Hieronymous Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights, detail (black mouse) *
CLANDESTINE
at the Union Station, enter
the bony vault of the waiting room.
He travels light, in a halo
of dissolving train whistles.
It’s me, always rummaging
in my prehistoric backpack
for sugarless chewing gum,
Kleenex, papaya enzyme —
ten thousand things for the dead,
when all you need is the right notes.
We drive past the bent neon arrow
of Discount Bankruptcy.
His gaze like music touches
the wind-burned faces of the homeless.
my heart with unbearable
If you don’t master this technique,
you will turn entirely thorn.
~ Oriana
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“TRANSLATING” SHAKESPEARE INTO MODERN ENGLISH
We should read the original versions of Shakespeare because so-called translations miss the point of the original. Let me use one example, from a so-called translation of Julius Caesar. It’s only one line, but it speaks volumes. The beginning of Antony’s speech is:
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
The alleged translation is:
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, listen to me.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my
cause, and be silent, that you may hear:
Let’s look at the way Brutus addresses the crowd. He includes two demands: “hear me” and “be silent”. Antony, on the other hand, does not demand—he requests—”lend me your ears”.
The rhetorical point, in the original, is quite obvious. Brutus’ speech is a straightforward justification of his actions, from a man who is convinced that he is entirely right, and feels justified in demanding the attention of the crowd. Antony, from his first line, seduces the crowd—very successfully.
The beauty of Shakespeare’s language does not survive so-called translation into modern English—done by literal-minded drones with no ear for poetry. We do not read Shakespeare solely for the plot.
Let me comment further on the language, particularly the point made about the distance from Chaucer to Shakespeare, and Shakespeare to us. Chaucer’s Middle English differs dramatically from modern English chiefly in the vowels, which all shifted one place during the 15th century. If you parse a sample of the Canterbury Tales, you might be surprised how close it is to modern English, allowing for the vowel shift.
Chaucer’s prestige made his London dialect of English the literary standard. His contemporary, the Gawain poet, wrote in a northern dialect that is far more difficult. If you look at Malory’s language, for instance, it’s dramatically different from Chaucer in less than 100 years. Here’s the opening of the Morte d’Arthur in the spelling of the Caxton edition:
HIt befel in the dayes of Vther pendragon when he was kynge of all Englond / and so regned that there was a myȝty duke in Cornewaill that helde warre ageynst hym long tyme / And the duke was called the duke of Tyntagil / and so by meanes kynge Vther send for this duk / chargyng hym to brynge his wyf with hym / for she was called a fair lady / and a passynge wyse / and her name was called Igrayne
The spelling is archaic, but when you shift it to modern spelling:
IT befell in the days of Uther Pendragon, when he was king of all England, and so reigned, that there was a mighty duke in Cornwall that held war against him long time. And the duke was called the Duke of Tintagil. And so by means King Uther sent for this duke, charging him to bring his wife with him, for she was called a fair lady, and a passing wise, and her name was called Igraine.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is early modern English, over 100 years before Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s vocabulary is large, and contains many words that are no longer in common use. He also uses references that modern readers, who often haven’t a clue about classical mythology and other topics, find opaque. Both of these problems are easily fixed by using one of the many well-annotated editions of the plays. Shakespeare’s language is our language, and it has changed relatively little in 400 years.
I find the fuss about Shakespeare’s language frankly incomprehensible. I read my first Shakespeare play—it was Julius Caesar, and I still have a great fondness for the play—when I was 10, in a well-annotated edition, and loved it. Using allegedly translated Shakespeare is nothing but intellectual torpor.
I’ve also seen a so-called translated Paradise Lost. Don’t get me started on that abomination. ~ William Smith, Quora
Mararet Carter:
I’ve read a few of the No Fear Shakespeare paraphrases and think they’d be useful for first-time readers as a supplement — but NOT as a substitute, shudder.
William Smith:
“Lend me your ears” has become a cliche precisely because Shakespeare wrote it. It’s so familiar that it’s easy to miss Shakespeare’s rhetorical wizardry.
Teleri Ferch Nyfain:
For Shakespeare, the best way to understand it is to SEE the plays. The unadulterated language comes across wonderfully onstage.
Otto Erkelens:
Oh, to see the plays. I would love to ever have a chance to see one of the bard’s plays by David Crystal and his son, who have been trying to stage them with Victorian pronunciation, reviving jokes that are lost to modern ears (And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe / And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot / And thereby hangs a tale.)
Donald Barber:
Shakespeare without all the wordplay and allusions might appeal to the Reader's Digest audience, but I view it as much poetry as it is prose, and “translation” would be as useless as T.S. Eliot for Young Readers.
Gill Bella:
I always thought Shakespeare's words were like water; sometimes just a trickle, or flowing, or sometimes crashing about the rocks or falling down a waterfall. He was so careful with his rhyming couplets, or his cadence, or both. It hurts to see it this butchered to make it easier to understand.
Tue Sorensen:
You should read the original Shakespeare because it is the best-written literature of all time. If you don’t read the original, you just don’t encounter the proper quality and poetry of it, and you never become able to recognize what true quality of writing and poetry is.
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We say that the sages are in paradise. Not so: paradise is in the sages. ~ The Talmud, quoted by Rabbi Brad Artson
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RUSSIA’S GOLDILOCK’S PARADOX (Misha Firer)
Russian public schools train students in rote learning by making them memorize long boring poems, up to a hundred per year.
It improves memory skills necessary to master reverse engineering and indoctrinate in accepting authorities’ decrees without criticism.
Poetry rote learning also has the adverse effect of perceiving the world around you as a free association of random imagery. It’s like a Lego construction set where none of the blocks are standardized and there are no instructions. You make of the authorities' orders what you wish and bend the rules at your own creative disposal.
The bottom twenty percent in any society would always do what they’re told including jumping out of the window upon a request. They’re just plain gullible lacking will power, but as for the rest they will be a perpetual problem for the authorities in Russia. Let me explain.
A block of poems about the special military operation was offered to be memorized and recited by first-graders of the Bagration school in Odintsovo, Moscow suburb.
As it became known, on the eve of the ceremonial assembly, the parents of the children were sent a list of quatrains in private messages that the children who came to the 1st grade this year will learn and recite during the first bell at school on September 1.
Instead of uniting parents around the grand idea of battling Nazis, parents began to whine on social networks turning it into viral content causing a further decrease in popularity of the special military operation.
In theory, war against Ukraine should have been a call for the reunification of the nation against the common enemy — the Nazis. What happened instead is what I hereby christen “Goldilocks paradox.”
Majority of Russians want less war or preferably NO war at all. They don’t want to fight any Nazis. At the same time a minority wants to fight the Nazis even more than Putin’s regime permits them to. They want total mobilization and throwing all the nation’s resources towards the full-on conflict WW2 style.
By being cautious, Putin has managed to alienate everyone: it’s either too little or too much like Goldilock’s trip to a bear den where beds were too hard or too soft, food was too hot or too cold.
A lot has been said about Russian people’s preference for authoritarianism and rejection of democracy, but that is just half the story and misses the big picture.
Every year on September 1, as a Soviet school child I along with my peers sang along the national anthem. It went like this:
“Union unbreakable of free republics forged forever by the great Rus.”
I got to sing it only four times in the first day of fall, when the union broke apart, republics became free (and indeed celebrate their Independence day from that union where they were allegedly free) thus the eternal forge was shattered in about three generations. So much for the greatness of its core, Russia.
If there was a gun pressed to my head and I were asked to answer the question honestly why USSR broke apart, I would say: Russians never believed the false premises of the Soviet Union.
They never believed that the union republics were free or that they were happy in the union , or that it could last forever for the natural reason of all these people being different from them, culturally and ethnically. They wouldn’t say it out loud but they knew and sabotaged the work towards the forging the long term survival of it.
I talked about it with my friend, Faik Brodsky, a wholly Soviet creature — half Ukrainian Jew, half Azeri, and native Russian speaker — and we had an agreement that the union broke apart because nobody cared about sustaining it. Nobody was concerned to make any sacrifices for the social cohesion, for the social good. Nobody would fall for the lie, nobody would suspend disbelief to keep it going.
Inasmuch as modern Russians don’t accept the official narrative of the special military operation and reject it, Putin’s regime has failed to forge social cohesion like every regime before it.
And that’s because to the Russian people, stubborn and unwieldy and prone to silent endurance of suffering stoically as they are, living “in truth” is more important than anything else. They wouldn’t compromise with accepting the officialdom’s lies even for their own benefits or for the social cohesion. They find strength in “the truth.”
Thus those who have accepted Putin’s narrative of the existential enemy in Ukraine, nothing that Putin does is ever enough because they can see that he prioritizes personal survival and the survival of his regime over winning the war.
And to the majority who haven’t accepted the official narratives because they have friends and relatives in Ukraine and know it’s no Nazi Germany circa 1939, they can’t accept official narrative to be on the same page with the authorities.
And so the Goldilocks Principle works that no matter what Putin’s regime does it’s going to be rejected by the populace in Russia. His constant lies are the anathema to the Russians. He is a sitting duck propped up by the bayonets. What does work in his favor though is that Russians don’t accept liberal democracy and European liberal values as they too perceive them to be fraudulent.
In the double whammy of deceptions and lies, they rather choose to live according to their conscience, paying lip service to the state and quietly sabotaging all its efforts to conform them to the same narrative.
It is just another stage of struggle for the Russian people who live for the principles that nobody else in there world can see nor relate to.
Perhaps because they don’t have to memorize one hundred poems every year at school.
~ Misha Firer, Quora
*
PUTIN’S LIFE EXPECTANCY
Putin wants to reach the age of 150 (and beyond), and he has no intention to resign.
Putin is trying to become immortal — genetic and AI research give hope of that.
Russia already tried uploading “the mind” of deceased politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky into computer, to get answers to questions — with a public demonstration.
Putin’s daughter Maria Vorontsova is a medical scientist, managing genetic research. He isn’t leaving it to outsiders.
At Beijing parade, journalists accidentally recorded a chat between Putin, Xi, and Kim Jong Un — they were talking about living to 150.
