December 23, 2022 - Cats in the middle ages: what medieval manuscripts teach us about our ancestors' pets

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Cats in the middle ages: what medieval manuscripts teach us about our ancestors' pets Cats had a bad reputation in the middle ages. Their presumed links with paganism and witchcraft meant they were often treated with suspicion. But despite their association with the supernatural, medieval manuscripts showcase surprisingly playful images of our furry friends. From these (often very funny) portrayals, we can learn a lot about medieval attitudes towards cats – not least that they were a central fixture of daily medieval life. Continued here

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Universities and colleges want to enrol more students. But where are they supposed to live? Tim Brunet is affiliated with the Human Development and Capability Association. He is a member. The Toronto Star reported recently that American real estate giant Blackstone Inc., with a global real estate portfolio worth about US$514 billion, plans to expand its Canadian operations, including via student housing. Continued here

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Will Australia receive a red card for gender equity at the 2023 Women's World Cup? Sonya Pearce works with Homelessness NSW and is Consultant for DVSM RAP PLAN, and received grants from PAUL RAMSAY FOUNDATION and UTSB. This year’s FIFA men’s World Cup has cast a media spotlight on Qatar’s human rights record. The tournament also offered an opportunity to draw attention to the current protests in Iran surrounding the mistreatment of women. Continued here

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5 years ago, Will Smith made a terrible action-thriller — and changed Netflix forever David Ayer’s cringefest is deservedly forgotten, but it changed how the streamer operated. DC’s Suicide Squad epitomized everything wrong with the scorching, tumultuous months of summer 2016. It was manic and ostentatious, busy on the surface but intellectually lazy. An expensive spectacle whose message — the importance of unity despite differences — was lost in gaudy neon packaging and Jared Leto’s forehead tattoo. Continued here

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Need to Learn Faster? Neuroscience Says These 7 Memory Retention and Skill Acquisition Strategies Work Best Want to learn more in less time? Neuroscience has the answers. Continued here

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Three Kings Day Parade and Celebration Is Back After skipping two years, for obvious reasons, a beloved holiday tradition is back in the streets of East Harlem—El Museo del Barrio’s Three Kings Day Parade and Celebration, which is now in its forty-sixth year. Some revellers show up dressed as the wise men, but there are other Biblical trios: look for fresh faces self-styled as la Sagrada Família (pictured above, in 2020). Everyone is welcome to join the hour-long procession, which begins at 11 A.M., on Jan. 6, but registration, via elmuseo.org, is required. © 2022 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices Continued here

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10 times this year the Webb telescope blew us away with new images of our stunning universe It is no exaggeration to say the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) represents a new era for modern astronomy. Launched on December 25 last year and fully operational since July, the telescope offers glimpses of the universe that were inaccessible to us before. Like the Hubble Space Telescope, the JWST is in space, so it can take pictures with stunning detail free from the distortions of Earth’s atmosphere. Continued here

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Corsage and Empress Elisabeth: The first royal celebrity Empress Elisabeth of Austria (or "Sisi" as she was colloquially known) was one of the most famous women in the world at one time. One of the most audacious, even eccentric, female celebrities of her time, she served as monarch and helped to create the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary – along with her husband the Emperor Franz Joseph – in the mid-19th Century. Considered a phenomenal beauty and obsessed to the point of pathology with shrinking her waist size, she was also an early adopter of psychiatry, rigorous physical exercise at a period when women were advised against it, and an ardent reader of philosophy and literature. Her tumultuous and defiant life – which ended in her assassination at the age of 63 by an anarchist – is the topic of new film Corsage, the latest portrayal of a figure who has long been the source of public interest. More like this: - The images that fool the mind - The woman whose naked body was a canvas - The painter who revealed how we really see Continued here

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'Barbarian' actor reveals his character's secret backstory You know the scene. In Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Scatman Crothers arrives at the Overlook Hotel just in time to save the day — only to immediately wind up on the pointy end of Jack Nicholson’s ax. Forty-two years later, Barbarian borrowed heavily from The Shining when a homeless man named Andre, played by Jaymes Butler, steps in to save the protagonist and take her to his totally safe hideout — only for the monster to immediately break in, rip off Butler’s arm, and beat him to death with it. It’s a standout scene in a movie full of them that works largely because of the work Butler does throughout to establish his relatively minor character. The actor and military veteran tells Inverse that he rewrote his own backstory based the personal experiences of him and his fellow soldiers. Continued here

