Podcasts about researchers

Today, we're diving straight into a topic that hits close to home for millions of patients and providers alike: IUD insertion pain, and more importantly, how we can actually make it better. Now, if you've been practicing or following clinical guidelines for a while, you know the frustrating backstory here. For years, the standard advice was simple: "Just take 800 milligrams of ibuprofen an hour before your appointment." But a 2015 double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that taking a single dose of 800 mg within an hour before insertion did not relieve procedural pain. That was published in the journal Contraception in 2015. This left clinicians wishing for better options. Fast forward to 2024, when the CDC updated its guidelines to formally recommend local analgesia, like lidocaine blocks or topical use, to help manage insertion pain. That was a huge, long-overdue win for patient-centered care. But local numbing isn't the only tool we should be looking at. What if the issue with oral NSAIDs wasn't the medication itself, but how and when we dosed it? That brings us to a brand-new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), August 2026. Researchers looked at a preemptive, multidose ibuprofen regimen- starting the day before insertion to reach sustained, therapeutic blood levels ahead of time. And the results? They offer some new insights into how we can stack our pain control strategies. So, let's break down what this study found, how it builds on our CDC guidance, and what it means for our clinical practice starting at our next IUD placement. Let's jump in. 1. Bednarek PH, Creinin MD, Reeves MF, et al. Contraception. 2015;91(3):193–197.2. Ouyang C, Lamvu G, Quach H, et al. Multidose Ibuprofen Prior to Intrauterine device insertion (MIPI): a triple blinded randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, August 2026; 235, 330-3373. Management of Premenstrual Disorders: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No.7 Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023. Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines–Gynecology4. McKenna KA, Fogleman CD. Dysmenorrhea.American Family Physician. 2021.

HEALTH NEWS   Curcumin shows the best balance against cancer, study shows First trial confirms swimming reduces disability from chronic back pain Nanoplastics in Drinking Water May Be Making Dangerous Bacteria Stronger, New Study Warns Kids remember veggie scents from womb, study finds Watermelon Contains Compounds Linked to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, Studies Show   Curcumin shows the best balance against cancer, study shows Wroclaw Medical University (Poland), July 22 2026 (News-Medical) Curcumin, berberine, and other plant-derived compounds have long attracted scientific interest because of their anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. A new study by researchers from Wroclaw Medical University, however, shows that not all natural compounds act in the same way, and strong anticancer activity does not always go hand in hand with a good safety profile. The researchers compared five compounds: curcumin, berberine, biochanin A, cucurbitacin E, and CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester), a component of propolis. They investigated how these substances affected fibrosarcoma cells and healthy muscle cells. The study focused on the NF-κB signaling pathway, which regulates inflammation, metabolism, cell survival, and cellular aging. The tested compounds disrupted mitochondrial function, reducing the cancer cells' ability to produce energy. In fibrosarcoma cells, ATP levels decreased by approximately 83–92%, compared with reductions of around 23–73% in healthy muscle cells. This suggests that cancer cells are more vulnerable to disturbances in energy metabolism. The compounds also affected mitophagy, the process responsible for removing damaged mitochondria. All five compounds induced features of cellular senescence in fibrosarcoma cells. In this state, cells remain alive but permanently lose their ability to divide. The strongest effect was observed with curcumin. The proportion of senescent cancer cells increased from approximately 16.5% to more than 75%. For the other compounds, the percentage exceeded 66% as well. Healthy muscle cells generally showed a weaker response, suggesting a degree of selectivity towards cancer cells.   First trial confirms swimming reduces disability from chronic back pain Macquarie University, July 21 2026 (Eurekalert)   Australian research has shown for the first time that a program of swimming can be clinically effective in reducing disability from chronic low back pain.  Publishedin the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the clinical trial found an eight-week individualised program of swimming and education, guided by a physiotherapist, improved function and pain significantly more than education alone in people with back pain.  The researchers recruited 76 adults aged 26 to 74 (average 41 years) who were experiencing some disability due to low back pain lasting for at least 12 weeks and allocated them at random to one of two groups. One group received an eight-week individualised program of swimming and education, supported by four telehealth coaching sessions with a physiotherapist. They weren't regular swimmers, but they were able to swim 25 metres and feel confident in the water.  The swimming programme was based on a goal of achieving three sessions of 30-45 minutes by the end of the eight weeks.  After eight weeks, disability was significantly lower in the swimming group.  They improved by about 50 per cent from where they were before starting the program. Compared to the control group who received education only, swimmers scored on average 2.5 points or 30 per cent lower on a widely used disability scale.     Nanoplastics in Drinking Water May Be Making Dangerous Bacteria Stronger, New Study Warns Virginia Tech University, July 21 2026 (Natural News) A study published in the journal Water Research found that nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles invisible to the naked eye, can increase the mechanical strength of bacterial biofilms and make them more resistant to disinfectants. The research, conducted by Virginia Tech and an international team, examined how these particles affect microbial communities inside drinking water systems.  The findings indicate indirect public health risks through water systems. The nanoplastics can make the antimicrobial-resistant pathogens better survive, which could be harmful to the environment and would have public health implications.   The study focused on biofilms containing E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two bacteria commonly associated with waterborne infections. When exposed to nanoplastics, the bacteria activated multiple defense mechanisms, resulting in thicker, heavier biofilms. These strengthened biofilms pose a greater challenge for water treatment facilities, according to the researchers. Biofilms are communities of bacteria that attach to surfaces, such as the interior walls of water pipes. These bacterial colonies produce a protective matrix that shields them from environmental threats, including disinfectants. While some biofilms are beneficial, those formed by pathogenic bacteria can pose risks inside drinking water distribution systems.   Waterborne nanoplastics are already widespread. A French government study found that glass bottles can contain five to 50 times more microplastics than plastic bottles, with contamination often originating from painted caps.   Kids remember veggie scents from womb, study finds Durham University, May 13 2026 (Medical Xpress) Experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavors before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born, according to new research led by the Durham University Department of Psychology. Researchers found that young children are less likely to react negatively to the smell of vegetables they were repeatedly exposed to in the womb. They say their findings could have implications for establishing healthy eating habits in children. The researchers examined the facial reactions of 12 three-year-olds to the non-bitter smell of carrot or the bitter smell of kale. They found that the three-year-olds whose mothers had taken carrot powder capsules as part of a controlled experiment when pregnant were less likely to show negative facial reactions toward the smell of carrot. Similarly, those whose mothers had taken kale powder capsules while pregnant reacted less negatively to the smell of kale. The researchers say their latest finding supports the argument that exposure to flavors in late pregnancy can result in long-lasting odor or flavor memory in children.   Watermelon Contains Compounds Linked to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, Studies Show UCLA, July 22 2026 (Natural News)   Watermelon contains bioactive compounds that have been linked to improvements in cardiovascular function and metabolic healths. The fruit is a source of the amino acid citrulline, which the body converts to arginine, and the antioxidant lycopene, both of which have been associated with positive health outcomes. According to a review in the journal Nutrition clinique et métabolisme, watermelon consumption increases plasma arginine concentrations in adults. The body converts citrulline into arginine, which then supports nitric oxide production, a molecule that helps relax blood vessels. Lycopene, the carotenoid responsible for watermelon's red color, is also present in notable amounts and acts as an antioxidant. Watermelon's L-citrulline and L-arginine content improves arterial function and blood pressure Another report states that citrulline is useful for blood pressure regulation and metabolic health.  

High uric acid has been linked to far more than gout attacks; it also increases your risk of kidney stones, chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease as inflammatory damage spreads throughout your body Researchers found that adults with high uric acid who drank high-dose hydrogen-rich water for eight weeks lowered their average uric acid levels significantly more than those drinking ordinary water* The strongest improvements appeared after consistent daily use over eight weeks, showing that reducing uric acid levels and associated oxidative stress markers may require sustained exposure rather than short-term intervention Scientists linked high uric acid to oxidative stress, a process where unstable molecules damage cells faster than your body repairs them, increasing inflammation and placing extra strain on your kidneys and metabolism Removing alcohol, reducing seed oils, improving mitochondrial energy production, and using hydrogen-rich water correctly help lower the inflammatory burden that keeps uric acid trapped at damaging levels

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff  LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ Dropping Bombs brings back Flat Earth Dave, and this round is even more intense than the first. Real pushback, tougher questions, and neither side backing down. Dave breaks down why the moon landing still doesn't add up, why NASA's own physics doesn't hold together, and what's really hidden behind Antarctica's ice wall. He's still offering three Bitcoin, worth around $300K, to anyone who can prove him wrong. If you watched the first episode, you already know this one goes even further. If you didn't, this is the conversation that will make you question everything you thought you knew.

Your brain is about 75% water, and even mild dehydration slows focus, memory, reaction time, and mental clarity long before intense thirst appears Researchers found that 56% of older adults in a two-year cognitive study were physiologically dehydrated, even though most consumed what guidelines considered enough water Dehydration interferes with blood flow, oxygen delivery, and communication between brain cells, which contributes to brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and slower thinking Drinking excessive amounts of plain water creates its own problems by diluting sodium and disrupting electrolyte balance, which lowers cellular energy production and worsens dehydration at the cellular level Consistent hydration throughout the day, along with mineral-rich fluids, whole fruits, and electrolyte support during heavy sweating, helps your brain maintain sharper focus, steadier energy, and better long-term cognitive health

Pompeii is known for its disastrous end with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but for archeologists, what came before is just as interesting. Researchers are using artifacts left behind in the remarkably well-preserved Roman city to piece together what life was like for the thousands of people who lived there 2,000 years ago.  A new book and television show analyze some of these clues to tell the stories of the ordinary people who faced this extraordinary event. Flora speaks with archaeobotanist Jess Venner, author of “The Lost Voices of Pompeii,” and actor Tom Hiddleston, host of National Geographic's “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston.” Read an excerpt from “The Lost Voices of Pompeii: Life and Death on Pompeii's Final Day” Watch the interview on YouTube. Guests: Dr. Jess Venner is an archaeobotanist at the University of Oxford and author of “The Lost Voices of Pompeii.” Tom Hiddleston is an actor and producer, and host of National Geographic's “Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston.” Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Further reading: New species of extinct vampire-squid-like cephalopod When teeth grow on the body Fossil shark turns into mystery pterosaur Scientists Had Never Seen This Elusive Whale Alive—Until Now Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. This month I wasn't sure what to cover in this episode, so I decided to just click on four random bookmarks of scientific articles that I've had waiting for attention, and we'll discuss them. We haven't done a four articles episode in a long time! The first article is from March 2022, and it's about the discovery of an ancient cephalopod. Cephalopods include octopuses and squid. Octopuses famously have eight arms, while squid have eight arms and two feeding tentacles. Despite its name, the deep-sea vampire squid is actually more closely related to octopuses than to squid, and a newly discovered fossil is an ancestor to both. The fossil is 328 million years old and was discovered in Montana, in the United States, in 1988 but was only studied recently. Fossils of soft-bodied animals are incredibly rare, and this one is remarkably well-preserved. All of the animal's arms are preserved, including the suckers, but instead of eight arms, it had ten. Scientists have long suspected that the ancestors of modern octopuses and vampire squid had ten arms. The vampire squid has eight arms and two feeding filaments that are vestigial arms. But this is the first fossil found that shows ten arms. The fossil is of an animal with a torpedo-like body shaped like a modern squid. Two of its arms appear to be elongated compared to its other arms. It's about 4 and a half inches long including its arms, or 12 cm. That's pretty much all we know about it now, but hopefully the fossil will reveal more information as it continues to be studied. Our next article is from October 2017 and is intriguingly titled “When teeth grow on the body.” It sounds horrific, but it's actually a study of certain catfish that grow bony plates with tiny teeth on their bodies as defense. Catfish don't have scales, but some species of denticulate catfish that live in South America grow bony plates that act like armor. Many of these plates are covered in thin little teeth–actual teeth, including enamel and dentin, with pulp inside. They're called extra-oral teeth, dermal denticles, or odontodes, and the study determined that they appeared about 120 million years ago in ancient catfish that hadn't yet evolved the bony plates. The teeth regrow when they're lost, and in some species, males grow larger teeth than females and use them to fight other males. Imagine biting someone without needing to open your mouth. Our next article is from November 2020, about more fossils. The fossils were discovered in a collection at the Sedgwick Museum of Cambridge and the Booth Museum at Brighton in England, and were originally found in the latter half of the 19th century by miners. A PhD student at the University of Portsmouth was studying fossilized shark spines from the collection when he realized they weren't actually shark spines. Instead, they were jaw fragments from pterosaurs. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that filled many ecological niches that birds fill today. One of the species identified from the collection is called Ornithostoma, which means bird mouth, an animal that lived in the early Cretaceous, about 110 million years ago, in what is now Europe. We know very little about it except that it didn't have teeth, but it probably ate fish. But there were some other jaw fragments that didn't belong to Ornithostoma, and in fact don't match up to any known pterosaur jaws. It may belong to a new species, but the fossils are so fragmentary that there's no way to know for sure. The rocks that the fossils came from were completely destroyed more than a century ago during phosphate mining, so unless more fragments are found in other collections, we may never learn more about this mystery pterosaur. Our last article is from July 2022, and I have no idea why I haven't talked about it on the podcast before now. It's about Sato's beaked whale, also called kurotsuchi. It's a type of four-toothed whale with a short beak, and it's dark gray and can grow up to 23 feet long, or 7 meters. It was only identified in 2016 as being different from the two other known species of four-toothed whales, after careful analysis, including DNA analysis, of dead individuals that had been found washed ashore. Until the summer of 2021, no one had ever seen a living Sato's beaked whale. Then some researchers studying orcas spotted 14 of the beaked whales swimming together between Hokkaido, Japan and the Kuril Islands. The scientists recognized that these were unusual whales and they were able to get a small skin sample from one. Genetic testing confirmed that they were indeed Sato's beaked whales. Researchers think the whales may spend at least part of the year in tropical waters, since that's where cookie cutter sharks live and the whales show circular bite scars from cookie cutter sharks. Not much is known about most species of beaked whale, and Sato's beaked whale is especially mysterious. But at least we know it's alive and well right now. Thanks for your support, and thanks for listening!

