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The single best Google Keep feature that turned me into a power user
Supercharged my productivity
Scientists may have found the best place for humans to land on Mars
A newly identified region on Mars may hold the key to future human landings. Researchers found evidence of water ice less than a meter beneath the surface, close enough to be harvested for water, oxygen, and fuel. The location strikes a rare balance between sunlight and cold, helping preserve the ice. It could also offer clues about whether Mars once supported life.
Pablo Torre pushes buttons — and boundaries — to expose sports secrets
With scoops from the NFL, NBA and beyond, Torre’s hit show — and the way he makes it — is ruffling feathers across the sports landscape.
Philadelphia lacked bus-tracking signs. ‘Bus Stop Banksy’ stepped in.
Street artists in Philadelphia have installed guerrilla transit signs to display bus arrival times, aiming to make SEPTA more accessible.
Ashland among 14 Ohio schools to earn perfect reading audit score
Ashland University scored 100% in Ohio’s Science of Reading audit, ranking among just 14 schools statewide to meet every benchmark.
Feuding physicists and the bitter battle over the swirls in ‘The Starry Night’
A team of scientists sparked a heated debate over whether Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night depicts turbulence, a complex physical phenomenon.
Bankruptcies soar as companies grapple with inflation, tariffs
Businesses in vulnerable sectors found themselves caught between rising tariffs and beleaguered consumers.
'Has a touch of genius'
Chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt marks the performances of the Australia and England teams after the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Jets reverse course on disqualifying fan from $100K kick contest after social media backlash
Anonymous money fuels $5 million in attacks on Georgia's Lt. Gov. Burt Jones
A mysterious group called Georgians for Integrity has spent around $5 million on television ads, mailers and texts attacking Lt. Gov. Burt Jones since November
Kennedy Center president rebukes performer who called off Christmas Eve show over addition of Trump’s name
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell lambasted a performer’s decision to cancel an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert, following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the Washington, DC, arts venue.
Mexico's movers and shakers: 7 political figures you need to know
Mexico's top political figures include Security Minister Omar García Harfuch, business leaders like Altagracia Gómez, ambassador Ronald Johnson and more.
UNC's Big Three: Top performers so far in non-conference
As ACC play begins, three Tar Heels have emerged as North Carolina’s top performers and will be critical to the team’s success the rest of the season.
Best performances of 2025, from TV to movies to Broadway
These aren't the best shows, movies or productions of the year. We're talking about individual performances in 2025. Here are the best.
Sale produce second-half masterclass to thump Quins
Sale score five tries in a dazzling second-half performance to totally outclass Harlequins on Boxing Day.
Rockets return home off morale-boosting win to face Cavaliers
In dire need of a performance more in line with their early-season successes and an effort that could mask the stench of three overtime losses during their just-wrapped six-game road trip, the Houston Rockets produced a result on Thursday that made their recent struggles appear aberrant.
Live entertainment schedule through Jan. 31 released by Hard Rock Casino
Hard Rock Casino of Northern Indiana has released the calendar of live entertainment performances through Jan. 31, 2026.
RFK Jr. declares public health emergency for WA flooding
Ferguson plans to ask for major disaster declaration from Trump
The Family Stone Band, Joelle James highlight Sunday’s gameday entertainment
The Family Stone Band will take the stage at Allegiant Stadium for halftime, while Joelle James will perform the National Anthem.
Who did more harm to public health in 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio did more lasting damage to global public health by dismantling USAID than RFK jr. did at HHS and the CDC.
Consulting had a year of huge change in 2025. Here's how the Big Four firms performed this year.
This is how Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG performed in their latest financial years.
2025 Sports Team Values: WNBA, F1 Soar, While MLB, MLS Lag
WNBA values rose 180%, more than double the previous biggest year-over-year gain for a major sports league. MLS was the weakest performer, up just 6%.
See biggest business tax deadbeats in NY, including 1 with CNY ties
The biggest debt in the state was over $13.9 million.
Want Powerful Relationships At Work And Home? Start With Trust
Most people want powerful long-term relationships at work and at home. Turns out creating trust first unlocks solid relationships.
