Tommy John surgery, once reserved for saving the careers of #MLB pitchers, is now commonplace among teenage athletes. More than half of these procedures are performed on 15-19 year olds as youth sports intensify.

The Conversation

50 years after the first procedure, Tommy John surgery is more common than ever − especially for young athletes

It’s saved the careers of hundreds of MLB pitchers. But teenage athletes dreaming of fame and fortune are now having the surgery in record numbers.

Loving is a practice, and it’s something we can improve on, according to a philosopher 🥰🥰🥰 This is because love is made up of other skills such as listening carefully and being present. If you get better at these skills, you get better at loving.

The Conversation

What is love? A philosopher explains it’s not a choice or a feeling − it’s a practice

What makes a relationship last when feelings fade or circumstances change? Can you force yourself to love someone you hate or don’t care about?

#philosophy #love #relationships

#Syria now faces a huge challenge: putting back together a country divided by 13 years of civil war and a half-century of brutal dictatorship. The rebels are themselves significantly divided. Here's the background you need on the key players in the transition: buff.ly/4g1TnYY #News

#TikTok lost another round in court today, on its appeal of a U.S. law that would force the video app to divorce from its China-based parent company or be banned. Lawyers for TikTok warn of ‘staggering’ consequences for #freespeech if the ban is allowed to happen. Here’s some analysis from #cybersecurity, #socialmedia and legal experts:

The Conversation

Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban: 5 essential reads on the case and its consequences

Whether the popular video app ends up sold, banned or untouched, the ruling in favor of the government’s national security claims has implication...

Talk about a fascinating role: Astronomer Chris Impey is part of an international advisory council designing messages for advanced alien civilizations—just in case they’re out there.

The Conversation

What does the NASA administrator do? The agency’s leader reaches for the stars while navigating budgets and politics back on Earth

NASA administrators have hard choices to make, but the outcomes are often out-of-this-world exciting.

#News #Science #Astronomy #Space #ETPhoneHome #SETI

An app allows everyone to search for discriminatory roadway names, helping communities grasp the ubiquity of inequalities embedded in everyday spaces and the harm they cause:

The Conversation

Offensive names dot the American street map − a new app provides a way to track them

A newly released app allows users to search for discriminatory roadway names, helping communities grasp the ubiquity of inequalities embedded in ev...

Robots can now flip burgers, fry chicken, create pizzas, make sushi, prepare salads, serve ramen, bake bread, mix cocktails and do much more. AI can invent recipes based on the molecular compatibility of ingredients or whatever a kitchen has in stock. And more advanced concepts are in the works to automate the entire kitchen for fine dining.

The Conversation

Robots are coming to the kitchen − what that could mean for society and culture

Can automated restaurants still be community and cultural spaces, or will they become feeding stations for humans? These and other questions loom, ...

#news #technology #restaurantindustry #AI #food #robots

Individual acts of #kindness and connection can have a real impact on making change. This is true at multiple levels: between individuals, between people and institutions, and between cultures. A psychologist who researches human connection has this inspiring read for #Thanksgiving:

The Conversation

An upward spiral – how small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psychology research

A psychologist and human connection researcher explains how individual acts of kindness and connection can have a real impact on global change when...

Americans agree the political system isn't serving them. From ranked-choice voting to multi-winner districts, Wellesley mathematics professor Ismar Volić explores 5 ideas to fix the political system:

The Conversation

Americans agree politics is broken − here are 5 ideas for fixing key problems

Surveys show Americans do not believe the political system is serving them. A mathematician of democracy highlights evidence-based changes that cou...

#politics #democracy #math #news

New research on #kids and #attachment: There’s been a long-standing notion held by many psychologists that early attachment behaviors are mainly determined by a child’s temperament. No: Even children with characteristics of a difficult temperament can benefit from the advantages that come from multiple secure attachments.

