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April 10, 2025
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FREEComputer Science Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
How big can something be before it’s no longer useful? That’s the question that many in the tech industry are asking in reference to computer chips. As modern computers demand more and more processing power, standard silicon, closed-circuit chips are having to get bigger and bigger to handle the extra workload. The fear is that, at some point, chips will grow too big and bulky for modern electronics, which tend to be small, lightweight, and portable. Enter the California tech firm, Lightmatter. Their new, photonic computer chips, which were described in two papers in the scientific journal Nature, use not just electricity, but also light to process information. Because the chips utilize photons rather than electrons, they are able to process more, and at much faster speeds, than traditional chips, while remaining fairly small. Studies have shown that the chips are strong enough to power several modern AI systems, which require an immense amount of processing strength. In fact, the chips are capable of performing 65.5 trillion adaptive block floating-point 16-bit (ABFP) operations per second. If that's not enough, photonic chips also use far less energy than normal electron-based ones, consuming just 78 watts of electrical power and 1.6 watts of optical power. That’s a breakthrough in the realm of photonic processing, but only time will tell if photonic chips turn out to be the future of computing. Other technologies, like quantum computing and carbon-nanotube chips, are also being investigated as solutions to our modern processing problems. Phones and laptops might get even lighter in the future, especially if they’re running on light!
[Image description: A burst of light with white rays.] Credit & copyright: Limonc, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
How big can something be before it’s no longer useful? That’s the question that many in the tech industry are asking in reference to computer chips. As modern computers demand more and more processing power, standard silicon, closed-circuit chips are having to get bigger and bigger to handle the extra workload. The fear is that, at some point, chips will grow too big and bulky for modern electronics, which tend to be small, lightweight, and portable. Enter the California tech firm, Lightmatter. Their new, photonic computer chips, which were described in two papers in the scientific journal Nature, use not just electricity, but also light to process information. Because the chips utilize photons rather than electrons, they are able to process more, and at much faster speeds, than traditional chips, while remaining fairly small. Studies have shown that the chips are strong enough to power several modern AI systems, which require an immense amount of processing strength. In fact, the chips are capable of performing 65.5 trillion adaptive block floating-point 16-bit (ABFP) operations per second. If that's not enough, photonic chips also use far less energy than normal electron-based ones, consuming just 78 watts of electrical power and 1.6 watts of optical power. That’s a breakthrough in the realm of photonic processing, but only time will tell if photonic chips turn out to be the future of computing. Other technologies, like quantum computing and carbon-nanotube chips, are also being investigated as solutions to our modern processing problems. Phones and laptops might get even lighter in the future, especially if they’re running on light!
[Image description: A burst of light with white rays.] Credit & copyright: Limonc, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
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FREECats Daily Curio #3062Free1 CQ
They’re the fuzziest, friendliest criminals you’ll ever meet. Cats are nearly essential fixtures in New York City’s bodegas, semi-outdoor convenience stores that often include deli counters or grab-and-go food. While they’re universally appreciated by the businesses’ patrons, a recent petition to protect them has highlighted the fact that, technically, they’re illegal.
Bodegas are convenient places for busy New Yorkers to pick up household essentials or a quick lunch. Animal lovers have yet another reason to visit bodegas, as they’re frequently inhabited by at least one cat. Bodega owners in New York started keeping cats in their stores in the early 1900s. The felines kept rodents at bay, which helped prevent inventory loss. Over time, bodega cats have become more than a pest-control solution, though many still serve that purpose. These days, they’re also beloved mascots of the neighborhoods they inhabit. Some become minor celebrities with their own social media pages, while most are content to receive the adoration of regular customers. Nevertheless, their presence in the stores is against the law. Specifically, it goes against a state law banning live animals from retail food stores.
Concerned New Yorkers recently submitted a 10,000-signature petition to the city asking for their exemption, but the law is actually enforced by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The agency has the authority to issue fines regarding the cats, but so far they’ve been lenient on the matter. Those who support bodega cats say that they still serve an essential function as pest control against the city’s ubiquitous rats and cockroaches, while store owners themselves say that they help build and maintain ties to the communities they serve. So far, there has been very little public controversy on the matter, as everyone from shoppers to government workers seem to love the bodega cats. Who said New Yorkers couldn’t agree on anything?
[Image description: A close-up photo of a cat’s face with white-and-gray fur and yellow eyes.] Credit & copyright: Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.They’re the fuzziest, friendliest criminals you’ll ever meet. Cats are nearly essential fixtures in New York City’s bodegas, semi-outdoor convenience stores that often include deli counters or grab-and-go food. While they’re universally appreciated by the businesses’ patrons, a recent petition to protect them has highlighted the fact that, technically, they’re illegal.
