In Pursuit of the Perfect Shot of Espresso

Understanding Espresso: A Six-Part Series Explaining What It Takes to Pull the Ideal Shot includes videos on "how to choose the right dose of coffee, ratio between the amount of ground and liquid coffee, brew time, grind size, brew temperature, and pressure."

The Wisdom of Dumb Questions

"Can you explain this to me like I barely know anything about this subject?" Asking "dumb" questions is an effective way to bring out the knowledge of experts: Stop Trying to Ask 'Smart Questions'

Exercise May Counteract the Negative Effects of Too Little Sleep

"a new study suggests that exercise could potentially help counteract the health consequences of not getting a proper amount of sleep." Exercise May Help Counteract the Toll of Poor Sleep, Study Suggests(gift article)

The Science of Habits

Are you trying to develop a good habit or break a bad one? Here are some science-backed tips to help: The science of habits. See also Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.

Bad Actors of Health Insurance

Here's an article from ProPublica on how commercial health insurers automatically deny claims and how Cigna developed an incentive system that encourages the behavior. How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them

The Strange Benefits of Gallows Humor

"The most surprising result is that subjects which show the highest values with respect to black humor preference … show the lowest values regarding mood disturbance and aggression." Gallows humor: The surprising benefits of dark laughter

Cockroaches Diminishing Sweet-Tooth

Here is an interesting article about the cat-and-mouse game of cockroaches and human endeavors to eliminate them: Cockroaches have outsmarted us again

Aging and Microgravity

Microgravitational environments have all sorts of effects on the body. These scientists are trying to unravel the impact of space travel on aging: New Study Suggests One Aspect of Space Travel Can Accelerate Aging

Science-Backed Approaches to Depression

The incidence of depression increased during the pandemic. Here are some science-backed tips for combatting the blues: These Science-Backed Strategies Can Help "Hard to Treat" Depression

Measuring Fitness Minimizing Attention to Weight

Here are some factors to focus on instead of the scale: How Fit Are You? 3 Ways to Measure Without Focusing on Weight - The New York Times

Multiple Sclerosis: What the Science says about Complementary Approaches

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health published a great resource : Multiple Sclerosis and Complementary Health Approaches: What the Science Says

Friendship Recession

Americans without friends have increased by 250% in recent years. Lacking friends is as bad as smoking more than a dozen cigarettes daily. BigThink tackles the phenomenon: The friendship recession - Big Think

A Doctor's Experience with Ozempic

I read an interesting article by a physician who hopped on the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist train--the weight loss drug taking the world by storm: What's It Like to Take Ozempic? A Doctor's Own Story

American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8

The AMA published a study looking at eight lifestyle factors and their association with life expectancy and chronic disease: Life's Essential 8: Higher Scores Extend Health Span

Ultra-processed Food and Cancer Risk

"A new analysis suggests that replacing even a small amount of ultra-processed foods with an equal amount of minimally processed options may reduce certain cancer risks." Ultraprocessed Foods and Cancer: Small Changes May Lower Risk

The Power of Walking

The NY Times had an ode to walking: Opinion | Whatever the Problem, It's Probably Solved by Walking (gift article)

How to Tell If Your Brain Needs a Break

We all suffer from brain slumps that impact our ability to do quality work. This is what to do when you're in one: How a Brain Break Can Increase Focus and Productivity

Synesthesia

What do Billy Joel, Billie Eilish, and Vincent van Gogh have in common?-They all experience(d) music in colors. Big Think explores the phenomenon of synesthesia: Billie Eilish, van Gogh, and the trippy science of synesthesia

For Love of the Bean

This author loves their coffee (in reality, caffeine). "A low dose of caffeine can lead to a significant increase in … happiness and calmness and decreases in tenseness." Coffee really does make you happier

What's Your Subjective Age?

There is frequently a difference between our chronological age and our subjective age. This author examines the phenomenon: I'm 53 years old. I'm 36 in my head. - The Atlantic

The Science and Pseudoscience of Aging

Scientists are working diligently to unravel the aging process. I mentioned some of this work in 027 - Wise-Selfishness, Horvath's Clock and GrimAge - HealthHippieMD Week In Review. Here is an excellent video overview of the quest to extend our lives, including an interview with Steve Horvath: The Future with Hannah Fry And another interesting, more scientific overview of the field: Turning back time with epigenetic clocks - Nature

+More on the brave new world of chronological-age testing start-ups: How Old Are You, Really? New Tests Want to Tell You

+More on longevity research: Can We Change How Fast Humans Age? A New Study Is Getting Closer to the Answer

Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Scientists at Stanford have been working on why there is an association between poor oral health and more severe rheumatoid arthritis: Oral bacteria trigger rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups

The Last of Us

I'm enjoying the HBO series, The Last of Us. The premise that a fungus infects humans and does everything in its power to spread is borrowed from the animal world. The article, Can a Fungus Really Take Over Our Brains?, is an overview of known pathogens that alter HUMAN behavior. If you want to binge another great sci-fi/horror show, try Fortitude, supposedly one of the most scientifically accurate sci-fi shows ever made.

How to Deal with Dark Personalities at Work

Dark personalities: narcissists, psychopaths, and Machiavellians are common in society. Here is some advice on how to navigate your interactions with them at work: Here's what to do when you encounter people with 'dark personality traits' at work

A Reading List on the Neuroscience of Reading

According to the intro, humans were not designed to read. Here is a series of long-form articles on one of life's greatest pleasures: A Reading List About the Neuroscience of Reading

Digital Declutter

"Just as clutter in your home can cause stress, erode productivity, and hurt your sense of well-being, digital clutter, she said, can bring up similar feelings." Here is an interesting and helpful article from the NY Times on how to clean and organize your digital life: How to Clear Out Digital Clutter - The New York Times (gift article)

The Hottest Peppers in the World

Curious about where your favorite pepper ranks? Here you go... Hottest Pepper in the World and 6 Other Spicy Chilis

Artificial Sweetener Associated with Cardiovascular Events

This week's study in Nature Medicine, The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk,, demonstrates an association between the use of erythritol and cardiovascular events such as stroke or heart attack. More research is needed. Zero-Calorie Sweetener Possibly Linked to Heart Issues, New Study Suggests (gift article)

The Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis (pre-clinical)

These scientists are investigating how the microbiome might be manipulated as a therapeutic intervention in Multiple Sclerosis: Bile acids and gut microbes could potentially treat multiple sclerosis, according to new research in mice

Cannabinoids and Cancer

As North Carolina ponders approval of medical marijuana, these scientists are investigating how cannabinoids might be used as therapeutic agents to combat cancer: Can Cannabis Help Treat Cancer? Researchers Are Getting Closer To An Answer

GLP-1 Agonists in Economist

The Economist had a brief but informative overview of the new anti-obesity drugs. A new class of drugs for weight loss could end obesity (subscription required)

The Problem of Fraud in the Scientific Literature

The problem of fraudulent papers in medicine is much more prevalent than I believed. The Economist explains There is a worrying amount of fraud in medical research (subscription required)

Wired Guide to Quantum Computing

Wired continues its excellent series on the hottest technology topics: What Is Quantum Computing? The Complete WIRED Guide

Generative AI does Anime

Unlike the author of this article, I was fascinated by the techniques used with generative AI to make an anime from the video: Corridor Crew's AI-Generated Anime Isn't Just Callous and Craven — It's Also Dangerous Make sure to watch the linked videos in the story.

Words, Not Truths

"On the other hand, if I can talk to a bot that will give me plausible responses to things I say, it would be useful in situations where factual accuracy isn't all that important." A computer scientist chimes in on how he believes generative AI, such as ChatGPT, should be used: ChatGPT is great – you're just using it wrong

Why Some Food Tastes Better the Next Day

Here is some of the science behind why certain leftovers taste better the next day: Why certain foods taste better the next day