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The power and the pitfalls of personal storytelling - the best podcasts of 2022 Siobhan McHugh gave a masterclass in narrative podcasting to the Sydney Writers Festival 2022, which was attended by Sue-Lin Wong, host of The Prince. The podcaster Audrey Gillan is featured in McHugh's book, The Power of Podcasting: Telling Stories Through Sound (Columbia University Press 2022). It’s been a strange year for podcasts. Serial, the original 2014 blockbuster from the United States, was back in the news when its protagonist, Adnan Syed, had historic murder charges against him “vacated”. But Serial’s update episode glossed over the flaws in their original reporting, gaps instead plugged by the rival lawyer-hosted podcast Undisclosed. Continued here

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Helping male victims of domestic abuse can benefit society as a whole Every year in early December, the UN holds its 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The issue is one that can affect everyone regardless of their sex, gender or gender identity. However, men who experience violence, and efforts to prevent violence against men and boys, are conspicuously lacking from the gender-based violence discussion. Despite solid evidence of men’s experiences of violent victimization in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere, services for them are virtually non-existent. Continued here

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Antarctica's emperor penguins could be extinct by 2100 - and other species may follow if we don't act The study, published today, also found just US$23 million per year would be enough to implement ten key strategies to reduce threats to Antarctica’s biodiversity. This relatively small sum would benefit up to 84% of terrestrial bird, mammal, and plant groups. Continued here

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LinkedIn at 20: how a new breed of influencer is transforming the business networking giant When someone says social media, you probably don’t immediately think of LinkedIn. But there’s no denying that the business networking site has gone the distance: it is now 20 years since it was founded in Silicon Valley. It was the brainchild of Reid Hoffman, a US entrepreneur who worked on an early social media platform for Apple before launching one of his own in 1997. SocialNet was a dating and professional connections site, but folded two years later after failing to find a big enough userbase in those early days of the web. Continued here

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How Diversity of Thought Can Fit into Your DEI Strategy Fawn Weaver started a distillery using her own money to honor the life of Uncle Nearest, a former enslaved man who was Jack Daniel’s first master distiller. The company took off to become the fastest growing spirits company in the world, winning many awards for its whiskeys. Weaver, a Black woman, also was deeply intentional about building in DEI best practices in from the start, which surprised some people who thought a company with a female, African-American leader wouldn’t have to think as much about DEI. Wrong, Weaver says and she demonstrates the ways the company focuses on inclusion to avoid common pitfalls other companies face when building up their diversity efforts. Weaver focuses not just on demographic diversity, but also diversity of thought, a tricky concept that’s sometimes used as a scapegoat to avoid hard conversations about DEI. Weavers says you need both. Her journey is not over, though, as she continues to work on her company’s diversity, and her industries, partnering with Jack Daniels to build a pipeline of diverse talent in the spirits business. Continued here

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'Stranger Things' Season 4's best new character needs a Netflix spinoff ASAP The perpetually stoned pizza delivery driver (played by Eduardo Franco) makes his debut in the Stranger Things Season 4 premiere as Jonathan Byers’ (Charlie Heaton) closest and chillest California friend. But it isn’t long before Argyle’s unwavering stoner demeanor is thrown out the window when he’s forced to help Jonathan and his friends escape from a squad of trigger-happy government agents. Later, in season finale, it’s Argyle who comes up with the perfect way for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to mentally reach out and fight her nemesis, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). In a show practically overflowing with characters, Argyle’s heroic efforts — along with his refreshingly West Coast attitude — made him one of Stranger Things Season 4’s standouts. Fans of the blockbuster Netflix series quickly embraced Argyle, and the weight of that overwhelmingly positive reception isn’t lost on Franco. Continued here

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Are you exhausted or just tired? Experts explain the unique condition and how to combat it For some, the holiday season might be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us, it’s a time of profound exhaustion. Between the end-of-year rush to tie up loose ends at work, buying gifts for loved ones, frenetic holiday travel, and family events, it’s just...a lot. Exhaustion — which is different than sleep deprivation — can arise from both physical over-exertion, prolonged stress, or mental fatigue. Experts say the same principle is at the core of both mental and physical exhaustion: The body is so overtaxed that its performance, be it physical or mental, declines. Here are some common signs of exhaustion and how to recover from it. Continued here

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The lie of aqua nullius, 'nobody's water', prevails in Australia. Indigenous water reserves are not enough to deliver justice Anne Poelina is the volunteer Chair with the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council. She does not own, share or acquire any benefits from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council. She is the Managing Director (Volunteer) of Madjulla Inc. Indigenous Not for Profit Organisation based in the Kimberley, WA. She is also a member of the Aboriginal Water Group (AWG) advising the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulations; a member of the Commonwealth Aboriginal Water Interest; and of the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) inaugural First Nations appointment to its independent Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences. When the British colonised Australia they assumed terra nullius, “nobody’s land”, and aqua nullius, “nobody’s water”. In 1992, terra nullius was overturned – but aqua nullius remains. Continued here

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How Democrats won the West U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada guaranteed that Democrats would retain control of the Senate after the 2022 midterm elections. It also confirmed the strength of the Democratic Party in the West. Since 1992, Democrats have flipped the region away from Republican control, a shift that began with the end of the Cold War and carried through a Pacific Coast economic recession, anti-racism demonstrations and violence in Los Angeles and the area’s increasing diversity. Continued here

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Ukraine recap: Putin's trip to Minsk fuels fears of a bleak and bloody new year Volodymyr Zelensky has been on his travels this week, leaving Ukraine for the first time since the invasion to fly to the US to meet with Joe Biden and address a joint sitting of Congress. The Ukrainian president impressed with his Churchillian tone, comparing his country’s defiance of Russia’s war machine to the fight against Nazism in the second world war. “Just like the brave American soldiers which held their lines and fought back against Hitler’s forces during the Christmas of 1944, brave Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same … this Christmas,” he said. This will no doubt have irritated Vladimir Putin no end, given he has always insisted his invasion of Ukraine was all about ridding the country of its “gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis”. Continued here

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22 years ago, Final Fantasy's most underrated hero changed the series forever It’s packed with memorable character arcs, most notably Vivi and Zidane’s struggles to understand and accept their own identities. Of all the characters trying to make sense of their place in the world, the one fighting the hardest to be remembered has largely been forgotten by fans, ironically mirroring her story in FFIX. Continued here

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Chronic pain: An invisible disease whose sufferers are unfairly stigmatized Étudiante au doctorat recherche en sciences de la santé, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) Imagine living with pain every day for months, or even years — pain that is so intrusive, it disrupts every day of your life. Continued here

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Calling politicians 'clowns' is a disservice to clowns - yes, really A recent Labour party campaign mocked short-lived prime minister Liz Truss and current chancellor Jeremy Hunt as clowns, complete with photoshopped red noses, colourful wigs and oversize bowties. This advertisement echoed years of similar criticisms of former prime minister Boris Johnson and former US president Donald Trump. These are decidedly undeserved and pejorative representations – but not of the politicians. Continued here

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Curious Kids: why doesn't the rainbow have black, brown and grey in it? Why doesn’t the rainbow have colours like black, brown and grey in it? – Ivy, aged four, Kent, UK Many of us have seen rainbows in the sky once the sun starts shining again after a spell of rain. For us to see a rainbow, the conditions need to be just right. Continued here

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The 10 Best Podcast Episodes of 2022, According to One Entrepreneur's 295,000 Twitter Followers An entrepreneur's request for the best podcasts of the year results in a fantastic list of episodes to check out.Continued here S8 How equity, diversity and inclusion policies are becoming a tool for capitalism In capitalistic economies like those in the West, wealth and status accumulation often drive our every endeavour. Education, skills training and social networks, among other aspects, become tools that we use in this rat race to push ahead for our interests. Continued here S18 How to set up a kids' art studio at home (and learn to love the mess) Many parents want to encourage their children to be creative. This is not just about training the next Archibald Prize winner. Young people develop important emotional and cognitive skills when they make art. But at the same time, it can be tricky to know where to start. Or how to overcome the fear of a big clean up. Continued here S15 Palm kernel product imported for use on dairy farms may actually be harmful to cows Each year, New Zealand imports about 2 million tonnes of palm kernel expeller (PKE), a by-product of palm-oil processing in Indonesia and Malaysia, to feed dairy cows, at a cost of NZ$800 million. We analysed the chemical composition of several batches of PKE imported into New Zealand over two years. We found it contained concentrations of iron, magnesium and phosphorus that exceeded safe levels for dairy cattle health. Some batches contained concentrations of aluminium, copper, sulphur and potassium within 90% of their safe limits. Continued here S47 These frogs can become “invisible” and scientists just figured out their secret What if you had the power of invisibility, but it only works when you’re asleep? That might be useful for a surreptitious nap in public, but it still probably wouldn’t suit you as well as it does the Northern glass frog. The Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni, native to humid forests throughout Central and South America, has this dubious superpower. It’s just one of more than 100 species of glass frogs that are so-called because of their translucent skin and organs. Back in 1980, one study from the Journal of Morphology found that their bellies lack pigment, so their internal organs are visible. Then, a 2020 study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences proposed that this translucency is actually a camouflage technique. Continued here S2 LastPass Just Sent This Email to Let Customers Know Their Encrypted Passwords May Have Been Hacked The company isn't being forthcoming with users about exactly what happened to their sensitive data. Continued here S43 'The Pale Blue Eye' review: Edgar Allan Poe steals Christian Bale's thunder A sequel to the new film The Pale Blue Eye is not in the works. And yet, when you finish watching the film, the first thing on your mind might be: Could this be a backdoor pilot to an awesome Netflix detective show? Set in 1830, the movie tells the fictional origin story of how horror legend Edgar Allan Poe — played brilliantly by Harry Melling — became so enamored and sympathetic to all things macabre. Based on the 2003 Louis Bayard novel of the same name, The Pale Blue Eye is a psychological horror movie masquerading as a period-piece police procedural. It’s a slow burn of a movie, with a great twist, which will ultimately leave viewers wanting more. Continued here S30 The Devastating New History of the January 6th Insurrection The New Yorker is publishing the full report of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, in partnership with Celadon Books. The edition contains a foreword by the magazine’s editor, David Remnick, which you’ll find below, and an epilogue by Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the committee. Order the full report. In the weeks while the House select committee to investigate the insurrection at the Capitol was finishing its report, Donald Trump, the focus of its inquiry, betrayed no sense of alarm or self-awareness. At his country-club exile in Palm Beach, Trump ignored the failures of his favored candidates in the midterm elections and announced that he was running again for President. He dined cheerfully and unapologetically with a spiralling Kanye West and a young neo-fascist named Nick Fuentes. He mocked the government’s insistence that he turn over all the classified documents that he’d hoarded as personal property. Finally, he declared that he had a “major announcement,” only to unveil the latest in a lifetime of grifts. In the old days, it was Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Ice. This time, he was hawking “limited edition” digital trading cards at ninety-nine dollars apiece, illustrated portraits of himself as an astronaut, a sheriff, a superhero. The pitch began with the usual hokum: “Hello everyone, this is Donald Trump, hopefully your favorite President of all time, better than Lincoln, better than Washington.” Continued here S25 Trove's funding runs out in July 2023 - and the National Library is threatening to pull the plug. It's time for a radical overhaul The National Library is threatening to pull the plug on Trove, its free online service that provides public access to collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives. In its recent Trove Strategy, the library has indicated that without additional government support, it will shut the service down by July next year: Continued here S45 You need to play the best winter-themed video game DLC ASAP December brings with it holiday celebrations and, for those in the right places, a soft blanket of snow across the land. While people may dream of a white Christmas, it isn’t always great to have to go outside in below-freezing weather — no matter how pretty it may be. For those who want to experience winter landscapes without the downside, video games offer a great alternative and there is no better winter wonderland than the one in Horizon Zero Dawn’s snow-themed DLC The Frozen Wilds. Let it snow — The world of Horizon Zero Dawn was already gorgeous. From thick jungles to golden desserts, the ecosystems of Guerrilla Games’ impeccable open-world RPG are incredibly varied. But the one biome missing from the base game was a snow-filled playground for Aloy to explore. The Frozen Wilds, the game’s story DLC, rectifies this. Continued here S12 Friday essay: 1 in 25 Australians have been estranged from their families. True stories about this can make people feel less alone Have you stopped speaking to one or more of your parents, or a sibling? If so, you’re not alone. Family estrangement is common, and has affected around one in 25 Australians. Fictional potrayals of family estrangement routinely cast it as a plot device: an organising tension, or a problem to be “fixed”. For example, in the movie Encanto, about family ties, community, and magic, estrangement is vital to the story. Continued here S5 Genoa, an example on how to rethink cultural heritage and urban sustainability Urban planning has a long history, stretching back to Ancient Greece and even Mesopotamia. Many centuries later, Europe finally caught up with the idea when Genoa developed the Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli – the “new streets” and “Rolli palaces” – in the late 1500s. At the time, the city was an important centre of power, culture and finance, and the projects represented one of the first urban frameworks established by a public authority. The “palaces” were a system of public lodgings in private residences, and over time they and the strade nuove became fully integrated into the city’s fabric. An outstanding early example of an urban ensemble, they were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2006. Continued here S17 Already under fire politically, Three Waters is also threatened by NZ's critical shortage of skilled engineers There were nearly 300 water engineer positions advertised on recruitment website Seek last month. The high demand for these specialist engineers bodes ill for the government’s Three Waters reform, which will rely heavily on experts the country currently doesn’t have in the required numbers. The shortage mirrors the situation in other construction fields. Time and again, staff shortages have affected major infrastructure projects in New Zealand. It’s a chronic problem that needs addressing urgently. Continued here S22 Indigenous conservation funding must reflect Canada's true debt to First Nations, Inuit and M The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) wrapped up in Montréal on Sunday. The ratification of the so-called 30x30 proposal to protect 30 per cent of the Earth’s territories by 2030 was a central focus during the 12 days of negotiations at the international summit. Canada is an enthusiastic supporter of the global 30x30 plan, which is championed by a host of nations and international environmental NGOs like The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund. Continued here S48 How to use a real keyboard inside VR on the Quest Pro The Quest Pro has a solid selection of productivity apps, but to get your best work done, you'll probably need a keyboard. The Quest Pro isn’t the perfect work tool yet, but if you’ve acknowledged the headset’s shortcomings and are still looking to start working in virtual reality, you will want to connect some accessories. Continued here S35 Inverse writer Jackson Chen’s 10 favorite tech products of 2022 As 2022 comes to a close, we want to share with you the devices, software, and services that have made the Inverse gear team's lives both professionally and personally better throughout the year. Nothing here is sponsored, though our parent company BDG will get a commission if you buy anything through the affiliate links. Mostly, this is just our team's personal favorite tech of the year — all in one place. Jackson Chen here, the gear writer for Inverse. I’ve been covering consumer tech for more than a year now, after getting my start at Input. I’ve always been interested in consumer tech since it practically surrounds us in all aspects of our lives these days. Continued here S69 Disgraced FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried released on $250 million bail Set to live with his parents, the founder of FTX, the once crazy rich 30 year old Sam Bankman-Fried was arraigned in a Westchester, New York court today. Other former employees of FTX, and floating in Bankman-Fried's orbit have already pled guilty and are cooperating with federal authorities. The federal judge ruled that Bankman-Fried could be freed on $250 million bail, stemming from eight counts of alleged fraud in relation to the collapse of FTX this year. Continued here S41 Using One Phone To Do It All? Read This. If you’ve ever broken into a cold sweat after almost posting a work file to your social media — or accidentally shared a selfie on your work account — then you know the comedy of errors that is having a shared personal-and-business phone. In fact, a recent BDG Studios/OnePoll survey of over 1,000 Gen Zers from across the United States found that 61% of them store work files on their personal devices. Continued here S40 Proactive Tips For Protecting Your Data While Working On The Go Between 2019 and 2021, the number of Americans working remotely tripled from 5.7% to 17.9%. For some, this meant working from the comforts of home, while others opted for more stimulating environments. According to a recent BDG Studios/OnePoll survey of over 1,000 Gen Zers from across the United States, almost 10% of respondents stated that their favorite place to work outside of their office was a café or restaurant. Continued here S44 'Avatar 2' writers reveal why it had to end with a cliffhanger James Cameron’s sequel had so much story to tell that the writers are still telling it in Avatar 3. The world of Pandora is full of stories yet to be told, but Avatar: The Way of Water originally had too many to tell. Continued here S6 Could 'Peer Community In' be the revolution in scientific publishing we've all been waiting for? Conservateur des bibliothèques, Référent Science ouverte, Université de Perpignan Denis Bourguet is co-founder of Peer Community In and Peer Community Journal and president of the Peer Community In association. Continued here S46 Behold! This gorgeous galaxy image merges Hubble and Webb data in stunning detail NGC 1566 is a barred spiral galaxy 40 million light years away, and it was one of the James Webb Space Telescope's first batch of science targets. The Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes join forces to give us this dazzling and colorful view of spiral galaxy NGC 1566: a swirling scaffolding of dense dusty filaments, shining star clusters, and bright bursts of star formation, with a supermassive black hole at its blazing heart. Continued here S14 Repeated head injury may cause degenerative brain disease for people who play sport - juniors and amateurs included Where there are players and a game to be won, you can expect some “rough and tumble” on the sporting field. But when do the bumps become a problem for players? And what can we do to protect them from traumatic brain injury? Submissions are open for Australia’s senate inquiry into concussions and repeated head trauma in contact sports, with findings to be reported by mid year. The inquiry was borne out of growing concern about the long-term impact of such injuries, whether they can cause chronic brain problems and the liability of sporting organisations. Continued here S42 One 'Marvel Snap' Patriot deck shatters the game's ability-focused meta Having trouble winning matches consistently in Marvel Snap? If so — or if you’re just looking for a new way to demolish your opponents — you have to try the meta Patriot deck. This is a deck that doesn’t rely on dishing out high-Power in one spot, but instead, is a way to buff many of your cards across the board. Oftentimes, having an even distribution of high-Power can be enough to win a match. In this guide, we’ll show you how to effectively create the meta Patriot deck, with tips on how to use it properly in Marvel Snap. There are several variations of the Patriot deck, but one, in particular, stands tall above the rest. Continued here S24 Addicted to chilli? Here's how it might help us regain our sense of taste after COVID The news of a hot chilli sauce shortages earlier this year – due to high temperatures and drought in agricultural regions – prompted warnings to stock up on supplies or forego adding this flavor to your food. But what prompts people to want to do this in the first place? We are usually born with an aversion to the sensations like the taste of chilli on our tongue. This isn’t surprising because the key ingredient in chilli is a compound called capsaicin, which causes a painful and even burning sensation when it comes into contact with sensitive areas of our skin, eyes and mouth. Little wonder that it is also a key ingredient in pepper spray. Continued here S49 4 best places to farm Genshin Impact's absolutely essential Crystal Cores You can never have too many Crystal Cores in Genshin Impact. These little crystal seeds can be used to craft Condensed Resin, which can help you earn extra rewards from tasks that utilize Resin like Domains and Leylines. You might also need them to fulfill tasks from limited-time web events. Genshin Impact has no end in sight, so there’s plenty of time to use them. But where exactly can you obtain Crystal Cores? Do they grow on trees? Here are four locations where you can find an abundance of Crystal Cores. Crystal Cores are necessary items for crafting Condensed Resin. You can farm them from Anemo, Cryo, Geo, Electro, or Dendro Crystalflies in Mondstadt, Dragonspine, Liyue, Inazuma, and Sumeru respectively. The color and shape will change depending on the region you’re searching. Continued here S38 Why a book-loving fungus has alien-hunting scientists excited An Italian library is the last place you'd look for analogs for alien life, but it turns out that you should definitely look. Alien life might survive “uninhabitable” environments by simply changing them, suggests a recent study of — bizarrely enough — a fungus that grows on book covers in climate-controlled libraries. Continued here S51 This Tesla conversion kit turns your Model Y into an offroad beast The Tesla Y is already plenty capable in off-road conditions. If you’re looking to really get into some mud and snow though, Delta4x4’s conversion kit gives the compact crossover a rally car makeover. Delta4x4’s suspension kit lifts the Model Y by about 35 mm. When you combine it with the widened track and wheel mount that lifts it another 8 cm, the modified Tesla Y will have a total of 22 cm of ground clearance. Continued here S50 Everything you need to know about the dazzling 'Fire Emblem Engage' Fire Emblem has come a long way over the last 10 years from an obscure series on the verge of ending to one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises that has multiple spinoffs, like the Dynasty Warriors-esque Three Hopes and the massive mobile hit Fire Emblem Heroes — which is to say nothing of 2019’s widely beloved Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Now the series is set to evolve once again with Fire Emblem Engage, a very different-looking mainline entry that sports a vibrant art style and lets you summon the heroes of past games. Here’s everything we know about Fire Emblem Engage. Surprisingly, Nintendo announced a release date right when it revealed the game: Fire Emblem Engage will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch on January 20, 2023. On top of the digital version of the game, Nintendo will also be releasing a physical “Divine Edition” that comes with a Steelbook, art book, art cards, and poster. The edition costs $59.99 and can be pre-ordered from Nintendo’s store. Continued here S68 Ancient Mars did not have atmospheric oxygen, claims new research A new experimental study conducted by Washington University in St. Louis is defeating any hope that scientists have had that atmospheric oxygen once existed on the Red Planet, according to a press release by the institution published on Thursday. The new research is indicating that just because NASA’s Mars rovers found manganese oxides on Mars in 2014 does not mean that oxygen was actually present in the planet’s atmosphere. Continued here S63 How do laser weapons work? What to know about the US Army's latest tool Back in September of 2022, Lockheed Martin unveiled its 300-kW-class electric laser that can be used for tactical purposes. Delivered to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSDR&E), this is the most powerful laser that Lockheed Martin has made. This 300 kW-class laser is ready to be used in U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) demonstration programs, such as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) laser weapon system used by the U.S. Army. Continued here S67 Billionaires are investing in brain-computer-interface systems. Here's why Earlier this month, we reported that Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos- backed foundations ( Gates Frontier and Bezos Expeditions) joined other companies in investing $ 75 million in Synchron, the endovascular brain-computer interface (BCI) company. Meanwhile, it is common knowledge that Elon Musk is behind the industry -leading startup Neuralink. Finally, Peter Thiel, a billionaire cofounder of PayPal, invested last year in an older BCI startup called Utah's Blackrock Neurotech that has announced it hopes to apply for Food and Drug Administration approval soon. What is behind this popular rush to support BCI firms? Continued here S55 'Alice in Borderland' Season 2 ending explained: What that wild finale really means Alice in Borderland is back on Netflix, just in time to celebrate the holidays. While the first season of the Japanese deadly competition thriller, which hit Netflix in December of 2020, adapted roughly the first 31 chapters of Hara Asu’s manga, the second season covers the final 33 chapters. This means that — while there is always a chance for more seasons of the live-action adaptation, especially if this batch of episodes does well — Season 2 wraps up the story of Arisu’s traumatic time in Borderland in a definitive way. It all started with fireworks, or so we thought. As Ariusu, Chota, and Karube run into the subway station at Shibuya Crossing in the very first episode of Alice in Borderland, fireworks explode in the sky above the city. Later, a woman Kaito Kameyama interviews for his documentary says she remembers “fireworks that weren’t really fireworks” when they all came to Borderland. As we learn in the Season 2 finale, what first appeared to be fireworks in the sky over Tokyo was actually a meteorite. The space debris hits and explodes in the Shibuya area of the city, instantly killing many and sending others — i.e. many of the characters we meet in Borderland — to fight for their lives. Continued here S52 The Quest Pro should work more like a TV or monitor One of the best uses for a headset like the Quest Pro is for watching videos and movies on a theater-sized screen. My 4K TV is pretty big at 65 inches, but watching Alice in Borderland Season 2 on it pales in comparison to watching it on a VR display that is 100 inches or larger. This brings me to a major gripe I have with not just the Quest Pro, but also the Quest 2: there’s no way to connect my phone, tablet, or laptop directly to the headsets to instantly watch content that’s not available in the Meta Quest Store. Continued here S54 Look: 9 notable images from Mars missions in 2022 With eyes on the Red Planet from nearly every angle, we’re learning more about Mars than at any time in history. Some were tiny and dug up from the dust, while others were miles-long geological formations observed from above. Continued here S61 Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart | Psyche Ideas It is a remarkable and mysterious fact that a life devoted to beauty can be a good life. Leonard Cohen spent his life writing beautiful songs and literature: ‘A lot of those songs are just a response to what struck me as beauty, whatever that curious emanation from a being or an object or a situation or a landscape, you know,’ he said. ‘That had a very powerful effect on me, as it does on everyone, and I prayed to have some response to the things that were so clearly beautiful to me.’ Cohen prayed to respond to beauty with beauty, and just listen to what his ‘prayers’ – and his sustained effort over many decades – yielded. Continued here S37 The best video game kiss of 2022 makes me feel less alone A tender kiss between lovers is not something I expected in a survival horror game. Yet there it was. About two-thirds of the way through Signalis, the protagonist Elster is at her lowest moment. She just traversed an abandoned facility filled with undead monsters in hopes of reuniting with her lost companion, Ariane, to no avail. In a near-dead haze, she recalls a memory from a happier time. Continued here S60 Tours of Duty: The New Employer-Employee Compact A new arrangement is needed, the authors argue—one built on alliance (usually temporary) and reciprocity. The high-tech start-up community of Silicon Valley is pointing the way—and companies that wish to be similarly agile and entrepreneurial can learn valuable lessons from its example. Continued here S53 Russia may send an empty spacecraft to retrieve stranded crew on the ISS NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos answered questions about the Soyuz MS-22 coolant leak last week. When NASA broadcasts highlights from the International Space Station, they often go on without a hitch. But a rare anomaly played out last week in front of the station’s cameras: Just hours before a spacewalk was set to occur, the ISS experienced a dramatic coolant leak. Continued here S56 Behold! The making of Netflix’s 'My Father’s Dragon' A beautiful new book reveals the concept art behind Cartoon Saloon’s latest animated triumph. To help adorn the most sentimental of seasons, here’s an early peek at an enchanting new coffee table book arriving from Abrams Books in January titled, The Art of My Father’s Dragon. Continued here S59 How heaven became a place among the stars | Aeon Essays The Ladder of Divine Ascent (detail), a fresco in the Kykkos monastery, Cyprus. Photo by Getty The Ladder of Divine Ascent (detail), a fresco in the Kykkos monastery, Cyprus. Photo by Getty Continued here S65 In a first, scientists produced male and female cells from a single person Scientists created male and female cells with the same genetic code from the same person for the first time. This unique set of cells could provide researchers with valuable insights into how sex chromosomes affect various diseases and their role in early development. In humans, most people have two sex chromosomes, either two X chromosomes (XX) or an X chromosome and a Y chromosome (XY). These sex chromosomes determine an individual's sex and are responsible for the development of female or male biological attributes. Continued here S64 Accidentally harvested weed alongside spinach caused hallucinations in Australians Testing has identified a toxic weed as the cause of hallucinations in nearly 200 individuals who ate baby spinach in Australia, South China Morning Post reported. The weed known as devil's trumpet or devil's snare was accidentally harvested and packed along with baby spinach at a producer's facility in New South Wales. The mishap came to light after people across four states in Australia reported symptoms of hallucinations after consuming products such as salads and stir-fry mixes that had been sold at multiple brands of retail outlets in the island nation. Food Standards Australia issued a recall for these products with an expiry date of December 28. Continued here S66 Lightweight and energy-dense electric motors to power the first hybrid rocket Things are on course for the most lightweight and energy-dense electric motors ever developed to power Australia's first commercial orbital launch vehicle, the Eris. If the launch is successful, it will be the first rocket ever with hybrid engines to reach Earth's orbit. The advanced electric motors and inverters used in the project are manufactured by UK-based Equipmake in partnership with Australia's Gilmour Space. This partnership marks the foray of the former into the space industry. With expertise in weight reduction techniques, Equipmake was able to meet Gilmour Space’s stringent requirements for power and weight, which becomes a critical factor in space missions. Equipmake and Gilmour Space started working on the project in late 2020.  Continued here S62 Scientists can now "see" things without "looking" at them using a new quantum technique A team of scientists has devised a means of using quantum mechanics to "view" objects indirectly. The new method could improve measurements for quantum computers and other systems. It brings together the quantum and classical worlds. We "see" things via the complex interaction of light photons within specialized cells in the retina of our eyes. However, some scientists have speculated that a similar phenomenon could be replicated without photo-absorption or without any light. Continued here S57 'Glass Onion' ending explained: The answer is in the title In the lyrics for “Glass Onion” by The Beatles, the iconic rockers from Liverpool mock their own listeners for reading way too much into the symbolic imagery found in their music. “Looking through a glass onion” is to seek understanding of complexity when there is none. Filmmaker Rian Johnson isn’t quite making fun of his audience with his latest movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. But as gentleman detective Benoit Blanc clearly points out in the film’s third act: The culprit is a huge idiot, and everything is actually obvious — even the ending. Continued here S58 An unvarnished, poetic account of a new mother’s struggle to breastfeed | Aeon Videos Part of the UK filmmaker Rebecca Manley’s Postpartum Poems Project, which is inspired by her own experiences, Cluster Feeding addresses an unromantic aspect of new motherhood that is often little-discussed and hidden from view. The short is composed of an intimate, direct-to-camera monologue in which the UK actress Victoria Yeates performs Manley’s poem on the mental and physical toll of struggling to breastfeed an inconsolable infant. Offering an unguarded view of her feelings, Manley’s raw work illuminates one of the complexities and disorientations that can accompany a baby’s birth. From violent criminal to loving parent – a son’s story of his father’s transformation Continued here Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Followers Blog Archive ►  2024 (50) ►  October (2) ►  August (2) ►  July (4) ►  June (3) ►  May (5) ►  April (4) ►  March (2) ►  February (10) ►  January (18) ►  2023 (834) ►  December (20) ►  November (54) ►  October (44) ►  September (108) ►  August (91) ►  July (29) ►  June (68) ►  May (104) ►  April (33) ►  March (30) ►  February (99) ►  January (154) ▼  2022 (208) ▼  December (117) January 1, 2023 - This Scientist Fled a Deadly Wil... January 1, 2023 - This Scientist Fled a Deadly Wil... 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