Bodegas are convenient places for busy New Yorkers to pick up household essentials or a quick lunch. Animal lovers have yet another reason to visit bodegas, as they’re frequently inhabited by at least one cat. Bodega owners in New York started keeping cats in their stores in the early 1900s. The felines kept rodents at bay, which helped prevent inventory loss. Over time, bodega cats have become more than a pest-control solution, though many still serve that purpose. These days, they’re also beloved mascots of the neighborhoods they inhabit. Some become minor celebrities with their own social media pages, while most are content to receive the adoration of regular customers. Nevertheless, their presence in the stores is against the law. Specifically, it goes against a state law banning live animals from retail food stores.
Concerned New Yorkers recently submitted a 10,000-signature petition to the city asking for their exemption, but the law is actually enforced by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The agency has the authority to issue fines regarding the cats, but so far they’ve been lenient on the matter. Those who support bodega cats say that they still serve an essential function as pest control against the city’s ubiquitous rats and cockroaches, while store owners themselves say that they help build and maintain ties to the communities they serve. So far, there has been very little public controversy on the matter, as everyone from shoppers to government workers seem to love the bodega cats. Who said New Yorkers couldn’t agree on anything?
[Image description: A close-up photo of a cat’s face with white-and-gray fur and yellow eyes.] Credit & copyright: Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez, Wikimedia Commons. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
April 9, 2025
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8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
China — undeterred by President Donald Trump raising import taxes on the country to 104% — will raise its tariff on U.S. goods by another 84%. The European U...
China — undeterred by President Donald Trump raising import taxes on the country to 104% — will raise its tariff on U.S. goods by another 84%. The European U...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: April 9, 2025\vowch-SAYF\ verb
What It Means
Vouchsafe is a formal and old-fashioned word meaning "to give (something) to s...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: April 9, 2025\vowch-SAYF\ verb
What It Means
Vouchsafe is a formal and old-fashioned word meaning "to give (something) to s...
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FREEBiology Nerdy CurioFree1 CQ
Hold onto your iron throne, dire wolves are back! For the first time in history, an extinct species has been revived…sort of. Dire wolves were large canids that went extinct around 13,000 years ago. Now, an American biotech company called Colossal Biosciences is claiming to have brought the species back from extinction via three dire wolf cubs, fittingly named Romulus, Remes, and Khaleesi. Some experts, however, disagree on whether these pups are truly dire wolves. Others are taking the time to remind the public that, despite their appearance, dire wolves weren’t actually wolves at all.
Dire wolves are often portrayed as giants, larger than any living wolf species, but that’s not particularly accurate. Dire wolves were only slightly larger than modern gray wolves: the former grew to lengths of around six feet and weighed around 150 pounds, while the latter is just a little smaller, reaching similar lengths and weighing around 110 pounds. Dire wolves were native to the Americas, and like modern wolves they hunted in packs, preying on large animals like bison and camels, though their diets also included extinct megafauna like giant ground sloths and mastodons.
Despite their similarity to extant wolves, recent genetic discoveries revealed that dire wolves weren’t very closely related to them. In fact, dire wolves’ lineage diverged from that of modern canines like coyotes, wolves, and dogs almost 6 million years ago. They ended up looking and behaving like modern wolves through a process called convergent evolution, in which two or more species evolve similar traits in order to fill a certain ecological niche—in this case, the role of pack-hunting predator.
As for the recently “de-extincted” dire wolves, there’s no doubt that there are no other canines like them alive today. Whether that actually makes them true dire wolves is a topic of some debate among experts. The pups weren’t, after all, cloned from a full, intact genetic sample from an extinct dire wolf. Instead, damaged and fragmented dire wolf DNA was extracted from fossils and then edited into the DNA of a modern gray wolf. This has caused some biologists to contend that the pups are modified gray wolves with some dire wolf traits. Regardless, such “de-extinction” technology could one day make it possible to see all sorts of long-gone animals (or at least something close to them) again. Hopefully it's not a Jurassic Park situation.
[Image description: A photo of a gray wolf lying in the grass.] Credit & copyright: USFWS National Digital Library, Hollingsworth, John and Karen, USFWS. Public Domain.Hold onto your iron throne, dire wolves are back! For the first time in history, an extinct species has been revived…sort of. Dire wolves were large canids that went extinct around 13,000 years ago. Now, an American biotech company called Colossal Biosciences is claiming to have brought the species back from extinction via three dire wolf cubs, fittingly named Romulus, Remes, and Khaleesi. Some experts, however, disagree on whether these pups are truly dire wolves. Others are taking the time to remind the public that, despite their appearance, dire wolves weren’t actually wolves at all.