Xi: “People rarely lived past 70 before. Now at 70 you’re still a child.”
Putin: “With biotech, organs can be replaced endlessly… people could even reach immortality.”
Xi: “Some predict people might live to 150 this century.”
I wrote before, and I’ll say it again: those hoping for Putin’s departure from power are dreaming. He has no intention to leave — and he definitely plans to rule for at least another 20 years.
Putin’s sons are 6 and 10 — born in 2015 and 2019.
He fully intends to leave power to his descendants, like the Kim dynasty in North Korea.
~ Elena Gold, Quora
from another source:
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PUTIN’S PURSUIT OF LONGEVITY (OR EVEN IMMORTALITY)
It was the stuff of Bond villains. Two aging autocrats, their younger ally in tow, ambled down a red-carpeted ramp before a military parade in Beijing when a hot mic picked up a question that seemed to be on their minds: how long could they keep going – and, between the lines, might science allow them to rule for ever?
With advances in technology, Russia’s Vladimir Putin assured Xi Jinping via his translator that “human organs can be constantly transplanted, to the extent that people can get younger, perhaps even immortal”.
The Chinese leader replied: “By the end of this century, people may live to 150 years old.”
Nearby, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un – three decades younger than the two 72-year-olds – appeared to take note with a smile.
Beijing’s hot-mic moment has stirred gossip about the leaders’ shelf life, and inevitably, chatter about just how far they will push to keep the clock from running out.
For now, there is no sign that any of the three leaders intend to loosen their grip on power. Each looks set to rule for as long as their bodies hold out, and none has offered a clear succession plan.
Under constitutional changes he pushed through in 2020, Putin could remain in power until 2036, when he will be 83 – surpassing even Joseph Stalin’s tenure.
Xi, through purges of allies and rivals alike, has torn up the Communist party’s once-scripted tradition of grooming successors. In totalitarian North Korea, succession has traditionally been determined only by death.
The leaders’ drive for longevity is nothing new. Rulers have long searched for ways to stretch their lives and their rule.
The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (259–210BC), sent expeditions to the mythical Mount Penglai in search of elixirs of eternal life – though the mercury brews he swallowed may actually have hastened his death.
Alexander the Great, legend has it, roamed the “Land of Darkness”, a mythical and perpetually dark forest, in his quest for the water of life.
Many centuries later, Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi approached the same problem with customary flamboyance – hair transplants, cosmetic surgery and blood treatments – in his attempt to appear invincible on the political stage.
Around the same time, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s autocratic president, ordered an institute in Astana to study “rejuvenation of the organism”, the human genome and gene-based medicines.
“As for the medicine of the future, people of my age are really hoping all of this will happen as soon as possible,” Nazarbayev pleaded with local Kazakh scientists in 2010.
Berlusconi eventually died at 86, after a battle with a routine lung infection; Nazarbayev was pushed aside after unrest in Kazakhstan in 2022, his family swept from power; he is now 85.
Putin, who knew both men well, appears to be taking it further – pursuing the most ambitious and lavishly funded path toward longevity and the science of extending life.
The Russian leader has long been obsessed with health: he is said to rely on his team of doctors and turn to alternative medicine in his quest for vitality.
But those who study him say this is not just about staying healthy, it is about extending life itself.
“In his conversation with Xi, Putin spoke about a topic that genuinely interests him,” said Mikhail Rubin, a Russian journalist who recently co-authored a biography of the president.
“It’s important to understand that even at the time of this exchange, there was almost certainly a whole team of doctors somewhere nearby,” he added.
According to Rubin, there is little to indicate that Putin needs constant medical care; he appears healthy for his age, but still routinely travels with a large entourage of doctors from various specializations.
“That suggests the Russian president is preoccupied with his health and longevity,” Rubin said.
“I believe Putin dreams of ruling for many more years, and places great hopes on the progress of modern medicine,” he added.
Putin has made little secret of his fascination with prolonging life, and on Wednesday showed no reluctance to repeat his private musings on longevity at a press conference.
“Modern means and methods of improving health, even various surgical [operations] involving organ replacement, allow humanity to hope that … life expectancy will increase significantly,” Putin told reporters in Beijing.
Mikhail Kovalchuk, a longtime family friend often described as Putin’s favorite scientist, is said to be spearheading Russia’s research into immortality.
According to the independent outlet Meduza, Kovalchuk has established several institutes with millions in state funding to invest in new technologies, including organ-printing with lab-grown cells to create replacement organs.
Putin’s eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, a trained endocrinologist, has also received large government grants to study extending human health and longevity, and is involved in a genetic research program linked to Kovalchuk.
Russia’s aging elite’s quest for eternal life has already seeped into the country’s pop culture.
It was the premise of a 2024 satirical novel by the Russian writer Ivan Filippov, Mouse, which tells the story of an infected rodent that escapes from a scientific institute where researchers are developing a drug to prolong Putin’s life.
“To be honest, I wasn’t that surprised [about Putin’s hot mic comments],” Filippov told the Guardian.
“Because my story was born out of reality. And with Putin, it’s obvious: he is practically obsessed with the idea of living forever, or at least longer than fate allows,” he said.
“In my book, this obsession ends badly for everyone,” Filippov added.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/05/healthy-living-science-doctors-vladimir-putin-pursuit-of-longevity-xi-jinping
Oriana:
I love the idea that at 70 “you’re still a child.”
Just as now we say, "Life begins at forty," a century from now people may be saying, "Life begins at 100."
Before then, you are just learning, trying out various paths, exploring different partners and roles in life, gathering life wisdom. Right now, when you're finally figured out how to live, it's time to leave.
I’d gladly live to be 150 or beyond, in spite of the suffering that life inevitably brings. As the Buddha insisted, life IS suffering. More important than any suffering, however, are the continual surprises that life throws at us. I’m simply voraciously curious about what happens next.
Could we live to 150? There are more centenarians than ever, but only a handful of people make it to 110, and very, very few (maybe two or three) past that. The current longevity record belongs to Jeanne Calmant, who famously said, "I have only one wrinkle, and I'm sitting on it."
She died at 122. I can't say that she looked good for her age.
But a more glamorous photo of her exists, back from when she was a mere 120:
Yes, she used to be a smoker. One of the secrets of centenarians is that they have excellent detox genes. She was not a vegetarian. Her one longevity practice was eating a lot of chocolate. She didn't mind an occasional shot of cognac, either.
My inspiration is also my maternal grandmother, Veronika. She survived Auschwitz, but that was before I was born. Every day she ate a home-made vegetable soup, mainly beet soup. She also prepared home-made wine. Her favorite was elderberry wine. I never saw her sick, not even with an ordinary cold.
Alan:
Putin may want to live forever, but I think there are those who will decide he has outlived his usefulness. My personal favorite would be the same way Stalin went…..
Elena:
People around Putin definitely have such thoughts. However, Putin driving Russia to self-destruction is useful to several geopolitical players, including the U.S. and China.
Nicholas Lanphear:
100 times more likely Putin blows his head off like Hitler.
Elena Gold:
He will never. He will go through Hague trials if necessary, but will never depart. Putin will absolutely cling to life.
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Meanwhile in the USA .. .
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ESTONIA’S TOURIST ATTRACTION: BOGS
Once feared as homes to spirits, Estonia's bogs cover a fifth of the country and are vital to its culture and ecology. Today, travelers can explore them on guided bog-shoe treks.
At first, the heathery ground simply felt springy underfoot. But as we moved deeper into the Kõnnu Suursoo bog, it grew wetter and softer until my guide, Marilin Pehka, stopped and handed me a pair of curiously oversized plastic frames.
"We must put on the bog shoes now," she said. "They spread your weight so you won't sink."
I strapped them on and stepped forward, feeling the earth shift beneath my feet. Black pools rippled between hummocks of russet moss as I moved around their perimeters – no longer on solid ground, but on spongy layers of peat. Spindly pines stood in silhouette against a deepening sky.
"Stop. Listen. Breathe," Pehka said, pausing on a grassy tussock. I expected a bird call or the rustle of wind. There was only silence and a rich earthy smell perfumed with rosemary. She bent to pluck a sprig of greenery. "Labrador tea," she said, pointing to clusters of white flowers renowned for their hallucinogenic properties, growing alongside blueberries and cloudberries. "Estonians have always foraged in the bogs. They are a place of rich pickings.”
To understand Estonia, you must understand its bogs. For centuries, bogs have been seen as bleak and forbidding, yet in Estonia they are central to national identity. They shape the landscape, sustain biodiversity and are now a focus of both conservation and tourism.
Kõnnu Suursoo is one of Estonia's largest, covering around 25 sq km. I was walking here in summer, when dragonflies skimmed the dark, mirror-like pools and cotton grass swayed above clumps of peat moss. "In autumn the moss turns crimson," said Pehka. "In winter the land sleeps under snow and ice, and in spring the bog breathes again with green shoots as cranes, storks and swallows begin to nest.”
As we walked deeper, Pehka pointed out elk tracks and told me that wolves and bears also roam these reed-lined meadows, "though they tend to avoid humans". I was grateful for the reassurance. Walking marshy ground was already pushing me out of my comfort zone. But 2km on, through open bog, we reached a boardwalk leading to a wooden watchtower: the perfect place to watch the setting Sun turn the area into a quilt of golden mosses separated by black water threads and pale green islands. "This," Pehka said quietly, "is the real Estonia."
Many English-language phrases associated with bogs have negative connotations: bog-standard; bogged down with work; mired in controversy. So Estonians are used to visitors who think they are places to be avoided.
"I think the most positive interpretation of bogland is in Shrek," joked Marika Kose, who researches recreation management at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. "But here in Estonia, bogs are part of the national identity and a source of livelihood. For generations people have foraged for berries, hunted and caught fish in bogs."
Over time bogs also became a place of refuge. "People have fled into the mires to escape wars, cruel landlords and outbreaks of plague," Kose added.
The value of peat came to the forefront in the late 19th Century, when it began to be used industrially as fuel and bedding for livestock. As a result, many European countries drained their bogs for farming and industry, losing vast areas of natural peatland. But in Estonia, bogs remain a defining feature, covering more than a fifth of the countryside – around 340,000 hectares – and playing a vital role in both local ecology and global climate.
