0:11
Blood test could predict dementia decades before symptoms first appear
A recent meta‑analysis of 12 longitudinal studies looked at whether a simple blood panel could flag dementia risk years before any memory loss shows up. Researchers measured proteins linked to inflammation and brain‑specific markers in participants who were cognitively healthy at baseline, then followed them for an average of 15 years. Those with higher levels of the combined biomarker score were about 1.8 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other dementias compared with people whose scores were low.
The effect size is modest, and the test isn’t diagnostic—it just raises the probability that someone is on a higher‑risk trajectory. Importantly, the studies adjusted for age, education and vascular health, so the signal isn’t just reflecting other risk factors. The authors suggest the blood test could become a screening tool to identify people who might benefit from early lifestyle or therapeutic interventions, but they caution that more diverse cohorts and standardized assays are needed before it’s ready for routine use.
1:29
Review: I kicked myself out of my house to test the Jackery Explorer
I took the Jackery Explorer out for a real‑world test by heading off‑grid for a weekend of camping, so I could see how it handles the kind of demand most of us put on a portable power pack. It’s a 500 Wh lithium‑ion battery with a built‑in inverter, and the specs promise enough juice for a mini‑fridge, a phone charger, and a few LED lights. In practice, the unit kept the fridge running for about 12 hours and still had enough left to charge two phones and a laptop a few times.
Charging the Explorer with its 100‑watt solar panel was the part that mattered most. In bright sun the panel topped out at roughly 80 watts, so a full charge from empty took around eight hours. Cloudy days dropped that to half, which is something to keep in mind if you’re relying on solar alone. Plugging it into a wall outlet was quick—about three hours to go from zero to full, which is decent for a battery of this size.
The design feels solid: the case is sturdy enough to survive a tumble, and the handles make it easy to lug around. The LCD display is clear, showing input, output, and remaining capacity without any confusing icons. Noise is minimal, and the inverter stays cool even when powering the fridge. The only real downside is the price; it sits higher than many comparable units, and the solar panel you get in the bundle isn’t the most efficient on the market.
Overall, if you need a reliable off‑grid power source for short trips and you’re okay with the cost, the Jackery Explorer delivers on its promises. It won’t replace a full‑size generator, but for camping, tailgating, or emergency backup it’s a practical, well‑built option.
3:27
Plasma jet is captured in 'most detailed X-ray view ever'
So researchers used the Event Horizon Telescope to get a really detailed look at a plasma jet, which is a stream of hot, charged gas that's shooting out of a black hole. This is actually a follow-up to their work a few years ago when they took the first-ever picture of a black hole.
The new image is special because it's the most detailed X-ray view we've ever gotten of one of these plasma jets. It's helping scientists learn more about how black holes work and how they affect the space around them. The image was made possible by a network of telescopes working together to form a kind of virtual Earth-sized telescope.
The level of detail in this image is pretty remarkable, and it's giving scientists a lot to think about. They're hoping to use this new information to learn more about the behavior of black holes and how they interact with their surroundings. It's not a huge surprise or anything, but it's a nice incremental step forward in our understanding of these really complex objects.
The study that produced this image is a good example of how scientists can use advanced technology to learn more about the universe. By combining data from multiple telescopes, they were able to create an image that would be impossible to make with just one telescope. This kind of collaboration and innovation is what's driving progress in our understanding of space and astronomy.
It's also worth noting that this research is based on a single observation, so we'll need to see more data to confirm some of the findings. But overall, it's an interesting and useful addition to our knowledge of black holes and plasma jets.
5:23
FieldSpork is what happens when a spork gets super-sporked
The FieldSpork is a single utensil that folds out into six different kitchen tools—spoon, fork, knife, bottle opener, can opener, and a small whisk—so you can trim your pack weight without juggling separate pieces. It’s built from lightweight titanium, which keeps it sturdy and rust‑free while staying under a few ounces.
The design came out of a Kickstarter campaign, where backers helped fund the first production run. The campaign highlighted the tool’s compact size (about the length of a standard fork) and its promise to replace a typical camp‑cook’s cluttered drawer.
If you’re already using a regular spork or a set of basic cutlery, the FieldSpork adds a few extra functions without a noticeable weight penalty. It’s not a miracle gadget, but for backpackers who value every gram, it’s a practical consolidation of everyday camp tools.
