SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY

Search headlines

Find the stories shaping the conversation.

Search mode
Refine results
Active filters Keyword All time

Results for " odi " 2,085 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

Popular downtown Sarasota waterfront park to curb flooding risk

A popular Sarasota waterfront park is getting a $10 million upgrade to reduce flooding and storm surge damage.

heraldtribune.com logo
Mar 29 • 4:02 AM EDT • Entertainment • heraldtribune.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (18%)
love
50%
wow
50%
A newly-discovered molecular process explains how our bodies perceive the cold

Research by Nobel laureate David Julius has captured how the TRPM8 protein changes when exposed to low temperatures, opening a new avenue for treating cold-induced pain

english.elpais.com logo
Mar 29 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • english.elpais.com
Swift, a coding language developed by Apple, now offers official Android support

Roughly a year after the effort was announced, the Apple-developed coding language, Swift, has just launched support for Android. With...

9to5google.com logo
Mar 28 • 6:15 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
"Bodies aren't a trend": Body positivity fight endures in the GLP-1 era

"Real people's bodies aren't a trend," one advocate tells Axios.

axios.com logo
Mar 28 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • axios.com
High-Signal Publisher
UMaine’s Brian McGill earns one of science’s highest honors

UMaine ecologist Brian McGill has earned one of science’s highest honors for work that’s reshaping how the world understands biodiversity.

yahoo.com logo
Mar 28 • 5:04 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
UMaine’s Brian McGill earns one of science’s highest honors

UMaine ecologist Brian McGill has earned one of science’s highest honors for work that’s reshaping how the world understands biodiversity.

seacoastonline.com logo
Mar 28 • 5:04 AM EDT • Science • seacoastonline.com
😐 Neutral (17%)
wow
67%
ahah
33%
New rage room business in Topeka offers space to break items, relieve stress

Anger Management 785 will join spaces with Odin’s Lair and allow patrons to use bats, clubs and hammers to break objects.

wibw.com logo
Mar 27 • 8:09 PM EDT • Business • wibw.com
😐 Neutral (6%)
wow
67%
love
33%
Elon Musk Joins in Phone Call Between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi

Mr. Musk’s participation was notable because it is rare for a private citizen to be on a call between heads of state. It also suggests that Mr. Musk is back on better terms with the president.

nytimes.com logo
Mar 27 • 3:02 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
University Park officials say SMU crosswalk doesn't violate state order

University Park officials say an intersection featuring the Southern Methodist University mascot is not in violation of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order prohibiting decorative markings on state roads.

spectrumlocalnews.com logo
Mar 27 • 11:35 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
"We were there in the 80s for the crash, and this is definitely crashier." John and Brenda Romero reflect on the industry crisis

The pair have had to dramatically downsize their studio since the money dried up – but they're determined to keep on coding to the bitter end

gamesindustry.biz logo
Mar 27 • 10:21 AM EDT • Technology • gamesindustry.biz
Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program sets new record

The Vanderbilt Transplant Center is now the second largest lung transplant center in the United States by volume, with 149 lung transplants in 2025, the most ever in one year at Vanderbilt Health. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program leads the nation in organ preservation and regeneration and is among the best in long-term outcomes, demonstrating the success of the interdisciplinary team in caring for these complex patients. Several features make the program unique in the United States, said Konrad Hoetzenecker, MD, PhD, professor of Thoracic Surgery and surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program. Vanderbilt serves as a “second opinion center” and accepts most complex candidates that are turned down by other centers due to increased perioperative risk. This includes patients over 70 years old, patients requiring combined procedures with their transplant, multiorgan transplantations and sensitized patients (individuals who have pre-formed anti-HLA antibodies who are at higher risk for complications). The expertise and excellent outcomes have attracted patients far beyond the borders of Tennessee; almost half of Vanderbilt Health’s lung transplant recipients come from out of state. “Another unique feature is our minimally invasive transplant program,” Hoetzenecker said. “By using distinct surgical instruments and techniques, the incisions can be kept as small as 7 to 8 centimeters, which results in better healing, less pain and faster recovery. “This minimally invasive approach is embedded in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, a multimodal, evidence-based perioperative care pathway designed to reduce surgical stress, minimize complications and speed up recovery. Our unique ERAS protocol, by a dedicated interdisciplinary approach, aims to improve recovery after lung transplant and reduce ICU and hospital stay.” The lung transplant program recently celebrated a milestone — 1,000 lung transplants since the program began in 1990. “This significant achievement reflects the concerted effort of a multidisciplinary collaboration by the Departments of Thoracic Surgery, Medicine, Anesthesiology and Critical Care,” said David Erasmus, MD, associate professor of Medicine and medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant. Lung transplants have been attempted since the 1960s, but they were largely unsuccessful until the 1980s, when surgical techniques were refined and new antirejection drugs proved effective. Patient outcomes steadily improved from the 1990s to the present. Vanderbilt’s fourth lung transplant recipient in 1990, Pam Everett, is the longest-living, single-lung transplant known in the world, recently celebrating 35 years since her transplant. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant surgical team is led by Hoetzenecker and Caitlin Demarest, MD, PhD, the surgical director and associate surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant program. Erasmus is the medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant along with Anil Trindade, MD, associate medical director and associate professor of Medicine.

