Category: Learn | Unlearn | Relearn

Picture this: You’re hopping into your car on a sweltering summer day, ready to crank up the AC and hit the road. But did you know that as you sink into your seat, you might be exposing yourself to a group of chemicals called flame retardants? A new study suggests that these compounds, often added to vehicle interiors to meet safety standards, could be silently seeping into the air you breathe inside your car.

Flame retardants are a bit like the unsung heroes of fire safety. They’re added to all sorts of products, from electronics to furniture, with the intention of slowing down or preventing the spread of flames in the event of a fire. In vehicles, they’re used to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 302, which has been in place since the 1970s. The problem is that many of these chemicals don’t stay put in the materials they’re added to.

You see, a lot of flame retardants are what scientists call “semi-volatile.” This means that they can easily transition from a solid state (like the foam in your car seat) to a gas that ends up in the air. According to this new research, led by scientists at Duke University and the Green Science Policy Institute, the hotter it gets, the more these chemicals are released.

The researchers recruited 101 vehicle owners from across the United States to participate in the study, which is published in Environmental Science & Technology. Each person received a special silicone sampler, which they attached to their car’s rearview mirror for a week. Think of these samplers as chemical sponges – they’re really good at soaking up the compounds floating around in the air. Some participants also collected a small piece of foam from their car seat and sent it to the lab for analysis. All car models in the study were from 2015 or later.

When the scientists analyzed the samplers, they found a wide range of flame retardants, with a class of compounds called organophosphate esters (OPEs) being the most common. One OPE in particular, known as TCIPP, was detected in a staggering 99 percent of the vehicles sampled.

StudyFinds reached out to the Green Science Policy Institute to find out just how concerning this discovery is for drivers. Moreover, is this an issue affecting all major car manufacturers or just the small portion that was tested?

“It’s safe to assume that all makes and models have one or more of these chemicals. We did not test all manufacturers, but we tested a wide variety and every car had flame retardants. Plus, in our conversations with car and foam manufacturers, we have confirmed that flame retardant chemicals are used to meet the NHTSA flammability standard,” co-author Dr. Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute, tells us.

But here’s where things get interesting. The researchers found that the levels of OPEs in the car’s air were significantly higher in the summer compared to the winter. In fact, the average concentration of TCIPP was about four times higher in the summer samples. It’s like these chemicals were having a heat-induced party, releasing more and more of themselves into the air as the temperature climbed.

And remember those foam samples? It turns out that vehicles with TCIPP in their seat foam had much higher levels of the compound in their air – about four times higher in the winter and nine times higher in the summer compared to cars without TCIPP in their foam. This suggests that your car seat could be acting as a reservoir, slowly releasing these chemicals over time.

Dr. Jahl also addressed how concerned motorists should be, particularly those who face longer commutes or who live in warmer climates. The team’s findings are dire.

“Most flame retardants are associated with cancer, brain harms, developmental problems, and reproductive issues. Our study shows that cars are a significant source of our exposure to these chemicals, and those who live in warmer climates, have longer commutes, or who drive as part of their job will have higher exposures. Children are also especially vulnerable as they are still developing and breathe more air pound for pound than adults,” Dr. Jahl explains.

“What makes this especially concerning is that not only are the flame retardants harmful, but the flammability standard that drives their use in cars is outdated and likely ineffective. In other words, there are known health risks for potentially nonexistent fire safety benefits.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/cars-toxic-chemicals-cabin-air/

Typically, unhealthy environments affect kids more than adults. They are still growing, with greater exposure to air, food, and water relative to their weight. They will have more years of exposure to climate change than people who have already grown up. Today’s children are the people who will have to create ever-more-effective solutions to these problems in the future.

Adults have a responsibility to teach children the scope and consequences of climate change while we try to limit its impact on their health. Kids are experiencing increasingly destructive disasters fueled by climate change, like hurricanes and wildfires. It can be disheartening, frightening, and overwhelming. So, what should kids learn about climate change that is developmentally appropriate and action-oriented while also instilling hope?

Young children (ages 1-5 years)

Parents can watch their child’s delight as they show them the joys of nature. Take nature walks. Talk about the weather and changing seasons. Teach them about birds, wild animals, and their habitats. Talk about the need for healthy air for both plants and creatures.

Gardening is also fascinating for kids. Buy seeds for a garden or herbs to plant in kitchen boxes.

School-age children (ages 6-12 years)

Parents and educators can ask kids about what they already know. They can do research together to fill in the gaps. Use simple scientific terms. NASA has online resources to help parents go through each aspect of climate change.

Discuss how personal choices can affect the environment. Calculate your family’s carbon footprint together and ask children for their suggestions on lessening it. Try walking, biking, taking public transit, or carpooling instead of driving with just one or two people in a car. Eat a more plant-forward diet. Parents can impress on their kids that they have the power to protect the environment and that the choices people make can help make the planet healthier.

Teenagers (ages 13-18 years)

Teens are aware that climate issues influence their lives. That means adults can now discuss how climate change affects our economy and culture. Parents and educators can choose a recent or ongoing event and discuss how climate change may have influenced the event and its economic consequences.

Talk about climate change causing more severe and prolonged destructive weather events and wildfires, resulting in the loss of homes and businesses. Discuss how it causes air pollution, forcing people indoors. Consider the mental health effects on families. Explore how climate change does not affect everyone equally and the ways some communities experience more health risks.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/educate-kids-climate-change

The exponential growth of artificial intelligence over the past year has sparked discussions about whether the era of human domination of our planet is drawing to a close. The most dire predictions claim that the machines will take over within five to 10 years.

Fears of AI are not the only things driving public concern about the end of the world. Climate change and pandemic diseases are also well-known threats. Reporting on these challenges and dubbing them a potential “apocalypse” has become common in the media – so common, in fact, that it might go unnoticed or may simply be written off as hyperbole.

Is the use of the word “apocalypse” in the media significant? Our common interest in how the American public understands apocalyptic threats brought us together to answer this question. One of us is a scholar of the apocalypse in the ancient world, and the other studies press coverage of contemporary concerns.

By tracing what events the media describe as “apocalyptic,” we can gain insight into our changing fears about potential catastrophes. We have found that discussions of the apocalypse unite the ancient and modern, the religious and secular, and the revelatory and the rational. They show how a term with roots in classical Greece and early Christianity helps us articulate our deepest anxieties today.

What is an apocalypse?

Humans have been fascinated by the demise of the world since ancient times. However, the word apocalypse was not intended to convey this preoccupation. In Greek, the verb “apokalyptein” originally meant simply to uncover or to reveal.

In his dialogue “Protagoras,” Plato used this term to describe how a doctor may ask a patient to uncover his body for a medical exam. He also used it metaphorically when he asked an interlocutor to reveal his thoughts.

New Testament authors used the noun “apokalypsis” to refer to the “revelation” of God’s divine plan for the world. In the original Koine Greek version, “apokalypsis” is the first word of the Book of Revelation, which describes not only the impending arrival of a painful inferno for sinners but also a second coming of Christ that will bring eternal salvation for the faithful.

The apocalypse in the contemporary world

Many American Christians today feel that the day of God’s judgment is just around the corner. In a December 2022 Pew Research Center Survey, 39% of those polled believed they were “living in the end times,” while 10% said that Jesus will “definitely” or “probably” return in their lifetime.

Yet, for some believers, the Christian apocalypse is not viewed entirely negatively. Rather, it is a moment that will elevate the righteous and cleanse the world of sinners.

Secular understandings of the word, by contrast, rarely include this redeeming element. An apocalypse is more commonly understood as a cataclysmic, catastrophic event that will irreparably alter our world for the worse. It is something to avoid, not something to await.

What we fear most, decade by decade

Political communications scholars Christopher Wlezien and Stuart Soroka demonstrate in their research that the media are likely to reflect public opinion even more than they direct it or alter it. While their study focused largely on Americans’ views of important policy decisions, their findings, they argue, apply beyond those domains.

If they are correct, we can use discussions of the apocalypse in the media over the past few decades as a barometer of prevailing public concerns.

Following this logic, we collected all articles mentioning the words “apocalypse” or “apocalyptic” from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post between Jan. 1, 1980, and Dec. 31, 2023. After filtering out articles centered on religion and entertainment, there were 9,380 articles that mentioned one or more of four prominent apocalyptic concerns: nuclear war, disease, climate change, and AI.

Through the end of the Cold War, fears of nuclear apocalypse predominated not only in the newspaper data we assembled but also in visual media such as the 1983 post-apocalyptic film “The Day After,” which was watched by as many as 100 million Americans.

By the 1990s, however, articles linking the word apocalypse to climate and disease – in roughly equal measure – had surpassed those focused on nuclear war. By the 2000s, and even more so during the 2010s, newspaper attention had turned squarely in the direction of environmental concerns.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/apocalypse-mainstream-conversation

Anger is one of those intense emotions — and it’s no secret that it just doesn’t feel good. Whether it’s a sudden flash of road rage or blowing up at a co-worker or family member, anger can be hard to control. However, did you know that angry outbursts may be damaging your heart and blood vessel health?

According to researchers from Columbia University, experiencing an intense moment of anger actually causes temporary damage to the lining of your blood vessels, known as the endothelium.

To understand why the endothelium is so important, we first need to explore what it is and what role it plays. The endothelium is the inner lining of all of your blood vessels, including the arteries, veins, and tiny capillaries. It acts as a gatekeeper, helping to regulate things like:

• Blood clotting
• Plaque buildup
• Inflammation levels
• Vessel relaxation and constriction

A healthy, properly functioning endothelium helps keep your vessels flexible and smooth, allowing blood to flow freely. If the endothelium suffers damage, however, it can set the stage for plaque buildup, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), clots, inflammation, and other problems that increase heart disease risk.

During the new study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers took 280 healthy young adults without any heart disease risk factors and randomly assigned them to different groups. One group did an eight-minute “anger recall” task where they had to vividly relive and describe a memory that had provoked intense anger. The other groups did similar tasks to provoke anxiety, sadness, or neutral emotions.

Before and at several points after the tasks, the researchers measured each participant’s endothelial function using a test that measures how well the blood vessels can relax and allow increased blood flow (a marker of healthy endothelial cells). They also measured levels of cell debris and endothelial repair cells circulating in the blood, which reveal if damage or healing is occurring.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/scientists-discover-how-much-damage-angry-outbursts-do-to-your-heart

In what seems like it came out of “Star Trek” or a Marvel movie, scientists have discovered that tomatoes essentially live in a “parallel universe.” This discovery was made as Michigan State University researchers watched what happens among the roots of tomato plants.

In the new study, published in the journal Science Advances, researchers found that tomato roots produce a unique class of metabolites called acylsugars. These compounds were previously thought to be made only in the fuzzy hairs on the surface of tomato leaves and stems, known as trichomes.

Acylsugars are specialized molecules consisting of sugar cores decorated with fatty acid chains. In tomato trichomes, these metabolites help defend the plant against pests. However, the root acylsugars turned out to be quite different from their aboveground counterparts.

Using advanced analytical chemistry techniques, scientists determined that the most abundant acylsugar in tomato roots has a sugar core made of glucose linked to inositol, rather than the sucrose core found in trichome acylsugars. The root compounds also had distinct fatty acid chains attached.

“What’s so remarkable about these specialized metabolites is that they’re typically synthesized in highly precise cells and tissues,” says first study author Rachel Kerwin, a postdoctoral researcher at MSU, in a media release.

“Take for instance acylsugars. You won’t find them produced in the leaves or stems of a tomato plant. These physically sticky defense metabolites are made right in the tip of the trichomes.”

This raised the question — are the root and trichome acylsugars made by the same metabolic pathway? To find out, researchers did some molecular sleuthing. They identified genes in tomato roots that are very similar to the known trichome acylsugar biosynthetic genes. One gene in particular, dubbed ASAT1-L, was the root-expressed cousin of the trichome gene ASAT1.

Scientists then used CRISPR gene editing to knock out ASAT1 and ASAT1-L function. Strikingly, tomato plants lacking ASAT1-L produced no detectable acylsugars in their roots, while trichome acylsugar levels were unaffected. The reverse was true when ASAT1 was knocked out. This strongly suggests that tomatoes have evolved two separate acylsugar metabolic pathways — one for the trichomes, and a second one for the roots.

Digging deeper, the research team found that the trichome and root acylsugar genes are clustered close together on the tomato genome. This type of genomic organization, known as a biosynthetic gene cluster, is thought to allow the genes to be co-regulated and co-inherited.

“Alongside the aboveground acylsugar pathway we’ve been studying for years, here we find this second parallel universe that exists underground,” explains study lead author Robert Last, a researcher at MSU.

Evolutionary analysis revealed that ASAT1-L likely emerged when the ancestral ASAT1 gene got duplicated. The two genes then diverged and specialized for trichomes and roots. The story got even more intriguing when scientists looked at other tomato relatives. They discovered that ASAT1-L and root acylsugars are found in some wild tomato species but not in more distant cousins like eggplant. This implies that the ability to make root acylsugars evolved relatively recently in the tomato family tree.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/tomato-roots-parallel-universe/

We’ve all seen plastic trash littering beaches, parks, and roadsides. But have you ever wondered where all that plastic is actually coming from? Thanks to a massive global citizen science effort, researchers can now point the finger at some of the world’s biggest corporations most responsible for manufacturing this environmental scourge. In fact, the new report estimates that just five companies produce the items responsible for a quarter of the world’s plastic pollution.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, analyzed data from over 1,500 litter surveys conducted by volunteers in 84 countries between 2018 and 2022. During these “brand audits,” the volunteers picked up over 1.8 million pieces of plastic pollution found in parks, beaches, streets, and other public spaces around the world. They also noted the brands and labels on every piece of litter.

By linking the brand names to their parent companies, the researchers were able to quantify how much of the global plastic pollution stream is attributable to major corporate producers of plastic packaging and products. The findings? Just a handful of major brands and companies are responsible for a shockingly large amount of the world’s plastic waste problem.

Who are the top plastic polluters?
The single biggest corporate source of branded plastic pollution was the Coca-Cola Company, which accounted for a whopping 11 percent of all branded plastic waste recorded in the global survey. PepsiCo came in second at five percent, followed by Nestlé (3%), Danone (3%), and Altria — one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products (2%).

In total, those five companies were responsible for nearly one-quarter (24%) of all the branded plastic pollution documented worldwide over the five-year study. Taking a deeper dive into the world’s litter problem, just 56 companies produced over half of the plastic pollution identified in the audits.

However, with much of this trash not carrying any brand names or labels when volunteers picked it up, the study’s authors say the true percentage of global plastic waste originating from these major brands and companies is likely even higher. They say the findings highlight a critical need for more transparency and accountability measures for plastic production and labeling.

While companies across many industries contributed to global plastic waste, food and beverage producers tended to be the biggest culprits. The international team found a clear trend – companies that produce a lot of single-use packaging and products designed to be consumed on the go were disproportionately represented in the branded pollution data compared to companies selling longer-lasting packaged goods.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/coke-pepsi-plastic-crisis/

Have you ever watched a group of birds flying in a perfect V-shaped formation through the sky? They say, “Birds of a feather flock together,” but how the heck do they know how to do all this flocking and togetherness with such precision? Scientists have been studying this gift for collective motion, and they may finally have an answer.

Researchers at New York University gained new insights into the flow physics of flocking by using a unique experimental approach. They built robotic “mock flocks” of 3D-printed flapping wings. Their ingenious study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reveals the surprising dynamics that emerge from the interplay between individual wing motions and the air flows they generate.

At the heart of their experiments was a clever rig featuring up to five flapping wings connected to a central rotating shaft. This contraption mimics birds arranged in a line during flight. As the shaft flapped up and down, the individual wings were able to freely rotate and move in a circular path around a water tank, interacting only through the fluid flows their flapping produces.

What the researchers discovered upends some conventional thinking about bird formations. Initially, the robotic wings organized themselves into strikingly regular, crystalline structures spaced about one wavelength apart – the best position for a follower to “ride” the wave-like wake left by the wing ahead of it.

However, this tidy configuration concealed a natural instability. The experiments and simulations revealed the existence of coherent “flonon” waves spreading through the flock. These oscillating disturbances grew more amplified with every follower’s position down the line. Eventually, the flonons became so large that they triggered collisions, causing the orderly formation to disintegrate.

“If a flyer is displaced from its position, the vortices or swirls of flow left by the leading neighbor help to push the follower back into place and hold it there,” explains Leif Ristroph, the director of NYU’s Applied Mathematics Laboratory, in a university release. “This means the flyers can assemble into an orderly queue of regular spacing automatically and with no extra effort, since the physics does all the work.”

“For larger groups, however, these flow interactions cause later members to be jostled around and thrown out of position, typically causing a breakdown of the flock due to collisions among members. This means that the very long groups seen in some types of birds are not at all easy to form, and the later members likely have to constantly work to hold their positions and avoid crashing into their neighbors.”

There’s an upside to this, however, as the destabilizing resonance can be disrupted by introducing diversity across the flock. Inserting a “vacancy defect” into the pattern or varying the phases of the flapping motions was enough to quell the amplifying waves and promote longer-lasting formations.

“Compared to the identical-phase flock, groups with random phases tend to have lower fluctuations,” the researchers write in their study, noting that dissimilarities between each bird’s wingbeats may be crucial for sustaining stable flocks over long migrations.

So, why does this matter beyond satisfying scientific curiosity? An improved understanding of flock dynamics could eventually inspire new designs for coordinated groups of drones, underwater vehicles, or other swarms of robotic devices. It may even shed light on the potential advantages of flying in tight formations.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/how-do-birds-flock-together/

It’s one of the most common questions adults ask children: what do you want to be when you grow up? Although childhood is supposed to be fun, kids also find themselves discussing some very important topics regarding their futures. Now, a new study finds children who set big goals in terms of their future prestige and education often set themselves up for success as they get older.

“Adolescents who endorsed higher levels of prestige and education goals tended to have higher educational attainment, income, occupational creativity, occupational prestige and job complexity after 12 years,” notes Rodica Damian, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston, in a media release.

The findings, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, are the first to reveal a connection between life goal development and future success in school or the workplace.

Damian and other researchers discovered that as children grow up, their goals naturally begin to change. However, as some childhood goals fall away, other goals that are more related to family stay strong. These include being close to relatives, building more friendships or finding a romantic partner, and even becoming more involved in your community or helping others.

“Life goals are expected to change over time and these changes are expected to have consequences for future life outcomes, including occupational outcomes,” Damian explains. “By understanding how changes in life goals relate to educational and occupational outcomes (above and beyond adolescent levels), we show how changes within individuals may also predict desired educational and occupational attainment.”

During the study, researchers compared how these goals evolved as children moved from adolescence to adulthood and how a person’s goals impacted their success in school and as a worker later on. To do this, the team examined two youth groups from Iceland who were followed for 12 years.

“For educational attainment, the strongest effects were found for education goals. Both initial levels and slopes of education goals were positively associated with educational attainment in both samples,” Damian reports. “This indicates that adolescents with higher education goals, and those who showed a more positive change pattern in education goals, had higher educational attainment in young adulthood.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/big-goals-drive-success/

Imagine planning your dream escapade to Spain but are perplexed by the exhaustive options shown online. And your Spanish dreams turn into travel stress!

Even the thought of it makes us want to run away, isn’t it?

Now envision a platform that not only resolves this perceived hiccup but also gives a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to effortlessly fund your next adventure. Sounds interesting, right?

Let us introduce you to Alike, the brainchild of innovators Ashish Sidhra and Saurabh Bhatnagar. Alike is a marvel that emerged from a strategic alliance with Dubai Tourism. Residing at the heart of Dubai, this D2C platform is on a mission to revolutionise the travel landscape by empowering both content creators and adventurers.

Meet Ashish Sidhra, not just any co-founder, but a visionary with an MBA from the prestigious Indian School of Business. With a strong background and extensive experience in working with Dubai Tourism, Ashish’s academic and professional journey plays a pivotal role in the saga of Alike. And alongside Ashish is Saurabh Bhatnagar, the dynamic other half of this innovative team. Saurabh brings his distinct expertise from Du, formerly Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, to the table, driving Alike with equal measures of passion and strategy, ensuring unforgettable travel experiences for all.

Travel dreams are often ignited by mesmerising online tales and visuals. A staggering 86% of individuals are enthralled by influencers, leading them to embark on new adventures. Yet, the underlying challenge for influencers is converting their digital reach and influence into sustainable earnings, often hinging on sporadic brand sponsorships.

Conversely, travellers thirst for custom-tailored itineraries but find themselves adrift in a sea of generic options or incomplete AI-generated plans, leading to frustration and wasted effort.

Herein lies Alike’s distinctive advantage. It provides creators with no-code personal studios, where every shared story paves the way for future tours, thanks to an innovative, first-of-its-kind revenue-sharing model.

Alike transforms into an evolving travel guide for you, eradicating the hassle of endless browser tabs. Instead, it ensures a smooth sail from dreamy inspiration to stepping foot in your dream destination.

Alike embarked on its journey with a suite of bookable experiences and a novel revenue model, quickly gaining the attention of globetrotters and marquee brands. Its expansive mission fosters deep connections worldwide, inspiring every individual encountered.

“Alike is more than a platform; it embodies innovation, serving as a canvas for creativity, a bazaar of dreams, experiences, and voyages. We’re determined to redefine the essence of sharing and travelling, fostering growth along the way,” Ashish Sidhra shared with Startup Pedia.

Source: https://startuppedia.in/alike-invites-you-to-create-and-earn-while-exploring/

From working out to meditating, here are 10 ways that can help promote a healthier and smarter brain.

How many times have you watched ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and wanted a photographic memory like the lead character, Sheldon? Well, you’re not alone.

Now you might not be able to get a photographic memory like him, but what if we told you that there are ways by which you can train your brain to be smarter?

Read ahead to find out.

1. Engage in regular physical exercise

We know that regular workouts are beneficial for our bodies. However, throughout the years, several studies have shown that regular working out can also benefit your brain.

For instance, a 2017 study shows that in adults aged 65 and older, those who exercise four times a week cut the risk of dementia in half. The study also shows that exercise improves memory, concentration and other cognitive functions at every age.

Dr Ashish Bansal a consultant psychiatrist and co-founder of House Of Aesthetics in Mumbai also agrees. He explains that physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, promoting the growth of new brain cells and enhancing the connections between existing neurones.

“Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, most days of the week,” he adds.

2. Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6
Did you know that your brain is the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of a minimum of 60 per cent fat?

That’s why a good balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is vital for the brain and overall body health.

Brandon Brock, DCM, a chiropractic neurologist and the medical director of Innovative Health and Wellness in Dallas, USA, told Reader’s Digest (November 2019 edition), “Fat stabilises the cell walls in the brain and carries, absorbs and stores fat-soluble vitamins in your bloodstream. It also reduces inflammation and helps the immune system function properly.”

How to do it? Make sure to incorporate foods like fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, arctic char, trout, eggs, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, kiwifruit, papaya, avocados, berries, oranges for Omega-3 and foods like corn, grapeseed, soy, peanut for Omega-6.

3. ‘Me time is important’

Dr Roshan Mansukhani, a music therapist and counsellor from Mumbai, says that spending 10 minutes a day with ourselves will help us bounce back with ‘all the solutions we were looking for, with clarity’.

To do so, according to him, we have to shut down our Internet and sit with our thoughts or pick one hobby that we like.

“I still have my coin collection treasured with me, and I take them out of the box once a week and just gaze at them, which gets me to the good old days, getting me to smile,” says Dr Mansukhani.

4. Choose your friends wisely

• In a study, scientists looked at the brains of a group of graduate students who were close friends.
• They found that when these friends watched short videos, their brains reacted in similar ways.
• They showed similar levels of paying attention and getting distracted, similar highs in feeling rewarded, and similar signs of being bored.
• Conclusion? A good friend might be good for your brain.

Dr Bansal also mentions that engaging in social activities and maintaining strong relationships with family and friends can help reduce stress and improve cognitive function.

Dr Rohit Garg, Consultant, Infectious Disease, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, busts a few misconceptions

Is it a good idea to stop eating eggs and poultry during an outbreak of bird flu, like the kind reported in the US recently? Questions on safety are being asked amid concerns that infected hens could lay eggs infected with the avian flu or H5N1 virus, or that milk from sick cows could be harmful. So let’s address some misconceptions.

COOK EGGS THROUGH AND THROUGH
Eggs are safe for consumption if cooked thoroughly. While it’s true that high temperatures can deactivate the avian influenza virus, the risk associated with inadequately cooked eggs remains. Undercooked eggs may not reach the requisite temperatures to neutralise the virus entirely. So boiled and fried eggs are a green tick, half-boiled and runny ones are not.

HOW TO HANDLE EGGS?
Another fallacy revolves around the appearance of eggshells—a belief that clean shells mean eggs are safe. However, research indicates that the avian influenza virus can contaminate the surface of eggshells, emphasising the importance of thorough egg handling, hand hygiene and cooking to eliminate risks. Keep raw eggs separate from other foods, especially those that are consumed raw, such as salads or fruits. Use separate cutting boards, utensils and plates for raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.

Similarly, if you have fears about the transmission of bird flu through contact with egg cartons from grocery stores, know that the risk of contracting the virus from packaging is exceedingly low. Still, wash your hands thoroughly after such a contact.

Contrary to popular belief, not all eggs on the market are susceptible to bird flu contamination. Eggs sourced from regions unaffected by the outbreak are generally considered safe. Besides, commercial egg producers often implement stringent biosecurity measures to safeguard their flocks, minimising the risk of disease transmission.

PASTEURISED EGGS AND MILK
An undue alarm has been raised about the safety of pasteurised egg products, which are gently heated in their shells, just enough to kill the bacteria but not enough to actually cook the egg. Pasteurization, a standard process used to eliminate pathogens by heating products to specific temperatures, negates the risk of virus transmission too. Pasteurised milk from dairy majors and their products like cheese are safe for this reason.

ARE EGGS FROM VACCINATED BIRDS SAFE?
Vaccines administered to poultry are rigorously tested and approved by regulatory agencies to protect against diseases, including avian influenza. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming eggs from vaccinated birds poses any health risks to humans.

Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/bird-flu-from-eggs-and-chicken-9277875/

Ms Alagh revealed that she applied the “100-hour rule” mindset when starting out, which enabled her to acquire abilities she never thought possible.

Beauty brand Mamaearth’s co-founder Ghazal Alagh frequently shares insightful tips on X (formerly Twitter) with her followers. Recently, she took to the microblogging site to discuss the effectiveness of the “100-hour rule” in rapidly acquiring new skills. In her post, she explained how this rule can help someone develop a skill out of their comfort zone. She revealed that she applied this mindset when starting out, which enabled her to acquire abilities she never thought possible.
“The most common question I keep getting is: ‘How do I learn something that is not in my niche?’ The answer? Apply the 100-hour rule. Commit 100 hours of deliberate practice to any new skill, and you’ll master it,” Ms Alagh wrote on X.

In the following lines, she explained how following this rule helped her. “This mindset allowed me to rapidly acquire abilities I had no idea about when I was just starting out. If you work hard and give enough time to something, you can conquer any domain,” she said.

Ms Alagh shared the post on Wednesday and since then it has accumulated more than 5,000 views and several reactions. “That’s impressive! The 100-hour rule is a game-changer. Cheers to mastering new skills through dedication and practice!” wrote one user.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/apply-100-hour-rule-mamaearth-co-founder-ghazal-alagh-on-how-to-master-new-skills-5376390

“This is very exciting because right now, there isn’t a blood marker for disorders affecting the brain.”
BALTIMORE — A pioneering new blood test is being developed to detect mental health disorders. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center researchers are hoping this blood test can identify psychiatric and neurological issues, including postpartum depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. This research illuminates a novel method of detecting disease-associated changes in the brain by analyzing genetic material found in human blood.

The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, centers on the analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood. EVs are tiny, fatty sacs filled with genetic materials like messenger RNA (mRNA), which play a crucial role in cell communication. These vesicles are released by all tissues in the body, including the brain, carrying specific pieces of mRNA that reflect the gene activity within their tissue of origin.

This research builds upon a previous Johns Hopkins Medicine study from September 2022, which observed altered EV communication in pregnant women who later developed postpartum depression.

“We only detected placenta-specific EVs during the pregnancy, and not after birth. This was a proof of concept, that we can detect EVs that are coming from a specific tissue or organ,” says study senior author Dr. Sarven Sabunciyan, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in a university release.

By examining EVs containing mRNA from lab-grown human brain tissue and comparing these findings to known brain functions and disorders, the team has identified specific mRNAs in the blood that are linked to various brain disorders. These mRNAs serve as potential biological markers for conditions that are currently diagnosed primarily through clinical interviews, thus representing a significant advancement in the field.

“This is very exciting, because right now, there isn’t a blood marker for disorders affecting the brain,” explains study co-author Dr. Lena Smirnova, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Essentially, these conditions are diagnosed by clinical interviews between patients and providers.”

The development of a blood test to detect these disorders would be a monumental step forward, allowing for early intervention and potentially preventing severe outcomes such as suicidal behavior.

The study’s methodology involved identifying brain-specific mRNAs in blood EVs and verifying their association with brain functions and disorders through extensive genetic pathway analysis. This led to the discovery of 13 mRNAs linked to postpartum depression, showcasing the potential of EV mRNAs as indicators of brain activity and pathology.

The ultimate goal of this research is to create a straightforward blood test that can detect changes in blood EV mRNA levels indicative of mental disorders, thereby providing a non-invasive, accessible diagnostic tool. Future directions for the team include applying this technique to develop tests for other conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder.

However, researchers have noted that their findings, particularly those related to depression, might be specific to postpartum depression, as the study was conducted with samples from female participants only. This highlights the need for further research to validate these biomarkers across a broader spectrum of brain disorders.

Bipolar Disorder Blood Test Under Development
Scientists have long been working to use blood tests as an easier way to diagnose various conditions. Researchers at Cambridge University have developed a novel approach to diagnosing bipolar disorder by combining an online psychiatric assessment with a blood test. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry in October, aims to address the frequent misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder as major depressive disorder, which can lead to inappropriate treatment and potential harm to patients.

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 80 million people worldwide and is characterized by extreme mood swings, including periods of low mood and mania. However, patients often seek medical attention during depressive episodes, leading to misdiagnosis in nearly 40 percent of cases. Distinguishing between bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder is crucial, as the two conditions require different pharmacological treatments.

The research team utilized samples and data from the UK’s Delta study, which involved over 3,000 participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder within the past five years and currently experiencing depressive symptoms. Participants completed an extensive online mental health assessment and provided dried blood samples for analysis of over 600 metabolites.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/blood-test-psychiatric-disorders/

It might be time to put down the glitter and find a new way to sparkle. Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil found a hazard posed by glitter: its detrimental effect on aquatic life.

Glitter, a common embellishment in apparel, makeup, and holiday decorations, is known for its brilliant shine. However, its environmental footprint is far from glamorous. Classified as an emerging pollutant, glitter contributes to the microplastics (tiny plastic fragments less than 5 millimeters in length) that evade wastewater treatment and pollute rivers and oceans. These microplastics interfere with the well-being of aquatic organisms in various ways.

The UFSCar study uncovers an additional threat. Beyond its plastic composition, glitter contains metals, such as aluminum, which can block sunlight underwater, impeding the photosynthesis and growth of aquatic plants.

The research focused on the Large-flowered waterweed (Egeria densa), an aquatic plant native to Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Macrophytes, like E. densa, are crucial for aquatic ecosystems, providing food, shelter, oxygen, and serving in biofiltration projects to cleanse water bodies. These plants are also popular in aquariums and artificial lakes for their oxygenating and aesthetic benefits.

Using laboratory experiments, the team studied the impact of glitter on E. densa. The plants were incubated in water mixed with common retail glitter, comparing their photosynthesis rates under various conditions: with and without glitter, and in the presence and absence of light.

The findings were telling. Photosynthesis rates in E. densa were 1.54 times higher without the presence of glitter. The microplastic particles diminished light availability in the water, affecting the plants’ ability to photosynthesize and respire.

“These findings support the hypothesis we began with, which was that glitter interferes with photosynthesis, possibly owing to the reflection of light by the microplastic particles’ metallic surface,” says study first author Luana Lume Yoshida, a master’s degree student in ecology and natural resources at UFSCar, in a media release.

The study emphasizes the ecological implications of glitter pollution. Not only does it physically interfere with specific aquatic species, but it also contributes to broader ecosystem disruptions and affects the food chain.

“In this experiment, we specifically observed the physical interference of glitter in a species of macrophyte, but there are better-known references in the scientific literature to water contamination and consumption of these particles by other aquatic organisms,” notes study last author Marcela Bianchessi da Cunha-Santino, principal investigator in the Bioassay and Mathematical Modeling Laboratory (LBMM) in UFSCar’s Department of Hydrobiology.

The findings prompt a call for more sustainable practices, particularly during celebratory events like Carnival, where glitter use is rampant. The study suggests that public policies should encourage the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives to mitigate these environmental impacts.

“With a robust ‘database’, we’ll be able to think about public policy to foster more conscious consumption of this type of material, but for now it’s important to warn society that changes in photosynthesis rates, however remote they may seem from our lives, are linked to other changes that affect us more directly, such as the decrease in primary production by food chains in aquatic environments [i.e. organisms at the bottom of the food chain]. If there are more sustainable alternatives to glitter, why not switch to these right away?” says study co-author Irineu Bianchini Jr., a principal investigator at LBMM.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/glitter-aquatic-life/

People with diabetes may soon have a new way of dealing with their blood sugar issues. Importantly, the solution doesn’t require injections or drugs — it uses red light.

Researchers in London discovered that applying 670 nanometers of red light to the skin increased energy production within mitochondria, the “powerhouses” of the cells. What does that have to do with lowering blood sugar levels? Study authors explain that mitochondria break down sugar to create chemical energy for cells to use.

Their study showed that the red-light stimulation increased mitochondrial function, leading to a 27.7-percent drop in blood glucose levels. Additionally, it lowered maximum glucose spiking by 7.5 percent.

“It is clear that light affects the way mitochondria function and this impacts our bodies at a cellular and physiological level. Our study has shown that we can use a single, 15-minute exposure to red light to reduce blood sugar levels after eating,” says Dr. Michael Powner, a senior lecturer in neurobiology at the School of Health & Psychological Sciences at City University London and co-author of the study, in a media release.

Previous research has shown that long-wavelength light between 650 and 900 nanometers (including the visible to near-infrared range) can increase mitochondrial production of energy. This, in turn, would require more oxygen and glucose to create energy molecules called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). According to the authors, the increase in ATP production would cause signaling changes throughout the body that would improve one’s health and lifespan.

The use of radiation light has been effective in other medical treatments. Take cancer radiation, for example. When doctors use radiation therapy to shrink a tumor, secondary tumors in other parts of the body also shrivel in size. Additionally, experiments have shown that shining a 670-nanometer light on the backs of mice with Parkinson’s and diabetic retinopathy can improve ATP production.

In the current experiment, the authors enrolled 30 healthy participants to study the impact of 670-nanometer red light on blood glucose. The participants were randomly placed in two groups: a 15-minute exposure to 670 nanometers of red light and a placebo group (15 minutes under no light). The participants were all healthy and had no metabolic conditions or taking medication.

The volunteers had to complete an oral glucose tolerance test and record their blood sugar levels every 15 minutes over the next two hours. Those exposed to red light 45 minutes before consuming glucose had a reduced peak blood glucose level and lower total blood glucose during the two-hour timeframe.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/red-light-therapy-diabetes

DENVER, Colo. — If you have a reusable bottle, you might want to wash it out right away. While these bottles are a staple in society and keep us hydrated (without creating plastic waste), an eye-opening new study reveals that millions of harmful bacteria could be tagging along with every sip.

The investigation conducted by researchers with WaterFilterGuru.com sent samples from everyday reusable water bottles to a professional lab, revealing surprising levels of bacterial contamination. The study identified two main types of bacteria: gram-negative rods and bacillus. The former is particularly concerning due to its increasing resistance to antibiotics, posing a significant infection risk. Meanwhile, bacillus bacteria could lead to uncomfortable gastrointestinal issues.

In terms of sheer numbers, the average reusable water bottle was found to contain a staggering 20.8 million colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria. To put this into perspective, a sink faucet had around 30 million CFUs, indicating that the bottles are as germy as items directly interacting with water sources.

The study went further, comparing the bacterial load of water bottles with other household objects, and the findings might make you rethink your cleaning priorities. Surprisingly, reusable water bottles harbored more germs than a toilet seat, pet bowls, and even the notoriously dirty kitchen sink, known as one of the germiest places in a home. The comparison showed that an average bottle could be 40,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat.

The research also delved into the cleaning habits of Americans regarding their water bottles. While the majority claimed to wash their bottles daily, a significant portion admitted to less frequent cleaning, potentially allowing bacteria and mold to flourish.

Only 13 percent of Americans admit to only cleaning their water bottles a few times a month. The study emphasizes the importance of daily washing and weekly sanitizing of water bottles, especially under certain conditions like illness or when using the bottle for drinks other than water.

Beyond the bottle itself, the survey highlights the critical aspect of the water quality being consumed. Even the cleanest bottles can’t protect against contaminants in the water, underscoring the need for home water testing and filtration to ensure the water filling these bottles is safe and clean.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/reusable-water-bottles-bacteria/

Make these changes to eliminate your time-wasting habits.

If you seem to waste time each day, even if you’re ambitious and want to get lots done, you’re not alone.

Here are 8 tiny habits of people who always achieve their goals:

1. They focus on their next three.

You’re holding the things you think you need to get done in your head all at once. This overwhelms you. But it’s in the mind. In reality, all we ever have is the one thing right in front of us. So pay attention to the delicious beauty of the present moment. Identify your next 1–3 priorities. Don’t think them. Write them down. That’s all you need to know to have a fighting chance of being one of the most productive people you and I know.

2. They make friends with boredom.

So many of us get one whiff of boredom, break into a sweat, and immediately throw on Netflix. Then we proudly shout from the rooftops: “I’m rarely bored! Look at me! I’m living my best life!’ But you’re missing out on creating marvelous things for the world to enjoy. Boredom is vital. It’s the beginning of insight if you have the balls to sit with it for more than a second. Breathe through the boredom, then watch as your creative juices transform from a crawl to a torrent.

3. They reconfirm their macrovision.

A big issue with time-wasting is that we don’t know what on God’s Green Earth we’re supposed to be doing with our time. Newsflash: neither does anyone else. That isn’t coming to your door, gift-wrapped with a personal note from Jeff Bezos. You need to design your vision and check in with it daily. So consider this: What are five super-dope, awesome things you’d love to create within the next five years? Now you’re tapping into some soul stuff. This is nourishment. Return here often, and you’ll grow to love that little rush you get behind your belly button because you’re working on something meaningful.

4. They optimize their minds.

I’m talking about becoming a king at getting out of the way of our thoughts. It’s insane how much time we waste worrying. Too many of us are continually bombarded by our lies, our stories, and our insecure thoughts. To optimize your mind means understanding you can’t do anything about the stuff you can’t control. It means getting into the habit of letting go of pesky thoughts that aren’t serving you and revisiting the flow of the moment.

5. They maintain steady blood sugar.

I dumped most of the carbs from my diet, including gluten, donuts, and sugar. It’s amazing how this has impacted my energy levels. Carbs that spike blood sugar make us all kinds of agitated and sleepy. These ups and downs throughout the day aren’t conducive to productive and sustained output. It makes a huge difference. Know what you’re eating and what it’s doing to your insulin levels. Now, for the most part, I have a steady flow of energy that enables me to do more without grinding my teeth. Reduce the bad carbs at least and see what this does for your energy.

6. They optimize their environment for focus.

When we optimize the mind, our energy goes up, and we use our time better because we’re not wound up. In the same way, we can make significant changes to our environment to improve our focus. Turning off all notifications is one tiny example of many. If it’s too hot, for example, I end up procrastinating and feeling agitated. List out five things in your environment that take away from your effectiveness. You might be surprised at how much can improve by subtracting those things that throw you off balance.

Source : https://www.yourtango.com/self/tiny-habits-people-always-reach-their-goals

In a fascinating discovery that sounds like it’s straight out of a fairy tale, scientists in Karnataka, India have discovered a rare phenomenon: a mushroom growing from the side of a living frog. Researchers made this unusual observation in June 2023, sparking curiosity and wonder among the scientific community and beyond.

The frog, spotted in the lush landscapes of Mala Karkala, Karnataka, appeared to be healthy and active despite its unique condition. The mushroom, identified as a Bonnet Mushroom (Mycena sp.), typically thrives on rotting wood, not living creatures. What makes this truly special is that this is the first recorded occurrence of a mushroom sprouting from a living amphibian, presenting a curious intersection between the animal and fungal kingdoms.

“We encountered about 40 Rao’s Intermediate Golden-backed Frogs in a small roadside rainwater-fed pond. One individual perched on a twig had a dis-tinct outgrowth on its left flank. A closer examination clearly revealed a mushroom sprouting from its side,” the team writes in the journal Reptiles & Amphibians.

Fungi, including mushrooms, play essential roles in ecosystems, from breaking down organic matter to forming symbiotic relationships with plants. However, some fungi can be parasitic. In amphibians, the notorious fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has caused widespread disease and decline in populations. Yet, the discovery in Karnataka offers a more benign, if not bewildering, example of fungal-animal interaction.

“Recent studies have shown that this amphibian killer is present in low levels in all of the frog hotspots across India,” the team adds.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/mushroom-growing-frog/

Athletes, entertainers, and bodybuilders have used anabolic steroids for decades to build up levels of muscle mass that just wouldn’t be possible by simply eating right and working out often. While the use of such substances has long been associated with health issues, particularly of the cardiovascular variety, new research from the University of Birmingham is adding yet another reason to take an all-natural approach to fitness: heart health.

Scientists say that among individuals with an existing predisposition, taking testosterone may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. An interdisciplinary consortium of clinicians and researchers led by the University of Birmingham, in addition to a team of collaborators in Germany, conducted this project.

The research team uncovered that male sex hormones (like testosterone), also referred to as androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS), appear capable of increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation in individuals genetically predisposed to heart disease. Steroids are frequently abused to build large muscles, especially among young men.

“Our study can significantly contribute to understanding the impact on the heart health of young men who misuse anabolic steroids to increase muscle mass. Recent reports have shown that young men in particular are being targeted on social media such as TikTok being sold testosterone products, but we have shown how the misuse of steroids carries a specific risk that many people will not be aware of,” says lead study author Dr. Laura Sommerfeld, Postdoctoral Researcher at the UKE Hamburg, who completed her PhD at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham focusing on this work, in a media release.

“Heart muscle diseases like ARVC affect young, athletic individuals and can lead to life-threatening heart rhythm disturbances. Atrial fibrillation is a common condition in the general population. Elevated testosterone levels can result in an earlier onset of these diseases,” adds Professor Larissa Fabritz, Chair of Inherited Cardiac Conditions at UKE Hamburg and Honorary Chair in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham.

Study authors worked to examine any and all potential effects on a condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which is primarily attributed to disruptions in the formation of cell connections critical to the stability of heart muscles.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/anabolic-steroids-testosterone-heart-disease

A huge chunk of remote, undeveloped land off the western coast of Chile is seeking a new owner — and an adventurous one, at that.

The pristine property, known as Virgin Island, offers the chance to be a steward of a sprawling expanse of land and sea in the stunning Patagonian Archipelago.

The private island — which, at more than 110,000 deeded acres, is half the size of Hong Kong, more than seven times larger than Manhattan and bigger than all the Florida Keys combined — is listed with Jeff Buerger of Hall and Hall, and seeks $35 million, Mansion Global first reported.

