In the Cretaceous Period‚ dinosaurs were big‚ and mammals were small. At least‚ that’s been the general view – until very recently‚ when a slew of larger ancient fuzzies started turning up in the fossil record. None‚ however‚ come anywhere close to the size of Patagomaia chainko: a brand-new Late Cretaceous mammal reckoned to have possibly weighed as much as 26 kilograms (57 pounds).Discovered in southern Patagonia‚ South America‚ the new species is represented by just fragments of its hindlimb and pelvis. Nevertheless‚ that’s enough for experts to estimate its size and likely general appearance: “Estimates of the body mass of Patagomaia were made by taking measurements of the postcranial remains‚” the researchers write‚ “using regressions that have already been used in other fossil mammals.”The verdict: the remains “belong to a medium-sized mammal‚ comparable in size to […] the canid Lycalopex culpaeus‚” the team determined. That’s the Latin name for the culpeo‚ or Andean fox – though it’s actually more closely related to a wolf or a jackal than a real fox – or to put it another way: P. chainko was larger than a red fox‚ but smaller than a coyote.That may seem at odds with the 26-kilo estimate. There’s a good reason for that: it’s a maximum weight‚ rather than an average or likely one for the species. In fact‚ the team write‚ “we estimated a body mass of ~ 14 kg [30.8 pounds] for the holotype specimen‚” which they think “likely represents the maximum ones that this animal could have reached.”That‚ however‚ is still highly noteworthy. Most Northern Hemisphere mammals from the era have a body mass below 100 grams (0.22 pounds)‚ they point out‚ with 99 percent not even reaching 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). Even the largest previously known species from the period – the Early Cretaceous Repenomamus and the Late Cretaceous Vintana – topped out at roughly 10 and 8.9 kilograms (22 and 19.6 pounds) respectively. Based on the specimen’s femur‚ tibia‚ hips‚ and hip sockets‚ the researchers were also able to gather a few clues about the animal’s potential form. It doesn’t seem to have much in common with monotremes such as the platypus‚ for example‚ though it shares some similarities with badgers and porcupines.Cladogram showing the phylogenetic affinities of Patagomaia chainko‚ geographic location‚ and paleohistological images; Map showing the fossil locality; Transverse section of the femur (left); tibia (right) in polarized light with lambda compensator.Image Credit: Chimento‚ N.R.‚ Agnolín‚ F.L.‚ García-Marsà‚ J. et al.‚ Scientific Reports‚ (CC BY 4.0)In total‚ the creature is undoubtedly a therian mammal: its remains show a wide range of features that practically always turn up in other known examples of the class‚ and virtually never outside of it. Overall‚ however‚ the creature is fairly unique‚ even for its time – and not only because of its size.“Although Patagomaia reveals therian affinities‚ it differs from Paleogene South American representatives of this clade‚” the researchers note. “In sum‚ Patagomaia does not exhibit morphological features that may ally it with any of the mammalian clades […] frequently recorded in Cretaceous and early Paleogene beds from South America.”“This new discovery demonstrates that Late Cretaceous mammalian faunas from South America were taxonomically diverse‚ not only including gondwanatherians‚ dryolestoids and monotremes‚ but also early therians‚” the team concludes. “Patagomaia also reveals that the evolution of large body size among Late Cretaceous mammals was more complex than previously understood.”The paper is published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

In the tranquil expanses of North America’s woodlands and grasslands‚ a silent but concerning phenomenon is unfolding: chronic wasting disease (CWD). The condition‚ often dubbed “zombie deer disease”‚ is stealthily spreading among deer populations‚ sparking concerns among scientists‚ conservationists and the public alike. This neurological affliction‚ characterised by myriad symptoms‚ such as drooling‚ lethargy‚ stumbling and a vacant gaze‚ has now been detected in over 800 samples of deer‚ elk and moose in Wyoming alone‚ highlighting the scale and urgency of the issue. At the heart of the CWD puzzle lies a peculiar culprit: prions. Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause normal proteins in the brain to misfold as well‚ leading to neurological degeneration. This unique feature makes prion diseases particularly concerning as they are notoriously resilient and can persist in the environment for years‚ resisting traditional disinfection methods such as formaldehyde‚ radiation and incineration at extreme temperatures. The spread of CWD poses significant ecological and potentially human health risks. While there is no conclusive evidence that CWD can directly infect humans‚ the possibility remains a point of concern. Prion diseases‚ such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans and “mad cow disease” in cattle‚ have shown that they can cross the species barrier – with devastating consequences. The outbreak of mad cow disease in Britain‚ for instance‚ resulted in the slaughter of millions of cattle and led to 178 human deaths attributed to the human variant of the disease since 1995. Despite the lack of confirmed cases of CWD in humans‚ concerns persist due to several factors. First‚ studies have shown that prions responsible for CWD can infect and propagate within human cells under laboratory conditions‚ raising the spectre of potential transmission. Second‚ humans are already inadvertently exposed to potentially infected animals by hunting and eating them. Reports suggest that between 7‚000 to 15‚000 CWD-infected animals were consumed annually by humans in 2017‚ with projections indicating a 20% annual increase. In regions where CWD prevalence is high‚ such as Wisconsin‚ thousands of people may have unwittingly consumed meat from infected deer‚ underscoring the urgency for measures to mitigate risks. Also‚ the inherent difficulties associated with detecting and diagnosing prion diseases in humans further complicate the situation. Unlike conventional infectious agents‚ prions do not trigger an immune response‚ making them difficult to detect through conventional means. This poses a significant obstacle to early intervention and containment efforts. The potential for CWD to affect human health is not limited to direct transmission. The environmental persistence of prions means that humans may also be exposed through indirect routes‚ such as contaminated soil‚ water and other environmental sources. Given the resilience of prions and their ability to persist in the environment for extended periods‚ the long-term consequences of CWD on human health remain uncertain but warrant serious consideration. Beyond the immediate health concerns‚ the spread of CWD also poses significant ecological and economic risks. Deer hunting is not only a popular recreational activity but also a vital source of sustenance and livelihood for many communities. The proliferation of CWD threatens to disrupt this delicate balance‚ potentially decimating deer populations and compromising food security in affected regions. Furthermore‚ the ecological effects of CWD extend beyond deer populations‚ affecting entire ecosystems. Deer play a crucial role in shaping vegetation dynamics (how plant communities change and evolve over time) through browsing and grazing. And their decline could have cascading effects on plant communities‚ soil health and other wildlife species that depend on deer as a food source or habitat modifier. In Europe too It is noteworthy that while there have been no outbreaks of CWD in the UK‚ in 2016 it was diagnosed in wild deer in Norway‚ marking the first cases of CWD in Europe. This development underscores the potential for CWD to spread beyond its current range and highlights the need for international cooperation in monitoring and controlling the disease. Addressing the many challenges posed by CWD requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach. This includes bolstering surveillance and monitoring to track the spread of the disease‚ and implementing stringent biosecurity measures to prevent further transmission – such as controlling the movement of deer and elk populations‚ conducting regular testing to monitor disease prevalence‚ and promoting responsible hunting practices to minimise the risk of transmission. More research is also needed to better understand the disease’s transmission dynamics‚ its ecological effects and potential human health implications. Ultimately‚ the spectre of CWD underscores the interconnectedness of ecosystems and human health. By heeding the warnings of scientists and taking decisive action to mitigate risks‚ we can strive to protect both wildlife and human populations from the insidious grip of CWD and other emerging zoonotic diseases. In doing so‚ we honour our commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our planet and its inhabitants for generations to come. Samuel J. White‚ Senior Lecturer in Genetic Immunology‚ Nottingham Trent University and Philippe B. Wilson‚ Professor of One Health‚ Nottingham Trent University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Zombie deer disease is spreading and it could jump to humans appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Dr. Steven Greer‚ a prominent figure in the realm of ufology and consciousness exploration‚ has dedicated his life to unraveling the mysteries of the universe. As a medical