news.vumc.org logo
Mar 27 • 10:12 AM EDT • Health • news.vumc.org
Did Scientists Just Detect an Exploding Black Hole?

An underwater observatory recently detected a startlingly energetic cosmic neutrino. One possible cause involves a phenomenon that so far exists only in theory.

nytimes.com logo
Mar 27 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
The Future of Trans Athletes in Sports

More than half of U.S. states have banned trans athletes from school sports. A trans athlete and activist who has been at the leading edge of policy change for over a decade says these bans have far-reaching implications.

wunc.org logo
Mar 27 • 9:01 AM EDT • Sports • wunc.org
Sick of empty VR app stores? Google's new AI tool lets you build VR apps in under a minute

Gemini's new Vibe Coding XR could finally solve the Android XR content problem.

androidauthority.com logo
Mar 27 • 5:17 AM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com
Google's Agent Smith helps its employees with AI-driven coding

Google employees are playing with Agent Smith, an autonomous coding agent, as cofounder Sergey Brin pushes an agent-driven future.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 27 • 5:00 AM EDT • Technology • businessinsider.com
Google's Agent Smith helps its employees with AI-driven coding

Google employees are playing with Agent Smith, an autonomous coding agent, as cofounder Sergey Brin pushes an agent-driven future.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 27 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Myles Garrett landing spots: Why trade rumors could heat up after Browns modify his contract

Don't be surprised if Cleveland ends up trading the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

cbssports.com logo
Mar 26 • 1:35 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
International Olympic Committee announces new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport and Guiding Considerations for International Federations and Sports Governing Bodies.

olympics.com logo
Mar 26 • 8:54 AM EDT • Sports • olympics.com
Callodine Specialty Income Fund Adds Entertainment Lending and Aviation Finance Strategies

Callodine Group (“Callodine” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the addition of Corrum Capital Management (“Corrum Capital”) as a sub-advisor to the Ca...

businesswire.com logo
Mar 26 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • businesswire.com
Decoding the Visual World

Learn how NSF's long-standing investments helped computers learn to identify and interpret images, advancing technologies now integral to people's daily lives.

nsf.gov logo
Mar 25 • 1:43 PM EDT • Science • nsf.gov
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (8%)
wow
50%
ahah
25%
love
25%
AI Science Startup Periodic Labs Is in Deal Talks at About $7 Billion Valuation

Periodic Labs, an artificial intelligence research startup founded last year by former OpenAI and DeepMind staffers, is having discussions with investors about raising at least hundreds of millions of dollars at a valuation of about $7 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

bloomberg.com logo
Mar 25 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • bloomberg.com
Concern on campus as legal sports gambling grows during March Madness

Legal sports gambling is flooding broadcasts with ads during major sporting events like March Madness and reaching a younger audience.

csmonitor.com logo
Mar 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • csmonitor.com
Kona Storms Flood Oʻahu

Back-to-back subtropical cyclones in March fueled destructive flash flooding on several of the Hawaiian Islands.

science.nasa.gov logo
Mar 25 • 12:01 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov
Hubert Davis out as UNC coach after five years, ushering in historic break from Carolina family tradition

A stunning NCAA Tournament collapse, eroding donor support and mounting internal pressure culminated in North Carolina cutting ties, a move that breaks the program's 70-year coaching lineage

cbssports.com logo
Mar 24 • 9:00 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (5%)
wow
66%
love
34%
ICE detains longtime Kearney business owner and entrepreneur