“While islands in general aren’t for everyone, to find an island this size, featuring an abundance of coastline, freshwater, raw beauty, privacy and seclusion is rare,” Buerger told The Post of Virgin Island, adding that the area is entirely untouched, thus presenting a great “opportunity to build.”

Indeed, the swath of Andean wilderness boasts a wide variety of topography, including more than 150 miles of coastline, 80 lagoons, three large lakes, “high mountains dipping into deep valleys,” lush jungles and low sandbanks. But it does not yet feature a single house.

There are, however, peatlands (or, “turba,” as they’re known locally), wetlands and numerous native forests.

In addition to being stunning, the diverse ecosystem serves to protect the area from environmental change, as do the neighboring islands, fjords and canals of calm waters that surround it.

“The Andes Mountains — the longest mountain range on the planet — extend across the entire length of the Virgin Island, acting as a climatic screen and the territory’s natural insulator,” the listing describes, noting that the “Wildlife exists untouched as it was thousands of years ago.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2024/02/16/real-estate/enormous-and-untouched-patagonian-island-lists-for-35m

Have you ever experienced that moment when you make eye contact with someone in a crowded place? It’s a fascinating phenomenon that happens in just a fraction of a second. But have you ever wondered what actually goes on in our minds during that eye contact? Well, researchers at the University of Würzburg, led by Professor Anne Böckler-Raettig are studying this and have uncovered some intriguing information about how we process gazes and facial expressions.

“We were able to show that the emotional expressions of faces influence how their gazes shape our attention,” explains Dr. Christina Breil, the first author of the study, in a university release.

For instance, joyful and angry expressions, which both signal an approach-oriented emotion, draw our attention when there is eye contact. On the other hand, expressions associated with avoidance-oriented emotions like disgust or fear attract more attention when the gaze is averted.

In a previous study, the team discovered that neutral faces looking directly at observers are particularly attention-grabbing. Participants were presented with images of faces on a screen and had to react quickly when specific letters appeared on those faces. The results showed that participants recognized the letters faster when they appeared on a face looking directly at them, demonstrating the power of eye contact in capturing attention.

So, what happens when emotional facial expressions are combined with gaze direction? The researchers hypothesized that congruence between the expression and gaze direction in terms of approach or avoidance would have a strong impact. For example, a happy face looking at you is congruent because joy is an approach-oriented emotion, while a disgusted face looking away is also congruent.

To investigate this further, the team modified their study. They changed the facial expressions from neutral to approach or avoidance emotions such as anger, fear, joy, or disgust. The results were clear: participants reacted fastest when happy faces followed neutral ones and made direct eye contact. However, when the facial expression changed to disgust, the reaction time was faster when the gaze was averted.

To gain a deeper understanding, the researchers also measured participants’ eye movements. The eye movement patterns confirmed the previous results, showing that participants looked faster and longer at faces expressing joy and making direct eye contact, while disgusted faces that looked away attracted quicker attention.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/whats-going-on-in-your-brain-during-eye-contact/

In the digital world of endless comparisons, a thought-provoking study by a team at Ruhr University Bochum reveals a startling truth: materialism on social media fuels stress and diminishes happiness. This research, conducted through an online survey of over 1,200 participants, highlights the unique way social media perpetuates materialistic attitudes and the subsequent impact on mental health.

Led by Dr. Phillip Ozimek, the study defines materialism as the importance people attach to worldly possessions. On social media, this is often manifested through posts showcasing expensive items, luxurious vacations, or a seemingly perfect lifestyle. Facebook and Instagram have become breeding grounds for showing off. As users incessantly compare their lives with others, showcasing clothes, cars, and luxurious lifestyles, they fall into a trap of materialistic desire. This constant comparison, especially through passive use, spirals into a relentless pursuit for more, igniting a cycle of dissatisfaction.

Conducted with a diverse group of participants, the survey analyzed the social media behaviors and psychological states of individuals, focusing on their materialistic posts. The study employed six questionnaires to understand the participants’ materialistic attitudes, social media habits, stress levels, and life satisfaction. The participants, averaging over two hours a day on social media, revealed a clear pattern: higher levels of materialism on social media are associated with lower life satisfaction, increased stress symptoms, and a higher risk of social media addiction. This suggests that the pursuit of material wealth, when displayed on social media, can have detrimental effects on mental health.

“The data showed that a stronger materialistic approach goes hand in hand with a tendency to compare oneself with others,” Ozimek explains in a media release. “By this we mean, for example, that users are constantly thinking about the respective channels and fear that they are missing out on something if they are not online.”

The study’s implications extend beyond numbers and charts. It suggests a worrying trend where individuals seeking validation through materialistic displays on social media might be sacrificing their mental peace and happiness.

Social media addiction is characterized by compulsive use of social media platforms, often at the expense of other activities. Stress symptoms can range from anxiety to physical manifestations like headaches or fatigue. What’s clear is that social media may cause far more harm to users than good.

“Social media is one of six stepping stones to unhappiness,” says Ozimek.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/materialism-social-media-crisis/

Fasting may help reduce inflammation – creating a potential cure-all for multiple diseases, a new study explains. Inflammation, while a natural response to injury or infection, can also erupt due to a multiprotein known as inflammasome. Researchers in the United Kingdom now warn that inflammasome has a link to chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Type 2 Diabetes.

Experts from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health, reveal that fasting or calorie restriction can decrease the activity of inflammasome. This reduction occurs by increasing levels of arachidonic acid in the blood, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

“What’s become apparent over recent years is that one inflammasome in particular – the NLRP3 inflammasome – is very important in several major diseases such as obesity and atherosclerosis, but also in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which mostly affect older age people in the Western world,” explains Professor Bryant from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Medicine in a media release.

“Our research provides a potential explanation for how changing our diet – in particular by fasting – protects us from inflammation, especially the damaging form that underpins many diseases related to a Western high-calorie diet.”

The study involved 21 volunteers who consumed a 500-calorie meal, fasted for 24 hours, and then ate another 500-calorie meal. Results indicate that calorie restriction elevated arachidonic acid levels, thereby diminishing the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome. However, these levels decreased once the participants resumed eating, leading to less protection against inflammation.

This research sheds light on the longstanding knowledge that a high-calorie Western diet can heighten the risk of inflammation-related diseases.

“There could be a yin and yang effect going on here, whereby too much of the wrong thing is increasing your inflammasome activity and too little is decreasing it,” says Prof. Bryant. “Arachidonic acid could be one way in which this is happening.”

The researchers caution it is premature to claim that fasting is a preventative measure for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“It’s too early to say whether fasting protects against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but our work adds to a growing amount of scientific literature that points to the health benefits of calorie restriction,” Prof. Bryant notes. “It suggests that regular fasting over a long period could help reduce the chronic inflammation we associate with these conditions. It’s certainly an attractive idea.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/fasting-cure-alzheimers-diabetes/

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 has issued a stark warning: misinformation and disinformation, primarily driven by deepfakes, are ranked as the most severe global short-term risks the world faces in the next two years. In October 2023, the Innovation council of Québec shared the same realization after months of consultations with experts and the public. This digital deception, which leverages artificial intelligence and, more recently generative AI, to create hyper-realistic fabrications, extends beyond being a technological marvel; it poses a profound societal threat.

In response to the gap in effectively combating deepfakes with technology and legislation alone, a research project led by my team and I sheds light on a vital solution: human intervention through education.

Technological solutions alone are inadequate
Despite ongoing development of deepfake detection tools, these technological solutions are racing to catch up with the rapidly advancing capabilities of deepfake algorithms.

Legal systems and governments are struggling to keep pace with this swift advancement of digital deception.

There is an urgent need for education to adopt a more serious, aggressive and strategic approach in equipping youth to combat this imminent threat.

Political disinformation concerns
The potential for political polarization is particularly alarming. Nearly three billion people are expected to vote in countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States within the next two years. Disinformation campaigns threaten to undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments.

Deepfakes of prominent figures like Palestinian American supermodel Bella Hadid and others have been manipulated to falsify their political statements, exemplifying the technology’s capacity to sway public opinion and skew political narratives.

A deepfake of Greta Thunberg advocating for “vegan grenades” highlights the nefarious use of this technology.

Meta’s unveiling of an AI assistant featuring celebrities’ likenesses raises concerns about misuse and spreading disinformation.

Financial fraud, pornographic harms
Deepfake videos are also, unsurprisingly, being leveraged to commit financial fraud.

The popular YouTuber MrBeast was impersonated in a deepfake scam on TikTok, falsely promising an iPhone 15 giveaway that led to financial deceit. These incidents highlight vulnerability to sophisticated AI-driven frauds and scams targeting people of all ages.

Deepfake pornography represents a grave concern for young people and adults alike, where individuals’ faces are non-consensually superimposed onto explicit content. Sexually explicit deepfake images of Taylor Swift spread on social media before platforms took them down. One was viewed over 45 million times.

Policy and technology approaches
Meta’s policy now mandates political advertisers to disclose any AI manipulation in ads, a move mirrored by Google. Neil Zhang, a PhD student at the University of Rochester, is developing detection tools for audio deepfakes, including advanced algorithms and watermarking techniques.

The U.S. has introduced several acts: the Deepfakes Accountability Act of 2023, the No AI FRAUD Act safeguarding identities against AI misuse and the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act targeting non-consensual pornographic deepfakes.

In Canada, legislators have proposed Bill C-27 and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) which emphasize AI transparency and data privacy.

The United Kingdom adopted its Online Safety Bill. The EU recently announced a provisional deal surrounding its AI Act; the EU’s AI Liability Directive addresses broader online safety and AI regulation issues.

The Indian government announced plans to draft regulations targeting deepfakes.

These measures reflect growing global commitments to curbing the pernicious effects of deepfakes. However, these efforts are insufficient to contain, let alone stop, the proliferation of deepfake dissemination.

Research study with youth
Research I have conducted with colleagues, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Canadian Heritage, unveils how empowering youth with digital agency can be a force against the rising tide of disinformation fueled by deepfake and artificial intelligence technologies.

Our study focused on how youth perceive the impact of deepfakes on critical issues and their own process of constructing knowledge in digital contexts. We explored their capacity and willingness to effectively counterbalance disinformation.

The study brought together Canadian university students, aged 18 to 24, for a series of hands-on workshops, in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions. Participants created deepfakes, gaining a firsthand understanding of easy access to and use of this technology and its potential for misuse. This experiential learning proved invaluable in demystifying how easily deepfakes are generated.

Participants initially perceived deepfakes as an uncontrollable and inevitable part of the digital landscape.

Through engagement and discussion, they went from being passive deepfake bystanders to developing a deeper realization of their grave threat. Critically, they also developed a sense of responsibility in preventing and mitigating deepfakes’ spread, and a readiness to counter deepfakes.

Students shared recommendations for concrete actions, including urging educational systems to empower youth and help them recognize their actions can make a difference. This includes:

• teaching the detrimental effects of disinformation on society;
• providing spaces for youth to reflect on and challenge societal norms, inform them about social media policies and outlining permissible and prohibited content;
• training students in recognizing deepfakes through exposure to the technology behind them;
• encouraging involvement in meaningful causes while staying alert to disinformation and guiding youth in respectfully and productively countering disinformation.

Based on our research and the participants’ recommendations, we propose a multifaceted strategy to counter the proliferation of deepfakes.

Deepfake education needs to be integrated into educational curricula, along with nurturing critical thinking and digital agency in our youth. Youth need to be encouraged in active, yet safe, well-informed and strategic, participation in the fight against malicious deepfakes in digital spaces.

We emphasize the importance of hands-on collaborative learning experiences. We also advocate for an interdisciplinary educational approach that marries technology, psychology, media studies and ethics to fully grasp the implications of deepfakes.

Source:https://studyfinds.org/deepfake-education/

Research has soundly disproven the persistent myth that kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) “grow out of it.” Now, new research is revealing an alarming aspect of ADHD – adults can “grow into it.” It’s looking like the culprit causing this is man-made – a product of the technological extravaganza we currently live with. Simply put, you can acquire ADHD.

ADHD is a mental health disorder that usually begins in childhood, with a short attention span, compulsive and impulsive activity, and social problems being the typical symptoms. Most kids with ADHD will still have impairments as adults and will need some form of supportive management.

ADHD in adults looks different from the condition in children, including issues like:

• Poor time management
• Disorganization
• Fits of rage
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of motivation
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Poor self-image
• Dysfunctional relationships

These symptoms vary from mild to very severe.

Concerningly, diagnoses of ADHD are becoming more common among adults. The number of adults with ADHD has spiked from 4.4 percent in 2003 to 6.3 percent in 2020.

A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that frequent digital media use involving social media, gaming, texting, and streaming movies, music, or TV increases an adult’s risk of developing ADHD symptoms by about 10 percent. Other research supports that finding.

“It is legitimate to look at the possibility of acquired attention deficit,” says John Ratey, a physician, neuropsychiatrist, and an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, in an article in National Geographic.

Ratey notes that people today feel pressure to multitask and are bombarded by constant technological stimulation and screen addiction.

“These could potentially lead to a shorter attention span,” Ratey adds.

The link between using technology and attention problems could also be attributed to the fact that people who constantly use technology take fewer breaks to allow their brains to rest in their default mode.

“For a long time, the association between ADHD and heavy online use was a chicken-and-egg question in our field: Do people become heavy online consumers because they have ADHD and online life betters suits their attention span, or do they develop ADHD as a result of excessive online consumption?” explains Elias Aboujaoude, a behavioral psychiatrist and chief of the Anxiety Disorders Section at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Source:https://studyfinds.org/technology-adult-adhd/

In an era where financial management is key to achieving financial goals, the search for the best budgeting apps has become increasingly crucial. As individuals strive to take control of their finances, these apps offer user-friendly interfaces and powerful features to help users track expenses, set savings goals, and gain valuable insights into their spending patterns. From intuitive budgeting tools to expense categorization and real-time transaction tracking, this article explores the best budgeting apps that empower users to navigate their financial journey with ease and efficiency.

It happens to all of us: we spend and soon wonder where our money went. It’s as if our bank account has a slow leak. It’s helpful to see where the money goes but relying on our mind’s eye isn’t ideal. Mental tracking isn’t a reliable form of budgeting. This is where the use of a budgeting app is helpful.

The ability to create and separate expense categories and to see down to the cent where money is going allows for better money management. A good budgeting app will set up multiple expense categories so that you can better direct your funds. Not only that, but you may want an app that connects to your financial institutions so that numbers are updated in real time giving you an accurate financial picture each time you open the app.

Ready to strategize your spending? Here is the list of the consensus best budgeting apps most recommended across 13 financial expert reviews. Of course, we want to hear which app works best for you. Comment below to tell us which budgeting app has helped you master your money!

These Budgeting Apps Will Save The Day… and Your Money
1. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB aims to “change your money mindset” according to their website. Their philosophy is based on four rules:

1. Give Every Dollar a Job
2. Embrace Your True Expenses
3. Roll With the Punches
4. Age Your Money.

Their website explains each of these rules in detail, but they tout their app as being like no other budgeting app. Investopedia likes how you can sync the app to your bank accounts, import from a file, or manually enter each transaction you make. They provide video courses, live workshops, and guides to help you get started. This may be a good option if you want to plan ahead rather than see your financial picture after the fact.

If you’re looking for an app to download and start using right away this may not be the one. The Ascent warns that there is a greater learning curve and more of a time commitment required for YNAB. That is for a reason, though. It is geared for people who truly want more control over their money. If you struggle with debt or living paycheck to paycheck, the reward may be worth the initial effort.

If you’re looking for an app that, in addition to budgeting, also focuses on investments and saving for retirement, this may be the one.

Forbes thinks highly of this app, writing, “Personal Capital earns the top spot on our best budgeting apps list for its outstanding reporting options, desktop capabilities, investment management platform and spending tracking. Owned by Empower Retirement, Personal Capital gives a holistic view of customers’ entire financial picture, from day-to-day spending to tracking portfolio performance.” And for more about the investment features of the app, they write, “it also has excellent advisory tools, including an investment checkup, investment fee analyzer, financial planning, cash flow tracking, education cost planning and real time net worth tracking.”

Not all budgeting apps will connect to brokerage or retirement accounts, but not to worry with this app. ZD Net loves the exclusive Retirement Planner tool that helps you view your 401K, IRAs, and any debt you have. With this app, everything is in one place.

So, with this app you can be sure that bills are covered while also paying down debts and saving for retirement. Not too bad for a free app that also offers a desktop version.

3. PocketGuard

According to their website, PocketGuard is the top budgeting app for college students and over-spenders. If you’re a person that gets hit with overdraft fees, this may be a good app to consider. The free version of this app offers basic budgeting, but if you want more features you’ll have to upgrade to the paid premium version.

And how does the app work? It takes you estimated income, expenses, and saving goals into account. Then with the “In My Pocket” feature, it shows you how much you should be spending everyday, according to CNBC.

If you’re looking for plug and play, this may be the app. The Balance likes how easy it is to set up and connect to your accounts. And for some great features: “PocketGuard even has a feature to help you track each individual bill and find opportunities to save. It looks out for recurring bills from phone, TV, and Internet companies, which may help you to find cheaper options. It can also help you find subscriptions you forgot you had and give you ideas of what you might want to cancel,” writes The Balance.

4. Goodbudget

This app brings an old school method into the digital age. It uses an “Envelop Budgeting” method where your money gets divided among different expense categories or “envelopes.” This way you have money set aside for specific expenses and the money in those envelopes can only be used toward the expense for which they were created.

And according to Money, this app links to saving, checking, or credit card accounts, loans, or investment accounts, making it effortless. You can even share your budgets and upcoming bills with friends.

There is a free and paid version of this app. Nerdwallet writes, “Goodbudget offers a free version that allows one account, two devices and limited envelopes. Its paid version, Goodbudget Plus, allows unlimited envelopes and accounts, up to five devices and other perks.”

So, if you’re a little old fashioned but not too old fashioned to use an app, this one may appeal.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/best-budgeting-apps/

It’s the small, everyday wins that can motivate us to do bigger things—so long as we take stock of them

Samantha Duenas’s plans for a busy Monday last fall went sideways from almost the minute she woke up. First she discovered the dog had been sick inside the house. Then she missed an appointment to tour a preschool for her daughter while tending to her sick pet.

Later, she took a moment to do something to help feel less overwhelmed: write down all that she’d gotten done that day. Her list soon totaled more than two dozen minor feats, among them walking the dog, making breakfast, running 3 miles, washing her hair and doing dishes.

Viewed that way, her day seemed wildly productive. “As a mom, I think that every day, you just don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Duenas, 39, a DJ in Los Angeles who also writes a newsletter about motherhood.

Few of us start the day without a to-do list, but they can hurt as much as they help. For every item checked off, another hits an unexpected obstacle and two more tasks get added. By the end of the day, our to-do list is often longer than it was in the morning, deflating any sense of progress.

Taking the opposite tack—a “done” list—can give you that burst of motivation that to-do lists sometimes fail to inspire, die-hard practitioners say. Instead of obsessing over what you still have to do, take an inventory of everything you’ve already done.

The idea is to recognize small wins, no matter how mundane. Together, they can add up to a greater sense of achievement, says Gretchen Rubin, who has written books about happiness and forming good habits.

Rubin calls hers a “ta-da” list. At the end of every year she and some friends gather to write them. They get out pads of paper, review their calendars, and compare notes about progress they’ve made toward their goals.

“You remind yourself of how much you’ve already accomplished, which is often really surprisingly easy to forget,” she says.

Small wins drive performance

Often we try to motivate ourselves by focusing on a big, long-term goal like getting a new job or a new place to live. Trouble is, big accomplishments don’t happen every day, says Teresa Amabile, a Harvard Business School professor who co-wrote “The Progress Principle,” a book about finding joy in small victories at work. And long-term goals can leave room for discouragement to set in.

Smaller doses of progress can motivate us to do bigger things, she says, adding that managers can harness the principle, too. In a study, Amabile and her co-researcher, Steven Kramer (who is also her husband), asked more than 200 white-collar workers to write daily diary entries about the work they did, their emotions and other details about their workdays. The diaries showed that making progress on a meaningful goal was the most common factor when people reported feeling happy in their work lives, which, in turn, is a key performance driver. Even an incremental step forward counted.

“People love to make progress,” Amabile says. In her own life, she takes a couple minutes each night to jot down a few examples of progress she’s made in a journal, whether it’s working on a book manuscript or writing a note to a former teacher.

Amy Colbert, 52, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, has been working on a research project with a graduate student for almost two years. To keep it from feeling like an endless slog of surveys and data-crunching, she has broken the project into smaller phases for each semester, and notes in her paper planner when she makes progress on each one.

“It’s much easier to get up the next day and start again when you can see the progress that you’ve made, even on busy or not ideal days,” she says. She has been tracking her daily work for much of the past decade.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/your-to-do-list-is-sabotaging-you-try-this-instead-3c0ce4f8?reflink=integratedwebview_share

At some point, everyone has been ambushed by the sudden and uninvited hiccup. The involuntary contraction of the diaphragm causes your vocal cords to close briefly, producing the telltale “hic” sound. While hiccups are usually short-lived, they often strike at inconvenient times. Many cures have been handed down for generations, ranging from quirky folk remedies — like thumping someone on the back — to more science-backed techniques, such as raising carbon dioxide levels in your blood. To help battle these annoying occurrences, StudyFinds has compiled a list of the best cures for hiccups.

Growing up, I was always told to drink from a glass upside-down (something some people still can’t figure out), have someone scare me, or hold my breath. While no “cure” works 100 percent of the time, there are self-treatments that seem to work more consistently. Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio created the first device designed to cure hiccups, according to a recent study. First known as FISST (forced inspiratory suction and swallow tool) and now known as the HiccAway Hiccup Straw, the tool successfully treated over 90 percent of hiccup cases much better than the traditional paper bag method!

