Loving-kindness, or metta, is a form of love cherished in #Buddhism—vastly different from romantic love. A communications professor explores how it’s seen as “limitless” and “unbounded.”
The Conversation
This Valentine’s Day, try loving-kindness meditation
If you’re feeling disconnected from others, or just disenchanted with the day, you might consider trying loving-kindness meditation, writes a sch...
 #ValentinesDay #Mindfulness
Chocoholics, brace yourselves. Cocoa farms in regions like Northeastern Brazil and West Africa are facing a drying climate, and cacao trees need humidity to thrive. Less rain = less chocolate. A geographer explains:
The Conversation
Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise
Aridity is silently spreading through many of the world’s cocoa-producing regions. There are steps we can take to save them.
 #news #climatechange #valentinesday
#Happiness is often seen as a U-shaped curve: youthful joy, struggles in early adulthood, and a late-life upswing. But this trend doesn’t hold in low-income, nonindustrialized societies. An #anthropology professor explains:
The Conversation
Happiness in poorer countries does not follow the typical U-shaped curve − people are often happiest in middle age
In nonindustrialized societies, health, productivity and economic security play much larger roles in determining happiness among aging populations,...
"As a 30-year #cybersecurity veteran, I find the activities of DOGE thus far concerning. Its broad mandate across government, seemingly nonexistent oversight, and the apparent lack of operational competence of its employees have demonstrated that DOGE could create conditions that are ideal for cybersecurity or data privacy incidents that affect the entire nation."
The Conversation
Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems
News reports paint a frightening picture of DOGE staff trampling time-tested – and in many cases legally required – management and security pra...
 #News #ElonMusk
#Nutrition advice is rife with #misinformation. A medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience
The Conversation
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience
It’s easy to get caught up in the promise of quick health fixes, but they are generally too good to be true.
 #publichealth
Economists analyzed 400,000 #news stories about #capitalism and to determine whether it has fallen out of favor. To their surprise, they discovered that positive sentiment toward capitalism has been gradually increasing over time (#communism, too)
The Conversation
Is capitalism falling out of favor? We analyzed 400,000 news stories to find out
The death of capitalism has been greatly exaggerated.
 #News #AI #media #economics
From #Buddhist hungry ghosts to Haitian #zombies, a unique class at Case Western Reserve University examines how different cultures imagine death, the #afterlife, and the boundaries of humanity.
The Conversation
What the dead, the uncanny and the monstrous tell us about human nature
A scholar of Tibetan Buddhism discusses how she challenges her students to rethink their preconceived notions of death, the afterlife and the conce...
 #News #HigherEd
#Evolution isn't a straight line. Research on fern reproduction reveals how plants can revert to simpler forms, highlighting the complex and unpredictable nature of evolutionary pathways.
The Conversation
Ferns’ ability to evolve ‘backward’ offers insights into the meandering path of evolution
Evolution is often depicted as a steady forward march from simple to complex forms. But new research shows that certain ferns can evolve ‘backwar...
 #News #science #plants
Over 95% of incarcerated people will eventually leave #prison. Criminologists warn older inmates face unique challenges in housing, health care and reintegration after release.
The Conversation
Many more older people are leaving prison and face unmet needs for housing and health care − as well as a tangle of groups trying to help
Parolees over 50 tend to have health issues and strained family ties. They’re less likely to reoffend after prison but need more help getting bac...
 #News #Newstr #CriminalJustice
#PFAS chemicals resist degradation for up to 1,000 years. A group of #chemistry researchers developed a new light-driven technique could transform them into harmless chemicals and ions.
The Conversation
We developed a way to use light to dismantle PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ – long-lasting environmental pollutants
PFAS are made up of a chain of incredibly strong carbon-fluorine bonds, which make them difficult to break down.
 #science #news #chemistry