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained a Kearney business owner on March 11. Carlos Godinez, the owner of Nick’s Gyros for the past 15 years, is currently at the Hall County Department of Corrections on an ICE hold.

nebraskapublicmedia.org logo
Mar 24 • 5:13 PM EDT • Business • nebraskapublicmedia.org
Russia turned cheap 'Molniya' strike drones into advanced recon tools

The modifications allow Russia to use these drones for battlefield reconnaissance instead of relying on more expensive platforms.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 24 • 11:21 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
UCLA Health podcast shines a light on colorectal cancer prevention, early detection and rising risks

UCLA Health's podcast episode on colorectal cancer, featuring Dr. Eve Glazier, Katie Couric and Dr. Fola May, highlights the critical need for prevention and early detection amid rising risks, particularly among younger adults. The discussion focuses on cancer screening, lifestyle modifications and advocacy to reduce the incidence of this disease.

uclahealth.org logo
Mar 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • uclahealth.org
The Monday Outlook: Project Hail Mary and the Science Behind Blockbuster Sci-Fi

Project Hail Mary is the latest sci-fi blockbuster to stretch the bounds of audience imagination and stir the curiosity of real scientists. But the science driving films like Project Hail Mary, Interstellar and The Martian isn’t all fictional: at UChicago, researchers exploring the cosmos and decoding the origins of life are making discoveries that would feel right at home on the big screen. This week's Monday Outlook features scientists from UChicago and Argonne National Laborat

newswise.com logo
Mar 23 • 6:35 PM EDT • Science • newswise.com
SP40 Restomod Is Built Around The One Ford That Edsel Actually Got Right

Carbon-bodied SP40 brings the style of Edsel Ford’s one-off speedster to a wider audience

carscoops.com logo
Mar 23 • 5:22 PM EDT • Technology • carscoops.com
Senior Playgrounds Are the Latest Healthy Aging Trend With Real Benefits

They're full of low-impact equipment for seniors to get their bodies moving and keep their minds active.

today.com logo
Mar 23 • 1:49 PM EDT • Health • today.com
Design Files: Mirrodin, Part 4

Mark finishes his trip through Mirrodin's design handoff file with a look at the set's rare artifacts and lands.

magic.wizards.com logo
Mar 23 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • magic.wizards.com
Senators introduce bill to ban sports betting on prediction markets

The new bill would amend the Commodity Exchange Act to ban prediction contracts related to sports events or casino-style games.

nbcnews.com logo
Mar 23 • 10:24 AM EDT • Sports • nbcnews.com
Deep dive High-Signal Publisher
😐 Neutral (6%)
angry
56%
wow
44%
How the term ‘neurodivergent’ moved from activists to pop culture

Nick Minaj is one of the most recent Trump supporters to identify herself as “neurodivergent,” embracing a narrow definition of a once-niche term commonly associated with autism and ADHD.

19thnews.org logo
Mar 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • 19thnews.org
Companies Aren’t Ripping Out Business Software for AI. Here’s What They’re Doing Instead.

Tech leaders at large corporations say that, for now, they’re vibe-coding their own small, custom apps, and putting pressure on their software vendors.

wsj.com logo
Mar 23 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • wsj.com
The politics of disability at the Academy Awards

Throughout history, disabled bodies have been portrayed as a burden.

thepanthernewspaper.org logo
Mar 23 • 4:28 AM EDT • Politics • thepanthernewspaper.org
😐 Neutral (13%)
wow
57%
ahah
43%
Cursor acknowledges its new low-cost coding model has Chinese roots

Cursor says its new coding model builds on Kimi K2.5, a Chinese model it didn't mention at launch.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 23 • 12:35 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan

Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.

erictopol.substack.com logo
Mar 22 • 2:18 PM EDT • Health • erictopol.substack.com
Chiefs’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup after NFL Free Agency

A closer look at the Chiefs’ 2026 mock draft outlook after free agency, with linked to edge help, cornerback, and offensive line support.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 22 • 11:42 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Scientists Uncover Hidden “Second Layer” in Human DNA

A newly identified cellular system monitors subtle variations in genetic coding, hinting at a hidden level of control over how genes are expressed.