"Bogs are ecosystems where organic matter produced by plants does not decompose completely but is deposited as peat, which binds carbon and helps to mitigate climate change," explained Raimo Pajula from the Ecology Department at Tallinn University. "If drained, the peat begins to decompose and the carbon is released back into the atmosphere."
Still, a third of Estonia's bogs have been destroyed by extraction or drainage, and most of the rest have been affected at their edges. Even today, peat mining remains a threat.
Tourism now plays an important part in their preservation, reframing bogs as places to be valued and protected.
"For centuries, Estonian culture saw bogs as places of mystery – homes to spirit beings like will-o'-the-wisps who misled travelers," said Piret Pungas-Kohv from the University of Tartu, who has studied the role of storytelling in mire restoration. "Over the past 100 years, attitudes have shifted 180 degrees. In the 1970s people began to recognize their ecological value. By the 1990s, boardwalks were built to make them accessible, and photographers helped show their beauty. Today, we see bogs much more in culture – from photos at Tallinn Airport to images on sausage packaging – but they are also fragile.”
"Bog-shoeing is well developed as a tourism service," Kose told me. "It's based on techniques our ancestors used for centuries, but it needs to be managed as large groups or repeated visits can cause serious damage."
And while bogs feel remote when you're in one, they can be surprisingly easy to reach. From Tallinn, many are a simple day trip. Aegviidu, known as Estonia's hiking capital, is just more than an hour by train and is the gateway to Kõnnu Suursoo. I stayed in nearby in Kuuse Elamusmajad's eco-cabins, each with their own sauna, panoramic windows and trails straight into the forest.
In Viru bog, 70km east of the capital in Lahemaa National Park, I meandered along a boardwalk through classic raised bog scenery: dark pools, open moss fields and scattered pine trees. At the end, I found a small, dark lake, now a popular wild swimming spot. I stepped in cautiously, surprised by the warmth of the water, and soon I was swimming in liquid the color of strong tea, reeds parting to reveal the occasional duck.
"Bog lakes are high in natural humic substances," Pehka explained. "They protect the water from bacteria and are good for the skin – softening it, reducing inflammation and treating conditions such as psoriasis. They are also said to have rejuvenating properties."
I didn't appear visibly more youthful when I emerged, but I was changed in other ways. Before I came to Estonia, I thought of bogs as inhospitable places best avoided. But after time spent walking, swimming and simply gazing out across these ethereal marshy landscapes, I realized they are places for which the word "mindboggling" is uniquely apt.
Oriana:
Tallinn, Estonia's capital, is obviously worth visiting too, but if you want something unusual, a trek through the bogs could be surprisingly lovely.
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WHY AREN’T WE WORSE PARTNERS AND PARENTS?
Most relationship partners enter counseling with high levels of ambivalence for each other.
The negative horn of ambivalence is usually the most defended and resistant to change.
Taking the same negative horn of ambivalence will likely switch clients to the opposite horn.
What keeps us from being worse partners and parents is typically a humane value. [e.g. compassion]
It's understandable that relationship partners enter treatment with ambivalence about each other. (Ambivalence is probably more pronounced in my clients than that observed in more typical couples’ counseling, due to my specialty of chronic resentment and anger.) My clients complain about money, sex, parenting, and in-laws, but they usually have a hidden agenda to escape their ambivalence, one way or another.
My clients showed me some forty years ago that the negative horn of ambivalence is the most strongly defended and least amenable to change. Directly challenging it risks alienating the client who may feel gaslit. Taking the same negative horn of their ambivalence helps them to move to the more positive horn.
When the ambivalence is exceptionally high in a couple, I see them individually for one session. They usually welcome the opportunity to vent their resentments and negative characterizations without the constraints of a present partner. After listening to a litany of complaints for fifteen minutes or so, I take the first opportunity to interject.
“Wow, you’ve convinced me. You have the spouse from hell. How can you stand living with such a person?”
The usual response is:
“Well, she isn’t that bad.”
“What do you mean she’s not that bad? You just spent fifteen minutes reciting her bad qualities and behaviors.”
“Well, she has good qualities and behaviors, too.”
“Really? Tell me about those.”
Now he can widen his perspective to include the positive horn of his ambivalence. Had I taken the opposite horn and pointed out that his wife couldn’t be as bad as he's describing, that she must have good qualities, he would have endeavored to prove how bad she was by amplifying and decontextualizing her behavior, thereby increasing his derogatory judgments of someone he loves.
“When you got upset at your wife as you described, what kept you from hurting her more than you did?”
“I don’t want to hurt her more than I did.”
“Why not? Why not just slap her a few times?”
“Are you telling me I should hit her?”
“Of course not. I’m trying to get at why you’re not a worse partner.”
“I wouldn’t like myself if I did that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to be that kind of person.”
“Sounds like you don’t want to hurt her at all. Sounds like you really want to be a better partner and father. What do you think you’ll have to do to get there?”
Ambivalence has a floor of negativity. Sometimes it’s fear of consequences, but more often in my experience, it’s a humane value, like compassion or kindness. Treatment is raising the floor of negativity so that it never gets hurtful and always gives way to the compassionate and kind horn of ambivalence.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anger-in-the-age-of-entitlement/202508/why-arent-we-worse-partners-and-parents
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THE LONELIEST OF ALL: YOUNG MEN IN THE U.S.
Young American males are significantly lonelier than their foreign counterparts.
A quarter of U.S. men aged 15 to 34 report that they felt lonely "a lot of the previous day.”
Contributing factors include reliance on tech as a substitute for interaction and working remotely.
Health correlates of loneliness are increased risk of heart disease and stroke, depression, and suicidality.
There are steps that lonely people can take to address feelings of social isolation.
Younger men in the U.S. are more likely to report feeling lonely than other Americans, as well as their peers in other higher-income nations (Vigers, 2025). A quarter of U.S. men aged 15 to 34 said they felt “lonely a lot of the previous day,” significantly higher than the national average of 18 percent and the total for young women (18 percent). Younger U.S. men are also more likely to feel lonely than their counterparts across 38 higher-income, developed nations. What factors might contribute to the experience of loneliness?
Loneliness catalysts
Harvard researchers Milena Batanova and colleagues identified four catalysts for loneliness:
Reliance on tech as a substitute for interaction. Messaging and doomscrolling (consuming reels and posts on social media for extended periods of time) imparts the sense of being part of a certain kind of community, but it can be simultaneously isolating.
Working long hours and fatigue. Many feel too tired or “too busy” to go out and be social. Declining invitations can become a habit, leading to fewer invites. If one has a reasonable level of confidence that going out with a friend will be enjoyable, this cycle can be broken by going out and choosing to return early when one feels tired.
Limited community involvement or network. To expand one’s social network and community activities, one could volunteer one’s time to a cause one finds compelling. This leads to in-person interactions with like-minded individuals in real time.
Working remotely. A large part of the U.S. workforce started working from home during the COVID-19 quarantine. Many opted to continue to work from home, limiting in-person interactions and impeding social supportive experiences such as “water cooler” conversations, going to lunch together, etc.
An additional exacerbating factor is the continuing social stigma around issues of mental health and well-being. Many people see their loneliness as a source of embarrassment and believe that they should be able to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” This can lead to a cycle of shame and isolation.
It's not “only” loneliness
When loneliness and isolation become severe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted increased risk for heart disease and stroke, depression and suicidal ideation, weakened immune system, and earlier death (CDC, 2025). A minimization or simple dismissal of loneliness and isolation denies these serious health correlates. If you are lonely and experiencing social isolation, you can:
Reach out to family or friends. You can do this by phone call or text, but then try to arrange an in-person meeting (e.g., coffee, lunch, a walk) with someone you trust and feel close to.
Learn to be more forgiving of others. Holding grudges and listing all the reasons why someone isn’t worth one’s time or effort keeps one isolated and disconnected. Choose to contact a person with whom you have no or few grievances.
Work on self-care. Review favorite activities (listening to music, playing an instrument, yoga, meditation, etc.). What has been getting in the way of engaging in your favorite activity? Can you engage in it today? Why or why not? Creating opportunities to recharge and refuel, and feeling happier with yourself, can lead to more positive interactions with others.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intersections/202509/the-loneliest-of-all-younger-us-men
Oriana: KINDRED MINDS
For me, America has been synonymous with loneliness. But the solution that has worked for me is immersing myself in doing what I love: reading and writing, and some gardening. I am a classic introvert who gets easily exhausted by social interaction, so living and working alone comes naturally to me. But here we come to the crucial difference between loneliness and solitude. Without solitude, life would not be worth living.
Still, sometimes I long for more contact with kindred minds. Email has helped a great deal.
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EVEN IN ANCIENT GREECE, PLATO QUESTIONED WHETHER GENDER NORMS AROUND MASCULINITY WERE GOOD FOR MEN’S INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
Socrates, on his way to the Lyceum, meets two hyper-competitive teenage boys hanging out in a wrestling gym. Almost immediately, he begins asking the sort of questions that turn everything upside down, questions that may seem silly or pointless but tend to get at the very foundations of people’s views. He asks one of the young men, Lysis (after whom the dialogue is named), a preposterous question: does his mother ever let him play with her wool and her loom while she’s weaving? Lysis simply laughs. Not only would she stop him from doing that, he replies, but she’d strike him if he even tried.
Why does Lysis laugh? Part of the reason is that, in ancient Athens, weaving is a famously feminine activity, to the point of being called, by the classicist Ruby Blondell, ‘the signature activity of women in Greek ideology’. Penelope weaves in Homer’s Odyssey, and Arachne challenges the goddess Athena to a weaving contest, only to be turned into a spider: both human and divine women are regularly depicted weaving in ancient Greek art and literature. So, asking a teenage boy on the cusp of manhood if his mother wants him to play with iconically feminine things like wool and looms could hardly do more than earn a derisive snort in response.
But the brief interaction is telling. Can we learn, question and rethink gender norms with the help of Plato? Although this Greek philosopher lived and wrote thousands of years ago in a very different culture with different norms, many of his works invite us to reimagine gender norms in ways that continue to resonate today.