Which hiccup remedies are the most prevalent? We’ve put together a list of the best hiccup cures that 12 medical experts believe work better than others. Some may be familiar, while others may seem a little unconventional. Did we miss one of your favorite remedies? Let us know in the comments below!

If your hiccups last longer than 48 hours, please contact your doctor.

The List: Best Cures for Hiccups, According to Experts
1. HiccAway Hiccup Straw

The HiccAway Hiccup Straw is the first straw-like device ever designed to cure the hiccups. Developed by San Antonio doctor Ali Seifi, the tool was formerly known as a Forced Inspiratory Suction and Swallow Tool or FISST. The company behind the straw says it works by “activating the two main nerves responsible for the hiccups.” But does it do what it says it does? According to Prevention, users can’t get enough of it. “Yes! Scientists and TikTok users agree the HiccAway is an effective way to get rid of hiccups instantly.”

A research letter published in the journal JAMA showed that 90 percent of people who have used it favor it more than other home remedies. Many home remedies “lack clear, standardized instructions and can be cumbersome to perform, and there are few, if any, scientific studies of their effectiveness.” Essentially, people are unable to perform physical-type maneuvers to stop their hiccups.

One Amazon reviewer called the HiccAway Hiccup Straw one of the best things to ever happen to them, since they no longer suffer hiccups for hours on end. “It works within moments to stop the spasm, you can feel the cool wash through your chest and throat.”

2. Alter Your Breathing

There are many variations on this piece of advice to cure the hiccups. Healthline recommends those dealing with hiccups to breathe in for a count of five and then out for a count of five. You can try inhaling a big gulp of air and hold it for 10 to 20 seconds before breathing out slowly. Another potential remedy is using the good-old paper bag trick by putting a lunch bag over your mouth and nose and slowly breathe in and out. Make sure to never use a plastic bag while trying this.

Medical News Today also suggests something similar but slightly different. Their experts say people should try inhaling and holding your breath for 10 seconds and gradually release the air. Do this three to four times. If the hiccups still occur, try it again in 20 minutes.

WikiHow has another maneuver to use to alter your breathing. They say people should take a deep breath by inhaling slowly. After doing so, make sure to plug your nose, close your mouth and hold your breath. Start gently breathing out like you were filling up a balloon. Doing so triggers your diaphragm and muscles to think you’re breathing. Lastly, open your mouth and slowly exhale. Hopefully that stops your annoying hiccups.

3. Hug Your Knees

Many experts suggest “hugging your knees” to stop the vicious cycle of the hiccups. Verywell Health notes that pulling your knees up to your chest puts pressure on the diaphragm. Doing so may cause it to stop contracting. You should use this technique while lying on your back with your knees bent. Pull your knees toward your chest and “hold for up to a minute.”

Healthline also endorses this method. However, they suggest sitting down in a comfortable place, bringing your knees to your chest and leaning forward. “This also compresses the chest by putting pressure on the diaphragm.”

As far as how long you should do so, Your Tango recommends hugging your knees to your chest for two to three minutes.

4. Eat Certain Foods

Does a spoonful of sugar help the hiccups go away? According to Insider, it does! A study conducted in 1971 found that eating a small amount of granulated sugar cured the hiccups in 19 out of 20 patients — a whopping 95 percent. Swallowing sugar stimulates the vagus nerve, which stops hiccups.

Another method is eating a spoonful of peanut butter. Because both sugar and peanut butter don’t go down easily, they require suction to gradually go down your throat, CNN.com explains. The forceful suction activates the swallowing muscles and the vagus nerve.

Verywell Health says sucking on a lemon also stimulates the vagus nerve. WikiHow notes, “The sudden sour taste of the lemon can cause a similar startling reaction as someone scaring you.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/best-hiccups-cures/

In an era where financial management is key to achieving financial goals, the search for the best budgeting apps has become increasingly crucial. As individuals strive to take control of their finances, these apps offer user-friendly interfaces and powerful features to help users track expenses, set savings goals, and gain valuable insights into their spending patterns. From intuitive budgeting tools to expense categorization and real-time transaction tracking, this article explores the best budgeting apps that empower users to navigate their financial journey with ease and efficiency.

It happens to all of us: we spend and soon wonder where our money went. It’s as if our bank account has a slow leak. It’s helpful to see where the money goes but relying on our mind’s eye isn’t ideal. Mental tracking isn’t a reliable form of budgeting. This is where the use of a budgeting app is helpful.

The ability to create and separate expense categories and to see down to the cent where money is going allows for better money management. A good budgeting app will set up multiple expense categories so that you can better direct your funds. Not only that, but you may want an app that connects to your financial institutions so that numbers are updated in real time giving you an accurate financial picture each time you open the app.

Ready to strategize your spending? Here is the list of the consensus best budgeting apps most recommended across 13 financial expert reviews. Of course, we want to hear which app works best for you. Comment below to tell us which budgeting app has helped you master your money!

These Budgeting Apps Will Save The Day… and Your Money
1. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB aims to “change your money mindset” according to their website. Their philosophy is based on four rules:

1. Give Every Dollar a Job
2. Embrace Your True Expenses
3. Roll With the Punches
4. Age Your Money.

Their website explains each of these rules in detail, but they tout their app as being like no other budgeting app. Investopedia likes how you can sync the app to your bank accounts, import from a file, or manually enter each transaction you make. They provide video courses, live workshops, and guides to help you get started. This may be a good option if you want to plan ahead rather than see your financial picture after the fact.

If you’re looking for an app to download and start using right away this may not be the one. The Ascent warns that there is a greater learning curve and more of a time commitment required for YNAB. That is for a reason, though. It is geared for people who truly want more control over their money. If you struggle with debt or living paycheck to paycheck, the reward may be worth the initial effort.

2. Personal Capital by Empower

If you’re looking for an app that, in addition to budgeting, also focuses on investments and saving for retirement, this may be the one.

Forbes thinks highly of this app, writing, “Personal Capital earns the top spot on our best budgeting apps list for its outstanding reporting options, desktop capabilities, investment management platform and spending tracking. Owned by Empower Retirement, Personal Capital gives a holistic view of customers’ entire financial picture, from day-to-day spending to tracking portfolio performance.” And for more about the investment features of the app, they write, “it also has excellent advisory tools, including an investment checkup, investment fee analyzer, financial planning, cash flow tracking, education cost planning and real time net worth tracking.”

Not all budgeting apps will connect to brokerage or retirement accounts, but not to worry with this app. ZD Net loves the exclusive Retirement Planner tool that helps you view your 401K, IRAs, and any debt you have. With this app, everything is in one place.

So, with this app you can be sure that bills are covered while also paying down debts and saving for retirement. Not too bad for a free app that also offers a desktop version.

3. PocketGuard

According to their website, PocketGuard is the top budgeting app for college students and over-spenders. If you’re a person that gets hit with overdraft fees, this may be a good app to consider. The free version of this app offers basic budgeting, but if you want more features you’ll have to upgrade to the paid premium version.

And how does the app work? It takes you estimated income, expenses, and saving goals into account. Then with the “In My Pocket” feature, it shows you how much you should be spending everyday, according to CNBC.

If you’re looking for plug and play, this may be the app. The Balance likes how easy it is to set up and connect to your accounts. And for some great features: “PocketGuard even has a feature to help you track each individual bill and find opportunities to save. It looks out for recurring bills from phone, TV, and Internet companies, which may help you to find cheaper options. It can also help you find subscriptions you forgot you had and give you ideas of what you might want to cancel,” writes The Balance.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/best-budgeting-apps/

Breastfeeding children for more than six months may lead to them having less body fat when they turn nine years of age. A recent study finds that delaying the introduction of sugary drinks until young children are at least 18 months may decrease the risk of childhood obesity.

The results reveal that children breastfed for six months or longer had a significantly lower percentage of body fat nearly nine years later compared to those breastfed for shorter durations or not at all. Similarly, children who did not consume sugary beverages until after 18 months showed a lower fat mass at age nine.

The research team from the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed data from over 700 mother-child pairs participating in the Healthy Start study. This U.S.-based study examines how a mother’s lifestyle and environment during pregnancy can influence her child’s growth and development.

At the outset, the mothers’ average age was 29, with 51 percent of their children being males. During interviews conducted when their children were six and 18 months-old, respectively, the mothers provided details about their feeding practices. This included the duration of breastfeeding, when they introduced formula, and the age they began giving their children complementary foods and fizzy drinks.

Most infants (65%) were breastfed for at least six months. Almost three-quarters (73%) began eating complementary foods at five months or later, and over four-fifths (86%) first tasted fizzy drinks after 18 months.

“In this study, we aimed to expand on this prior research by examining associations of infant feeding practices with a more precise measure of childhood adiposity (percent fat mass),” says Dr. Catherine Cohen, the study’s lead researcher from the University of Colorado, in a media release.

Researchers assessed the children’s body fat percentage twice during the study, first at an average age of five and then at nine. Their findings indicate that although infant feeding patterns didn’t correlate with body fat percentages at age five, those introduced early to sugary drinks and breastfed for shorter durations had a more rapid increase in body fat between the two assessments.

By age nine, infants breastfed for under six months exhibited 3.5 percent more body fat than those breastfed longer. Similarly, those introduced to fizzy drinks before 18 months had about 7.8 percent more body fat by age nine than those who first had these drinks at 18 months or later.

“Our findings add to the larger body of evidence supporting the potential health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and their children. Additionally, it stresses the importance of delaying a child’s introduction to soda, a high-calorie beverage with no nutritional merit,” says Dr. Cohen. “They also support the potential importance of delaying a child’s introduction to soda – an energy-dense beverage with no nutritional value during this vulnerable life stage.”

Researcher presented their findings at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Hamburg, Germany.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/breastfeeding-childhood-obesity/

Looking for an effective AI-powered productivity app? Know how Trevor AI can help manage tasks effectively.

Trevor AI app: We are now transitioning to a world, where we are getting heavily reliant on the tools which are integrated with artificial intelligence. Be it our normal manual work, or improving our productivity, there is an AI tool for all of our needs, making it quick and easy to complete our day-to-day tasks. If you are looking for such a tool for improving productivity and staying on track, then we have found just the right app for you. Trevor AI is a to-do list app which makes task scheduling easy with the power of AI. Know all about the Trevor AI app and how it can benefit users in real time.

What is Trevor AI app?

Trevor AI is a to-do list and a task scheduling app which enables users to manage their everyday activities effectively. The app harnesses the power of AI to provide users the suggestions and adapts to users’ planning sessions. The AI tool auto-assigns a standard duration for each of your tasks and forecasts the best times for scheduling them. Furthermore, the app also comes with a time blocking feature which enables users to reduce distraction and focus on one task at a time.

The Trevor AI app can be your one-stop solution for managing your schedule effectively and focusing on tasks which actually matter. This app will not schedule tasks for you but keep you on track by time blocking each task scheduled on the app. Now, check out how the AI-powered productivity app can help users manage their tasks effectively.

How does the Trevor AI app benefit the users?

• Trevor AI is more than just a to-do list app, therefore, it makes scheduling tasks easier and more efficient with the help of artificial intelligence.
• It enables users to create a comprehensive daily plan with easy task organisation and it can be integrated with apps such Todoist, Outlook, Google Calendar, and others. Therefore, users can also keep track of meetings and events
• It provides a simple drag and drop feature to schedule tasks along with Trevor’s AI suggestions. It AI tool adjusts schedules when it notices any changes and reschedules tasks, therefore, users can always stay on track and focus on their goals.
• Its time blocking feature helps minimize distractions and keep the user’s flow state of deep work intact without any interruptions. With time blocking, users can effectively save adequate time for all the other necessary tasks.
• It AI tool provides automated scheduling suggestions while predicting the optimal times to schedule them. Additionally, users have the power to accept, ignore or auto-schedule tasks suggested by the AI.

Source: https://tech.hindustantimes.com/how-to/make-daily-planning-and-task-scheduling-easy-with-trevor-ai-know-how-ai-powered-productivity-app-works-71704685431705.html

Teenagers who use smartphones for over four hours a day are at a “serious” risk for certain health issues, a new study warns. Researchers say that increased smartphone use has been linked to psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances, eye problems, and musculoskeletal issues.

The study found that adolescents with more than four hours of daily smartphone use exhibited higher rates of stress, suicidal thoughts, and substance use compared to those with less usage. They also had a significantly higher rate of obesity.

“Smartphones have become essential platforms in the lives of young people,” says Professor Jong Ho Cha from Hanyang University Medical Center, in a media release. “Adolescents’ daily lives are connected to smartphones for various purposes, and this trend has been accelerated by school closures and social distancing due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As smartphone usage time increases, growing evidence suggests that the smartphone is related to many adverse health effects among adolescents.”

Interestingly, the study suggests that moderate internet use, between one and two hours per day, may be associated with better physical and mental health in adolescents, compared to those who do not use smartphones at all. The researchers also note the possibility of a reverse relationship between phone usage and health risks.

“Excessive smartphone usage was related to adverse behavioral health outcomes, which were overt when the usage time exceeded four hours a day,” Prof. Cha explains. “This relationship could also be in the opposite direction, as previous studies have shown that adolescents with emotional regulation difficulties may be more prone to excessive smartphone use.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/smartphone-use-health-risks-teens/

Single Mode Fibers (SMFs) play a crucial role in modern optical communication systems, enabling the efficient transmission of data over long distances. However, one common challenge that arises in these systems is pulse spreading, where the transmitted optical pulses tend to broaden as they travel through the fiber. To comprehend the root cause of this phenomenon, it’s essential to delve into the various dispersion effects that come into play.

1. Dispersion in Single Mode Fibers: Single Mode Fibers are designed to propagate a single mode or ray of light, minimizing modal dispersion. However, other types of dispersion can still impact the transmitted signal. The two primary types are chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion.
2. Chromatic Dispersion: Chromatic dispersion occurs because different wavelengths of light travel at different speeds through the fiber. This phenomenon leads to temporal spreading of the optical pulses. The dispersion is typically characterized by the dispersion parameter, indicating the rate of pulse broadening per unit length and per unit bandwidth.
3. Material Dispersion: Material dispersion is a subset of chromatic dispersion and is primarily caused by the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of the fiber material. As a result, each wavelength component of the pulse travels at a different speed, leading to temporal spreading.
4. Waveguide Dispersion: In addition to material dispersion, waveguide dispersion comes into play in SMFs. It is associated with the waveguide structure itself and is influenced by factors like the core size and refractive index profile. Waveguide dispersion contributes to the overall chromatic dispersion in single mode fibers.
5. Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD): PMD is another dispersion phenomenon affecting single mode fibers. It occurs due to the birefringence in the fiber, causing different polarization states to travel at different speeds. PMD is a random phenomenon and can lead to varying pulse broadening effects for different optical pulses.
6. Mitigating Pulse Spreading: Overcoming pulse spreading in single mode fibers is crucial for maintaining the integrity of transmitted signals. Various mitigation techniques are employed, including dispersion-compensating fibers, which introduce an opposite dispersion to counteract the effects of chromatic dispersion.
7. Advancements in Fiber Optics: Ongoing research and technological advancements aim to minimize dispersion effects in single mode fibers. This includes the development of dispersion-shifted fibers and specialized fiber designs to reduce or eliminate certain dispersion phenomena.

Conclusion: Understanding the dispersion phenomena responsible for pulse spreading in single mode fibers is vital for optimizing the performance of optical communication systems. As the demand for high-speed and reliable data transmission continues to grow, ongoing research and advancements in fiber optics will play a pivotal role in overcoming these challenges and enhancing the efficiency of single mode fiber-based communication networks.

Explore strategies to address a partner’s excessive phone use. Emphasize communication, understanding their perspective, setting phone-free times, leading by example, and enjoying screen-free activities together. Aim for a balanced, tech-wise relationship.

It’s not uncommon to find ourselves or our companions addicted to our smartphones in today’s digital world. The temptation of that small screen is strong, whether it’s scrolling through social media, responding to numerous notifications, or catching up on emails. When your partner’s excessive phone use begins to strain your relationship, it’s time to confront the elephant in the room. Let’s speak about how to deal with this current quandary without igniting World War III in your living room.

Understanding the Implications

First and foremost, it is critical to comprehend why this is an issue. Your partner’s excessive phone use can make you feel ignored, irrelevant, or even invisible. It’s not just about how much time you spend on the phone; it’s also about what that time signifies. Your partner may be physically present, but their focus is elsewhere, which can be uncomfortable.

Communicating Your Emotions

Communication is essential. But here’s the kicker: it’s not so much what you say as it is how you say it. Approach the subject while you’re calm, not when you’re angry. To convey how you feel, use “I” phrases. “I feel a bit sidelined when you’re on your phone during our movie nights,” sounds a lot better than “You’re always on that phone!”

Understanding Their Point of View

It’s a two-way road. Perhaps your companion is using their phone for work or to unwind. Understanding their point of view can make all the difference. Inquire sincerely about their activities. Show interest rather than annoyance.

Setting Boundaries

This is the point when the rubber meets the road. Determine and agree on phone-free zones or periods in your home. It could be during meals or the last hour before bed. These mini-retreats from technology can do wonders for your relationship.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle/relationships/love-sex/how-to-handle-a-partner-whos-always-on-their-phone-article-105700371

As humanity’s curiosity about the universe continues to deepen, the quest for understanding the cosmos has led to the development of remarkable technological marvels – telescopes. These instruments, ranging from ground-based observatories to space-based platforms, play a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of the universe. In this blog, we’ll take a fascinating journey through the top 10 biggest telescopes worldwide, each contributing significantly to our astronomical knowledge.

1. Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) Location: Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, Spain The Gran Telescopio Canarias, situated on the Canary Island of La Palma, boasts an enormous 10.4-meter aperture, making it the largest single-aperture optical telescope in the world. Its advanced technology allows astronomers to explore celestial objects with exceptional clarity.
2. Keck Observatory Location: Mauna Kea, Hawaii The twin telescopes of the W. M. Keck Observatory, each with a mirror diameter of 10 meters, have been at the forefront of astronomical discoveries. Their adaptive optics systems provide unparalleled views of distant galaxies, stars, and planets.
3. Subaru Telescope Location: Mauna Kea, Hawaii Also perched on Mauna Kea, the Subaru Telescope boasts an impressive 8.2-meter mirror. Its wide-field imaging capabilities and advanced instruments enable astronomers to study everything from exoplanets to the large-scale structure of the universe.
4. Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Location: Mount Graham, Arizona As the name suggests, the LBT comprises two 8.4-meter mirrors, providing a combined light-gathering power equivalent to an impressive 11.8-meter telescope. Its adaptive optics system ensures sharp observations even in turbulent atmospheric conditions.
5. Very Large Telescope (VLT) Location: Paranal Observatory, Chile Operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the VLT consists of four individual telescopes, each with an 8.2-meter mirror. These telescopes can work together to form a virtual giant telescope, enhancing their observational capabilities.
6. Gemini Observatory Location: Multiple locations (Hawaii and Chile) The Gemini Observatory consists of two telescopes, one in each hemisphere, each equipped with an 8.1-meter mirror. This global coverage allows astronomers to observe a broad range of celestial phenomena.
7. Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) Location: Sutherland, South Africa SALT, the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, features a hexagonal array of 91 mirrors with a total collecting area equivalent to a 9.2-meter circular mirror. It plays a crucial role in astronomical research for the African continent.
8. William Herschel Telescope (WHT) Location: Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, Spain Named after the famous astronomer William Herschel, this telescope has a mirror diameter of 4.2 meters. The WHT, operated by the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, contributes to various astronomical studies.
9. Hubble Space Telescope Location: Low Earth Orbit Unlike ground-based telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth, providing a unique vantage point free from atmospheric distortion. With a 2.4-meter mirror, Hubble has delivered breathtaking images and invaluable scientific data since its launch in 1990.
10. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Location: Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (planned) Anticipated to launch soon, the James Webb Space Telescope is set to be the most powerful space telescope ever built. With a massive segmented mirror spanning 6.5 meters, JWST will delve into the universe’s deepest mysteries, including the formation of the first galaxies.

Conclusion: From the high-altitude observatories on Earth to the space-based platforms orbiting our planet, these top 10 telescopes have revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. As technological advancements continue, these colossal instruments will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in uncovering the secrets of the universe, inspiring awe and curiosity for generations to come.

Walking at a brisk pace could significantly decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes, new research explains. The study points out that increasing walking speed by just one kilometer per hour (0.62 mph) can correlate with a nine-percent drop in the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.

The research suggests that walking at a moderate pace of 3-5 km/h (1.86-3.1 mph) results in a 15-percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes compared to a leisurely pace of less than 3 km/h (1.86 mph), regardless of the total walking duration.

Moreover, a fairly brisk pace of 5-6 km/h (3.1-3.7 mph) is linked with a 24-percent reduced risk, while walking at speeds over 6 km/h (3.7 mph) is associated with an approximate 39-percent lower risk of the disease.

“The staggering global number of adults with Type 2 diabetes, currently at 537 million and projected to rise to 783 million by 2045, underscores the need for simple, cost-effective preventative measures. Walking briskly, which also confers various social, mental, and physical health benefits, could be an accessible intervention to combat this trend,” says the study’s lead author, Dr. Ahmad Jayedi from Semnan University of Medical Sciences, in a media release.

In their research, the team analyzed data from 10 studies, covering periods of three to 11 years and involving 508,121 adults from the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The findings suggest that the lower incidence of diabetes in fast walkers may be due to their generally higher physical activity levels and better overall health.

“Walking speed is not just an indicator of overall health but also a marker of functional capacity. A faster pace indicates better cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength, factors known to be inversely associated with diabetes risk,” Dr. Ahmad elaborates. “Thus, while it’s beneficial to increase the total time spent walking, encouraging people to walk faster could amplify the health benefits of this activity.”

Source: https://studyfinds.org/walking-faster-type-2-diabetes/

In the heart of Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna emerges not just as a divine figure but also as a symbol of compassion and charity. His life, rich with teachings and anecdotes, showcases a profound sense of giving and caring for others.