The Conversation

‘Difficult’ children are only slightly more likely to have insecure attachments with parents

The quality of a child’s attachments to caregivers influences healthy development. And most kids with difficult temperaments do form secure attac...

Some people can visualize things perfectly in their mind’s eye, while others can’t. Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes, and why it can be so helpful to improve this skill:

The Conversation

What is mental imagery? Brain researchers explain the pictures in your mind and why they’re useful

Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes.

#science #neuroscience #psychology

Anthrobots built from human lung cells could one day deliver drugs or clear arterial plaque, with a natural "kill switch" preventing uncontrolled growth.

The Conversation

Biobots arise from the cells of dead organisms − pushing the boundaries of life, death and medicine

Given the right conditions, certain types of cells are able to self-assemble into new lifeforms after the organism they were once part of has died.

#health #science #bioengineering

A century ago, this woman, pioneering sex researcher Katharine Bement Davis, challenged the idea that respectable women did not – and should not – experience sexual desire, or have sex except to please men and have children. But while Americans’ understanding of sex has improved over the past century, the “orgasm gap” between men and women is still very much with us.

The Conversation

How a survey of over 2,000 women in the 1920s changed the way Americans thought about female sexuality

A century ago, a pioneering sex researcher challenged the idea that respectable women did not – and should not – experience sexual desire or ha...

#womenshistory #history

The roots of American patriotism go back to 1774 (and an anniversary you may have missed during the election) when delegates from 12 colonies united against British rule. Their “Continental Association" defined patriotism through economic action and community solidarity. It reminded these very different Americans that they could act as patriots by pursuing a common interest. Lessons for us all today:

The Conversation

To American revolutionaries, patriotism meant fair dealing with one another

The first widespread agreement across the American Colonies dealt with economic independence from British trade and taxation.

#history #newstr #news

There’s little reason not to make some sort of backup of your #photos, whether that’s on printed media, hard drives or in the cloud. The important thing is not which method to use, but to do it at all.

The Conversation

How to archive your photos in the digital age

A media scholar and photographer walks you through the options for archiving all those photos you’re collecting on your phone.

#tech #photography

What will the diets of the future look like? The answer depends in part on what foods we can be persuaded to eat, and how

The Conversation

‘Safe route’ or ‘sushi route’ − 2 strategies to turn yuck to yum and convince people to eat unusual foods

Past shifts in food habits suggest there are 2 paths to the adoption of new foods: One relies on familiarity and safety, the other on novelty and e...

#foodstr #news

Alcohol remains central to American life, but drinking patterns are shifting. A historian's college course examines changing trends, including prohibition, rising pandemic drinking and Gen Z's declining interest 🍻

The Conversation

Intoxication nation: a double shot of US history

Alcohol is a window into American history, from 17th-century rum production to young people’s declining interest in drinking today.

#food #drink #history

If you have dense breasts, it slightly increases your chances of getting breast cancer and it complicates screening. Recent FDA rules are requiring mammography facilities to notify patients about their individual density so that they can make a more informed decision about their care.

The Conversation

Breast density and mammograms: New FDA rule will ensure all women have more information after cancer screenings

The FDA’s rule change requires that all women in the US be informed about breast density and options for supplemental screening.

#breastcancerawareness

Microplastics in the air may affect weather and climate by producing clouds in conditions where they would not form otherwise. https://theconversation.com/microplastics-promote-cloud-formation-with-likely-effects-on-weather-and-climate-240192utm_medium=social&utm_source=nostr #climate #news #weather

It's time for our weekly #news #quiz. There are several politics questions, but let's skip ahead to the 5th question: Grammy-winner Quincy Jones, who died on Nov. 3, arranged hits for stars ranging from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. He also composed the 1962 tune "Soul Bossa Nova," which became the theme song for which movie series? A. James Bond B. Mission: Impossible C. The Fast and the Furious D. Austin Powers Check your answer and see how well you've been following the news, here:

The Conversation

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories.