December 28, 2022 - Scientists Solve Major Mystery of Powerful Energy Beams Pointed at Earth

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Scientists Solve Major Mystery of Powerful Energy Beams Pointed at Earth Though our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is in a sleepy phase at the moment, many other “active” galaxies are bursting at the seams with energetic matter that is juiced up by the supermassive black holes that lurk at their centers. Intense interactions between the huge black holes and their gassy surroundings can cause radiant jets to erupt from these galaxies at close to the speed of light; some jets extend for more than a million light years into deep space.  Continued here

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Can art destruction save us from climate destruction? It’s a form of nonviolent protest that’s heavily reliant on shock value and has drawn the ire of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government, who have vowed to crack down on disruptive climate protests. While most protesters who’ve been arrested have been released on bail after a relatively short period, the sharpest legal response has come in the form of a new Public Order Bill, which would punish the act of gluing oneself to objects or buildings, or blocking transport by six months in prison. Continued here

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As Pro-Union Sentiment Reaches a Fifty-Year High, U.S. Law Remains Pro-Management On a Monday in late November, I had breakfast with Nick Wurst, a conductor on the C.S.X. railroad, at a diner in his home town of Worcester, Massachusetts. We met before dawn, and Wurst, a bearded twenty-six-year-old, was wearing a reflective Carhartt shirt and a knit hat for his 7:30 A.M. shift at the freight terminal in Framingham, about thirty miles away. His union, SMART-TD, which represents railway conductors and engineers, had just voted down a proposed contract meant to resolve a three-year-long standoff over wages, scheduling, and benefits. The agreement had been drafted not in the usual course of collective bargaining between the twelve rail unions and the National Carriers’ Conference Committee but by fiat, at the behest of President Biden. The Administration had impanelled an emergency board, which whipped up a contract in less than a month to prevent a strike. Each union had a chance to vote on the emergency board’s proposal, and SMART’s no made a confrontation more likely. Yet, “Everyone knows the strike will be broken if it happens,” Wurst, who voted against the contract, told me. He believed that the threat of a strike was necessary to both send a message to the corporate carriers and pressure union leaders to more aggressively represent their members. At the same time, he knew that he was an outlier—a longtime socialist and an organizer with Railroad Workers United, a progressive advocacy group that spans multiple unions. Continued here

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Can Deion Sanders Show Colorado--and Major College Football--the Power of Prime? Coach Prime won at Jackson State by being Deion. Now at Colorado, will his individual star power, recruiting prowess, and football expertise be enough to turn the Buffaloes into winners? Continued here

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Babylon: The truth behind the outrageous Hollywood epic It's no great surprise that Babylon – the new unhinged period epic set in 1920s silent-era Hollywood from La La Land director Damien Chazelle – seems to be generating mixed reactions from its viewers so far. Those expecting anything like La La Land will find themselves awash in vomit, cocaine, and off-the-wall homages to the sleaziest undersides of Old Hollywood history: murder, addiction, suicide, and more. With its spinning overhead shots of frenzied, hedonistic parties, mountains of Class-A drugs, and depiction of a fledgling movie colony who regarded health and safety on set as something of an afterthought (to say the least), you can see why some critics may have been taken aback by its full-throated, enjoyably naughty squalor. More like this: – Babylon review: 'A cinematic marvel' – A nostalgic look at porn's 'golden age' – Hollywood's most misunderstood icon Continued here

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The incredible shrinking future of college In 2021, Shippensburg University won the NCAA Division II Field Hockey championship, completing an undefeated season with a 3-0 victory over archrival West Chester. The “Ship” Raiders also won it all in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2013, which I know because I saw it written in big letters on a banner festooning the fieldhouse on Ship’s campus in south-central Pennsylvania when I visited last month. Continued here

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4 facts about seagulls that will make you love these relentless chip thieves Whether they’re stealing your chips or screeching at your picnic table, seagulls are a hallmark of Australian summers. But how much do you really know about them? In Australia, the most common species of seagull is the silver gull (Larus novaehollandiae), which is found throughout the continent. People in southern Australia may have also seen its larger, dark-winged cousin, the Pacific gull (Larus pacificus). Continued here

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For burglars, it's the most wonderful time of the year: how to keep your home safe these holidays The lead-up to the holiday period is often referred to as the silly season — but it is when offenders get serious; burglary rates tend to increase during the festive season. Why? Homes around this time of year are often full of Christmas presents, so there is a lot of new merchandise to attract burglars. And sometimes people also break into houses looking to steal food and goods they need, or items they can pass on as gifts – and burglars know there’s a good chance the home will be empty during the holiday season. Continued here