One of the most revered texts in Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita, serves as a guide to righteous living. Lord Krishna imparts wisdom about selfless action and devotion, emphasizing the importance of charity and kindness.

Krishna’s charitable deeds are woven into the fabric of his tales. The story of Sudama, his childhood friend, is a poignant example. Despite Sudama’s humble circumstances, Krishna welcomes him with open arms and bestows upon him abundant wealth. This gesture reflects not just material charity but also the generosity of the heart.

The city of Dwarka, ruled by Lord Krishna, is said to have prospered under his benevolent leadership. He ensured the well-being of his subjects, highlighting the essence of a ruler’s duty to the welfare of the people.

The Govardhan Puja, another significant episode, portrays Krishna lifting the Govardhan Hill to protect the villagers from a storm. This selfless act underscores the importance of safeguarding and providing for others in times of need.

Lord Krishna’s teachings extend beyond mere material charity. He emphasizes the concept of ‘yajna’ or selfless sacrifice, encouraging individuals to contribute to the greater good without attachment to the results. This philosophy forms the core of his charitable outlook.

In essence, Lord Krishna, with his divine wisdom and compassionate actions, exemplifies the spirit of charity. His teachings inspire millions to embrace a life of selfless giving, fostering a world where kindness and compassion reign supreme.

Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi, 56, passed away while he was out for a morning walk. Here are factors that may lead to heart attack during physical activity.

Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi, 56, passed away today reportedly due to a heart attack while he was out for a morning walk. According to reports, Gandhvi was rushed to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital after he started sweating profusely; he was declared brought dead. Experts say that it’s important to safeguard cardiovascular health with appropriate lifestyle adjustments and a set of healthy habits. When it comes to heart health, not just physical health but stress management and mental health are of utmost importance. Introducing mindfulness, meditation, Yoga, and self care strategies can keep stress and anxiety issues at bay and at the same time support heart health. (Also read: Young pilot’s death due to cardiac arrest: Experts on reasons behind poor heart health in young)

Lifestyle factors that could be raising risk of heart attack

“The tragic incidents of young individuals experiencing fatal cardiac events during physically demanding activities are deeply concerning and highlight the importance of understanding what could potentially be weakening young hearts. Various factors could contribute to such unfortunate events, and while it’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause without specific medical reports, here are several possible factors that can affect the cardiac health of young people, says Dr. Indranill Basu Ray, a renowned cardiologist and electrophysiologist.

Lifestyle factors

⦁ Poor diet and obesity: A diet high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats, combined with low physical activity, can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension, even in teenagers and young adults.

⦁ Inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle, which is increasingly common due to technology use and urban living, can lead to poor cardiovascular conditioning, making sudden intense physical activity more straining on the heart.

⦁ Smoking and vaping: Young people who smoke or vape expose their hearts to nicotine and other chemicals that can damage heart tissue and blood vessels, leading to increased heart rate and blood pressure.

⦁ Substance abuse: The use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs (such as stimulants), can have severe acute and chronic effects on the heart.

Medical conditions

⦁ Undiagnosed heart defects: Some young individuals have congenital heart defects that go unnoticed until a sudden cardiac event occurs, often during physical exertion.

⦁ Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: This genetic condition, characterized by thickened heart muscle, is a common cause of unexpected cardiac death in young people.

⦁ Myocarditis: Viral infections can lead to inflammation of the heart muscle, weakening it and making it more susceptible to failure under stress.

⦁ Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia: A rare type of cardiomyopathy that affects the muscle of the right ventricle of the heart.

External Factors

⦁ Extreme physical exertion: Engaging in sudden, intense physical activity like dancing for long hours, especially without regular conditioning, can put unexpected strain on the heart.

⦁ Intense physical activity: While exercise is generally beneficial for heart health, intense physical activity can sometimes trigger a cardiac event, especially in those with undiagnosed heart conditions.

⦁ Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance: These can occur during prolonged physical activity, especially in hot climates, leading to cardiac arrhythmias.

⦁ Stress: High levels of emotional and physical stress and lack of proper sleep can increase the risk of heart problems. Stress hormones can increase blood pressure and heart rate, leading to a greater strain on the heart.

Societal Changes

⦁ Stress and mental health issues: Young people today face significant stress and mental health challenges, which can have physical effects on the heart.

⦁ Lack of regular health check-ups: Preventive health check-ups are less common among the younger population, which means potential heart issues may not be diagnosed until it’s too late.

Dr Indranill says that mental health is intricately connected with heart disease and it’s high time individuals should look at overall well-being for taking care of their cardiovascular health.

Mental health tips to reduce heart attack chances

Here are the mental health tips that can help reduce heart disease incidence as suggested by Dr Indranill.

Deep breathing: Chronic stress is associated with heart disease. Techniques for stress management, such as mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises, can improve cardiovascular health.

Self-care: Anxiety and depression have been linked with heart disease. Seeking professional help and practicing self-care strategies are essential for maintaining both mental and heart health.

Yoga: Research has shown that yoga can reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve lipid profiles. The combination of physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation in yoga can contribute to cardiovascular health and help in the prevention of heart diseases.

Mindfulness and relaxation: The meditative aspect of yoga promotes mindfulness and relaxation, which can positively affect the autonomic nervous system and reduce stress-induced inflammation, a contributor to heart disease.

With heart disease being a leading cause of death, these measures are not just recommendations; they are essential components of a healthy life.

How to maintain cardiac health

“Amid the rising cases of heart attack, it’s important to take measures for safeguarding cardiovascular health. Maintaining good cardiovascular health is a critical concern given the rising incidence of heart disease and cardiac deaths globally. The prevention of heart diseases requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses lifestyle modifications, medical interventions, and alternative practices such as yoga,” says Dr Indranill.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/cardiologist-on-hidden-causes-of-heart-attack-during-physical-activity-how-to-prevent-it-101700381752830.html

You’re pressed for time and have a zillion emails sitting in your inbox. You also need to send your boss the weekly sales report ASAP. You quickly shoot a message to your team:

Hi,

Please send me your individual sales numbers for this week. I need them pronto, no later than 10 am.

Thanks

Your work BFF later says she saw the message, and thought it was a tad rude.

You don’t agree with her assessment, but the feedback is not entirely new. Last week, during a brainstorm meeting, someone pitched an idea you thought would never work. You said: “Your idea isn’t going to work because of X, Y, and Z. You haven’t considered those roadblocks. I highly recommend we go in another direction.” Afterward, your manager said that you came across a little too strong.

Even your intern once said that your communication style is frustrating. That confused you because you value clarity and try to be direct.

Do any of these scenarios resonate with you?

Many people are great at “telling it like it is” and may even find pride in doing so. If you’re one of them, this communication style has likely worked well throughout your education and career. You’ve probably found it’s an efficient way to get things done sans all the fluff and small talk. When you have a problem to solve, why beat around the bush?

You’re not wrong. “Telling it like it is” can be a big asset, especially for people leading teams. It’s best not to camouflage critical feedback, provide people with vague guidance, or set unclear expectations. Clearly communicating what you want and need from your people, and why, makes everything more efficient. The issue arises when leaders toe the line between being direct and being abrasive. This can be incredibly difficult for new managers, who are trying to show authority while also forming a trusting relationship with their team.

Here’s the thing: If you come across too harshly, you can end up doing more harm than good, and irrevocably damage your relationships and the opportunity for positive collaboration. When you move from honesty to inconsideration, people end up feeling frustrated and hurt, leading to a disengaged and demotivated team who doesn’t respect, like, or trust you.

So, how do you find a healthy balance? How do you be honest, direct, compassionate, kind, and clear — all at the same time?

Here are some simple strategies you can use to make your point without being disrespectful.

Source : https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-to-be-direct-without-being-rude

Doing something useful when you feel least like doing anything almost guarantees a productive day.

What do successful people do differently? For one thing, they typically wake up very early. Long before they hit the office, they’ve been up and active, performing tasks that will set them up for success throughout the day.

By waking up early, you can get an edge on the day ahead. You’ll clear your mind and schedule so that you can focus on your work, which can help you reach your goals faster. Curious about how to make the most of your morning? Here are 6 things successful people do before 9 am, and how you can incorporate them into your routine.

1. Get physical
You’ve probably heard the phrase “healthy body, healthy mind.” It’s important to take care of yourself physically. For most people, early on in the day is the best time to exercise, before the responsibilities of the day kick in. Whether it’s a brisk walk with your dog, an early run or a bike ride, get your body moving. Not only will it make you feel good, but studies have shown that exercise can improve brain function, so it might even make you smarter at work.

2. Eat something
If you’re a busy person, chances are that eating a healthy breakfast is the last thing on your mind. But in terms of the day’s productivity, skipping breakfast can be a huge mistake. If you don’t eat something, chances are you’ll be hitting a vending machine or gorging on donuts at 10:30 am. How productive will you be, and how clearly will you be thinking at work, after that? If you want to be thinking and working at your best, make time to eat a balanced meal in the morning.

3. Take care of the necessary stuff.
Picking up the dry cleaning. Walking the dog. Packing school lunches. Everyone has things that they have to do. To get a leg up on the day, get these things out of the way early. When you wake up early, you have time to attend to these quotidian tasks that can take up valuable mind space during the workday. If you get them out of the way, then you can focus solely on work, and your day will be far more effective. It’s a small change that can have a massive impact on your career.

4. Cross off the most annoying to-do list item.
Everyone procrastinates on one thing or another. Start the day right and get at least one of those hard to tackle tasks off of your to-do list. In the morning, you’re at your most energized and refreshed, and best prepared to take on a difficult task or project. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter it makes you feel for the rest of the day. Not only will you have the sense of accomplishment at having completed that task, but it won’t be looming ahead and causing stress all day.

5. Learn something
To truly be successful in the long run, you must make a lifelong commitment to learning. There is never a point at which you’ve learned “enough”. Learning keeps the mind elastic and allows you to remain nimble in your work. This is important, as the landscape of every business will change over time.

Every day, make a point of spending some early AM time learning something. This might be by reading the newspaper, learning a new skill, or it might be by listening to podcasts relevant to your work. It might be a self-imposed study routine on a certain sector of your business. There are many ways to continue educating yourself. You never know what might give you your next great idea.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/6-things-successful-people-do-before-9-am/314388

Vanderbilt University researchers have made a startling discovery in the human brain — recording a forceful and unexplained signal in the brain’s white matter.

The human brain is composed of two distinct types of matter: gray matter and white matter. Gray matter, home to nerve cell bodies, is responsible for processing sensation, controlling voluntary movement, and enabling speech, learning, and cognition. On the other hand, white matter serves as a vast network of connections, linking cells to each other and projecting signals throughout the body.

Scientists have predominantly focused their attention on the gray matter of the brain, considering it the hub of activity while overlooking the significance of white matter, despite it constituting half of the brain’s composition. Researchers at Vanderbilt University are determined to change this narrative.

For several years, a team led by Dr. John Gore, director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, has been employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signals, a critical indicator of brain activity, within the brain’s white matter.

In their latest study, researchers have revealed a remarkable finding: when individuals undergoing brain scans using fMRI perform tasks such as finger wiggling, BOLD signals in white matter across the entire brain increase.

“We don’t know what this means,” says study first author Dr. Kurt Schilling, research assistant professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at VUMC, in a university release. “We just know that something is happening. There truly is a powerful signal in the white matter.”

This discovery is significant because various disorders, including epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, disrupt the brain’s “connectivity.” This suggests that white matter plays a crucial role in these conditions, prompting the need for further investigation.

To unravel the mystery, researchers plan to continue examining changes in white matter signals previously observed in conditions like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Through animal studies and tissue analysis, they aim to uncover the biological underpinnings of these changes.

In gray matter, BOLD signals signify an increase in blood flow and oxygen consumption in response to heightened nerve cell activity. It remains to be seen whether axons (long projections of nerve cells) or the glial cells responsible for maintaining the protective myelin sheath around them also consume more oxygen during brain activity. Alternatively, these signals may be linked to what’s transpiring in the gray matter.

Even if there’s no biological activity occurring in the white matter, “there’s still something happening here,” notes Schilling. “The signal is changing. It’s changing differently in different white matter pathways and it’s in all white matter pathways, which is a unique finding.”

One of the reasons white matter signals have received less attention is their lower energy compared to gray matter signals, making them harder to distinguish from the background “noise” in brain scans. Vanderbilt scientists overcame this challenge by having individuals undergoing brain scans repeat visual, verbal, or motor tasks multiple times to establish patterns and by averaging the signals across various white matter pathways.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/brain-white-matter-signal

In today’s crowded marketplace, having a great product or service is not enough. To succeed, you need to create a connection with your audience that goes beyond the features and benefits of your offerings. That’s where business storytelling comes in. By crafting an interesting narrative that conveys your brand’s values and mission, you can build trust, loyalty, and a competitive edge that sets you apart.

Once upon a time, in a world full of competition and noise, there was a business owner who struggled to stand out from the crowd. She had a great product, a talented team and a passion for what she did. But in a marketplace full of lookalike brands and forgettable messaging, she knew that something was missing. That’s when she discovered the power of business storytelling.

By crafting a narrative that conveyed her brand’s values, mission, and unique selling proposition, she could build a loyal following that went beyond the features and benefits of her offerings.

In this article, we’ll explore the art of business storytelling and how you can use it to create a brand narrative that inspires and engages your audience.

The art of business storytelling
The art of business storytelling involves using narrative techniques to create an interesting brand story that resonates with your audience. You can create a brand narrative that not only captures your audience’s attention but also inspires them to take action. A well-crafted story can help you stand out from the competition, build trust with your customers, and create a loyal following.

How to find your brand’s story
To create a compelling brand narrative, you need to start by identifying the core values, mission and vision that drive your business.

What makes your brand unique? What impact do you want to make in the world? Answering these questions will help you uncover the story that will resonate with your audience.

One way to do this is to use the hero’s journey framework, which is a time-tested narrative structure that people have used in myths and stories throughout history. By applying this framework to your brand’s story, you can create a narrative that engages and inspires your audience.

But to be truly effective, your brand story needs to be authentic. It is crucial that you include your values, mission and vision in every aspect of your business, from your marketing messages to your customer interactions. Customers can sense when a brand is being disingenuous or inauthentic, and that can lead to a loss of trust and loyalty.

Crafting your brand’s story
Once you’ve identified your core values, mission and vision, it’s time to craft a narrative that resonates with your audience. Let’s look at the hero’s journey framework.

The hero’s journey is a narrative structure that involves a protagonist who faces challenges, overcomes obstacles and emerges transformed. By applying this structure to your brand’s story, you can create a narrative that engages and inspires your audience. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with the call to adventure: This is when the hero is called to action and sets out on their journey. For your brand’s story, this might be when you first realized the need for your product or service.
2. Introduce the challenges and obstacles: No hero’s journey is complete without challenges and obstacles. For your brand’s story, these might be the setbacks and struggles you faced along the way.
3. Show how you overcame the challenges: The hero’s journey is ultimately about triumphing over adversity. For your brand’s story, this might be the moment when you finally found a solution to the problem you were trying to solve.
4. Reflect on the lessons learned: Every hero’s journey involves a transformation. For your brand’s story, this might be the lessons you learned along the way and how they shaped your values and mission.

By using the hero’s journey framework, you can create a narrative that resonates with your audience and creates an emotional connection.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-to-create-a-narrative-that-inspires-and-engages-your/446493

Dive into the intersection of AI and finance! This article guides you to leverage AutoGPT for generating income, turning innovative tech into your personal wealth creator.

Auto Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (AutoGPT), the powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-driven language model, is revolutionizing the way we make money online. With its ability to autonomously perform tasks and generate content, it’s no wonder that entrepreneurs and businesses alike are turning to AutoGPT to boost their income.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the various ways you can harness the potential of AutoGPT to create a lucrative source of passive income.

Dive in and explore some of the game-changing AI tools here.

What is Auto GPT?

AutoGPT is an advanced AI model developed by OpenAI. It is an extension of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) that incorporates an automated process for fine-tuning and optimizing the model’s performance on specific tasks. AutoGPT streamlines the process of adapting the model for various applications by automatically exploring and selecting the most effective configurations.

By leveraging a combination of reinforcement learning and evolutionary strategies, AutoGPT can efficiently fine-tune itself for improved performance on tasks such as text completion, summarization, and question answering. This automated approach allows for faster and more effective customization of the model, making it a valuable tool for developers and researchers in the field of natural language processing.

To get started with AutoGPT, you will need an OpenAI API key and some programming experience. However, there are also user-friendly platforms and tools available that allow you to harness the power of AutoGPT without coding knowledge.

7 ways to make money with AutoGPT

Making money online may seem like an arduous task, but not when you can leverage the potential AI-backed tools like AutoGPT. We have curated 7 easy and lucrative ways in which you can use AutoGPT to make money and generate extra income in 2023. Stay tuned to find out!

1. Content creation machine

Blog posts, ebooks, and social media content

One of the most popular ways to make money with AutoGPT is by using it as a content-creation machine. This AI-powered tool can effortlessly generate engaging and informative blog posts, ebooks, and social media content, saving you hours of manual work. With the time saved, you can focus on marketing and expanding your online presence.

SEO optimization

AutoGPT can also become your very own search engine optimization (SEO) expert. It can research and analyze keywords, optimize your website and content, and even build backlinks. With your site climbing the search engine ranks, you’ll enjoy an influx of organic traffic that generates a steady stream of ad revenue.

2. The social media guru

Growing your following

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become essential for businesses and individuals looking to make money online. AutoGPT can be your personal social media guru, autonomously creating witty and shareable posts that go viral. Through its AI-driven analytics, AutoGPT can optimize your social media engagement, turning your online presence into a passive income machine.

Influencer marketing

As your following grows, you can leverage AutoGPT’s capabilities to create and manage influencer marketing campaigns. By partnering with influencers in your niche, you can reach a wider audience and drive more sales and conversions.

3. The master of SEO

Keyword research and analysis

AutoGPT can help you dominate the search engine rankings by acting as your personal SEO expert. It can research and analyze keywords relevant to your niche, ensuring that your content is optimized for maximum search visibility.

On-page and Off-page Optimization

In addition to keyword analysis, AutoGPT can help with on-page and off-page optimization, such as improving website structure, creating and optimizing meta tags, and building high-quality backlinks. With AutoGPT’s AI-driven insights, you can continually optimize your site for better search engine performance.

4. Affiliate Marketing whiz

Identifying profitable niches and products

Affiliate marketing is a popular way to make money online, and AutoGPT can help you become a whiz in this field. It can identify profitable niches and products for you to promote, allowing you to focus on driving traffic and generating commissions.

Crafting persuasive content

Not only can AutoGPT help you find the best products to promote, but it can also craft persuasive content that converts readers into customers. With AI-generated reviews, tutorials, and promotional materials, you can streamline your affiliate marketing efforts and boost your earnings.

5. E-commerce extraordinaire

Product sourcing and inventory management

AutoGPT can revolutionize your e-commerce business by assisting with product sourcing and inventory management. By analyzing market trends and consumer preferences, it can identify the best products to stock and sell, ensuring that you always have a competitive edge.

Customer service and engaging product descriptions

E-commerce success isn’t just about having the right products; it’s also about providing excellent customer service and creating compelling product descriptions. AutoGPT can handle both tasks, managing customer inquiries and crafting engaging descriptions that drive sales.

Source: https://ambcrypto.com/blog/how-to-make-money-with-autogpt/

Meta-owned instant messaging platform is constantly working on new updates and keeps rolling out fresh upgrades to improve the user experience on the site. With new privacy tools and interesting features, WhatsApp is everyone’s go to messaging app.
So when the time comes to move your crucial data from your old device to a new one, it’s nothing less than a task. In most cases, users end up losing their data and have to start a fresh on their new smartphone. But that’s about to change.

WhatsApp allows Android users to move their data such as chats and media files to Google Drive, which makes them dependent on Google Drive. The Meta-owned social networking platform doesn’t have a dedicated feature on the app that makes the entire process smooth and easier.

However, if recent reports by WaBetainfo is to be true, that’s about to chance. According to the new report, WhatsApp has started trying and testing a new feature which easily transfers chats and data from the old phone to a new device without relying on Google Drive for backup.

WhatsApp has reportedly released a new chat transfer feature for beta users for Android with 2.23.9.19 update available on Google Play Store.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/how-to-transfer-your-whatsapp-chats-on-a-new-device-without-google-drive/articleshow/99908053.cms?from=mdr

A biohacking Harvard researcher claims he has de-aged himself by a decade after taking up four simple daily habits in middle age.

David Sinclair, a molecular biologist, has now had 53 birthdays — but claims DNA testing suggests his body is still 43.

Biological age looks at the health of cells rather than how long someone has actually been alive.

He was prompted to start the healthy routine in his 30s after becoming overweight and drinking too much.

So what’s his secret?

Urging others to take action, he told The Insider: ‘My calculated biological age has been going down for the past decade or more to a point where I’m predicted to live at least a decade longer than I would have if I hadn’t done anything. It’s never too late.’

He added: ‘Nobody wants to be sick for a decade or have cancer that drags on or be frail.

‘What we’re really talking about is preventing those things, or squeezing them into the last bit of life.’

Dr Sinclair is well-known in the anti-aging space, having written a book on the topic and appeared on the podcast circuit in recent years.

He also runs a company, Tally Health, which sells testing kits that estimate someone’s biological age.

These are his four tips for reversing aging:

• Run three times a week

A cornerstone of almost all anti-aging plans is exercise.

It helps to maintain muscles, boost heart health, avoid obesity and reduce inflammation in the body — which can all drive age-related changes to cells.

Dr Sinclair said that he always aims to undertake aerobic exercise at least three times a week.

This can include swimming, cycling, rowing a brisk walk — or running.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all adults should get aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes a week, or 30 minutes a day.

Dr Sinclair made no mention of resistance training, such as weight-lifting, but the CDC also recommends this on two or more days a week.

But he did say that he uses a standing desk in order to cut back on the amount of time where he is sedentary.