scitechdaily.com logo
Mar 22 • 11:02 AM EDT • Science • scitechdaily.com
Tantalizing Tech: The Goodies at Cyclingworld Europe 2026

Turbulence at Eurobike has led to a big boost for Cyclingworld. Here's some of the latest dream tech from the show.

velo.outsideonline.com logo
Mar 22 • 8:45 AM EDT • Technology • velo.outsideonline.com
“Let’s get ourselves back to Fort Worth, but take care of business at hand,” LSU after loss in Tulsa

LSU Gymnastics’ Sophomore Kailin Chio and Head Coach Jay Clark spoke to the media following a third place finish in the 2026 SEC tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tiger fans came into the BOK Center hopeful for a victory due to having a podium setup, which LSU seems to have thrived on in the past. Which...

lsureveille.com logo
Mar 22 • 7:41 AM EDT • Business • lsureveille.com
Health Literacy as a Modifiable Clinical Risk Factor: Operationalizing an Underrecognized Determinant of Outcomes

Health literacy has been considered a social determinant of health and has never been extensively incorporated in the general practice of clinical care. Systematic reviews and cohort studies sho...

cureus.com logo
Mar 21 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • cureus.com
Jenny Johnson, third-generation Franklin Templeton CEO, on managing trillions for the family business

Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson leads a global fund manager with nearly $2 billion in assets and a 79-year-old family business started by her grandfather.

cnbc.com logo
Mar 21 • 10:30 AM EDT • Business • cnbc.com
You can bet on climate disasters. Business is booming.

Traders are placing wagers on the likelihood of disasters, activists being jailed and oil depots exploding.

politico.com logo
Mar 21 • 10:00 AM EDT • Business • politico.com
The Science Behind the $19 Million Colostrum Craze: Miracle Cure or Marketing Myth?

Colostrum supplements are exploding in popularity, fueled by celebrity endorsements and loose regulation. But what does the science actually say?

inc.com logo
Mar 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • inc.com
Scientists just found a hidden 48-dimensional world in quantum light

A routine quantum optics technique just revealed an extraordinary secret: entangled light can carry incredibly complex topological structures. Researchers found these hidden patterns reach up to 48 dimensions, offering a vast new “alphabet” for encoding quantum information. Unlike previous assumptions, this topology can emerge from a single property of light—orbital angular momentum.

sciencedaily.com logo
Mar 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
March Madness boosts local businesses in WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Basketball fans have been flooding local bars and restaurants in Buffalo as the first of the March Madness games are underway Thursday night at KeyBank Center. “I…

wivb.com logo
Mar 19 • 11:03 PM EDT • Business • wivb.com
Humans and animals have the same preference in mating calls, citizen science experiment finds

The bright colors of butterfly wings, the sweet aromas of flowers, and the euphonious melodies of songbirds all evolved as signals that help individuals propagate, yet humans also find these very same ...

phys.org logo
Mar 19 • 2:00 PM EDT • Science • phys.org
Rishabh Pant returns to IPL grind, chasing another India comeback

Rishabh Pant is gearing up for a crucial IPL season. He is working hard to regain his spot in India's white-ball squad. Recent practice sessions and time with Yuvraj Singh show his dedication. A strong IPL performance could secure his place for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Pant is focused on his game and mental strength.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 19 • 3:50 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (10%)
wow
56%
love
44%
Google Shakes Up Its Browser Agent Team Amid OpenClaw Craze

As Silicon Valley obsesses over a new wave of AI coding agents, Google and other AI labs are shifting their bets.

wired.com logo
Mar 19 • 2:00 AM EDT • Technology • wired.com
Forum on harnessing Artificial Intelligence for health equity

