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Good news at last: just a little exercise can reduce the risk of dementia | Devi Sridhar

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 14

“Researchers found that 13% of mild dementia cases could be avoided if all middle-aged adults exercised at least once or twice a week.

While we have known about the benefits of physical activity for physical health, newer research is pointing to the positive effects on our minds.”

A recent study shows the benefit of being a middle-aged ‘weekend warrior’ who only exercises once or twice a week, writes Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburg...

‘I became like a slave’: why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 14

One wonders just what “context” could explain, much less justify, “overseeing the exploitation and trafficking of girls, adolescents and women.”

‘Opus Dei has categorically denied the accusations and says they have been taken “completely out of context”.’

Lured by promises of an education but allegedly trapped in servitude and self-mortification, the former members are suing the ultra-conservative organisation over their ‘exploitation and abuse’

Citizen volunteers help keep tabs on potentially dangerous nitrate levels in Iowa's water

Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 14

Iowa is ground zero for fertilizer-intensive industrial monocropping. The maps and graphs included here show that also makes the state ground zero for nitrate contamination of surface waters, and all the human and social ills that come with that.

Anyone can join an all-volunteer effort that keep track of how much nitrate and nitrite are getting into Iowa's water

www.desmoinesregister.com

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 14

Or, a smart watch and a dedicated sports watch. 😬

“…a lot of people have both a smartwatch and a classic watch.”

What Does My Smart Watch Say About Me?

When it comes to watches, they can tell you more than just the time, our critic says. Find out what yours is saying — whether it’s smart or analog.

Opinion | There’s a Lesson to Learn From Daniel Kahneman’s Death

Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 14

Assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. The state’s annual survey finds that the main reasons for the decision among the terminally ill are:

Losing autonomy: 89%

Being less able to engage in activities that make life enjoyable: 88%

Loss of dignity: 64%

Feeling like a burden to their family: 42%

If we are to live well, we need to be able to ask when a life is complete.

I Hate Running. I Trick My Brain Into Doing It Anyway. (Published 2024)

Reposted by Ricardo J. Salvador

Mike Melton @mikemelton.bsky.social · Apr 12

Resplendent Quetzal #CostaRica

#birds #nature 🌿

Stunning jewel-toned bird perched on a lichen-covered branch, showcasing brilliant emerald green plumage with hints of burgundy. Its striking blue-green crest stands tall above an alert black eye and bright orange-yellow beak. The elegant long tail feathers cascade downward, displaying layers of iridescent green with dark tips. Soft moss and delicate tropical foliage surround this magnificent creature, creating a serene natural setting that highlights its extraordinary colors.

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 13

You’ve got to admire committed folks like this.

When your mind hates running even more than your body does, you have to strategize.

Jean Luc Ponty - In Concert

Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 13

Après avoir vu une récente interview avec ce gentil monsieur, je me suis demandé s'il y aurait une présentation en direct de son magnifique album "Tchokola". J'ai trouvé ce concert à Varsovie, où se distingue la pièce "Mouna Bowa". Quelle magnificence!

YouTube video by Maximiliano Marin

youtu.be

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 12

In addition to the incomprehensible beauty and artistry, this is every bit like an elite athletic performance. 🙌🏽

BACH - BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO.3 (ALLEGRO) - ORGAN ARR. JONATHAN SCOTT

YouTube video by scottbrothersduo

youtu.be

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 11

“Designed by Steve Wozniak, the computers are sold wholesale by “Steven” Jobs. To finance them, Wozniak sells his HP-65 calculator, Jobs his VW van. Looking back, the Apple-1 seems quaint compared to the supercomputers we carry in our pockets today. But in 1976, its launch was a pivotal moment.”

Today in Apple history: Apple-1 starts a revolution

On April 11, 1976, Apple released its first computer, the Apple-1. With only 200 made, these remain the rarest Apple computers ever.

www.cultofmac.com

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 11

What scientists do.

‘Dr. Le Pichon initially defended the notions of a static Earth, but he came to realize that they were incorrect. He returned from the laboratory one day and told his wife, “The conclusions of my thesis are false.”’

Xavier Le Pichon, Who Modeled Movement of Earth’s Crust, Dies at 87

With a computer rendering, he helped scientists understand that the earth, with its shifting tectonic plates, is “an extraordinary living being” that is “continuously changing.”

Trump’s Tariff Fight With China Poses New Threat to US Farmers

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 11

What!?

“Farmers generally resist government handouts, but Mr. Ragland of the American Soybean Association said federal relief might be necessary in this case.”

Soybean producers warn that farms could go under as the Trump administration hits China with new tariffs of 145 percent.

To keep on top of AI, focus on the points where it touches the outside world, writes Martin Chavez

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

“As Alan Turing proved mathematically nearly a century ago, no approach guarantees the correctness of any sufficiently complex program.”

Effectively hammered home for me by in 1979 by Hofstadter’s delicious “Gödel, Escher, Bach.” You can have a perfect system, or a complex system, but not both.

The Alphabet director suggests drawing inspiration from the way financial markets and railways are policed

Eliud Kipchoge’s Top 5 Tips for Mastering the Long Run

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

3: “You will be surprised how helpful a bad training session is. You made the effort, your body hit a challenge and had to learn to work with your mind to battle through.”

5: “Be disciplined, in life and in training. There are no shortcuts, do the work wholeheartedly. Only then can you succeed.” 🙌🏽

Learn from the greatest marathoner of all time and apply his key principles to your own marathon training.

us.coros.com

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

‘“Universities should draw a clear line: even if it means losing government funding, what they teach and research is for them to decide.

“The free university”, said Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell presidential address in 1961, has been “the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery”.’

The campus counter-revolution

Donald Trump’s plan to remake universities threatens America’s prosperity and freedom

The campus counter-revolution

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

“[Public funding of universities] has contributed to almost every technological leap that has boosted output, from the internet to mRNA vaccines and GLP-1 agonists to artificial intelligence. It is this compact—not bringing car factories back to the rust belt—that is the key to U.S. prosperity.”

Donald Trump’s plan to remake universities threatens America’s prosperity and freedom

Farmers face one of the highest rates of suicide. This social worker believes the solution is buried in their land

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

A farmer’s daughter supports despairing farmers via innovative therapies based on insight about their emotional ties to the land.

I’m deeply sympathetic.

And… I wish a fraction of this consideration were extended to the First Peoples for whom land loss was also about much more than just the land.

After seeing the farmer mental health crisis up close, Kaila Anderson developed new treatment techniques based on growers’ deep connection to the land

I don’t want to die with a freezer full of seeds. It’s time to rethink biodiversity and preservation | Chris Smith

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Ricardo J. Salvador @cadwego.bsky.social · Apr 10

“Heirloom seed keepers attempt to preserve the past, while plant breeders control genetic resources to commodify the seed. Neither camp is particularly focused on how to expand biodiversity into the future, as if biodiversity and seed varieties are fixed and finite things.”

Preservation can be a trap because seeds need to be saved – and also grown