Month: March 2025

US bridges are at risk of catastrophic ship collisions every few years

US bridges are at risk of catastrophic ship collisions every few years

Published by skeptic

In March 2024, a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland UPI / Alamy One year after a container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, causing the structure’s collapse, a study has identified other major US bridges that are surprisingly vulnerable to similar catastrophic ship strikes – and their collective risk is so high that such incidents may occur every few years. Modern bridges can reduce the chances of ship collisions with measures like increasing the spacing between support piers and adding… Source link

11 Phrases A Narcissist Would Say To Their Partner If They Were Actually Being Honest

11 Phrases A Narcissist Would Say To Their Partner If They Were Actually Being Honest

Published by skeptic

One of the most damaging aspects of a narcissist is their unbelievable talent for lying. As masters of twisting the truth, these individuals will truly have their partners believing they have only the purest intentions. Unfortunately for their partners, this is all an act, as narcissists don’t feel empathy, let alone care about anyone outside of their own selfish desires. One can’t help but wonder what a narcissist would say to their partner if they were actually being honest. Would they truly admit to never loving or caring for their partner? Though their partner will likely never get the answers that they seek, there are some common things a narcissist would have said to their partner if they were upfront with them from the beginning. These are 11 phrases a narcissist would say to their partner if they were actually being honest 1. ‘I don’t love you, I love controlling you’ Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock The first phrase a narcissist would say to their partner if they were actually being honest is, “I don’t love …

This common activity is linked to 59% higher odds of insomnia, study finds

This common activity is linked to 59% higher odds of insomnia, study finds

Published by José

A large study of Norwegian college students has found that spending more time on screens after going to bed is tied to a higher likelihood of experiencing insomnia and getting less sleep — no matter the type of screen activity. For each additional hour spent on screens in bed, participants had 59% higher odds of reporting symptoms of insomnia and slept an average of 24 minutes less. Interestingly, students who used only social media in bed reported fewer insomnia symptoms and longer sleep duration than those who engaged in other screen-based activities. The research was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. The researchers conducted this study to better understand how screen time after going to bed impacts sleep in young adults, a group known for high levels of digital media use and frequent sleep issues. While many past studies have focused on children and teenagers, the relationship between screens and sleep among college-aged adults has received less attention. The researchers also wanted to explore whether different screen activities — such as social media, watching videos, or …

For Good’ Poster Spotted at CinemaCon

For Good’ Poster Spotted at CinemaCon

Published by skeptic

Oh, what a celebration Wicked fans will have today, as the first look at the Wicked: For Good poster has been spotted at CinemaCon. The second installment in Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical is slated to arrive in theaters in November. In the poster, the two witches from Oz, Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda (formerly known as Galinda), stand atop their own cliff’s edge. The yellow brick road and the wizard’s palace in Oz, the setting for part one’s grand “Defying Gravity” finale, separates them in the middle. Erivo’s Elphaba looks right at home in her full “wicked witch” glory, while Grande’s Glinda resembles the Glinda the Good fans of The Wizard of Oz are used to. The poster’s tagline, “You will be changed,” is a reference to the iconic duet from the Broadway musical and inspiration for the film’s title, “For Good.” The song is one of Wicked‘s most recognizable after “Defying Gravity.” Wicked tells the untold story of the witches of Oz. Winnie Holzman, the stage production’s …

MoMA’s Choice for Its Next Director Is Solid But Not Inspiring

MoMA’s Choice for Its Next Director Is Solid But Not Inspiring

Published by skeptic

I was on a gallery crawl downtown when news broke that New York’s Museum of Modern Art had chosen Christophe Cherix as its next director, arguably the most coveted position in the upper echelons of the international art world. That afternoon, I happened to stop by a show at Hannah Traore Gallery dedicated to the Guerrilla Girls. The feminist artist group cut its teeth in the mid-’80s with a series of posters that took the art world to task by tallying data about gallery rosters, museum hangs, and more. The results were always disappointing: they showed that the art world remained overly male and overly white, with the numbers to prove it. Related Articles Interestingly, though, I couldn’t find a tally of the diversity of directors of New York museums in their archive. Here’s one as it currently stands for 2025. Today, three of the city’s four largest institutions—MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum—are all led by white men, while the Guggenheim Museum is led by a white woman. Expanding the …

