   
CEO Picks - The best that international journalism has to offer!
 S69Photos of the Week:   Scenes from the the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, a sunflower maze in England, a performance at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, wildfires in Greece and Italy, damage from Hurricane Idalia in Florida, a mid-river football match in England, a marching-band competition in Texas, and much more Jonay Ravelo and his horse Nivaria observe the rising full moon from a mountain in Mogán, in Gran Canaria, Spain, on August 31, 2023. #
Continued here
|
S1What Leaders Really Do  Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think. Leadership isn’t mystical and mysterious. It has nothing to do with having “charisma” or other exotic personality traits. It is not the province of a chosen few. Nor is leadership necessarily better than management or a replacement for it. Rather, leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in today’s business environment. Management is about coping with complexity. Its practices and procedures are largely a response to the emergence of large, complex organizations in the twentieth century. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change. Part of the reason it has become so important in recent years is that the business world has become more competitive and more volatile. More change always demands more leadership. Most U.S. corporations today are over-managed and under-led. They need to develop their capacity to exercise leadership. Successful corporations don’t wait for leaders to come along. They actively seek out people with leadership potential and expose them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. Indeed, with careful selection, nurturing, and encouragement, dozens of people can play important leadership roles in a business organization. But while improving their ability to lead, companies should remember that strong leadership with weak management is no better, and is sometimes actually worse, than the reverse. The real challenge is to combine strong leadership and strong management and use each to balance the other.
Continued here
|
S2Maya Feller's Rastafarian ital stew  In Jamaica, there's nothing more comforting than a bowl of ital. The popular island stew eaten by the Rastafarian community is a medley of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, all simmered in coconut milk.Rastafarians are practitioners of Rastafari, a religion founded in Jamaica in the 1930s. It is also classified as a social movement to oppose systems of oppression by the country's then-dominant British colonial rule. Historically, as Rastafarians continued to challenge Jamaica's colonial society by expressing themselves through their African roots, they wore their hair in dreadlocks, which represented a connection to Africa and a sense of pride in African physical characteristics. They smoked marijuana because they believed its use was directed in biblical passages, and they played reggae music as a voice of the oppressed.
Continued here
|
S3King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden: 50 years of banal royalism  The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and the subsequent coronation of King Charles III eight months later, were international media events of historic proportions. People around the world observed, in close detail, how the UK’s royal institution consolidates its authority by using ritual to link to the past. Over the weekend of September 15 and 16 2023, Sweden will celebrate its own royal occasion, the golden jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf. This represents a significant national moment. Several TV documentaries have been made. A plethora of books and magazines have been published. Podcasts have been recorded.
Continued here
|
S4A winter energy crunch in Europe looks a distinct possibility  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine imposed a sudden energy shock on Europe 18 months ago. Faced with the prospect of much less Russian gas, there were fears that Europe’s energy infrastructure would not cope with winter 2022-23, causing economies to crumble. Yet a mild winter and the EU’s gradual rollout of a plan to reduce its energy consumption and buy more from alternative suppliers saw it emerge shaken but not beaten on the other side.
Continued here
|
S5
S6White men have controlled women's reproductive rights throughout American history - the post-Dobbs era is no different  More than a year after the Supreme Court ended federal protection for abortion rights in the United States, disagreements over abortion bans continue to reverberate around the country. Candidates sparred over the idea of a federal abortion ban during the Aug. 23, 2023, Republican presidential debate. And abortion is likely to figure prominently in the November 2023 contest for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, removing women’s federal constitutional right to get abortions and giving states the power to pass laws about the legality of the procedure, the 6-3 vote was by a four white men, one Black man and a white woman majority.
Continued here
|
S7As concern about Mitch McConnell's health grows, his legacy remains strong  Even if Mitch McConnell’s health prevents him from accomplishing his stated goal of serving as Senate Republican leader through 2024, he will still be the longest-serving Senate leader of any party, one who remade the federal judiciary from top to bottom. The impact of that achievement will outlive the 81-year-old Kentuckian, who appeared to freeze during two recent public appearances, one in July 2023 at the U.S. Capitol and then again on Aug. 30 while talking with reporters at an event in his home state. His doctor has said the episodes are part of the normal recovery from a concussion McConnell experienced in March, but political circles are concerned about his ability to continue to serve.
Continued here
|
S8'The Blind Side' lawsuit spotlights tricky areas of family law  What’s the difference between adoption and conservatorship? Millions of dollars and the freedom to make your own choices, if you ask retired football player Michael Oher.Oher, whose story was made into the 2009 movie “The Blind Side,” says he believed he signed papers to be adopted by an affluent white couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, in 2004. But papers filed in court recently indicate Oher was in fact never adopted. Rather, he has been under a court-imposed conservatorship all this time. Further, it is alleged that the arrangement allowed the Tuohys to “gain financial advantages” by striking deals in Oher’s name.
