Mock Turtle world

[Mock Turtle]

Trump nephew reveals Uncle Donald’s racist outburst in new book

Exclusive: Fred C Trump III shares story of presidential nominee using N-word and describes Trump’s attitude on race

www.theguardian.com

Not great when any of your relatives, who might know you well, will squeal on you as to who you actually are. But then his own words and actions betray him anyway.

Extreme wealth has a deadening effect on the super-rich – and that threatens us all | George Monbiot

In a kayak off the Devon coast I witnessed the kind of entitled mindlessness that has ravaged society, and our planet, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

My main complaint - that such extreme wealth in private hands is simply not good for society. Just as the handing down of power, through monarchies and such, isn't either.

‘I know we will win – and how’: Ukraine’s top general on turning the tables against Russia

Exclusive: Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi weighs Ukraine’s recent setbacks, counter strikes and the changing face of Europe’s biggest war since 1945

www.theguardian.com

Ireland’s datacentres overtake electricity use of all urban homes combined

Statistics raise concerns that rise in demand for data processing driven by AI could derail climate targets

www.theguardian.com

Scientists call for greater study of glacier geoengineering options

Report says serious research needed into risks and benefits as melting could cause devastating sea level rise

www.theguardian.com

Jon Voight’s surreal journey from countercultural hero to A-list Trumpster

The veteran star of ‘Midnight Cowboy’ and ‘Coming Home’ blames Marxist brainwashing for his years spent as an anti-war, feminist leftist. And now he’s publicly condemning his own daughter Angelina Jolie for her stance on Israel and Palestine. Adam White asks: what happened?

www.independent.co.uk

In recent years, Voight has backed a number of Republican politicians, notably Donald Trump. In 2016, he defended Trump’s infamous “grab them by the *****” rant by claiming that he doesn’t know “too many men who haven’t expressed some sort of similar sexual terms towards women”. He also condemned “foul” actor Robert De Niro for saying he’d like to “punch” Trump in the face; “Voight is a nice guy, but he’s delusional,” De Niro said in response. In 2017, Voight said that he did not know “if God could reverse all the negative lies against Mr Trump, whose only desire was to make America great again”. In 2019, he called Trump America’s “greatest president since Abraham Lincoln”. When Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden in 2021, Voight backed his incorrect claims that his presidency was fraudulently stolen from him, and said that the situation was a “battle of righteousness versus Satan”.

Dementia perhaps setting in then?

The Higgs Boson Might Not Be The Portal to New Physics After All

Now what do we do?

www.sciencealert.com

What’s next for Higgs boson research?

home.cern

Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side That We Don't Talk About

Adverse effects are not rare.

www.sciencealert.com

A 2022 study, using a sample of 953 people in the US who meditated regularly, showed that over 10 percent of participants experienced adverse effects which had a significant negative impact on their everyday life and lasted for at least one month. According to a review of over 40 years of research that was published in 2020, the most common adverse effects are anxiety and depression. These are followed by psychotic or delusional symptoms, dissociation or depersonalisation, and fear or terror. Research also found that adverse effects can happen to people without previous mental health problems, to those who have only had a moderate exposure to meditation and they can lead to long-lasting symptoms. The western world has also had evidence about these adverse effects for a long time.

In 2015, my book with clinical psychologist Catherine Wikholm, Buddha Pill, included a chapter summarising the research on meditation adverse effects. It was widely disseminated by the media, including a New Scientist article, and a BBC Radio 4 documentary. But there was little media coverage in 2022 of the most expensive study in the history of meditation science (over US$8 million funded by research charity the Wellcome Trust). The study tested more than 8,000 children (aged 11-14) across 84 schools in the UK from 2016 to 2018. Its results showed that mindfulness failed to improve the mental wellbeing of children compared to a control group, and may even have had detrimental effects on those who were at risk of mental health problems.

Cuttlefish Can Falsely Remember The Past in The Same Way Humans Do

Clever little friends!

www.sciencealert.com

Nope—It’s Never Aliens

Claims of alien starships visiting Earth always fall short, but people still fall for them

www.scientificamerican.com

There are plenty of explanations for most of the phenomena and if we are missing all explanations then so be it, rather than assuming the least likely one, of aliens. My view.

MSN

www.msn.com

Why did Homo sapiens outlast all other human species?

What's the secret to Homo sapiens' success as a species?

www.livescience.com

In the end, what doomed our Homo relatives "was probably a combination of factors," Sawchuk said, "with a bit of random chance." As it happens, H. sapiens came perilously close to extinction at one point. A recent genetic analysis of more than 3,000 people in African and non-African groups revealed lower genetic diversity than expected. Scientists traced this to a breeding "bottleneck" between 813,000 and 930,000 years ago, with the global Homo population hovering at roughly 1,300 for more than 100,000 years.

How Well Do You Cope: New Study Reveals Surprising Key to Longevity in Older Men

A Boston University study reveals that the effort older men invest in coping with stressors is more crucial to their longevity than the strategies used, suggesting the need for enhanced support as they age. Coping refers to the cognitive and behavioral strategies employed to handle stressors that

scitechdaily.com

Well, often it is down to how much stress we are capable of dealing with, and any solutions available.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Protest held after Manchester airport kicking video

The video appears to show a policeman kicking a man in the head as he lies on the floor.

www.bbc.co.uk

Nasty idiot should be charged with attempted murder. I was involved in an incident as a child (probably aged 8-10) and attacked by a gang (3-4) of kids at a local park. When the dim leader of such failed to lash me with his belt (taken off him) he resorted to biting my face when we inevitably began to wrestle on the ground. Then his dim buddies joined in and began kicking my head about. It was only when I shouted out, "I can't see!", given my sight was so blurry from my eyes being so violently joggled about, that they stopped. And fortunately I got away with slight injuries. But anyone who does resort to kicking anyone in the head should be charged with attempted murder - given the seriousness of this and the likelihood of brain injury or even death. Why are people so stupid - even cops, like in this case? Was it because he was the male cop amongst other female cops and had to demonstrate his 'manhood'? Just sickening. And the cop so stupid - not realising that this might be filmed? No doubt he will be kicked out of the police - with nothing changing until the next twat does this, and the next.

PS The kid who attacked me I think later had his head chopped off or crushed after playing around with a street-light servicing platform.

Amanda Abbington says she 'received online rape threats' after Strictly

The actress says the online abuse since leaving the show has been "brutal, relentless and unforgiving".

www.bbc.co.uk

The actress also described in detail her experiences of online abuse since leaving the show. "The aftermath has been something that I wasn't expecting, you know, the death threats and the rape threats towards not only myself but my daughter, and the threats of death to my son." She claimed that she was getting "dozens a day" on social media, including from people telling her to kill herself.

Such are often the affects of extreme fan-bias even if, as in this case, so disgusting and showing the morality of such people - 'this person is as innocent as a baby', often being their lament - and much like how many Michael Jackson fans simply cannot accept that he was most probably a paedophile and one who did sexually abuse children. In the SCD case, her experiences seem to be backed up by various other celebrities on the show as to how they might have been treated by other professional dancers. But I suspect that SCD is popular enough to survive this particular issue - which was likely - given any such fast-paced training regime involving many who have virtually no previous dance experience.

John Mayall was a lightning rod for the blues who changed the course of British music

He may not have had the star quality of those he inspired, from Eric Clapton to the Rolling Stones, but the late musician’s skill and passion were transformational

www.theguardian.com

I'm not sure whether I saw the Blues Breakers live but I think I have their album. I did see Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated once, at the Six Bells in Chelsea. All such made a welcome change from much of the Pop music around at the time.

At least 26 killed in Papua New Guinea village attacks, including 16 children

Police say gang of more than 30 youths also raped women and girls before massacres in remote villages

www.theguardian.com

Trump rants ‘he’s not going to be nice’ as he ditches unity calls

The former president attacked his likely new rival Kamala Harris and claimed he ‘defeated’ Joe Biden

www.independent.co.uk

Not going to be nice? He isn't nice. Period. In virtually everything he does or says. Because he is simply a nasty piece of work.

“The Radical Left Democrats rigged the presidential election in 2020 and we're not going to allow them to rig the presidential election in 2024,” he said.

Yeah, stick to that lie, you oaf. Since it is all you have - your lifebelt - but where you will sink because it is just another of your big lies.

Women often allege rape after regretful sex, say two in five young men

Exclusive: Research finds around four in ten young men support misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate

www.independent.co.uk

Tate comes across as a twat, and any coercion that takes away from full consent should not be what one aims for in any such relationships.

Rat disease with no cure has spread to humans and killed four people

Hantavirus, a rodent-to-human disease, has killed at least four people in the US and prompted health warnings.

metro.co.uk

Trump pictured refusing to watch Joe Biden's TV address as he's branded 'child'

A picture of Donald Trump has gone viral on social media of him pouting as Joe Biden's Oval Office address airs in the background - and people on X are not impressed

www.mirror.co.uk

Well he is a child intellectually, and is why he tends to use such childish language - apart from such appealing to his preferred audience.

Woman looks so young that strangers 'think she's 13 and ask about GCSEs'

Kayy Mackenzie is often mistaken for a teenager and asked which GCSEs she is taking - and even gets ID'd when buying beer from Deliveroo with people shocked when they see her age

www.mirror.co.uk

Plenty of females do look younger than their age. I ran a poll here on RF some time back of a female model (in TV adverts) who was about 22 at the time and where some thought she was as young as 13. And I have probably also cited a report as to even experts on female morphology getting it wrong, with the majority of these underestimating the ages of females more than getting it right, so how would the general public fare? Almost as easy no doubt as for those older to look younger too.

In court cases, as to illegal imagery, it is often down to a jury assessing the appearance of any individual involved - as to being younger than 18, for example - so how fair is this - especially when the police might present images of adults (over 18) but presented as being 13 or 14?

 

[Mock Turtle]

Dark Matter Solves The Mystery of How Supermassive Black Holes Exist

Dark matter could provide supermassive black holes the brakes they need to bring them crashing together at the end of a long, spiraling journey towards their destiny.

www.sciencealert.com

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Could Explain How Placebos Ease Pain

It was there all along.

www.sciencealert.com

First Ever Footage Shows Endangered Shark Hit by Boat, Hours After Tagging

Mere hours after a basking shark was caught and tagged by a team of researchers cruising through waters of a proposed Irish marine park, the luckless animal was struck again, this time far more violently by a less vigilant vessel.

www.sciencealert.com

Dogs Can Smell Your Stress, and It Seems to Make Them Sad

No surprise to most dog owners probably, and I cited an example of this some time back when a neighbour's dog came and rested her head on my lap whilst I waited for an ambulance after I was hit on the head by my car bonnet.

Non-Google search engines blocked from showing recent Reddit results

Updated robots.txt file hits Bing and others without a Reddit deal.

arstechnica.com

Was It Childhood Trauma if I Was Privileged?

Many from material privilege struggle to recognize their childhood trauma due to societal narratives and other factors, but trauma is defined by one's capacity to cope.

www.psychologytoday.com

Understand What Online Sexual Grooming Really Is

MrBeast's former YouTube co-host, Ava Kris Tyson, has been accused of online sexual grooming. This is what that means.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[Mock Turtle]

Swiss limit tourist access to Riffelsee in bid to bring back edelweiss

Swiss authorities decide to fence off pastures from tourists in search of the perfect picture.

www.bbc.co.uk

One of Switzerland’s most stunning spots has become the latest to try to limit tourist access, in a bid to protect the environment from becoming overrun by Instagrammers. Above the famous resort of Zermatt, the Riffelsee lake is more than picture perfect. Not only can you see the iconic Matterhorn in all its glory, you can capture its reflection in the glacial waters of the lake. In high season, the rack railway takes thousands of tourists up there every single day, all of them intent on the ultimate shot. And in June and July, when spring finally arrives in the high Alps, tourists can also see the alpine flowers that thrive up there at 2,800m (9,200ft): edelweiss, gentian, and alpine golden primrose. At least they could. But now the hordes of tourists disgorged by the railway every few minutes are taking their toll, tramping across the pastures towards the lake and crushing the flowers. Edelweiss has not been seen around the Riffelsee for some years.

Ah, the advent of digital photography (not having to carry around a weighty SLR and various lenses), the internet (so as to find out all that one might want to know but perhaps being remote from such), and social media (that which often drives the sillier aspects of our lives), so as to ****-up so many environments and where many will simply be taking obvious short-cuts as to experiencing that which many of us worked so hard to get. Sour grapes?

At last, the chance to legalise assisted dying in the UK – and end the untold, unnecessary anguish | Polly Toynbee

Tory MPs opposed to this human right have been swept away. On Friday in the Lords, a path towards choice will finally be set, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

www.theguardian.com

If you can’t bear it, skip this paragraph, as I quote from the Inescapable Truth, research from palliative care professionals and relatives who have seen the worst: “Some will retch at the stench of their own body rotting. Some will vomit their own faeces. Some will suffocate, slowly, inexorably, over several days, their last moments of life disfigured by terror. Any one of us might suffer such a fate.” A nurse describes a woman with “tumours in her abdomen. It was basically dying flesh and she was still with us. Her family’s memory of her was her decomposing while she was still alive.” The report estimates 17 people a day die in unrelieved agony.

A no-brainer for many of us, as to human rights, and mostly it seems to be religious influences that goes against this other than many seeing some kind of pressure then existing for some to be coerced or even forced, in their view, so as to take their own lives - perhaps seeing themselves as being a burden on others - but where this is mostly not the case.

‘One goal is to destroy Ukrainian identity’: the haunting images of Russia’s prisoners of war

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, its forces have detained and tortured thousands of fighters and civilians. Here, the photojournalist Zoya Shu recounts five years of documenting their stories

www.theguardian.com

Claire Kilroy: ‘My moral compass has turned 180 degrees on Lolita’

The Irish author on the allure of Lolita, the comfort of Yeats and the power of Winnie-the-Pooh

www.theguardian.com

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I first read it at 16 and cannot overstate the impact the prose had on me. That beginning! That middle! That end! I have read it five or six times now and it charts the 180-degree turn my moral compass has performed. At 16, I was cheering on the love story. Now, I read it as the slow assassination of a child.

Wow! How any would see this as a love story is odd, even at 16. Lust, craving, exploitation, and abuse might be what first comes to mind for most.

Google DeepMind takes step closer to cracking top-level maths

Team of two new AI systems score one point short of gold medal in global maths contest for gifted students

www.theguardian.com

Trump hush-money prosecutors say conviction must stand despite immunity ruling

Prosecutors say supreme court ruling has no bearing on case and urge judge to deny Trump’s bid to toss verdict

www.theguardian.com

In a 6-3 ruling, the supreme court on July 1 ruled that presidents cannot face criminal charges over official acts, and that evidence of official acts cannot be used in a prosecution on private matters. Legal experts say Judge Juan Merchan is unlikely to grant Trump’s request to toss the verdict, since much of the conduct at issue predated Trump’s 2017-21 presidency and relates to personal matters, not official acts.

Seems easy enough - prior to him becoming president and not relating to official acts. Tough SCOTUS!

Olympics live: Opening ceremony underway after arson attack causes travel chaos

Up to 800,000 passengers to face delays after French rail network attacked by suspected arsonists

www.independent.co.uk

The obvious suspects - Russia being one?

 

[Mock Turtle]

JD Vance defends 'childless cat ladies' comment after backlash

Donald Trump's vice-presidential candidate says his 2021 comments about Democrats were "sarcastic".

www.bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump's vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has defended resurfaced comments in which he called Democratic politicians a "bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives". His remarks, made in 2021, have been roundly criticised this week, with Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston among those to have hit out at the 39-year-old Republican.

Following in the steps of the great(?) man himself, as to lowering the tone of everything, and making new friends of course by doing so - miaow!

Expert Reveals Vital Survival Tip if You Unexpectedly Fall in Deep Water

Just being near blue spaces (the sea, rivers and lakes) can make us feel more relaxed because water triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, helping our body rest and digest.

www.sciencealert.com

Whether you're planning a refreshing dip, a leisurely stroll along the coastline or a run along a canal, it's crucial to know how to stay safe. This knowledge can be the difference between a safe outing and a tragic accident. Research shows that following these five simple steps are highly effective. They are easy to remember and can be done by anyone, regardless of swimming ability or whether you are in freshwater or saltwater. First, keep your head back with your ears submerged to keep your airways open. Resist the urge to panic, try to relax and breathe normally. Gently move your hands paddling them as this will aid in keeping afloat. Don't fret if your legs sink, everyone's buoyancy is different. Finally, spread your arms and legs as this really helps maintain your stability in the water.

Signs of Ancient Alien Life May Lurk within This Newfound Martian Rock

Mysterious “leopard spots” on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth

www.scientificamerican.com

Spectacularly rare fossils of snakes that died huddled together 38 million years ago unearthed in Wyoming

Three fossilized snakes that died huddled together 38 million years ago are now called the "winter serpents."

www.livescience.com

The Main Reason Why Fewer People Are Having Kids

The cost and global worries are factors, but not the main one.

www.psychologytoday.com

Why is this happening? The Pew report addressed that, too. The 770 adults, ages 18-49, from a national sample who said that they were unlikely to have kids were given a list of possible reasons and asked whether each one was a major reason for not having children. Were they worried about the costs? Yes, more than a third, 36 percent, said they couldn’t afford to raise a child. Were they concerned about the environment? Yes, 26 percent said that was a major factor. What about the state of the world? Yes, 38 percent said that was a major consideration. Did they want to focus on other things? That was a big one: 44 percent said that was a major reason they were unlikely to ever have children. Many people want to find a partner before they have children. For 24 percent, not finding the right partner was a major reason they were unlikely to have kids. Other reasons mattered, too, but to fewer people. One in five, 20 percent, said that they don’t really like kids. Nearly as many, 18 percent, said they had negative experiences with their own family growing up. Thirteen percent pointed to infertility or other medical reasons. Of those who had a spouse or partner, 11 percent said their spouse or partner did not want to have children. The number-one reason, by far, for not having kids was simple: They just don’t want to. Close to 6 in 10, 57 percent, said that was a major reason.