Unlike driving a chariot, weaving is simply something an Athenian man would never do. Of course, Socrates (by which I mean the character in Plato’s writing; the ‘real’ Socrates lies forever out of reach) is famous for saying strange and silly things, so in some ways his question to Lysis shouldn’t really surprise us. What’s remarkable, though, is the off-handed way in which Socrates challenges conventional gender norms. What he really seems to want is to inspire Lysis and his friend to pursue philosophy. His question about weaving, as I have argued elsewhere, reminds them – and us – that the stakes are high, and that a truly philosophical life is one in which traditional norms, including gender norms, get scrambled.
Ultimately, texts like the Lysis challenge us to reimagine what masculinity might ask of those of us who identify as men. Perhaps this reveals Plato as a kind of proto-feminist, as some scholars suggest he may be. And, indeed, in the landscape of ancient Greek thought, there’s no surviving work that comes anywhere near as close to feminism as what we find in Plato. On the other hand, there’s too much misogyny in Plato’s works to be able to easily count him as a feminist. As with all the best questions, the question of Plato’s feminism, therefore, ought to remain open. Regardless, he clearly challenges masculinity because for him philosophy is ultimately about liberation – and liberation is possible only if we are willing to free ourselves from our preconceptions, including our preconceptions about gender.
It’s hard to think of a place with more oppressive gender roles than ancient Athens. Women lived in separate quarters from men and were largely expected to remain secluded and sequestered in their homes. They could neither own property nor speak on their own behalf in the courts, and wore veils when they ventured out. And all of this applies to free Athenian women – things were even bleaker for enslaved women. Pericles, the renowned orator and leader of the city during the Peloponesian War, went as far as to say that the women who earn the greatest glory are the ones seen and heard the least.
Men too lived within strict gendered expectations of what counted as acceptably masculine. Those perceived to move outside of these bounds were often held up for ridicule. In the play Thesmophoriazusae, for instance, Aristophanes ruthlessly mocks his fellow writer Agathon for his perceived effeminacy right from his first entry onstage: he arrives in women’s clothing, and the jokes keep going from there. Naturally, a boy like Lysis would laugh out loud when asked if his mother might let him play with her weaving tools.
Although the question about weaving marks the most obvious challenge to gender norms in the text, it isn’t the only such challenge. Lysis and his friend Menexenus are hyper-competitive, even to the point of arguing, strangely enough, which one is older. Such competitive behavior is expected and encouraged among men in Athens. In fact, the festival of Hermes, which is taking place while Socrates is speaking with the boys, was a celebration of competitiveness and included contests such as judging the beauty of male bodies.
But Socrates, querying this all-embracing competitiveness, reminds the boys of the saying that ‘friends have all things in common’, and encourages all present to engage in a cooperative discussion rather than any kind of competition. By questioning competition, he is questioning a pedestal of masculinity.
Socrates himself is a living challenge to reigning gender stereotypes. Athenian men are expected to focus on honor, money and political activity; Socrates avoids and often criticizes all of those. Likewise, he helps Lysis to see that a meaningful life comes from seeking wisdom rather than from money or power.
Socrates’ sense of self-worth does not depend on the opinions of others, and in many ways that seems to be the lesson for Lysis as well. Rather than thinking that his parents would prove their love by letting him drive their chariots or play with their looms, Lysis should come to see that his value comes from within rather than from the opinions of strangers or even loved ones. And the thing in Lysis that gives him worth is precisely this ability to see past social norms and seek meaning. In other words, it is his ability to freely choose a philosophical life.
Although these subtle challenges to gender norms help make sense of Socrates’ conversation with Lysis, some less subtle challenges to gender in other texts by Plato help us see that this is not a fluke of one short text, but rather characterizes much of Plato’s thought. In the Symposium, Socrates tells his friends he learned everything he knows from a wise woman named Diotima – and then he proceeds to explain philosophy as involving being pregnant and giving birth to ideas. And in the Theaetetus, he explains that his work as a philosopher is a type of midwifery, though, unlike female midwives, he works with men, helping them give birth to their ideas. In a culture as misogynistic as his, it’s remarkable to see Socrates repeatedly describe his work through these feminine images.
Perhaps even more remarkably, in the Republic Socrates argues that, in the best city, women would do all the work Athenians think of as men’s work, including being soldiers, philosophers and rulers. He’s arguing for this not out of a desire to liberate women, but rather in the interest of making the most efficient city possible, a city in which a woman gifted at warfare wouldn’t be stuck at home weaving. Although he may not be a feminist, Socrates is clearly seeking a world liberated from accepted norms, including gender norms. Similarly, he seeks a sort of masculinity that also draws on supposedly feminine virtues.
This idea of being freed from accepted norms points to the focus on liberation in Plato’s thought. As much as he might be asking us to rethink masculinity and move beyond stereotypical gender norms, the ultimate goal isn’t a rejection of gender norms or a non-toxic model of masculinity (much as we might wish it were). Instead, the goal is bigger, and therefore more difficult – the goal is liberation, the sort of liberation possible only through deep engagement with philosophy. It’s fitting, of course, that the goal should be difficult: one of Plato’s favorite ancient Greek aphorisms, which has also become a touchstone in my own life, is χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά: beautiful things are difficult.
https://psyche.co/ideas/platos-challenge-to-the-meaning-of-manliness-still-resonates
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ASTRONOMERS DETECT THE MOST MASSIVE BLACK HOLE COLLISION TO DATE
An illustration of black holes merging in space.
Astronomers have observed the largest ever such event using physical properties predicted by Einstein in 1915.
A collision observed between two black holes, each more massive than a hundred suns, is the largest merger of its kind ever recorded, according to new research.
A team of astronomers discovered the event, dubbed GW231123, when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) — a pair of identical instruments located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington — detected faint ripples in space-time produced by two black holes slamming into each other. Physicists call such ripples gravitational waves.
Gravitational waves were predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 as part of his theory of relativity, but he thought they were too weak to ever be discovered by human technology. In 2016, however, LIGO detected them for the very first time when black holes collided, proving Einstein right (once again).
The following year, three scientists received awards for their key contributions to the development of what has been colloquially called a “black hole telescope.”
Since the first detection of gravitational waves, LIGO and its sister instruments — Virgo in Italy, and KAGRA in Japan — have picked up signs of about 300 black hole mergers. “These amazing detectors are really the most sensitive measuring instruments that human beings have ever built,” said Mark Hannam, head of Gravity Exploration Institute at Cardiff University in the UK and a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. “So, we’re observing the most violent and extreme events in the universe through the smallest measurements we can make.”
GW231123, however, is exceptional among those 300 black hole mergers, and not just because it is the most massive of the collisions.
“The individual black holes are special because they lie in a range of masses where we do not expect them to be produced from dying stars,” said Charlie Hoy, a research fellow at the University of Plymouth in the UK who’s also a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.
“As if this wasn’t enough,” he continued, “the black holes are also likely spinning almost as fast as physically possible. GW231123 presents a real challenge to our understanding of black hole formation.”
A mass gap
Gravitational waves are the only way scientists can observe a collision in a binary system in which two black holes orbit each other. “Before we could observe them with gravitational waves, there was even a question of whether black hole binaries even existed,” Hannam said. “Black holes don’t give off any light or any other electromagnetic radiation, so any kind of regular telescope is unable to observe them.”
According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, gravity is a stretching of space and time, and it forces objects to move through curved space. When objects move very rapidly, like spinning black holes, the curved space forms ripples that spread outward like waves.
These gravitational waves are “ridiculously weak,” according to Hannam, and there are limitations to the information they can provide. For example, there’s uncertainty about the distance of GW231123 from Earth; it could be up to 12 billion light-years away. Hannam is more confident about the mass of the two black holes, which are believed to be approximately 100 and 140 times the mass of the sun.
Those numbers, however, are puzzling: “There are standard mechanisms where black holes form — when stars run out of fuel and die and then collapse,” Hannam said. “But there’s a range of masses where we think that it’s not possible for black holes to form that way. And the black holes from GW231123 live bang in the middle of that (mass) gap. So there’s a question of how they formed and that makes them pretty interesting.”
The “mass gap” Hannam refers to starts at about 60 solar masses and goes up to roughly 130, but because it is a theoretical range, meaning it has not been directly observed, there is some uncertainty about where this gap starts and where it ends. But if the black holes from GW231123 indeed fall into this gap, then they likely didn’t form from stars collapsing, but in some other way.
Hannam and his colleagues suggest that the “mass gap” could be explained if the two black holes are the results of previous mergers, rather than the product of dying stars. “This is a mechanism that people have talked about in the past and we’ve seen hints of before,” he said.
In this scenario, a chain reaction of black hole mergers occurs. “You can have this process where you just build up more and more massive black holes. And since the black holes in GW231123 look like they’re at masses where you couldn’t get them by normal mechanisms, this is a strong hint that this other process is going on where you have these successive mergers,” Hannam explained.
If this hypothesis were to be confirmed, it would suggest the existence of an unexpected population of black holes that, in terms of mass, fall somewhere between black holes that form from the death of massive stars and the supermassive black holes that are found in the centers of galaxies, said Dan Wilkins, a research scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology of Stanford University. Wilkins was not involved with the GW231123 discovery. “Gravitational waves are opening a really interesting window into black holes, and are revealing some really intriguing mysteries,” he added.
“Before the advent of gravitational wave astronomy, we could only detect black holes that are actively growing by pulling in material, producing a powerful light source. Gravitational waves are showing us a different part of the black hole population that is growing not by pulling in material, but instead by merging with other black holes.
” The previous record for the most massive black hole merger ever observed belonged to a merger called GW190521, which was only 60% as big as GW231123. But scientists could find even more massive mergers in the future, Hannam said, and the collisions might one day be observed through even more accurate instruments that could become available the next couple of decades, such as the proposed Cosmic Explorer in the US and the Einstein Telescope in Europe.
It is very natural to explain the black holes in GW231123 as remnants of one or even multiple generations of previous mergers, said Zoltan Haiman, a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria who also was not involved with the discovery. “This idea was already raised immediately after the first ever LIGO detection of a (black hole) merger, but this new merger is very hard to explain in other ways.”