Register to this forumOver the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly evolved in complexity, performance, and utility. Its integration across a wide range of industrial sectors has accelerated, with healthcare emerging as one of the most transformative sectors. In this sector, AI has enabled high-impact applications – from enhancing the speed and accuracy of disease diagnosis and supporting clinical decision-making, to strengthening public health initiatives such as disease surveillance and workforce optimization. Moreover, AI holds immense potential to empower individuals, enabling them to take greater control of their personal health and well-being. Yet the central question remains: Who benefits, who is at risk, and do these innovations close or widen health inequities? While the potential of AI-enabled applications is substantial, many countries have approached their adoption with caution. This hesitancy stems from concerns about risks and benefits, including model bias, data breaches, privacy violations, and the erosion of professional skills due to over-reliance on AI. Additional barriers include inadequate data infrastructure and a lack of robust evidence on the most effective forms and interfaces of AI to enhance service delivery and system performance. Moreover, the rapid rise of Generative AI has introduced a heightened urgency for the development of comprehensive governance and ethical frameworks. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Health Practice Team and Digital Sector, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific, are convening the Forum on Harnessing AI for Health Equity on 25–26 March at ADB Headquarters. Senior health officials from 16 developing member countries (DMCs), alongside leading researchers, innovators, and policymakers from across Asia and the Pacific, will engage in discussions on how AI can be governed, financed, and scaled to deliver healthier lives for all. The forum is funded through the High-Level Technology Fund with support from the Government of Japan. Objectives The two-day forum aims to:Identify high-impact, evidence-based health AI use cases suitable for resource-constrained settings and map out a pipeline for potential supportIntroduce and validate the WHO's policy guidance on minimum necessary ecosystem for countries and institutions to self-assess readiness for AI adoptionObtain initial commitment from participating stakeholders to join a pilot regional initiative focused on data/model sharing for a priority health challengeEndorse a prioritized set of actionable policy recommendations focusing on governance, regulation, and sustainable financing necessary to scale high-impact health AI use cases in resource-constrained settings Target participants The forum will convene participants from 16 ADB DMCs including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. In addition, health system leaders and practitioners, private sector technologists, academic experts, representatives from civil society organizations, development partners, and philanthropic institutions engaged in AI for Health from Australia, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea will also be invited. SessionsDay 1 (25 March)Session 1: AI Use Cases for the Care Continuum: Improving Access and QualitySession 2: Adopting a risk-based approach for AI use case prioritizationSession 3: Establishing the Minimum Ecosystem for Implementation Risk ManagementSession 4: Future-Ready Health Workforce: Building Competency for Human-AI CollaborationDay 2 (26 March)Session 5: The Political Economy of AI in Health: Understanding Stakeholder Interests and their Impact on EquitySession 6: AI and Health Financing: Supporting Fair Coverage and ProtectionSession 7: AI Regulation and Oversight: Pathways for Different RealitiesSession 8: The Way Forward – Building Alliances and Regional Partnership How to registerThe forum will be held in a hybrid format. In-person attendance is by invitation only, while livestreaming of the forum will be available to the public. To register, please complete this form on or before 24 March 2026.Event organizers / partnersAsian Development Bank (ADB)WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific High-Level Technology Fund (HLTF)ContactAkihito WatabeHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDawatabe@adb.org Jae Kyoun KimHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDjkkim@adb.org

who.int logo
Mar 19 • 1:13 AM EDT • Health • who.int
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (11%)
wow
40%
ahah
30%
love
30%
Business owners voice frustrations with new soda shop at Tuesday City Council meeting

CASPER, Wyo. — Business owners and residents took to the podium at the public comment portion of the Casper City Council's Tuesday meeting to share

oilcity.news logo
Mar 18 • 9:39 PM EDT • Business • oilcity.news
Cowboys reportedly played 49ers well in Osa Odighizuwa trade

The Cowboys may have gotten the 49ers to blink on the Osa Odighizuwa trade.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 18 • 6:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Apple Cracks Down on ‘Vibe Coding’ Apps

Apple has quietly prevented AI vibe coding apps such as Replit and Vibecode, which help people create games and other applications, from releasing updates to their mobile apps on the App Store unless they make modifications, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. The ...

theinformation.com logo
Mar 18 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • theinformation.com
Exploding Pintos, imploding politics: Celebrating 50 years of fearless journalism

The Center for Investigative Reporting’s CEO, Monika Bauerlein, looks back on a half-century of “Mother Jones” magazine and what lies ahead for America’s nonprofit newsrooms.

motherjones.com logo
Mar 18 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • motherjones.com
😐 Neutral (17%)
ahah
67%
wow
33%
5 lessons from a weekend vibe coding class as a non-technical person

I joined a weekend vibe coding class and built apps in two mornings. As a non-technical builder, I learned five lessons.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 18 • 12:02 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Dell XPS 16 (2026) review: Return of the king

The XPS 16 has nearly everything you want from a premium 16-inch productivity laptop and it's a worthy flagbearer for one of the most iconic notebook lines of all time.

engadget.com logo
Mar 17 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
Study finds ChatGPT gets science wrong more often than you think

A new study put ChatGPT to the test by asking it to judge whether hundreds of scientific hypotheses were true or false—and the results were far from reassuring. While the AI got it right about 80% of the time on the surface, its performance dropped significantly when accounting for random guessing, revealing only modest reasoning ability. Even more concerning, it frequently contradicted itself when asked the exact same question multiple times, sometimes flipping answers back and forth.

sciencedaily.com logo
Mar 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
OpenAI to cut back on side projects to focus on core business, WSJ reports

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI's top executives are finalizing plans ​for a major strategy shift ‌to refocus the company around coding and business users, ​the Wall Street ​Journal reported on Monday.

reuters.com logo
Mar 16 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Exclusive | OpenAI to Cut Back on Side Projects in Push to ‘Nail’ Core Business

A top leader urges staff not to be distracted by “side quests” as the company plans a shift of resources to coding, enterprise businesses.

wsj.com logo
Mar 16 • 7:41 PM EDT • Business • wsj.com
Chateau Ste. Michelle announces 2026 summer concert lineup

A big-name country star scales down for an underplay at the beloved Woodinville winery this summer.

yakimaherald.com logo
Mar 16 • 10:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Country music star bloodied onstage and fans are livid: ‘He needs to press charges’

Fans are angry that the star was injured during his show.

pennlive.com logo
Mar 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com
Hungarian opposition picks top business executives to dismantle Orbán’s rule

Péter Magyar reckons boardroom veterans will have the experience needed to secure frozen EU funds and release Fidesz’s grip on state bodies.

politico.eu logo
Mar 15 • 11:00 PM EDT • Business • politico.eu
Bcachefs 1.37 Released With Linux 7.0 Support, Erasure Coding Stable & New Sub-Commands

Kent Overstreet today released Bcachefs 1.37 as the newest feature release to this out-of-tree file-system driver and user-space tooling for this next-gen, copy-on-write file-system.

phoronix.com logo
Mar 15 • 2:50 PM EDT • Technology • phoronix.com
Paula Doress-Worters, Who Redefined Women’s Health, Dies at 87

Paula Doress-Worters, the mother and activist who opened the door to once-taboo conversations about women’s health in America, has died at 87. Paula was a member of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, a group of young women who got together to assemble the groundbreaking manual later known as “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” that dove-into subjects like sexuality, birth control, abortion and post-partum depression. Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist remembers a life well lived.

today.com logo
Mar 15 • 9:27 AM EDT • Health • today.com
🙂 Positive (37%)
wow
100%
Jodi's Journal: Business anniversary meets AI arrival

As we mark nine years in business, we thank you so much for supporting us! In today's column, Jodi details the theme that appears ready to define the next nine years.

siouxfalls.business logo
Mar 15 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • siouxfalls.business
Cowboys news: The free agent to replace Osa Odighizuwa

Your Sunday morning Cowboys news.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 15 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (11%)
wow
74%
ahah
26%
Chinese GP: Kimi Antonelli claims maiden F1 win from George Russell as Lewis Hamilton gets first Ferrari podium in Shanghai
skysports.com logo
Mar 15 • 4:50 AM EDT • Sports • skysports.com
Perplexity's Aravind Srinivas Says AI Could Change How Computer Science Is Taught

Aravind Srinivas endorsed a post on X by a physics and AI/ML student that argued large language models (LLMs) are automating routine coding tasks.

ndtv.com logo
Mar 15 • 4:07 AM EDT • Science • ndtv.com
'If it's our time, then that may have to be': Acadia Cafe launches effort to stay in business

The cafe and music venue says "rent and utilities have had to fall by the wayside" amid struggles during Operation Metro Surge.

bringmethenews.com logo
Mar 14 • 10:33 AM EDT • Business • bringmethenews.com
Scientists discover ancient DNA “switches” hidden in plants for 400 million years

Scientists have uncovered an enormous hidden archive of plant DNA that has endured for more than 400 million years. By comparing hundreds of plant genomes, researchers identified more than 2.3 million regulatory DNA sequences that act like genetic switches, controlling when and how genes are activated. These sequences, known as conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs), were detected using a new computational tool called Conservatory.

sciencedaily.com logo
Mar 13 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
How to stop your soda from exploding, according to science

*tap tap tap tap*

popsci.com logo
Mar 13 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • popsci.com
At the Winter Paralympics, some athletes have found business opportunities

At the Winter Paralympics, athletes with prosthetics often modify them to fit their bodies more precisely. That has led to some competitors starting their own businesses to help fellow amputees.

npr.org logo
Mar 13 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • npr.org
High-Signal Publisher
At the Winter Paralympics, some athletes have found business opportunities

At the Winter Paralympics, athletes with prosthetics often modify them to fit their bodies more precisely. That has led to some competitors starting their own businesses to help fellow amputees.

npr.org logo
Mar 13 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • npr.org
High-Signal Publisher
Cowboys DT headed to 49ers for 3rd-round pick

Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa has agreed to join the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick in this year's NFL Draft.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 12 • 8:56 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (18%)
love
50%
wow
50%
WA business official says statewide competitiveness could be eroding

President of the Association of Washington Business, Kris Johnson, says that the threat of businesses leaving Washington state continues to grow.According to a

kimatv.com logo
Mar 12 • 8:43 PM EDT • Business • kimatv.com
Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and Nebraska Business Development Center Recognize 2025 Business Award Winners

Thursday, Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly joined the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) in recognizing recipients of the 2025 Business Awards, honoring entrepreneurs and businesses that are strengthening communities and expanding economic opportunity across the state.

unomaha.edu logo
Mar 12 • 7:21 PM EDT • Business • unomaha.edu
Flooding closes roads in Marshall County, hurting business and raising detour concerns

Tuesday's storms are still causing issues in our area.Flooding across Marshall County is causing issues for people trying to get to their destinations as well a

wsbt.com logo
Mar 12 • 4:34 PM EDT • Business • wsbt.com
Vaxart Provides Business Update and Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results

Topline data from 400-person sentinel cohort of the Phase 2b COVID-19 trial anticipated early Q2 2026 Published positive clinical results in the first quarter of 2026 demonstrating oral norovirus vaccine candidate was safe and immunogenic in lactating women and resulted in passive transfer of antibodies to their infants via breast milk Cash, cash equivalents and investments of $63.8 million as of December 31, 2025; Runway into second quarter of 2027 Conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET Live sto

finance.yahoo.com logo
Mar 12 • 4:05 PM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Business News: TAG Heuer Names Béatrice Goasglas, Current Head Of The Americas, As New CEO

In a bid for executive stability, TAG says Goasglas, who has been with the brand since 2018, will take over the top job May 1st.

hodinkee.com logo
Mar 12 • 2:55 PM EDT • Business • hodinkee.com
Why powerful individuals are dominating politics

From Xi Jinping in China to Narendra Modi in India and Donald Trump in the US, powerful leaders are reshaping the rules of the global great game.

engelsbergideas.com logo
Mar 12 • 6:10 AM EDT • Politics • engelsbergideas.com
An odd-nosed crocodile ate our prehistoric ancestors

‘Lucy’ probably needed to watch her back.

popsci.com logo
Mar 12 • 1:01 AM EDT • Science • popsci.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (14%)
ahah
44%
wow
31%
love
25%
49ers land DT Osa Odighizuwa in trade with Cowboys

The Cowboys are getting a 2026 third-round draft pick in the deal.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 11 • 7:09 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (9%)
wow
56%
love
44%
Why Cowboys, 49ers pulled off trade involving Osa Odighizuwa

Why did the Dallas Cowboys trade Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers? Find all the answers on the trade here.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Mar 11 • 6:37 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Scientists squished microbes into a steel 'sandwich' — and made a profound discovery about life in space

"Extremophile" bacteria could survive asteroid impacts that are strong enough to launch them into space, suggesting that life could travel between planetary bodies.

livescience.com logo
Mar 11 • 12:23 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com
Healthcare Uses Specialized Language. It Needs Specialized AI, Too.