Artificial Intelligence is buzzy. There's a lot about it in the news and a lot we think we understand about how to use it and a lot we may not fully understand. But the promise it holds is tremendous, and today we're going to learn a little more about how it could benefit breast cancer research and patient care in the near future. Drs. Charles Perou at UNC Chapel Hill and Erika Crosby at Duke University are two very accomplished breast cancer researchers who are joining us today to share their perspectives on using AI now and in the future. Key takeaways AI is improving breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Researchers are using AI to save time on coding, writing, and data analysis. AI can help match patients to clinical trials more effectively. Human expertise is still needed to verify AI-generated results. AI has the potential to accelerate research and improve patient care. Chapters 00:00 — Introduction to AI in Breast Cancer Research 02:53 — Ethical Considerations and Responsible AI Use 04:33 — Current Clinical Applications of AI 08:12 — How Researchers Are Using AI in the Lab 11:17 — AI Limitations, Mistakes, and Critical Thinking 17:23 — The Future of AI-Assisted Cancer Research Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

Pentagon plans widespread testosterone screening for troops; New study claims arthroscopic surgery for age-related degenerative changes of knees is worthless; Widely touted “precision” proton therapy doesn't outperform conventional radiation treatment for prostate cancer; Comparing the effectiveness of gummies and liquids vs. tablet or capsule forms of supplements; Supplements to lower LDL; Lithium orotate for Alzheimer's prevention; Novel ultrasound treatment may target inflammation in osteoarthritis; Researchers explore antiviral treatments for multiple sclerosis.  

Researchers just used machine learning to read a carbonized Roman scroll that hasn't been opened in 2,000 years. In this week's progress report, Emma Varvaloucas dives into a technological breakthrough that is unlocking an ancient library buried by volcanic ash in 79 AD.  Plus: a groundbreaking medical device in Barcelona that extends the viability of human eyes for vital medical research, the rapid adoption of eco-friendly heat pumps rivaling traditional air conditioning in the US, and the AI-powered drones that are successfully protecting swimmers from shark encounters across the globe.  What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Follow Emma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyemmavarv/

Researchers discovered that compounds in Korean red ginseng may help reduce inflammatory responses triggered by extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields from household devices. In this episode, I walk through a twenty twenty-five study that examined whether natural compounds called ginsenosides could counteract the inflammatory effects of ELF-EMF exposure. The findings suggest a potential protective strategy for those concerned about daily EMF exposure from appliances, power lines, and electronics. In This Episode How extremely low-frequency EMF triggers inflammatory pathways in cells What ginsenosides are and their demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties Which specific ginseng compound showed the strongest protective effect Practical implications for managing EMF-related inflammation Featured Study Read the full study: Alleviation of Inflammatory Conditions Caused by Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure by Panax ginseng See all studies at shieldyourbody.com/research

Episode 387 Two big interstellar discoveries have hit the headlines. One is the discovery of the first atmosphere ever found on a small, rocky exoplanet that could host alien life. The planet LHS 1140b is about 50 light years from Earth and sits in the “Goldlocks” zone, meaning it's close enough to its star to be habitable. So what do we know about its atmosphere – and could it be just like Earth? The second story is of sugar molecules discovered in interstellar space for the first time – detected in a cosmic cloud nearly 27 light years away. Researchers believe this sugar could have formed before the solar system itself. Find out more with Senior Editor Chelsea Whyte and Space Reporter Leah Crane. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Image credits: Chester Harman, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons ESO/spaceengine.org, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Right has power & money to destroy our worldNick Cohen talks to academic Emma L.Briant about a neglected threat: right-wing attacks on free speech. While acknowledging that left-wing censoriousness has damaged liberal politics, he argues that conservatives who claimed to defend open debate are now adopting authoritarian methods. The central example is the Trump administration's attempt, through Marco Rubio and the State Department, to revoke or threaten visas and immigration status for foreign researchers who study misinformation, disinformation, platform harms, and technology policy. Emma L Briant explains that the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, of which she is a member, advocates for independent access to platform data so researchers can assess harms without depending on tech companies' permission.Emma argues that the real target is not “censorship” but transparency. Researchers, she says, are being punished for measuring and exposing uncomfortable facts about social-media platforms, algorithmic harms, propaganda, and failures of accountability. Tech companies and their political allies frame this research as censorship because governments may use it to inform regulation, but Emma stresses that researchers do not make policy: they analyse evidence. She connects this to a wider alliance between the political Right and powerful technology executives, especially in the United States, who oppose European-style regulation such as the Digital Services Act because it threatens their control over data, platform design, verification systems, and public scrutiny.The interview broadens into a critique of oligarchic power over media and democracy. Briant and Cohen discuss wealthy figures and tech elites using immense resources to shape politics, weaken regulation, influence media institutions, and promote far-right agendas. Emma warns that extreme wealth creates unprecedented political power and a sense of entitlement among billionaire and trillionaire elites, whose interests are increasingly aligned with authoritarian right-wing politics. Her proposed response is tougher, more targeted accountability: not merely media literacy or content moderation, but laws andenforcement aimed at the actors behind disinformation, whether states, platforms, PR firms, or political funders.Read all about it! Dr Emma L. Briant is a leading expert on misinformation and propaganda and a published author. She is Visiting Associate Professor (Research) at University of Notre Dame. She is a Fellow in the Human Rights Program at Bard College, an Associate at the Center for Financial Reporting and Accountability, University of Cambridge and a Fellow of the Media and Journalism Research Centre Previously she held faculty positions.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cambridge cancer geneticist Dr. Moritz Przybilla of the Wellcome Sanger Institute joins the podcast to unpack the hidden science of somatic evolution — how our clinically healthy tissues quietly accumulate mutations, and even cancer-driver clones, as a normal part of ageing. Using ultra-accurate single-molecule DNA sequencing, his work reads this "clonal landscape" cell by cell — from the lasting genomic scars tobacco leaves in the lung to non-invasive ways of measuring cancer risk long before a tumour appears. Along the way, he offers a blunt, evidence-based take on popular biohacking trends like fasting-mimicking diets and sulforaphane, and why the wellness industry so often misreads (or overstates) clinical-trial evidence. Finally, Dr. Przybilla lays out the lifestyle factors that genuinely move the needle — tobacco, chronic infections, alcohol, obesity and UV exposure — and makes the case for shifting from blanket fear to proactive, risk-stratified early detection.-MORE FROM MORITZ:https://www.instagram.com/dr.moritzprzy/ (Instagram)https://www.linkedin.com/in/moritz-jakob-przybilla/ (LinkedIn)https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.moritzprzy (TikTok)https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uUN6YGnMUWqY7HZZBZKTbXNPy-V8MkmB/view?usp=drive_link (German Prevention Checklisthttps://drive.google.com/file/d/15xKrhSIQHxjvhTaHOcsgDnm3wfnR_D9U/view?usp=drive_link (German Genetics Infosheet)-MY BOOK IS NOW OUT AND AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://axelschura.com/maybe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-MY WEBSITE:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://axelschura.com/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-BOOK YOUR FREE CALL WITH US NOW AND JOIN AXEL SCHURA ACADEMY (Mention "PODCAST" when signing up to get your bonuses!):⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/d/cnnv-vzs-wbg/evergreen-blueprint-axel-schura-academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-JOIN OUR NEXT FIRE WITHIN RETREAT AND MENTION "PODCAST" WHEN SIGNING UP TO GET A SPECIAL DEAL:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://calendly.com/d/cyfh-x92-gb4/axel-schura-retreat-2026⁠⁠⁠⁠-COACHING AND COMMUNITY:× 30 days FREE membership - change your life with my visualisation and meditation practices (new customers only):⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://axelschura.com/membership/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠× Free Webinar on easily scaling your Business to 10.000$ per Month:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://event.webinarjam.com/4ywv5/register/1ypn4cz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-SOCIALS:× Podcast Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/theaxelschurashow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠× My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/axelschura⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠× You can find me and my content on all social media platforms, just follow this Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/axelschura⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-SOURCES MENTIONED:1 (Life expectancy decline in the US): https://www.unc.edu/discover/u-s-life-expectancy-drop-caused-by-more-than-pandemic/2 (Burkitt leukemia vs. Burkitt lymphoma): ashpublications.org/blood/article/104/10/3009/18728/Adult-Burkitt-leukemia-and-lymphoma3 (Uv protection from car windows): https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2025/05/car-windows-wont-protect-you-uv-rays4 (Cosmic radiation on flights): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9723364/5 (Germany vs. UK weather): https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/uk/london/climate & https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/germany/berlin/climate-00:00 Intro: The main 4 lifestyle factors causing cancer01:00 Why early cancer detection changes everything03:30 What made Moritz become a cancer researcher08:10 Broccoli sprouts, sulforaphane & cancer prevention15:20 The biggest preventable causes of cancer30:40 Why most people change only after a health scare40:30 Will AI ever cure cancer?56:20 Sunscreen, UV exposure & skincare myths1:12:00 The future of cancer screening

Can simply believing a treatment will work actually help it work better? Surprisingly, yes. Researchers have found that your expectations can have a powerful effect on how your body responds to medication—even when the treatment itself hasn't changed. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/placebo-effect Most of us think of politeness as little more than saying "please" and "thank you." But good manners do much more than make social interactions pleasant. They help build trust, strengthen relationships, reduce conflict, and even influence how people judge our competence and character. So why are some people naturally more polite than others? Do the rules of politeness change depending on where you are or who you're talking to? And can you be blunt—or even rude—and still earn people's respect? Louise Mullany has spent more than 25 years studying the science of politeness. She is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham and author of Polite: The Art of Communication at Home, at Work and in Public (https://amzn.to/3xVN9Jo). You can outsource your résumé, polish your LinkedIn profile, and even use AI to help write a cover letter. But when it's time for the interview, it's all on you. Too many candidates hope they'll "just answer the questions," only to discover they weren't nearly as prepared as they thought. Sam Owens explains what hiring managers are really looking for, the mistakes that immediately hurt your chances, and how a little preparation can dramatically improve your performance—whether you're interviewing in person or over Zoom. Sam is founder of Sam's Career Talk (https://www.samscareertalk.com/) and author of I Hate Job Interviews: Stop Stressing. Start Performing. Get the Job You Want (https://amzn.to/4f7xJSX). MSG has had a bad reputation for decades. Many people avoid it because they believe it's unhealthy or causes unpleasant reactions. But where did that belief come from? And does today's science actually support it? The answer is much more surprising than most people realize. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-msg-really-harmful PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAYFAIR: Ready to upgrade your home for way less? Head to ⁠⁠https://Wayfair.com⁠⁠ right now to shop all things home and get your space ready for less.  RULA: Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: It's time to turn those "what ifs" into CHA CHING with Shopify Today! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 Sponsored Job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at ⁠https://Indeed.com/PODCAST⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers followed more than 1.39 million adults and found that advanced cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) disease was strongly associated with higher cancer risk, especially once people reached the more severe stages tied to insulin resistance, kidney dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease Cancer incidence rose from 81.2 cases per 10,000 person-years in the healthiest group to more than 250 cases per 10,000 person-years in advanced CKM stages (an increase that narrowed to roughly 25% to 30% after adjusting for age and other factors), showing how rapidly risk accelerates once multiple metabolic systems begin failing together Chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and excess dysfunctional body fat may help create a biologic environment associated with higher rates of colorectal, lung, pancreatic, liver, bladder, kidney, and hormone-related cancers Younger adults under 65 with advanced CKM disease showed a 45% higher cancer risk, challenging the idea that metabolic-driven cancer only develops late in life after decades of decline Lowering seed oil intake, improving insulin sensitivity through movement, supporting mitochondrial energy production with sunlight and tracking markers such as HOMA-IR and blood pressure may help slow metabolic deterioration before it reaches the dangerous tipping point tied to higher cancer risk

With their government's and military's support, vigilante Israeli settlers are converting key villages and swaths of land into Palestinian-free zones, to thwart any prospect that Palestinians could create their own nation there. Dror Etkes, a former Israeli soldier who got his “political education” invading Palestinian homes, describes the systematic strategy behind the campaign, its human cost to Palestinian families he knows, and the dangerous implications for the future. Check out the brave and innovative research that Dror and his colleagues are doing under the umbrella of their organization, Kerem Navot.