doctor turned UFO researcher‚ Greer has been a tireless advocate for the disclosure of classified information regarding extraterrestrial phenomena and their potential connection to human consciousness. Born on June 28‚ 1955‚ Dr. Steven Macon Greer began his career as an emergency room physician. However‚ his life took a transformative turn in the early 1990s when he founded the Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) and later the Disclosure Project. Greer’s… This premium content is for PLUS+ members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post Extraterrestrials‚ consciousness and the Universe – what connects them all? appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Who could have foreseen Marky Mark’s impressive role in the ongoing revival of Christianity in America? Mark Wahlberg’s evangelization is made all the more surreal by the fact that Wahlberg has teamed up with Jonathan Roumie‚ the man who plays Jesus on “The Chosen.” Roumie offers the greatest portrayal of Christ I’ve encountered. If you’re a Christian‚ this is incredible news. Ideologically manufactured or not‚ the buoyancy of our faith seemed to be in question there for a moment. In his book "The Everlasting Man‚" G.K. Chesterton writes that “Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a god who knew the way out of the grave.” We are witnessing a digital resurrection. There’s no clearer indication of Christianity’s eternal newness than the adaptability of religion to accommodate technology‚ particularly with the use of apps. Belief in Christ hinges largely on the resurrection. As Christians‚ we live for the resurrection. So it makes sense that just as the media activists have begun celebrating the “death” of Christianity‚ it has come back to life. There’s no clearer indication of Christianity’s eternal newness than the adaptability of religion to accommodate technology‚ particularly with the use of apps. Here is a list of the best apps currently on the market: AMEN Unpopular opinion: Hallow is not my top app. There’s nothing wrong with it‚ but I’ll explain below. My personal favorite is Amen. Best of all‚ it’s free. And don’t tell the folks at Hallow that I told you‚ but Amen offers many of the same features without the cost. Although to be fair‚ Amen does not have recordings of the Rosary‚ read by Jonathan Roumie‚ who plays Jesus on “The Chosen.” Amen is a project by the Augustine Institute‚ mainly assembled by Dr. Timothy Gray. The app itself is sleek‚ with a seamless user interface and none of the buggy lag that haunts many other Christian apps. Amen is so smooth that I often ask‚ “How is this free?” “The Stories for Sleep” section is also neat. It features 90-minute lectures told in a compelling way — the perfect sleep aid. Amen also offers tremendous readings. This one alone‚ “The Universal Prayer” read by Dr. Christopher Blum‚ is breathtaking. I listen to it at least once every day. It captures the essence of Christianity better than any other prayer‚ excluding the Our Father‚ the Nicene Creed‚ the Apostles' Creed‚ and‚ well‚ there are so many beautiful prayers. Even my 1-year-old loves it — it’s the perfect lullaby when we’re in the rocking chair before bedtime. Apple | Android Daily TV Mass Pgiam/Getty Maybe I may have a soft spot for Daily TV Mass‚ a Canadian program that airs the daily Mass and Sunday Mass in an abbreviated form. There’s nothing showy or eye-catching about it. But that’s a large part of its appeal. When I miss daily Mass in person‚ Daily TV Mass is my go-to. And not because it’s the only one. There are tons of apps that offer broadcasts of daily Masses from all over the world. There’s just something special about it. Filmed in the Loretto Abbey Chapel‚ Daily TV Mass includes a roster of priests and deacons whose acuity and fervor are enough to raise you from the couch. The program has done well in its conversion to internet presence‚ with a YouTube channel that churns out content with the reliability you want from your faith institutions. It's a great way to fulfill your holy obligation if you’re sick. It’s also quite popular in retirement homes. As an app‚ it’s not cutting-edge technologically‚ but that’s not why you get it. You push the “GET” button because it’s ready and eager to be your lifelong friend. Apple | Google Play | YouTube Magnificat (free‚ with subscription options) This almost feels like cheating because Magnificat is so ubiquitous in print. It’s one of the most valuable tools for Catholics. This iconic monthly publication includes daily readings‚ daily prayers (morning and evening)‚ and the Order of Mass‚ but also colorful passages about the lives of saints‚ all condensed into its pocket-sized paperback. I include Magnificat here because the app is as functional and airtight as its print