6:27
11 Things I'm Thinking About While Breastfeeding Two Babies at Once
Hello, Deeists. It’s been a while since I’ve done a good aul fashioned thought digest.
Here are some ideas that have been coming to me as my old self1 returns to the fore:
For all the talk of how being right-wing is a viable expression of youth rebellion, and, um, “separation-individuation” — which I believe — buttoned up conservatism is still kinda lame. You still need a frisson of offensiveness. Only olds seem to gravitate towards the stock-standard “Why can’t we just go back to the ‘90s?” crap. Catboys/furries/pagans with authoritarian politics still freak people out “but think of the children!” pearlclutchers, and increasingly, MAGA don’t.2 And so do Orthobros and tradcaths, but that goes without saying.
Relatedly, and I’ve written extensively on this topic before, I think the draw of authoritarianism in the Internet age is just another tool in our toolkit for making sense of a dense, confusing information environment. In my infamous Tumblr piece, I talked about where I believed the language and specific mores of Woke-ism came from. I’ve spoken less about where the orientation might come from. So, I still believe it’s a protective mechanism against shrinking opportunity. But I also think, if we’re going to go the McLuhanite route, it’s downstream of the Internet.
The worst of the Woke Impulse hasn’t gone away. So, you loosen up on what social opinions are okay — there’s always going to be another target. Right now, it’s AI-use. The explanation for this has already been supplied by McLuhan, too. So radio created Hitler and Gandhi, the Internet creates its own demons. I’ll allow you to fill in whatever you’d like in the blank.Idea I’m still workshopping: Stan culture (fandom in its most intensified, fan object-oriented form) is an authoritarian monarchy + capitalism + the Internet. It’s comes from the same emotional place as the adolescent tankie.
There is still something to be said about the long-tail impact of millennial oversharing and exposure to nu-Manosphere ideas. Or, fuck it, even /r/TheRedPill — which I remember reading as a teen and then it completely firebombing the way I saw teen boys, which already wasn’t charitable.
Another clarifying memory: when I would read slash (fan fiction where the romantic pairing is between gay men) — so, this was, I don’t know, until I was 27 and started having sex I enjoyed — I remember thinking it depicted “the purest kind of love” because I had so deeply internalized what pick-up artists and my real-life environment said about women. During this time, I also wondered if I was a lesbian. I have never committed this last fact to writing, let alone to 40,000 people.
Yesterday morning, I read a Forbes article about “accomplishment hallucination” downstream of AI use — like when you think you came up with an idea that AI suggested to you, the precarious question of “is vibe coding still coding?” — and it reminded me of spiritual bypassing, which is when you hide behind ideas like “enlightenment” to avoid taking accountability.3 And really, how different is any of this from “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel? And would we have the prosperity gospel without New Thought?
RFQ published a good piece about the perpetual now of the Internet. I think she’s right that a lot of popular opinion writing frames every issue as new and urgent. I mean, anything that’s sold needs to answer the question, “Why now?” and often we just invent the answer, the way all good marketing creates a problem to solve.
What is going to happen to mommy bloggers and family influencers as the birth rate continues to decline? Is anyone writing about this?
If GLP-1s mute compulsive behaviors/addictions like smoking, gambling, excessive eating — what trends will emerge from that? How will people interact with Internet outrage once GLP-1s become more widespread? Will there be an impact on politics? I firmly believe social media is winding down, so will it matter? Sidebar: did Adderall impact our politics at all?
The Internet was to the mall as AI is to the Internet.
Finally, TWO MYSTERIES FROM MY NOTES APP: I wrote down “infantilization and the literacy crisis.” I wish I remembered what that was about. Seems interesting.
A link to this tweet and the note “MEDIEVAL CATHEDRALS.” Huh???
P.S. Would you mind leaving some anonymous feedback?
1
For some reason, I always become a different person during my pregnancies. It’s hard to explain but I’m just not all there.
2
This does not, however, mean that they are anymore liked. They just lost their edge.
3
I think technically the definition is using spiritual concepts to avoid doing emotional work or healing wounds, but hey, what’s the difference?
11:50
Firecracker Casserole
Happy 4th of July to everyone! I don’t have any special plans today since we had our family meal yesterday, but I wanted to share this fun and festive dish with you all. It features all the delicious Tex-Mex flavors without the heat. You can easily add your own spice by including some sliced jalapeños—just make sure to warn your guests!