Dire wolves are often portrayed as giants, larger than any living wolf species, but that’s not particularly accurate. Dire wolves were only slightly larger than modern gray wolves: the former grew to lengths of around six feet and weighed around 150 pounds, while the latter is just a little smaller, reaching similar lengths and weighing around 110 pounds. Dire wolves were native to the Americas, and like modern wolves they hunted in packs, preying on large animals like bison and camels, though their diets also included extinct megafauna like giant ground sloths and mastodons.
Despite their similarity to extant wolves, recent genetic discoveries revealed that dire wolves weren’t very closely related to them. In fact, dire wolves’ lineage diverged from that of modern canines like coyotes, wolves, and dogs almost 6 million years ago. They ended up looking and behaving like modern wolves through a process called convergent evolution, in which two or more species evolve similar traits in order to fill a certain ecological niche—in this case, the role of pack-hunting predator.
As for the recently “de-extincted” dire wolves, there’s no doubt that there are no other canines like them alive today. Whether that actually makes them true dire wolves is a topic of some debate among experts. The pups weren’t, after all, cloned from a full, intact genetic sample from an extinct dire wolf. Instead, damaged and fragmented dire wolf DNA was extracted from fossils and then edited into the DNA of a modern gray wolf. This has caused some biologists to contend that the pups are modified gray wolves with some dire wolf traits. Regardless, such “de-extinction” technology could one day make it possible to see all sorts of long-gone animals (or at least something close to them) again. Hopefully it's not a Jurassic Park situation.
[Image description: A photo of a gray wolf lying in the grass.] Credit & copyright: USFWS National Digital Library, Hollingsworth, John and Karen, USFWS. Public Domain. -
FREEMind + Body Daily Curio #3061Free1 CQ
They say that the best way to keep your mind sharp is to keep your body healthy. That previously referred to diet and exercise, but it turns out that vaccines can be good for the mind too. A recently published study in Nature by researchers from Stanford University shows that the shingles vaccine might be the most effective dementia prevention tool ever developed. The link between the shingles vaccine and dementia has actually been explored before, but the correlation between vaccination rates and the likelihood of developing dementia was never firmly established. That’s because people who voluntarily receive the vaccine are more likely to be more health conscious. Since it’s already well established that a healthier lifestyle with better diet and exercise reduces the risk of dementia, researchers had no way to confirm that the vaccine was responsible for lowering the risk as well.
In 2013, a public health policy in Wales allowed those who were 79 on September 1 of that year to receive the shingles vaccine, while those who were 80 wouldn’t be eligible to get it at all. The policy was put in place due to limited vaccine supply, but it had the unintended consequence of creating a nearly perfect, randomized, controlled trial for the effectiveness of the vaccine against dementia. Those involved in the “study” were nearly the same in age, and there were plenty of people who didn’t receive the vaccine because they couldn’t, not because they didn’t want to. When researchers combed over the data, they found that those who received the vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia compared to those who didn’t, and they drew the same conclusions from countries like Australia and Canada where the shingles vaccine was distributed in a similar fashion. 20 percent might not seem like much, but it’s a huge difference when it comes to keeping a sound mind!
[Image description: Medical needles against a pink background.] Credit & copyright: Tara Winstead, PexelsThey say that the best way to keep your mind sharp is to keep your body healthy. That previously referred to diet and exercise, but it turns out that vaccines can be good for the mind too. A recently published study in Nature by researchers from Stanford University shows that the shingles vaccine might be the most effective dementia prevention tool ever developed. The link between the shingles vaccine and dementia has actually been explored before, but the correlation between vaccination rates and the likelihood of developing dementia was never firmly established. That’s because people who voluntarily receive the vaccine are more likely to be more health conscious. Since it’s already well established that a healthier lifestyle with better diet and exercise reduces the risk of dementia, researchers had no way to confirm that the vaccine was responsible for lowering the risk as well.
In 2013, a public health policy in Wales allowed those who were 79 on September 1 of that year to receive the shingles vaccine, while those who were 80 wouldn’t be eligible to get it at all. The policy was put in place due to limited vaccine supply, but it had the unintended consequence of creating a nearly perfect, randomized, controlled trial for the effectiveness of the vaccine against dementia. Those involved in the “study” were nearly the same in age, and there were plenty of people who didn’t receive the vaccine because they couldn’t, not because they didn’t want to. When researchers combed over the data, they found that those who received the vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia compared to those who didn’t, and they drew the same conclusions from countries like Australia and Canada where the shingles vaccine was distributed in a similar fashion. 20 percent might not seem like much, but it’s a huge difference when it comes to keeping a sound mind!
[Image description: Medical needles against a pink background.] Credit & copyright: Tara Winstead, Pexels
April 8, 2025
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
From the BBC World Service: In a push toward a full-blown global trade war, China has reacted strongly to President Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs on...
From the BBC World Service: In a push toward a full-blown global trade war, China has reacted strongly to President Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs on...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: April 8, 2025\ah-puh-RAH-chik\ noun
What It Means
Apparatchik is used disapprovingly to refer to a blindly devoted official...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: April 8, 2025\ah-puh-RAH-chik\ noun
What It Means
Apparatchik is used disapprovingly to refer to a blindly devoted official...
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Talk about a renaissance woman. American singer-songwriter Laura Nyro was famous for her ability to perform and mix together all sorts of genres, including gospel, jazz, pop, and soul. Though she passed away on this day in 1997, she left behind an extremely unique body of work, starting with her 1967 studio album, More Than A New Discovery. One of the album’s standout songs, Stoney End, features country-esque lyrics about the daughter of a poor miner coping with life’s hardships. Nyro describes the path of these hardships as the “stoney end.” The song’s sound, however, is upbeat and poppy, with jaunty tambourines and gospel-like backing vocals. After the song helped cement Nyro as a beloved but unusual fusion artist, it went on to find a new life with Barbara Streisand in 1971. At the time, Streisand was questing to move away from recording mainly stage and movie tunes. She thought highly enough of the song to name her second pop-rock album after it. No one can say that the stoney end didn’t come with a few roses.
Talk about a renaissance woman. American singer-songwriter Laura Nyro was famous for her ability to perform and mix together all sorts of genres, including gospel, jazz, pop, and soul. Though she passed away on this day in 1997, she left behind an extremely unique body of work, starting with her 1967 studio album, More Than A New Discovery. One of the album’s standout songs, Stoney End, features country-esque lyrics about the daughter of a poor miner coping with life’s hardships. Nyro describes the path of these hardships as the “stoney end.” The song’s sound, however, is upbeat and poppy, with jaunty tambourines and gospel-like backing vocals. After the song helped cement Nyro as a beloved but unusual fusion artist, it went on to find a new life with Barbara Streisand in 1971. At the time, Streisand was questing to move away from recording mainly stage and movie tunes. She thought highly enough of the song to name her second pop-rock album after it. No one can say that the stoney end didn’t come with a few roses.
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #3060Free1 CQ
The effects of war don’t always end with war. Cambodia’s decades-long civil war ended in 1998, but the country is still suffering casualties from landmines, buried long ago. Luckily, an unlikely hero has emerged from the devastation: Ronin, a giant African pouched rat trained to sniff out these deadly remnants. While we’ve written about mine-sniffing rats before, Ronin recently broke a world record, making him a rat of particular renown.
Ronin is a 5-year-old mine detection rat (MDR) working for APOPO, a Belgium-based charity helping to rid Cambodia of landmines. African pouched rats like Ronin are already record-setters as the largest rats in the world. They can weigh up to nine pounds and grow up to 35 inches long. In some places like Florida, African pouched rats are unwelcome invasive species that devastate the local ecosystem, but in Cambodia, they’re saving lives. Ronin was recently entered into the Guinness World Book of Records for sniffing out 109 mines and 15 other explosives at work, beating the previous record held by fellow rat Magawa. In a press release, APOPO stated, "His exceptional accomplishments have earned him the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat, highlighting the critical role of HeroRATS in humanitarian demining." Rats like Ronin can safely tread around in heavily mined areas without setting them off because, while they’re heavy for rats, they’re still much lighter than people. Their keen sense of smell allows them to locate any explosives, which can then be dug up and disposed of safely. Rats may have a reputation as pests, but Ronin and his coworkers are truly lionhearted rodents.
[Image description: A yellow, multilingual sign warning of landmines.] Credit & copyright: User:Mattes, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.The effects of war don’t always end with war. Cambodia’s decades-long civil war ended in 1998, but the country is still suffering casualties from landmines, buried long ago. Luckily, an unlikely hero has emerged from the devastation: Ronin, a giant African pouched rat trained to sniff out these deadly remnants. While we’ve written about mine-sniffing rats before, Ronin recently broke a world record, making him a rat of particular renown.
Ronin is a 5-year-old mine detection rat (MDR) working for APOPO, a Belgium-based charity helping to rid Cambodia of landmines. African pouched rats like Ronin are already record-setters as the largest rats in the world. They can weigh up to nine pounds and grow up to 35 inches long. In some places like Florida, African pouched rats are unwelcome invasive species that devastate the local ecosystem, but in Cambodia, they’re saving lives. Ronin was recently entered into the Guinness World Book of Records for sniffing out 109 mines and 15 other explosives at work, beating the previous record held by fellow rat Magawa. In a press release, APOPO stated, "His exceptional accomplishments have earned him the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat, highlighting the critical role of HeroRATS in humanitarian demining." Rats like Ronin can safely tread around in heavily mined areas without setting them off because, while they’re heavy for rats, they’re still much lighter than people. Their keen sense of smell allows them to locate any explosives, which can then be dug up and disposed of safely. Rats may have a reputation as pests, but Ronin and his coworkers are truly lionhearted rodents.
[Image description: A yellow, multilingual sign warning of landmines.] Credit & copyright: User:Mattes, Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work has released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
April 7, 2025
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day
: April 7, 2025\MAL-ee-uh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Something described as malleable is capable of being stretched or bent...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: April 7, 2025\MAL-ee-uh-bul\ adjective
What It Means
Something described as malleable is capable of being stretched or bent...
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FREEAesthetic Art CurioFree1 CQ
His work may not have been particularly original, but his name sure is. The Master of the Holy Blood was a Netherlandish artist from the 1520s whose real name is unknown. Though his name is lost to time, his work is not. His piece above, Saint Catherine, depicts a seated woman wearing a gold dress. She is looking to her left as she holds her arms slightly crossed in front of her, grasping a sword. As dramatic as the Master of the Holy Blood’s moniker sounds, it has less to do with the artist than with the location of his works. His paintings are featured in the Chapel of the Holy Blood in Bruges, Belgium. The subjects of the collection are all biblical figures and saints. The Master of the Holy Blood’s works have sometimes been attributed to another Netherlandish master, Quentin Metsys, and it’s possible that Metsys played some part in his training. Though his paintings are held in high regard today, the Master of the Holy Blood wasn’t particularly famous in his own lifetime. Bruges was a burgeoning cultural center at the time, and it was hard to stand out in a sea of other masters. At least he got a grandiose name for his efforts!
Title, Master of the Holy Blood (active 1510–1520), c.1520, Tempera on wood panel, 34.12 x 11.81 in. (86.6 x 30 cm.),The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Master of the Holy Blood, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.633.1. Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation.]His work may not have been particularly original, but his name sure is. The Master of the Holy Blood was a Netherlandish artist from the 1520s whose real name is unknown. Though his name is lost to time, his work is not. His piece above, Saint Catherine, depicts a seated woman wearing a gold dress. She is looking to her left as she holds her arms slightly crossed in front of her, grasping a sword. As dramatic as the Master of the Holy Blood’s moniker sounds, it has less to do with the artist than with the location of his works. His paintings are featured in the Chapel of the Holy Blood in Bruges, Belgium. The subjects of the collection are all biblical figures and saints. The Master of the Holy Blood’s works have sometimes been attributed to another Netherlandish master, Quentin Metsys, and it’s possible that Metsys played some part in his training. Though his paintings are held in high regard today, the Master of the Holy Blood wasn’t particularly famous in his own lifetime. Bruges was a burgeoning cultural center at the time, and it was hard to stand out in a sea of other masters. At least he got a grandiose name for his efforts!
Title, Master of the Holy Blood (active 1510–1520), c.1520, Tempera on wood panel, 34.12 x 11.81 in. (86.6 x 30 cm.),The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
[Image credit & copyright: Master of the Holy Blood, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.633.1. Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation.] -
FREEAstronomy Daily Curio #3059Free1 CQ
You can always come back home…but it might take a while to adjust. Earlier this month, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of NASA returned to Earth after a 9-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS). We’ve written before about the duo’s lengthened stay in space. Originally, the astronauts were meant to spend a week-long layover at the ISS after arriving via the Boeing Starliner last June. Then, technical issues compromised their ability to return safely and ended up delaying their return time and time again. After finally catching a ride back to Earth aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on March 18, Wilmore and Williams were carried away on stretchers. Unfortunately, this wasn’t just out of an abundance of caution. Prolonged stays in space can actually have serious health consequences, affecting the body in various negative ways.
According to NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), which has been studying the issue for five decades, astronauts lose around 1 to 1.5 percent of their bone density for every month they spend in space. That makes them more vulnerable to fractures, but their problems don't end there. There's also the issue of muscle loss, which can severely weaken astronauts even with regular exercise. During the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, astronauts who spent just days in microgravity had to be pulled out of their capsules upon landing because they were unable to stand on their own. If all that weren't enough, dangerous levels of radiation in space increase the risks of cancer and other diseases. The confined environments inside spacecraft aren't great for mental health either, and crewmembers getting along can become a problem even among the most well-disciplined astronauts. Solving all of these issues, while not as glamorous as the technological innovations involved in space travel, are some of the most limiting factors for extended missions (like a hypothetical manned mission to Mars). There's a long way to go before we can go such a long way.