A new superconductor breaks rules physicists thought were fixed
A shiny gray crystal called platinum-bismuth-two hides an electronic world unlike anything scientists have seen before. Researchers discovered that only the crystal’s outer surfaces become superconducting—allowing electrons to flow with zero resistance—while the interior remains ordinary metal. Even stranger, the electrons on the surface pair up in a highly unusual pattern that breaks all known rules of superconductivity.
Inside Instagram’s all-out battle to win the nation’s teens
Instagram has pursued a yearslong strategy to win teens back to the app after its critics said the platform wasn’t safe for them, documents obtained by The Post show.
The new science of ‘many autisms’ and what it reveals about condition’s origins
Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.
The new science of ‘many autisms’ and what it reveals about condition’s origins
Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.
Aluminum salts emerge as likely target as health officials scrutinize childhood vaccines
The vaccine ingredient has long been a talking point for anti-vaccine activists. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made unsubstantiated claims that it is linked to allergies and autism.
Remarkable statistic shows how far Commanders fell in 2025
A brutal look at how inept the Commanders were in 2025.
PlayStation Plus Free Game Is an Underrated 25-Hour Open-World RPG
This underrated PlayStation Plus open-world RPG could be the perfect thing to play this festive break, lasting 25 hours.
This common food ingredient may shape a child’s health for life
Scientists discovered that common food emulsifiers consumed by mother mice altered their offspring’s gut microbiome from the very first weeks of life. These changes interfered with normal immune system training, leading to long-term inflammation. As adults, the offspring were more vulnerable to gut disorders and obesity. The findings suggest that food additives may have hidden, lasting effects beyond those who consume them directly.
This common food ingredient may shape a child’s health for life
Scientists discovered that common food emulsifiers consumed by mother mice altered their offspring’s gut microbiome from the very first weeks of life. These changes interfered with normal immune system training, leading to long-term inflammation. As adults, the offspring were more vulnerable to gut disorders and obesity. The findings suggest that food additives may have hidden, lasting effects beyond those who consume them directly.
Uncovering the mystery of how algae makes snow green, red or orange
Snow isn't always white; algae can make it look green, red, or orange, and scientists are trying to understand how and why these colorful patches appear.
This week in science: Swearing, bird bills and the pandemic, and whale breath samples
Emily Kwong and Berly McCoy of NPR's Short Wave talk about why swearing might improve physical performance, how birds' bills changed during the pandemic and why scientists are sampling whale breath.
Arch Linux Powered CachyOS To Develop A Server OS
The Arch Linux based CachyOS has been quite popular with Linux gamers and enthusiasts for offering leading out-of-the-box performance, especially following the shutdown of Intel's Clear Linux
Beverly D'Angelo admits scandalous 'Christmas Vacation' hand gesture was improvised
'Christmas Vacation' actress Beverly D'Angelo has admitted that the scandalous hand gesture she performed on Chevy Chase in the classic holiday movie was improvised in one take: 'You can't do that.'
How a Spanish virus brought Google to Málaga
Spanish entrepreneur Bernardo Quintero, whose company is at the root of Google's Málaga cybersecurity hub, identified the author of the computer virus that influenced his career.
RFK Jr. declares public health emergency for Washington state flooding
The action from Kennedy, the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is focused on helping meet the needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
RFK Jr. says the U.S. should look to Europe on vaccines. That could mean Americans get fewer.
Public health experts say Europeans can afford to vaccinate less because they have universal access to health care.
College Football Playoff naughty, nice list: Good, bad for quarterfinal teams in bracket
The good and bad for each squad still vying for the national championship
When The Real Thing Costs Over Half A Million, You Settle For This
Kimera Automobili’s EVO38 restomod now has a limited-run scale model, with carbon details and rally wheels that echo the original’s motorsport pedigree
Opinion | Socialized medicine can’t survive the winter
The British government is begging sick people to stay away from hospitals during the holidays.
Just got a PS5? Here's 7 settings to change first
Adjust these essential PS5 settings before you start playing
Oceans are supercharging hurricanes past Category 5
Deep ocean hot spots packed with heat are making the strongest hurricanes and typhoons more likely—and more dangerous. These regions, especially near the Philippines and the Caribbean, are expanding as climate change warms ocean waters far below the surface. As a result, storms powerful enough to exceed Category 5 are appearing more often, with over half occurring in just the past decade. Researchers say recognizing a new “Category 6” could improve public awareness and disaster planning.