Civilization is starving for macro-innovation. For our species to pass Fermi's great filter in the next few centuries, we need more of the kinds of scientific breakthroughs that occurred in the 20th century. But science and academia are broken, so the duty of innovation falls on the shoulders of the individual.And my guest, Dr. Andrew Colarik--a traveling scholar, nomad, and entrepreneurial academic--has a solution in the form of his Problem-to-Publication Method (P2P Method) for accelerated mastery.02:27 Meet Dr. Andrew Colarik and his background03:41 Why are we stuck in micro-innovation mode?07:32 The solution: The Problem to Publication Method17:09 Conducting a smart drug trial and its potential26:56 Making a better cup of tea: A scientific approach30:26 No love without truth, no truth without love33:19 Success stories: Mentees' achievements in 12 weeks40:48 The 12-week mastery program details46:46 Common mistakes in pursuit of mastery49:29 The danger of dogma and ideology55:10 Custom courses and personalized mentorship57:55 The five-day program option59:41 The value of independent thinking and critique01:02:53 Feedback on the book HourglassRead

Researchers have been trying to make invisible drones and camouflaged robots for years, before that it was cars and planes. They have used everything from transparent materials to light-bending optical systems or cloaks, but haven't been able to make it happen. But now, engineers at Northwestern University have created a drone that appears to vanish in plain sight after it takes flight. The team created the Phantom Twist, a drone that uses a concept called "motion blur" -- the effect that makes fast-spinning fans and propellers look like a ghostly smudge. The drone spins up to 25 times per second, which is too fast for the human eye to see clearly. While it isn't completely invisible, it appears to seamlessly blend into the background. The work could lead to drones that monitor wildlife, survey the environment and inspect infrastructure with less visual disruption.To design the drone, the engineers first used a computational model to generate some 20,000 drone configurations capable of stable flight. Next, they used AI and optimization algorithms to rearrange the drones' major components, including a motor, propeller, circuit board, counterweight and batteries. It was the algorithms that determined the ideal placement of the drone's components to minimize its visibility from virtually every viewing angle while allowing for stable flight. Northwestern's Michael Rubenstein, who led the project, said, "The design process was fully automated ... Then, when we were confident that a drone met all our criteria, we built it."According to the visibility metric, the optimized drone is about 10 times less visually perceptible than a conventional quadcopter.The new drone still has several limitations. For example, the propeller still makes noise, and some wires and support rods are still somewhat visible. Next, the team is working on new iterations with more transparent materials or quieter propulsion to make the Phantom Twist truly disappear.#AI, #Drone, #Drones, #Robotics, #Engineering, #Innovation, #NorthwesternUniversity, #ArtificialIntelligence, #Technology, #STEM, #Automation, #Research, #FutureTech, #Aviation, #Manufacturing

Protect Your Retirement with a PHYSICAL Gold and/or Silver IRA https://www.sgtreportgold.com/ CALL( 877) 646-5347 - You Can Trust Noble Gold Guess what we just got in the mail?! A parking ticket due to FLOCK camera surveillance in our little town. BUT here's the crazy part, the ticket which arrived via the US postal service clearly states that the company which issued the parking ticket is "NOT affiliated" with any municipality or our city! So a PRIVATE corporation is profiting from our enslavement - and I will not stand for it. Researcher and activist Reinette Senum returns to SGT Report to discuss!   Call these horrible goblins NOW! They Stalled the U.S.-Israel Military Merger. But There's a Second Bill Nobody Is Talking About. Here's What You Do: https://reinettesenumsfoghornexpress.substack.com/p/this-just-in-the-senate-just-blocked https://rumble.com/embed/v7am7e6/?pub=2peuz

Put down the crossword puzzle and pick up the nasal spray. While those of…

There's not enough emphasis on quitting vapes and they should only be supplied through pharmacies or cessation programmes, according to a leading researcher in tobacco and nicotine control. Checkpoint has been looking at the issue this week after Wellington's main stop smoking service quit after refusing to supply vapes as part of the programme. Otago University Professor Janet Hoek spoke to Lisa Owen.

Flies have rhythm and choreography, could their moves make the next TikTok dance fad?Dune flies groove to their own beat in dance-circles and hoverflies use rhythmic movements in mating.Researchers found the dancing dune fly's repertoire has specific moves for impressing a female and others for rival dance battles.  Pretty fly for a dune fly.In Costa Rica the male red hoverfly rhythmically squeezes and strokes his mate during copulation.They also have a pattern of coupling and uncoupling as many as 17 times during the act!Featuring:Dr Keith Bayless, research scientist, National Research Collections Australia, CSIROProfessor William Eberhard, emeritus scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; emeritus professor, Universidad de Costa RicaFurther reading:Genital behaviour in Menidon falcatus (Diptera, Syrphidae) and the possible significance of repeated, rhythmic movementsCourtship choreography is stabilized among genetically isolated populationsProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerTegan Nicholls, Sound EngineerThis episode of What the Duck?!  was recorded on Ngunnawal Country and produced on the lands of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

President Zelensky of Ukraine has sacked his popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who'd been in the job just six months and was seen as a key figure in the expansion of drone warfare against Russia. Also: As the US launches more strikes on Iranian coastal facilities, Tehran says it's in an existential struggle with the US and its security is dependent on controlling the Strait of Hormuz. The acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche is grilled at the start of his Senate confirmation hearing. France votes to legalise assisted dying for some adults with serious or fatal illnesses. A new international survey suggests that global perceptions of China are becoming more positive, while those of the US are deteriorating. Argentina to face Spain in the football World Cup final after a 2-1 victory over England. Researchers working in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo say they've discovered a new species of monkey.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Ukraine's sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov Credit: Reuters/Tom Nicholson

Thom is joined by Christopher Armitage, Journalist. Criminal justice Researcher, former law enforcement officer, veteran, author of “The Existentialist Republic“ who reports that we are beginning to convene Grand Juries over DOGE. Also Mike Johnson claims that the Pentagon needs more money for ‘Fighting Communism." Plus Geeky Science! Why Are Your Flights Getting So Bumpy?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Armin Sabouri recently demonstrated how wallet fingerprints can be used to decompose payjoin transactions and recover payment amounts, and in this episode he explains what that means for privacy tools across the board. Shinobi and Armin discuss why standardization efforts like BIP 69 backfired, whether randomization can help, and how wallets can stop standing out on-chain. Grab your copy THE 2036 ISSUE

Most EMF research focuses on potential harm — but what if electromagnetic fields could actually heal? A new study reveals how pulsed electromagnetic field therapy reduced bone loss and promoted regeneration in mice with osteoporosis. I'm R Blank, and in this episode of the Healthier Tech Podcast, I break down a fascinating study that flips the usual EMF narrative. Researchers used targeted electromagnetic field therapy to treat osteoporotic mice — and the results suggest these fields can modulate immune responses to protect bone tissue. This raises important questions about dosage, frequency, and the difference between therapeutic application and chronic environmental exposure. In This Episode How pulsed electromagnetic fields reduced bone breakdown in osteoporotic mice The immune system mechanism behind electromagnetic field therapy Why this doesn't mean your WiFi router is strengthening your bones The critical distinction between therapeutic EMF and environmental exposure Featured Study Read the full study: Decreasing Bone Resorption by Inducing Anti-Osteoclastogenic IFN-γ and IL-10 Expression in the Spleen Through an Electromagnetic Field on LPS-Induced Osteoporosis Mice See all studies at shieldyourbody.com/research

Baboons played a surprising role in solving the mystery of the ancient Land of Punt. For years, historians didn't know exactly where Punt was located, but it was a major trading partner of Egypt, famous for its exotic goods. Some of those goods included baboons, which the Egyptians imported. Researchers studied ancient mummified baboons and compared their chemical makeup to modern baboons. They found that the baboons likely came from an area around present-day Eritrea or Ethiopia. Thanks to these furry creatures, scientists have a much better idea of where Punt was! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanguard just released research showing the most important factor in retirement is not how much you saved. It is how much you withdraw every single year and most people have no idea what that number should be.

David McKnight addresses one of the most common questions he gets: "If tax rates are going to be dramatically higher in the future, shouldn't I be putting every dollar into a Roth 401(k)?". Moreover, people often wonder whether they should be converting as much of their IRA to Roth as quickly as possible. David is a firm believer that the current tax rates are as low as we're likely to see in our lifetime. The U.S. has over $39 trillion in debt and it's going to increase by two trillion per year over the next 10 years and over $200 trillion in unfunded obligations for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Many people make the critical mistake of thinking that every retirement plan contribution should be immediately redirected into Roth accounts. However, David stresses, if you're a high-income earner contributing heavily to a Roth 401(k) today may actually be one of the most expensive tax decisions you can make. David explains why he has long argued that 24% is the sweet spot. The so-called Retirement Income Valley is the window of opportunity that opens up immediately after retirement and before social security required minimum distributions kick in. David touches upon IUL and why he doesn't suggest that it should replace your 401(k) or serve as a stock market alternative… Remember: your 401(k) should remain the primary engine driving your retirement plan.  Once you've maximized that tax deduction, an IUL can serve a very important supporting role, though. An Ernst & Young study examined what happens when retirees allocate a portion of their retirement savings to a maximum-funded index universal life policy. Researchers found that if you could divert 30% of your retirement contributions to an IUL with the goal of saving 3-5 years of living expenses by day one of retirement, it helps shield you from stock market volatility. "The IUL isn't designed to replace the investment portion of your portfolio, it's there to protect it", clarifies David. The best retirement strategy isn't the one that sounds the most compelling, it's the one that maximizes the likelihood that your money lasts as long as you do. Mentioned in this episode: David's national bestselling book: The Guru Gap: How America's Financial Gurus Are Leading You Astray, and How to Get Back on Track DavidMcKnight.com DavidMcKnightBooks.com PowerOfZero.com (free video series) @mcknightandco on Twitter  @davidcmcknight on Instagram David McKnight on YouTube Ernst & Young   

Cal Poly Humboldt researchers are using unused strands in fiber-optic cables to track earthquake vibrations across Northern California.

One of our most frequent WW guests is Dr. Megan Buning, a former D-I Athlete and Coach turned Researcher and Educator who always brings "Science" to her tips for athletes, coaches, and ADs! THIS is Wednesday Wisdom on The Educational AD Podcast!

Better treatments for Parkinson's disease depend on increasing our understanding of why Parkinson's develops and how it progresses. The Michael J. Fox Foundation's landmark study, the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI), is expanding to better answer those questions.In this episode of The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson's Podcast, Maggie Kuhl, vice president of patient engagement at MJFF, leads a conversation about these efforts with:Kenneth Marek, MD, co-founder of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders and PPMI's principal investigatorSohini Chowdhury, MJFF's chief program officerDonna Rajkovic, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2012 and joined PPMI the same yearLike our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0The Foundation's landmark study, the Parkinson's Precision Medicine Initiative, also known as PPMI, is recruiting volunteers. Join the study that's changing everything at michaeljfox.org/podcast-ppmiMentioned in this episode:Researchers are studying the link between sense of smell and brain health. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a scratch-and-sniff test. It's free, mailed to your home and takes just 15 minutes to complete. mysmelltest.org/getstarted

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Against All Odds: A Researcher's Arctic Quest Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2026-07-15-07-38-19-no Story Transcript:No: Den arktiske tundraen lå foran Sigrid som et stort, hvitt teppe.En: The Arctic tundra lay before Sigrid like a vast, white carpet.No: Øynene hennes speidet gjennom landskapet, på jakt etter forskningsdronen som hadde forsvunnet.En: Her eyes scanned the landscape, searching for the research drone that had disappeared.No: Kjell, hennes mentor, sto ved siden av henne med et skeptisk blikk.En: Kjell, her mentor, stood beside her with a skeptical look.No: "Hva om vi venter til vinden roer seg?En: "What if we wait until the wind calms down?"No: " spurte Kjell forsiktig mens han så på de mørke skyene som nærmet seg.En: Kjell asked cautiously as he looked at the dark clouds approaching.No: "Sommerstormene kan være ubarmhjertige.En: "Summer storms can be relentless."No: "Sigrid ristet på hodet.En: Sigrid shook her head.No: Hun kjente presset av tiden.En: She felt the pressure of time.No: Dronens data var uvurderlig, en nøkkel til fremtidige oppdagelser.En: The drone's data was invaluable, a key to future discoveries.No: Mer enn noen gang følte hun behovet for å bevise sin kompetanse i et felt dominert av menn.En: More than ever, she felt the need to prove her competence in a field dominated by men.No: "Jeg kan ikke vente," sa hun bestemt.En: "I can't wait," she said firmly.No: "Jeg må finne dronen før stormen tar den helt.En: "I must find the drone before the storm takes it completely."No: "Med en siste skepsis i blikket, ga Kjell fra seg et tungt sukk.En: With a final skepticism in his gaze, Kjell let out a heavy sigh.No: "Vær forsiktig, Sigrid," advarte han, selv om han skjønte at ordene hennes ikke ville endre hennes beslutning.En: "Be careful, Sigrid," he warned, even though he realized her words wouldn't change her decision.No: Sigrid begynte å gå, bevæpnet med sitt kart og kompass.En: Sigrid began to walk, armed with her map and compass.No: Himmelen ble stadig mørkere, vinden tok i styrke, men Sigrid beveget seg målrettet.En: The sky grew increasingly darker, the wind gained strength, but Sigrid moved purposefully.No: Landskapet var en vakker, men utfordrende motstander.En: The landscape was a beautiful yet challenging adversary.No: Knasende is under føttene og vindens hylende melodi fanget hennes fulle oppmerksomhet.En: Crunching ice underfoot and the wind's howling melody captured her full attention.No: Etter timer med leting, da stormen begynte å true hennes sikkerhet, oppdaget hun dronen halvt begravet i snøen.En: After hours of searching, as the storm began to threaten her safety, she discovered the drone half-buried in the snow.No: Håpet i Sigrids hjerte lyste opp som en lykt.En: The hope in Sigrid's heart lit up like a lantern.No: Hun bukket seg ned og begynte å gjenopprette den verdifulle maskinen.En: She bent down to recover the valuable machine.No: Men så, i det hun sto opp igjen, hadde stormen omsluttet henne helt.En: But then, as she stood up again, the storm had completely enveloped her.No: Siktet var borte, vinden skrapte mot huden.En: Visibility was gone, the wind scraped against her skin.No: Frykt grep henne et øyeblikk.En: Fear gripped her for a moment.No: Tanken på å aldri finne tilbake fylte henne med uro.En: The thought of never finding her way back filled her with unease.No: Men akkurat da hun begynte å tvile, hørte hun en kjent stemme i vinden.En: But just as she began to doubt, she heard a familiar voice in the wind.No: "Kjell?En: "Kjell?"No: " ropte hun, overrasket.En: she called out, surprised.No: Riktig nok, der i snøføyka, dukket Kjell opp.En: Sure enough, there in the snowstorm, Kjell appeared.No: Hans kjente skikkelse var en øy av sikkerhet i kaoset.En: His familiar figure was an island of safety in the chaos.No: Han hadde trosset sin egen skepsis og kommet etter henne.En: He had overcome his own skepticism and followed her.No: Han grep hånden hennes, fast og bestemt.En: He grasped her hand, firm and determined.No: "Sammen nå," sa han med et lite smil.En: "Together now," he said with a slight smile.No: De begynte sin tilbakevending, og selv om stormen fortsatte, føltes veien tryggere med Kjell ved hennes side.En: They began their return journey, and even though the storm continued, the path felt safer with Kjell by her side.No: Tilbake ved leiren, pustet de lettet ut mens vinden stilnet.En: Back at the camp, they breathed a sigh of relief as the wind calmed.No: Dronen, trygg og intakt, bar vitnesbyrd om Sigrids innsats.En: The drone, safe and intact, stood as a testament to Sigrid's effort.No: Men mer verdifull enn data, hadde hun funnet noe annet—tillit og respekt.En: But more valuable than the data, she had found something else—trust and respect.No: Kjell så på henne med fornyet respekt.En: Kjell looked at her with renewed respect.No: "Du er en dyktig forsker, Sigrid.En: "You are a skilled researcher, Sigrid.No: Jeg skal ikke tvile på deg igjen.En: I won't doubt you again."No: "Sigrid smilte.En: Sigrid smiled.No: Hun hadde nådd målet sitt, men på en måte hun ikke hadde forventet.En: She had reached her goal, but in a way she had not expected.No: Hun hadde lært verdien av støtte og samarbeid, en leksjon som selv naturens barskeste storm ikke kunne viske bort.En: She had learned the value of support and collaboration, a lesson that even the harshest storm of nature couldn't erase. Vocabulary Words:tundra: tundraenvast: stortskeptical: skeptiskcalms down: roer segrelentless: ubarmhjertigecompetence: kompetansefirmly: bestemtheavy sigh: tungt sukkpurposefully: målrettetadversary: motstandercrunching: knasendehowling: hylendethreaten: trueenveloped: omsluttetscraped: skrapteunease: urofamiliar: kjentchaos: kaosetdetermined: bestemtreturn journey: tilbakevendingbreath a sigh: pustet lettetintact: intakttestament: vitnesbyrdcollaboration: samarbeidharshest: barskestelandscape: landskapetovercome: trossetsafety: sikkerhetinvaluable: uvurderligbent down: bukket seg ned