Animal Sentience: The Controversy

Most scientists affirm that all animals are sentient (in the sense of feeling pain), while some restrict it to only animals with nervous tissue.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[Mock Turtle]

New Manchester Airport video shows violent scenes before man 'kicked' in head

The exclusive footage, which has been obtained and watched by the Manchester Evening News, is believed to capture the lead-up to the incident which has sparked controversy and protests

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Slowed right down, the video shows that the police were attacked by these two men, and no doubt were within their rights to use tasers, but as to why the first suspect was manhandled so is open to questions, given perhaps the confrontation might have been avoided. And the kicking and stamping is still not excusable even if understandable. These people are supposed to be trained professionals not reverting to thuggery when they feel threatened.

New Manchester Airport video shows chaos before man 'kicked' in head by cop

The exclusive footage, obtained by the Manchester Evening News, is believed to capture the lead-up to the incident which has sparked controversy and protests in the city

www.mirror.co.uk

Laura Whitmore alleges 'inappropriate behaviour' on Strictly Come Dancing

The television presenter says she wants to set the record straight.

www.bbc.co.uk

Donald Trump is a misogynistic, billionaire felon. Here’s why Americans can’t stop voting for him | Stephen Reicher

Outsiders can’t fathom his success. But Trump’s supporters believe his gaffes and misdemeanours prove he’s ‘one of them’, says academic and author Stephen Reicher

www.theguardian.com

Trump’s view of “us” and “them” is at its clearest in his Argument for America, the ad with which he concluded his successful 2016 presidential campaign. It is quite compelling in the way of something that you know is bad for you but you can’t tear yourself away from. It is entirely repetitive, like a drumbeat, organised around an antagonism between “the establishment” and “the American people” culminating in the assertion: “I am doing this for the people and for the movement, and we will take back this country for you and we will make America great again.”

'One merely holds one's nose, dear boy!'

This contrast between “the establishment” and “the people” is, of course, a classic populist trope. Trump’s version is distinctive in three ways. The first is the elasticity of “the establishment”, which includes outsiders (Chinese, immigrants, globalists), conventional politicians (the Washington “swamp”) and anyone who opposes him (the media, judges, scientists). The second is his autocratic assertion of agency. Unlike Obama’s empowering “yes we can”, Trump implies that people themselves can’t buck the establishment alone. They need him as their saviour. Trump is more “yes I can”. The third is that “the people” are defined in national/cultural (and implicitly racial) rather than class terms. This last is critical because it allows Trump to use his great wealth to connect himself to the people rather than it serving to distance him. He and his family are portrayed as rough and ready “ordinary guys” whose success exemplifies the American dream. And it’s not just that he uses his wealth to make himself “one of us”. It also allows him to claim that he works “for the people” while his opponents can be bought and are “controlled fully by the lobbyists, by the donors and by the special interests”.

Yeah, the language tends to get a bit boring after hearing it so often - apart from the gullibility of those taken in by this idiot.

In sum, Trump thrives because of, not despite, his violations. Each time he is upbraided for them, he simply doubles down by rejecting his critics (whether journalists, lawyers or judges) as part of the establishment – an ever-radicalising politics of transgression. Moreover, rather than be ashamed by the ensuing criticisms and sanctions, he and many of his supporters parade them as proof that they are willing to suffer establishment attacks on behalf of the people. “Felon” becomes a badge of honour, and “I support the felon” becomes a popular meme.

And of course his lies - as to the 'stolen election' - which he cannot go back on simply because this will then admit him to the fallibility club, where most of us are.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Freud was ‘misunderstood’ and wasn’t so obsessed with sex, new analysis of work suggests

A new edition of his theories on dreams argues that he used ‘sexuality’ to describe any purely pleasureable activity

www.theguardian.com

Probably for many, his theories are too far gone to be rehabilitated.