Future detections, he added, will tell us “whether this heavyweight bout was a one‑off or the tip of a very hefty iceberg.”
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/science/massive-black-hole-collision-gravitational-waves
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PEAK SEASONS FOR DIVORCE
Attorney Kirk Stange keeps a close eye on the calendar — and right now, he's enjoying the summer break.
Stange isn't a student. He's a family law attorney with 25 years in the business. During a recent interview, he told NPR he has noticed a pattern: Divorce filings hit two peaks per year — one in late summer and the other in early spring.
"It's a very seasonal business," the divorced father of two said, adding that it's similar to the rush CPAs face come Tax Day in April.
Stange's firm has 27 offices across nine states, and he's been keeping meticulous records on the influx of new clients for the last decade. "Every year we see the same thing, no matter what state we're looking at," he said.
While January is often referred to as "divorce month," largely driven by New Year's resolutions, Stange said it's one of the slowest months of the year for the lawyers at his firm.
"In December and January, parties just don't tend to initiate divorce and family law proceedings," he said, adding that "it's a drop-off of 50%."
"Whether they're celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, and then New Year's, folks typically put these cases on hold," Stange said. "That seems to be true no matter what we do. We could spend money advertising and try to do things, but it just doesn't work."
Raiford Dalton Palmer, a divorce lawyer in Chicago, said he experiences these same annual patterns. "We've been in this business for over 30 years and our numbers back this up," he said.
Most of his clients are people with children, so he said it makes sense that they are scheduling their splits for a time that's less disruptive.
Once the holidays pass, there's usually spring break to contend with, then family summer vacations. Only after those have tapered off, Palmer said, do unhappy married couples finally act — usually before the new school year begins.
"It continues kind of like a wave based on people's life events," Palmer said.
At his own firm he sees a drop of about 30% to 35% in divorce filings during those important family bonding times of year, he said.
Divorce is driven by "domestic ritual" calendar, according to a study
Lawyers aren't the only experts with data indicating this pattern. A 2016 study from the University of Washington that analyzed divorce filing data across the state from 2001 to 2015, found that they "consistently peaked in March and August."
The study examined data from all but two of Washington's 39 counties, where marriages can be ended by mail.
Study author and sociology professor Julie Brines told the UW News that the legal proceedings may be driven by a "domestic ritual" calendar that revolves around winter and summer holidays.
"People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations, despite what disappointments they might have had in years past," she said. "They represent periods in the year when there's the anticipation or the opportunity for a new beginning, a new start, something different, a transition into a new period of life. It's like an optimism cycle, in a sense."
That, she hypothesized, keeps couples hanging on for at least a few more months.
"They're very symbolically charged moments in time for the culture," Brines added.
More divorce patterns have emerged over recent decades
Carol Lee Roberts, president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, dismisses the idea that discontented couples hold out on splitting up over sentimental reasons.
"The idea that divorces peak in March because it's right after joint tax returns are filed, or every August because it's the end of the summer and you've just come home from family vacations and just can't take this for a minute more" is inaccurate, Roberts told NPR.
She said the number of filings in any given month doesn't indicate much. "Many states have specific waiting periods before you can even serve the other party. Other states don't have those types of rules," Roberts said.
She also noted 2015 research showing that 37% of married people have been thinking about divorce for two years or more.
Roberts said a more important pattern that has emerged in recent decades is the average age of people getting divorced.
"The only demographic in the U.S. that has seen an increase in divorce rates are those people over age 50 … it has doubled since 1990. It has tripled for people over age 60 in the same period," Roberts said.
Part of what is contributing to these so-called "gray divorces" is that people are living longer — and the fact that for many, it may be a second or third marriage that's ending, according to Roberts.
And increasingly, she said it's women who are filing to end their marriages.
"Part of the things we think contribute to that is that there's increased financial independence, there is increased earning capability from women. And frequently, the woman is not only earning as much as a spouse, but there are many cases where the woman is now the primary breadwinner," Roberts added.
A "bumper crop" of divorce cases on the horizon
For now, Stange, the family law attorney, is appreciating the benefits of the slow pace this time of year at his firm. But he said he'll have to think about ramping up soon.
He'll be spending more on marketing and hiring in about a month, when he expects to fill currently vacant positions to handle a surge in calls and new clients.
Not unlike a farmer, he joked that late summer is his version of the "bumper crop months of new cases."
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/05/nx-s1-5415880/divorce-months-seasons-why
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THE CHIPMUNKS OF CHICAGO — THE IMPACT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENT ON RODENTS
Anyone who lives in Chicago might think nothing of a chipmunk scurrying by, but all the scraps of processed food that the local chipmunks have pilfered from human garbage cans have both made them larger than they used to be and shrunk their teeth. And as a result of all the horns honking, brakes screeching, and everything else that turns up the volume of a bustling city, voles have developed smaller inner ears to turn down the noise.
Humans have obviously had a profound impact on the environment. By studying chipmunk and vole specimens hidden away in the backroom drawers of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, a research team—lead by assistant curator of mammals Anderson Feijó, along with mammalogist and XCT lab manager Stephanie Smith—found that there have been morphological changes to the skulls of these animals over the last 125 years. The changes have corresponded with the growth and industrialization of the Chicago metro area.
“These different patterns between chipmunks and voles reveal species-specific responses to the same human-induced habitat changes and the need for nuanced conservation plans in the face of continuing change,” Smith and Feijó said in a study recently published in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology. Skulls were the focus of this research because they reflect the effects of habitat and ecology on the animals’ diets, sensory systems, navigational abilities, cognitive abilities, and body sizes. Voles and chipmunks were chosen because their biologies and proximity to humans were thought to be different enough from each other to show distinct responses to urban stressors.
Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are squirrel relatives, while eastern meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are more closely related to hamsters. Most previous studies on the effects of urbanization have looked at body size, but not much else. Feijó and Smith compared the usual habits and habitats of chipmunks and voles. Eastern chipmunks forage throughout the year in woods with thick canopies and open understories, hoarding nuts and seeds in their burrows when they hibernate in the winter.
Voles live in dense grasslands, nesting on the ground and eating mostly grasses and the occasional insect. Most urban specimens were collected after 1980, while specimens from less urbanized areas were from before 1950.
After measuring different sections of specimen skulls and taking surface scans, the researchers found that both species experienced changes due to a number of factors, including temperature.
The skulls of chipmunks have a wider brain case, are flatter than they used to be, and feature a longer rostrum (the frontal part of the skull containing the palate and nasal cavity), which could be a result of specific navigation needs. Their auditory bullae—bony structures near the back of the skull that protect parts of the inner ear and convert sound waves into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain—have also shifted backward.
Like chipmunks, urban voles had flatter skulls and auditory bullae that were further back. Their auditory bullae have also shrunk as a result of needing to handle the loud, incessant noises of Chicago. While voles’ average body size has remained virtually the same, other cranial bones revealed that the creatures have actually been affected by urbanization more than chipmunks. Vole skulls from more urbanized sites were not as diverse in shape as those from regions that were less urbanized, which could mean that the lower variance in closed urban environments keep voles more morphologically similar to each other.
It became obvious that chipmunks in urban areas are increasing in size, and their rows of teeth have grown shorter.
The researchers think this is because more food is available throughout the year, and that chipmunks having more human interaction has put more things on the menu. Among the free meals chipmunks grab in the city are high-calorie, highly processed foods that add body weight and are easier to chew than nuts (meaning they don’t need to use their teeth as much).
Urban brown rats have been experiencing the same evolutionary phenomenon.
“As cities continue to sprawl and push upwards, understanding complex morphological responses to increasing urbanization and associated effects can elucidate the impact of human population growth on biota,” the researchers said. “[It can] help us forecast how wild populations will cope with continuing change in the coming decades.”
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a65197537/chicago-rodent-evolution/
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WHY DO MEDIEVAL BABIES LOOK SO UGLY?
Medieval artists are not known for their life-like accuracy. They doodled killer bunnies in the margins of their manuscripts and painted lions as goofy, grimacing felines. But if you’ve ever found yourself chuckling at the angry man-heads on human babies in medieval art, the joke is actually on you: These painters wanted the babies to look like Boomers.
Vox spoke to Matthew Averett, an art history professor at Creighton University, to find out why this trend toward intentionally old-looking babies abounded during the Middle Ages—and what caused the shift during the Renaissance toward the cherubic faces we recognize as babies.
The reasoning, like all things artistic in the Middle Ages, has to do with Jesus. Back then, the church commissioned most of the portraits of babies and children. And they didn’t want just any old baby—they wanted the baby Jesus (or other biblical kids).
Medieval artists subscribed to the concept of homunculus, which literally means “little man,” or the belief that Jesus was born “perfectly formed and unchanged,” Averett said. Therefore, paintings of Jesus showed him with adult features and physiques, even when the purported child is sitting in his mother’s lap, playing with her robes, or breastfeeding.
This homuncular, adult-looking baby Jesus became the standard for all children, an exemplar that stuck in the Middle Ages because artists at the time had, according to Averett, a “lack of interest in naturalism, and they veered more toward expressionistic conventions.”
The ugly baby trend faded during the Renaissance, when artists rediscovered realism and applied scientific precision to their figurative works. Non-religious art also flourished at the time as the rising middle and upper classes could afford portraits of their family members. The wealthy patrons wanted representations of their darling children that reflected well on the parents, with little boys and girls who were cute—not Benjamin Button-esque. Depictions of babies shifted away from the hyper-stylized homuncular and never looked back.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-do-babies-in-medieval-paintings-look-so-scary?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
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THE NICENE CREED
How does the Nicene Creed continue to impact Christian religious practices today?
First, we must decide which version of the Nicene Creed we mean, since the original Nicene Creed didn’t have a “trinity” of three gods, but rather a “duality” of two gods, father and son.
The holy ghost was a no-show in the original Nicene Creed 1.00, concocted in 325 AD after many acrimonious debates, cries of “heresy!” on all sides, and some excommunications.