Continued here
|
S9North America's summer of wildfire smoke: 2023 was only the beginning  Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke. While Western states have contended with smoky fire seasons for years, the air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this summer reached levels never seen there before.The smoke left the air so unhealthy in Philadelphia on June 7, 2023, that the Phillies-Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball game was postponed. That same week, New York City residents hunkered down indoors for several days as a smoky haze hung over the city, turning the skies orange and exposing millions of people to the worst air quality in the world.
Continued here
|
S10S11Local journalism: why a tiny news operation could inspire a different approach and is attracting big name support  The sums involved aren’t huge, but the significance for local journalism in the UK should not be underestimated. The Mill is expanding as local newspapers around the UK, and the world, are closing down or shedding staff, creating news deserts where local issues go unreported. So what is the Mill doing right and could it be a model for a new type of local journalism? As someone who has worked in local journalism, including the much-missed Liverpool Daily Post, I have watched as newspapers have shut their local offices, contracted newsrooms and in some cases stopped printing and turned to web-only operations, so the success of The Mill as part of this climate is worth noting.
Continued here
|
S12'I almost lost my will to live': preference for sons is leaving young women in China exploited and abused  China has a gender crisis. The country has a huge surplus of men – around 722 million compared to 690 million women in 2022. This is largely because of sex-selective abortions linked to China’s one-child policy, which ended in 2015. Though popular belief is that the policy was strictly enforced, many Chinese couples managed to have more than one child by paying fines, accepting benefit deprivations, or proclaiming their membership of a minority ethnic group. Often, they chose to do so because their first child was a girl. The one-child policy lasted three and a half decades, replaced by the two-child policy in 2016 and the three-child policy in 2021. But even today, the belief that boys have more value than girls persists.
Continued here
|
S13Why the UK government is relaxing rules for river pollution  The UK government has announced plans to enable the delivery of 100,000 new homes by 2030 that are currently being held up by a controversial EU law designed to protect water bodies from pollution. This move will undoubtedly benefit the housing sector, delivering an estimated £18 billion to the economy and also helping the government meet its housing targets. But will it lead to further water pollution at a time when just 36% of the UK’s surface water bodies are in “good” or better condition?
Continued here
|
S14Pulverised fuel ash: how we can recycle the dirty byproduct from coal-fired power stations  The ash from burning coal in coal-fired power stations lies in thousands of landfills around the world. This waste material, generally considered a hazard, is now being put to good use in the construction industry.More than 6,000 coal-fired power stations produce this powdery byproduct, which is properly known as “pulverised fuel ash” (PFA) or “fly ash”. Traditionally, it was released into the atmosphere from the smoke stack after the coal was burned, but, because of its effect on air quality, it is now captured and stored in landfills.
Continued here
|
S15Women are less happy than men - a psychologist on why and four things you can do about it  A recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association may hold some clues as to why. The results found that most US women are unhappy with how society treats them. Many women are still the main caregivers for children and elderly relatives. Most also have the double burden of managing the home and family arrangements on top of paid work responsibilities. And within the workplace three in five women have experienced bullying, sexual harassment or verbal abuse.
Continued here
|
S16Coup in Gabon: Ali Bongo the eighth west African leader to be ousted by military in two years  Gabon’s prime minister, Ali Bongo, has become the latest in a string of African leaders to be ousted by a military coup in recent years. Bongo, who had just won a third term in power, was ousted by a junta of senior officers who have named General Brice Oligui Nguema – the former head of the presidential guard and Bongo’s cousin – as the country’s new “interim president”.The coup in Gabon is the eighth in west and central Africa since 2020, and the second – after Niger – in as many months. He is being held under house arrest from where he made an emotional plea for help for him and his family from international “friends of Gabon” to “make noise”.
Continued here
|
S17Women's sexual desire often goes undiscussed - yet it's one of their most common health concerns  Female sexual desire is frequently misunderstood. Despite desire (also known as libido or sex drive) being the most common sexual health concern for women, most women aren’t really taught about it growing up. And if they are, the information is often inaccurate. This lack of education not only perpetuates misinformation, stigma and shame about female sexual desire, it can also have a major effect on wellbeing and perceptions of satisfaction in intimate relationships.
Continued here
|
S18Jobs are up, wages less so - and lower purchasing power could still lead the US into a recession  Yes, the U.S. economy added 187,000 jobs in August 2023 – faster than the revised 157,000 increase for July and above most analysts’ expectations for the month. And yes, gains were seen across most industries, with health care and social assistance adding 97,300 positions, leisure and hospitality boosting numbers by 40,000, construction up by 22,000 jobs, and 16,000 additional general manufacturing jobs.But there was also enough in the data released by Bureau of Labor Statistics on Sept. 1 to give comfort – of sorts – to the “Jeremiahs” among us economists. I’ll explain.
