Author: 5hspx
Growing up in Nara, Japan, surrounded by tea plantations, matcha has always been a part of my life, and the rich aroma and deep bitter-sweet umami flavor of this vibrant green tea is something I feel very nostalgic about. In high school, I started taking formal tea ceremony lessons, which became the highlight of my week. Our tea ceremony teacher always gifted me and my classmates with delicious seasonal Japanese sweets and flowers, and invited us to observe and help with tea ceremonies at famous temples in Kyoto. I still regularly practice chado, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony of preparing…
As announced earlier this month, Holland America Line's summer 2026 European deployment will include four ships.The program will feature two of the company's newest and largest ships, the Rotterdam and the Nieuw Statendam, which will sail to Northern Europe.Cruise Industry News highlights some key figures and aspects of the program, which also includes Mediterranean and Canary Island itineraries.Four ships – Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam – visit destinations in Northern Europe and the Atlantic (including the Canary Islands), Oosterdam offers summer programs in the Mediterranean, and Zuiderdam makes its “Legendary Voyages” from Boston to Northern Europe and the Arctic and back.6…
(© Prostock-studio – stock.adobe.com) TUCSON, Ariz. — Applying low-intensity ultrasound technology to areas of the brain involved in daydreaming can increase a person's mindfulness, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Mindfulness calms the sympathetic nervous system and helps you get in tune with your emotions and thoughts, helping you to focus more on the present moment and control wandering and negative thoughts. According to researchers at the University of Arizona, just five minutes of ultrasound stimulation can produce meaningful changes in a person's brain networks. This new non-invasive technology also opens new avenues for…
After a tense morning in which the Israel Defense Forces thwarted a widespread missile attack planned by Hezbollah on the anniversary of al-Bainiyat al-Hussein, a key Shiite anniversary, Iran's proxy organization vowed in an official statement to end operations for the day, claiming that all rockets and drones that were scheduled to take part in the attack had in fact been launched.Some Hezbollah enthusiasts praised the attack, sharing images of destroyed homes and small fires that followed. In contrast, others took a conspiratorial tone, claiming that it was a “tacit coordinated response between the two factions.””The first reaction against…
Rome Colosseum – New border controls planned for travellers to Europe in NovemberGetty Europe is set to introduce a new biometric passport system in November 2024, followed by new travel authorizations for many visitors six months later. Here's what travelers need to know. The new European Entry-Exit System (EES) is scheduled to go live in November 2024 EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson confirmed that the new entry and exit system will be introduced on Sunday 10 November 2024, with the new process in the final testing phase. EES is a new system that uses biometric data to allow short-term…
The mRNA revolution continues: Just a few years after mRNA vaccines proved effective against COVID-19, scientists are now turning their attention to lung cancer. The mRNA vaccine, called BTN116, developed by German biotechnology company BioNTech, is the first of its kind and is in phase 1 clinical trials in seven countries, including the US and UK. The vaccine is intended to treat the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).”Lung cancer is the biggest cause of death in the world and this work using mRNA technology is just the first generation,” said Siu Ming Lee, an oncologist at…
Get your free copy of Editor's DigestFT editor Roula Khalaf picks her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.While some in Brussels are hard at work preparing for the political transition (President Ursula von der Leyen will soon launch a new European Commission for parliamentary scrutiny), much of Europe remains in summer calm. So before the start of a new five-year EU political cycle, it's worth taking a moment to think about what success looks like after it's over.The first indicator that the transformation has been successful will be that the EU becomes more relevant in the world. Its choices will…
A new carnivore came to town — at least 165 million years ago. According to Germany's Bavarian State Collection of Natural History, a new species and genus of theropod dinosaur, Alpkaraqşkyrgyzicus, was discovered in Kyrgyzstan by an expedition made up of German and Kyrgyz researchers. Alpkaraksh-kyrgyzicus is the first theropod dinosaur discovered in Kyrgyzstan, “making this discovery one of the most important in Central Asia,” the institute said in a news release. Prior to the discovery of the new species, no large, carnivorous dinosaurs were known to have lived in the region around Kyrgyzstan, between Central Europe and East Asia,…
In the distant (or not so distant) future, artificial intelligence may become an “immortal dictator” from which we cannot escape. Whatever AI's ultimate goal, it is quite possible that AI will destroy humanity like an anthill. Competing for AI superiority at the national level will most likely cause World War 3. That is more dangerous than nuclear weapons and much riskier than North Korea. Simply put, AI will be the best thing ever to happen to humanity, or the worst thing ever. Well, wait. Do I really think this is true? No, I'm not that skeptical, but I can imagine…
Top row, from left: Marsinah Ramirez Buchan, Philip Bender, Elizabeth Fisher. Bottom row, from left: Rosanne Marmor, Kendra F. Dunlap, and Carter J. Carter. Tony Luong for ProPublica hide caption toggle caption Tony Luong for ProPublica Carter J. Carter became a therapist to help young people struggling with their mental health. Rosanne Marmor wanted to support survivors of trauma. Kendra F. Dunlap aspired to serve people of color. They studied, honed their skills and opened practices, joining health insurance networks that put them within reach of people who couldn’t afford to pay for sessions out of pocket. So did more…