There's a common scene in old western movies where a weary traveler comes into town, ties up his horse in front of the tavern, and steps to the bar. The bartender always asks, “What'll you have?” If you ask that question of teenagers looking to quench their thirst with something other than water in today's world, the number one beverage of choice is energy drinks. Researchers at Piper Sandler say that thirty nine percent of respondents choose energy drinks over coffee, which is number one for thirty one percent, and soda, which is number one for thirty percent. Yes, our kids love their caffeinated beverages. But since we are called by God to steward our kids' physical well-being, we should be aware of what one Texas cardiologist, Dr. Ravi Ashwarth, is saying. He's seeing more kids who use these drinks coming in with heart palpitations, anxiety, chest pains, and shortness of breath. He gives us this directive: “energy should not come from the can. It should come from health.”

In our increasingly urbanised world, it's important to make time for reconnecting with nature. The latest study to grab our attention in this area was conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and published in December 2022. It looked into the so-called 3-30-300 rule, which was theorised by Spanish forest researcher Cecil Konijnendijk in 2021.  It's made up of three criteria, which each give our mental health a boost: we should have three trees in view from our home, live in a neighbourhood with 30% tree canopy cover and live within 300 metres of a park. Researchers interviewed over 3,000 residents in Barcelona and found that less than 5% of them were lucky enough to live in an area which met all three of the 3-30-300 rule's criteria. Indeed, 22.4% of respondents had none of the elements. Interesting, so what did we learn from the latest study? What is it about green spaces that makes us calmer? What are the best ways to apply the 3-30-300 rule? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions ! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠⁠How can I return unwanted gifts?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Could the deep work technique help me concentrate better at work?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What can I do to relieve heartburn?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 28/12/2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the crew covers everything from beach vacations and superhero movies to fascinating new discoveries about the human brain and the future of artificial intelligence. Devon reports back from a family-filled Mississippi beach trip, Steven shares his thoughts on Supergirl, Ben highlights listener feedback and celebrates a birthday, and the science discussion dives into how anesthetized brains may be doing far more than we ever imagined. Then the conversation shifts into the strange world of AI's "latent space" and why it may become one of humanity's most important creative tools. Real Life Ben starts things off by wishing a very happy birthday to longtime listener Hank before sharing some thoughtful listener feedback from Episode 615. We always appreciate hearing what everyone thinks, so keep those comments coming! You can read the feedback here: https://sciencefactionpodcast.com/2026/07/01/episode-615-spreading-the-word-of-totally-local-ai/#comment-151 Devon returns from a family vacation in Long Beach, Mississippi. Between the huge gathering of relatives, plenty of kids running around, and an incredibly shallow beach stretching nearly a mile into the Gulf, it was the perfect destination for a laid-back family getaway. Steven finally catches Supergirl and discovers a movie that lands squarely in the middle of the review spectrum. While online opinions seemed split between "masterpiece" and "disaster," the film ended up being... fine. The crew discusses its themes surrounding human trafficking and the metaphor of women having their power stripped away, while also pointing out that the constant switching of powers eventually became distracting. Despite its flaws, everyone agrees the performances, visual effects, and sound design were excellent, with Ben giving special praise to the imaginative creature designs. Future or Now Devon brings a study that challenges what we thought we knew about consciousness. Researchers discovered that people under general anesthesia may continue processing language at a surprisingly sophisticated level. Even while completely unconscious, patients could distinguish different types of words and showed neural activity suggesting they were predicting upcoming words before hearing them. The findings raise fascinating questions about what consciousness really is and could eventually influence both anesthesia research and future brain-computer interfaces. Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260624025514.htm Ben explores Kevin Kelly's idea that latent space is becoming an entirely new creative medium. Rather than acting as giant databases that memorize information, modern AI models compress enormous amounts of human knowledge into abstract mathematical relationships. This "latent space" becomes something people can navigate—moving between concepts, artistic styles, scientific ideas, or even alternate histories. Kelly argues that this shared conceptual landscape could become a platform for scientific discovery, personalized AI systems, and entirely new ways of thinking, where generating ideas and thinking become nearly the same process. Read Kevin Kelly's article here: https://kevinkelly.substack.com/p/latent-space-as-a-new-medium Steven wraps up the discussion with a practical example of AI in everyday life, explaining how it helped troubleshoot and update his Raspberry Pi Pi-hole installation. What could have been a frustrating afternoon of terminal commands and Linux troubleshooting turned into a quick collaborative problem-solving session, highlighting how AI can be just as useful for practical technical tasks as it is for creative ones. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share the podcast with a friend. Your support helps us keep exploring the latest science, technology, and the wonderfully weird stories that make Science Faction what it is.

Nick Bostrom is a philosopher whose work focuses on artificial intelligence, existential risk, and the future of humanity. He is Principal Researcher at the Macrostrategy Research Initiative and the author of several books, the most recent of which is “Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World.”www.simonandschuster.com/books/Deep-Utopia/Nick-Bostrom/9781646871643www.nickbostrom.com Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Switch today at https://Visible.com for just 25/mo. Or Save $10 on your first month of Visible+ Pro with code ROGAN.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manuka honey eye drops reduced dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery more effectively than standard artificial tears, with patients reporting notable improvements in irritation, redness, and visual comfort within one month Researchers found that people using Manuka honey improved their dry eye symptom scores by 27.3 points on average, compared to 4.3 points in the conventional eye drop group Unlike standard lubricating drops that mainly add moisture, Manuka honey appears to calm inflammation, support tissue repair, and protect the eye's surface from microbial stress at the same time Dry eye after cataract surgery is often associated with burning, gritty sensations, blurry vision, light sensitivity, and trouble using screens, and these symptoms sometimes linger for months if the underlying inflammation isn't addressed Stable blood sugar, antioxidant-rich foods, warm compresses, reduced screen strain, and lower intake of inflammatory seed oils may all help support the tear film and reduce the risk of chronic dry eye and cataract progression

Our solar system is passing through one of the spiral arms that makes the Milky Way Galaxy look like a pinwheel. But the key words there are “passing through.” The solar system moves through the galaxy a little faster than the spiral arms do. So over hundreds of millions of years, we cross all of the galaxy’s major arms. And those crossings could be dangerous. A spiral arm is a region where a passing wave squeezes giant clouds of gas and dust, triggering the birth of new stars. Many of the stars are especially hot and bright, so they light up the spiral arms. The star-forming clouds are dense and turbulent. And a recent study suggested that could be where the “danger” comes in. Researchers looked at tiny crystals in Earth’s crust. They found that the composition of the crystals varied over periods of hundreds of millions of years. During some of those periods, Earth’s crust appeared to be especially hot. And the timing of those periods may correspond to passages through the spiral arms. As we move through the dense clouds in the arms, big balls of ice and rock far from the Sun could be nudged inward. Some of them could ram into Earth, creating conditions that could account for some of the crystals. So while the Milky Way’s spiral arms may be beautiful, they may also be deadly. Look for the glowing band of the Milky Way curving across the east as night falls, and arching high overhead later on. Script by Damond Benningfield

Need a favor? The way you ask may matter as much as what you're asking for. Researchers have found that a few simple changes in how you make a request can dramatically increase the chances someone will say yes—and most people overlook them completely. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/francis-flynn-if-you-want-something-ask-it Going to therapy has become more common—and more socially accepted—than ever before. For many people, it has been life-changing. At the same time, anxiety, depression, and loneliness continue to rise, prompting an important question: Are we asking therapy to solve problems it was never designed to solve? Should everyone have a therapist, even if nothing is seriously wrong? Where is the line between normal struggles and issues that truly require professional treatment? In this thoughtful conversation, therapist Jonathan Alpert explores who benefits most from therapy, where it can fall short, and why resilience, personal responsibility, and strong relationships still play an essential role in emotional wellbeing. Jonathan has spent more than two decades treating patients and is author of Therapy Nation: How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It's Left Us More Anxious and Divided (https://amzn.to/4xMXS2I). Birds are so common that it's easy to stop noticing them. Yet they are among the most extraordinary creatures on Earth. Every feather is a masterpiece of engineering. Their bones are optimized for flight. Some navigate across continents with astonishing accuracy, others build intricate nests without blueprints, and many possess abilities that scientists are still trying to understand. Even more remarkable, every bird alive today is a living descendant of the dinosaurs. Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT and lifelong bird enthusiast, reveals the hidden science behind feathers, flight, migration, and the incredible adaptations that make birds some of nature's greatest engineering achievements. She is author of Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders (https://amzn.to/4eOiE9C). The next time you open a bag of potato chips, pay attention to the sound it makes. That loud crinkling isn't an accident. Food manufacturers carefully engineer snack bags to produce a particular sound because what you hear can actually influence what you think about the freshness and quality of what's inside. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/food/noisy-chip-bags PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAYFAIR: Ready to upgrade your home for way less? Head to ⁠https://Wayfair.com⁠ right now to shop all things home and get your space ready for less.  RULA: Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: It's time to turn those "what ifs" into CHA CHING with Shopify Today! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 Sponsored Job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at https://Indeed.com/PODCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicole Dyer and Diana Elder explore Leo, a powerful handwritten text recognition platform designed specifically for researchers. Nicole interviews the creator, Jon Cooper, a PhD candidate at Stanford who developed the tool with a machine learning expert to address the difficulty of transcribing complex Elizabethan manuscripts. Listeners learn how Leo differs from general AI models by prioritizing faithful, accurate transcriptions of handwritten text rather than guessing words. The platform offers specialized features for genealogists, including the ability to recognize tabular data, crop and rotate document images, and refine transcriptions using multiple model inputs. Diana shares her own experience testing the tool on a two-page 1830s deed, finding it to be a user-friendly and accurate resource. The episode also highlights Leo's "Transformations" feature, which helps users move beyond basic transcription. Listeners discover how this tool summarizes content, identifies key people and places, and translates non-English sources. While the platform is advanced, the hosts discuss important limitations, such as challenges with tiny marginalia, double-page spreads, and predicting rare proper names. Ultimately, this episode demonstrates how Leo serves as a force multiplier for genealogists, helping them turn raw digital images into searchable, summarized, and interpreted research assets. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Meet Leo: The Handwritten Text Recognition Platform Built for Researchers – Family Locket -https://familylocket.com/meet-leo-the-handwritten-text-recognition-platform-built-for-researchers/ Learn more about Leo and to set up your free account, go to https://www.tryleo.ai/ Leo Demonstration with Nicole and Jon Cooper on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mR8KOH97Rf0  Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout.   Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d Research Like a Pro with AI Workbook – Second Edition (eBook) - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-ai-workbook-second-edition-ebook/ 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/

Despite wildfires becoming more frequent and intense, little is known about how wildlife responds to the threats they present. Researchers at Oregon State University are attempting to shed some light on the issue.    A recent study looked at how wildfire smoke affected the behavior of robins. Instead of simply fleeing the smoky conditions, the birds often reduced their activity and shortened their flight distances to remain in their home environments.   Jamie Cornelius is an associate professor in the department of integrative biology at OSU and principal investigator of the university’s Little Bird Lab. She joins us to talk about what scientists are learning about how different wildlife species respond to wildfire.  