Previous research has suggested that running for just 30 minutes a day could reverse cellular aging by nine years.

The scientists, from Brigham Young University, found that it slowed the shortening of telom

• Eat just a few hours a day

People should try intermittent fasting to slow aging, according to Dr Sinclair.

Limiting calorie intake to just a few hours a day can boost insulin sensitivity, protecting against diabetes, and allow time for cells to flush waste substances out of the body that could cause harmful changes — both helping someone live longer.

Piles of studies in mice have shown that intermittent fasting prolongs the animals’ lives considerably.

But there is less evidence of the benefit in humans, however, with some outlier studies pointing to the opposite.

Dr Sinclair revealed that to help avoid aging he always restricts eating to just a few hours a day.

He said: ‘I try to pack my main meal into a few hours a day, whenever possible. And that period of fasting has also had great benefits on my estimated biological age.’

Celebrities including Mark Wahlberg, Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Aniston have all reported using the habit in the past.

• Drink matcha green tea twice a day

Dr Sinclair drinks two matcha green teas every day without fail.

The teas — made from powdered tea leaves — are known to contain anti-oxidants, which can help limit damage to cells.

But whether or not they can slow aging in humans is yet to be backed up by rigorous scientific studies.

Dr Sinclair said the teas are made for him by his partner the nutritionist and celebrity chef Serena Poon.

He added: ‘That’s got molecules in it that will prevent cancer, among other things’ like anti-inflammatory properties.

Dr Sinclair also said that he also takes about two resveratrol tablets every day to help slow aging.

Research from his lab suggests that the compound — found in red wine, grape juice and cocoa — can reduce inflammation and activate proteins linked to longevity.

But other studies have failed to find the association, prompting some to dismiss the compound saying it does not help with longevity.

• Reduce stress and avoid ‘jerks’

Stress and being irritated by ‘jerks’ can all decrease someone’s life expectancy, the expert suggested.

This is because they can lead to chronic levels of stress, raising inflammation levels that put the body at risk of a whole host of diseases including heart problems, sleep issues and obesity.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11863119/Harvard-professors-four-age-defying-hacks-REVEALED-Expert-53-decade-younger-thanks-edits.html

Are you a procrastinator? You’re more likely to be depressed, unhealthy and broke, study suggests

• Researchers from Stockholm recruited 3,500 students from eight colleges

• Found those who regularly put off doing things had host of issues in their lives

• While some tend to procrastinate a little, for others it’s their ‘general disposition’

Charles Dickens famously wrote procrastination is the thief of time

Now scientists think it can also steal your sleep, damage your health and leave you worse off financially.

A study of 3,500 Swedish students found those who regularly put off doing things had an increased risk of poor sleep, lack of exercise and getting into financial difficulty.

Experts believe this is because although most people have the tendency to procrastinate a little, for others it is their ‘general disposition’ and can affect how well they do in life.

Those who often ‘delayed an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off’, risk everything from poorer academic achievements to general health, the study suggests.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11599549/Are-procrastinator-Youre-likely-depressed-unhealthy-broke-study-suggests.html?ito=native_share_article-top

When Nir Barzilai specialised in anti-ageing science 30 years ago, it was an act of hope. Now, the Israeli-American scientist believes the world is on the cusp of turning hope into reality, finding transformational drugs that prevent the effects of ageing that used to be viewed as inevitable.

“We are done with hope and promise. We are at the point between having promise and realising it”, says the director of the Institute for Aging Research at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

He plans to run a huge flagship trial to test whether a cheap generic diabetes drug — metformin — can extend lifespan by years, after a promising UK study of real world patients.

If regulators approve metformin to target ageing, he believes large pharmaceutical companies and biotechs would jump into the “longevity” field. “Once we prove it, I think it will be an earth-shattering moment for everyone”, he says.

The fantasy of living forever has endured for centuries, from finding renewal in a fountain of youth to gaining immortality from a philosopher’s stone.

Although we are still unable to elude death, we have learnt to forestall it: science has improved life expectancy significantly, initially with more mundane measures such as sewers and vaccines, and then with new drugs to tackle chronic conditions such as heart disease. In the UK, life expectancy at birth almost doubled between 1841 and 2011.

But as many people now spend their last decades in poor health, scientists like Barzilai are on a quest to further increase not just lifespan but also healthspan: the number of healthy years we live.

Longevity researchers reject the hype that they are “curing death” but their vision still has the potential to ease some of the biggest problems of our time: soaring healthcare costs for a population whose health is creaking as it ages, and lacklustre productivity as people become too sick to work.

And yet Barzilai is still searching for money to fund the trial, which could take four or six years and cost $50mn to $75mn. So far, he has $22mn, including $9mn from the US National Institutes of Health. “It is terribly upsetting but we are now on the hunt for the rest of the money”, he says.

Finding the key to prolonging life would benefit us all, but money to fund the search is hard to come by. Healthcare investors typically want to see short-term returns — unlikely, in metformin’s case, since its patent has long expired. Governments, meanwhile, prioritise research into diseases.

Into this gap have stepped tech billionaires including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Israeli entrepreneur Yuri Milner, and through Alphabet, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who are funding new models that aim to combine the best of business and academia without the pressure for short-term returns. Barzilai hopes to pitch to some of this class of investors at an upcoming longevity conference.

The billions being made available to longevity researchers could be a gift to a humanity too distracted by today’s problems to fund a long-term revolution in healthcare. Their interest could be a “win-win”: billionaires tempted by the idea of living ever longer fund a longevity field that would not thrive without them.

But critics worry that if wealthy individuals dominate, future advances could create an elite not of designer babies but of designer elderly. Christopher Wareham, a bioethicist at Utrecht University who studies the ethics of ageing, says advances in longevity science risk widening the gaps between the rich and poor in health, wealth and power, including concerns that dictators could extend their lives.

“Suppose, for example, we had a kind of vaccine for the pandemic of age”, he hypothesised. “This is going to potentially exacerbate all the kinds of existing inequalities that we have . . . The longer you’re around, the more your wealth compounds, and the wealthier you are, the more political influence you have”.

Turning back the biological clock

As the field of longevity research began to expand, scientists convened to ask the most fundamental question: what is ageing? In 2013 an influential group laid out the “nine hallmarks of ageing”, genetic and biochemical processes that lead to impaired function and vulnerability to death.

Eric Verdin, chief executive of the Buck Institute for Research and Aging in California, says scientists have completely changed how they think about ageing, from presuming it was a passive process — if you wait long enough, things fall apart — to learning how to modify it.

Eventually, a breakthrough could simply prevent us reacting to the chronic illnesses that kill. “The biggest risk factor of all diseases is ageing: It is not cholesterol or smoking, it is your age”, he says.

In the UK, life expectancy at birth almost doubled between 1841 and 2011

James Peyer, chief executive of Cambrian Biopharma, which incubates and invests in longevity companies, says the “north star” for the field is creating a new generation of preventive drugs, which he believes will have as much impact on human health as vaccines and antibiotics.

Before developing drugs, scientists have to investigate what is happening on a cellular level. One important discovery was that the biological clock on cells can be turned back, using “rejuvenation factors” that create the potential to reverse disease.

Another was that senescent cells build up in older people — ageing, not dividing, but refusing to die — causing health problems. Scientists at the US Mayo Clinic discovered that if you engineer mice so the senescent cells die off, they became healthier and live 20 to 30 per cent longer.

But so far, the majority of these discoveries have been in animals, not humans. “It’s a great time to be a rich mouse. And you could live for a long time as a rich mouse, but I think we want to have human beings that live healthier”, jokes Vijay Pande, general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which invests in longevity start-up BioAge.

Testing these hypotheses in humans presents huge challenges. It would take too long to wait to see whether humans on a drug live longer. So scientists must find “biomarkers”: signals that track the ageing process to see if it slows.

Researchers also have to contort their trials into the existing regulatory framework, which does not define ageing as a disease. They must target specific diseases, even though some hope the drugs will have broader applications.

While Barzilai thinks metformin has the potential to extend life, his trial will aim to show that the drug delays a basket of diseases, including stroke, heart failure, cancer and dementia, as well as death.

But by far the biggest hurdle is getting enough money to fund large trials, to accelerate this exploration, and find other factors that influence ageing.

Funding ‘engines of discovery’

When Rick Klausner began to raise money for Altos Labs, he created a deck for investors like no other. Instead of coming to potential shareholders with a list of projects and a timetable of milestones, the former director of the US National Cancer Institute hoped they would invest in what he called an “engine of discovery”.

His pitch was that Altos would hire the best minds in the business — including the former GSK chief scientific officer Hal Barron as chief executive — and set them free. Working in a way he hopes will be more collaborative than academia, they will tackle the big problems around rejuvenating cells with the ambition of reversing diseases.

The approach paid off: the company raised $3bn, a life sciences industry record, in a round led by Arch Venture Partners, and reportedly including funds from Bezos and Milner, the cofounder of Mail.Ru and founder of tech investment firm DST Global.

Barron says the money will allow them to fail multiple times in pursuit of their goal: an “incredibly novel way of thinking” about reversing disease. Pursuing such a “complicated, disruptive idea” needs $3bn, he adds.

“If you had a typical $60mn or $100mn investment, it wouldn’t really be thoughtful to try to tackle this problem”, he explains.

Billions of dollars has been raised thus far in this pursuit of science

Altos, which launched at the start of 2022, is now the best known of the well-funded experiments trying to turbocharge anti-ageing science. The first was Calico Life Sciences, an Alphabet company, founded in 2013, where Barron used to lead research.

Klausner and Barron criticise the academic funding model for creating an environment that doesn’t encourage tackling the biggest questions. Instead of putting pressure on their researchers to publish in the best journals, or placing a premium on being the first author on a paper, they will be judged on whether they are working on the hardest problems.

“It’s an experiment, but I think it is an experiment that’s worth all of us committing the rest of our careers to”, Klausner concluded.

Robert Nelsen, co-founder at Arch Venture Partners, says the company only wanted very long-term investors. His group can hold shares in Altos for 10 to 15 years if necessary, though he believes other investors will see the value long before it lands on a “Holy Grail”.

“If this works, it doesn’t matter if we’ve waited. If you cure disease in my business, you are going to make money”, he says.

Jonathan Lewis, chief business officer at Calico, says a “chunk of funding” from Alphabet, then known as Google, allowed the company to focus on early biology when it launched in 2013.

But since then, it has attracted funding from the pharmaceutical company AbbVie. The partnership has been renewed twice, and Alphabet and AbbVie have now both committed to investing $3.5bn.

The money is significant for the 275-person organisation, but small fry for Alphabet, with its $1.2tn market capitalisation, and AbbVie, at $292bn. Now, Calico has three potential drugs in early clinical trials.

More conventional venture capitalists are entering the field, but they focus on companies that are testing broader principles of anti-ageing science in specific trials that could produce drugs more quickly. However, the step-by-step approach could be slower, and if the first trial fails, a company may suffer, potentially undermining its larger vision.

The ethics of private research

The well-funded new kids on the block have ignited debates about whether governments have their scientific priorities right, and the consequences of shifting more early stage science into private institutions.

Government funding is growing but is still nowhere near matching the investment raised by organisations like Altos. The US National Institutes of Health has an ageing division, but a rise in its budget in the past decade was mainly devoted to Alzheimer’s. The UK has begun to take notice, but the money is spread thinly: the government’s national research funding body, UK Research and Innovation, spent £2mn setting up 11 networks.

James Wilsdon, director of the Research on Research Institute at the University of Sheffield, says public funds need to be directed where they can deliver benefits more immediately.

“The need is great enough as it is, without then taking on much longer term, more speculative questions”, he says.

He added that there is a suspicion that those who stress the need for “long-termism” are actually dressing up their “individual, narcissistic, selfish desires to find ways of extending their own life as long as possible”. “You can paint as much lipstick on a pig as you want, but it is still a pig of an argument for allocating health funding”, he says.

Wareham, the bioethicist, says we need to get away from the “disturbing image of these kinds of vampire-like billionaires, concocting extension potions and experimenting on themselves”, and realise that even if they are self-interested, they can “afford to make a lot of mistakes”, which governments cannot.

Governments are also contributing in less obvious ways. Lewis describes the UK as “prescient” for setting up the UK Biobank, a genetic and health information database of half a million participants. This proved so useful that Calico is helping fund more scans to improve its understanding of how disease progresses in older adults.

Source : https://www.almendron.com/tribuna/the-start-ups-seeking-a-cure-for-old-age

1. I never load up on high-carb foods.

2. I never take more than 2 days off from exercising.

3. I never get less than 7 hours of sleep a night.

4. I never drink alcohol.

Harvard Business Review published its first issue 100 years ago with a mission to help leaders put the world’s best management thinking into practice. To mark our centennial, we asked eight current and former CEOs from some of the world’s top companies to describe the ideas that have propelled their own careers and organizations. Two themes emerged: first, the need for constant innovation and out-of-the-box thinking as markets become more dynamic; second, the importance of purpose and a vision that encompasses all stakeholders. We look forward to many more decades of helping leaders build a better future for customers, employees, partners, and communities.

[ CEO / Moderna ]
Stéphane Bancel

Planning from the Future Back

Most people think about the future of business from the present onward. As humans we have a natural inclination to think linearly. However, this approach limits our creativity and inhibits our ability to achieve what was previously unimaginable.

Consider a better alternative. By thinking five to 10 years out and then “playing the movie backward,” you free yourself from the constraints of what is possible now. You can envision year 10 and then figure out what has to happen in year nine, year eight, and so on for the vision to become reality.

I used this approach as the founding CEO of Moderna in 2011. As a start-up, we had no past to anchor to, so it was natural to think big about where the company wanted to be in the next decade and plan backward from there. We made sure that all our stakeholders were aligned on our vision and gave people time to engage intellectually and emotionally with the path toward our goals.

In the early years, this way of thinking allowed us to successfully build robotics for preclinical research. Our aim was to industrialize Moderna’s ability to make mRNAs, or messenger RNAs, which teach human cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. We started by thinking about how many mRNAs we would need to produce (thousands) and with what turnaround time to enable scientists to rapidly experiment and learn (three years). We then worked backward to understand what needed to happen when, without relying on past models or assumptions, and designed the robotic platforms to meet those goals.

More recently, this tactic helped us envision the delivery of an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in less than a year. At the time, it was a crazy idea on an accelerated timeline, but once again we did it by thinking backward. We started with the vision of an approved vaccine and mapped backward—month by month in this case—from government authorization to completion of clinical trials to vaccine manufacture to sequence selection—an end-to-end process that typically takes years.

Reverse chronology can be a powerful management tool for any organization. It fosters the kind of unconstrained thinking that leads to big and disruptive ideas that propel business, industry, and society forward. This approach is not foolproof, of course. It can stall for any number of reasons, including failing to unite stakeholders around a clear vision and creating a plan that lacks sufficient detail. You can achieve unreasonable things only by aligning people, giving them time to engage, and creating a sound plan of action.

A future-focused mindset will continue to be an important driver of Moderna’s growth over the coming decades. We want to become the most impactful life-sciences company on the planet, and playing the movie backward will help us get there.

[ CEO / Mahindra ]
Anish Shah

Purpose-Driven Strategy

On November 8, 1945, the Mahindra Group, then barely a month old, published an advertisement in India’s largest circulating English daily, The Times of India. It mentioned no product or service. Instead, it listed the fundamental principles with which the company would operate. It highlighted the role of the individual within the enterprise, and, printed as the Second World War was coming to an end and India’s independence movement was gaining steam, it emphasized the role of corporations in promoting a more cohesive society. It included a call to action—to “raise the standard of living of the masses”—and emphasized that “we must have the cooperation of those who will benefit the most—the general public.”

Today, we might call that advertisement a purpose statement. The principles laid out then still form the bedrock of the Mahindra Group’s purpose and the shorthand we now use for it: “Rise.” Our modern-day motto, refined over the decades, is “Driving positive change, enabling people to rise.” It is the reason I joined the organization, and it is the reason I have stayed.

I can only marvel at the prescience of Mahindra’s first leaders for their early commitment to guiding principles that emphasized not just business success but also the greater good. By 1962, Peter Drucker was also writing about “Big Business and the National Purpose” in these pages, calling for more corporate “social responsibility.” He asserted that a large company is not “a ‘private affair’ and the concern of only its stockholders, executives, and employees”; rather, it is “a community asset and ‘public’ in its conduct, in its mores, and in its impacts.” Further thinking on ethics in management, moving beyond strategy to purpose, corporate vision, what a business is for, and shared value followed from a host of management luminaries, including Jim Collins, Charles Handy, and Michael Porter.

All the while, Mahindra held fast to its purpose, and we’ve found that those founding principles have stood the test of time and guided us through unprecedented socioeconomic shifts. They have helped us excel at a range of businesses from automotive to farming to finance to travel, embrace cutting-edge technology, and spearhead a move toward improved environmental and ethical standards. For example, we started developing and investing in decarbonization well before the emergence of ESG funds and socially responsible investing. Adherence to our founding principles has allowed Mahindra Group not only to keep up with the times but to forge ahead of them.

There’s another line in that advertisement that I want to highlight: “Neither colour, nor creed, nor caste should stand in the way of harmonious working.” Even in the 1940s, those at Mahindra knew that for the organization to succeed and serve society, it would need to prioritize diversity and inclusion. We live in an unequal world that divides us from one another. Purpose-led businesses have the potential to create a more equal world. Only when we enable others to rise will we rise.

Source: https://hbr.org/2022/11/the-ideas-that-inspire-us

We asked our network of marketing experts to share their best SEO tips for small businesses in 2022, and here’s what they had to say.

If you’re still scrambling to formulate a strategy, you’re not alone. The uncertainty of ongoing pandemic-related business interruptions and changes in consumer behavior are keeping marketers and SEO pros on their toes.

To help SMBs and marketing professionals, we asked our network of experts, “What’s your best SEO tip for SMBs as we kick off 2022?”

From business networking to sharing customer stories, here are the top tips for small businesses that want to improve their search rankings.

1. Tap Emerging Search Trends

Jeff Riddall, Senior Product Manager at OneLocal, advises all businesses to focus on optimization around topical groups of intent-based keywords at each stage of their customer’s journey, as Google continues to refine its algorithm and ability to determine what content searchers are really after.

“Small businesses should look for keyword opportunities and content gaps where they can add value by answering specific questions that their customers have,” he says.

The time has come to have brave new ideas about time itself. If you want to make a breakthrough in human lifespan or prove the existence of higher consciousness or reach the mysterious region beyond the physical universe, all these possibilities require our concept of time to be reshaped in a new way.

Everyone knows the old ides, which have sufficed reasonably well until now. Time puts events in order by cause and effect. Time measures the distance from birth to death, for people and the universe as well. Time emerged at the Big Bang, and it has ticked away ever since, for 13.8 billion years.

Yet as familiar as these ideas are, human beings have also lived with the timeless, a region outside creation where God or the gods exist, where we might possibly spend an eternal afterlife. Leaving all spiritual notions aside, the timeless might be the womb of creation, because time didn’t create itself—something like a timeless origin is necessary.

The new view of time holds that both aspects, time and the timeless, are real. In fact, you can view time as a code that the timeless uses for specific purposes. Your DNA is time-encoded, which is why your baby teeth fell out on schedule and you went through puberty or menopause. Cells divide on another schedule, and voluntarily die in the future. There are dozens of biological clocks inside you, governing thousands of chemical reactions at the microscopic level along with master cycles like sleep and monthly menstruation.

Yet the whole scheme of biological time cannot be understood without the timeless, or to give it a simpler name, nonchange. You are the product of both change and nonchange. For example, your brain chemistry is stable and nonchanging, yet thoughts form a whirlwind of change. Your body temperature is aligned with a balance point, homeostasis, that is preserved in the face of change when outside temperatures are torrid or freezing.

Your DNA is fixed and unchanging when it comes to the genes you were born with, yet no two people exhibit the same genetic activity, which dynamically changes with every experience. Having grasped how change and nonchange are both necessary, the big question is “who controls them? How does all this change occur without throwing the body off?” If you know who or what governs time inside us, nonchanged isn’t enough. Amazingly, there has to be a common connecting X factor that is neither in time nor timeless.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cracking-code-time-deepak-chopra-md-official-

Advertisers and brands are leaving a significant amount of super impactful reach and brand awareness on the table. You’ve guessed it, I’m talking about audio advertising. Remember the early days of Facebook, when you could reach thousands of audiences for ridiculously low costs? Now are the days of the audio momentum.

According to WARC (World Advertising Research Center), there is a big gap between time spent with audio and its ad spend, as only a fraction of the overall marketing budget is spent compared to other media. Audio is an under-utilized opportunity, and that’s going to change.

In 2021, digital audio advertising captured the highest YoY growth with an increase of 57.9% to the tune of $4.9 billion in the U.S. alone. No other digital advertising channel grew faster. What’s more, gains were twice that of display advertising. Globally, the entire segment is projected to reach $6.78 billion by the end of the year.

Why audio?

Audio advertising works amazingly well due to its inherently intimate and immersive nature. It easily leverages storytelling so people don’t feel like they are being bombarded with promotional messages as is the case with other media.

Data shows that audio is the most immersive media that triggers memorability, trust and connection (yes, ahead of video). It’s also widely considered trustworthy across the spectrum — trusted more than other media sources.

Whether you’re creating a new company or refreshing a business, make it a practice to assess your company’s core values and traditions.

Values and culture are the foundation upon which your entire business is built. Your company values will directly influence your company culture, impacting every decision you make as a business. Defining clear and cohesive values will help align your entire organization — from entry-level to senior management — unifying employees as a team and ensuring that your company is working toward the same bigger purpose. Here are four steps to help this process.

Step 1: Define

Values will help your company make decisions and drive your brand, culture and reputation. Start these crucial conversations by exploring why your business exists and its purpose. Take the time to get the answers to these questions just right. Make a list of what is important to you and what is essential to your customers. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see where these goals intersect and use this as a starting point for developing your company values.