The potential generative AI in healthcare is enormous. They can generate patient education materials or clinical notes in seconds, flag incomplete documentation to keep care on track, or even suggest differential diagnoses . But when generalist models encounter the specialized “dialects” used across medical fields, they can miss critical clinical meaning—even when they read every word correctly. The result can be flawed decisions and eroding clinician trust. Healthcare organizations should treat AI like a supervised trainee: adapt models to clinical specialties, require transparent reasoning, and calibrate automation with human oversight.

hbr.org logo
Mar 11 • 8:25 AM EDT • Health • hbr.org
😐 Neutral (4%)
wow
75%
ahah
25%
Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs

Placing ultrasound repellants on cars could protect the spiny mammals.

popsci.com logo
Mar 10 • 8:05 PM EDT • Science • popsci.com
😐 Neutral (18%)
ahah
44%
love
28%
wow
28%
A massive asteroid hit the North Sea and triggered a 330-foot tsunami

A long-running debate about the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea has finally been resolved. Scientists now confirm it formed when a roughly 160-meter asteroid struck the seabed about 43–46 million years ago. New seismic imaging and rare shocked minerals in rock samples provided the crucial proof. The impact would have sent a massive plume skyward and unleashed a tsunami over 100 meters (330 feet) high.

sciencedaily.com logo
Mar 10 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Bumblebee Queens Can Breathe Underwater

A new study offers clues as to how the insects survive flooding as they emerge from a hibernation-like phase every winter.

nytimes.com logo
Mar 10 • 7:01 PM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
Bumblebee Queens Can Breathe Underwater

A new study offers clues as to how the insects survive flooding as they emerge from a hibernation-like phase every winter.

nytimes.com logo
Mar 10 • 7:01 PM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
Amazon tightens code guardrails after outages rock retail business

Internal documents obtained by Business Insider show how Amazon is reacting to a series of recent outages related to software coding issues.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 10 • 5:09 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
A particle accelerator helped scientists create stunning 3D ants

Researchers have developed a high-tech system that rapidly scans ants and converts them into detailed 3D models. Using a synchrotron accelerator, X-ray imaging, robotics, and AI, the team scanned 2,000 specimens in just a week and produced models of 800 species. The images reveal microscopic anatomy that was previously difficult to study. The growing Antscan database could become a powerful digital library of biodiversity.

sciencedaily.com logo
Mar 10 • 1:22 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Greenway Health unveils AI-enabled EHR-RCM platform

Called Novare, it offers ambient note-taking, voice-activated chart search, agentic task helpers, intelligent coding suggestions, automated prior authorization, real-time benefit checks and more.

healthcareitnews.com logo
Mar 10 • 11:05 AM EDT • Health • healthcareitnews.com
Greenway Health debuts AI-enabled EHR-RCM platform

Called Novare, it offers ambient note-taking, voice-activated chart search, agentic task helpers, intelligent coding suggestions, automated prior authorization, real-time benefit checks and more.

healthcareitnews.com logo
Mar 10 • 10:38 AM EDT • Health • healthcareitnews.com
Mental health solutions for the digital age

Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.

uclahealth.org logo
Mar 10 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • uclahealth.org
AI helps neurodivergent solopreneurs with key tactics and planning

AI aids solopreneurs with ADHD and autism in task management, energy planning, and business growth, increasing efficiency.

businessinsider.com logo
Mar 10 • 6:59 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Jodie Sweetin recalls realizing that Alanis Morissette's 'You Oughta Know' might be about 'Full House' costar Dave Coulier

Jodie Sweetin listened to Alanis Morissette's 'You Oughta Know' and knew that it was about her 'Full House' costar Dave Coulier.

ew.com logo
Mar 9 • 6:21 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Latest iOS 26.4 Beta Adds New Emoji Characters

The fourth iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4 betas that Apple provided to developers today introduce nine new emoji characters. Trombone Treasure Chest Distorted Face Hairy Creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch) Fight Cloud Orca Landslide There are also new skin tone modifiers people wrestling and dancers with bunny ears, as well as a gender neutral option for the ballet dancer emoji.

macrumors.com logo
Mar 9 • 1:31 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Shue to talk about art and business in Greer Lecture

A little faith can lead to big results, which is why mustard has a central role in Isaac and Karina Shue’s Newton business, Gallery Mostaza. Isaac Shue will give an artist talk at Bethel College March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building chapel, as part of the periodic Greer Lecture series. Gallery Mostaza […]

bethelks.edu logo
Mar 9 • 12:16 PM EDT • Business • bethelks.edu
Business News: A Push For More High Horology At Germany’s Top Jewelry Fair

One of Europe's largest jewelry shows, Inhorgenta is again a hub for watch brands seeking fresh clientele.

hodinkee.com logo
Mar 9 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • hodinkee.com
😐 Neutral (0%)