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The Post-COVID “Immunity Gap” Continues to Pummel Pediatric Wards It's after 9 P.M., and I'm with the pediatric night team in the children's emergency room at my hospital. We're admitting another toddler with a viral infection. The kid has the flu, or RSV, parainfluenza, rhinovirus, adenovirus, COVID, enterovirus, or some mix of multiple viruses—it hardly matters. She is coming into the hospital so that we can help her breathe. Tonight, as is the case in children's hospitals across the country, we don't have a room available in our ward for the new patient. She will stay in the emergency room overnight, but we pediatricians will take over her care so that the E.R. docs can focus on the other sick kids who continue to arrive. In recent months, children nationwide have been struggling through widespread and severe viral outbreaks. Frequent illnesses and hospitalizations have strained pediatric health systems, and, last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (A.A.P.) and the Children's Hospital Association asked the Biden Administration to declare a national emergency. The crisis continues, and we are facing local shortages of fever medicines as well as a national shortage of one of our most important and commonly used liquid antibiotics, amoxicillin. Continued here

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Watch a YouTuber use a 3-D printed replica of his guts to operate on himself British YouTuber Tom Scott aided with the robotic surgery carried out on the Lazarus 3D company's 3D printed replica of his bowels. Scott and a real-life surgeon got knife into them. As told by Scott himself on his YouTube video, Lazarus 3D, Inc. printed a full-sized, realistic heavy copy of his abdomen, complete with the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Continued here

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'RRR' director S.S. Rajamouli talks Top Gun, Avatar, and propaganda The director of this year's crossover Indian action epic RRR talks Top Gun, Avatar, and propaganda. There are two types of people who say “there are two types of people” — fictional characters, and S.S. Rajamouli. Continued here

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The forecast for 2023 is hot 2023 is forecast to be a hotter year than 2022, according to the UK’s Met Office weather service. Why? Well, an unusual three-year-long weather pattern that typically has a cooling effect on our planet should finally come to an end next year. On top of that, global average temperatures are expected to rise as greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb. Continued here

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Top 10 tips to keep cool this summer while protecting your health and your budget With energy prices and temperatures both rising, keeping cool in summer is an increasingly costly challenge for many Australians. Energy bills are predicted to increase by 50% over the next two years, adding to the cost-of-living crisis. For some, this creates stark choices between paying energy bills or putting food on the table. Australians need to take the risks of heat seriously and do what they can to keep their homes cool. As the World Health Organization points out, energy and health are inextricably linked. Continued here

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How to protect yourself against bushfire smoke this summer It’s bushfire season. So you might be wondering about the best way to protect yourself from the health impacts of smoke. Guidelines suggest wearing respirators, avoiding outdoor air and avoiding vigorous activity outdoors. Many people use the cheaper option of a surgical mask during bushfires. But there has never been a clinical trial to measure how well these interventions work. That’s why our group is looking into it. Continued here

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'Soft Girl': The radical trend millennials love In the 1960s there were the mods and rockers. The 70s saw the disco and flower power eras, while in the 80s, new romantic style had its heyday. Fast forward to the present however, and if you have succumbed to the escapist realms of TikTok, your evening scroll through will have likely exposed you to a whole new world of subcultures. Unfolding at a rapid pace, these aesthetics and styles – which reach dizzying heights as far as likes and engagements are concerned – see the lines between fashion and beauty blur with lifestyle, culture and identity. How we dress and the way we look, these trends tell us, communicate an outward expression of how we choose to live. In recent years it's been hard to miss the Soft Girl trend on TikTok, a #SoftGirl aesthetic that is, as The Trend Spotter puts it, full of "pastel colours, fluttering butterflies and warm fluffy clouds", and as The List says, "slightly-cottagecore, super-femme". However, there is more to "Soft Girl" than pretty pastels and cutesy accessories. Before migrating to Western consciousness by way of social media, the concept of a Soft Life originated in the Nigerian influencer community. In a context where Nigeria is experiencing its own cost of living crisis, a soft life was never about the flamboyant expressions of materialism or wealth that we'd normally associate with a life of leisure. It doesn't mean expensive spa days or luxury travel. Rather, it asks us to don our most comfortable outfit and consider what a day-to-day life of ease would look like for ourselves. Then, it challenges us to put this into practice. The aesthetic has even recently been described as the precursor to the "quiet quitting" trend. Having rapidly evolved into a wider movement, with #SoftLife and #SoftGirlSummer trending alongside it, it's unsurprising that the #SoftBlackGirl phenomenon has resonated with black women and girls so deeply.  Continued here

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These DIY boxes are a cheap and effective way to filter out indoor air pollutants A simple, easy-to-construct air filter leveraging simple hardware products can protect us against illnesses caused by chemical pollutants and viruses. The successful collaboration of a team of researchers from Silent Spring Institute, Brown University's School of Public Health, and Brown's School of Engineering has resulted in game-changing air filters. They have found that Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes are an effective way to help prevent the risks of indoor air pollutants.  Continued here

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US military's biometric capture device is for sale on eBay Security researchers at the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), a European hacker organization, purchased six biometric capture devices previously used by the U.S. military on eBay. One such device called Secure Electronic Enrollment Kit, or SEEK II, was auctioned for a price of $68 with sensitive personnel information on it still accessible, The New York Times reported. The shoebox-shaped device equipped to capture and store uniquely identifiable biometric data such as iris scans and fingerprints was listed on the online website for $149.95. Matthias Marx, a member of the CCC, offered a meager $68 for the same, and it was shipped to his hometown of Hamburg, Germany, with names, nationalities, photographs, and biometric data of 2,632 people, accessible without any encryption. Continued here

