Thursday 25th April 2024

8 Secret, Invite-only Travel Elite Status Tiers That You've Never Heard Of

Airlines and hotels offer secret invitation-only elite statuses for their biggest spenders that come with some next-level perks.

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Ukraine warzone items in artist Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu's show

Artist and refugee Yuliia Holovatiuk-Ungureanu says the display is “my way of serving my country".

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Economic Growth Forecasts for G7 and BRICS Countries in 2024

Over the last decade, U.S. debt interest payments have more than doubled amid vast government spending during the pandemic crisis. As debt payments continue to soar, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that debt servicing costs surpassed defense spending for the first time ever this year.

As the national debt has ballooned, debt payments even exceeded Medicaid outlays in 2023—one of the government’s largest expenditures. On average, the U.S. spent more than $2 billion per day on interest costs last year. Going further, the U.S. government is projected to spend a historic $12.4 trillion on interest payments over the next decade, averaging about $37,100 per American.

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Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now

At 20, the defending U.S. Open champion is moving into a new phase of her career

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How to get the right balance of omega-3s and omega-6s in your diet - New Scientist (No paywall)

The balance of omega fatty acids in the food we eat affects our health. But what does the evidence say about claims you should be seeking to reduce omega-6 intake as well as boosting omega-3s?

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Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active - Environment (No paywall)

Although it is too early for any models to offer an official prediction—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) won’t be issuing a forecast until May 23—experts who spoke with National Geographic warned that warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and the development of a La Niña in the Pacific may create a “perfect storm” of the conditions needed for major hurricanes.

Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane forecaster with AccuWeather, explains that wind shear occurs when wind changes direction and speed at different heights in the atmosphere. That affects tropical cyclones, he says, because such storms “like their cloud structures to go straight up into the atmosphere. But when there's a lot of wind shear, when there are changing winds with direction and height, they essentially knock over those clouds so they cannot grow straight up. And so that kind of prevents typically tropical systems from really intensifying.”

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Padma Lakshmi Walks Into a Bar - The New Yorker (No paywall)

Since leaving “Top Chef,” Lakshmi has found herself in a period of professional uncertainty. What better time to try standup comedy?

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Why new proposals to restrict geoengineering are misguided - MIT Technology Review (No paywall)

We need more research, including outdoor experiments, to make better-informed decisions about such climate interventions.

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Inside the CIA’s Clandestine Mission to Turn Psychics Into Government Spies

During the height of the Cold War, the CIA ran tests on people with paranormal abilities in an effort to unlock top-secret intel on foreign targets.

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The Art of Being Alone

Loneliness has more to do with our perceptions than how much company we have. It’s just as possible to be painfully lonely surrounded by people as it is to be content with little social contact. Some people need extended periods of time alone to recharge, others would rather give themselves electric shocks than spend a few minutes with their thoughts. Here’s how we can change our perceptions by making and experiencing art.

At a moment in time when many people are facing unprecedented amounts of time alone, it’s a good idea for us to pause and consider what it takes to turn difficult loneliness into enriching solitude. We are social creatures, and a sustained lack of satisfying relationships carries heavy costs for our mental and physical health. But when we are forced to spend more time alone than we might wish, there are ways we can compensate and find a fruitful sense of connection and fulfillment. One way to achieve this is by using our loneliness as a springboard for creativity.

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