This dish also feeds a lot of people but can be easily made with half of the ingredients; it also freezes well if you do find yourself with leftovers, but that’s rare here. I pair it with a side salad with goodies from the garden. I love eating to celebrate the holidays, and this dish is perfect for today. Enjoy!
Firecracker Casserole
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 flour tortillas (6 inches)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt.
Transfer to a greased 13x9-in—baking dish. Arrange tortillas over the top. Combine soup and tomatoes; pour over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
13:28
Heatwaves, Accountability & Profit
Britain and Europe have just experienced one of the worst heatwaves in living memory, with temperatures climbing over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). However, unlike the last record-breaking single heatwave from the ’70s, this was no anomaly; it was the result of a stark upwards trend. The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded until 2025 smashed that record, and now 2026 is set to possibly top that too. This is why scientists have found that this recent heatwave was impossible without man-made climate change. We also know that this heatwave has killed well over a thousand peopleand dealt serious damage to infrastructure, economies, and society. But hold on, we know who is responsible for, and profits hugely from, climate change: fossil fuel companies. In a just world, they would be made to pay for the damage their goods cause. But that isn’t happening. Why? Truth be told, there are a lot of reasons. This is a complex topic. But there is one glaringly obvious reason — taking accountability would destroy them. Let me explain.
But first, how much damage does climate change-induced extreme weather cause? Well, there are a few different ways of calculating that.
The charity Christian Aid found that the ten worst climate-related disasters of 2025 caused more than $120 billion in insurance losses. That is a dramatic figure, but it doesn’t reflect all the damages. Much of the developed world hasn’t been accounted for, nor have down-the-line losses or economic damage. It doesn’t even take into account all the lives lost, as much of the world’s population doesn’t have life insurance. As such, while this is a shockingly high figure, it is very much an underestimation.
This is where the study of weather attribution comes in. This process looks at extreme weather events, like heatwaves, hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms, and uses tools like computer simulations to figure out if man-made climate change caused the event or how much worse the event was because of climate change. Weather attribution studies are incredibly detailed and time-consuming, as they use a truly staggering amount of data and analysis to arrive at defensible conclusions. But, once you have completed this study, you can then attempt another which looks at how much damage these extreme weather events caused and establishes how much of this damage was due to man-made climate change.
Studies like these take a long time to complete, but their results are shocking.
A study published in Nature assessed the climate-change-attributed costs caused by 185 global extreme weather events from 2000 to 2019. Over that period, the total figure was $2.86 trillion, with climate change causing an average annual damage of $143 billion. But the annual cost was highly variable, with 2001 being the lowest at just $23.9 billion and 2008 being the highest at $620 billion.
However, these researchers also stated that their results are likely far lower than the actual costs, as they lack critical data. For example, over that time period, they do not have any data on extreme weather deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, a lead researcher on this paper stated that “our headline number of $140bn is a significant understatement.”
17:11
Soft Power: The Art of Influence Without Domination
The most powerful person I ever knew could take a room with a smile and the smallest lift of an eyebrow, and she did it having already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime.
She was my godmother, the wife of my father’s uncle, and the woman whose name I carry, which means I have spent my life trailing her without ever quite catching up. A refugee from Cernăuți, she was a student in Bucharest when World War II came down over everything, and when she finally got back north there was no north to get back to, the family gone, the city of her girlhood wiped off the earth as though it had given some unforgivable offence. She returned to Bucharest alone with one suitcase and built an entire life out of that nothing. I could give you the whole of it and one day I mean to, though not here. Here I want only the thing I learned from watching her, which took a long time to name. I once saw her walk into a grey communist office where the clerk had spent all morning saying no to frightened people and watched him say yes to her inside four minutes, and not grudgingly. Gladly. As though being allowed to help her were the finest thing to have happened to him all year.
We have a name for this now and the name has been wrecked. Soft power. Joseph Nye, a Harvard man writing at the fag-end of the ‘80s with the Berlin Wall still standing and still doing its miserable job, meant something fairly exact… the ability of a country to get what it wants through attraction rather than through tanks or the threat of sanctions, so that other nations come to want what you want and thank you warmly for the education. Hollywood was soft power. Levi’s smuggled behind the Iron Curtain, soft power. The concept was clever and faintly sinister and almost entirely about states.