“To Be Is to Be Perceived”: The Concept of Berkeley’s Idealism

“To Be Is to Be Perceived”: The Concept of Berkeley’s Idealism

Published by skeptic

  Ever thought about whether the world is there only because you think it is? That’s what George Berkeley meant with his philosophy of idealism. The 18th-century philosopher came up with a pretty wild idea: “To be is to be perceived.” According to him, we don’t find objects, and the world exists separately from our minds. Instead, they come with reality attached. We’re going to take a close look at this interesting view and see how it measures up against everyday common sense about what’s real and what isn’t.   Who Was George Berkeley? Bishop George Berkeley, John Smibert, 1727. Source: Wikimedia Commons   George Berkeley, who was born in 1685, was an influential Irish philosopher during the early 18th century. After attending Trinity College Dublin, he became an Anglican priest. In addition to philosophy, Berkeley had other passions. He wanted to help shape Ireland’s future by promoting learning and social welfare.   But Berkeley wasn’t one for sitting around just thinking big thoughts in a library somewhere. He believed that ideas and action should …

Cutting-edge wearable device mimics the complexity of human touch

Cutting-edge wearable device mimics the complexity of human touch

Published by skeptic

The sense of touch gives you vital information about the world around you. From gripping a coffee mug to shaking hands or feeling fabric, touch helps you interact with objects and people. Beneath your skin, a network of sensors called mechanoreceptors detects vibrations, pressure, stretch, and movement. These receptors work together to deliver a complex, layered experience that goes far beyond a simple buzz. Now, a breakthrough in haptic technology could bring that same level of complexity into the digital world. Engineers from Northwestern University have developed a tiny, wireless device that mimics the real feeling of touch in virtual environments. Unlike most current devices that just vibrate, this new technology can push, pull, twist, or slide across your skin — even combine different movements — for a realistic and customizable touch experience. A leap in touch technology The new actuator, developed by engineers at a top research university, brings something never before seen in haptic devices: full freedom of motion. That means it can move and apply force in all directions — up, down, …

How a new wave of fighter jets could transform aerial combat

How a new wave of fighter jets could transform aerial combat

Published by skeptic

The most advanced fighter jets in the world are known as “fifth generation”. They contain technologies developed in the first part of the 21st century. Examples of fifth generation fighter jets include America’s F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, China’s Chengdu J-20 and Russia’s Sukhoi SU-57. Now, however, nations are moving ahead with the sixth generation of combat jets. In the past few months, China has flown its J36 and J50 prototype jets. Meanwhile, the US has selected Boeing to build a new fighter aircraft called the F-47. As with previous generations, the sixth will incorporate major advances in aircraft design, onboard electronics (avionics) and weapon systems. But how will the new generation of jets stand out from the previous one? Future combat jets will not see dramatic increases in maximum speed, nor in flight performance. Instead, the true innovations will be in how these systems operate and achieve dominance in aerial combat. Like the fifth generation, the sixth will be dominated by stealth technology. This helps fighters jets to reduce their chances of being …

Pantheon creator on uploading our brains to the internet

Pantheon creator on uploading our brains to the internet

Published by skeptic

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. Be sure to check out “The Gods Will Not Be Chained,” the first in the series of Ken Liu short stories on which Pantheon is based, right here on Big Think. “Criminally underrated.” “One of the best animated series I ever watched.” “Legitimately one of the best sci-fi shows of the past decade.” These are some of the comments you’ll run into when you search reviews for Pantheon, an animated series about a world in which shadowy tech firms have found a way to scan and upload human brains onto the internet, inadvertently creating a new, superpowered, and potentially immortal race of people referred to as “uploaded intelligence.” “One of the best” because Pantheon — in addition to having a well-crafted, suspenseful, and heartfelt narrative about love and loss — thoughtfully engages with both the technical and philosophical questions raised by its cerebral premise: Is a perfect digital copy of …

What Was Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy?

What Was Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy?

Published by skeptic

  Isaiah Berlin had a major influence on 20th-century political philosophy that continues to be felt today through his essay “Two Concepts of Liberty.” In this work, Berlin examines the tension between individual freedom and collective governance. Negative liberty is about being left alone to do what you want; positive liberty concerns having the power to act upon your desires. By clarifying these concepts, Berlin provides useful tools for thinking about ongoing discussions regarding the meaning or nature of freedom itself—something valuable for anybody navigating our complicated political world.   Who Was Isaiah Berlin? Isaiah Berlin, Steve Pyke, 1990. Source: Chronicle.com   Born in 1909 in Riga, Latvia, Isaiah Berlin had a significant impact on philosophy and how we think about freedom within politics. The Russian Revolution caused Berlin’s family to move to the UK when he was still young. At Oxford University he became well liked both as a lecturer and scholar.   Because of his way of using words and his inquiring mind, Berlin was one of the most important figures in philosophy …