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Your Favorite YouTube or TikTok Star Now Probably Owns a Restaurant Dylan Lemay had worked at Cold Stone Creamery for eight years before he started posting on TikTok in early 2020, motivated by a friend’s goal of becoming “TikTok famous.” Through POV-style videos of himself decorating ice cream cakes and tossing balls of ice cream into the air, he became the platform’s top food and beverage creator by the end of 2021. Continued here

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6 non-fiction reads for kids this summer, recommended by kids aged 9 to 11 No one likes nagging their kids to read, though we know reading is crucial to their critical and literacy development. But what do they think about books and reading over the summer? Kids’ voices are often overlooked when it comes to cultural criticism. Continued here

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Stop watching movie trailers At best they’ll just show you stuff you probably knew anyway, or don’t need to know — who’s in the movie, what’s on the soundtrack, the basic plot setup. Maybe the look or the tone or the vibe. But trailers aren’t designed to give you a glimpse of the movie; they’re mini-movies, designed to sell tickets (or maybe subscriptions to a streamer). And they’re starting to feel increasingly divorced from their actual movies. Continued here

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Everybody promised to disrupt the smartphone -- and the smartphone outlasted them all Everywhere you turned over the last few years, someone was promising The Next Big Thing After Smartphones. Yes, they’d say, the iPhone is the most ubiquitous product in the history of consumer electronics and the smartphone reprogrammed the world in utterly unparalleled ways. But have you seen this voice assistant that makes Morgan Freeman give you driving directions, or these humongous goggles that let you play ping-pong with someone across the globe? This is the future. Continued here

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Why a plan to link India and Burma with one of the world's most scenic railroads didn't work out In 19th century, engineers trekked through the jungles of Assam and Kachin state to decide the ideal path for a railway line. But economics and war intervened. Continued here

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What the West Gets Wrong About China Many people have wrongly assumed that political freedom would follow new economic freedoms in China and that its economic growth would have to be built on the same foundations as in the West. The authors suggest that those assumptions are rooted in three essentially false beliefs about modern China: (1) Economics and democracy are two sides of the same coin; (2) authoritarian political systems can’t be legitimate; and (3) the Chinese live, work, and invest like Westerners. But at every point since 1949 the Chinese Communist Party—central to the institutions, society, and daily experiences that shape all Chinese people—has stressed the importance of Chinese history and of Marxist-Leninist doctrine. Until Western companies and politicians understand this and revise their views, they will continue to get China wrong. Continued here

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The Murky Path To Becoming a 'New York Times' Best Seller Anyone who’s worked for a major book publisher in recent memory knows the energy that crackles through the office at 4:59 P.M. on Wednesday afternoons, right before the preview of next week’s .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}best seller list arrives from The New York Times. After months of pitching reviews, planning marketing campaigns, doing bookseller outreach, and begging for budget, this is the moment when you find out if it was enough to earn your author a spot on the best seller list. Continued here

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India's first human space flight, 'Gaganyaan' scheduled for 2024 India's Minister for Science and Technology told the Parliament last week that India's first human space flight mission has been scheduled for the last quarter of 2024. Dubbed Gaganyaan, the project aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capacity by launching a three-member crew to an orbit of nearly 250 miles (400 km) for three days, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) says on its webpage. India's space program is still in its early stages but has been making global headlines in recent years after ISRO's launch vehicle launched a record-breaking 104 satellites in one go a few years ago. More recently, a private space tech company test-fired the world's first 3D-printed rocket engine, which has a turnaround of just four days. Continued here

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Homes that survived the Boulder County fire 1 year ago hid another disaster inside - here's what we've learned about this insidious urban wildfire health risk This article is part of a collaboration with Boulder Reporting Lab, The Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder, KUNC public radio and The Conversation U.S. to explore the impacts of the devastating Marshall Fire one year after the blaze. The series can be found at the Boulder Reporting Lab. On Dec. 30, 2021, one of the most destructive wildfires on record in Colorado swept through neighborhoods just a few miles from our offices at the University of Colorado Boulder. The flames destroyed over 1,000 buildings, yet when we drove through the affected neighborhoods, some houses were still completely intact right next to homes where nothing was left to burn. Continued here

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Elon Musk's personal fortune slid by $140 billion in 2022 For the most part of 2022, Elon Musk was the wealthiest person in the world. However, as the year draws to a close, Musk has lost the top spot as his personal fortune has diminished by a whopping $132 billion this year, Markets Insider reported. 2021 was a terrific year for Elon Musk. As the world grappled with issues arising out of the pandemic, Musk's electric vehicle-making company made record deliveries and caught the eye of investors taking its stock value to record highs. Toward the end of the year, Tesla's stock price reached an all-time high of $407, and Musk's personal fortune ballooned to over $300 billion, making him the wealthiest person by quite some distance. Continued here

