Interesting Shares

In April of 2022, I entered a period of disorder that would last for about 1.5 years. I was very close to death that entire time -- both physically (I wasn't sure I'd survive) and conceptually (as in I frequently wanted life to be over, and my mortality was very much "in my face" all the time.)

Every year, in early August, new articles appear that debate whether the dropping of the atomic bombs in 1945 was justified. Earlier this month, the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks, was no exception.

I saved my company half a million dollars in about five minutes. This is more money than I've made for my employers over the course of my entire career because this industry is a sham. I clicked about five buttons.

Let's talk about why happened and why it's a disgrace that it was even possible.

Every child in Silesia (Poland) knows it. Who is Bebok? Is it good or bad? Should we be afraid of it? Does it visit you too? Is it one of us? What are you scared of? What is your Bebok?

EU's pasta production increased by 20% in 2022 with Italy unsurprisingly leading the production, consumption, and exports.

Jupiter has some of the most conspicuous atmospheric features in our solar system. The planet's Great Red Spot, large enough to envelop Earth, is nearly as well known as some of the various rivers and mountains on the planet we call home.

Scientists trying to take advantage of the unusual properties of the quantum realm say they have successfully simulated a method of backward time travel that allowed them to change an event after the fact one out of four times. The Cambridge University team is quick to caution that they have not built a time machine, per se, but also note how their process doesn’t violate physics while changing past events after they have happened.

Mosquitoes and other insects can carry human diseases such as dengue and Zika virus, but when those insects are infected with certain strains of the bacteria Wolbachia, this bacteria reduces levels of disease in their hosts. Humans currently take advantage of this to control harmful virus populations across the world.

We’ve been covering, at great length, the moral panic around the claims that social media is what’s making kids depressed. The problem with this narrative is that there’s basically no real evidence to support it. As the American Psychological Association found when it reviewed all the literature, despite many, many dozens of studies done on the impact of social media on kids, no one was able to establish a causal relationship.

It has long been known that people can form defenses and thus antibodies against viruses. But antibodies can also develop against polyethylene glycol (PEG), a substance used in cosmetics, food and medicine. These influence the effectiveness of drugs. A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has now investigated how widespread these antibodies already are in German society and how they might influence medical therapies using nanocarriers.

Full publication: https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3527665_2/component/file_3536987/content

Brownie mixes, chocolate chips, hot cocoa, and more contained concerning levels of lead or cadmium. Here's how to eat the treats safely.

The longtime privacy journalist on how investigating Clearview AI helped her appreciate facial recognition—and envision a chaotic future

There is a growing admission that existing guidelines are inadequate, with no single body to adjudicate the gross violation of children’s rights

People who sit for long periods more likely to die earlier – but moderate-to-vigorous activity can eliminate risk

If you run a restaurant, the way you serve water matters.

It’s a bilateral issue that affects both customers and staff, and as the first thing to hit the table, the water glass is central to the customer experience. Sometimes the glass can act as a roadblock; if it’s too small it needs to be refilled often, and if a server doesn’t come around enough, a diner can be left feeling unsatisfied, parched, and maybe even a tad anxious. Meanwhile, a giant, hulking water glass is surely functional, but for many restaurant owners, these lack elegance and can be hard for patrons to maneuver. Self-serve water stations are an option for counter service restaurants that don’t employ a traditional waitstaff, but keeping a water jug full during peak hours can be its own nightmare.

So, is there some tried-and-true glass that every restaurant should adopt? How do restaurants go about choosing the ideal drinking vessel?

Bob Broskey, chef and partner at Lettuce Entertain You and overseer of RPM Restaurants in Chicago, has lots of insight on water glasses.

“It all depends on the restaurant,” he says. “Usually [we’re] looking for something in the ballpark of 12 ounces. Always chilled water, no ice. If it’s a huge restaurant, we’re going with a glass double the size so the staff doesn’t have to refill every three minutes.”

Size is a key consideration here, since servers can’t be spending their whole shift refilling water glasses (though I love it when they can leave a carafe or a pitcher of water at the table). Not every restaurant employs the same thinking that Bob does, though. Here’s a rundown of some popular water glasses you’ll often see at restaurants, with an examination of why each one works, and why they sometimes don’t.

read more (with pictures of the different glasses): https://thetakeout.com/restaurant-water-drinking-glass-plastic-cup-types-guide-1850933640

archive link: https://archive.ph/DiWRv

Teach yourself to sleep on your back — it’s worth it.

Is sleeping on your back really the sleeping position of all sleeping positions? Maybe. It really depends on your body. For example, if you’re pregnant, lying on your back might cause more pressure and discomfort on your belly. Or if you have sleep apnea and back pain, this position might be one you want to completely avoid — even if the internet says it’s life-changing.

But before you quit trying entirely, consider everything, every little thing, that might be getting in the way of achieving face-up snoozing.

After all, sleeping on your back has many benefits worth training for, since it:

• keeps your spine aligned
• reduces tension headaches
• helps chronic conditions by reducing pressure and compression
• relieves sinus buildup
• avoid creases, wrinkles, and irritated facial skin Plus, there are many elements that make sleeping on your back far more nuanced than being able to lie there.

How do your mattress, pillow, and sleep environment play into your sleep game? If you spend moments passing out watching Netflix or cuddling your partner, you might be training against yourself without realizing it — and sabotaging your body’s efforts for normal sleep.

So before you completely roll over to sleep on your side — which is also heathy, especially for digestion — check out these tips and tricks I’ve used to drill instructions for sleeping on your back into my muscle memory.

read more: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/sleeping-on-your-back-how-to

archive link: https://archive.ph/SDzu7

The journey of your life in numbers and dates!

This is what happens when you have one word for two colors.

Here's Why the EU CSAM Scanning Plans Must Fail.

Researchers used DNA analysis and traditional knowledge to learn about an orca named Old Tom and his family's remarkable relationship with humans.

From sinking boats and feasting on shark livers to dining on whale tongue and tossing porpoises around for fun, orcas are displaying some fascinating — and sometimes terrifying — behaviors.

At this zoo visitors dodge stampeding elephants, peer into the gaping jaws of a hippopotamus and pat friendly giraffes.

No chance of your spokesperson causing off-camera scandals if they don’t exist off camera.

New research has identified links between gut bacteria, inflammation and brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.