Continued here
|
S19Tory MP's historic family links to slavery raise questions about Britain's position on reparations  “Reparations have been paid for other wrongs and obviously far more quickly, far more speedily than reparations for what I consider the greatest atrocity and crime in the history of mankind: transatlantic chattel slavery.” So noted the eminent Jamaican international jurist Judge Patrick Robinson, when launching the 115-page Brattle Report in June 2023. The economic consultancy, The Brattle Group, was asked to draw up a report estimating the scale of reparations that should be paid for the chattel trade between 1510 to 1870, covering 31 countries that engaged in transatlantic slavery. This would include compensation for loss of life and liberty, uncompensated labour, personal injury, mental pain and anguish and gender-based violence.
Continued here
|
S20The Era-Defining Aesthetic of "In the Mood for Love"  Wong Kar Wai's 2000 masterwork has influenced filmmakers ranging from Barry Jenkins to Sofia Coppolaâand innumerable teens on TikTok.There is a particular aesthetic floating abroad in the world. You could call it an atmosphere, a vibe, or just an essence of style. It's made up of a collection of ingredients: humid alleyways in dense cities, neon lights cutting through darkness, quietly flashy fashion, nostalgic music, tragic romanticism, and the smoke of many, many cigarettes. It evokes glamour with a streak of grittiness, and the feeling of being adrift. It partakes of Golden Age Hollywood but is more international, modern, and self-aware.
Continued here
|
S21CNN's New White Knight  During the past week, news trickled out via competing scoops that Mark Thompson, the former C.E.O. of the Times and director-general of the BBC, would become CNN's C.E.O. and editor-in-chief. Sir MarkâThompson was knighted in June by King Charles IIIâwho will officially take over in early October, will find a network in crisis. CNN, like so many cable outfits, is in a period of steady decline. Fewer and fewer people subscribe to cable, and the television-ad market has dwindled. CNN's profit margins show it: in 2017, the network made a billion dollars; this year, that number is projected to be closer to eight hundred million. Thompson himself told a British audience, in 2021, that TV news in the U.S. "seems completely unchanged since the nineteen-eighties. I think it is in dead trouble."Some of CNN's problems, though, are particular to its place in American life. During the Trump years, the network positioned itself as the outspoken institution for journalistic truth. Its anchors' antagonistic questions at the White House made the rounds on liberal Twitter, and ratings were good. But the post-Trump years have found CNN floundering somewhat. In 2022, after a mammoth corporate merger, CNN became a subsidiary in Warner Bros. Discovery, whose C.E.O., David Zaslav, wanted a news network that would attract less ire from centrists and conservatives. He appointed Chris Licht, a co-creator of "Morning Joe" and the executive producer of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," but fired him thirteen months later after a tenure mired by low staff morale and ratings.
Continued here
|
S22Listening to Taylor Swift in Prison  The first time I heard about Taylor Swift, I was in a Los Angeles County jail, waiting to be sent to prison for murder. Sheriffs would hand out precious copies of the Los Angeles Times, and they would be passed from one reader to the next. Back then, I swore that Prince was the best songwriter of my lifetime, and I thought Swift’s rise to teen-age stardom was an injustice. I’d look up from her wide-eyed face in the Calendar section to see gang fights and race riots. The jail was full of young men of color who wrote and performed their own raps, often about chasing money and fame, while Swift was out there, actually getting rich and famous. How fearless could any little blond fluff like that really be?In 2009, I was sentenced to life in prison. Early one morning, I boarded a bus in shackles and a disposable jumpsuit, and rode to Calipatria State Prison, a cement fortress on the southern fringes of California. Triple-digit temperatures, cracked orange soil, and pungent whiffs of the nearby Salton Sea made me feel as though I’d been exiled to Mars. After six years in the chaos of the county jail, however, I could finally own small luxuries, like a television. The thick walls of Calipat, as we called the place, stifled our radio reception, but an institutional antenna delivered shows like “Access Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight,” and “TMZ.” I was irritated by the celebrity gossip, but it was a connection to the outside world, and it introduced me to snippets of Swift’s performances for the first time. Here and there, I’d catch her on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” or “Fallon,” and was surprised by how intently she discussed her songwriting. I didn’t tell anyone that I thought she was talented.
