~metafilter | Bookmarks (975)

In preparation for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the planners are looking to make the event accessible for delegates - including installing ramps to allow wheelchair users to sit with their delegations on the floor for the first time.In addition to physical access (which includes accessible shuttle transit, scooters, and the permanent install of wheelchair repair stations at Chicago airports), there are plans...

Is Your Workout Not Working? Maybe You're a Non-Responder "nonresponders to one form of exercise can probably switch to another exercise regimen to which their body will respond. And a simple test you can do at home will help you determine how well your workout is working for you." (Reynolds, NYT, 2017).Do fitness non-responders exist? (Aerobic training) "some subjects improved by greater than 40...

A photographer captures the Perseid metor shower over Stonehenge. Every time you think that the universe has nothing left to show you, it rains wonder.

The Atlantic: The People Who Quit Dating Being single can be hard—but the search for love may be harder. They still want a relationship—and they wouldn't refuse if one unfolded naturally—but they've cycled between excitement and disappointment too many times to keep trying. Quitting dating means more than just deleting the apps, or no longer asking out acquaintances or friendly strangers. It means looking...

Two short fantasy stories about teaching and burnout. "This Mentor Lives" by J.R. Dawson & John Wiswell, published July 2024 in Haven Speculative: "We're not sure how your lungs are still working. You can't run around in this state. You're not 900 anymore." (Wiswell previously.) "By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars" by Premee Mohamed, published June 2024 in Strange Horizons: "She didn't...

Scientists find humans age dramatically in two bursts – at 44, then 60 - suggesting ageing is not a slow and steady process, which could explain spikes in health issues at certain ages. From Nature Aging: Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging.

Nick Cave speaks. On loss, on love for his wife, on collaborating with Kylie Minogue. On the beauty and privilege of answering questions on the Red Hand Files. On becoming a grandfather. On growing as a musician, and on realising what actually matters. Previously. Previouslier. Previousliest.

Cynics may say José and Betty were never in love, just using each other for beauty or status. Perhaps their lifelong performance of fame was a golden cage, a distraction from a toxic dynamic. But it also seemed possible that the artifice was the passion. All romance starts with a dose of delusion: We fall in love with the idea of someone until, over...

The promise will be kept. Two entire eras after introducing it, gorgeously retro puppet show The Creatures of Yes (previyesyes) will return this fall to finally resolve the storyline from the epic Splintered Mind saga in its first feature-length movie, whose trailer dropped less than two weeks ago. Will Tom finally... COME ON BACK?Paging dannyboybell (reference).

When Vultures Nearly Disappeared in India, Half a Million People Died, Too, Study Finds. By being nature's clean-up crew, the often maligned birds help prevent the spread of diseases, according to a new study [Smithsonian magazine].

Sokoblox is a fascinating and challenging Pico-8 [previously] game combining classic block puzzles Sokoban and Bloxorz [previously]. Xenpaper is a text-based, in-browser microtonal sequencer. It's difficult to write music with, but it's a surprisingly convenient way to actually listen to the difference between, say, a standard tuned dominant 7th chord and the just-intoned equivalent characteristic of barbershop music.The hidden connection is that Xenpaper is...

Harris campaign reports record-breaking volunteer surge in key swing states. Harris' campaign is transforming big crowds into volunteers on the ground in key swing states. Surge of volunteers makes Harris team bullish on Florida, where GOP still has tight grip. There's a lot of work to do. It can feel good to join in, even if you only have a little bit of time...

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and Independent Publishers Group (IPG) have announced a groundbreaking agreement that will allow libraries to purchase ebooks under the aegis of the IPG instead of renting them at eye-watering prices.While this agreement will only cover publishers in the IPG, it sets a precedent that will hopefully inspire similar agreements.

Thousands of Taylor Swift fans flooded museums in Vienna over the weekend after multiple institutions waived entry fees after three of the singer's concerts were cancelled due to security threats.(...)The Albertina fully embraced the moment, waiving its €19.90 regular entrance fee (€15.90 for visitors under 26 years) for more than 20,000 Swifties between Thursday, August 8 and Sunday, August 11. "On a normal and...

Two short fantasy stories about journeys, meant to provide care, that go in unexpected directions. "Median" by Kelly Robson (published March 2024 in Reactor (formerly Tor.com)): a horror story in which "a professional caregiver's commute takes an unsettling detour when car trouble forces her to pull over on the highway, where she begins receiving distressing phone calls from strangers..." (Via Jason Sanford who said...

United Auto Workers files federal labor charges against Trump, Musk (WaPo) After Trump said, in an interview with Musk, "You walk in, you say, 'You want to quit?' They go on strike. I won't mention the name of the company, but they go on strike, and you say, 'That's okay. You're all gone. You're all gone. So, every one of you is gone.'" In...

Keep track of all the counties you've visited in the USA, Canada, and more: "The rules are simple: you visit a county, then you count it. To visit a county, just cross the plane of the county line." Similar to USA County Highpointing's site (MeFi post), mob-rule.com's design still feels like when it was created: way back in the 00s. Generates pretty maps (like...

As instructors struggle to meet the complex needs of students, schools are leaving both to fend for themselves. (slTheWalrus)

"Like watching a soap opera": The splendid social life of Australia's bluest bird. They may seem like just a beautiful blue bird, but under the surface the social dynamics of the splendid fairy-wren is anything but simple.

So youth in English-speaking Canada are becoming sadder faster than those in French-speaking Canada, and measures of teen suicidality are rising in the Anglosphere but less so in similar less-English-speaking countries. What's the deal with Anglosphere despair? from America's Top Export May Be Anxiety [The Atlantic; ungated] [CW: suicide, depression]

Pop has moved on. Someone needs to tell Katy Perry. Katy Perry's latest two singles have been utter flops, falling off the radar within days. We all loved Hot n Cold but it ain't 2008 no more and pop has drastically moved on.Single#1:Woman's Word an entirely bland, toothless "rah rah women" anthem-wanna-be with a video that Katy later explained was satire but it is...