A pagan Roman emperor, Constantine, in effect demanded that a board meeting of bishops decide by committee, rather than being led by the red-headed stepchild holy ghost, just who the hell Jesus was, three centuries after his alleged death.
Since the holy ghost was not consulted, there was no “trinity” after that contentious board meeting.
If the vote had gone differently, Jesus might have remained human or have been deemed a subordinate god or archangel.
But the committee finally decided by a narrow vote that Jesus was “of the same substance” as god, whatever the hell that means, and voila! we had the Nicene Creed 1.00.
It would take more acrimonious debates, more cries of “heresy!” on all sides, and more banishments and excommunications before the “trinity” finally became official church dogma in 381 AD, four centuries after the alleged birth of Jesus if we believe Matthew’s fan fiction.
At this point we had the new, improved Nicene Creed 1.01.
But it wasn’t the last creed, as other committees came up with the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed 1.02, the Apostles' Creed 2.00 and the Athanasian Creed 3.00.
But that was only the tip of the iceberg, as under the guidance of the holy ghost there are now 45,000 christian denominations with god-knows-how-many different creeds.
What a long, strange trip it’s been, from the fully human Jesus of Mark, to the demigod of Matthew and Luke, to the SILVER SURFER JESUS of John, to the demonic mass-murderer Jesus of Revelation, to the duality of 325 AD, to the trinity of 381 AD.
So, how does the Nicene Creed continue to impact Christian religious practices today?
Billions of christians continue to believe utter nonsense, so it has been very effective in its multitudinous various formations. ~ Michael Burch, Quora
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ST. PAUL: DOES HIS LACK OF MIRACLE STORIES MAKE HIS LETTERS MORE CREDIBLE?
It’s not just the apostle Paul’s lack of miracle stories about Jesus that cast doubt on the entire christian enterprise, it’s all the things that Paul didn’t know about Jesus.
Paul didn’t know about the “virgin birth.”
Paul didn’t know about the magical star of Bethlehem. And how does a star change course, then point at a specific house?
Paul didn’t know about the Magi.
Paul didn’t know about angels announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds
Paul didn’t know about the “massacre of the innocents.”
Paul didn’t know about the “flight into Egypt.”
Paul didn’t know about any of the miracles of Jesus.
Paul didn’t know anything that Jesus said on earth and never quoted anything Jesus allegedly said, according to the gospels.
Paul didn’t know about Jesus being tried by the Sanhedrin and the Romans.
Paul didn’t know about Pilate having Jesus executed.
Paul didn’t know about anything Jesus said on the cross.
Paul didn’t know about the worldwide three-hour eclipse when Jesus allegedly died, nor the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE [the dead rising from their graves and walking about Jerusalem]
Paul didn’t know about any of the alleged “miracles” at the empty tomb
Paul didn’t know about the “ascension” with Jesus soaring into the clouds like Superman while angels preached a sermon.
Does this lack of knowledge make Paul seem more credible?
No.
Here’s why…
Paul claimed that he received his “gospel” directly from god, but Paul clearly believed that Adam and Eve were real people who lived in a perfect Garden of Eden where they “sinned,” resulting in the “fall.”
According to Paul, Jesus was a second or last Adam, who came to atone for the “sin” of the first Adam.
But the real Creator, if such a being exists, would know there never was a perfect Garden of Eden, nor a real Adam and Eve.
So we know that Paul lied about the source of his “knowledge.”
And we know an all-powerful, all-wise, all-just god wouldn’t need innocent blood to do the right things. Do good parents tell their children to kill an animal or human being when they err?
~ Michael Burch, Quora
Deborah Elliott:
I always thought that Paul’s purpose was to build the church, not to (again) tell the story of Jesus, his birth, his life, his sermons, etc. Paul wasn’t there and had no first-hand accounts to tell. To me, that makes him more credible. Except the part about getting everything he wrote directly from god. I think that was inserted later (like so many things about the Bible).
I argue that Paul admits outright that he many things are just his opinion. I doubt that marrying just so you don’t “burn” aligns with God’s purpose for marriage. And women keeping silent in church is probably a carry-over from his Synagogue days (were women even allowed in the Synagogue in Paul’s time?). He had some sort of epiphany and devoted himself to building an institution dedicated to the worship of a rabbi named Jesus. Again, not from god, whose first commandment forbids this. But build a church he did, and two plus millennia and billions of followers later, you gotta give him some kudos.
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ARE MIRACLES EVIDENCE OF TRUTH?
I think the real question is, “Why would anyone believe in the alleged ‘miracles’ of Jesus, since there is no evidence of ‘miracles’ but there is plenty of evidence of lies and contradictions in the bible?”
Do christians believe in the prophet Muhammad’s splitting of the moon in Surah 54:1-2?
Why not?
Do christians believe in Zeus’s and Thor’s magical lighting bolts?
Why not?
Because there is no evidence and because such claims are contrary to both science and common sense.
But course the alleged ‘miracles’ of Jesus are also contrary to both science and common sense.
Furthermore, the bible itself tells us that its authors were lying.
Take, for instance, my favorite biblical “miracle,” the ludicrous ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE [the dead rising from their graves and walking about Jerusalem] of the gospel of Matthew.
We know it didn’t happen, for the following reasons:
Matthew says there was an earthquake so powerful that it split rocks and brought graves to the surface. But rocks have a lot more structural integrity than first-century houses, so such an earthquake would have leveled Jerusalem, and we know that didn’t happen.
No one could have failed to notice such an earthquake, but the other three gospels don’t mention it. This tells us one of two things:
The other gospel writers knew Matthew was lying and wouldn’t touch his lie with a ten-foot pole.
Or a redactor added the earthquake after the other gospels had been written.
Such an earthquake would have been noted by prolific Jewish writers like Philo and Josephus, but there was not a word of such an event.
And this is before we consider the ludicrous ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!
Matthew says “many” reanimated corpses appeared to “many” people in Jerusalem.
And yet no other bible writer nor any writer outside the bible bothered to mention the most stunning event in human history: “Ho hum. There goes Jesus, raising the dead by truckloads. Let’s not tell anyone. Ho hum.”
And who reburied the zombies after they returned to their graves? Or are they still roaming the earth 2,000 years later?
I rest my case.
~ Michael R. Burch, Quora
Oleh Kay:
Pity the accounts are not consistent in the letters, gospels or Acts. In fact the newer the work the more extreme the miracle. You can only accept them if you leave skepticism behind. Call it faith. I call it ridiculous.
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FIVE TOP BENEFITS OF CARNOSINE
Carnosine has been rigorously researched and clinically proven to provide support in at least five main areas of wellness: muscle health, cognitive health, heart health, bone health, and systemic antioxidant support. From building better muscle quality to increasing endurance and exercise performance, the effects of carnosine are significant and wide-reaching. Researchers continue to discover what this powerful antioxidant can do, but these are the top 5 health benefits of carnosine.
Carnosinie supports brain health
Its strong anti-glycation ability has been shown to support cognitive function and mental acuity. Carnosine may also decrease occasional anxiety, support memory, delay mental fatigue, speed executive functioning, and increase focus.
Carnosine supports muscle function
Carnosine provides pH buffering capacity and antioxidant properties to build better muscle which is vital to supporting a healthy frame, aiding in balance, and maintaining strength for everyday activities and overall quality of life.
Carnosine supports heart health
Carnosine helps to regulate muscle contractions and prevent lipid oxidation in the bloodstream. It also supports healthy circulation and healthy blood pressure levels.
Carnosine supports bone health
Carnosine benefits bone and joint health through its anti-glycation action. Carnosine can also stimulate bone growth which contributes to overall skeletal integrity.
The Science Behind Carnosine
One of the most unique roles of carnosine is exhibited in the muscle cells. It acts as a buffering agent to maintain muscle functions. Before diving into the science behind carnosine, it’s first important to understand how the body processes glucose—the primary source of energy.
Glycolysis
Through a metabolic process called glycolysis, the body breaks down glucose into lactate and hydrogen ions. These end-products of glucose metabolism are transported from the muscle cells and into the circulatory system.
When the muscles are actively engaged, the rate of hydrogen ion production can become increasingly insufficient. Highly reactive hydrogen ions cause a fall in pH in the muscles, a process referred to as acidification.
Carnosine Buffers the Onset of Fatigue
As acidity rises and the muscle pH falls, fatigue sets in. The formation of cross links between proteins responsible for power generation and shortening of the muscle fibers can become compromised. Carnosine buffers that pH decline and helps the muscles maintain proper functioning.
High concentrations of carnosine reduce the level of acidity in the muscles. By safeguarding against lactic acid buildup, carnosine improves muscle elasticity and delays or prevents muscle fatigue.
The Top Food Sources of Carnosine
The top food sources of carnosine are meats, such as turkey, chicken, beef, or pork. Other animal products such as eggs, milk, and cheese contain carnosine, but only in trace amounts.
Since carnosine is found in the muscle, the higher the carnosine concentration, the stronger the muscle. Unfortunately, modern industrial farming methods tend to prioritize fattening over muscle building. Our food sources may not contain as much carnosine as we’d like to expect.
Most people believe that a well-balanced diet, rich in protein, fresh fruits, and vegetables, is a sufficient source of nutrition. However, even with the most nutrient-dense foods, it’s not possible to consume enough carnosine via diet alone. For example, at 7-ounces, an average serving of beef provides only about 250 milligrams of carnosine. b
Carnosine is only found in animal products. Beef, pork, turkey, and chicken can provide food sources of carnosine, but even meat-eaters cannot achieve optimal carnosine levels through diet alone.
Carnosine is missing from a plant-based diet. Vegetarians can greatly benefit from increasing their carnosine levels by supplementing.
Is it Ineffective to Ingest Carnosine Directly?
Simply put, it is ineffective to ingest carnosine directly because only micro amounts of carnosine will actually make their way from the bloodstream to the cells. Orally ingested carnosine breaks down into beta-alanine and histidine on absorption from the gut. When it comes to synthesizing carnosine, the body actually has enough histidine to meet the muscles’ demands. Typically, what’s lacking is beta-alanine. Supplemental beta-alanine combines with the naturally occurring histidine to effectively increase the levels of carnosine.