We’ve all been there. You are in the middle of an interview. You may be in a coffee shop, a conference room, or in front of your computer discussing your interest in a role with a team you have never truly met. You have been researching the brand as holistically as possible in preparation. You know their mission and have memorized the job description for the position you are interviewing for. Maybe you did some digging around social media to find out more about the hiring managers or people who are interviewing you. Everything is going well.

And then they hit you with the dreaded question. “Why are you applying for this position?”

Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?

Equal parts invigorating and heart attack-inducing, this question allows for so many different types of answers. Is it a job you have always been fascinated by? Is it a company whose beliefs align with yours? Are you looking to make an impact in a different way from what you did at a previous job? Was it for the money, and is that something you admit to your interviewer?

Ultimately, your interviewer is asking you this question because they are gauging how well you understand the position you have applied for. Have you done the necessary research? Did you read the job description carefully and thoroughly?

Maybe you have held a similar position within a different industry, and they want to see if you will be able to convert your skills into the new industry seamlessly. The way you phrase your answer could give them clues on if you truly are the right fit, regardless of any amount of experience you may have.

How to Respond

Prepare Accordingly

If you have ever been in this situation and have not felt prepared to respond, this is your cue to work on it. Prepare a genuine, open, intelligent response in advance. Research the tasks that are listed in the initial job description. Understand any specifics that can go into those tasks, as they may not be listed upfront.

For example, a marketing role may list that you need to adhere to deadlines and be available for launches. It might not, however, detail what days of the week launches are focused on or what your schedule may look like during that time. This is a great time to look to friends who hold similar positions or to do a deep dive on Linkedin regarding people in similar fields.

Are you going to be responsible for customer or client-facing interactions? Perhaps you have experience in an accounts role at a former company but have not been in charge of presentations previously. Come to understand what skills you do possess, and learn about the ones you may be questioning. Understanding the role is key to how you approach the interview. There is no such thing as over-preparing.

Focus On The Role

You may feel compelled to speak at length about the company and how its values align with yours. However, this question alludes to the position itself. In this instance, it is important to focus on the role within the company.

This is where your prep work comes in handy. Got a real feel for their list of desired skills in a worker? Mention those skills, even verbatim, if you would like. For example, a position as a copyeditor may require a response similar to the following.

“This job caught my eye because I am looking for a writing-heavy opportunity that will allow me to create processes and balance my creative and analytical minds. My interpersonal skills have developed well over my last 6 years as an editorial assistant, and those will come in handy when handling an international team of writers.”

You can go on to note some specific ideas you have that align with the job description and branding if you would like. Ultimately, just let them know you did the legwork and believe in the work you will be engaging with on a regular basis.

Source: https://hive.com/blog/why-are-you-interested-in-this-position-answers/

See how you can make money online, plus more details on how to bring in the bucks quickly.

Some day you won’t have to worry about rent money and credit card debt. But in the meantime, you have to take control of your financial situation.

In a bind? Need to earn money fast? We’re talking about small bursts of capital, not millions of dollars, but enough to satisfy your monthly obligations or get that nagging creditor to stop calling you.

Below are 32 different ways you can earn some extra money online, through apps, and offline, too. And luckily for you, nearly all require very little to no capital. Keep scrolling to learn more.

1. Drive for Uber or Lyft
Companies like Uber and Lyft offer a great opportunity to make some extra cash. You’ll need a clean driving record, a fairly new car, and the authorization to work wherever it is that you live. If you have all of those things, you can work when it’s feasible for you, whether that’s in the middle of the day during rush hour or the wee hours of the night on a weekend. The choice is yours.

2. Become a market research participant
One way you can earn real money without the hassle is by participating in market research. It’s fairly easy money for not a lot of work, like completing an online survey with your thoughts on a company’s products. Or companies may ask you to join a focus group to simply share your opinion and will compensate you with cash or a gift card.

This often involves writing or stating your opinion in polls or paid surveys. Since participating in the research isn’t too time-consuming, it’s a great way to earn extra income. Focusgroup.com is just one company that is looking for participants, and Survey Junkie as well.

3. Sell old books and games on Amazon
Amazon makes it fairly easy to list and sell old books, games, and devices on its marketplace. You can make more than just a few bucks If you have pricey textbooks from college. Be sure the books are in good condition. You’ll get negative reviews if you attempt to sell books that are falling apart or games that are scratched up. Remember, be upfront about any defects, no matter how small they might be and no matter how few people might readily notice them.

It’s also important to note, that in addition to selling on Amazon, you can earn passive income through Amazon’s affiliate marketing network as an Amazon Associate.

For those who may be unfamiliar, affiliate marketing is an advertising model which allows a company to sell their products through a third party or affiliate, who markets the product for a commission.

So for example, if you own an online business blog, you could earn a commission for including an Amazon affiliate link in one of your posts. Other companies that offer an affiliate program include eBay Partner Network and CJ Affiliate.

4. Sell, or resell, used tech on Craigslist
The market for used electronics is vast. You can use Craigslist to part ways with your old iPhone or your MacBook. You can grab a premium for these types of electronics. Some people even flip items by buying them and reselling them.

You could also use a website like Gazelle to sell your used phones, no matter what kind you have. Companies like that have made an entire business model out of buying used phones and refurbishing them. Either way, you can expect to get a fair bit of money relatively quickly if you have these items lying around your house.

5. Do tasks with TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit lets you tap into an existing marketplace of people looking for help locally with chores. The tasks aren’t always small. This platform (along with others) offers bigger tasks, such as home renovations, as well.

Amazon is getting into the task business with Amazon Home Services. The services listed range from very small repairs to larger and more involved tasks that would take considerably more effort.

6. Deliver for PostMates
You can earn some cash when you’re in dire straits by using PostMates, and you don’t even need a car, just a bike for deliveries in busier cities and downtown centers. I’ve used it often to get food from specialty places that don’t deliver themselves, but it can be used for many things.

PostMates states on their website that you could earn up to $25/hour doing deliveries. You could also earn some tips in the process so it’s a great option for people that are looking to do something in their spare time, similar to the big ride-sharing apps that are hogging up app stores everywhere.

7. Flip real estate contracts
If you’re thinking this is cost-prohibitive, it’s not. You can flip real estate contracts without ever taking possession of the property. This isn’t a fixer-upper endeavor, just securing a contract and selling it to any interested party. That’s it.

You can do this with just a few hundred dollars in most cases to open up escrow. There are companies dedicated to teaching how to do this like REWW. It’s good for making a little bit of money but is also potentially something more long-term as well.

8. Sell on CafePress or Etsy
If you can design digital items, you can sell them for a share of the profits on a site like CafePress. You can do this with nothing more than some design software. They can include custom logos, inspirational sayings, and other topical or trending designs appealing to the masses.

You could hire a designer to assist you with this, but you still need to come up with the ideas. This works best if you understand design yourself but requires no overhead. Items are printed and delivered on-demand. You simply receive a share of the proceeds. Similarly, if you’re a business owner, you could sell items on Etsy as well and utilize the platform as an online store.

9. Answer questions on JustAnswer
Be a resource for people looking for expertise online. JustAnswer (and several sites like it) allow doctors, lawyers, engineers, and others with enhanced knowledge to earn a small income merely answering questions from people who would otherwise have to pay a hefty sum for those answers.

While all you need to get started is an internet connection and expertise in a specialized field, it’s also lucrative (for the time spent) if you’re looking to earn a bit of cash in a hurry. Don’t expect to get rich answering questions, but you can generate a few bucks here or there if you’re in a bind.

10. Money-making strategy: Grab gigs on Fivver
No matter what type of service you offer, you can likely offer it Fivver. Fivver connects freelancers in the digital space with people looking for their services for a price.

Whether you need help with your graphic design, are looking for a freelance writer, or are in the market for a virtual assistant, Fivver can connect you to the right people.

Starting at as little as $5, you can find talent to help you with specific projects, like setting up Google Analytics or help with Google Play. Or you can offer your expertise as a seller, and through marketing yourself as a digital product, you can earn upwards of $10,000.

11. Walk dogs
There are networks devoted to connecting dog owners with dog walkers. Rover is one of the largest networks of dog walkers out there. Of course, you could also use social media or just knock on neighbors’ doors to advertise your services, but you can easily use one of these services.

Do a great job if you’re serious about building a track record of solid reviews. That will help you make money in the future when you’re in desperate need of it.

12. Babysitting with Care.com
You can easily do some babysitting when you need to make a few bucks quickly. Parents everywhere are always in need of babysitting and nanny services.

Websites like Care.com connect parents with babysitters. The company does all the background checking and other due diligence to put parents’ minds at ease. Of course, you can appeal directly to people in your personal network, but if you’re looking to generate recurring revenue sign up with a site marketing to parents looking for child care services.

13. Sell your photos
Have an eye for photography? Of course, you need to be good at this to earn any money but if you are, you can sell photos on ShutterStock or iStockPhoto (along with many others) to generate a passive income from something you might be very passionate about.

For a quicker way to earn by taking photos, solicit people looking for photographers to cover their wedding, engagement, child’s birthday, or any other life event. You’ll need a good camera and some experience, but you can earn some must-needed income this way no matter where you live.

14. Become a personal training
If you understand fitness, you could be a personal trainer. People pay good money for personal trainers if only to have someone keep them on track towards their goals. You can add value while also helping yourself financially.

This could also break off into nutrition and assisting people with meal plans, and so on. You could solicit clients in your local gym, but depending on where you live, you might need some certification to do this (not to mention the gym’s approval). You could also use a site like FitnessTrainer to advertise your services.

15. Tutor students
Parents are always willing to invest in their children’s future. If you have a great deal of knowledge in subjects such as math, science, or computers, you could tutor for cash or offer an online course.

Both Indeed.com and Care.com offer opportunities for tutoring local students. You could opt for either of these platforms or simply find your clients through your network or social media.

16. Advertise for companies with a car wrap
Platforms like Carvertise connect brands and companies with drivers. The process is simple — agree to turn your car into a roaming billboard for a price. If you qualify, you can earn a set monthly fee for advertising your car. You won’t have to pay anything to do this, but you’ll need a clean driving record and a fairly new car.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/298348

Mastering these seven natural laws takes work and practice.

Many entrepreneurs are continually struggling to build their businesses with little to show for it. That could change in a flash for those who know and apply seven natural laws that work behind the scenes to determine whether a business endeavor will succeed or fail. Just as a sailboat must work with the winds to reach its destination, so too must business leaders work with these natural laws to achieve their goals. For businesses that are not performing at their best, consider which of these laws you might be missing.

1. The law of oneness
In the Western world, many think that people are separate from those around them. This false belief causes individuals to engage in anxiety-inducing rivalry and comparison with others. In this context, businesses fail when they focus on beating the competition, rather than creating the best possible product or service.

Even the phrase “beating the competition” is misguided. It requires believing that there is a limited or fixed amount of success in the first place. The truth is that there’s plenty enough to go around.

The primary goal should be to serve as the rising tide that lifts all boats. Always search for the win-win scenario, not the one in which we win at the cost of others.

2. The law of cause and effect
As Isaac Newton noted, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Every decision individuals make, everything they create, everything they do, will have some effect. Every problem encountered and every success achieved are the result of a series of causes.

Simple, right? In theory, of course. But, in practice, individuals need to work in order to refine their filters. Seek to build the skill of being able to identify true root causes — of good and not so good outcomes. Commit to testing and tinkering to figure out what “causes” create the “effects” desired.

Amazon is a trailblazer for collecting and using data to create the outcomes it wants. Rather than resting on its laurels, it continually tests and analyzes past data to grow its online presence and uses predictive analytics to keep itself at the market forefront.

3. The law of giving
The proverb “give and you shall receive” communicates one of the most important truths in life and in business. To succeed in business, especially in competitive spaces, give more than anyone else. Business leaders must ask questions such as:

How can I deliver more value today?
How can I give more than I did yesterday?
Instead of:

How do we increase views/leads/sales?
How do we capture more of the market?
The paradox here is that the law of giving requires giving for giving’s sake, not in order to receive something in return. Give from a deep place. Give from the heart because it’s the right thing to do, without expectation for what karmic forces will come back your way.

Companies like Starbucks and Whole Foods are known for giving back to their own communities and to the communities from whom they source their products.

4. The law of non-resistance
When people resist anything in life or business, they can feel it both physically and emotionally. They become lethargic. They feel tight. They feel pain. Nothing seems to feel “right.”

When they learn to operate within the flow of the universe, they are bound to be more successful. This can be difficult to do, because to some extent people must learn to “let go,” and allow things to unfold, rather than as result in the outcome they seek.

Kodak, the industry leader in camera and film for 100 years, was forced to file bankruptcy in 2012 not because it lacked the digital photo technology, but because of its inability to “go with the flow.” Though Kodak created the digital photo technology and one of the first online photo sharing sites, it did so only with an eye to sell more film and print photos. Because of its white-knuckled grasp on print photography, it could not envision a future beyond it. Meanwhile, its distant competitor Fuji gained market share by fervently explored new opportunities, branching into film, videotape and copy machines.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/324262

Want to know the best skill to learn to make money?

Well, in this article I’m sharing the best high income skills for entrepreneurs, freelancers, or virtual assistants.

Learn any of these skills and you will have a prosperous career ahead of you.

I will also point you in the right direction to learn some of these skills, so that you can get started right away.

BEST SKILL TO LEARN TO MAKE MONEY: 17 TOP CHOICES
If you want to increase your salary or become your own boss, then these contenders for the best skill to learn to make money should help.

Learning any of these skills will get you on track to a higher earning potential.

1. COPYWRITING
Copywriting is the art of sales and persuasion using the written word. It’s an essential component of any successful business.

This high-demand skill is required for businesses to communicate the value of their products and services.

Without it, selling can only be done verbally, which isn’t ideal in today’s economy.

Making money as a copywriter can be achieved in several ways.

• As a freelancer
• Within a marketing team for a company
• Or with your own business

The average copywriter’s salary in the US is around $69,000 annually.

And freelancers can make anything from $15 to $160 per hour.

If you want to make money as a copywriter, first you’ll need to learn the basics, which can be found on YouTube or through reading the best copywriting books.

You could also learn everything you need to know through an online course.

Udemy has some excellent courses on copywriting.

Then you’ll want to offer your services to business owners and get some testimonials.

A good place to find work is Upwork or Fiverr, but you’ll be starting with a blank profile, so start with lower prices and increase your rates as you gain experience.

2. WEB DEVELOPMENT AND WEB DESIGN

Building websites for businesses is a common way for people to make money online.

It’s also one of the easier skills to learn to start an online business. That’s because technology has come a long way in this industry.

Many people get into web development by watching tutorials on YouTube, then building sites for their friends or relatives.

Other ways to make money as a web designer and developer are through freelancing sites such as Upwork or Fiverr.

Web developers can expect to make around $77,200 on average working within an agency.

And freelance web developers are making anywhere between $45 to $120+.

To get started in this field, watch some tutorials or take an online course. The best way to learn with web design and development is through practice.

Build your own sites or build up a portfolio for local businesses.

3. BRANDING

Branding is the creative art of helping a business stand out from the crowd.

It involves anything from simple logo design to complete business identity, messaging, positioning, company values, and tone.

Successful brand specialists are experts at helping businesses connect with their audience on a deep level.

If you’re a small business owner looking for the best websites to help you start or manage your business, check out our list of the top 11 sites.

Starting a business isn’t easy, which is why it’s important to educate yourself before diving into the world of entrepreneurship. And it appears that more and more of us are making the plunge from the 9-5 to going into business for ourselves.

According to Google’s Year in Search 2021, last year, more people searched for “how to start a business” than “how to find a job.” During the Covid-19 pandemic, business applications in the U.S. surged. While new business formation numbers appear to be leveling off recently, numbers overall remain consistently higher than in the years before, according to Census Bureau data.

Small business owners need to execute a variety of tasks, from project management to accounting. Whether you’re unsure of where to begin, are looking for information to help you scale and grow, or want access to online tools to help you more efficiently manage your business, there are plenty of resources out there for businesses of all kinds. But not all of them are created equal. We’ve broken them down by category, so you can get right to what you need.

Online tools will be your new best friend

One of the most popular types of websites for small business owners are for tools. These are things such as accounting software, website building, etc. These websites are useful at filling the practical aspects of starting and running a business. While many require a paid subscription in order to access full features, there are often free options that let you try the product before you buy, or offer basic functionality. Many of these tools have information centers that describe not only how to use the product, but also how to tackle certain areas of business ownership.

The internet can be your biggest teacher

Another common type of website for small business owners is the informational website, usually best thought of as an educational resource. These websites are vast repositories of information about nearly any aspect of starting and running a small business. That said, they frequently center around one particular topic, although generalist websites are also common. A lot of these websites are 100% free, making them appealing to those working with a limited budget. Because of this, however, they can sometimes be difficult to navigate. The same goes for websites with a deep well of content – it can be easy to get distracted or become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. Take things one step at a time, and stay focused on whatever it is you’re working on in order to be successful.

Invest in building your community

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely road, especially if you’re going down the solopreneur path. Having access to a community of other small business owners can provide you with the opportunity to discuss challenges and successes with those who get it. It also provides business connections that you might not otherwise have. This type of community can be a source of support, inspiration, and practical business connections that is invaluable for small business owners.

With the above information in mind, if you’re one of those people who has a business idea they want to run with, and are looking for the best websites to glean insights from to start your business, check out our list below.

Specs

• Free templates and guides take you through all aspects of starting and running a business
• Tips from business planning expert Tim Berry
• Access to pitch deck examples for various industries
• Price: Free

Once you’ve settled on an idea for your business, you’re going to want to flesh out a business plan to help keep you focused. A good business plan will help you chart your progress, and remind you of why you started your business in the first place when times are tough. Bplans has sample business plans, including templates, to help you get started. The website also includes access to plenty of practical advice about starting and running a business written by entrepreneurial guru Tim Berry.

Specs

• Integration for e-commerce and appointment scheduling
• Access to Experts who can help at any stage of development
• Free custom domain with unlimited bandwidth
• Personal plan: $19 per month
• Business plan: $33 per month
• Commerce plan: $36 per month
• Advanced Commerce plan: $65 per month

If you want to get the word out about your new business, you’re going to need a snappy website. A website builder site like Squarespace makes it easy to get started with a DIY solution, or, you can hire one of their experts who’ll handle the nitty gritty for you. When you create a website with Squarespace, you get free unlimited hosting, security, and 24/7 support, along with access to their extensive library of resources to help you be successful. If you’re building your site yourself, check out our roundups of the best Squarespace templates overall and for mobile sites.

Specs

• Knowledge bank via HubSpot blogs and Academy
• Plenty of free tools to help organize your data
• Connect your favorite apps to HubSpot
• Free plan: Free
• Starter plan: $45 per month
• Professional plan: $800 per month
• Enterprise plan: $3,200 per month

If you aren’t familiar with a CRM, or customer relationship management tool, you’ll soon become very familiar after you decide to start a business. A CRM like HubSpot offers a sales, marketing, and service hub all in one spot so you can keep track of important customer information and interactions. There are both free and paid versions of the software available, both of which include access to award-winning customer support. You can also learn more about the tool and business in general on the HubSpot blogs and Academy.

Source: https://mashable.com/roundup/best-websites-for-small-business-owners?test_uuid=07HgWq9fWw2Ea4XeFZENW2X&test_variant=b

A tale of resilience, determination, courage, sheer will and focus: PW becomes India’s sixth edtech Unicorn

Alakh pandey is not your quintessential physics teacher. He starts off his classes by singing “Hum honge kamiyaab” for maximum hard-core motivation. Pandey, a physics fanatic at heart, sports tattoos of Pi, E=mc2 and the face of Albert Einstein etched on his arms. Contrary to popular belief, Alak Pandey is not an IIT graduate. He dropped out of an engineering college in Kanpur and decided to return to his native town of Allahabad (renamed Prayagraj) Uttar Pradesh and joined a coaching institute, where students loved his coaching style.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Alakh Pandey’s relationship with teaching started when he had to shift to a slum and live out of a rented house. He started giving tuitions to 4th standard students while being a 6th standard student himself. Pandey saved enough money to buy a cycle that he used to ride to other places for taking home tuition. Be­ing an 11th-grade student, he went for a demo class in a coaching institute. The outcome of the demo class was not expected by anyone. The students at the end of the class were clapping for Alakh and his unique style of teaching.

Following these events, Pandey believed that he was on the right path and he had to take up teaching as his profession. Pandey taught for four years in brick and mortar coaching. The owner of the coaching witnessing his growth congratulated him and said that he would be teaching 5000-6000 stu­dents 10 years down the line. However, Pandey wanted to expand his reach further and gradually came on YouTube with his will to reach more students in 2016. He posted full educational content for one year starting from 2016 itself and got a respectable 10,000 subscribers.

In January of 2018, a friend of his advised him to mon­etize his YouTube account and he received INR8000 and decided to leave the brick-and-mortar coaching to focus completely on YouTube in an attempt to reach more students.

Every generation has its slang — new words and phrases that allow kids to communicate without their parents understanding. Read on to learn some of the most popular slang terms through the decades.

Do you have what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur? Ask yourself these 10 questions.

Younger generations are increasingly looking for meaning in their work. Aside from a promising big exit at the end of the road, entrepreneurship is attracting young talent in search of purpose and fulfillment. These young leaders want to become independent but also want to have a positive impact on society. Although they have a vision and a goal to bring innovation and change, creating a business is not a walk in the park. It requires a lot of preparation. Try answering the 10 questions below before starting your entrepreneurial journey:

1. Why do you want to start your own business?
Entrepreneurship is over-glorified and misrepresented on social media. In reality, it is about building a business that solves a problem for a consumer. It’s not about driving nice cars or posting nice pictures on social media. In fact, real entrepreneurship looks quite contrary to what we see on social media.

Do we require a certain level of luck, genetics and an environment around us to be an entrepreneur? Yes — somewhat, for sure. But also, anyone can solve problems anywhere in the world. That is true for both small problems and big problems. The choice comes in the decision to find people who have needs, wants and issues that you can offer a solution for.