Two vulnerable senators stand to benefit from intense focus on constituents
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) are two of the chamber’s staunchest believers in the value of constituency services.
5 tips from ‘super agers’ on how to live a healthy life
This year, we learned a lot from people in their 80s, 90s and 100s (and the scientists who study them).
I left Big Law at 29 to become a rabbi, then changed careers again at 40. Here's what I learned about finding the perfect job.
Justin Pines, the CEO of the Jewish Broadcasting Service, initially took a "safe" career path in corporate law, before becoming a rabbi.
All in the family: In 2026, a surge of politicians' kids are running for office
As voters clamor for change, a new generation of Pelosis, Kennedys, Kings and other powerful families are stepping up to keep their political legacies alive.
Building A High-Performance Shifter For Sim Racing
These days, sim racing is more realistic than ever. There are better screens, better headsets, and better steering wheels with better force-feedback, all of which help make you feel like you’…
Spurs vs. Thunder 2025 NBA Christmas prediction, odds, pick
The Spurs and Thunder continue the NBA Christmas slate. Check our NBA odds series for the Spurs-Thunder prediction and pick.
Christmas tradition: Business continues helping customers capture the holiday spirit
Snowline Acres owners Tom and Kristin Davis are approaching a decade of helping people celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Islanders' Resurgence: Hope and Talent on Long Island
With the 2025 Christmas break underway, the New York Islanders hold onto the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. In […]
Annual Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump’s name installed on Kennedy Center
The host of the Kennedy Center’s annual Christmas Eve jazz performance canceled Wednesday’s concert, citing the board of trustees’ move to rename the facility for both the 35th president and President Donald Trump.
Scientists say evolution works differently than we thought
A major evolutionary theory says most genetic changes don’t really matter, but new evidence suggests that’s not true. Researchers found that helpful mutations happen surprisingly often. The twist is that changing environments prevent these mutations from spreading widely before they become useless or harmful. Evolution, it turns out, is less about reaching perfection and more about endlessly chasing a moving target.
Trump warns against infiltration by a 'bad Santa,' defends coal in jovial Christmas calls with kids
President Donald Trump marked Christmas Eve by chatting with children about their holiday wishes
Trump warns against infiltration by a 'bad Santa,' defends coal in jovial Christmas calls with kids
President Donald Trump marked Christmas Eve by chatting with children about their holiday wishes.
Lessenberry: A fateful year awaits in Michigan politics
LANSING — Well, it’s Christmas, and I hope everyone reading this, whatever your beliefs may be, is having a wonderful and relaxing day. While this isn’t ...
Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club Slab Packs Week 17 Drop — Joe Burrow Color Blast among chase cards
Yahoo and Arena Club are back with slab packs featuring some of last week’s top fantasy football performers.
Teryl Austin admits just how valuable Derrick Harmon has become
The rookie had another outstanding performance against Detroit.
With Native NVMe Driver, NVMe SSDs Deliver Double-Digit Gains In Random Read/Write On Windows 11
Some users have gained drastic improvements in SSD performance on Windows 11 after using the NVMe driver from Windows Server 2025.
Wisconsin sues Trump over rules restricting gender-affirming care
The lawsuit comes less than a week after RFK Jr. proposed new rules barring health care providers from gender-affirming care treatment.
I made Ina Garten's famous brownie pudding. The decadent dessert is perfect for the holidays.
Ina Garten first made her brownie pudding in 2008, but it has recently found new life on TikTok. The decadent dessert is perfect for the holidays.
All Animals, Plants, And Fungi On Earth Can Be Traced Back To A Common Ancestor: The "Asgardians"
From humans and dinosaurs to starfish and seagrass, we are all Asgardian.
Snadragon X Elite Laptop Performance On Linux Ends 2025 Disappointing
As part of my various end-of-year benchmarking comparison articles for looking at the performance evolution of Linux is a fresh look at the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite laptop experience when using Ubuntu 25.10 with the latest X1E Concept packages, which includes taking the X1 Elite optimized kernel to the latest Linux 6.18 stable series.