Beta-alanine is often referred to as the precursor for achieving optimal carnosine levels. This non-proteinogenic amino acid is responsible for how much carnosine is synthesized in the body. Supplementing with the right dosage of beta-alanine is critical for achieving optimal levels of carnosine. The threshold for reaping the benefits of beta-alanine is 3.2 grams daily over 28 days. For athletes seeking to increase their performance, an average of 6.4 grams is recommended per day.
The most effective way to increase carnosine levels in the body is to supplement with the right dosage of beta-alanine.
Supplementation Makes a Difference
Long-term supplementation has proven to slow the degradation of skeletal bone mass, improve cognitive function and resilience, as well as strengthen the metabolic pathways. One of the significant factors has to do with the way carnosine combats oxidative stress—a key component of many health challenges. Carnosine counteracts oxidant and glucose-induced damage by blocking changes in the cells and tissues responsible for age-related decline.
Introducing beta-alanine results in higher levels of carnosine. Carnosine buffers the decline in pH levels and reduces acidity in the muscles during exercises. This results in decreased fatigue. It’s what makes beta-alanine supplementation not only beneficial to athletes but anyone looking to improve their overall wellness.
WARNING: Taking a large dose of beta alanine may cause unpleasant tingling and itching similar to that caused by niacin. The answer is smaller doses spread out over time.
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WHICH SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AT BEDTIME
Popping all your vitamins and supplements at night might be the easiest way to remember to take them, but sleep and supplements aren't always friendly bedfellows. Taken too close to lights out, some supplements can interrupt your sleep, or make it hard to fall asleep in the first place. Read below to learn more about what vitamins and minerals you should avoid before bed and what supplements may actually benefit sleep.
Vitamins and supplements to avoid before bedtime:
To preserve your sleep hygiene, think twice about taking the following supplements before bedtime.
Vitamin B12
“B vitamins, particularly B12, play a role in both energy production and neurological function, so these would be better to take as you start your day,” says Hannah Holzum, RDN, the founder of Wholesome Nutrition Co.
Keep in mind that studies have linked insomnia to both low levels of vitamin B12 and elevated amounts of the vitamin. Best practice is to ensure that you take just enough vitamin B12 to support your health, while timing your dosage appropriately. The average adult should consume around 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12 daily, with slightly higher intakes of 2.6 mcg and 2.8 mcg recommended for pregnant and lactating women, respectively.
Calcium
Taking calcium before bedtime can disrupt sleep since it can negatively affect magnesium absorption, a mineral which supports sleep.
But don't skip it altogether: Calcium deficiency may also mess with your shut-eye. It’s best to stick to the recommended daily value of calcium supplementation, which is around 1000 milligrams (mg) (1200 mg daily for adults over 51 years), or simply consume calcium through dietary sources — research on the effect of dietary sources of calcium like milk and milk-based products on sleep shows that they may enhance sleep quality.
Multivitamins
Since most multivitamins contain nutrients like calcium and B vitamins, it’s best to avoid taking them as part of your bedtime routine for the reasons listed above. Plus, Holzum points out that since most multivitamins contain fat-soluble vitamins that require dietary fat to absorb best in the body, they're “best taken at a meal, rather than right before bed.”
Of course, not everyone will need to take a multivitamin for optimal health if you meet your nutrient needs from diet alone. However, daily multivitamins can be beneficial for those trying to conceive, pregnant and lactating women, those with malabsorption issues as well as older adults with low appetite who are at risk for inadequate nutrient intake.
Supplements that are good for sleep
Although some supplements are not ideal to take before bedtime, others may actually benefit sleep.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a vital mineral in helping support sleep. A 2024 study on magnesium threonate found that when people took this form of magnesium two hours before going to bed, they had improved sleep quality (especially deep sleep), mood, energy, alertness and daily activity and productivity. The average adult should consume around 310 to 420 mg of magnesium daily minimum, with higher doses recommended for males.
“Magnesium is a popular nighttime supplement for good reason — research suggests it plays a role in regulating neurotransmitters involved in sleep and relaxation,” says Amy Anderson, RDN, the founder of A+ Nutrition reports that. She suggests forms like magnesium glycinate or citrate which are known to be well-tolerated for most people, and in doses between 200 and 400 mg after dinner or before bed. “As a dietitian I enjoy making a little "sleepy mocktail" with magnesium glycinate powder, water and a splash of tart cherry juice to promote a restful night’s sleep!”
Vitamin C
A 2024 study shows that higher serum vitamin C levels are linked to better sleep. Further research confirms that 132 to 191 mg of vitamin C daily can help prevent sleep disorders. The average adult should consume around 75 to 90 mg of vitamin C daily minimum, with higher doses recommended for males, and up to 120 mg daily recommended for people who are lactating.
Iron
If you are iron-deficient, then poor sleep patterns could be your normal. But supplementing with iron daily to ensure your levels are within normal range may help you reclaim healthier sleep. The average man should consume around 8 mg iron daily and the average woman should consume 18 mg daily [Oriana: I think this applies only to premenopausal women], while those who are pregnant should consume 27 mg daily.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
A 2024 study reports that higher polyunsaturated omega-3 intake led to greater sleep efficiency, which is the ratio of the time you spend asleep relative to the total time you spend in bed. Experts suggest that omega-3 fatty acid intake may help support sleep by influencing the regulation of serotonin secretion, which in turn can help regulate sleep. The average adult should aim for at least 1.1 to 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily, with higher doses recommended for males as well as pregnant and lactating women.
The bottom line
To ensure your sleep is the best it can be, stick to magnesium before bedtime. And even though taking a multivitamin daily may help support your sleep health, take it with your morning meal to prevent any sleep disruption and to enhance absorption. If you’re not sure if your supplement is safe to take before sleep, reach out to a trusted healthcare provider or pharmacist for advice. Enjoying high-quality sleep while nourishing your body with supplements requires a balance of each nutrient that is best for your body, not too much or too little.
Oriana: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS; THE PRIMACY OF POSITIVE EMTIONS
While I”m certainly all for taking magnesium at bedtime and multivitamin in the morning, the usual :”diet and exercise “ answers to practically all health queries strike me as leaving out something hugely important, especially before bedtime. I mean positive emotions. Some believe that positive emotions are the primary determinant of our health. But the phrase rarely appears in articles on health — even though positive emotions can be induced. We are not entirely helpless when it comes to our emotional state.
What I have noted over the years that positive emotions at bedtime — in simplest form, simply counting one’s blessings — are marvelously effective in bringing on restful sleep.
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RISE IN LUNG CANCER NOT CAUSED BY SMOKING
The number of lung cancer cases in people who have never smoked is increasing. The disease is different from lung cancer caused by smoking, so what causes it?
Martha first realized that something was wrong when her cough changed and the mucus in her airways became increasingly viscous. Her doctors put it down to a rare disorder she had that caused her lungs to become chronically inflamed. "No worry, it must be that," she was told.
When she finally had an X-ray, a shadow was detected on her lung. "That set the ball rolling," Martha recalls. "First, a CT scan was done, then a bronchoscopy [a procedure that involves using a long tube to inspect the airways in a person's lungs] to take tissue samples." After the tumor was removed, about four months after she'd first reported symptoms to her GP, she received the diagnosis: Stage IIIA lung cancer. The tumor had infiltrated the surrounding lymph nodes but had not yet spread to distant organs. Martha was 59 years old.
"It was a total shock," says Martha. Although she would occasionally light up a cigarette at a party, she never considered herself a smoker.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death. In 2022, about 2.5 million people were diagnosed with the disease and more than 1.8 million died. Although tobacco-related lung cancers still account for the majority of diagnoses worldwide, smoking rates have been declining for several decades. As the number of smokers continues to fall in many countries around the world, the proportion of lung cancer occurring in people who have never smoked is on the rise. Between 10 and 20% of lung cancer diagnoses are now made in individuals who have never smoked.
"Lung cancer in never-smokers is emerging as a separate disease entity with distinct molecular characteristics that directly impact treatment decisions and outcomes," says Andreas Wicki, an oncologist at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. While the average age at diagnosis is similar to that of smoking-related lung cancers, younger patients with lung cancer are more likely to have never smoked. "When we see 30- or 35-year-olds with lung cancer, they are usually never-smokers," he says.
Another difference is the type of cancer being diagnosed. Until the 1950s and 1960s, the most common form of lung cancer was squamous cell carcinoma – a type which begins with the cells that line the lungs. In contrast, lung cancer in never-smokers is almost exclusively adenocarcinoma – a type which starts in mucus-producing cells – which is now the most common form of lung cancer in both smokers and never-smokers.
Like other forms of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. "If there's a 1cm (0.4in) tumor hidden somewhere in your lungs, you won't notice it," says Wicki. The early symptoms, which include persistent coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath or wheezing, often only appear when the tumor is larger or has spread. In addition, the historically strong link between smoking and lung cancer may inadvertently lead non-smokers to attribute symptoms to other causes, says Wicki. "Most cases in never-smokers are therefore only diagnosed at stage 3 or 4.”
The smoke from cooking fuel and fumes from cooking oil can increase a person's risk of lung disease, including lung cancer
Lung cancer in never-smokers is also more common in women. Women who have never smoked are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer as male never-smokers. Aside from lung anatomy and environmental exposures, at least part of the answer may lie in genetic mutations that are more common in women, especially in Asian women. One of the most prevalent is a mutation known as EGFR.
Lung cancer cells in people who have never smoked usually have a number of mutations that could be causing their cancer, explains Wicki – so-called driver mutations. These genetic changes drive tumor growth, such as the EGFR gene which codes for a protein on the surface of cells and is called epidermal growth factor receptor. The reasons why these driver mutations are more frequently found in female patients, particularly those of Asian descent, are not entirely understood. There is some evidence that female hormones may play a role, with certain genetic variants that affect estrogen metabolism being more prevalent in East Asians. This could potentially explain the higher incidence of EGFR-mutant lung cancer in Asian women, although the data is very preliminary.
Following the discovery of mutations which can lead to lung cancer in non-smokers, the pharmaceutical industry began to develop drugs that specifically block the activity of those proteins. For example, the first EGFR inhibitors became available around 20 years ago and most patients showed an impressive response. However, treatment often led to resistant cancer cells, resulting in tumor relapse. In recent years, much effort has been put into overcoming this problem, with newer types of drugs now entering the market.
As a result, the prognosis for patients has steadily improved. "The median survival rate of patients who carry such driver mutations is now several years," Wicki explains. "We have patients who have been on targeted therapy for more than 10 years. This is a huge step forward when you consider that the median survival rate was less than 12 months about 20 years ago."
As the proportion of lung cancer in never-smokers increases, experts say it is crucial to develop prevention strategies for this population. A number of risk factors have been implicated. For example, studies have revealed that radon and second-hand smoke can elevate the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers. Additionally, exposure to cooking fumes or to stoves burning wood or coal in poorly ventilated rooms may also increase this risk. Since women traditionally spend more time indoors, they are particularly vulnerable to this type of indoor air pollution. However, outdoor air pollution is an even more significant factor in the development of lung cancer.
Particulate air pollution can increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer
In fact, outdoor air pollution is the second leading cause of all lung cancer cases after smoking. Studies have revealed that people who live in highly polluted areas are more likely to die of lung cancer than those who do not. Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (about a 30th of the width of a human hair), typically found in vehicle exhaust and fossil fuel smoke, seems to play an important role. And intriguingly, research has shown a strong link between high levels of PM2.5 and lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked and who carry an EGFR mutation.
How air pollution may trigger lung cancer in never-smokers carrying the EGFR mutation has been the focus of research at the Francis Crick Institute in London. "When we think about environmental carcinogens, we usually think about them as causing mutations in the DNA", says William Hill, a post-doctoral researcher in the cancer evolution and genome instability laboratory of the Francis Crick Institute. Cigarette smoke, for example, damages our DNA, thus leading to lung cancer. "However, our [2023] study proposes that PM2.5 doesn't directly mutate DNA; rather it wakes up dormant mutant cells sitting in our lungs and starts them on the early stages of lung cancer."
In their experiments, the researchers showed that air pollutants are taken up by immune cells called macrophages. These cells normally protect the lung by ingesting infectious organisms. In response to PM2.5 exposure, macrophages release chemical messengers known as cytokines, which wake up cells carrying the EGFR mutation and causes them to proliferate. "Both air pollution and EGFR mutations are needed for tumors to grow," says Hill. Understanding how PM2.5 acts on the microenvironment of cells carrying EGFR mutations to promote tumor growth, he adds, could pave the way for new approaches to preventing lung cancer.
The association between air pollution and lung cancer is not new. In a landmark paper establishing the link between smoking and lung cancer in 1950, the authors suggested outdoor pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels as a possible cause. But policies to date have focused almost exclusively on tobacco control. But 75 years later, air pollution is finally coming into focus.
Air pollution levels in Europe and the US have fallen in recent decades. But the effect of changes on lung cancer rates has not yet become apparent. "It probably takes 15 to 20 years for changes in exposure to be reflected in lung cancer rates, but we don't know for sure," says Christine Berg, a retired oncologist from the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, US.
Moreover, the picture is not static: climate change is likely to have an impact in the future. "With the increasing risk of wildfires, air pollution and PM2.5 levels are rising again in certain regions of the US," says Berg. "At least one study has shown an association between wildfire exposure and increased incidence of lung cancer. Transitioning away from coal, oil and gas is therefore crucial not only to slow global warming but also to improve air quality."
In 2021, the WHO halved the annual mean air quality guideline for PM2.5, meaning it has adopted a more stringent approach to particulate matter. "But 99% of the world population lives in areas where air pollution levels exceed [these updated] WHO guideline limits," says Ganfeng Luo, a postdoctoral researcher at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France.
In a recent study, IARC researchers estimated that approximately 194,000 cases of lung adenocarcinoma worldwide were attributable to PM2.5 in 2022. "The highest burden is estimated in East Asia, especially in China," says Luo.
In the future, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to air pollution could increase in countries such as India, which currently has some of the highest levels of air pollution, according to the WHO. In Delhi, the average PM2.5 levels are above 100 micrograms per sq m, which is 20 times above the WHO air quality guidelines.
In the UK, 1,100 people developed adenocarcinoma of the lung as a result of air pollution in 2022, the IARC study found. "But not all of these cases will be in never-smokers," says Harriet Rumgay, an epidemiologist and a co-author of the study. Adenocarcinoma also occurs in smokers, especially in those using filtered cigarettes. "There's still a lot we don't know," says Rumgay. "More research is needed to disentangle the different factors and also to understand, for example, how long you would need to be exposed to air pollution before developing lung cancer."
As treatments continue to improve, lung cancer in never-smokers is becoming more survivable. It is conceivable that this type of lung cancer will one day become the most common form of a disease that has historically been associated with older male smokers, changing the way we think about the disease in popular culture; "…the idea that they [patients] are at least partly to blame for their disease is unfortunately still widespread," says Wicki.
Martha was found to have an EGFR mutation and has been taking an inhibitor since her diagnosis almost three years ago. "It's definitely not a vitamin pill," she says. The drug has some nasty side effects: chronic fatigue, muscle pain, skin problems. Balancing the risks and benefits of drug treatment and maintaining a reasonable quality of life is not always easy, she says. But the drug is working. "And the fatalistic view of the disease is changing, and that is good.”
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250605-the-mystery-rise-of-lung-cancer-in-non-smokers
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INTERMITTENT FASTING: BENEFITS OR RISKS?
Intermittent fasting has become the diet trend of the decade.
It promises to hack biology without the drudgery of counting calories or cutting carbs: simply change when you eat, not necessarily what you eat. Tech moguls swear by it, Hollywood stars insist it keeps them trim. Britain's former prime minister Rishi Sunak once spoke of starting his week with a 36-hour fast.
Intermittent fasting compresses eating into a short daily window, often eight hours, leaving a 16-hour gap without food. Other time-restricted diets, like the 5:2 plan, limit calories on certain days rather than hours.
Now, the first large-scale study of its kind raises a more serious red flag. Researchers, analyzing data from more than 19,000 adults, found that those who confined their eating to less than eight hours a day faced a 135% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease — issues with the heart and blood vessel — than people who ate over 12-14 hours.
An elevated cardiovascular risk means that, based on a person's health, lifestyle and medical data, they are more likely than others in the study to develop heart-related problems such as heart attack or stroke.
The link to overall mortality — deaths from any cause — was weaker and inconsistent, but the cardiovascular risk persisted across age, sex and lifestyle groups even after rigorous testing.
In other words, the study found only a weak and inconsistent link between time-restricted eating and overall deaths. But the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was sharply higher.
The authors stress that the study doesn't prove cause and effect. But the signal is striking enough to challenge the narrative of fasting as a risk-free path to better health.
Researchers tracked American adults over eight years. To understand their eating habits, participants were asked on two separate days — about two weeks apart — to recall everything they ate and drank. From these "dietary recalls", scientists estimated each person's average eating window and treated it as representative of their long-term routine.
Those who ate within an eight-hour window faced a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who spread meals over 12-14 hours, the study found.
They found the elevated cardiovascular risk was consistent across socioeconomic groups, and strongest among smokers and people with diabetes or existing heart disease — suggesting they should be especially cautious about long-term, narrow eating windows. The link held even after adjusting for diet quality, meal and snack frequency, and other lifestyle factors, researchers found.
I asked the researchers how we should read the finding that heart-related deaths go up so dramatically, but overall deaths don't — is it biology, or bias in the data?
Diet is a major driver of diabetes and heart disease, so an association with higher cardiovascular mortality is not unexpected, said Victor Wenze Zhong, the lead author of the peer-reviewed study in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews.
"The unexpected finding is that sticking to a short eating window of less than eight hours over years was linked to increased death risk from cardiovascular disease," says Prof Zhong, an epidemiologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.
That runs counter to the popular belief - supported by short-term studies lasting only a few months to a year - that time-restricted eating improves heart and metabolic health.
In an accompanying editorial in the same journal, Anoop Misra, a leading endocrinologist, weighs the promise and pitfalls of intermittent fasting.
On the upside, he says, multiple trials and analyses suggest it can promote weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure and enhance lipid profiles, with some evidence of anti-inflammatory benefits.
It may also help people manage blood sugar without rigid calorie counting, fits easily with cultural or religious fasting practices, and is simple to follow.
"However, the potential downsides include nutrient deficiencies, increased cholesterol, excessive hunger, irritability, headaches and reduced adherence over time," says Prof Misra.
"For people with diabetes, unmonitored fasting risks dangerous drops in blood sugar and promotes junk food intake during eating window. For older adults or those with chronic conditions, prolonged fasting may worsen frailty or accelerate muscle loss."
This is not the first time intermittent fasting has faced scrutiny.
A rigorous three-month study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2020, found that participants lost only a small amount of weight, much of which may have come from muscle. Another study indicated that intermittent fasting may produce side effects such as weakness, hunger, dehydration, headaches and difficulty concentrating.
The new study, Prof Misra says, now adds a more troubling caveat — a possible link to higher cardiovascular risk, at least in certain groups.
I asked Prof Zhong what he would advise clinicians and the public to take away from the latest findings.
He said people with heart disease or diabetes should be cautious about adopting an eight-hour eating window. The findings point to the need for "personalized" dietary advice, grounded in health status and evolving evidence.
"Based on the evidence as of now, focusing on what people eat appears to be more important than focusing on the time when they eat. At least, people may consider not to adopt eight-hour eating window for a long time either for the purpose of preventing cardiovascular disease or for improving longevity."
Clearly, for now, the message is less about abandoning fasting altogether and more about tailoring it to an individual's risk profile. Until the evidence is clearer, the safest bet may be to focus less on the clock and more on the plate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l6ye6xe12o
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ending on beauty:
THE WIND HAS DIED
My little boat,
take care.
There is no
land in sight.
Charles [Dushan] Simic, his last poem
"Dushan" was Simic's Serbian name, probably derived from dusha, meaning soul.
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