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Making aviation history: When a SAAB J37 almost shot down an SR-71 In 1986, Business Insider reports, a Swedish-made jet fighter, a J37 "Viggen," managed to get a missile and visual lock on one of the fastest aircraft in history; the infamous Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird." This was completely unexpected and, unsurprisingly enough, was a day that went down in aviation history. The Lockheed SR-71 was renowned for its speed, achieving multiple speed records over its nearly 25 years of service. On July 28, 1976, the plane went an incredible 2,193.167 mph (3,529.56 kph), which was the best thing that ever happened. Continued here

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Groundbreaking study reveals how to make perovskite solar cells more practical than ever The photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity in most solar panels, are made of silicon. Solar cells comprising silicon crystals demand a lot of energy and are developed through costly multi-step manufacturing methods. This is why solar panels are currently so expensive. However, there is an alternative to silicon that has the potential to reduce the cost as well as increase the efficiency of solar panels, according to a press release. We are talking about mixed-halide perovskites, special materials that can serve as ideal crystals for solar cells.  Continued here

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Essential accessories for your new iPhone The iPhone is one of the most popular pocket-friendly computers on the planet, and while its functions are innumerable, accessories can help you get even more out of the device. The most basic accessories will prevent the handset from getting damaged accidentally. In contrast, others will improve the performance of its cameras or turn the device into a credible mobile podcast recorder. The options, however, may feel overwhelming for new iPhone owners, so we’ve put together this list of some essential iPhone accessories if you were recently gifted or upgraded to Apple’s signature smartphone. Most of the accessories we’re recommending are compatible with any iPhone released in the past three to five years, but some—cases specifically—are designed for a specific model. We’ve chosen to highlight the iPhone 14 version of those accessories, though case and screen-protector manufacturers have the same offerings for multiple phone versions. Continued here

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Why does the power go out during extremely cold weather? A brutal winter storm brought Christmas chaos and misery to millions of Americans as intense snow, and frigid cold gripped parts of the eastern United States. The extreme weather has severely taxed electricity grids, with multiple power providers urging millions of people to reduce usage to minimize rolling blackouts, highlighting the vulnerability of power systems equipment in such extreme weather. The electric system consists of thousands of components that are mostly electromechanical, with lots of moving parts. There is a range where these components work best. When the weather gets too cold or hot, or humidity levels go beyond the range, the electrical system will not be as efficient. Those moving components will need to work just a little harder to achieve the same result as they would on a more favorable day. It doesn’t help that our infrastructure is aging, making it more difficult for the electrical system to respond to extreme weather occurrences. Continued here

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Fails of 2022: the Nintendo Switch really showed its age The Nintendo Switch’s lousy performance is as enduring as the console itself. Grainy, stuttery graphics are synonymous with playing games on the 2017 system, which hasn’t gotten a spec upgrade to boost how games look and run. And in the five-plus years since the Switch was released, remarking on disappointing visuals has been a fixture in our reviews of the console’s best games.  Continued here

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Study suggests exactly how many minutes of exercise per day can boost longevity Data from our latest study has shown that you don’t need a long workout to get health benefits from exercise. Most of us know that regular exercise is important for our health and longevity. But with our busy schedules, many of us struggle to find the time to fit in a workout. Data from our latest study has shown that you don’t need a long workout to get health benefits from exercise. Continued here

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The Horror That FromSoftware Lost Between 'Demon's Souls' and 'Elden Ring' Within an hour I wasn't sure I'd touch Elden Ring again. Demon's Souls 2020 winded me, reminding me so completely what these games were before the internet got ahold of them that Elden Ring, built to address a decade of fan engagement, instantly felt less unique, more the actual dark fantasy RPG everyone always claimed they wanted than the mad experiment in *religious survival horror* inflicted on an unsuspecting public over a decade ago. Elden Ring might be a masterpiece, but it doesn't make me fear God or Hell the way Demon's Souls did, as it still does.I may never finish Elden Ring. Not because it isn't a great game. It's obviously some kind of masterpiece, a synthesis of everything From Software has learned since they created Demon's Souls 13 years ago. That sleeper hit gave way to their mega hit Dark Souls and its many sequels/spin-offs, creating a new subgenre and leaving a mark on the industry that hasn't yet faded. There is nothing else like them at the AAA budget level: nothing as weird, as singular, as committed to eccentricity, to their own mad gameplay and narrative logic, which are often one in the same. Continued here

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How to get your year-end roundups for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam It’s that time of year again. 2022 has been a long year for gaming, featuring bops and flops from Elden Ring, the Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022, to more questionable releases like Babylon’s Fall. It also furthered the bar for the best Nintendo Switch games, best Xbox Game Pass games, and even major moves for PlayStation in the games industry. Now, gaming companies are offering us a way to see what games we spent our time with this year. Copying the same sentiment as Spotify Wrapped, Nintendo has its Year in Review, PlayStation has its Wrap-Up, and so on. Here’s how to get yours. The Nintendo Switch Year in Review is something you need to access through your online Nintendo account rather than your console. Log into your Nintendo account from the Nintendo Year in Review page, and it will spit out your stats in an orderly timeline for review. Continued here