[Image description: A starry night sky with some purple visible.] Credit & copyright: Felix Mittermeier, PexelsYou can always come back home…but it might take a while to adjust. Earlier this month, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams of NASA returned to Earth after a 9-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS). We’ve written before about the duo’s lengthened stay in space. Originally, the astronauts were meant to spend a week-long layover at the ISS after arriving via the Boeing Starliner last June. Then, technical issues compromised their ability to return safely and ended up delaying their return time and time again. After finally catching a ride back to Earth aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on March 18, Wilmore and Williams were carried away on stretchers. Unfortunately, this wasn’t just out of an abundance of caution. Prolonged stays in space can actually have serious health consequences, affecting the body in various negative ways.
According to NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), which has been studying the issue for five decades, astronauts lose around 1 to 1.5 percent of their bone density for every month they spend in space. That makes them more vulnerable to fractures, but their problems don't end there. There's also the issue of muscle loss, which can severely weaken astronauts even with regular exercise. During the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, astronauts who spent just days in microgravity had to be pulled out of their capsules upon landing because they were unable to stand on their own. If all that weren't enough, dangerous levels of radiation in space increase the risks of cancer and other diseases. The confined environments inside spacecraft aren't great for mental health either, and crewmembers getting along can become a problem even among the most well-disciplined astronauts. Solving all of these issues, while not as glamorous as the technological innovations involved in space travel, are some of the most limiting factors for extended missions (like a hypothetical manned mission to Mars). There's a long way to go before we can go such a long way.
[Image description: A starry night sky with some purple visible.] Credit & copyright: Felix Mittermeier, Pexels -
6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Rocket — the company behind Rocket Mortgage — has struck a $9.5 billion deal to buy Mr. Cooper, a company that focuses mainly on collecting mortgage payments...
Rocket — the company behind Rocket Mortgage — has struck a $9.5 billion deal to buy Mr. Cooper, a company that focuses mainly on collecting mortgage payments...
April 6, 2025
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day
: April 6, 2025\im-pruh-SAHR-ee-oh\ noun
What It Means
An impresario is a person who manages, puts on, or sponsors a performa...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
: April 6, 2025\im-pruh-SAHR-ee-oh\ noun
What It Means
An impresario is a person who manages, puts on, or sponsors a performa...
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FREEUS History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Sometimes, you’re in the right place at the wrong time. The Pony Express was a mail delivery service that defied the perils of the wilderness to connect the Eastern and Western sides of the U.S. The riders who traversed the dangerous trail earned themselves a lasting reputation, but the famed service wasn’t destined to last.
Prior to the establishment of the Pony Express on April 3, 1860, there was only one reliable way for someone on the East Coast to send letters or parcels to the West: steamships. These ships traveled by sea from the East Coast down to Panama, where their cargo was unloaded and carried to the Atlantic side of the isthmus. There, the mail was loaded onto yet another ship and taken up to San Francisco, where it could finally be split up and sent off to various addresses. The only other option was for a ship to travel around the southern tip of South America, which could be treacherous. In addition to the inherent risks of going by sea, these routes were costly and time consuming. Mail delivery by ship took months, costing the U.S. government more money than they earned in postage. Going directly on land from East to West was also prohibitively dangerous due to a lack of established trails and challenging terrain. Various officials proposed some type of overland mail delivery system using horses, but for years none came to fruition.
Although the early history and conception of the Pony Express is disputed, most historians credit William H. Russell with the concept. He was one of the owners of Russell, Majors and Waddell, a freight, mail, and passenger transportation company. Russell and his partners later founded the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company to serve as the parent company to the Pony Express. Simply put, the Pony Express was an express mail delivery service that used a system of relay stations to switch out riders and horses as needed. This wasn’t a unique concept by itself, as similar systems were already in use, but the Pony Express was set apart by its speed and the distance it covered. Operating out of St. Joseph, Missouri, the company guaranteed delivery of mail to and from San Francisco in 10 days. To accomplish this, riders carried up to 20 pounds of mail on horseback and rode California mustangs (feral horses trained to accept riders) 10 to 15 miles at a time between relay stations. Using this system, riders were able to cover over 1,900 miles in the promised 10 days. Riders traveled in any weather through all types of terrain on poorly established trails, both day and night.
Bridging the nearly 2,000-mile gap between U.S. coasts was no easy feat, and the Pony Express quickly established itself as a reliable service. However, just 18 months after operations began, the Pony Express became largely obsolete thanks to the establishment of a telegraph line connecting New York City and San Francisco. In October of 1861, the company stopped accepting new mail, and their last shipment was delivered in November. Despite its short-lived success, the Pony Express holds a near-mythical place in American popular history. Its riders were seen as adventurers who braved the elements through untamed wilderness, and they are considered daring symbols of the Old West. It might not be as reliable as the modern postal service, but it was a lot easier to romanticize.