Is it safe to stop statins “cold turkey”? Can the supplement ingredient HMB counteract age-related muscle loss? Researchers may have discovered the key to development of a true fat-burning weight loss medication; Can a mammogram yield clues about cardiovascular risk? Their bottom line threatened by GLP-1 weight loss drugs, BIg Food tweaks portion sizes, adds spices and flavorings to pique blunted appetites; Vitamins A & D may improve lung health for asthma sufferers; When it comes to thyroid medication prescribing, treat the numbers or treat the patient? 

You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or check out the fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, Michaeleen Doucleff and I talk about her new book Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take You're your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods. Michaeleen's position is not that screens and ultra-processed food are “bad.” Rather, Michaeleen explains how they can take the place of things that truly bring us joy and pleasure, leaving us with an empty feeling of "what's next?" and an endless cycle of wanting. We focus on how dopamine has been misunderstood and how it actually works, how magnets like screens and ultraprocessed foods keep us stuck, and small changes you can make to start shifting things in your home.Know someone who might appreciate this episode? Share it with them!And if you love the podcast, FREE ways to help us out:1- Rate and review the podcast in your podcast player app2- “Like” this post by tapping the heart icon ♥️3- Share this with a friend. THANK YOU!We talk about:* 00:00 Introduction to Dopamine Kids and why our understanding of dopamine is outdated* 02:15 Michaeleen's journey from NPR science journalist to parenting author* 05:00 Dopamine isn't pleasure—it's wanting: the neuroscience that changes everything* 07:20 Why kids say they'd rather play with friends than be on screens* 08:00 The difference between dopamine, serotonin, and real satisfaction* 13:30 How apps and ultra-processed foods hijack the brain's reward system* 16:45 Why endless scrolling never feels satisfying* 18:30 “Bottomlessness”—one of the biggest design tricks keeping us hooked* 20:30 Why we want activities for our kids with a clear purpose and a clear endpoint* 22:00 The veggie straw experiment that changed Michaeleen's thinking about food* 26:50 Magnets and cues: how screens become automatic habits* 32:00 Why removing screens isn't enough—you have to replace them* 33:30 Helping kids meet their real need for adventure and autonomy* 36:00 Small, permanent changes vs. temporary screen detoxes* 37:30 Why the car is a great place to start reducing screens* 38:00 Is reducing screens really more work?* 40:15 Why laws and regulations haven't caught up with technology* 43:00 Why this isn't a willpower problem* 46:30 Can kids ever use screens in moderation?* 49:00 Paid video games vs. free games* 51:30 This isn't about screens being “bad”* 53:00 Helping kids gradually learn to use technology well* 54:00 School Chromebooks and why parents have more influence than they realize* 58:00 Advice Michaeleen would give her younger parenting self* 1:00:00 Why kids have to experience offline joy before they'll want it* 1:01:00 Sarah's client who removed the TV—and what happened next* 1:02:30 Final thoughts and where to find MichaeleenResources mentioned in this episode:* Michaeleen's website* Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take You're your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods* How to Stop Fighting About Video Games with Scott Novis * The Peaceful Parenting MembershipConnect with Sarah Rosensweet:* Instagram* Facebook Group* YouTube* Website* Join us on Substack* Newsletter* Book a short consult or coaching session callxx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, “Weekend Reflections” and “Weekend Support” - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in the fall for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session.Sarah: Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast.Today's guest is journalist Michaeleen Doucleff. She is the author of the book Hunt, Gather, Parent and now has a new book out called Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultra-Processed Food.Michaeleen's first book is one of our favorite parenting books, and now we can add this one to the list. She walks us through how screens and ultra-processed food hook us and keep our brains stuck in a hijacked wanting cycle without giving us actual rewards and pleasure.We eventually get around to discussing this, but I want to stress right here at the beginning that Michaeleen isn't saying that screens and ultra-processed food are evil or that they have no place in our lives. Rather, they can take the place of things that truly bring us joy and pleasure, leaving us with an empty feeling of “what's next?” and an endless cycle of wanting.I learned so much from this book. I'd been wanting to make some changes in my own life with my relationship with my phone, and this book helped me understand why it was so hard and what I could do. A hint: as it turns out, we don't understand dopamine correctly at all. Our cultural shorthand about what dopamine is and what role it plays in the motivation and pleasure cycle is totally outdated.If you're interested in making some positive shifts in your child's life, in your family, and in your own life, you're going to love this interview and Michaeleen's book.If you like this episode, please share it with a friend so more parents can learn about peaceful parenting. If you're a fan of the podcast, you can help us out not only by sharing it, but by leaving a review and a five-star rating in your podcast player app. While you're there, don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode.If you'd like to support us even more, you can become a supporter on Substack to help us offset the cost of making the show. We'll put a link in the show notes.Let's meet Michaeleen. I hope you enjoy this conversation and get as much out of her insights as I did.Sarah: Hi, Michaeleen. Welcome back to the podcast.Michaeleen: Thank you so much for having me.Sarah: When we had you on a few years ago to talk about your first parenting book, Hunt, Gather, Parent—we'll link to it in the show notes—it ended up being one of our favorite podcasts out of the 200-some episodes we've done. I'm so excited to have you back to talk about your new book.Michaeleen: Thank you so much. That's so nice. It's an honor to come back.Sarah: I'm so happy to have you. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.Michaeleen: I was—or I still am—a science journalist. I've been one now for about 16 years, and I spent 13 or 14 years as a radio correspondent at NPR. I'm still there covering children's health, global health, neuroscience, and psychology.Before that, I was trained as a chemist. I have a PhD in chemistry.Five years ago, I wrote the parenting book Hunt, Gather, Parent, and I had no idea I'd ever become a parenting expert. That definitely wasn't on my life bingo card.When I had my daughter Rosie almost 11 years ago, I had no clue what I was doing. It just seemed like an impossible task. Then I started studying parenting around the world, and I realized there was an easier way to do things. That's what Hunt, Gather, Parent is about.More recently, about six years ago, I was really trying to fix my own screen problem—my own addiction to my phone. I was so obsessed with it. As I investigated neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral psychology, I started to realize, “Oh gosh, we're really getting a lot of things wrong when it comes to screens and our kids.”That led me to write this next book, Dopamine Kids, to clarify a bunch of myths but also update the advice because it's really old. A lot of the advice out there is based on psychology from 20, 30, even 40 years ago.Sarah: Or even more.Michaeleen: Exactly.Sarah: Exactly. And I'm going to ask you about that. So tell us, what's the central idea behind your new book, Dopamine Kids?Michaeleen: One of the biggest ideas is that we're thinking about screens wrong. We think they're these endless sources of pleasure. We think dopamine is this molecule that brings us pleasure and that the more we have, the happier we are.But that's really old neuroscience.What dopamine actually gives us is the feeling of desire, wanting, and craving. It makes us obsessed.So what screens are doing is cranking that system up. They're increasing motivation, craving, and wanting. But if you look at what happens over time, they actually rob us of pleasure and reduce the amount of pleasure we experience in our lives.So this idea that screens—video games and social media—are treats and rewards for kids is wrong. It's all wrong.What is actually most rewarding and pleasurable for kids are things in the real world because real-world experiences don't just give us desire and wanting. They also give us satisfaction, joy, and long-lasting pleasure.So Dopamine Kids is really a reset of what actually brings our kids pleasure in life. It also provides a toolset to retrain your kids' brains so they naturally want and reach for offline activities and foods that make them feel good—foods that really nourish them and bring satisfaction.It's about rethinking our idea of pleasure. What does pleasure actually look like?I think the media, marketing, and corporations have taught us that pleasure and wanting are basically the same thing—that we want things because they bring us pleasure.But if you actually look at the science and the data, there are so many things out there that drive our wanting while robbing us of pleasure.Social media is a really good example. Kids use it because they want a sense of belonging. They want to feel connected. But over the long run, social media does the opposite. It makes them feel lonelier, and yet they still want it.I see this book as an operating manual for shaping and changing your kids' habits into the ones you want for them as a parent, but also habits that nourish kids and bring joy, happiness, and pleasure to the whole family.We often think limiting screens is about depriving kids of pleasure.It's actually the opposite.It's about reclaiming pleasure.Sarah: I had Lenore Skenazy on the podcast. Do you know her work?Michaeleen: Yeah, we're friends.Sarah: She was on the podcast a few months ago, and she was talking about how, if you ask kids what they want—would they rather be on screens or play with their friends?—by far the number one answer is playing with their friends, not being on screens.Michaeleen: Yeah. I think it's almost double.Sarah: Exactly. And yet I don't think most parents realize that.Michaeleen: Right. I didn't realize that either. I think it's because we confuse begging, screaming, and tantruming for the screen with joy and pleasure.Sarah: Okay, so tell us about that, because what I learned from your book is that everyone thinks dopamine is, “Ah, I just got a hit of dopamine and I feel so good.”Michaeleen: Yeah.Sarah: But it's not dopamine that makes you feel good. It's serotonin and, I think, endorphins that make you feel good.You go into this in much more detail in the book, and I highly recommend it. It was excellent. I have to tell you, I was on an office hours call with my membership before I even knew you had written a new book, and one of my members said, “I'm reading this parenting book called Dopamine Kids, and it's a page-turner.”She said, “I've never had a parenting book that's a page-turner, but you've got to get your hands on this.”Then I looked it up and realized it was your book, and I was so excited to get it and read it.Can you explain the basic idea? I know it's too much detail to go into fully, but what's the difference? What does dopamine actually do, and why isn't it what we think it is?Michaeleen: For a long time—really since the 1950s—neuroscientists thought we do things over and over again because they're pleasurable.Neuroscientists have been obsessed with getting people and animals to press buttons for over a hundred years. Rats, mice, apes, pigeons—they've all been part of these experiments. It's almost like an iPad. Press, press, press, tap.For a long time, researchers could stimulate one region of the brain—the dopamine center—and the animals would go crazy pressing the button all day long. They wouldn't even stop to go to the bathroom. It makes you think of someone playing video games for hours. They're just obsessed with pressing the button.Researchers believed that because this was the dopamine center of the brain, dopamine made you press the button because it felt good and brought you pleasure. They even conducted similar experiments with people, and that very simple explanation stood for a long time.Then, about 30 years ago, a couple of scientists came along and asked, “Wait a second. Is this really true? Do we always act because something is pleasurable?”They designed better experiments, and what they found was astonishing. Dopamine doesn't do that at all.Dopamine makes us want.It makes you want something, and it makes you want to do something over and over again. It's like a “do it again” button in the brain.Do it again.Do it again.Whenever you can, do it again.The way the system is supposed to work is that first you want something, and dopamine motivates you to work for it. Then, when you get what you wanted, the pleasure center starts to light up.Those are different neurotransmitters. That's where endorphins—the body's natural opioids—and serotonin come in.Serotonin allows you to appreciate what you have. It's what lets you say, “Oh, I got what I wanted. I feel really good. Ah... I can stop now. I can take a break.”In many ways, pleasure is the opposite of dopamine because it gives you satisfaction, and satisfaction stops wanting.There are a couple of classic examples. One is sex, which is probably the R-rated version. But another is thirst.Imagine you're running on a hot day. You've run out of water, and after half an hour or an hour, you really want something to drink.That's dopamine. That's your dopamine hit—that strong feeling of desire.Wanting can actually feel good. If I fall in love and I want to be with my partner, the wanting feels good.But wanting can also become frustrating. If you want something for too long and don't get it, that feeling turns into frustration.So you're out running on this hot day thinking, “Oh my gosh, I want water so badly.”That's dopamine.That's not pleasure yet.Then you see a glass of water, or you get one and take a drink, and you think, “Ah, that feels so good.”That's the pleasure system.Sarah: That's where you get the serotonin and the endorphins.Michaeleen: Exactly. And the endocannabinoids too—the body's natural cannabinoids. A whole bunch of things kick in.The wonderful thing about this pleasure response is that it can last a long time. It lingers. It makes you feel optimistic and gives your life a kind of glow because you've gotten what you need to survive.I remember being really upset as a kid, and my mom would come over and hug me. I'd bury my face into her, and it felt so good. It was just this feeling that everything was okay again.That's what these pleasure molecules do.Dopamine is saying, “Everything is not okay. I need this before things can be okay.”They're very different.Sarah: Okay. This is the part I still feel like I'm only beginning to understand.How do the makers of apps and video games—and we've mostly been talking about screens, but you also write a lot about ultra-processed foods—how do they get us stuck in the dopamine cycle?What I took away from your book is that these things are so powerful because they keep us trapped in that cycle of wanting...Sarah: What I understood from your book is that these things are so powerful because they keep us stuck in the dopamine cycle. It's just wanting, wanting, wanting.You said something in the book about how they've figured out a way to hack a weakness in our brain circuitry. Forgive me if that's not the exact wording, but they've essentially hacked a weakness in the brain to keep us stuck in dopamine without ever giving us a real reward.How does that work?Michaeleen: First of all, both the tech industry and the food industry have admitted this for a long time. This isn't something I've come up with. They've openly admitted it. Even the food industry says, “We want to make something you can't stop eating.”Sarah: Right. You read all these interviews with industry insiders, and they're very open about it. Everybody knows they've admitted it. But how does it actually work?Michaeleen: There are a lot of tricks.Let's start with screens because a lot of these techniques actually came from the gambling industry. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, casinos started replacing mechanical slot machines and poker machines with video versions—basically gambling apps on giant touchscreens.They explicitly asked, “What can we do to this game to keep people playing for as long as possible?” Some people would play for 24 or even 48 hours straight. They ran massive A/B tests to figure out exactly how they could tweak the games to send people into this dopamine loop—this wanting loop—where people actually stopped wanting to win because winning took them out of the loop.So it's very empirical. They've simply tested what keeps people there.In the book, I describe it as a kind of recipe parents can use to recognize whether an app is doing this to their child. Psychologists even have a name for this state. It's called dark flow, where you lose track of time and where you are. We've all experienced it while scrolling social media. Twenty or thirty minutes go by and you think, “What just happened?” You're in this loop of wanting because, if you actually experienced pleasure and satisfaction, you would stop. You'd stop wanting.One of the biggest tricks is speed. The faster the cycle runs, the more it traps you. If you think about videos and video games, they've become faster and faster. Even children's iPad games are just question, answer, question, answer, question, answer over and over again. That's driving up dopamine.But where's the satisfaction? What's the reward? Basically, it's just a light on the screen.Another trick is promising something fundamental. The dopamine system evolved to help us fulfill our basic human needs—water, food, social support, adventure, creation. These are things we needed to survive, so kids are naturally highly motivated to pursue them.These apps promise they'll meet those needs. Social media, for example, promises belonging. It says, “Get on here and you'll finally feel connected. You'll finally feel like you belong.” The problem is that it never actually fulfills that promise.If you look at some of the leaked internal documents, you can see the algorithms intentionally withhold what people actually want. One neuroscientist explained it this way: they figure out what you're looking for and why you're on social media, then they give you something that's close to what you want. Maybe on the next click they give you something a little closer. Then a little closer.This does several things. First, you never actually receive the reward because you never get what you really need. Second, you develop this feeling of making progress—as though you're getting closer and closer. “Maybe one more comment. Maybe five more likes. Then I'll finally get it.”What most people don't realize is that we produce the most dopamine not when we get what we want, or even when we think we're about to get it, but when we feel like we're making progress.That's one of the biggest tricks.Video games are a perfect example. Kids always feel like they're making a little more progress. A little more. A little more. By the time they reach the next level, they're already making progress toward another one.There are all these different tricks designed to crank up wanting while dialing down satisfaction and pleasure because satisfaction is what gets you off the game. You think, “Okay, I'm done.”The same thing applies to social media. If social media actually gave me what I was looking for, I'd be finished. I'd think, “I got what I needed. I'm done.”But it never gives it to you.It can't.Sarah: I started feeling kind of gross about how much time I was spending on Instagram and Facebook—really just on my phone in general. I'd think, “Oh, I need a five-minute break,” and immediately pick up my phone.Actually, I did this before I started reading your book, but now I realize it fits perfectly with what you're talking about. I downloaded the New York Times Games app.Now, when I feel like I need a little break, I'll do Wordle or the Mini Crossword or Connections. What's nice is that it's limited. You get one crossword, one mini crossword, one Wordle, and one Connections each day.I'm almost never on Facebook or Instagram anymore because of it. It actually feels like a real reward. I finish the crossword and think, “Oh, I did the Mini in one minute and 38 seconds.”There's an ending to it. It really does feel like I accomplished something, which is very different.Michaeleen: Exactly. And you've actually stumbled onto one of the biggest tricks: bottomlessness.This is huge.TV didn't used to be bottomless.Michaeleen: TV didn't used to be bottomless. You had a handful of channels, and eventually the content ended or it got bad enough that you simply stopped watching.Now everything is endless. There's always another news story, another level in a game, another post, another video. That endlessness is what keeps us trapped in the cycle.You actually did so many things right with the New York Times Games