As US East Coast ramps up offshore wind power projects, much remains unknown
As the U.S. races to build offshore wind power projects that will transform coastlines from Maine to South Carolina, much remains unknown about how the facilities could affect the environment
2023-09-12 00:52
Naomie Harris has final say on red carpet looks
'Skyfall' actress Naomie Harris blocks out all the voices telling her what to wear on the red carpet.
2023-09-12 00:52
War-traumatized Ukrainian bear to be adopted by Scottish zoo
An Asiatic black bear, which endured severe trauma in a zoo in Russian-occupied Ukraine, is set to be adopted by a zoo in Scotland.
2023-09-12 00:51
Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 Review
The Verizon-exclusive Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 ($899.99) is built to survive extreme environments such as
2023-09-12 00:50
Burton to leave creative direction of Kering label Alexander McQueen
PARIS Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton will leave the Kering-owned fashion label after two decades, the latest
2023-09-12 00:46
UK government may ban American XL bully dogs after a child was attacked
Britain’s home secretary says she is seeking “urgent advice” on banning a type of American Bully dog, highlighting an attack on a 11-year-old girl over the weekend
2023-09-12 00:15
Want Pizza...from Your Toaster?
This 1999 commercial takes pizza too far.
2023-09-12 00:15
Lil Nas X Finds Himself (Again) In Long Live Montero
The ability to be open, honest, and unapologetically himself — loudly, proudly and in public — is Lil Nas X’s superpower. It’s the reason he’s hailed as one of the most important pop stars of his generation, and it’s in moments of openness when his documentary film Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero shines. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Saturday night, and it explores how Nas X’s extraordinary singularity isn’t just because he came out as gay at the height of his rise to fame, but that he continuously shares what coming out has meant for him — the challenges, joys, fears, and all, and the impact it’s had on his fans.
2023-09-11 23:54
Scientists reveal everyday pleasures that elevate brain performance
Have you got a favourite track? Well, it’s time to turn it up and enjoy the beat with a warm cup of coffee. Everyday pleasures like listening to music or sipping a cup of coffee can elevate brain activity, improving cognitive performance including in tasks demanding concentration and memory, according to a recent study. A group of researchers looked at a new NYU Tandon School of Engineering study involving MindWatch a brain-monitoring technology. MindWatch is an algorithm that analyses a person’s brain activity from data which is collected from a wearable device which can monitor electrodermal activity (EDA). EDA is a measure of electrical changes in the skin triggered by emotional stress, often associated with sweat responses. In the study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, participants were made to wear these skin-monitoring wristbands as well as brain-monitoring headbands to complete a range of cognitive tests. The tests were conducted while the participants listened to music, drank their coffee and smelled perfumes reflecting their individual preferences. These tests were completed again without any of those stimulants. Researchers found that both music and coffee significantly influenced participants’ brain arousal, and put them in a “state of mind” that could “modulate their performance in the working memory tasks they were performing,” the NYU press release says. The wearable device found that the stimulates specifically triggered increased “beta band” brain wave activity which is linked to peak cognitive performance. Perfumes also had a slight positive effect, suggesting to researchers that there is a need for further investigation. “The pandemic has impacted the mental well-being of many people across the globe and now more than ever, there is a need to seamlessly monitor the negative impact of everyday stressors on one’s cognitive function,” says Rose Faghih, an associate professor of biomedical engineering who developed MindWatch in six years. “Right now MindWatch is still under development, but our eventual goal is that it will contribute to technology that could allow any person to monitor his or her own brain cognitive arousal in real-time, detecting moments of acute stress or cognitive disengagement, for example. “At those times, MindWatch could ‘nudge’ a person towards simple and safe interventions — perhaps listening to music — so they could get themselves into a brain state in which they feel better and perform job or school tasks more successfully, professor Faghih added. The specific tests used in this study involved a working memory task, called the n-back test which involves presenting a sequence of stimuli to the participants, in this case, images or sounds. It was shown one by one, and people were asked to indicate whether the current stimulus matched the one presented "n" items back in the sequence. This study employed a 1-back test — the participant responded "yes" when the current stimulus is the same as the one presented one item back — and a more challenging 3-back test, asking the same for three items back. Three types of music were also tested out, there was energetic and relaxing music familiar to the participants, as well as novel AI-generated music that reflected the subject’s tastes. Results showed that familiar, energetic music led to the best performance, followed by AI-generated music tailored to the participant’s taste. Coffee and perfume had lesser but still noticeable positive impacts. The MindWatch team wish to conduct further experiments to confirm the tool’s reliability and understand the broader effectiveness of various interventions on brain activity. Researchers have noted that while specific interventions might generally boost brain performance, individual results may vary. The study is published in the journal Nature. Read More ‘The Puss in Boots Effect:’ Women use infant-directed speech when addressing dogs with larger eyes Study reveals one thing to focus on if you want to live to 100 Extreme heat may speed up cognitive decline for people from poorer neighbourhoods Quick, moist and flavourful: Jurgen Krauss’s marble cake Mother whose hot flushes led to leukaemia diagnosis says ‘don’t ignore’ symptoms What happens at a sexual health check-up?
2023-09-11 23:49
INTEROVIC Unveils Exclusive Lamb&Goat From Europe in Saudi Arabia
MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 11, 2023--
2023-09-11 23:48
Watch: Michael Jordan Appears in a 1992 McDonald’s Employee Training Video
His Airness once lectured McDonald’s employees on good customer service: “They expect to be treated as a guest in your home.”
2023-09-11 23:18
Get a taste of the world of Catan with a cookbook inspired by the hit board game
You can work up quite an appetite sitting around a table plotting world domination
2023-09-11 22:59