We have heard for years that curiosity killed the cat, but this article shows that we should actually become more curious as we go along and maybe as we get older we should become even more curious. A synopsis is below and the original article can be found here. “How curiosity rewires your brain for change” by Anne-Laure Le Cunff: In this insightful piece, Anne-Laure Le Cunff explores how curiosity is far more than a personality trait — it’s a powerful neurological tool for adapting to change. Drawing from both personal experience and neuroscience, the article explains how curiosity activates the brain’s dopaminergic system, enhancing reward anticipation, memory retention, and learning efficiency. Most importantly, curiosity boosts neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to rewire itself in response…

I thought this was an interesting article by Packy McCormick at Not Boring. So I am submitting it for your review. I copied it and removed all the ads and promotions. If you need the original site, let me know and I will forward the link. I, against my brothers. I and my brothers against my cousins. I and my brothers and my cousins against the world. -Old Arab Bedouin Saying On Valentine’s Day 1990, at the suggestion of astronomer Carl Sagan, from four billion miles away, Voyager 1 took a snapshot of Earth. You can see it in the image above, if you look closely. It’s in the sunbeam in the top quarter, a little right of center. That’s it. Our Pale Blue Dot. “The…

Way back in college I found that some topics were beyond my comprehension. One of those topics was semiconductor electronics. (There is a story there for another time) This was complemented a couple of years later with advanced physics regarding quantum topics. Over the years, I have continued to casually follow up on what was happening in this area as it is core to many of the developments we use today. But if you asked me to define or describe quantum mechanics or physics, I would plead ignorance. I just caught an article in my inbox that tries to explain some of this. I’ve provided a synopsis below, but the real thing is much better. You do not need to be a nuclear scientist to…

Here is another article from Big Think. Most of what Ehan Siegal writes is consistent with my own views. A short synopsis is below but here are some headlines. In order to be successful as a society, we have to commit to working together, collectively, for the common good of all of us, including investing resources in endeavors that benefit us all. There’s perhaps no investment a society can make that’s more powerful, in terms of long-term benefits and a national ROI, than in pushing forward basic, fundamental scientific research. He may be optimistic that government will actually move down this path bit there may be some small hope Summary In “4 Key Steps to Transform the USA Back into a Scientific Nation,” astrophysicist Ethan…

In keeping with my theme on interstellar travel, I found this article which discusses one of the least discussed roadblocks for successful travel to Mars and beyond. Most of the discussions deal with finding adequate power to lift the payloads needed to build living facilities that could house astronauts and scientists on the surface of the moon and/or Mars. If the moon is to be the launch pad for explorations deeper into space, there will need to be a capability to stockpiles equipment and supplies to say nothing of the sources for food. Transit times for earth to Mars are 6 to 9 months with an available window for launch occurring every 26 months. The return would also be 6 to 9 months but the…

I came across this article in my email from the Construction Physics newsletter. I is a detailed discussion of how energy sources connect to the electrical grid. There currently exists more than a thousand projects for solar, wind, nuclear and other waiting for approval. The current process takes up to five years before a project can be reviewed for consideration. Of the 3,244 counties in the US, more than half have an electrical generation project of at least 50 megawatts planned, but just 200 counties are responsible for 50% of planned generation capacity. The recent announcements that small nuclear plants are being considered to power the server farms for AI do not take into consideration the problems of getting permission to connect to the power grid….

I saw this article from one of the newsletters I receive every day. I thought it was interesting that we use sports terms in our everyday speech many times without realizing it. This article points out 20 of the most used and I follow this with some additional terms. I‘m sure you probably can think of others that are not included here. However, with the Superbowl coming up soon don’t go overboard with these terms. Published on  Jan. 10, 2025 Step up your game and impress your friends with your knowledge of these sports idioms and terms Now Trending Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. Whether you’re into the commercials, the halftime show, the snacks or the big game itself, you’re probably getting excited. And…

If you’re confused, you’re not alone. To drink or not to drink, that is the question. Personally, I like my martini or glass of wine with dinner. But many have question on this topic. I found an interesting article that covers the subject in depth at Popular Science. The article is here (it is a bit long as it covers things in detail). I have included a synopsis in case you do not want to go through it all. The health implications of alcohol consumption have long been debated, with recent discussions highlighting both potential benefits and significant risks. A December review by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine suggested that consuming up to one or two drinks daily might be linked to…