Your TV's USB port has a forgotten feature that can revitalize an old system for free
Updating your TV's firmware can boost performance and fix bugs - even without internet.
College Football Playoff odds, picks, predictions for remaining bowl games
CBS Sports experts Brad Crawford and Chris Hummer reveal their picks for the playoff quarterfinals and the rest of bowl season
Maine among 19 states suing HHS over youth gender-affirming care
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and its inspector general over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.
College football bowl game odds, 2025-26 CFP picks, bets, predictions from proven model
SportsLine's model has revealed best bets for bowl games and College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups
Practice Photos: Wednesday 12.24.25
Take a look inside Intermountain Health Performance Center to view the best photos from Wednesday's practice as the Raiders prepare for their Week 17 matchup against the New York Giants.
RFK Jr. declares public health emergency for WA flooding
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency Wednesday over this month’s flooding in Washington state.
Our 7 Best Science TikToks You Need to Watch Right Now
On TikTok and other short-form video platforms, Scientific American explored the underground labs of Greenland, brand-new colors and the perfect way to make eggs
How Trump’s attacks on ‘climate alarmism’ have already transformed U.S. science
Experts say the cuts to the federal workforce and climate science funding could cause decades of loss in human knowledge and discovery.
BP to Sell Majority Stake in Castrol Business for $6 Billion
The UK oil giant will divest a 65% stake, retaining the remaining interest via a joint venture, it said Wednesday. BP is shedding assets to reduce debt and turn around years of lagging performance that put the company in the crosshairs of activist shareholder Elliott Investment Management. It kicked off the sale process for Castrol back in February, when then-Chief Executive Officer Murray Auchincloss unveiled a strategic reset, promising to refocus on oil and gas, slash costs and reduce debt.
Food aimed for families in need for nonprofit super feast dumped after health inspection: Officials
Food that was prepared for the annual Christmas Eve Super Feast at the George R. Brown Convention Center was thrown out during an inspection by the Houston Health Department.
Felzkowski: Wisconsin can’t wait on Washington for health care reform
In an end-of-year interview, Felzkowski said states should “grab the bull by the horns,” when it comes to reforming the state’s medical system.
US signs health agreements with African nations, warns against nonperformance
The U.S. signed four new global health memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, which total nearly $2.3 billion in funding, the State Department said on Tuesday.
MSU defensive back announces plan to enter transfer portal
A Michigan State football defensive back announces he'll be entering the transfer portal
Public Health Informatics Specialist
📊 DATA MEETS PUBLIC HEALTH! 📊Northern Nevada Public Health is seeking a PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATICS SPECIALIST to turn data into life-saving insights! 💡 $78,936/yr + excellent benefits & NV PERS retirement! 📍 Reno, NV | Perfect for you if you have: Bachelor’s in computer science/data sciences and 2+ years health informatics experience; OR an equivalent combination of training and experience ✅ Skills in SQL, R, Python, Power BI desired | Ready to start the new year using your tech skills to improve public health outcomes? This role combines cutting-edge data analysis with meaningful community impact! 🚀 You’ll analyze health data, support disease surveillance, and help shape public health decisions that protect our community! 🌟👉 Apply now: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washoecounty ⏰ Application Deadline: January 30! #HealthInformatics #HealthStatistics #DataScience #PublicHealth #WashoeCounty #TechJobs #RenoJobs
This tiny peptide could help stop brain damage after injury
A four–amino acid peptide called CAQK has shown powerful brain-protective effects in animal models of traumatic brain injury. Delivered through a standard IV, it zeroes in on injured brain tissue, calming inflammation and reducing cell death while improving recovery. The peptide worked in both mice and pigs, whose brains are closer to humans in structure. Researchers are now preparing to move toward early human clinical trials.
Sony WF-1000XM6 rears its head as launch information surfaces in new leak
The long-awaited Sony WF-1000XM6 has reappeared before the end of the year in a new leak. This time, a retailer has hinted at availability and launch colour options ahead of schedule.
Supreme Court hands Trump a major defeat on National Guard deployment
The Supreme Court holds that the president’s authority to deploy the National Guard for law enforcement purposes likely only applies in “exceptional” circumstances.
In Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, children's entertainment comes with strings
For more than 30 years, Puppetworks has delighted Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood with performances of The Tortoise and the Hare, Pinocchio, Aladdin and, during the holidays, retellings of stories like The Steadfast Tin Soldier.
In Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, children's entertainment comes with strings
For more than 30 years, Puppetworks has delighted Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood with performances of The Tortoise and the Hare, Pinocchio, Aladdin and, during the holidays, retellings of stories like The Steadfast Tin Soldier.
49ers Players on Team's Mindset: 'Just Handle Business Each Week'
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, TE George Kittle, RB Christian McCaffrey, T Trent Williams, and LB Dee Winters highlighted team chemistry, preparation, and the importance of staying focused as the 49ers look ahead to the playoffs.
The 120 Most Powerful Executives in Entertainment, Ranked
From David Zaslav to Ted Sarandos and David Ellison, Variety celebrates its 120th year by ranking the 120 most powerful entertainment executives.
Iowa City sports superfan 'Smiley' dies at 79
One of the most famous sports fans in Iowa has passed away.
Republican former senator Ben Sasse says he has terminal cancer
The 53-year-old — who was one of a handful of Republicans to speak out against Trump during his first term — said in a lengthy social media post he has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and suggested he doesn’t have long to live.
Farewell, Sports Haven: A Video Tribute
The oil drum-shaped, off-track-betting hall that opened on Long Wharf in 1979 closed on Nov. 30. Local filmmaker Travis Carbonella chronicled its final days.
Ikea has made some of its Matter-compatible smart home devices even cheaper.
As the cost of some electronics continues to skyrocket, Ikea has dropped the price of several of its new smart home accessories. The Myggspray motion and Klippbok water sensors are now down to $7.99 from $9.99, and while the three-pack of the colorful two-button Bilresa remotes launched in the US for $19.99, they’re now $14.99. [Image: Two of Ikea’s new Matter-compatible smart home sensors and its two-button remote are now cheaper in the US. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/ikea_matter.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
Windows 11 driver hack boosts NVMe SSD performance by up to 85%
Windows Server 2025 now features a new NVMe driver, and users are already reaping performance benefits in Windows 11 through registry edits.
Economic growth surges in late summer, the highest in two years
“This was the strongest six months of growth since late in 2023, but it certainly didn’t feel that way for most people,” one analyst said.
Boost Your Windows SSD Performance by up to 85% With This Server Driver Trick
It's almost as good as downloading more RAM.
Nine mental-health tips for a happier 2026
Regardless of any resolutions you may have for 2026, one thing is for sure: Everyone wants to have a happy new year.While losing weight or saving money may be great goals, the most straightforward path to happiness is caring for your mental and emotional health. A robust body of research shows that simple cognitive and behavioral strategies can reliably boost happiness and reduce stress – and they’re generally free and accessible to all.These strategies don’t have to be super time-consuming, but they do require intention: They only work if you do them.Here, psychologist Valentina Ogaryan, PhD, clinical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, shares her top tips for cultivating more calm, centeredness and happiness in the new year (or anytime):Make time for playPlay isn’t just for kids, and it’s far from frivolous. The National Institute for Play says engaging in silliness, fun and just-for-pleasure activities reduces stress and increases optimism and resilience. A recent review also found that play improves mental health.“Adults can benefit from play as much as children,” Dr. Ogaryan says, “not just as a reward, but something that helps regulate.”So go ahead and dance with your dog, build something with Legos, tell a joke, sing karaoke or do anything else that feels like fun. Don’t worry about being productive, just enjoy yourself. And, if you can, opt for more analog play, Dr. Ogaryan suggests, as a respite from our ever-more-digital world. Move your bodyWhether you dance, ski, do yoga, play pickleball, ride a bike, roller-skate, hike or lift weights, physical movement benefits overall happiness and well-being. A 2018 review study of more than 1.2 million adults in the U.S. found that doing any kind of exercise was “significantly and meaningfully associated” with better self-reported mental health.The sweet spot was 45 minutes of movement three to five times a week, but even short bursts of physical activity can boost brain health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Movement helps support mood and regulate the nervous system,” Dr. Ogaryan says.Plus: exercise can improve sleep quality, and sleep is essential for mental health.Prioritize sleep“Sleep plays a major role in managing stress,” Dr. Ogaryan says. Research shows that lack of sufficient sleep increases the risk of various diseases, including depression.While stress can interfere with sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene can make logging ZZ’s easier. That means maintaining a consistent bedtime; keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; and avoiding social media, news and stimulating shows before bed.Consume lessWe live in a consumer culture, inundated by endless streams of content and advertising everywhere we go, which makes it easy to get overstimulated.