[Image description: A stone and concrete pillar-style monument near the site of Rockwell's Station along the Pony Express route in Utah.] Credit & copyright: Beneathtimp, Wikimedia CommonsSometimes, you’re in the right place at the wrong time. The Pony Express was a mail delivery service that defied the perils of the wilderness to connect the Eastern and Western sides of the U.S. The riders who traversed the dangerous trail earned themselves a lasting reputation, but the famed service wasn’t destined to last.
Prior to the establishment of the Pony Express on April 3, 1860, there was only one reliable way for someone on the East Coast to send letters or parcels to the West: steamships. These ships traveled by sea from the East Coast down to Panama, where their cargo was unloaded and carried to the Atlantic side of the isthmus. There, the mail was loaded onto yet another ship and taken up to San Francisco, where it could finally be split up and sent off to various addresses. The only other option was for a ship to travel around the southern tip of South America, which could be treacherous. In addition to the inherent risks of going by sea, these routes were costly and time consuming. Mail delivery by ship took months, costing the U.S. government more money than they earned in postage. Going directly on land from East to West was also prohibitively dangerous due to a lack of established trails and challenging terrain. Various officials proposed some type of overland mail delivery system using horses, but for years none came to fruition.
Although the early history and conception of the Pony Express is disputed, most historians credit William H. Russell with the concept. He was one of the owners of Russell, Majors and Waddell, a freight, mail, and passenger transportation company. Russell and his partners later founded the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company to serve as the parent company to the Pony Express. Simply put, the Pony Express was an express mail delivery service that used a system of relay stations to switch out riders and horses as needed. This wasn’t a unique concept by itself, as similar systems were already in use, but the Pony Express was set apart by its speed and the distance it covered. Operating out of St. Joseph, Missouri, the company guaranteed delivery of mail to and from San Francisco in 10 days. To accomplish this, riders carried up to 20 pounds of mail on horseback and rode California mustangs (feral horses trained to accept riders) 10 to 15 miles at a time between relay stations. Using this system, riders were able to cover over 1,900 miles in the promised 10 days. Riders traveled in any weather through all types of terrain on poorly established trails, both day and night.
Bridging the nearly 2,000-mile gap between U.S. coasts was no easy feat, and the Pony Express quickly established itself as a reliable service. However, just 18 months after operations began, the Pony Express became largely obsolete thanks to the establishment of a telegraph line connecting New York City and San Francisco. In October of 1861, the company stopped accepting new mail, and their last shipment was delivered in November. Despite its short-lived success, the Pony Express holds a near-mythical place in American popular history. Its riders were seen as adventurers who braved the elements through untamed wilderness, and they are considered daring symbols of the Old West. It might not be as reliable as the modern postal service, but it was a lot easier to romanticize.
[Image description: A stone and concrete pillar-style monument near the site of Rockwell's Station along the Pony Express route in Utah.] Credit & copyright: Beneathtimp, Wikimedia Commons -
8 minFREEWork Business CurioFree5 CQ
President Donald Trump is slated to unveil a slew of tariffs today, though we don’t know exactly how high these import taxes will be. What we do know is that...
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Torpedoes away! A new baseball bat that some say resembles a torpedo or a bowling pin is getting a lot of hype after its recent debut with the New York Yankees. Over three games against the Milwaukee Brewers near the end of March, the Yankees soundly defeated their opponents with 15 home runs, and a strange new bat is receiving much of the credit. According to MLB rules, baseball bats must meet certain standards regarding their shape. Rule 3.02 states, “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.” Well, nowhere does it state it can’t be shaped a little funny. The new bat is being called a “torpedo” for its unconventional shape, which bulges at the barrel and narrows down at the end. Aaron Leanhardt, a former staffer for the Yankees, developed the new bat to add more mass where the ball meets the wood, without changing its overall weight by much. In their first game using the new bats, the Yankees hit three home runs in the first three pitches. It’s the first time this has happened since the MLB began keeping records in 1988. Swing and a miss? It’s not looking likely!
Torpedoes away! A new baseball bat that some say resembles a torpedo or a bowling pin is getting a lot of hype after its recent debut with the New York Yankees. Over three games against the Milwaukee Brewers near the end of March, the Yankees soundly defeated their opponents with 15 home runs, and a strange new bat is receiving much of the credit. According to MLB rules, baseball bats must meet certain standards regarding their shape. Rule 3.02 states, “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.” Well, nowhere does it state it can’t be shaped a little funny. The new bat is being called a “torpedo” for its unconventional shape, which bulges at the barrel and narrows down at the end. Aaron Leanhardt, a former staffer for the Yankees, developed the new bat to add more mass where the ball meets the wood, without changing its overall weight by much. In their first game using the new bats, the Yankees hit three home runs in the first three pitches. It’s the first time this has happened since the MLB began keeping records in 1988. Swing and a miss? It’s not looking likely!