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New study provides fresh insight into why some people gain weight more quickly According to a new study by University of Copenhagen researchers, some people have a composition of gut microbes that makes them better at harvesting energy than others. It's a significant step toward understanding why some people put on weight more easily than others, even when they eat the same. "We may have found a key to understanding why some people gain more weight than others, even when they don't eat more or any differently. But this needs to be investigated further," says Associate Professor Henrik Roager of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports. Continued here S12 World's largest laser used to initiate groundbreaking fusion reaction Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have made a major breakthrough in the field of nuclear fusion, sparking hope for a new carbon-free power source. The team used the world's largest laser to initiate a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create, marking a historic milestone in the quest for a clean nuclear energy source. Nuclear fusion has long been seen as a potential solution to the world's energy needs, as it could provide abundant electricity without emitting greenhouse gasses or producing long-lasting nuclear waste. Continued here S28 Holiday burnout: why it happens - and three research-proven ways to help you recover Fulbright/StAR PhD Student, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences Although Christmas only lasts a few days each year, many of us spend months planning for it. But as enjoyable as all the parties and festivities might be, many people find they feel a bit burnt-out once the holidays have come and gone. This feeling has even been termed “festive burnout” or “holiday burnout”. Here’s why this happens – and what you can do to recover after the holidays are over. Continued here S39 The Best Music of 2022 I’ve never been particularly strategic about listening to new music; I tend to pursue it in arbitrary bursts or to let it float into my life in whichever way it can. I’m not even sure I could impose order over my music consumption if I tried, though, given how discombobulated things are out there. Albums are less relevant than ever but stubbornly remain the primary vehicle for new releases. Major new tracks can evaporate in a few days’ time, while songs that are three decades old can find new life from a TikTok trend or a scene in a television show. And so it would be disingenuous for me to compile a comprehensive or ranked list of the “best” albums or songs of the year. Below is my attempt at bringing together the songs, albums, trends, and moments in music that stuck with me in 2022—in no particular order. I wrote a mostly positive review of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album when it was released, this summer. It’s an impressive paean to dance music, executed with rigor. And yet, with the benefit of hindsight, my feelings about the record have become more complicated. What made the album impressive—its rigor and studiousness—is exactly what, several months later, has left me cold. I find myself more invigorated by thoughtful criticisms of the record than by the record itself these days. (Check out John Early’s critique of the album from his appearance on the “StraightioLab” podcast, as well as this review from the music blog No Bells.) Beyoncé is an artist who’s done her most meaningful work when dissecting and exalting the institution of marriage. She spends most of her time hiding from public view. Of course there’s something contrived about her pivot to queer club music. Continued here S6 BAE Systems' all-terrain vehicle can turn into a crew support weapon when attacked Sweden, Germany, and the U.K. have jointly agreed to procure 436 BvS10 armored all-terrain vehicles, the manufacturer BAE Systems said in a press release. The vehicles will be deployed in support of the Arctic operations for the Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program. The BvS10 is BAE Systems' most advanced offering when it comes to all-terrain vehicles. A heavily armored vehicle, it is also available in an unarmored format, referred to as Beowulf, which can traverse extreme terrains in the harshest and most remote environments. Continued here S37 COVID in 2023 and beyond - why virus trends are more difficult to predict three years on In 2020, we knew very little about the novel virus that was to become known as COVID-19. Now, as we enter 2023, a search of Google Scholar produces around five million results containing the term. So how will the pandemic be felt in 2023? This question is in some ways impossible to answer, given a number of unknowns. In early 2020 the scientific community was focused on determining key parameters that could be used to make projections as to the severity and extent of the spread of the virus. Now, the complex interplay of COVID variants, vaccination and natural immunity makes that process far more difficult and less predictable. Continued here S60 Frontline Work When Everyone Is Angry It probably won’t surprise you to learn that incivility on the front lines of business is on the rise. After all, as the pandemic wore on, we saw in real time how frontline workers went from being seen as “essential” to being seen as, essentially, punching bags. What might not be obvious is that incivility doesn’t affect only workers who experience it directly — it also affects those who witness it, with consequences for businesses and society. Christine Porath has studied incivility for more than 20 years, looking at the experiences at work of people around the world. Her research shows that business leaders have the power to improve things, both for workers and for society as a whole. Continued here S46 ‘Genshin Impact’s most powerful human is “Il Capitano” — what to know Il Capitano, a.k.a. The Captain or just Capitano, ranks fourth out of the Fatui Harbingers. His name has also been popping up more often since the reveal of all eleven Harbingers and Grand Master Varka’s most recent mention of him in Natlan, Land of Fire and Justice. Now that Scaramouche has become an ally, Genshin Impact players wonder who’s next to defect or join the ranks as a playable character. It’s not