If you are confused about what is happening in the Middle East as I am, here is an article that tries to put most everything into some sort of perspective. Usually when we get reports in the news about this region, it covers one entity or another whether is it Isreal, Iran, Hamas or others. So, trying to grasp a view of the whole region is difficult.  This article tries to make some sense of it and put all the players in some perspective including the US and Russia. Here is a synopsis (written by a third party) of the article and the article can be found here What Is Happening in Syria? The fall of Assad’s regime in Syria has left a power vacuum,…

I found this article an interesting follow up to the material on Russia and its potential for further expansion in Eastern Europe. Some of this was alluded to both fiction by Brad Thor and posts in several blogs along with articles in the Wall Street Journal. It is also an interesting follow up to my post Fiction Mirroring Real Life. Eastern Europe on the Brink: Preparing for What Comes Next The election of Donald Trump in 2024 has sent shockwaves through Eastern Europe, where fears of a diminished U.S. role in NATO loom large. Poland and the Baltic states, already under pressure from an aggressive Russia, are bracing for a future where they must defend themselves without America’s full support. At the heart of this…

I ran across this article “100 Billion Humans” and found it to be quite interesting. A synopsis is below. It addresses quite a few issues regarding significant population growth and brings up a significant number of questions but also a number of areas for innovation and imagination. His premise is that we do not need a great deal of new technologies or inventions but just need to reshape thinking on how to deploy water, energy and building to adjust for higher densities of population. I suggest you take a look at “100 Billion People” and form your own ideas on this concept. Note it is a bit long and for those who like to read on your phone or tablet it can be found on…

I have posted a few articles about mobile devices that can assist you in monitoring different aspects of health. There are some really good devices currently available, and I expect they will get better over the next few years. But I saw this article on a new laser-based headset that can assess the risk of stroke. This is not yet an available device for personal use but is affordable and compact, making ideal for a clinical setting. This something that should be followed closely over the next few years. The laser-based headset represents a significant innovation in stroke prevention. Its ability to noninvasively measure blood flow and vessel stiffness offers a more accurate and scalable alternative to current risk assessment tools. As research continues and…

To small thinkers, free speech is a wilderness of potential threats. Thankfully, America wasn’t founded by small thinkers. Recently, former Secretary of State John Kerry remarked at the World Economic Forum that the First Amendment is a barrier to addressing “misinformation” about climate change, suggesting it stands in the way of consensus. Ironically, Kerry’s statement is a compelling argument for why the First Amendment is indispensable. If only government-approved views were allowed, we would inch closer to regimes like Russia or China, where dissent is stifled. The First Amendment protects the open exchange of ideas, ensuring that all viewpoints—especially dissenting ones—can be heard and debated. If Kerry believes his views aren’t gaining traction, rather than advocating censorship, he should focus on strengthening his arguments, presenting…

Not sure if you are like me but I have a big two-quart jar that I throw all of my loose change in at the end of each week. This accumulates over the year so that I have some unexpected extra money for the holidays. Some years that has been three for four hundred dollars. But because the vast majority of the change that I collect is pennies, the volume is much bigger that the resulting amount. Which brings me to this article that challenges the usefulness of pennies going forward. More and more we pay with some electronic method and the use of money is declining rapidly. So perhaps even more that pennies will become unnecessary and obsolete. I any case the article lays…

The article “How AI Disrupts Tech Investing” by Tomas Pueyo delves deeply into the disruptive nature of artificial intelligence (AI) and its profound impact on the world of tech investing. AI is revolutionizing the development of products and services, dramatically reducing costs, accelerating innovation, and leveling the playing field for small teams and entrepreneurs. These shifts are changing how traditional venture capital functions, creating new challenges and opportunities for investors. Here’s a closer look at some key points covered in the article: The Power of AI to Accelerate Development AI has made the development of technology significantly more affordable and accessible. Traditionally, companies required massive funding and large teams to bring products to market, especially in the tech sector. However, AI tools now allow much…