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Jeep and RAM’s parent company Stellantis announced at least temporary layoffs as it shifts strategy in light of new tariffs. The Wall Street Journal says Vol...
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From the BBC World Service : Asian and European markets have fallen further as global markets continue to process the impact of President Donald Trump’s tari...
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Word of the Day
: April 4, 2025\HYOO\ verb
What It Means
Hew is commonly used with to to mean "to conform to or adhere to (something)." Hew o...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day
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What It Means
Hew is commonly used with to to mean "to conform to or adhere to (something)." Hew o...
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It’s spring, which means it’s time to rise, shine, and risi e bisi! This scrumptious starter is a traditional springtime food in Venice. Translating to “rice and peas”, risi e bisi’s cheery green color perfectly reflects the hue of the season. For a dish made with such humble ingredients, this rice dish has a surprisingly posh past.
Risi e bisi is made with young peas, medium-grain rice, butter, and broth. While chicken broth is often used in modern risi e bisi because of its wide availability, traditionally the dish was made with pea shell broth, made from pea shells and other veggies, like carrots and onions. Though it’s similar to risotto, another Italian rice dish that employs broth, risi e bisi isn’t stirred constantly the way risotto is. The peas in risi e bisi remain firm since they’re added toward the end of the cooking process, while veggies in risotto are added early so that they can soften. Risotto’s texture requires that it be eaten with a spoon, while risi e bisi is solid enough to be eaten with a fork.
Risi e bisi has always been associated with spring, since peas reach peak ripeness early in the season. Venice came to love peas in the 15th century, after conquering several other Italian city-states, including the northeastern city of Vicenza, where conditions were perfect for pea farming. The dish soon became a springtime staple in Venice, but was largely seen as a peasant dish until some time around the 16th century. That’s when the leader of the Venetian Republic, known as the Doge of Venice, was served risi e bisi during the April 25th Feast of Saint Mark, which celebrates the city’s patron saint, Mark the Evangelist.
Popular as it remains, though, risi e bisi is still difficult to find as a tourist traveling to Italy. That’s because it’s still a mostly homemade dish, considered too simple to serve in restaurants. Luckily, it's pretty easy to make, doesn't require expensive ingredients, and takes less than an hour to prepare. You can’t be too busy for risi e bisi.
[Image description: Rice with peas on a gray plate. There are two lemons to the right.] Credit & copyright: Alesia Kozik, PexelsIt’s spring, which means it’s time to rise, shine, and risi e bisi! This scrumptious starter is a traditional springtime food in Venice. Translating to “rice and peas”, risi e bisi’s cheery green color perfectly reflects the hue of the season. For a dish made with such humble ingredients, this rice dish has a surprisingly posh past.
Risi e bisi is made with young peas, medium-grain rice, butter, and broth. While chicken broth is often used in modern risi e bisi because of its wide availability, traditionally the dish was made with pea shell broth, made from pea shells and other veggies, like carrots and onions. Though it’s similar to risotto, another Italian rice dish that employs broth, risi e bisi isn’t stirred constantly the way risotto is. The peas in risi e bisi remain firm since they’re added toward the end of the cooking process, while veggies in risotto are added early so that they can soften. Risotto’s texture requires that it be eaten with a spoon, while risi e bisi is solid enough to be eaten with a fork.
Risi e bisi has always been associated with spring, since peas reach peak ripeness early in the season. Venice came to love peas in the 15th century, after conquering several other Italian city-states, including the northeastern city of Vicenza, where conditions were perfect for pea farming. The dish soon became a springtime staple in Venice, but was largely seen as a peasant dish until some time around the 16th century. That’s when the leader of the Venetian Republic, known as the Doge of Venice, was served risi e bisi during the April 25th Feast of Saint Mark, which celebrates the city’s patron saint, Mark the Evangelist.
Popular as it remains, though, risi e bisi is still difficult to find as a tourist traveling to Italy. That’s because it’s still a mostly homemade dish, considered too simple to serve in restaurants. Luckily, it's pretty easy to make, doesn't require expensive ingredients, and takes less than an hour to prepare. You can’t be too busy for risi e bisi.
[Image description: Rice with peas on a gray plate. There are two lemons to the right.] Credit & copyright: Alesia Kozik, Pexels