form. Or rather‚ the paper version translates into digital relatively smoothly. Its strongest feature is the gallery-style flexibility that separates each day. Apple | Google Play #Bible - Verse of the Day (free‚ with subscription option) While not Catholic — at all — the #Bible app is fantastic. It’s lean and quick. On iPhone‚ you can add it as a widget for your home screen‚ which offers a nice reminder throughout the day. Pick a time‚ and you’ll get daily Bible verses. The timing and applicability of any given verse regularly blow me away. My only complaint is that only three translations are available: The King James Version‚ the Word English Bible‚ and the Berean Standard Bible. For a nominal fee‚ you can access Bible Chat AI‚ “an AI assistant that can search‚ summarize‚ and answer questions about Biblical events and people.” Apple Bible Gateway For a variety of translations‚ go with Bible Gateway. This makes sense because Bible Gateway is the internet standard for finding verses and passages‚ allowing you to change the translation effortlessly. And there are tons of translations. If you’re ready to explore the Bible academically and philosophically as a spiritual exercise‚ this is the app you get. The audio doesn’t match the quality of Amen or Hallow‚ but those apps have top-notch audio‚ not just relative to other apps but to audio recording in general. Apple | Google Play | Kindle Fire Hallow (free‚ but a subscription is an option for more access) DHNPhotos/Getty If Catholicism had a “Tech Rookie of the Year‚” it would be Hallow. It’s likely the only Catholic app‚ or even a general Christian app‚ that could be considered a household name‚ mainly because of the company’s brilliant approach to marketing. But it also happens to be an incredible product. Perhaps its most beneficial quality is that it is profoundly educational and geared toward teaching people how to pray in entirely new ways. Perhaps its finest feature is the legendary Father Mike Schmitz‚ the ultimate social media priest known for radically lifting countless souls from the dirt using tech. Monthly 8.99; annually $69.99: Apple | Google Play EWTN (free‚ with paid options) If Hallow is the vibrant youngster on the Catholic media scene‚ the Eternal Word Television Network is its seasoned godparent. EWTN is iconic. Its red logo is the only sticker on the bumpers of countless minivans. For a network founded in 1981 as a cable TV platform‚ it has adapted incredibly well. It still has a boxy feel‚ lacking the spryness and novelty of Hallow‚ but that’s perfectly fine‚ and it doesn’t affect the app’s performance‚ which is mostly wonderful — the only issue I’ve had is glitchiness in the Adoration stream. The on-demand feature gives you the same access you find on EWTN cable but with the portability of your device. Apple | Google Play | Kindle Fire Laudate (free) It’s pretty bare-bones‚ but it’s got everything you need: daily readings‚ podcasts‚ prayers (including the Latin prayers)‚ Vatican documents‚ Catechism‚ and several translations of the Bible. For those new to Catholicism‚ it also includes guides to the sacraments: The section regarding reconciliation offers easy-to-understand instructions for how to go to confession‚ with specialized tips for children‚ young adults‚ singles‚ and people who are married. Also included is an “Order of the Mass‚” a useful cheat sheet for anyone unfamiliar with the maneuvers of Catholic gymnastics. The app’s minimalism is practical. There’s no time wasted on graphics and flashy content. The only downside to this is with the “Interactive Rosary‚” which lets you use your phone to pray the Rosary‚ but the graphics are a bit laggy. Laudate does‚ however‚ feature an impressive list of resources for the Rosary‚ including links to live broadcasts of the devotional prayer. It’s also available in eight different languages. Apple | Android |Kindle Fire

We recently discussed the Unix operating system and its various offshoots‚ like Linux‚ and why it’s an invaluable skill to learn to assert your digital independence. If you know UNIX‚ you can use alternative operating systems like Linux‚ run your own servers‚ and do other powerful things that make you less dependent on software companies spoon-feeding user-friendly interfaces. We even offered some ways to try Unix or Linux on your computer without major modifications. But once you get to a command prompt‚ it can be daunting. There you are with a window or screen of mysterious characters and an ominous blinking cursor. What now? It helps to know how to get around. Here are two fundamental commands for navigation: Type pwd and press enter or return to see the directory you’re currently in Try ls to list the contents of the directory Think of pwd and ls as a compass and map for a Unix file system. They tell you where you are and what you’re looking at. Arguments and options Almost every Unix command accepts arguments. No‚ not the kind you have with your relatives on Thanksgiving. An argument in the context of Unix means something additional you pass on to a command — often the file or directory you want the command to operate on. Going back to the above example‚ if the ls command lists a familiar subdirectory — like Documents — you can enter that directory by typing cd followed by the directory name‚ like so: cd Documents. In this example‚ Documents is the argument passed to the cd command. Here’s a tip: most Unix-type command lines let you press tab to autocomplete a file or directory name‚ so you can type cd Doc and then press tab to reduce errors and not have to type so much. Get lost? Use cd ~ to return to your home directory‚ which is the directory you start in by default when you open a command-line window. You can also use cd .. to move up a directory. Here’s an example: Let’s say you start in /Users/yourname/ (again‚ verify your home directory with the pwd command) You move into your Documents folder with cd Documents/ (pwd would show /Users/yourname/Documents) You enter cd .. and you’re back in /Users/yourname/ Let’s talk about options‚ which are additional parameters passed to a command‚ usually denoted by a hyphen. Let’s revisit the ls command. When you try it‚ it will probably show your files and folders in a set of columns. But if you instead type ls -l‚ it presents those files and folders as a vertical list. The -l is an example of an option. By default‚ ls presents everything in alphabetical order. But if you give it the option -t‚ it displays files and folders in the order they were last modified‚ with the most recent files at the top. You can combine options. Try ls -lt‚ which presents files and folders in a list in the order they were modified. If you’re brand new to the concept‚ that should keep you busy for a while. But I want to introduce you to a powerful Unix command that will help you become self-sufficient in the digital realm: man. That’s a man man The man command is Unix’s built-in documentation system. You can pass any other command as an argument to man‚ like man pwd or man ls‚ which present extensive manual pages for those commands. But how do you use the man command? It is easy; just invoke man man to see a manual for man. What’s cool about man is that it’s entirely self-documenting. Need help getting around? Press h while in the man application to see a help screen with all the keyboard shortcuts‚ like how to exit a man page (press q). Man pages are usually laid out with: A brief description of the command A quick summary of arguments and options for the command A detailed description of the command‚ followed by descriptions of the options Usually‚ near the bottom‚ a man page gives examples and a list of related commands you can explore. But how do you navigate inside a man page or the help screen? You could use regular arrow keys along with pgup and pgdown. Space will also advance by one screen. But if you want to learn Unix‚ I recommend becoming familiar with VIM keys. Navigate like a VIM VIM is a lightweight text editor for Unix and is a subject for another time‚ but its keyboard shortcuts are used in many Unix apps‚ like man‚ so they’re worth learning. (And if you got curious and tried the VIM command and don’t know how to get out: press :q!) VIM’s ancestors were developed when many keyboards did not have arrow keys‚ so developers had to get creative. For instance‚ they decided on: j to move down k to move up These keyboard shortcuts work in man to move up and down single lines. Here’s a neat trick: Press a number before j or k to move down or up that many lines. So 5j moves down five lines. Here are some others: z to move down one page w to move up one page g to navigate to the beginning of a man page G to navigate to the end of a man page To search inside a man page‚ press forward slash (/) followed by your search term. Note that it’s case-sensitive. For instance‚ in man man‚ typing /System brings up results‚ /system does not. Press n to “find next” Press N to “find previous” These shortcuts may seem like dumb or nerdy things to learn‚ but they can supercharge your Unix powers. Here’s a video of Luke Smith quickly renaming files using VIM shortcuts: How vim Makes my Daily Life Easier youtu.be That’s enough to get around a man page. If you want to master VIM keys‚ try the VIMtutor command‚ which presents an interactive tutorial. I also recommend the online game VIM Adventures if you prefer that approach. There you have it: the basics of navigating a Unix file system‚ using the man command to get help‚ and navigating a man page. With those building blocks‚ you’re set to learn much‚ much more.