certain that Capitano will be as friendly as Childe or as hostile as Signora. Still, there’s enough information about him now to form theories about his place in the story. HoYoverse hasn’t announced Capitano as a playable character. It’s possible that he will become one, though, because his fellow Harbingers Childe and Scaramouche became playable characters after completing major roles in the Genshin Impact story. On the other hand, Signora didn’t, so who knows? Continued here S44 The 6 most anticipated PlayStation games coming in 2023 With franchises like Final Fantasy and Spider-Man, PlayStation thrives on its exclusives. That looks no different in 2023, with new entries in classic series and some surprising newcomers. Continued here S10 3D-bioprinted eye tissue will help researchers understand blinding diseases Researchers from the National Eye Institute used 3D bioprinting to create eye tissue that will help them understand the mechanisms of blinding diseases. Under the National Health Institute, NEI reserachers printed a combination of cells that form the outer blood-retina barrier—eye tissue that supports the retina's light-sensing photoreceptors. The method makes it possible to research age-related macular degeneration and other degenerative retinal illnesses using a theoretically limitless supply of patient-derived tissue (AMD), according to the press release. Continued here S5 ARTEMIS II: A spy plane that can intercept enemy chatter from 40,000 feet It may look like a standard Bombardier Challenger 650, an ordinary luxury business jet, but extensive modification work done on the inside enables it to act as a spy plane to intercept enemy communications.  Meet Leidos’ ARTEMIS II, the second aircraft built by Virgina-based defense and technology firm Leidos, intended to be used for surveillance by the US Army. The extensive modifications on the plane, with a new signal processing equipment architecture, modular antennae integration, and air-to-ground communications, enable it to intercept and decipher enemy communications from long distances.  Continued here S62 The Psychology Behind Over- (and Under-) Packing Trip destination, previous travel experiences, and luggage type are some of the factors that influence how we pack. If you find yourself at an airport, you’ll likely notice two types of travelers. There’s the person struggling with the overstuffed suitcase (or three) right alongside the traveler handling little more than a light duffel. Continued here S8 Meet Volkner's Performance S, the most expensive RV in 2022 German luxury RV specialists Volkner's 39-foot (12-m) RV, Performance S, is the most expensive RV in the world in 2022 with $2.1 million.  The Volkner Performance S comes with an L-shaped kitchen, a full master suite with a 71 to 79 inches (180 x 200 cm) bed, a full-width bathroom, solar arrays, an 8-KW generator, a wine locker, and a Burmester sound system that costs $355,000 alone. Continued here S34 In defence of the 1970s, the 'decade that taste forgot' As an expert in media and cultural studies, I once appeared in a television series about technology in the home during the last three decades of the 20th century. I wanted to suggest that the UK in the 1970s should be remembered as a decade of relative social equality and contentment, where wage inequality was at its lowest (as the New Earnings Survey shows us). Continued here S55 'Knock at the Cabin' borrows a trick from Shyamalan’s most underrated thriller His underrated psychological horror is about to debut its fourth and final season on Apple TV. For most of us, getting a surprise visit from Dave Bautista (Glass Onion) and Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) would be a delight. But for a Philly couple and their daughter, such house guests are about to become their worst nightmare. Continued here S54 'Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' release date, trailers, and story details The long-awaited sequel to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is finally within reach. Nintendo announced the sequel all the way back in 2019, with a spooky teaser that dropped jaws. In the nearly four years since, information on the game has been doled out in small increments, and the cloud of Breath of the Wild 2 hung over every Nintendo Direct. But during the September 2022 Direct, a ray of light broke through the cloud. At E3 2021, Nintendo confirmed it aimed to release ToTK in 2022. However, on March 29, 2022, series producer Eiji Aonuma revealed the sequel would be delayed until Spring 2023. Continued here S35 Nigeria insecurity: 2022 was a bad year and points to need for major reforms 2022 has been an eventful year in Nigeria. For one thing, it’s been the precursor to the country’s general elections, which are due to be held in the first quarter of 2023. That’s a massive endeavour on its own. What is more, electoral campaigns and related activities are happening against the backdrop of spiralling insecurity. There have been some especially horrifying events in 2022. On 28 March, terrorists ambushed and attacked a passenger train en route from Abuja to Kaduna. They killed some passengers and abducted scores more. Continued here S63 JBL speaker comparison: Which model is right for your party? If you’ve ever seen a concert in a stadium or a movie in stadium seating, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced JBL speakers. The company, founded in 1946, provided sound reinforcement for Woodstock (and countless shows since 1969). Decades later, JBL systems became the basis for the THX standard, which kicked off high-fidelity quality assurances in theaters and established JBL’s presence in many auditoriums. Our point is this: JBL had over half a century of experience pleasing crowds when the company started producing portable Bluetooth speakers, and that tradition continued from the introduction of the first Flip in 2012 until today—over 26 models and 100 million units later (with numbers like that, it’s no wonder we’ve put together this JBL speaker comparison). The Flip wasn’t remarkable to look at. It was a cylinder, about the same as a tallboy of beer—pretty much what you’ve come to expect from countless brands (such as the Ultimate Ears speaker line). But this “party in your palm” caught on, and JBL’s Bluetooth speakers have become more resonant and resilient with each update. We’ve had the chance to audition the full line of JBL wireless speakers, from the personal-sized Flip 6 and Charge 5 to the party-focused Xtreme 3 and Boombox 3, and can say these wireless outdoor speakers are satisfying across the board. Now we’ll describe all the options to help you determine which party speaker is the top model for you.     