Voters to choose between two starkly different candidates in US ‘Armageddon election’

The choice for voters has never been so clear cut as Harris, de facto nominee after Biden’s withdrawal, takes on Trump

www.theguardian.com

Panetta, who served in various capacities under nine US presidents, has witnessed growing polarisation and a coarsening of political discourse. “It’s obvious that America in these last number of years has become more divided, more partisan, and our democracy in many ways has become much more dysfunctional as a result of those divisions,” he added. “Kamala Harris presents a message that we could have a better America in the future, and we need that message of hope. “The message of Trump, whether he wanted to change it or not, still gets trapped by his own sense of retribution, vengeance and going after people. That’s not what Kamala Harris is about and so the American people are going to have a real choice here in November to decide what kind of direction we want for our country. The more defined that difference is, the better the chances are that the Democrats can win.”

‘Trump is old and quite weird’: Harris campaign press releases give trolling a try

Statements from the newly rebranded Harris for President campaign are taking cheeky shots at both Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance

www.independent.co.uk

Many of us are probably not that sure what might work to defeat Trump, given that we are not too sure as to the abilities of so many in the US to assess truth from fiction. When about a quarter or so still apparently believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible and associated nonsense - as to timescales and/or evolution and such, for example.

Scientists discover common bacteria that can melt 99% of cancer cells

The bacteria can kill up to 99% of certain cancer cells.

metro.co.uk

Man snared by 17-foot python saved by bystanders who axed reptile to pieces

Fortunately, the man’s screams were heard by a group of locals, who came to help unentangle him from the snake’s grip.

metro.co.uk

Laurence Fox declares 'this is our community' as he leads Tommy Robinson rally

Meanwhile, others chanted: 'We want our country back.'

metro.co.uk

Ah, that loveable old Fox - NOT!

Manchester Mayor says 'nobody has all facts' as he tells of more airport scenes

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said there is more evidence to be uncovered after footage went viral showing a police officer appearing to kick a man's head at the city's airport

www.mirror.co.uk

No matter what occurred previously, no excuse for behaving like a thug.

Your Genes May Influence Your Behavior More Than You Realize

As a species, humans like to think that we are fully in control of our decisions and behavior.

www.sciencealert.com

Genetically Enhanced Humans May Be The Future of Space Travel

When considering human settlements on the Moon, Mars and further afield, much attention is given to the travel times, food and radiation risk.

www.sciencealert.com

Ancient Viruses May Have Given Our Ancestors The Edge to Evolve

Scientists have found the remnants of genomes left by ancient, giant viruses within the DNA of a single-celled organism with which complex organisms like ourselves share a common ancestor.

www.sciencealert.com

Musical Memories Don’t Fade with Age

Eighty-year-olds are able to identify familiar tunes just as well as teenagers can

www.scientificamerican.com

It’s not just us: Other animals change their social habits in old age

Long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep, and macaques are up to in their later years.

arstechnica.com

One example may be the focus today on loneliness in late life, which is inspired by studies showing that people with fewer social connections tend to have more health issues. “There may be other reasons why people have fewer friends and also poor health,” says Brent, “and we may need more inspired solutions to improve their wellbeing than programs targeting loneliness itself. Plus, as we have learned in the pandemic, increasing people’s number of social contacts is not without risk.” This is not to say, of course, that positive social contacts can no longer brighten the days in our twilight years. Like other animals, when we’re young and healthy and natural selection is in full force, we are eager to make friends and find a mate even if that comes at a cost. Then, when we get older and enter the selection shadow, we can afford to be choosier and shrink our social networks to the size of our comfort zone. With little fitness left to gain, evolved adaptations may no longer be helping us. But close friends and family certainly can.

Perhaps the inevitable boredom occurs, and as to not much changing for the better when they look around at the world in general or even their locality. Why bother?

Do We Really Need to Believe in Free Will?

The concept of free will helps us feel more in control of our lives, but it may also make us feel too responsible for each of our failures.

www.psychologytoday.com

The 3 Kindest Things You Can Say to Someone

1. "I believe in you."

www.psychologytoday.com

Words have immense power, and the kindness we express through them can impact the lives of those around us. "I believe in you," "You make a difference," and "I appreciate you" are three of the kindest things you can say to someone. These phrases encourage, affirm value, and express deep appreciation, contributing to a more supportive and compassionate world. Integrating these expressions into our daily interactions can uplift others, build stronger relationships, and foster community and belonging.

Fine, but one has to believe those mean this when one might know so many more can never feel this way.