Continued here
|
S23You Need to Watch the Most Deranged Sci-Fi Thriller on Hulu ASAP  Few contemporary filmmakers have had as much of an impact on the horror genre as James Wan. His 2004 breakout hit, Saw, not only spawned an entire, still-ongoing franchise but also briefly popularized a torture-centric form of horror filmmaking. Less than a decade later, he directed the first installments of what are now major franchises in Insidious and The Conjuring, both of which cemented his place as one of the most capable horror directors and stylists working today.While Wan has spent the past few years focusing more on action franchises like the DCEU and Fast and Furious, too, he did find time in 2021 to direct his wildest horror movie to date. The film in question, Malignant, hails from Wan and M3GAN screenwriter Akela Cooper, and it’s every bit as outrageous, horrifying, and fun as that creative pairing suggests. It is, perhaps, the most straightforward homage to Evil Dead director Sam Raimi that Wan has ever made — and it’s worth seeking out solely for its sheer, unabashed creative spirit.
Continued here
|
S24S25Humans Could Be Playing Soccer on the Moon in 15 Years -- But Should We?  Lia Lewis’s controlled kick sends the ball shooting much farther than she’s used to. Inside her helmet, a screen is dotted with the trajectory of the ball as it flies past a holographic referee and into a large, rectangular net. “Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaal” echos inside the fishbowl around her head. A moment later, Lewis and her fellow players head to safety before solar flares reign down on the surface of the Moon.“Never mind Wembley Stadium in London or Camp Nou in Barcelona, could there be anywhere more spectacular, challenging, and enthralling than to be among the first to play football on the Moon?” Lewis, a football freestyle world champion, tells Inverse.
Continued here
|
S26The Best Armor For Every Stage of 'Horizon: Forbidden West'  If you’re going to save the world, you’d better look great doing it. Horizon Forbidden West continues the series’ legacy of over-the-top action and enemy encounters, thanks to its massive roster of even more massive robots. It’s easy to focus on the dinosaur-inspired designs like the Thunderjaw, but even more mundane animals like the kangaroo-like Leaplasher can ravage Aloy. If you want to get anywhere in this open-world masterpiece you’re going to need to protect yourself.That means choosing the best armor, which also means making sure you keep an eye out for the right materials. Of course, you don’t get access to the best stuff until late in the game, so here’s a rundown of the best armor in Horizon Forbidden West for early, mid, and late-game players along with the materials you’ll want to hoard along the way so you’re ready to make upgrades.
Continued here
|
S27S28Astronomers Discover a Weird Exoplanet Denser Than Steel  It’s a planet the size of Neptune — but confusingly, it’s 73 times the mass of Earth. For comparison, Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth, and Saturn 95 times Earth’s mass. That makes it “denser than steel,” according to an announcement from the University of Bristol, an institution involved with the work. According to the study, this means its mass is “almost twice that of any other Neptune-sized planet known so far.”To categorize exoplanets, or planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, astronomers lean on Solar System descriptors. After noticing an interesting object, roughly Neptune’s size and near a dwarf star, they looked for more details about it from a variety of land and space-based telescopes. After confirming what they saw was indeed a planet, and not a star, they were left with a cosmic puzzle.
Continued here
|
S2950 Weird Things Under $30 on Amazon That Are Clever as Hell  There are plenty of bizarre things for sale on the internet that beg the question: Who would buy this? Then there are these weird things on Amazon that are so damn clever, you’ll wonder who wouldn’t add them to their cart immediately. Why? Because they’re weird in the most helpful ways. From ingenious tools that streamline cooking and cleaning, to products that help you save money in the long run, you’ll find plenty of finds that will upgrade your routine. You’ll also discover some items that are just, well, fun. Because we all deserve to have a little more fun (don’t we?). Whether you’re headed to the great outdoors, or just looking to add some practical tools to an emergency kit, this collapsible solar lantern fits the bill. Also chargeable via USB, this versatile lantern has three settings: low, high, and SOS flashing. It folds down to just 1.8 inch in height, so it takes up minimal storage and backpack space, and the hook lets you hang it anywhere.
Continued here
|
S3044 Years Ago, a Legendary Writer Made a Disturbingly Prophetic Sci-Fi Movie That Still Resonates Today  Inside a crowded subway car, a man coughs loudly just before collapsing to the shock of his fellow passengers. Over the course of the next few months, many more people will die from a mysterious respiratory disease that seems to have emerged without warning.That opening alone could trigger memories from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s the incisive social commentary that makes the 1979 film The Year of the Plague (El año de la peste) truly pertinent to our current reality. It plays like a cinematic prophecy.
Continued here
|
S31This Common Misconception About Oily Skin Could Be A Game-Changer For Acne  The skin is the largest organ of the body, and it plays a crucial role as the first line of defense against pathogens and insults from the external environment. It provides important functions like temperature regulation and moisture retention. And despite the misconception that lipids harm your skin by causing oiliness and acne, they actually play a vital role in maintaining the skin barrier.Lipids — organic compounds that include fats, oils, waxes, and other types of molecules — are essential components of the outermost layer of skin. Changes to the skin’s lipid composition can disrupt its ability to function as a protective barrier, leading to a range of skin diseases, including eczema and psoriasis.
Continued here
|
S32'Ahsoka' Is Fundamentally Changing the Most Important Jedi Rule  As soon as the promotion for Ahsoka kicked off, one question quickly rippled throughout the fandom: Is Sabine Force-sensitive? We kept seeing her referenced as Ahsoka’s apprentice, but Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian, not a Jedi. Sure enough, the two-episode premiere of Ahsoka revealed Sabine had previously been in Jedi training under Ahsoka, though it didn’t go well. Later, the ancient robot Huyang tells her that, of the countless Jedi he’s guided over the years, her Force powers rank at the very bottom. But despite all that, Sabine is at it again in Ahsoka Episode 3, and in a key discussion with her master, we finally realize why she’s able to train even if she’s not as Force-sensitive as the Jedi who preceded her.
Continued here
|
S33Everything Starts with Trust  Trust is the basis for almost everything we do. It’s the foundation on which our laws and contracts are built. It’s the reason we’re willing to exchange our hard-earned paychecks for goods and services, to pledge our lives to another person in marriage, and to cast a ballot for someone who will represent our interests. It’s also the input that makes it possible for leaders to create the conditions for employees to fully realize their own capacity and power.
Continued here
|
S34What the West Gets Wrong About China  Many people have wrongly assumed that political freedom would follow new economic freedoms in China and that its economic growth would have to be built on the same foundations as in the West. The authors suggest that those assumptions are rooted in three essentially false beliefs about modern China: (1) Economics and democracy are two sides of the same coin; (2) authoritarian political systems can’t be legitimate; and (3) the Chinese live, work, and invest like Westerners. But at every point since 1949 the Chinese Communist Party—central to the institutions, society, and daily experiences that shape all Chinese people—has stressed the importance of Chinese history and of Marxist-Leninist doctrine. Until Western companies and politicians understand this and revise their views, they will continue to get China wrong.
Continued here
|
S35Trick Yourself into Breaking a Bad Habit  As we reviewed what separated the successful few from the rest, we found a quirky distinction: The successful people talked about themselves the way an experimental psychologist might refer to a cherished lab rat. For example, a shy manager with executive aspirations talked about how he took himself to the employee cafeteria three times a week to eat lunch with a complete stranger. Tickling with anxiety, he stripped himself of his smart phone before exiting his office — knowing that if it was with him, he would retreat to it. He knew that if he simply ensconced himself in these circumstances, he would connect with new people — a habit and skill he wanted to cultivate.
Continued here
|
S36Finding a Job When You Have No Experience  Most entry level roles require two to three years of previous job experience. If you’re new to the workforce, how can you qualify? The good news is that “years of experience” can usually be taken with a grain of salt, but your resume should prove that you have the skills to do the job well. Here are four ways to gain that experience and demonstrate you’re the right person for the role.
Continued here
|
S37What Does It Take to Start a Union?  But what if you could have a say in your own working conditions? What if the company you worked for couldn’t make decisions without your input? In 2021, the workers at Pavement Coffeehouse in Boston found themselves asking these questions. Soon after, they became the first unionized coffee shop in Massachusetts.
Continued here
|
S38Stop Asking, "What's the Worst That Could Happen?"  Fear is a universal emotion, and it arises when we think we may experience physical or psychological harm. It shows up at work, too. Think about the time when you’ve debated if you should ask for that raise. Or when you’ve accepted working on tough project but eventually asked for an out. Thinking about the worst that could happen has often held us back.
Continued here
|
S395 Tips for Writing Professional Emails  Research shows that workers in the U.S. spend an average of two to three hours a day checking their work emails, and an additional two hours on personal emails. In other countries, like India and Australia, the trend is similar. With the increasing rise of remote and hybrid workplaces, this frequency — along with email fatigue, burnout, and job dissatisfaction — are growing. What can you do to get some of those hours back?
Continued here
|
S40Incorporating DEI into Decision-Making  Most people believe in promoting DEI in the workplace. But implicit and unconscious biases — not to mention the constant juggling of priorities required at work — can lead to inequitable decision-making. In this article, drawing on recent research, the authors suggest that this problem can be addressed by making DEI more immediately obvious, or salient, to managers immediately before they need to make consequential decisions about such matters as hiring, promotions, and performance evaluation. The authors discuss three particularly effective ways of doing so.
