LINKS - July 10th, 2024
Welcome to LINKS — my attempt to provide Rhapsody readers with five interesting stories that tell us something about what it means to be human . LINKS is published every Wednesday. Have a link you want to share? Drop it in the comments.
The Magic of the Blackboard
By Theo Zenou & Thomas W. Hodgkinson, Nautilus
“To understand why, we talk to Albert Read, author of The Imagination Muscle. He argues that imagination is intertwined with acts of creation, of which writing is an example. ‘You don’t imagine something first and then write it down. It’s through the act of writing that ideas make themselves known.’ Scientists at blackboards have ‘thoughts that wouldn’t come if they just stood there, with their arms folded.’
Genes are not the blueprint for life: Going beyond the selfish gene
By Denis Noble, Institute of Art and Ideas
“Popularised by Dawkins' work The Selfish Gene, we think genes are the blueprint for life. But might this commonly-held view of biology and evolution be mistaken? Join renowned Oxford biologist, Denis Noble, as he proposes the radical new theory that organisms control their genomes rather than the other way around.”
Gen X Faces Higher Cancer Rates Than Any Previous Generation
By Lauren J. Young, Scientific American
“The model study, published in JAMA Network Open, sifted through cancer surveillance data collected between 1992 and 2018 on 3.8 million people in the U.S. Researchers looked for patterns in invasive cancer cases—those that have spread beyond the original site—within and among Generation X, Baby Boomers (people born in 1946–1964), the Silent Generation (1928–1945) and the Greatest Generation (1908–1927). The findings suggest that medical advances against some cancers—gained by better screening, prevention and treatment—have been overtaken by startling increases in other cancers, including colon, rectal, thyroid, ovarian and prostate cancers. This troubling trend has researchers baffled and scrambling for answers.”
A long-standing mystery about breastfeeding may have been solved
“For decades, it was unclear how bones maintain strength during breastfeeding, when the body strips calcium from bones to produce nutrient-rich milk. Breastfeeding also lowers levels of oestrogen, a hormone essential for skeletal health. Despite this, lactation only causes temporary dips in bone mass that are resolved between 6 and 12 months after breastfeeding ends.”
Stone circles unearthed in Norway mark ancient children’s graves
By Laura Baisas, Popular Science
“According to Fossum, the burial site appears to have been used over a long period of time. This indicates that they likely didn’t die of an epidemic, disease outbreak, or some kind of natural disaster. The area around the burial ground is also lined with rock carvings that describe sun worship and various voyages. The team believes that the site must have been an open landscape where lots of people could see them. There were cooking pits and fireplaces near the site, which suggest that ceremonies or gatherings were held in connection to these burials. “
Thank you for your substack: fascinating and encouraging. Regarding living according to intrinsic values, here is tennis champion and current number 1 (and introvert) Iga Swiatek on her business branding decisions: “I want to use my impact well in a way that is healthy for me”. https://www.tennismajors.com/wta-tour-news/swiatek-on-business-and-bold-choices-i-want-to-use-my-impact-well-in-a-way-that-is-healthy-for-me-659319.html
Also, here is her sports psychologist on Swiatek’s version of the champion mindset. https://www.tennismajors.com/wta-tour-news/daria-abramowicz-i-am-so-proud-of-her-because-it-was-so-hard-766799.html