Alex Kaschuta is the host of "Subversive‚" an oddball podcast that's had maybe one of the most impressive selections of guests I can think of – everyone from Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters to journalist Michael Tracey to Twitter anons behind voice changers‚ who‚ to no surprise to her listeners‚ are often perspicacious critics of liberalism. When people talk about what they like about "Subversive‚" it's usually something about getting to hear from people they would never have thought to pay attention to or Alex's talent for articulating the things we all feel but struggle to put into words. As an internet historian‚ what's always stood out to me is how thoroughly and accessibly "Subversive" chronicles one of the internet's most misunderstood and important corners: the online right. When I asked Alex how she'd describe herself‚ she said‚ "a mother‚ wife‚ writer‚ and podcaster from and living in Transylvania‚ Romania – in that order‚" but to my mind‚ she forgot one of her most important roles: the online right's chief storyteller. Katherine: How would you describe your podcast? Alex: The podcast is a way for me to speak to the people I think have important things to say about the stage we've reached in our civilization. It seems to have become somewhat of a scene report for the two spheres I'm most interested in‚ the "new right" or "dissident right" and the wider post-liberal arena. It overlaps with the dissident right somewhat but includes a vast range of left- and right-wing figures. Katherine: How'd you come up with the idea? Alex: While I was simmering in the culture wars like everyone else‚ I realized that much was left unsaid even in the alternative media space. It was just the same "wokeness is bad‚ look at these crazy people‚ we just need to return to liberal principles" take over and over. Many fundamental questions about those liberal principles were left open: where they failed (given that the madness mentioned above is now increasingly the norm)‚ questions about meaning‚ freedom‚ and governance were simply not on the table. The recipe for viewership in alternative media was straightforward – just parade some lunatics in front of your audience and then say something like: "This is race communism. Liberalism fixes this!" The only people who had any answers that were not simple hand-waving or some baroque circular reasoning were in the dissident right or the broader post-liberal sphere. They were the only people who were even attempting to phrase coherent questions. Every other form of discourse began with liberal assumptions‚ and this was the only place where those assumptions were questioned from a more fundamental vantage point. So I wanted to talk to these people and make their thoughts more widely accessible. A podcast felt like the easiest way to do this. Katherine: Do you think there's anyone out there creating similar content? Alex: There are a few podcasts and a few YouTube channels that cover a similar space‚ but of course‚ their angle reflects the interests and background of the hosts. "Outsider Theory‚" Geoff Shullenberger's podcast‚ and "Hermitix" from James Ellis are similar‚ though the tone and guest selection skew more toward academia than "Subversive." Academic Agent‚ Auron MacIntyre‚ the Prudentialist‚ and Charlemagne cover the YouTube space on similar themes‚ but the format is more geared toward video essays and streams. "Content Minded‚" Gio Pennacchietti's new project‚ covers similar ground. Still‚ he's even more of an insider to the dissident right than I am‚ and his area of expertise covers art and academia more in depth. I think "Subversive" is quite a broad show‚ and a lot of its appeal is that it brings together thinkers from the closest thing that we have to a big-tent dissident right. Katherine: What do you think of me describing your work as "content"? Alex: I dislike the word content because it sounds like "filler" or "placeholder‚" something propping up a void. It also has a very commoditized and interchangeable feel: "Just open your face sensors and let the screens pour in the day's content." I realize there is no better word for someone's multimedia output‚ mainly if it's spread digitally and isn't just one type. I think I dislike it even more because‚ on some level‚ I realize that for many viewers‚ it is a commodity – YouTube infotainment‚ politics as tribal LARP – including all the work I find precious. Katherine: Who's been your favorite guest so far? Alex: I've loved having people like Curtis Yarvin‚ Patrick Deneen‚ or Ryszard Legutko on‚ who are somewhat more high-profile and intellectual heroes to many in our sphere. Still‚ my favorite episodes tend to be with people doing similar work to me‚ like my episodes with Gio Pennacchietti‚ Darryl Cooper‚ or you‚ Katherine. It's probably a question of practice‚ but for now‚ I find it much easier to loosen up and have fun with people I consider peers and who have a similar experience of being (very) online. Katherine: Do you think Twitter has influenced politics? Alex: I think that's undeniable at this point. Twitter is the cauldron in which the professional and amateur wordcels of the world brew up the Narrative and its counter-narratives. We've been in a constant state of emergency for years now‚ maybe even since the Arab Spring or the migrant crisis in the wake of the Syrian war. Since then‚ we've had major‚ politically salient‚ narrative-driven crises every few months‚ crises that are based on powerful‚ digitally propagated images‚ like the death of George Floyd or people collapsing with a mysterious disease in Wuhan. These were all story-driven‚ and Twitter is where the story takes its initial shape. We're at an interesting point now‚ as some of the counter-narratives are gaining enough traction to embarrass the narrative in an important way. I'd like to believe my work is part of this growing countercurrent‚ but what the result of this will be exactly is unclear to me. We can expect that the mainstream will try to co-opt these new energies and try to absorb them. I think people in our creative sphere must be aware of this and guard against it. Katherine: What's one surprising thing you've learned from your show? Alex: My ideas and interview style can elicit admiration from some and extreme rage from others. The spectrum between lover and hater of the show is extreme. It's taught me not to worry too much about how it's received because there seems to be a fixed percentage of people who loathe it no matter what I do. Katherine: You always end your show by asking about your guest's favorite subversive thinker. Who's a subversive thinker you think we should be paying attention to? Alex: This is a surprisingly tough one every time because I want to come up with something very unique and typically fail. But in reality‚ the podcast itself is my answer to this question.

It’s the Kroger checkout aisle. The woman in front of me has tried three different credit cards so far‚ and none of them have gone through. A few aisles away‚ a baby cries until her mom places an iPad in front of her‚ and she descends lazily into the virtual world‚ where she will presumably live most of her life. I’m inspecting the quality of everything in my cart‚ seeing if there’s anything I could negotiate a discount for while rethinking that bottle of kombucha I grabbed. Do I really need it? The woman bagging my groceries appears to be old enough to have comfortably retired by now‚ but instead she’s trying to lift my 12-pack of toilet paper into my cart until I stop her and tell her I can handle it. Maybe I had been too wrapped up in my own head to really take stock of the sincere moment of connection at the grocery store entrance. It was just a brief blur of humanity in an increasingly disconnected world. When she tells me the total‚ she gives me a sympathetic look‚ saying‚ “It adds up fast now‚ huh?” I give her a weak chuckle. “Yeah‚ sure does.” Neither of us say “Thanks‚ Biden‚” but somehow we both know we’re thinking it‚ and our smiles widen just a bit. In the parking lot‚ there’s a man on speaker phone with somebody he’s very angry with. He’s shouting profanities into the phone and dropping N-words like he’s J. Cole. I know he sees me loading my groceries into the back of my Kia Soul right next to him; we made eye contact when he yelled into his iPhone about being disrespected. It’s one of the most beautiful Texas afternoons I have seen in a long time. There is not one‚ I mean literally not a single cloud‚ in the sky. The air has maintained the lingering crispness of colder temperatures as the sun melts winter away. Somebody cuts me off on my way out of the parking lot‚ and I