Continued here
|
S41Harvard's Arthur C. Brooks on the Secrets to Happiness at Work  Arthur C. Brooks is a bestselling author, Harvard University professor, and a widely read columnist for The Atlantic, whose writing draws from both science and philosophy and is aimed at providing insight and strategies on how we can live our best lives. He’s the co-author (with Oprah Winfrey) of the forthcoming book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, and he joined HBR editor Adi Ignatius for this episode of New World of Work to share insights in how to be happier at work, and in life. Happiness, it turns out, is contagious. But so is misery.
Continued here
|
S42The unexpected maths problem at work during the Women's World Cup  There was something strange about the recent Women's World Cup in Australia. If you were paying close attention, you might have spotted it. Many of the international teams had players who were born on the same day of the year – they shared birthdays.There is a counterintuitive phenomenon known as "the birthday problem" or "the birthday paradox", which mathematicians like to use to confound our expectations. The problem is usually phrased along these lines: "How many people do you need to have at a gathering before the probability of at least two people sharing a birthday rises above 50%?"
Continued here
|
S43Sing your way to learning a new language  Beelinguapp is a language-learning mobile app meant to make learning “as simple and fun as reading your favorite book.” Launched in 2017 by a founder from the northern Mexican city of Tampico, the app has over 5 million downloads, and offers a different approach to apps like Duolingo that rely more on word repetition. Beelinguapp’s focus is on engagement through storytelling. Its founder, David Montiel, went on Shark Tank México to secure $10 million and purchase the rights to content beyond the public domain.The app uses a bilingual method, in which it simultaneously presents two texts taken from songs or stories — one in the user’s native language, and the other in the foreign language they want to learn. As the audio plays, users can move between the two texts to understand what’s being read aloud or sung. The app claims to be based on the neuroscience of language acquisition and Montiel’s experience learning German: He found that looking up every word he didn’t understand in the dictionary slowed him down.
Continued here
|
S4450, 100 & 150 Years Ago: September 2023  “The long-standing controversy over the existence of a superdense, polymeric form of water is apparently over. The argument began when Boris V. Derjaguin and colleagues at the Soviet Academy of Sciences observed that certain samples condensed in fine capillary tubes represented a new, stable form of water with a density almost one and a half times that of ordinary water and a molecular structure that could only be described as polymeric. Subsequent investigations in the U.S.S.R., Britain, Germany and the U.S. argued that the anomalous properties could be explained by impurities. Derjaguin has now reported that recent measurements by his group have revealed that their samples invariably contain trace impurities.”“Alcohol is manufactured in the human intestine by microorganisms. The amount of pure ethyl alcohol (the potable kind) produced daily is about one ounce. Ethyl alcohol ingested by a human, or produced in the intestine, is carried to the liver. In the liver 80 percent is broken down by alcohol dehydrogenase; the remaining 20 percent is possibly metabolized by another enzyme, catalase. It is the efficiency of the process that so long masked the production of alcohol in the intestine. The microorganisms that produce it remain unknown.”
Continued here
|
S45Blood Clotting Proteins Might Help Predict Long COVID Brain Fog  New research suggests that blood clotting from COVID infections could contribute to long-term brain fog and other cognitive issuesMany people who have long COVID—a condition in which health issues persist months after infection—report struggling with “brain fog,” recurring memory and concentration lapses that make it difficult to function in everyday life. Now a new study has found these cognitive problems could result from blood clots triggered by infection, possibly through mechanisms like those that cause some types of dementia. These clots leave telltale protein signatures in blood, suggesting that testing for them could help predict, diagnose and possibly even treat long COVID.
Continued here
|
S46S47When Will the Next COVID Vaccine Be Available, and Who Should Get It?  An updated COVID vaccine will be available soon, but certain groups may benefit more than othersAs the summer winds to a close, and we reluctantly trade beach days and late sunsets for cooler weather and school or work, we also have to confront the reality that COVID will remain a part of our lives. The U.S. has already seen a summer bump in cases in recent weeks, with hospitalizations and wastewater levels of the virus creeping back up. So many people may be wondering when they can get another COVID vaccine.
Continued here
|
S48Karen Willcox: How "digital twins" could help us predict the future  From health-tracking wearables to smartphones and beyond, data collection and computer modeling have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. Advancements in these areas have given birth to "digital twins," or virtual models that evolve alongside real-world data. Aerospace engineer Karen Willcox explores the incredible possibilities these systems offer across engineering, climate studies and medicine, sharing how they could lead to personalized medicine, better decision-making and more.
Continued here
|
S49TP-Link's Debut Wi-Fi 7 Router Is Great for Early Adopters  If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDBefore we review TP-Link’s cutting-edge Archer BE800 Wi-Fi 7 router, let’s get something out of the way: No one needs to spend $600 on a router. The Archer BE800 is an enormous, all-singing, all-dancing, tri-band beast with several multi-gig ports, and its full potential will not be realized for months, perhaps years. It packs the best TP-Link has into a radically redesigned form with plenty of bells and whistles, and is aimed squarely at early adopters willing to pay a premium.
Continued here
|
S50The Creator of 'Andor' Is Fired Up About the Streaming Data Wars  Frank D. Gilroy, the father of Andor creator Tony Gilroy, went on strike in 1960. The elder Gilroy, a Bronx-born screenwriter who would later win a Pulitzer Prize for his play The Subject Was Roses, was part of the union effort that secured residual payments for screenwriters for television reruns. That strike was also the last time, prior to this year, that Hollywood writers and actors walked off the job at the same time. Ronald Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild. Tony Gilroy was 4 years old.Last weekend, the younger Gilroy grabbed a microphone on a New York City sidewalk to tell the story of how the “Writers Guild and SAG linked arms … and that sacrifice was to win all this shit we take for granted.” He also spoke of how previous Hollywood strikes—those after 1960—tried to wrest residuals for the sales of VHS, on-demand, and cable. At each turn, the Michael Clayton writer argued, the studios would counter that some new technology—DVDs, streaming—had disrupted the industry and that writers should wait while the studios adjusted.
Continued here
|
S51The Best Electric Kick Scooters  If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIREDRiding an electric kick scooter isn't the coolest way of getting around. There you are, standing stock-still and upright, gliding around like a meerkat on wheels. But reducing our reliance on gas-guzzling cars is cool and important. If bikes or electric bikes aren't your thing, escooters are another eco-friendly way to travel relatively short distances without burning fossil fuel. They're easy to fold up, lighter than ebikes (usually), and you don't need to wait on public transportation.
Continued here
|
S52Burying Power Lines Prevents Wildfires. But There's a Cost  Not long after the deadliest wildfire in modern American history swept through Lahaina, Maui, on August 8, speculation began swirling about a notorious igniter of out-of-control blazes: electrical equipment. Although investigators have yet to officially determine the cause of the wildfire, witnesses reported power poles snapping in the 60-mile-an-hour winds that were pouring down the nearby mountains, showering dried vegetation in sparks. And last week, the County of Maui hit Hawaiian Electric with a lawsuit, accusing the utility of neglecting its duty to power down its infrastructure, given the known risk of such high winds sparking wildfires.Â
Continued here
|
S53The 12 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now  Over the past year or so, Netflix and Apple TV+ have been duking it out to have the most prestigious film offerings (congrats, CODA!), but some of the best movies are on Amazon Prime Video. The streamer was one of the first to go around picking up film festival darlings and other lovable favorites, and they’re all still there in the library, so if they flew under your radar the first time, now is the perfect time to catch up.Our picks for the 10 best films on Amazon Prime are below. All the films in our guide are included in your Prime subscription—no renting here. Once you’ve watched your fill, check out our lists for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Disney+ if you’re looking for something else to watch. We also have a guide to the best shows on Amazon if that's what you're in the mood for.
Continued here
|
S54Ask Ethan: How can I grow up to study parallel Universes?  Many of us — perhaps even most of us — didn’t know what we wanted to do with our lives, career-wise, when we were still in school. Some of us didn’t have any very strong interests that stood out from the other possibilities; others of us had many interests and didn’t know which one to pursue most vigorously; still others didn’t even find precisely what it was that we were passionate about until much later in life. However, as we age, we swiftly find that without adequate preparation, many potential doors will be closed to us based on the choices we made early on in life, and increasingly many school districts are exacerbating those problems by “tracking” students onto career paths as early as their freshman year of high school.What advice would one give, then, to a high schooler who does have an inkling of a very ambitious career path — to study parallel Universes — but is being forced to choose a track/major despite only just beginning their teenage years? That’s the subject of this week’s Ask Ethan question, courtesy of Vivaan D., who inquires:
Continued here
|
S55Neurodivergence is absent in sex education. That's a problem.  Sex educator Emily Nagoski discusses why we need to better understand the role of sex among neurodivergent people. Are the sexual needs of neurodivergent people different from those who are neurotypical? And if they are, how can we teach about it in a way that makes an impact?Nagoski believes it is time to ditch the one-size-fits-all approach to sex education that leaves neurodivergent people behind. Factors such as sensory sensitivities, social dynamics, and behavioral patterns likely shape their experiences, as well as that of their partners.
Continued here
|
S56What is shared consciousness?  Clinical psychologist Lisa Miller rejects a materialist view of the brain as a factory producing thoughts. She believes that the brain might function more like an antenna — capable of sending and receiving consciousness, which holds information, love, and intelligence. In other words, consciousness can exist independently of matter.Miller highlights scientific research that has explored this idea of shared consciousness, particularly in bonded relationships and among twins. She emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity, where our actions and treatment of others leave lasting imprints on a collective consciousness field.