app. You found something that takes a little more effort, but it also has a clear stopping point. You finish it, and then you're done. You created a bottom.That's exactly what I want to do with my own kids. I want to help them find activities that have a clear purpose and a clear ending. When you're done, you're done, and you turn it off.Compare that with scrolling Instagram for 30 minutes. What's the purpose? What are you actually doing? What are you looking for? There's always more content. It never ends, and it's incredibly fast.I think it's Chapter 4 of the book where I talk about figuring out how to use these technologies—if you're going to use them at all—in ways that don't manipulate you into these loops but instead feel genuinely satisfying.People often ask, “How do you know it's a real reward?” Your brain tells you. You feel better afterward than you did before. You feel done. You feel full. You think, “I'm ready to stop.”If, instead, you're thinking, “What's next? One more. One more,” then you're still stuck in the loop.For a lot of people—for a lot of kids, and certainly for me—that loop is frustrating and deeply unsatisfying. It just makes life feel gray and gloomy.Sarah: I noticed something a while ago. One of my favorite activities in the world is reading, and I realized I can't read if my phone is in the same room with me.When I was reading your book, I thought, “This is something I absolutely love doing, but it doesn't create that same dopamine loop.”Reading doesn't do that.I actually have to keep my phone in another room because reading takes more effort than scrolling Instagram.Michaeleen: Exactly. It takes more work, and that's part of why it's more satisfying.We're made to work. Human beings are actually very good at working, and that effort is part of what creates satisfaction. If something is too easy, it's much easier to get trapped in the wanting loop.Sarah: You also say in the book that, evolutionarily, our brains are designed to look for the easy way out.Back when life was hard, that made perfect sense.But now that everything comes to us so easily, it doesn't make sense anymore.Michaeleen: That's exactly right. These products are exploiting that tendency.Food is probably where you can see it most clearly.Our brains evolved to look for the foods with the most calories per bite. Why would you eat something with fewer calories per bite, especially when food was scarce? That's how we evolved.We also evolved to look for calories that our bodies could use quickly. A refined white-flour cracker gives you calories much faster than a carrot does. You'd have to eat carrots for much longer to get the same energy.Our brains are completely designed to choose the cracker.You'd never touch the carrot. It doesn't make evolutionary sense.That's especially true for kids, who are eating much more instinctively. But honestly, I'd argue that adults have the same problem. If the crackers are sitting there beside the carrots, most adults are going to have a hard time choosing the carrot.Sarah: Tell the story about the strawberries and the veggie straws.Michaeleen: This was when I really understood what was happening.Rosie was about eight years old, and we went to the pool with one of her friends. I packed raw edamame and strawberries. The girls were tired and hungry, and they were happily eating them. They were enjoying them.Then I pulled out a bag of veggie straws—which, by the way, aren't really veggies and aren't really straws. They're basically highly processed potato starch.Sarah: I think it's extruded potato starch.Michaeleen: You're right. Extruded potato starch.The starch is chemically extracted from the potato, so there's really nothing potato-like left except the starch. It's heated at a very high temperature, pushed through machinery, then sprayed with fat or basically fried and covered with salt.If you really look at the research, your body treats it almost like sugar. It practically dissolves in your mouth. There's almost no digestion required. It moves into your gut and into your bloodstream incredibly quickly.So even though the package says “veggie” and even though it says “potato,” what you're really getting are extremely fast calories, much like sugar.The moment I put those veggie straws on the table, those two girls ate the entire bag.One after another.You want to talk about dopamine?“Do it again. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again.”They didn't stop until every single veggie straw was gone.And then they completely forgot about the strawberries and the edamame.That was the moment I realized that if any ultra-processed food is available, kids simply won't choose the whole foods.Sarah: You asked Rosie afterward which she actually liked better, and she said, “Oh, the strawberries.”Michaeleen: Exactly. Even though she genuinely likes strawberries better—they taste better—her brain, and all of our brains, are designed to choose the veggie straws because they're such a dense source of fast calories.That realization led me to start doing little experiments. I'd make homemade meals with whole foods, then put one ultra-processed starch on the table—a dinner roll or some corn chips. I'd sit there and watch my husband and Rosie eat all of the ultra-processed food first. Then my husband might eat some of the whole foods, but Rosie wouldn't touch them.It wasn't her fault. It wasn't my fault. This is simply how our brains are designed. It makes perfect sense from an evolutionary perspective, and the food industry is explicitly taking advantage of that. If you look at the calorie density of ultra-processed foods, it's gone up and up over time. What really surprised me, though, is that it isn't just about sugar. Sugar clearly triggers dopamine—”Do it again. Do it again.” But highly refined potato starch, corn starch, and white flour are just as powerful, and in some studies they're actually more addictive than foods with added sugar.I recently read a study describing almost the exact recipe you mentioned: extruded starch that's fried or sprayed with a little fat and loaded with salt. That combination is incredibly addictive. The moment you see it, you want it, and then you eat it. The dopamine hit actually happens before you eat it. It's, “Oh, I see the bag. I want the bag.” That's the dopamine.Then there's almost no satisfaction or pleasure because satisfaction comes from protein and fiber—and, to a lesser extent, fat. Those are the things that make you feel, “Ah, I've had enough. I'm done.” Ultra-processed foods have stripped away almost everything that creates that feeling of satisfaction. That's what pleasure actually is.I really believe we can learn to tell the difference between wanting and genuine pleasure. Just like you did with the New York Times games, you replaced endless scrolling—which kept you wanting more—with something that actually makes you feel good every day.Sarah: Can you talk a little bit about what you call “magnets” and “cues”?I finished your book last week—it really was a page-turner—and I'm already putting some of your ideas into practice. One of the simplest suggestions was to stop carrying your phone around everywhere. I wore a watch to a baseball game the other night because I didn't want to keep taking out my phone just to check the time.Then this morning I went for a walk with my daughter and left my phone at home. When I got back, I made something to eat and did a couple of other things before I suddenly realized, “Oh—I left my phone upstairs for two hours.”Just the act of not taking it with me on the walk and leaving it in another room made it disappear from my mind. It was amazing.Michaeleen: I love that. That's beautiful.I call phones, video games, iPads, and ultra-processed foods magnets because neuroscientists actually use the term motivational magnets, and that's where I borrowed it from. They work through space, and they create what we call cues.Let's use screens instead of veggie straws. Imagine Rosie comes home every day after school and plays Toca Boca World on the iPad.Sarah: My daughter used to play those hairdressing games—and even vacuuming games. I never understood the appeal until I read your book and realized she was basically getting dopamine-mined.Michaeleen: Exactly. If you look at what keeps young children on those apps, it's the repetition. They're doing essentially the same thing over and over again, which is actually very unsatisfying.At first, what keeps Rosie playing are those little dopamine hits—”Do it again. Do it again.” But over time, something fascinating happens: the dopamine hit moves backward in time. Eventually, just seeing the iPad triggers dopamine. Simply seeing it creates desire and makes her really want it. Dopamine doesn't just make us want things—it motivates us to work to get them.So she sees the iPad, and suddenly she wants it. If it's sitting there, good luck getting her interested in anything else because her brain has already triggered that powerful feeling of, “I need this to survive.” She'll be pulled toward it like a magnet. That's where the term comes from. You don't just want it—you physically move toward it. You want to pick it up. You want to hold it. You want to touch it.Even if it's hidden away in a drawer or a closet, if she knows it's there, those magnets work through walls. She'll go looking for it.Sarah: Have you seen that study where students either had their phone on their desk, in their backpack, or in another room? Just having it in the backpack was almost as distracting as having it sitting on the desk.Michaeleen: That's exactly right, because they know it's accessible. Over time, these cues become so deeply wired into our brains that we don't even have to see the object anymore. We just have to know it's there.What's often triggering the habit isn't even the phone itself—it's an emotion. For example, when I'm writing and I get a little frustrated, that feeling becomes the cue: “Go check the news.” That used to be mine. Then it became, “Go check your email.” Now I've stopped checking the news, so mine has become, “Go check the weather.”Sarah: At least that can only last so long unless you're checking the weather around the world.Michaeleen: Exactly. It's much less sticky.But that's the point. If the phone is in the backpack, the brain knows it's available. These magnets work through walls. They work through bags. To really make those cues disappear, you have to do exactly what you did. You leave it at home. Your brain knows, “I can't get it. I'm not walking all the way back home for it,” so it lets go.As parents, we have to make these things completely disappear within a particular context. That's another really important piece of this: magnets and cues work in contexts.Every day after school is a context for Rosie's brain. Every day after school, in our house, she plays Toca Boca World. So when she walks into the living room at four o'clock, her brain already knows what time it is, even without a watch. Human brains are incredibly good at tracking those patterns.That context triggers dopamine. It triggers the desire for Toca Boca World.What we want to do instead is use that same context to trigger a desire for something that actually fills her up. Maybe after school in the living room becomes the cue for making art, riding her bike, or going outside.That's really what Dopamine Kids is about: using dopamine to get your kids excited about the real world and training their brains accordingly.Sarah: Can I back you up a little bit there? Because one thing you say in your book is that it doesn't work to simply take the screens away and say, “Let them be bored. They'll figure it out.”That's really the only other advice I've seen out there: just take the screens away and let kids be bored.But you did a lot of work to create opportunities for dopamine from other things. You didn't just tell Rosie, “No more Toca Boca World.”Can you talk about that? I think a lot of parents try the approach of saying, “Okay, we're just not doing screens anymore.” Then they end up with weeks—or maybe months—of crying and begging: “Can I just play a little?”Michaeleen: I think that approach can sometimes work with very little kids, but even then I don't think it lasts. These things are like weeds. The screens will come back unless you replace them with something else.Behavioral psychology is actually very clear on this. It's much easier to create a new habit than it is to break an old one. It's much easier to replace a behavior than simply remove it.For example, while I was writing Dopamine Kids, I decided I wanted to stop drinking as much. I had gotten into the habit of having a glass of wine every night, and I realized it just wasn't working for me anymore.I didn't simply take it away. I bought non-alcoholic beer. I replaced it with something.Kids are the same way.If you just take away the iPad—especially if they've been using it for a long time—their brain has come to believe it's something they need to survive. That's what these products have tricked the brain into believing. So when you take it away, it genuinely feels awful.But if you give them another activity that's exciting, interesting, and something they genuinely want to do, taking the screen away doesn't feel nearly as difficult. Over time, you can actually help them discover activities that make them feel even better than the iPad does.That's what creates a permanent habit instead of a temporary one.Behavioral psychology is pretty clear that kids are using these things because they're trying to meet a need.Rosie wasn't obsessed with Toca Boca World or cartoons because she wanted screens. She wanted adventure.Adventure is a fundamental human need for kids. You could also call it autonomy, but I like the word adventure because I think it's easier to understand. Kids need to explore, learn, and take little risks. They need that in order to feel good.I think a lot of kids are using screens to try to fill that need.So instead of simply taking screens away and leaving that need unmet, you have to backfill it.I said to Rosie, “Tonight we're not going to watch Netflix. We're going to take a break. Instead, we're going to do something you've been dying to do that I just haven't made time for yet. You're going to ride your bike to the market by yourself.”I would even say to her, “Instead of watching cartoon characters have adventures, you're going to have a real adventure yourself.”That's the difference.You're taking something that was trying—but ultimately failing—to meet a real human need and replacing it with something that actually does.When you do that, it's not nearly as hard.It goes back to what you mentioned earlier about kids saying they'd rather be with their friends than on screens. That same research also found that kids would rather be outside playing than watching screens. So you're giving them the opportunity to do the thing they actually want to do.That's really the process: figure out a replacement activity—or a replacement food—and then gradually begin taking the old thing away.The result is that your child isn't angry at you all the time. Your relationship is better because they have something wonderful replacing what they lost.More importantly, it creates a lasting habit because they're not simply complying with a rule. They're building a hobby, a skill, or a way of living that genuinely brings them pleasure and meets their needs.One of my biggest concerns with a lot of the screen advice that's out there is that it isn't permanent.Real change comes from making small but permanent changes.It's not, “We're doing a 30-day screen detox.”It's, “We don't use screens after dinner anymore,” or, “We don't use screens on Saturdays.”And that's just how our family does things now.That's how you train the brain.If you keep bringing the old habit back, you undo the learning and go right back to where you started.So I always encourage people to think small—but think permanent.Sarah: One suggestion you make is starting with something simple, like, “We don't do screens in the car.”Michaeleen: Yes.Sarah: I think that's such a great place to start. Your book is full of practical little ideas like that, so the whole thing doesn't feel overwhelming.We've been talking about some of the bigger concepts, but the book is incredibly practical.I'm working on a book myself right now, so I know how much work goes into something like this. I just want to say you did a really beautiful job balancing the theory with concrete things families can actually do.I really, really recommend it.Michaeleen: Thank you.The car is a great place to start because it's such a clear context for a child's brain.They get into the car and their brain thinks, “Screen time.”Instead, you can make the car mean, “Reading time,” or “Journaling time,” or even “Bored time.”It's a really useful place to begin because they're already somewhat contained, so it's easier to establish a new routine.Sarah: I love that.The one thing I want to ask about—and I hope you don't take this as criticism—is that some of what you've done takes a lot of time and energy privilege.Michaeleen: Yes. I think it's very similar to what I found with Hunt, Gather, Parent. There is some work up front, but I also think we dramatically underestimate how much work we're already doing when we rely on screens as babysitters or pacifiers.We tend to think that's the easy route, but even in the short term, I don't think it actually is.Sarah: That's a really good point because the fighting itself takes a lot of energy.Michaeleen: Exactly. That's ultimately what made me change and what made me want to write this book. I was just tired of arguing with Rosie about screens. I hated policing her.It's very similar to what I found with Hunt, Gather, Parent. Recently, one parent gave me some feedback that I actually thought was really insightful. She said, “I think you could have been clearer that having daily screen time—or unlimited screen time—is actually a lot of work.”And she's right.The parent is managing it every single day, moment by moment. There's constant fighting, negotiating, and policing.I'll tell you something else. Once we got ultra-processed foods out of our house, the amount of work I do around food dropped to about one-tenth of what it had been before. We actually spend less money because we're eating less.People don't realize that ultra-processed food makes you eat more. That's very well documented. Kids snack constantly when those foods are around. Rosie now eats two or three real meals a day when she's eating whole foods.So I'm actually doing much less work because those foods aren't in the house.I do agree there's some work at the beginning. Teaching Rosie to ride her bike to the market took time. But now she's 10, and she rides her bike everywhere. She bikes to piano lessons. She bikes all over town.That investment keeps paying dividends.Sarah: That's a really fair point.I had just been telling you before we started recording that, over the years, I've noticed more and more parents coming to coaching specifically because of challenges around screen time.The fights about screens, getting kids off screens—it has become such a common struggle.They just need to read your book and get some strategies.Michaeleen: I'm really just trying to encourage people that if they have that gut feeling—that sense of, “This just isn't working for our family”—it's okay to say no.There is a way to do it that doesn't require an enormous amount of ongoing work.Really, what you're doing is setting up the environment so the default becomes these other activities. You're designing things so you're not constantly policing or managing every moment.That's my biggest pushback against the idea that this approach is more work.It took a lot of work for me to figure all of this out and understand how it works—Sarah: And you did that for us.Michaeleen: Exactly.I also think the court system—and society more broadly—is slowly starting to catch up. The regulations around screen content are so far behind the technology.If you think about it, 20 years ago Rosie wouldn't have been able to walk into a movie like Jaws without a parent. There were very clear rules about what children could and couldn't see.Now I can hand her a device that gives her access to some of the most extreme content imaginable.One scientist told me that a child today can see, in about ten minutes, more pornography than our grandparents' generation would have encountered in an entire lifetime.Something is clearly out of balance.Either society has changed dramatically, or our regulations simply haven't kept pace.When you look at child exploitation, trafficking, and abuse online, it's obvious that regulation is behind.Sarah: Big Tech has so much money and so much influence that I think that's part of why the laws have fallen so far behind.Michaeleen: It absolutely is. But I also think there's this persistent myth that kids need these technologies and that they're doing so much good.One of my hopes for this book—and for the work many other researchers are doing—is that people will begin to understand that kids genuinely need help regulating this stuff.They cannot regulate it on their own.Right now, that entire burden falls on parents, and that's a tremendous amount of work.Sarah: We can't regulate it on our own, and we're grown-ups.Michaeleen: Exactly.When I first started researching this book, I interviewed a famous economist at Stanford—someone in his forties who will probably win a Nobel Prize someday. He spent our entire conversation telling me all the systems he had to build so he wouldn't look at the news while he was working.He had blocked it at the router. He'd blocked it on his