Continued here S65 Recharge before the New Year with these Anker power station deals on Amazon We’re nearing the end of holiday travel and, hopefully, you’re either safely back in your apartment after fighting with Southwest Airlines or you’re splayed out on your parents’ couch until after the New Year. It’s the perfect time to recharge—and this Anker power station deal on Amazon is a great way to make sure your devices never run out of juice while you do. When you’re deep in decompression you don’t want to have to find an outlet. And, once you’re finally heading home, it’s even worse. Sure, most modes of transport have outlets on them. But we said “most” and not “all” for a reason, and most of them don’t work. The Anker Power Bank Powerhouse 90—down 35% to $129.99—packs 24,000 milliamp hours of power for your cellphone, laptop, tablet, handheld console, and e-reader. If you need some numbers: it can charge a 2020 MacBook Air 1.5 times, a DJI Mavic Mini 3-4 times, and an iPhone 13 4-5 times. You can even use the 45W USB-C port to fully charge a 2020 MacBook Air in just over 2 hours. That’s a lot of energy to keep yourself occupied for cross-country travel. Continued here S50 17 years ago, Square Enix delivered the most astonishing RPG prologue ever — and it paid off wildly The expectation for any video game sequel is that it’s going to be bigger and better, as fans are generally chomping at the bit to continue to the story of their favorite characters. What you don’t expect, then, is for a sequel to start out with a slow meandering prologue that revolves around minigames, not even introducing the main hero until nearly five hours in. Kingdom Hearts II has one of the gutsiest opening acts in video game history, but it works remarkably well by introducing a genuinely compelling new hero and weaving in a melancholic message about leaving your childhood and innocence behind. The original version of the game was released in Japan on December 22, 2005. Somehow, 17 years later, its prologue remains a stunning and incredibly risky feat of storytelling. Continued here S64 The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season started slowly, but still produced devastating storms On December 8, days of speculation over whether or not the Atlantic would see Tropical Storm Owen ended when the storm system moved towards colder waters that would keep it from strengthening. It previously had a 40 percent chance of developing into a tropical storm and would have been the first December tropical system in nine years. The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season produced 14 named storms, or those containing winds of 39 mph or greater. Out of those 14 named storms, eight eight became hurricanes, or storms with winds of 74 mph or more. Two–Fiona and Ian–intensified to major hurricanes that had winds reaching 111 mph or greater.  Continued here S56 The 6 biggest sci-fi movies to look forward to in 2023 In maybe the silliest premise of the year, 65 stars Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt as space travelers who somehow get sent back 65 million years and need to battle dinosaurs to survive. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts brings the cast of the Beast Wars series into the movie series’ continuity. Set in 1994, Rise of the Beasts sees the Autobots getting caught in a war between Transformers who take the shape of animals. Continued here S16 1st batch of SpaceX's Gen2 Starlink satellites has just been delivered to LEO At 4:34 am Eastern Standard Time (09:34 Greenwich Mean Time), a Falcon 9 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in coastal Florida blasted off with a Starlink 5-1 group satellite fleet onboard. These satellites are the first generation 2 (Gen2) versions of the SpaceX internet satellites. "This launch marks the first of Starlink's upgraded network. Under our new license, we [can now] deploy satellites to new orbits that will add even more capacity to the network," SpaceX explained in its mission description. Continued here S41 The Queer Children’s Books Targeted by Conservative Lawmakers In 2022, three hundred and forty pieces of legislation in twenty-three states targeted L.G.B.T.Q. rights. The most high-profile was Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill—officially the Parental Rights in Education Act—introduced by Governor Ron DeSantis. The law limits the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in grade-school classrooms, including through the removal of books and other educational materials. DeSantis, of course, won a landslide reëlection contest in November, with parental rights as a central part of his platform. In July, when the "Don't Say Gay" law was newly implemented, Jessica Winter joined Tyler Foggatt to discuss the history of queer children's literature, why the right finds it so dangerous, and how its banning will affect the lives and education of young people. © 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 S52 Tesla’s wireless charger feels like a subtle jab at Apple’s failed AirPower The Wireless Charging Platform can charge up to three devices at the same time, but it only works with those that are Qi-compatible. If you want a wireless charging pad that matches your future Cybertruck, Tesla says it’s going to cost you a hefty $300. Continued here S43 You need to watch the most disturbing holiday thriller on Netflix ASAP Stanley Kubrick’s name is synonymous with some of cinema’s most impenetrable and alluring mysteries. Between 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, the famous auteur was noteworthy for refusing easy answers, creating lasting works of art that are still heavily interrogated. So when the filmmaker passed away on March 7th, 1999, a mere six days after screening a cut of his final film for his inner circle, it was guaranteed that Eyes Wide Shut would become a crucial fixation for pop culture’s unyielding obsession with conspiracy. After