And Here’s Why It’s More Dangerous Than We Think As we approach the 2024 election, the federal debt continues to climb, with little attention paid by the leading presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Despite promises from both sides that involve expensive programs and tax cuts, neither has offered a clear strategy for addressing the nation’s ballooning debt. This reality is captured in a recent New York Times article, “Federal Debt Is Soaring. Here’s Why Trump and Harris Aren’t Talking About It,” which highlights the growing risk as debt levels surpass 100% of GDP and interest costs begin to outpace defense spending. Nouriel Roubini’s latest work, Megathreats, (see book report) offers a chilling backdrop to this fiscal situation. Roubini warns that unchecked debt accumulation,…

The dream of climate advocates for a rapid transition to fully electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. faces significant challenges, as highlighted by Ted Nordhaus in his essay, “Could Climate Hawks Dream of Hybrid Vehicles? A Course Correction Will Likely Be Needed As EV Sales Flag.” While environmentalists and policymakers have placed high hopes on EVs to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Nordhaus argues that a more balanced approach involving hybrid vehicles might be more realistic in the short term, given the current EV market realities. In early 2023, Nordhaus co-authored an essay in The Wall Street Journal predicting that mass adoption of EVs in the U.S. would not happen anytime soon. He and his co-author, Ashley Nunes, criticized the overly optimistic projections from the Biden…

I started this article on Labor Day, September 2. From this time, we in Northwest Reno (Somersett to be exact) have eight to ten weeks to go before we are likely to get our first good frost. In the past we have experienced November snow but that is unusual. But it does mean that we should start paying attention activities around the yard. Originally, I was going to develop a fairly complete article on things that should be done in the garden and around the house but then I came across an article by HGTV which covered nearly all of the material I was going to include. So I decided to use the professional information and put this article in the article section. The vegetables…

I came across an article which tries to explain why the majority of the media seems to move in lock step often in spire of evidence that they may be wrong. From this perspective it is more about social pressure and perhaps insecurity of the media members themselves. I not sure I buy all of his conclusions but it does go a long way toward explaining why mainstream media seems to underreport things which go against the current “mainstream” narratives. Social pressure it seems, trumps the requirement of accurate reporting – something we have been missing for a decade or more now. Below is a summary of the article and you can see the whole thing here   Why the Media Moves in Unison The…

Caltech researchers have developed a groundbreaking noninvasive method to measure blood pressure continuously and accurately. Unlike traditional cuff-based devices, this new technique uses ultrasound and machine learning algorithms to track blood pressure directly from the patient’s arteries. This method provides real-time monitoring without the discomfort or interruptions caused by inflating cuffs. The innovation has the potential to transform how blood pressure is managed, especially for patients with cardiovascular conditions, offering more precise data for better healthcare decisions. For more information, you can read the full article here.

As the global demand for energy surges, clean energy sources are indeed expanding at an impressive rate. However, despite these advances, our progress remains uneven and insufficient. While solar, wind, and other renewable technologies are making strides, their growth isn’t keeping pace with the accelerating pace of fossil fuel consumption and economic expansion. This disparity highlights a crucial gap. This article delves into the current state of clean energy, the challenges we face, and the bold steps required to truly revolutionize our energy landscape. https://thebreakthroughjournal.substack.com/p/clean-energy-may-be-growing-but-its

This was captured from a much longer article but I thought it might be of interest. Anti-aging drug extends life up to 25%, staves off frailty and disease By Bronwyn ThompsonJuly 18, 2024 For the first time, scientists have demonstrated how a specific protein increases in our organs as we get older and actively promotes the aging process. By blocking this activity, it could not only help us live longer, but slow the physical decline that is, right now, an inevitable part of aging. Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have previously undertaken three different studies to examine interleukin-11 (IL-11) protein expression and its role in heart and kidney, liver and lung health. The lattermost research has led to an experimental anti-IL-11 therapy that’s currently in…

Elon Musk announced that Tesla plans to deploy humanoid robots, named Tesla Bots, in 2022. These robots are designed to handle dangerous, repetitive, or boring tasks, potentially revolutionizing the labor market. Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, Tesla Bots will be equipped with AI technology developed for Tesla’s self-driving cars. Musk envisions these robots enhancing productivity and addressing labor shortages, aiming to create a future where human labor is more focused on creativity and innovation. For more information, visit the Wall Street Journal. The follow up question is how long until basic robot will be useable at home?

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