computer. He'd blocked it in multiple other ways.I remember sitting there thinking, “If he has to do all of that, how is a thirteen-year-old supposed to do her homework?”That's one of the central messages of the book.This isn't about willpower.It's not about teaching kids to resist temptation through self-control.It's about teaching them to build environments where they aren't constantly tempted in the first place.That's exactly what you described earlier when you left your phone at home.You create spaces in your life where the temptation simply isn't there.That's the key to living a happier, healthier life—not relying on willpower, but learning to avoid unnecessary temptation and building habits that don't require you to fight yourself every day.Ironically, that's what ends up making life much easier.Sarah: That was another really interesting thing you talked about in your book—willpower.Michaeleen: One of the really interesting findings about willpower is that people with fewer bad habits don't actually have more willpower. They've simply arranged their lives so they're exposed to fewer temptations.Sarah: That's right. A great place to start might be something like what you did with food. You talked about not eating food on the go.Michaeleen: Exactly. No food on the go.Sarah: Baby steps.Michaeleen: Right. Or parents will tell me things like, “We don't have ultra-processed foods at breakfast.” Breakfast is actually an easy place to start. You have oatmeal. You have eggs. There are lots of simple whole-food options. So you make that one meal your starting point.That's really the idea. Start with something small.I think the same principle applies to parenting. Parenting actually becomes easier when the temptations simply aren't there. You're not constantly managing them.Sarah: When my kids were growing up—and thankfully they mostly missed all of this because my youngest is 19, so there wasn't Netflix and everything else that's available now—we had a simple family rule: no screens Monday through Thursday.Back then it was television, but they just knew that was how our family worked. If they asked, I'd simply say, “Remember, it's Wednesday. We'll watch TV on the weekend.”It was actually very easy.Michaeleen: Exactly. And that's the dopamine system at work.Their brains know what day of the week it is. We're remarkably good at keeping track of time and routines. They knew they were in your house, after school, and that there wasn't going to be TV.It's like a smoker on an airplane. Eventually the smoker's brain learns, “I'm on a plane. I can't smoke.” The craving relaxes because the brain understands the context.The same thing happens with family routines.In Israel, for example, many families observe a digital Sabbath where they unplug for a full 24 hours every week. Parents tell me their kids love it because they know that's the time they play board games, spend time outside, and do other things together.Their brains learn that weekly rhythm.Our brains naturally work this way, so we can use that tendency to make family life calmer and more peaceful.Honestly, one of my favorite outcomes is that when nine o'clock comes around, my daughter is calm and actually wants to go to bed. Whatever effort it took to establish those habits at the beginning has been completely worth it. It's peaceful now, and hopefully those routines will stay with her for years.Ironically, it was much harder for me to stop scrolling before bed than it was for her.Sarah: Do you think there's any place for moderation?For example, could Rosie ever pick up Toca Boca again and play it for a little while? Or is it more a case of, once it's gone, it's gone?Michaeleen: That's a really good question.I think there are a couple of ways to think about it.The first is simply asking whether a particular technology is worth it. Does Toca Boca actually give us something valuable enough that it's worth the possibility of bringing back arguments and struggles? Or is there something else that gives us the same benefit without those downsides?One of the goals of the book is to help parents start asking that question about technology in general: Is this actually worth it?The second question is whether your child can handle it.I use YouTube for work. I'll watch scientists explaining research, informational videos, or sometimes I'll listen to music. I also know all the tricks YouTube is playing on me, so I can use it pretty intentionally.But Rosie at ten years old?No way.YouTube is far too sophisticated for her to use purposefully.Maybe when she's sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. Maybe fifteen. I don't know.But I'm not going to intentionally introduce it.If it becomes necessary because of school or something else, then we'll try it and see how she handles it. If she can use it well, maybe we'll continue. If she can't, then we won't.I think a lot of this is really about figuring out what your own child can handle.We don't give children alcohol or tobacco because they can't handle them. We don't give them pornography for the same reason.These technologies have entered our lives so quickly that we're all trying to answer entirely new questions.One of the most important things parents can watch is what happens afterward.How does your child behave? What's their mood like? Is it immediately, “One more. One more. One more”?If that's what's happening, then they're probably not ready for it.Sarah: Right. It's not restorative.This reminds me of a guest I had on the podcast a year or two ago. He was a former video game developer, and the episode was called How to Stop Fighting With Your Kid About Video Games.Sarah: This reminds me of something another guest said on the podcast, and I think it fits perfectly with what you're talking about.He was a former video game developer, and he said something I've never forgotten. He said, “If you're going to let your kids play video games, don't let them play anything that's free.”He said there are lots of amazing games that you actually buy because they're designed with a real story arc, real challenges, and an ending. As I was reading your book, I kept thinking about that because those paid games are designed to give you an actual reward at the end. You complete levels, you build skills, and then you finish.He wasn't talking about buying things inside free games. He meant games that you purchase outright. I remember my husband used to play The Legend of Zelda. It was a game you started and eventually finished.Michaeleen: I love that. There's so much I love about it because the business model is completely different.With free games, the longer you stay on them, the more money the company makes through advertising and in-game purchases. Their entire goal is to keep you there for as long as possible. They're holding the child inside that loop.But with purchased games, they actually want you to finish because then they hope you'll buy another game. It's almost like movies used to be. They wanted you to enjoy the experience, reach the end, and then come back for the next one.You're exactly right—they're designed to end.I think that's really beautiful advice because it highlights how much the business model shapes the experience.Sarah: That's what he said. In the free games, the commodity is your child's attention.Michaeleen: Exactly.Whereas with a purchased game, you're paying for an experience that has a beginning and an end.We've actually done something similar with movies and television. We got rid of all of our subscriptions, and honestly, we've saved a lot of money. Now, if we want to watch a movie, we buy it.We're much more intentional. We stop and ask ourselves, “Do we really want to watch this? Is it worth it?”Then, when the movie ends, we're done.I think that simple change does so much to keep you out of the wanting cycle we talked about earlier. Paying for something slows the whole process down. It makes you think about your choice, and the design itself is completely different. It's designed to leave you feeling satisfied—to let you say, “I finished it.”Sarah: It's an experience. It's an adventure. There's a reward.Michaeleen: Exactly. I love that idea. I wish I'd put it in the book. It's really good. Honestly, I didn't even realize there were that many games designed that way.Sarah: I'll send you his contact if you ever want to talk with him.I could honestly talk to you about this all day.I'm just trying to think if there's anything else I really wanted to ask, but I do want to highlight something for anyone who's still listening.This isn't a moral argument about screens or ultra-processed foods being “bad.” You make that very clear throughout the book.It's really about bringing more joy and fun back into your life because getting trapped in this cycle of wanting without ever feeling rewarded is making all of us kind of miserable.Michaeleen: That's exactly right.The first thing I hope parents take away is that this isn't their fault.This has happened incredibly quickly, and most of us don't even understand what we're up against. These products are intentionally designed by multibillion-dollar companies to capture and hold our children's attention. That's what we're competing with, and for a long time we simply haven't had the right tools.The second thing is that this isn't about taking everything away. That's a fantasy. It's not going to work.It's about figuring out what actually brings joy to you and your family, keeping those things, and letting go of the things that don't.We've also moved beyond the old idea that kids will somehow fall behind or be left out if they don't have all these technologies. There's so much evidence now showing that giving kids a phone or social media doesn't suddenly make them feel accepted or like they belong.In fact, it often does the opposite.So we can let go of that fear.Instead, we can ask, “What actually works for our family?” Then we can build the skills to get there and help our kids gradually adopt these technologies in healthy ways because they're going to be part of their lives.Almost everyone will eventually have a phone. Most kids will eventually use some form of social media, whether that's YouTube, Instagram, or whatever comes next.The question isn't whether they'll ever use it.The question is: When are they ready?And how do we help them use it in a way that still allows them to be productive?For me, that's one of the essential parenting skills of the twenty-first century: helping kids set up their environments—their computers, their workspaces, their routines—so they aren't constantly fighting temptation.Sarah: You also talk specifically about having kids work where a parent can see them because I think that's becoming a huge challenge now that so many students are issued Chromebooks at school.Sarah: You also mention having kids work where a parent can see them, because I think that's becoming a huge challenge now that so many students are issued Chromebooks at school.Everyone I've talked to—and maybe there are exceptions out there—says you can't put parental controls on school-issued devices. Kids need YouTube to watch something for school, and suddenly you've opened the door to all kinds of temptation.Every parent I know whose child has a school-issued Chromebook struggles with it.Michaeleen: Yes, and I think this is an area that's really in flux.From what I'm learning, parents are starting to push back—not only on schools issuing Chromebooks in the first place, but also on not being allowed to set them up in ways that remove things like YouTube. I think parents actually have more power than I realized.Some schools will work with families if parents speak up. You can go to the teacher or the principal and say, “This is what I want for my child's Chromebook. I don't want them to have access to YouTube,” or, “I want these restrictions in place.”Parents have more rights than I think most of us realize.I've talked with parents who are trying to get Chromebooks out of kindergarten through Grade 2 altogether. Others are asking for more limited internet access or different settings during school hours. There's really a whole spectrum of possibilities.I honestly think this is going to be one of the defining parenting issues of the next decade—the school-issued Chromebook, the school-issued iPad.For me, it just makes those screen-free gaps in the day even more important. If your child has spent the day doing schoolwork on a device, then after dinner becomes even more valuable as a screen-free time.You need a break. I need a break. We all need a break.Creating what I call sanctuaries becomes increasingly important as more of school moves onto screens. Kids need opportunities to move their bodies, relax their brains, and experience activities that are genuinely restorative.I also think there are resources available for parents who want more control over that digital space. It does take work, but as parents we sometimes hand over more authority to schools than we actually have to. We have more rights than we often realize.In fact, a lot of this is being challenged legally. There are lawsuits against school districts because some software has been given to children in ways that violate privacy protections and collect data improperly.So I think this whole area is changing, and I'm hopeful we'll eventually reach a place where, even if students are working on computers, they'll have better protections against unnecessary distractions.That's exactly how I work. I turn on an app blocker so I can't wander around the internet while I'm working. Otherwise, I'd be distracted constantly.I have a colleague who says she can't work for more than a couple of minutes before she finds herself checking something online.Sarah: I struggle with that too.It's getting easier the more I practice, but the pull—that feeling of wanting—is incredibly strong.Michaeleen: It really is. It's become a habit, and eventually you're barely even thinking about it.I remember when I first installed an app blocker. It felt so uncomfortable. I kept thinking, “But I want to check this. I want to check that.”Then it faded.It actually faded pretty quickly.Sarah: Thank you so much—not just for being here, but for writing this book. It's really remarkable.Even though I'm past the most active stage of parenting, I keep noticing the ideas from the book working their way into my own life.I have to tell you, the last couple of nights I've made brown rice instead of white rice because of something I read in the book. I love white rice, but I know I need more fiber. Honestly, once you start eating brown rice regularly, you hardly notice the difference.You've gotten me wearing a watch, eating brown rice, and leaving my phone at home when I take the dog for a walk.Michaeleen: I love that.It lets your brain relax because you're not constantly multitasking anymore.I have my watch on too. Rosie and I actually wear the same watch. To me, it's become a little symbol of this more digitally minimalist way of thinking.I was doing exactly the same thing—checking my phone every time I wanted to know the time. Eventually I thought, “Why am I using this little computer just to tell the time?”Sarah: Exactly.Well, thank you so much.Michaeleen: Thank you.Sarah: Before I let you go, I have one question that I ask every guest. It'll be interesting because I can compare your answer to what you said the last time you were on.If you could go back in time to your younger parent self, what advice would you give yourself?Michaeleen: Which age?Sarah: Any age. Go back to brand-new-mom Michaeleen. What would you tell yourself?Michaeleen: I'll give you two answers.For the baby stage, I would tell myself, “Michaeleen, just carry her all the time. Put her in the carrier and carry her. Don't worry so much about putting her down.”She was so happy whenever I carried her, and that's how so many cultures do it. The baby is simply on someone's back or on their front while life goes on. I really wish I'd done more of that because I think it would have made both of our lives much easier.For the older years, I'd tell myself to stop worrying so much that taking away the screens was going to be hard.I built it up in my mind as this enormous thing. I thought, “It's going to be so difficult to take away Netflix at night. It's going to be so difficult to take away Toca Boca.”But it wasn't.It really wasn't.Our lives became so much easier afterward, and I wish I'd been able to see that ahead of time.Sarah: Well, how could you have known?What you were seeing was the outward expression of all that wanting—the crying, the begging, the desperation. It would be so easy to mistake that for, “I'm denying my child something that brings them enormous pleasure.”I think that's an important distinction for parents.Just because your child is crying and screaming that they want something doesn't actually mean that it's bringing them pleasure or that it's good for them.Michaeleen: Exactly.Someone said something to me that I think made it into the book. A child can desperately want to spend another hour playing a video game while actually getting very little pleasure—or no pleasure—from it.That's really where the trick is.That's the hijacking.I also think Lenore's work is right. Kids really do want the offline world.They just have to experience it first.I didn't fully appreciate this before, but you can't really want something until you've experienced the joy of it yourself. Maybe you can see someone else enjoying it, but to actually build that dopamine pathway, you have to get out there and feel it yourself.You have to think, “Oh, this is wonderful. I love this.”Then your brain starts wanting more of that.Sarah: I was thinking about one family I work with. They have five kids, they run their own business, and they're incredibly busy.Their five-year-old son was having constant meltdowns and aggression, so I suggested they start tracking what happened right before those moments.When they came back, they realized that about 90 percent of the incidents were connected to screens. He was trying to get one of his parents' phones. He was trying to grab the remote from his sisters. He wanted the TV turned on or wanted it to stay on.This was actually before I read your book, so I probably could have given them even better advice afterward.But I suggested they experiment with going screen-free for a while and see whether it changed the aggression.The next time I talked to them, the dad told me that, out of pure frustration, he'd picked up the television and put it out in the garage. He basically announced, “No more TV for the rest of the summer.”The following week, the mom started texting me pictures.“Here's the girls sleeping in a fort they built on the trampoline.”“Here's our five-year-old playing with his trucks.”Picture after picture.She said, “I think this is going to be the best summer ever without TV.”Michaeleen: I love that story.I really do.And it's easier.It's easier.All he did was move the TV into the garage.That's amazing.That's exactly the advice I'd give myself.Just do it. Trust your instincts. Do it.Sarah: Do it.Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate you coming back on the podcast.As always, it's been such a pleasure talking with you, and you've written another wonderful book to add to the parenting canon.Michaeleen: Thank you so much for having me. It was truly a pleasure to come back.Sarah: Thanks so much.We'll put links to everything we talked about in the show notes, along with your website. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahrosensweet.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 135 - Join internationally recognised trauma researcher and author Dr. Ruth Lanius as she explores trauma, healing, staying with intense emotions and why remembering differs from re-living the past.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Emma Grede is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been featured on Forbes' America's Richest Self-Made Women list. Emma joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her book Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life.Parents are being warned about the risks of posting images of their children online due to an increase in AI-generated child abuse imagery. The Internet Watch Foundation found 3,440 AI-generated videos of child sexual abuse in 2025, compared with just 13 in 2024. Nuala is joined by Emma Hardy of the Internet Watch Foundation and Dr Elaine Kasket, cyber-psychologist and the author of Reset: Rethinking your Digital World for a Happier Life.Many of us are familiar with the often painful process of sorting through the wardrobes of our loved ones who have died. Anita Rani discusses what people can do to keep memories alive with Sophie Lewis, founder of The Reincarnation Club, a service which creates new outfits out of old and Pip Housam, of Love Keep Create, a company which transforms clothing into keepsakes.New research into IVF and donor eggs suggests that older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs - with a marked drop-off from around the age of 49. Researchers believe age-related changes in the womb lining may be the cause. Nuala is joined by Dr Ippokratis Sarris, chair elect of the British Fertility Society, and writer Grace Ackroyd who had a baby at 47 using donor eggs.The Bayeux Tapestry arrived in London in the early hours of Friday morning, the first time it had left France for over 900 years. Meanwhile in Cambridgeshire, one woman has been painstakingly recreating the tapestry for the last decade. Mia Hansson joins Kylie Pentelow to explain why she took on this challenge.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Kirsty McQuire