realize can’t blame Biden for that. I used to think that the universal test of humanity was whether or not you put your shopping cart back in its designated parking spot. The bar is significantly lower now. The new test is if you can handle grocery shopping without cussing somebody out. But I’m not angry because I’m still thinking about the old man I passed at the Kroger entrance wearing a hat that I believe said he was a veteran from the Korean War. He had stopped the young man whose job it was to pick up the carts that were scattered haphazardly around the parking lots and return them to the store. The old man shook the young man's hand and said something that sounded like “you’re doing good work.” I thought maybe he knew the young man. I have a neighbor who works at Kroger. Maybe these men were neighbors too. It’s not a big town. Or maybe he didn’t know him. Maybe I had misinterpreted the whole scene in my usual distracted rush to get my groceries without collapsing into despair about the price of garlic. Maybe I had been too wrapped up in my own head to really take stock of the sincere moment of connection at the grocery store entrance. It was just a brief blur of humanity in an increasingly disconnected world. I had a moment watching the woman fumbling to find a card that wouldn’t be declined when I thought‚ maybe I should offer to pay. Her card went through before I acted‚ but I could only trace the impulse back to that old man at the front entrance. He was kind to someone at the grocery store. Maybe I could be too. I realized while driving the uncrowded main street back home that humanity is equally as contagious as inhumanity but significantly less engaging. I couldn’t help but remember the details of the man yelling into his phone‚ but the random act of sincerity by the old man — that went almost unregistered by me. Headlines today are plastered with the end of the world. “He killed her.” “They hate them. “ Rarely is there an article about the old man who shook the young man's hand on a Sunday afternoon at the local grocery. Or the neighbors who finally escalated their friendship from an occasional “hello” to the planning of a game night. The graduate of AA being baptized at church‚ or the parents who worked it out instead of splitting up. The countless stories of people who had every excuse to despair‚ to lash out‚ but didn’t. We don’t read those stories‚ but we do live them. I’m pulling into my driveway‚ where my husband is waiting to help me unload. We go on a short walk around the neighborhood and notice everyone who has painted their door or is having a cookout. The sun is setting in that kind of endless-sky way Texans brag about when we get a call from a relative asking how we are. We’re doing very well.

Optical discs‚ such as DVDs and Blu-rays‚ may have completely fallen out of favor in the PC games business over the last few years‚ but scientists have possibly thrown a lifeline to the rainbow-reflecting disc of yore. A peer-reviewed paper shows the potential for a new optical disc that contains a massive petabit of data‚ which translates to 125TB. That’s enough room to contain 1‚000 copies of Baldur’s gate 3. Continue reading New optical disc has room for 1‚000 copies of Baldur’s Gate 3 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Announced during its Intel Foundry event‚ Intel will be using some capacity at its foundries to manufacture Microsoft CPUs. While this kind of practice is common for competitors like TSMC‚ this deal marks the beginning of a significant shift in how Intel operates and could help stage something of a comeback for the company. Continue reading Microsoft CPUs are coming and they will be made by Intel MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Core i5 14600K review‚ Best gaming CPU‚ Core i9 14900K review

The latest Nvidia earnings report is out and it shows the company is continuing to become less of a graphics card maker. and more of a maker of chips for data centers‚ at least when it comes to overall revenue. Revenue from gaming now makes up just one sixth (12%) of the company's total earnings‚ down from 28% the previous year. Continue reading Nvidia gaming GPUs now make just a sixth of the company’s revenue MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GeForce RTX 4070 Super review‚ DLSS explained‚ Best graphics cards