Then it fell into the internet, where all good ideas go to be flattened.
These days soft power is a carousel post. It is a woman in an oatmeal-coloured blazer explaining that you, too, can own any room by dropping your voice half an octave and holding eye contact for a beat longer than feels decent. It has been fed into that vast and tireless apparatus that sells women their own competence back to them, marked up. And here is the ungracious thing, the sentence the algorithm would gently steer me away from writing. A great deal of what gets sold as soft-power wisdom is etiquette with an MBA stapled to it. Poise, rebranded as tactics. The manners your grandmother had for free, retailed to you now by a stranger with a course to sell.
So let me try to say what the thing actually is, and where it lives, because it lives in a very particular gap. Consider the distance between a threat and an invitation. Hard power demands. Soft power invites. Only one of them stays in your memory. The man who forced your hand you forget almost at once, the way a bruise stops hurting and then stops existing. The person who made you feel, across one lamplit evening, cleverer and better-looking than you actually are, that person you remember for decades, and you will keep doing them favours long after you have lost track of why.
Anaïs Nin knew this in her bones, and she is unfashionable to quote now, perhaps because she fictionalised her own diaries and maybe because we have decided that a woman who writes plainly about wanting things is either a victim or a brand, with almost no habitable country between the two. Nin understood that seduction is a separate art from sex and frequently has little to do with it. To seduce is to make another person feel, for a moment, like the single lit window on a dark and otherwise indifferent street. She did it in prose. Henry Miller took the notoriety and eventually the film adaptation; Nin took the readers who closed her books feeling personally, almost embarrassingly, addressed, and that is the more lasting thing to be left holding.
Susan Sontag, who would have loathed being seated next to Nin at this table, handed us the line about wanting an erotics of art in place of a hermeneutics. She meant, roughly, quit dissecting the poor living thing and let it do its work on you. That is soft power raised to an aesthetic law. The painting does not argue. It offers no bullet points and cites no studies. It arranges itself so that you leave the room changed and unable to name the instant the change occurred. Advertising took the lesson to heart, and so did every demagogue with a decent tailor and a nose for crowds, which is the guest nobody wants at dinner, the historical fact that the velvet glove and the mailed fist have shaken hands more often than we like to recall and shaken warmly.
Now let me drop the pretence that this is a women’s topic because the framing is itself a small and comfortable cage. Talleyrand outlived a monarchy, a revolution, an empire, a restoration, surviving every man in France more decisive than himself, and he managed it by making himself indispensable and quite impossible to read across a card table.
22:52
Podcast: The Future of Wokeness
Most of the conversation leans on personal anecdotes and a handful of survey snapshots rather than systematic studies, so take the claims as observations rather than hard‑won facts. Nathan recounts the backlash to his Ghent appointment, describing how faculty, police and media all reacted, while Noah points to a later drop‑off in public attention. Their back‑and‑forth paints a picture of a movement that still lives inside some institutions even if its street‑level buzz has faded.
They spend a few minutes defining “wokeism” in plain terms—essentially a set of identity‑focused policies that gained traction after 2020. The hosts argue that business incentives, not pure ideology, now drive many of the practices, and they cite a recent youth‑attitude poll that shows younger adults are less likely to label themselves “woke” than a few years ago.
The later segment turns to the political fallout: DEI campaigns at universities and corporations have sparked both backlash and rebranding attempts, especially among swing voters. Noah suggests the elite‑level push for equality is losing steam, while Nathan warns that the underlying structures may simply be shifting shape.
Finally, they speculate about a “hereditarian revolution,” linking the current debate to future discussions on embryo selection and IQ. The takeaway is that the conversation about wokeness is moving from overt cultural battles to more subtle, institutional negotiations, and the next election could be a key test of how far that shift has really gone.
24:40
Gobao's ebike drive-gearbox combo takes on Avinox with automatic shifting
A major battle is brewing in the world of ebikes: DJI subsidiary Avinox and components manufacturer Gobao are racing to bring powerful motors with integrated automatic gearboxes to the market – and we can't wait.
Tags: DJI Innovations, ebikes, Mountain Bikes, Pedal-assisted, urban transport, Motor, Transmission, Automation
