If your life has gotten so busy that it no longer includes space for the things you value most, it might be high time for a time audit. The concept, recently outlined in NPR by psychotherapist Niro Feliciano, involves listing out the people and activities that are most important to you, and then taking stock of how much time you’re actually dedicating to them in your day-to-day. From there, you can work on making more time for the essentials. “When your schedule begins to align with your values is when we begin to feel inner peace,” Feliciano said. Read about more strategies for managing busyness.
Astronomers Discover New Class of Cosmic Object the Size of Our Entire Solar System
Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT
Deep space is full of surprises, and astronomers recently discovered a new one hiding in plain sight. Dubbed a “black hole star,” the cosmic object resembles a star the size of our entire solar system, but produces energy at levels closer to that of a black hole — over 100 billion times more than any known star.
Nestled in the constellation Cetus, billions of light-years from Earth, the object is thought to consist of a black hole with a mass about 100,000 times that of our sun, enveloped in a cloud of hydrogen gas. Scientists believe the object formed around 660 million years after the Big Bang, and it could explain the presence of mysterious dots in images of the early universe that have long perplexed scientists.
Perhaps its most striking characteristic? Its red hue. “The way its light is almost entirely red, and abruptly disappears below a certain wavelength, is so dramatic that there is no comparison among any known class of objects,” Rohan Naidu, a researcher involved in the discovery and co-author of a corresponding study, told The Guardian.
He noted that black hole stars may play an important part in galaxies’ formation. “For decades, we have anticipated something spectacular must be afoot in the very early universe. Black hole stars may be the ‘something spectacular.’”
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Good Dog! How Some Canines Are Being Taught to Avoid Snakes
drferry—E+/Getty Images
Snake sightings and bites have surged this year, an increase experts attribute to warmer weather. That’s a recipe for worry for those of us with furry family members that love exploring the world with their snouts, but dog training programs aimed at preventing potentially devastating reptile run-ins can help ease some of those worries.
One method enlists the help of actual snakes that have had their venom glands removed. The dogs are trained to associate the sight, sound, and smell of a snake with a negative consequence, like a quick, mild zap. In turn, pups learn to steer clear of snakes and hopefully avoid being one of the 150,000 dogs bitten by venomous snakes each year in the U.S. (thankfully, the vast majority of dogs that receive prompt treatment recover from bites).
J.J. Belcher, a trainer based in Tucson, Arizona, explained to the Associated Press that just one lesson with an electronic collar can be enough to teach a pup the lifesaving skill, but noted that positive reinforcement training can work as well — it just takes more time. Wendy Timm, one of Belcher’s clients, said, “We are doing this because we want to keep our dog safe.” Learn more tips to prevent encounters between dogs and snakes.
Health
These Molecules Could Bust Apart the Toxic Protein Clumps Causing Parkinson’s
Juan Gaertner—Science Photo Library/Getty Images
This article was written by Sunil Kumar, an associate professor of natural sciences and mathematics at the University of Denver, for The Conversation.
Current therapies for Parkinson’s disease and related conditions primarily treat symptoms but don’t stop the underlying process causing the disease.
Increasing evidence suggests that toxic clumps of proteins called alpha-synuclein are among the primary drivers of damage to neurons. My team and I developed a synthetic molecule that can block these proteins from clumping and spreading in the brains of mice, ultimately reducing symptoms of disease.
This molecule, called SK-129, acts like a molecular brace: It binds to several parts of alpha-synuclein and holds the protein in a shape that makes it less likely to stick to other ones. It binds especially strongly to early forms of these toxic clumps, preventing them from growing and forming new ones. Keep reading about the research.
In Other News
Anthropic will watermark AI-generated text, making it more detectable even when it’s copied and pasted (read more)
Newark Airport may become safer thanks to a new surface radar system for reducing runway accidents (read more)
Montana State University’s “wool lab” aims to revive a declining industry amid the rise of synthetic fibers (read more)
This new superhighway in West Africa could transform urban connectivity in the region— see how (read more)
Meet the tiny red-tailed monkey born this month at Zoo Atlanta’s Ford African Rain Forest (read more)
Inspiring Story
Keeping the ball rolling
When her local candlepin bowling alley in Ellsworth, Maine, was set to be demolished in 2020, teenage employee Autumn Mowery begged the owner to give her just three months to keep it up and running. Not long after, a storm hit, then COVID — still, she persevered. Six years and several broken fingers later, 24-year-old Mowery — who repairs the old-school pin machines herself alongside running the business — has transformed the establishment into a community haven for all, using what little profits she earns to support those in need. Watch her in action at the vintage alley.
Photo of the Day
Patrick Pleul—picture alliance/Getty Images
In addition to the rare total solar eclipse on Wednesday, some stargazers experienced another cosmic treat later that evening: the Perseid meteor shower’s climax. While the eclipse was only total in certain parts of the world, millions more people across the Northern Hemisphere got a magnificent view of the Perseids overnight, as up to 100 shooting stars per hour streaked through the sky. If you missed it, the shower will still be active for another 10 days or so, just not as active as Wednesday’s peak.
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