Sunday 12th May 2024

"Bionic eye" discovers Plato's final resting place

Greek philosopher Plato played a huge role in shaping Western thought, particularly around politics, and even though he died more than 2,300 years ago, his “Republic” is still one of the most studied books at top US colleges.

Despite Plato’s wide and lasting influence, though, there’s still a lot we don’t know about him, including his final resting place. Historians had been able to narrow it down to the garden of the school he founded in Athens, but where exactly in the expansive gardens was a mystery — until now.

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Starts With A Bang Podcast #105 - Dark Matter and Galaxies

Every January, I head to the American Astronomical Society’s big annual meeting with an ulterior motive in mind. Beyond merely uncovering new scientific findings, gathering information for potential stories, and connecting with friends and colleagues, I also look to meet emerging junior researchers who are swiftly becoming not only experts, but leaders, in their particular sub-field of astronomy.

One of the most popular research topics in astrophysics today is the connection between the dark Universe, including the only indirectly-observed dark matter and dark energy, and the observable components that astronomers routinely see: stars, galaxies, gas, plasma, and other forms of light-emitting and light-absorbing matter. The dark Universe, to date, is best revealed by looking at the luminous, electromagnetic signals that are imprinted onto the visible components of our cosmos.

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What's next in the Ozempic era?

Few drugs have achieved the stardom that semaglutide, marketed in the United States as Ozempic or Wegovy, has today. A synthetic, injectable version of an intestinal hormone, it is the flagship of a new category of drugs initially developed for diabetes that rose to fame in the medical and public arena as an effective weapon against obesity. Semaglutide has proved so successful that its manufacturer, the Danish company Novo Nordisk, is unable to keep up with demand.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved semaglutide in 2017 to improve the control of blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes — and then, in June 2021, for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight and have related risk factors, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

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7 Ways Founders Can Avoid Procrastination

"I focus on making daily progress rather than striving for perfection in one go, which keeps the momentum going and prevents tasks from stagnating," says Dalip Jaggi, co-founder and CTO of Revive, an Orange County, California-based real estate platform that helps make home renovations easier. "Even spending just 15 minutes advancing a project is more productive than merely contemplating it. This approach helps me and my team stay focused and efficient."

"I meet with my business coach once every two weeks for 30 minutes," Lamano shares. "This cadence holds me accountable, and oftentimes, I'm waiting until the last minute to get a task done before I meet with her."


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Taylor Swift Fans Figured Out a Simple Way to Get Cheap Tickets, and Now I'm Actually Kind of Considering It

My daughter is a Taylor Swift fan. And if you want to develop strong bonds with your kids, sometimes the smartest thing to do is to develop an interest in the things that they're already interested in. 

But, what if I told you that there's a strategy that tens of thousands of U.S. fans have used already -- where you might be able to get a lot more than just a Taylor Swift concert for the same amount of money, or even less.


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3 Leadership Tips to Overcome Confirmation Bias and Make Better Decisions

Almost every month, a seemingly untouchable company suffers a major blow. Last year, Silicon Valley Bank went from a startup darling to complete collapse; Disney, Target, and Anheuser-Busch faced customer backlashes that wiped billions from their value. The losses aren't just to profits, but to the planet too. When BP's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010, 5 million barrels of oil spilled into the sea, endangering 400 species and spoiling 1,000 miles of coastline.

What's striking is that the problems were lying in plain sight. SVB's own models predicted large losses if interest rates rose. A large anti-woke movement had already gathered pace in 2022. And BP engineers had run three tests to check if the oil well was secure - and all three had failed.


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With 8 Powerful Words, Caitlin Clark Just Taught a Brilliant Lesson in Getting What You Want

The video of Clark, a rookie for the Indiana Fever who is already one of the WNBA's most bankable stars, walking through an airport baggage claim like any other passenger (guarded by security but with fans approaching and tracking her), was striking.

But, this seemed like a moment when the league's newfound fanbase realized that while the top women's college basketball teams routinely fly on chartered jets, commercial flights have been the rule for three decades in the WNBA. (There have been some exceptions, like during the playoffs.) 


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3 Ways to Weed Out Difficult Clients

As a self-employed professional, I've learned the hard way that saying "yes" to every client can lead to a world of stress. Through trial and error, I've discovered three foolproof strategies to filter out the bad clients before they become a thorn in your side. Here's my guide to maintaining your sanity and your bottom line.

It sounds counterintuitive, but here's the thing: When you increase your rates, you're not just upping your income, you're also setting a standard. By valuing your services more, you attract clients who value them too. Clients who balk at higher rates are often the ones who don't understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into your work. They're also the ones more likely to haggle over every invoice and demand five-star service for a one-star payment.


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Neuroscience Says That Your Brain Dismisses Outgroup Members Within a Fraction of a Second

This innate response, deeply embedded in our neural circuitry, influences how we perceive and interact with the world around us. While this might have served evolutionary purposes by helping our ancestors quickly identify allies and threats, it also shapes how we respond to people in our modern, interconnected societies, particularly in diverse settings like the workplace.

Findings published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience reveal how our brains might react differently to feedback depending on the group affiliation of the observer. This study utilized a method where participants were randomly categorized into "ingroups" or "outgroups." They were then tasked with performing activities while being observed by members from either group. The results showed that the presence of an outgroup observer could dampen neural reactions crucial for learning from feedback, specifically affecting the feedback-related negativity response in the brain.


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How Aligned Leadership Teams Drive Growth

Growth can be fulfilling for you as a leader and is essential for expanding your impact and serving more people. Yet achieving predictable growth is often elusive, particularly when it's a group project for your leadership team.

Many organizations I work with have a familiar structure: a CEO supported by a C-suite, under which are business leaders managing different accounts or service lines. Typically, these teams gather once or twice a year to strategize. Each leader then sets their division's priorities and dives into work -- often heads-down, relatively isolated. While teams meet plenty, these discussions sound more like a brief out from a collection of individual contributors versus a real team huddle.


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