“Something really helpful for stress reduction is to simply consume less,” Dr. Ogaryan says – less news, less social media, less information, less noise, less screen time. “It’s about reducing the input,” she says.Consider setting a maximum number of news articles per day, for example, or a time limit on scrolling. Maybe even go device free for an afternoon or a whole day.Practice present-moment awarenessWith so much coming at us all the time, focusing on the here and now can make life feel more manageable, Dr. Ogaryan says: “When everything feels super overwhelming, when everything feels larger than life, let’s make our world a little bit smaller for that moment in time.”She suggests taking things one day, or even one hour, at a time. Ask yourself: What’s my next right action? Release the need to know how everything turns out and liberate yourself from having to handle everything right now. Let the future take care of itself and just focus on the current moment. Then the next one. Have a daily anchorFrom work to the daily commute to family and life responsibilities, our days can feel jam-packed. Dr. Ogaryan recommends creating a centering daily anchor that can fit into even the busiest day.Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or mindfully enjoying your coffee in the morning. Let your anchor adapt to your needs each day, she says, but be intentional about using that time to ground yourself and calm your nervous system. You might even say to yourself, “I choose this walk to help me become centered,” or “My day already feels stressful, so I’m going to take the next 10 minutes to enjoy this cup of coffee, feel the warm mug in my hand and just be present.” Having an anchor won’t erase the busy-ness from your day, but it will allow you to approach it more calmly.Be kind to yourselfMost of us have a harsh inner critic in our heads who works overtime. But that critical voice only increases our stress, triggering the same fight-or-flight response as caustic words from another person.To feel happier, we need to replace that inner critic with a kinder, more compassionate voice, Dr. Ogaryan says. Studies show that self-compassion is a source of eudaimonic happiness – the kind of happiness associated with purpose and meaning in life.While our knee-jerk reaction may be to self-criticize – “How could you let it get to this point? You didn’t manage your time well and now the project is going to be late. You’re so inept.” – we fare better mentally by treating ourselves with kindness, like we would a friend. That might sound like, “You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you are capable and you’ll get it done. I believe in you.”We may think that speaking kindly to ourselves means letting ourselves off the hook, so we end up becoming lazy do-nothings. But research shows the opposite: People who are self-compassionate are more likely to try harder in the face of failure and ultimately reach their goals.You can thank your inner critic for its good intentions, but resolve to talk to yourself in a kind, compassionate voice.Connect with othersHumans are social animals built for connection. Stress can be isolating and cause us to withdraw, but connecting with others is a salve for the psyche, Dr. Ogaryan says.“We know that not all relationships are always easy, but if we can think about intentional, nourishing connection – even in really small doses – it could really help center us,” she says.Take a moment to laugh with your colleagues, hug your pet, have a conversation with a friend or smile at the barista making your coffee. A study found that even tiny interactions with casual acquaintances and strangers decreases loneliness and improves happiness and well-being.Seek supportIf you try these practices and happiness remains elusive, or if you can’t access the wherewithal to follow these tips, seek support from your physician or a therapist. Mental health conditions are among the most common health issues in the U.S. and around the world – more prevalent than diabetes or heart disease. One in five people in the U.S. experiences a mental illness each year, with depression and anxiety the most common, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.“We can all think about these tips,” Dr. Ogaryan says. “But it’s important to recognize if you’ve done everything you can and you’re still really struggling, it’s really important to seek help.”
The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
MIT scientists strip cancer of its sugar shield
Scientists at MIT and Stanford have unveiled a promising new way to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively. Their strategy targets a hidden “off switch” that tumors use to stay invisible to immune defenses—special sugar molecules on the cancer cell surface that suppress immune activity. Early tests show it can supercharge immune responses and outperform current antibody therapies.