It is also a choice that each of us gets to make on how well we wish to solve that issue — how obsessed we are willing to become with that solution and how above and beyond we are willing to go with servicing the customers well.

2. What is the problem that particularly affects you?

If you want to have a viable business, it is important to have a clear mission. Given the purpose of your project, you will have to learn about the real needs of your territory. Start by doing market research to understand what people face daily and expect as solutions.

Beyond the business solution also comes the personal and emotional responsibility — shaping and growing ourselves to be able to handle and maneuver through constant stress and difficulties. That means developing personal awareness to see our shortcomings and making up for those with intelligent business decisions. It means balancing planning and strategizing with actual, excellent execution.

3. What do you want to achieve?

Describe your ideal project. Imagine your project in the way that it could fully blossom, ignoring the current constraints. Through this exercise, project yourself one year from now and then two to three years from now. Identify as precisely as possible what you would like to achieve through the realization of this project. Even if you are in the early stages of creation, it is very important to reflect on your vision, your mission and your goals.

4. Do you have the skills to implement your project?

Let’s face it, you can’t make an impact on the world with beautiful values alone. Daring to go through this path means changing your way of life, sometimes in a radical way. It is essential to identify your strengths and talents. These are the skills you have at your disposal.

Farizan d’Avezac De Moran is shaping more sustainable cities of the future through her building company GreenA Consultants. CNA Women speaks to her in this instalment of our women in sustainability series.

Many of us have seen climate change projections. With temperatures expected to rise between 1.1 and 5.4 degrees Celcius by 2100 according to some reports, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, coastal flooding, heatwaves, droughts, famine, rampant disease and mass extinction are sobering possibilities.

By David Henzel, co-founder of TaskDrive—we support sales and marketing teams with personalized lead research and outbound campaigns.

Smiling businessman leading client meeting in office conference room

Those with successful businesses know that operating according to a set of core values is vital if you want to be on the fast track to realizing your company’s vision and not get derailed along the way. Having core values ensures your business operations are always aligned with your company’s vision and that they have a positive ripple effect of bringing team members together and ensuring all transactions are transparent. Values serve as both a compass to take your company where it wants to go and a filter to weed out whatever is holding back growth.

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What are core values?

Core values are the principles that a business aims to operate by. They should represent the reason and the purpose you are in business. They should also be the mindset that guides all relationships, whether internal or how you handle your customers. Core values should also serve as a compass and filter to navigate through any decision-making process.

Why have core values for a company?

Core company values establish a clear direction for where you want your business to go. This is because core values are literally the answer to our purpose in life, they are the answer to that very important question of “why are we here and how do we want to provide service to others”—whether it be in business, our personal lives or who we show up as socially.

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Using core values as guidelines ensures that every interaction, decision and move that is made has a purpose. When the values of your business are clearly outlined, it results in greater clarity and integrity. Values also ensure that every exchange is transparent and calls for accountability when anything is not aligned.

How do you define company core values?

So how does one go about accurately defining the core values their company is going to stick by? Well, you start with the questions: “Who are we?” “What do we want to provide?” and “How are we going to do it?” Ask questions for clarity such as “Are we growing efficiently and moving forward in the direction intended?” and last but not least, “Where are we falling short?”

The core values you define are not set in stone; they can be refined and reshaped at any time. The way to define core values is to start with a collection of meaningful words, which becomes a statement that then evolves into a catchy tagline. I always like to have a phrase or two explaining what each value stands for and a catchy slogan or motto that we can easily recall whenever we need to.

One of the main personal core values that I also have at the companies I run is: “Love, Not Fear. Make decisions out of love and not fear.” For an example of how this value was once applied, I had an assistant who was not doing a good job with company newsletters. But when I sat down and told her that if she did this job with love, the quality of her work would surely improve.

“Own it: Build trust through total accountability,” is another core value that I apply to all of my personal and professional endeavors. At work, we have our core values ingrained and, in many cases, actually written on the wall. So any time one of the members of my team dropped the ball, I just had to point at the wall and say, “Hey man, own it,” and the discussion was over. All my staff can say is: “Yeah, you are right.” Having values memorized as well as written out and ready to refer to makes things a lot easier when communicating with team members.

Other core values I like to live and work by are, “Keep it simple: Only do and buy things that matter as simplicity is the highest form of sophistication,” and “Keep it real: Be authentic and yourself, and if it’s not a ‘hell yes!’ then it’s a ”no.'” The most important core value that is the guiding principle for each of my businesses is, “Deliver value: Enrich the lives of everybody we come in touch with.”

Let values do the weeding out.

Core values in business also serve as a filter to weed out whatever is not truly in line with the company vision. Take Jack Ma, the founder of Ali Baba as an example. His mission is to make doing business easier. Every day he has ideas and people come to him with ideas and say, “Hey, why don’t we do this in your business? It will make a lot of money.” But Ma always runs the idea through the filter of his values asking the question, “Will this make doing business easier?” If so, he says, “Yes, I’ll consider it” or “No, go away.”

Having clearly defined values enables a business to solely focus on what matters most. These ingrained values create a shared mindset among staff, which results in mitigating stressful situations and friction. The same can be said for our personal lives and for how we interact with our family and community. If people, like businesses, know their values and live accordingly, then efforts aren’t wasted on random things and time is actually spent doing what you truly want to do.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2022/07/07/why-and-how-to-define-your-companys-core-values/?sh=60b60ffa44f9

Far too often, we’re led to believe at a young age that there’s a limit to how much we can earn … and it’s high time to shake that idea.

Taking orders from customers for products before they become available for public purchase is a clever tactic used to drum up interest and create a buzz in the build-up to a new product launch. Customers love pre-orders because it means they can get their hands on a product before anyone else.

But pre-order sales aren’t just about getting the customer excited. They can be a powerful tool for securing the funds needed to develop a product or service for the market. And for early-stage startups, especially in the current climate, revenue from pre-orders could be key to kickstarting their new business.

A pre-order sales strategy helped U.K.-based nail-tech startup Glaize to get off to a flying start. Founder Gina Farran says: “Because we manufacture everything in-house, we didn’t have full visibility on which colors would sell well and which wouldn’t. With pre-orders, we can model our production runs based on actual customer orders, which reduces wastage and ensures we use only necessary amounts of raw materials.”

Taking orders from customers for products before they become available for public purchase is a clever tactic used to drum up interest and create a buzz in the build-up to a new product launch. Customers love pre-orders because it means they can get their hands on a product before anyone else.

But pre-order sales aren’t just about getting the customer excited. They can be a powerful tool for securing the funds needed to develop a product or service for the market. And for early-stage startups, especially in the current climate, revenue from pre-orders could be key to kickstarting their new business.

A pre-order sales strategy helped U.K.-based nail-tech startup Glaize to get off to a flying start. Founder Gina Farran says: “Because we manufacture everything in-house, we didn’t have full visibility on which colors would sell well and which wouldn’t. With pre-orders, we can model our production runs based on actual customer orders, which reduces wastage and ensures we use only necessary amounts of raw materials.”

Education often biases us towards immediately trying to solve well-framed problems. An algebra test poses solvable algebra problems, and a physics test poses solvable physics problems. Real world problems are much more ambiguous — it may not even be clear that there is a problem to be solved. Even if it is, it may not be clear what sort of problem it is, it may not come with sufficient information to be solvable, or in some cases it may not be solvable as given.

For this reason, it is important that strategy makers postpone the urge to immediately start analyzing and deciding and instead begin by asking two basic questions: Is there a problem to solve and what sort of problem is it?

Is there a problem to be solved?

Many companies get started on strategy-making too late because of a lack of awareness or sense of urgency that there is a challenge to be addressed.

After‌ ‌work, you probably want a relaxing, stress-free night. And that makes sense. Planning activities like reading or meditating can help relieve stress when things get tough at work.

In addition, you can use this time to expand your knowledge or develop your skills. Additionally, you can engage in new experiences or pursue a passion.

The benefits of participating in these activities can range from increasing your productivity to improving your health and general well-being.

With that said, here are 10 practical ways to maximize your after-work time.

1. Tie up loose ends.

My mom had a tradition that she followed every evening when I was a child. As soon as we got home from school, we had to clean up the house. It wasn’t a long bit of cleaning — usually, she set a timer for 20-minutes. Obviously, we whined about this and the time trying to get out of it was likely longer than the actual time spent. But this effort and habit kept the house tidy and saved us from major cleanings if the cleaning had waited until the weekend.

After I finish working for the day, I will set a timer for 20-30 minutes and tidy up. ‌Or,‌ ‌I‌ ‌can‌ ‌handle items on my to-do list I couldn’t do during the day. Even though that’s not a lot of time, you’d be surprised at what you can actually accomplish.

You can clean dishes, fold laundry, make a grocery list, clean your calendar, or send‌ an important ‌email. ‌In addition, a timer can be a great way to tie up the day’s loose‌ ‌ends‌ ‌and help your transition from work.

2. Get a weeknight hobby.

Commit to an out-of-the-home activity after work. Some ideas could be an exercise class, volunteering, or a night out with friends. ‌Then, rather than spending your time at home, you’ll have more time to do what you ‌care‌ ‌about.

“By scheduling your time after work, you are more likely to stick to your most important ‘to-do’ items. Many people find that they are most productive when they have more to do,” says Dr. Lisa N. Folden, licensed physical therapist and naturopathic lifestyle coach, owner of Healthy Phit Physical Therapy & Wellness Consultants. “By having a scheduled event after work—especially one that can double as exercise—you have more accountability to avoid sitting around aimlessly scrolling through your phone or watching TV.”

3. Sweat it out.

Yes, I am aware. ‌You’re well aware of the importance of physical activity. ‌However, this still can’t be stressed enough. There is no doubt that a regular exercise program boosts your creativity, confidence, and resilience — whether in the workplace or the home.

In short, moving your body is one of the best things you can do to boost your productivity. ‌After all, exercising relieves stress and relieves mental strain. The result? You’ll sleep better and be more energetic.

So, block out time at the end of the day — to go for a run, ride a bike, or join an exercise class. Other ideas would be playing with your pet or kids, dancing, or getting caught up on a chore.

4‌. ‌Enjoy‌ ‌the‌ ‌company of those‌ ‌you‌ ‌love.

Spend quality time with those who are important to you, such as family, friends, and colleagues. ‌Not only does it make life worthwhile, but it’s good for you too. ‌It releases endorphins and lowers stress when you talk to your spouse, kids, siblings, parents, or friends. Even a simple phone call with a loved one can benefit your well-being.

What’s more, with friends and family, there are lots of fun things to do, such as;

• Go to a restaurant or host dinner ‌at‌ ‌home.
• Visit a museum or art gallery.
• Go for a walk after dinner.
• Host a game night.
• Attend a concert or sporting event.
• Go to the movies.
• Participate in a group activity, like bowling.
• Attend classes together.

Source: https://www.calendar.com/blog/10-practical-ways-to-maximize-your-after-work-time/

Your personal brand reflects more than what people think of your product or service, it’s what they think of you, and will determine what your business will really be worth in the end.

Your personal brand is your calling card for attracting like-minded people who will believe in your message. Whether you are a freelancer, startup or you just received your first round of financing, the effort you put into your personal brand directly affects how others perceive the value of your business.

A third of people trust messages from a brand, but 90 percent trust messages that come from someone they know. While it may not be possible for everyone to know you on a personal level with direct interaction, a personal brand can give people an idea of who you are and what you’re all about. The easier others can assess your personal brand, the easier you will find it is to improve your deal flow.

Your personal brand should answer several questions.

• What personal values are most important to you, and how does your company reflect this?
• What’s your story behind your business?
• Do you have the skills and knowledge that ensures quality others can trust?
• What is it about you that others can relate to on a personal level?

Here are a few examples of how successful entrepreneurs have leveraged their personal brands to increase their deal flow.

1. Jessica Alba, The Honest Company

We first knew Jessica Alba as an actress, but motherhood defined her mission as founder of The Honest Company. Alba’s story behind her company came from a common struggle that parents face, searching for non-toxic and pure household ingredients and childcare products.

“I did research when I was pregnant with my first daughter and was horrified by the chemicals in products, even those meant for babies. I would have to go to 50 different places just to get my house and my kid clean,” Alba told Parade in 2012.

As the ideal customer of her own company, Alba’s mission to fulfill a gap in clean products for parents has led to a deal flow that has given The Honest Company its value at nearly $2 billion.

2. Richard Branson, Virgin Group

The decision-maker and visionary behind a leading travel and leisure empire shouldn’t be boring. Richard Branson’s playful and fun personal brand has helped the Virgin name extend across over 200 companies.

This is a man who once gave all of his employees his personal phone number. Branson’s brand has built trust through customer-centric values, and his deal flow comes largely from our belief that that Virgin is friendlier and more human than companies of this size.

3. Daymond John, share your journey

Daymond John has truly earned his credibility from the dues he paid by starting FUBU. His personal brand is built on his story of hard work that led to the success of his clothing line. Daymond rolled up his sleeves and with the help of his mother, he learned how to sew and make the first FUBU prototypes in his home.

Improving sales and marketing often comes down to speed and convenience, which makes text messaging a great asset for growth. Here’s how.

You need customers’ attention, and text messaging is one of the best ways to get it. Most texts are read instantly, and typical response times are within a couple of minutes. No other channel has that kind of consistent engagement.

Once you have customers’ attention, you can do myriad things to improve your sales and marketing and grow your business. Below is a breakdown of five:

1. Capitalize on inbound marketing and lead generation
You spend time and money driving people to your website or into your physical location. Make sure you can turn those people into paying customers.

Website viewers tend to have questions they need answered before they can purchase, and they’d often rather ask someone than do the research themselves. An SMS chat (web chat widget for texting) solves this.

The visitor starts a conversation on your site through the chat, and your response goes to their text messages. This gives you their cell phone number — ideal for future follow-ups — and also keeps the conversation going once they’ve left your website.

Aside from SMS chat, you can prompt customers to “Text us at this number.” Providing a keyword customers can text to get some perk or discount also works well, both in-store and online (e.g., “Text FREE to number to get …”). This will bring you first-time customers and set you up for SMS promotions later.

2. Follow up before competitors to win more sales

Prospects tend to reach out to multiple businesses when trying to buy. The business that responds first wins most of the deals. Texting helps you respond first.

Ask for a prospect’s cell phone number on any web form, and send an automated text confirming you got their request upon submission. This is a great customer experience and opens up texting as a communication channel for when your rep has a moment to personally respond.

Email marketing can do more than help you find and engage with new customers. It can also improve your search engine rankings.

It’s the bread and butter of your career, but possibly also the bane of your existence.

Calling to targets like a siren’s song, whether they’re in the office down the hall or on a beach vacation across the world, it’s nearly inescapable. And, the modern world couldn’t function without it.

Of course, we’re talking about email marketing.

Typically a softer sell than other types of marketing, it offers incredible ROI, returning on average $36 for every dollar spent.

But, what is it exactly?

According to Wikipedia, email marketing is “the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email.

In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. It involves using email to send advertisements, request business, or solicit sales or donations.”

For digital marketers, this means primarily one thing: directing recipients to a website, either for more information, to make a purchase, or to perform some other action.

In other words, traffic is the name of the game.

But, can you really use email marketing to boost your organic traffic? Of course!

A key part of search engine optimization (SEO) is off-page factors, including social media shares and backlinks.

High-quality traffic will also affect how your site is ranked by Google and other search engines.

And, one way to encourage all of these is through effective email marketing.

So, let’s look at the $10,000 question: HOW do you use email marketing to drive traffic?

Here are seven ways you can increase visits to your website:

1. Target With Accuracy

Bounce rate – it’s a dirty word in online marketing.

And while there is such a thing as email bounce rate (that is, emails that were returned by the recipient’s server), what really matters to digital marketers is website bounce rate, i.e., the percentage of visitors who leave your site without taking action.

This is where email marketing can really shine. Whether you’ve bought your list or compiled it on your own, you should be equipped with some basic information about your audience, which will allow you to run highly targeted campaigns.

These types of visitors are likely to spend a longer time on your website, which signals to search engines that your website is a good resource. Google will recognize your site’s authority and increase your ranking accordingly.

2. Understand User Intent

Why are your email targets opening your messages? Because you’re offering them something of value and they see some relevancy in what you’ve sent them. (Or maybe you just write the world’s best subject lines.)

There are three main types of user intent and email marketing can be used for all of them:

• Navigational – in which a user is trying to get to a certain site, in which case, congratulations, job done.
• Informational – where a user is looking for information.
• Transactional – when a user is prepared to buy or take another online action.

If you’re also running your organization’s SEO, you’re probably familiar with this concept.

If not, get with whoever is and ask them for the long-tail keywords or descriptive searches that are driving people to your site.

Then, use these to craft email messaging that will connect with your audience.

By providing content that addresses user needs, you’re weeding out low-quality visitors, enhancing your SEO via an improvement in quality visits.

3. Use Newsletters With Exclusive Content

Once you know what your target audience is looking for, you can create content to address it.

And, regular newsletters with exclusive content are a great way to keep your brand at the top of a consumer’s mind.

Show your audience your brand’s value and establish a reputation as a thought leader in the field by sending out a weekly or monthly email with relevant information.

If you have a company blog, this is a great source you can mine for content that your audience won’t get anywhere else. And by clicking on the “read more” in your newsletter, they’re doing exactly what you want – visiting your website.

4. Integrate Email And Social Media

On their own, both email and social media marketing are useful tools. But when combined, the effectiveness of both grow exponentially.

Use your social media presence to invite followers to subscribe to your email list and vice versa.

This will not only build rapport, but will also let you develop more personalized communications.

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/use-email-boost-organic-traffic/118875/#close

Are you considering hiring a fractional executive for your small business? It is the best investment you can make.

Small businesses struggle on many fronts and find it difficult to strive in the competitive world. But with the help of fractional executives, these businesses have a true fighting chance!

What is a fractional executive?

A fractional executive is an individual a company hires to fulfill an executive role. This role asks for a fraction of the full-time work, and these individuals do not work for long office hours but as consultants instead. Companies hire fractional executives on part-time or on-demand contracts.

Such hires are the best options for companies who may not have the resources needed to hire a full-time executive or simply do not have the need. Companies who want business experts without spending a lot of money often go for fractional executives. These individuals are often highly experienced, having spent many years in the field, and can prove to be very valuable assets. Fractional executives may have a vast range of skills pertaining to different disciplines or just one, depending on their qualifications and experiences.

Such executives may practice independently, or they may be a part of a consulting firm. These experts can fill in different roles besides consultancy. For example, you can also hire a fractional executive to fulfill senior management roles and make important decisions. Companies can also hire their services for a specific project, such as a marketing initiative, and bid farewell when the project ends.

Why are fractional executives important for your small businesses?

If you are a small business, then you must consider hiring a fractional executive, as they serve smaller businesses better than large companies.

Your company may still be in its initial stages, and it can be very difficult to steer it through turbulent times. In such times, smaller companies require the guidance of an expert, so they know what to do in order to succeed.

There are several other reasons why small businesses should get a fractional executive on board. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Business Growth

About 10 years ago, JonArno Lawson was at a beach in Virginia watching his kids build sandcastles right next to the waves.

“I kept trying to get them to come back because I thought it was a terrible idea,” he says. He wanted them to build their sandcastles closer to the dunes. But they found it more exciting to build right where the waves hit, seeing their sandcastles get destroyed, and then re-building them with whatever debris washed up from the ocean.

“It seemed so symbolic, somehow, of… how life works more than just building your perfect sandcastle,” says Lawson.

When he decided to turn that sunny day into a children’s book, the idea came to just use pictures. “It seemed like it would work beautifully without words,” he says. “Like the whole thing would just be visual.”

A Day For Sandcastles is illustrated by Qin Leng. It’s the second wordless picture book for Lawson and Leng since 2021’s Over The Shop.

For the new book, Lawson gave Leng a short manuscript — basically a one-page movie script — of what he was picturing. “It’s a real collaboration that way because how it then appears is completely Qin,” says Lawson.

Leng illustration’s stay pretty true to real life. A trio of siblings — who Lawson says even look like his kids, though he didn’t share photos with Leng — spend the day building sandcastles and watching them get destroyed by a flying hat, an errant toddler and the surf.

“To me, it’s a celebration of childhood and the simple joys of life,” says Leng. “This is the sort of thing I like to capture. I like to draw people. I like to draw them in the day-to-day mundane moments, but moments that all of us can relate to.”

Leng spent part of her childhood in France, and says she is inspired by European comic books. For A Day For Sandcastles, she used a fountain pen with the smallest nib she could find to make very detailed, very refined illustrations with a very light watercolor wash. She also added in a lot of personal touches.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/22/1093588533/a-day-for-sandcastles-book

We’ve all been there, mired in the throes of pessimism when life just doesn’t seem to be going our way. For the lucky ones, this entirely natural, though disconcerting, feeling ebbs and flows, ultimately dissolving into a more balanced, healthier state of mind. For hapless others, though, the extreme negative thoughts and ideation can overwhelm—even becoming “who they are.”  At worst, it can be deadly, as one peer-reviewed study found that “people who are strongly pessimistic about the future are at greater risk of dying earlier than those who are not pessimists.”  

It turns out that we as humans might be built for negativity, making us our own worst enemy. This, as other research casts doubt on so-called optimism bias, debunking the notion that some people inherently “see” life “through rose-tinted glasses.” It’s an unfortunate opportunity loss, as another study found optimism to be associated with “exceptional longevity.”

“Thoughts are powerful things, and both the positive and negative lead to our moods, our physiological symptoms and our behaviors,” says clinical psychologist Monica Vermani, author of A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Traumas. “Even though, at times, we may feel as though we are not, we are the ones in control of our thoughts. We can choose not only   what we think about but how  we think about it.”

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/90754266/a-psychologist-explains-why-negativity-dominates-your-daily-thoughts-and-what-to-do-about-it