Continued here
|
S57A meeting of the greatest minds in science, philosophy, and literature  Dr. William Egginton is the Decker Professor in the Humanities and Director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. I spoke with him recently about his new book, The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality.Marcelo Gleiser: Your book brings together three of the greatest Western minds from physics, literature, and philosophy, subjects that aren’t often presented together. There is a plan here, one that I am sure speaks to the very soul of this project. Can you elaborate on why these three, and how their fictional encounter illuminates your goals in writing this book?
Continued here
|
S58Few of us desire true equality. It's time to own up to it  The plea by Augustine of Hippo — later, St. Augustine — was probably an ironic quip; translational accuracy has his seeking to be made chaste and celibate. His words come to mind when I hear declarations of allegiance to democratic values of justice, liberty, and equality of opportunity. Whether the plea be to God or gods — to Humanity, the State, or Law — “not just yet,” as we shall see, applies to those allegiances; to think otherwise is a self-deception. We should own up. The “not just yet” is sometimes a “not at all.” It is not at all possible to become celibate after years of marriage; and it is not at all possible to secure some of the values just mentioned. That is not because the securing would be “too late,” as it is in the case of celibacy, but because it is nonsense to think we have any clear idea of what constitutes those values in application.
Continued here
|
S59S60S61S62Lenovo's new 27-inch, 4K monitor offers glasses-free 3D  Lenovo's next 27-inch 4K monitor is unlike any display it has released before. Featuring a lenticular lens and real-time eye-tracking, it's a 3D monitor that doesn't require any glasses. Other companies are already pushing stereoscopic products, but Lenovo's ThinkVision 27 3D Monitor, announced at the IFA conference today, takes the glasses-free experience to a bigger screen.
Continued here
|
S63S64Chess.com, Hans Niemann have made their peace over 2022 cheating scandal  Last September, the Internet was abuzz for weeks about a chess cheating controversy that erupted during the third round of the Sinquefield Cup. The reigning chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen, lost to a 19-year-old upstart named Hans Niemann in what was widely considered a shocking upset. Carlsen withdrew from the tournament the next day—an incident considered "virtually unprecedented' at such a high level of chess—and his cryptic comments on Twitter fueled rampant speculation that Niemann had cheated.
Continued here
|
S65S66New analysis suggests human ancestors nearly died out  Multiple lines of evidence indicate that modern humans evolved within the last 200,000 years and spread out of Africa starting about 60,000 years ago. Before that, however, the details get a bit complicated. We're still arguing about which ancestral population might have given rise to our lineage. Somewhere about 600,000 years ago, that lineage split off Neanderthals and Denisovans, and both of those lineages later interbred with modern humans after some of them left Africa.
Continued here
|
S67Fungi could be the answer to breaking down plastic junk  Plastic is becoming a plague on Earth. Not only are landfills bursting with it, but it has also polluted our oceans to the point that a tiny creature that had apparently made microplastics part of its diet was named Eurythenes plasticus. Can we possibly hold back the spread of a material that piles up faster than it could ever decay?
Continued here
|
S68Two book readers recap a very non-book-ish Wheel of Time season 2 premiere  Andrew Cunningham and Lee Hutchinson have spent decades of their lives with Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time books, and they previously brought that knowledge to bear as they recapped each first season episode of Amazon's new WoT TV series. Now they're doing it again for season two—along with insights, jokes, and the occasional wild theory. These recaps won't cover every element of every episode, but they will contain major spoilers for the show and the book series. We're going to do our best to not spoil major future events from the books, but there's always the danger that something might slip out. If you want to stay completely unspoiled and haven't read the books, these recaps aren't for you.
Continued here
|
S70America Needs Hunting More Than It Knows  For many Americans, this coming weekend brings the start of hunting season. Although states allow the hunting of some game species in late summer, the calendar really opens with dove season. Nearly a million Americans will hunt doves this fall, and many, if not most, of them will do so this weekend.Hunting is a mostly solitary activity, but dove shoots are social events. Men, women, and children across America will space themselves out around sunflower fields, sitting on upturned five-gallon buckets, waiting for gray migratory birds to arrive looking for water and food in the early mornings and late evenings. I am headed to South Texas in a few weeks to open the dove season there with friends I hunt with each year.
Continued here
|
 |
TradeBriefs Publications are read by over 10,00,000 Industry Executives About Us | Advertise Privacy Policy Unsubscribe (one-click) You are receiving this mail because of your subscription with TradeBriefs.
Our mailing address is GF 25/39, West Patel Nagar, New Delhi 110008, India |