Researchers track ransomware they say is getting GoshDarn sophisticated. Zimbra patches a critical vulnerability affecting its Classic Web Client. A sophisticated vishing campaign targeting Microsoft 365 accounts. GigaWiper combines espionage capabilities with multiple destructive payloads. The EU sues member states over lax cybersecurity. The NSA revives TAO. A Puerto Rican agency exposes roughly a million Social Security numbers. A former ransomware negotiator heads to prison for assisting BlackCat. Our guest is Maxim Zavodchik, Senior Director of AI Security Research at Akamai, with insights on the upcoming MCP specification. Bad Wifi leaves a trophy up for grabs.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest We are joined by Maxim Zavodchik, Senior Director of AI Security Research at Akamai sharing insights on new security risks that can arise from upcoming MCP specification. Selected Reading New Ransomware Exploits Malicious Driver to Remove Cybersecurity Protections (Infosecurity Magazine) Zimbra urges customers to patch critical web client XSS flaw (Bleeping Computer) Okta Warns of Vishing Attacks Targeting Microsoft 365 Customers (SecurityWeek) GigaWiper Combines Multiple Malware for System-Level Sabotage (SecurityWeek) Commission preliminarily finds the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook in breach of the Digital Services Act (European Commision) European Patience With Cybersecurity Laggards Snaps (BankInfoSecurity) NSA revives 'Tailored Access Operations' name for elite hacking unit (The Record) A Puerto Rico Government Agency Exposed 1 Million Social Security Numbers (ProPublica) Third US Security Expert Sentenced to Prison for Helping Ransomware Gang (SecurityWeek) Thief posed as Wi-Fi fixing hero, then stole priceless trophy (The Register) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lottery is one of the few games where everyone knows the odds are terrible—and millions of people play anyway. Why? It turns out there are some fascinating psychological reasons people buy lottery tickets, along with a few surprising facts about the odds and strategies that most players never consider. https://www.wired.com/video/watch/lottery-strategy When Uber launched, many people thought the idea was ridiculous. Let strangers drive you around in their personal cars? Airbnb faced similar skepticism. Why would anyone stay in a stranger's house? Yet these companies went on to reshape entire industries. The same is true of Twitter, Twitch, and many other breakthrough businesses. What separates ideas that change the world from ideas that never get off the ground? According to venture capitalist Mike Maples Jr., truly transformative companies don't succeed by being slightly better than the competition—they succeed by seeing the world differently. In this conversation, Mike explains the patterns behind history's most disruptive startups, why the best ideas often sound wrong at first, and what it takes to build something that changes the future. Mike is co-founder of Floodgate, one of Silicon Valley's premier seed-stage investment firms, host of the podcast Starting Greatness (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/starting-greatness/id1488560647), and author of Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future (https://amzn.to/3W8BXlT). Black holes may be the most mysterious objects in the universe. Their gravity is so powerful that not even light can escape. Yet despite their reputation as cosmic vacuum cleaners, black holes do much more than simply swallow things. In fact, astronomers now believe that the giant black hole at the center of our galaxy may have played a critical role in making life on Earth possible. How can something so destructive also be so important? Why does nearly every galaxy appear to have a supermassive black hole at its center? And what have scientists learned recently that is forcing them to rethink these extraordinary objects? Marcus Chown, former radio astronomer at Caltech and author of A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage (https://amzn.to/3W9cFUE), takes us on a fascinating tour of one of the strangest and most important discoveries in modern science. Most people rely on sunscreen as their primary defense against skin cancer—and for good reason. Yet skin cancer rates continue to rise. Researchers are increasingly discovering that sun protection may involve more than what you put on your skin. Emerging evidence suggests that what you put on your plate could also influence how your skin responds to the sun. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/well/eat/diet-skin-cancer-risk-melanoma.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AIR DOCTOR: Head to ⁠⁠⁠https://AirDoctorPro.com⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code SYSK to get $250 off select AirDoctor air purifiers, including the 3500, 4000, and 5500 models. Plus, you'll receive a free 3year warranty!  RULA: Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: It's time to turn those "what ifs" into CHA CHING with Shopify Today! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices