’s worth taking stock of where we are with COVID and what we might expect over the colder months – especially in the southern states and territories. The climate and the way our behaviour changes at this time of year increase the transmission potential for all infectious respiratory diseases. Continued here

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Politics with Michelle Grattan: Professor Marcia Langton on the Voice's powers and potential   Professor Marcia Langton holds the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, and was co-author (with Professor Tom Calma) of the Indigenous Voice Co-design Process report to the Morrison government. She has been a fighter for rights and progress for Indigenous Australians for decades, and she’s one of those at the centre of the yes campaign for the Voice. Her own voice is always forthright and formidable.Langton admits she isn’t “entirely confident” where the referendum stands at the moment but is more positive as the debate continues. “I’ve been gauging the response of the general public by reading a lot and having a look at the social media, and I think most people can see that this is a very simple and modest proposition and that it will make a difference. And what I’m seeing more and more is most people realising, yes, well, why don’t Indigenous people have a say about policies and the laws that affect them? Continued here

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'Andor' Has Inadvertently Exposed 'Mandalorian's Biggest Weaknesses   The Mandalorian’s third season is rumbling to its conclusion, bringing to a close the Disney+ series’ most disjointed and least satisfying entry. After the fulfilling way season 2 ended, with Grogu leaving with Luke Skywalker to learn the ways of the Force and Din Djarin overcoming Moff Gideon and claiming the Darksaber, the potential for the story to move forward in season 3 was enormous. Instead, it took a step back. Grogu returned to Din, and both are back on Nevarro with the threat of Moff Gideon looming.With producer Rick Famuyiwa’s admission that the show no longer has a singular focus (ie, The Mandalorian now refers to all Mandalorians), we have some explanation as to why this season has been all over the place. Rushed in places, and filled with ponderous exposition, The Mandalorian Season 3 was jarring from the start, given the season technically started during its hijacking of The Book of Boba Fett. The muddied focus has meant it’s been hard to make sense of what The Mandalorian season 3 is going for. Continued here

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'Mandalorian' Episode 7 Runtime Reveals a Major Star Wars First   An unusual runtime and an iconic director tease this may not be a story wrapped up in a single episode.The Mandalorian Season 3 is finally settling into a rhythm. So of course, it’s time for the big finale. After a first half of inconsistently long and short episodes, the show delivered a series of 35-40 minute episodes that are basically the equivalent of an hour-long network drama. But as the Star Wars show speeds towards its finale, it’s time for yet another runtime shakeup. Continued here

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A Liberal Victory in Wisconsin   On Tuesday of last week, Ann Walsh Bradley, the senior justice on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, waited nervously with two colleagues in a room in a Milwaukee hotel. There was a vacancy on the court, which has seven seats, and the state had just held an election, between Janet Protasiewicz, a local circuit judge, and Daniel Kelly, a conservative former justice, to fill it. Bradley and her two colleagues are liberals; conservatives have controlled the court since 2008. A few dozen of Protasiewicz’s family members and friends were milling around, drinking and chatting, but the three justices were focussed on their phones as the results trailed in from across the state. Less than an hour after the polls closed, word came in that Protasiewicz had won. Bradley embraced the other justices and burst into tears. “At least for me—and I think for the people of the state—this is a long time coming,” she said. “I’ve been on the court for twenty-eight years, and I’ve never served with what is labelled a liberal majority, one that sees the role of government and democracy the way that I do.”Soon after, at a hotel in Green Lake, a small resort town in central Wisconsin, Kelly delivered a concession speech that quickly drew notoriety for its vitriol. “I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede,” Kelly said. He called Protasiewicz a “serial liar” and said that her campaign was “beneath contempt” and “despicable.” He concluded with a petulant goodbye. “I wish Wisconsin the best of luck,” he said. “Because I think it’s going to need it.” Continued here

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You Need to Watch the Best Sci-Fi Monster Movie on HBO Max ASAP   Few directors can walk a cinematic tightrope like South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, who excels at seamlessly blending genres. It’s a difficult balancing act, one he still manages to infuse with intelligence and emotional resonance. Whether he’s dissecting class, our relationship with nature, or family dynamics, Bong can move his audience from laughter to tears in close succession. His name may be well known to American audiences thanks to the massive success of 2019’s Parasite, but the director’s entire filmography is well worth a look.Any of Bong’s films can dazzle, challenge, or move you, but his most unabashedly fun viewing experience is his monster movie masterpiece, The Host, which landed on HBO Max earlier this month. Here’s why this beloved sci-fi classic is worth revisiting — or experiencing for the first time — and what you should know before you start streaming. Continued here

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New asthma medicine restrictions will hurt the poorest children the most   Last week, without warning, the federal government significantly restricted the subsidy for an important and safe asthma medicine for children. A short document explained to prescribers what had changed, but gave no reasons. The medicine, fluticasone propionate 50mcg, is a metered-dose inhaler, more commonly known by the brand names Flixotide Junior or Axotide Junior. It’s one of the the lowest dose medicines of its type available, and until April 1 the government had subsidised nearly 80,000 of these puffers each year. Continued here

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3 ways to put people at the centre of ocean ecosystem conservation in Indonesia   As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia has taken steps to protect its marine resources. More than 23.14 million hectares are covered as marine protected areas (MPAs).Marine protected areas are designated areas of the ocean that are protected for conservation purposes. The majority of these areas are managed by district governments. Continued here