Thursday 23rd May 2024

“Everyone is absolutely terrified”: Inside a US ally’s secret war on its American critics

A foreign government is trying to silence US critics of its authoritarian turn — and it's succeeding.

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Why a ‘sleep divorce’ might be good for your relationship - History (No paywall)

Sleep divorce involves couples sleeping in separate beds or bedrooms to improve sleep quality. This practice helps avoid common sleep disturbances like snoring, insomnia, differing sleep schedules, and restlessness, which can lead to fatigue and relationship tension. Here’s what you need to know about the trend and its potential benefits for your health.

In ancient Rome, the concept of the marital bed, known as “lectus genialis,” was both practical and symbolic. Roman couples often used one bed for intimate conversations and physical intimacy, making it a private space within the home. It was not unusual for them to retire to separate beds when it was time to sleep.

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Does the perfect workout really exist? - National Geographic (No paywall)

But to some, classes like Cure’s—plus a swath of other trendy group workouts like bungee fitness, trampoline jumping, and drumstick routines—have become the subject of ridicule. On sites like YouTube and TikTok, millions have posted videos with the running joke, Middle Aged Women Doing Anything But Working Out. 

Yet, with a glut of information and limited time, choosing the best way to work out can be daunting. Research alone suggests one should forego the flying bungees. But what about exercisers disinclined to hit a weight bench or intimidated by CrossFit? Is there any such thing as a perfect workout? Here’s what the experts say.

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I was an airline pilot for 11 years. The Singapore Airlines incident shows why you should always wear your seatbelt. - Business Insider (No paywall)

An ex-EasyJet pilot discusses turbulence, the Singapore Airlines incident, and why passengers should always wear seatbelts when flying.

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Wall Street worries about revenue 'round-tripping,' after big AI deals by cloud giants including Amazon and Google - Business Insider (No paywall)

Big tech has invested heavily in AI startups. Some of those startups are spending that money on Big Tech cloud services. Is that real growth?

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Why 'quiet quit' when you can 'quiet vacation'? Millennials are taking time off without telling their bosses. Gen Z has a different tactic. - Business Insider (No paywall)

Nearly four in 10 millennials said they have taken time off without telling their boss, a poll found. Just 24% of Gen Zers and Gen Xers said the same.

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Why physicists now question the fate of the Universe

Ever since we first recognized that the Universe was expanding, one question has dominated the minds of those who study it: how will it all end? Today, we recognize that our Universe began from a much smaller, denser, hotter, and more uniform state: a state that we identify with the hot Big Bang. Over time, that Universe has expanded, cooled, and evolved, but also gravitated: clumping and clustering to form an intricate cosmic web of structure across millions and even billions of light-years. Today, when we use our powerful instruments to look out at the Universe — nearby, at intermediate distances, and to the greatest distances we can measure — we learn what the Universe is made of, and draw conclusions about what its ultimate fate would be.

In the 1960s, we found unambiguous evidence supporting the hot Big Bang. In the 1970s and 1980s, it became clear that our Universe also contained large amounts of dark matter: more dark matter than normal matter, in fact. And starting in the 1990s, we discovered that the Universe — and its expansion rate — were both dominated by dark energy, which behaved as a form of energy inherent to space itself. All of this led us to an astounding conclusion: that based on what we know about the laws of physics and the contents of our Universe, our fate would be to expand forever, with dark energy remaining at a constant energy density for eternity.

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How to make unreasonable hospitality your cutting edge advantage

Eventually, someone is going to make a better product, or build a better brand, than you have. The way to keep people from switching sides? Harboring a loyal customer base. The way to harbor a loyal customer base? Relentless hospitality. 

Famed restaurateur Guidara credits his successful career to what he calls “Unreasonable Hospitality” – also the title of his book – which he achieved by abiding by three main keys: Being present, taking the work seriously (but himself less seriously), and creating individualized customer experiences. By considering how you’re making your customer feel, you’re fostering connections and lifelong memories your patrons will never forget.

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New Fed Study Shows Inflation Hitting Parents Hardest of All

Inflation remains a leading concern among economists, consumers, and companies--many of which have suffered declining sales as rising prices led budget-minded shoppers to cut spending. New data from the Federal Reserve indicates that parents of children under the age of 18 are having a particularly hard time navigating the continuing inflationary period--a struggle that's prompting some businesses to ease family financial pains with price cuts.

The difficulty one-third of parent respondents said they've had balancing limited incomes with higher living costs is a notable finding in the Fed's annual study. While the recent version of that "Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households" survey found the "72 percent of adults doing at least okay financially was similar to the 73 percent" in the previous poll, those "living with their children under the age 18... doing at least okay financially fell 5 percentage points" to 64 percent. 


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South Korean Tech Leader Calls for Global AI Safety Cooperation

South Korea's science and information technology minister said on Wednesday the world must cooperate to ensure the successful development of AI, as a global summit on the rapidly evolving technology hosted by his country wrapped up. 

The AI summit in Seoul, which is being co-hosted with Britain, discussed concerns such as job security, copyright and inequality on Wednesday, after 16 tech companies signed a voluntary agreement to develop AI safely a day earlier. 


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