reading the Austrian novella Dream Story shortly after the release of 2001, Kubrick spent the next three decades entertaining the thought of adapting it. Arthur Schnitzler’s original story was a quintessential piece of the decadent movement, which championed hedonistic maximalism over logic and realism, and Kubrick initially considered making it an audacious sex comedy. Continued here S49 One 'Marvel Snap' Gambit deck burns up your opponent's side of the board In Marvel Snap, there’s no shortage of fun strategies to use against your opponent. If you’re having trouble getting wins, why not simply destroy everything on your enemy’s side of the board? That’s what you can do with the powerful Gambit deck, which is created to completely wipe your foe’s cards away — giving you an easy win. Your opponent can’t do much if their cards disappear! There are several different viable Gambit decks, but one stands out amongst the rest. Here’s how to destroy your enemy’s cards using a powerful Gambit deck in Marvel Snap. Keep in mind, some of these are hard to come by, such as Wong, Magik, and Psylocke. Of those, the most important card is Wong, since it copies Gambit’s abilities. Onslaught copies Wong’s abilities, making it an essential part of the deck, too. For the lower-cost cards, feel free to swap others in, depending on what you have available. Continued here S58 The 4 Types of Ineffective Apologies When I was growing up, one of my favorite television shows was Happy Days, and my favorite character on that show was Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli — or “The Fonz” — who was the epitome of cool. He could tap a vending machine, and free sodas would appear. He could change music on a jukebox just by snapping his fingers. Continued here S48 'Captain America 4' could finally fix a gigantic Marvel plot hole Eternals was a massive addition to the MCU. After a decade of Marvel focusing on the present day, Chloé Zhao’s epic spanned millennia as it told a story of superheroes as old as humanity. But despite its titanic finale, no one in the MCU has said a peep about Tiamut Island, the giant landmass that formed after a Celestial began emerging from the ocean. But a new rumor surrounding Captain America: New World Order suggests the fourth Cap movie could finally explain how the world dealt with this new geographic phenomenon, and in doing so it could give rise to a new villain. Continued here S57 Watch: NASA caught a rare clip of Earth disappearing behind the Moon NASA published a video of what its Artemis I Orion spacecraft saw halfway through its mission. Themes of perspective are on the minds of many this interim week between several major holidays and the New Year. Maybe NASA’s newly-published view of the Moon and a distant Earth is offering someone a perspective about humanity’s place in the cosmos. Continued here S13 Chinese researchers find proof that solar wind creates water on the Moon's surface Researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, have released a study that indicates that solar winds could generate water on the Moon's surface. Using samples taken by China's Chang’e-5 mission also supports evidence of the presence of water from remote sensing data of the Moon's surface. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the amount, location, and source of water on the Moon's surface because it is so important for future space travel. Continued here S36 Skiing in the Alps faces a bleak future thanks to climate change Skiing was introduced into the Alps comparatively late in the 1880s, with the first ski-lift being developed in the Swiss resort of Davos in the winter of 1934. The industrial revolution was two centuries old by that point, but the world climate was still largely pre-industrial. With no reason to worry about the weather, tourism took off. Thomas Cook had begun offering opportunities for the British to ski in the first decade of the 20th century and Alpine skiing became further popularised with its introduction into the 1936 Winter Olympics leading to a big growth in skiing infrastructure. All of which depended on a regular and predictable winter season with fresh snow replenishing those ski runs. Ski resorts were able to promise their visitors smooth surfaces, safe upward transport and machines on duty to reposition snow as and when required. Continued here S51 Hubble spots a peculiar galaxy with long, twisting space tentacles At some point in its history, ESO 415-19 had a close encounter with another galaxy, and it’s never been the same since. The gravity from that passing galaxy drew parts of ESO 415-19 outward into long, curving streams of stars and dust — and then the other galaxy moved on, leaving ESO 415-19 with its arms still stretching out into space. Astronomers call these bizarrely long arms tidal streams, and they’re what earned ESO 415-19 its coveted place in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, a catalog of 338 of the weirdest galaxies in the known universe. Continued here S47 The 7 best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds of 2022 From the premium to the mid-range, there’s never been a better time to pick up some wireless earbuds with ANC. Wireless earbuds reached their apex in 2022. Established players updated flagship models, and prices continued to fall for mid-range buds while still adding features like active noise-cancellation (ANC). Continued here S59 What the West Gets Wrong About China Many people have wrongly assumed that political freedom would follow new economic freedoms in China and that its economic growth would have to be built on the same foundations as in the West. The authors suggest that those assumptions are rooted in three essentially false beliefs about modern China: (1) Economics and democracy are two sides of the same coin; (2) authoritarian political systems can’t be legitimate; and (3) the Chinese live, work, and invest like Westerners. But at every point since 1949 the Chinese Communist Party—central to the institutions, society, and daily experiences that shape all Chinese people—has stressed the importance of Chinese history and of Marxist-Leninist doctrine. Until Western companies and politicians understand this and revise their views, they will continue to get China wrong. 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