Author: Michelle Korhonen
Alarming Rates of Diagnostic Errors Found in Study of Critically Ill Patients – A major study has revealed a disturbing prevalence of diagnostic errors in critically ill patients admitted to top U.S. medical centers. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, paints a concerning picture, with nearly one in four patients suffering from a missed or delayed diagnosis.The study focused on patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) or those who died during hospitalization. Shockingly, three-quarters of the identified diagnostic errors resulted in temporary or permanent harm, and in about one in 15 cases, even death.The most common errors involved…
Hundreds of thousands of women are struggling without access to pads, running water or bathrooms in Gaza.(Image credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this week, the Telegraph reported a curious admission from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. In a filing submitted to the U.K. Parliament, the company said that “leading AI models” could not exist without unfettered access to copyrighted books and articles, confirming that the generative-AI industry, worth tens of billions of dollars, depends on creative work owned by other people.We already know, for example, that pirated-book libraries have been used to train the generative-AI products of companies such as Meta and Bloomberg. But AI companies have long claimed that generative AI “reads” or “learns from” these books and articles, as…
Teenagers and Cravings: Can We Curb Their Sweet Tooth by Managing Emotions or Boosting Well-being? Teens are notorious for their love of sweets and fatty foods. But what drives this, and how can we help them make healthier choices? A recent study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity sheds light on this by exploring the roles of emotion-driven impulsiveness and psychosocial well-being in food choices.During childhood and adolescence, environmental factors and emotions heavily influence eating habits. Negative emotions like stress can trigger cravings for unhealthy foods, which activate the brain’s reward system and provide temporary…
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present and surface delightful treasures. Sign up here.Last year’s best-selling book in Britain—more successful than Britney Spears’s The Woman in Me or The Guinness Book of World Records—was Prince Harry’s extraordinary memoir, Spare. The more than 700,000 people who bought a copy were presented with an intimate account of the cruelty of life in the royal zoo. And then, having read the sad story of a family torn apart by press intrusion and emotional dysfunction, almost none of those 700,000 people started seriously agitating…
Average Bottle Of Water Contains Cancer-causing Nanoplastic Pieces – Researchers from Columbia and Rutgers universities found an average liter of bottled water contains around 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, with about 90% of the particles being nanoplastics and the rest being microplastics. This was revealed in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These particles are microscopic, often invisible to the naked eye, and can potentially contain harmful chemicals. The study was limited, analyzing only five samples each from three common brands. More research is needed to confirm these findings and assess the full scope of…
Serenity Mesa is a small, nonprofit addiction treatment center for teens that overlooks the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. Co-founder David Burke says he is troubled by a recent decision by New Mexico’s governor to send more arrested teens to juvenile detention, which he says won’t help with underlying problems like substance use. Megan Myscofski/KUNM hide caption toggle caption Megan Myscofski/KUNM Serenity Mesa is a small, nonprofit addiction treatment center for teens that overlooks the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. Co-founder David Burke says he is troubled by a recent decision by New Mexico’s governor to send more arrested teens to juvenile…
On Monday, Iowa voters will choose their Republican nominee for president while the rest of us wait. Repeated polls have shown that Donald Trump has an “overwhelming lead” in the Iowa caucus, despite the fact that he will be in and out of court facing various civil and criminal charges in the weeks leading up to the vote. But he is not the sure winner. Between Iowa and the following handful of primaries, there is still a narrow window to change the course of the election, although that window is open for only about a month more.In this episode of…
Non-Smokers’ Lung Cancer Now a Top Five Global Cancer Killer – While smoking remains the primary culprit behind lung cancer, the rise of lung cancer among non-smokers particularly among younger individuals and women is a growing concern. This article sheds light on this emerging trend, exploring its causes, risk factors, and potential treatment options.In 2023, non-smokers’ lung cancer was among the top five global cancer-related deaths, with more than 20,000 recorded deaths linked to this condition. This places it as the fifth most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Lung and bronchus cancer, including cases related to smoking, is responsible for…
One evening in 2019, in a windowless building known as the “tomb” in the center of Yale’s campus, the members of Skull and Bones snapped. There they were, having been granted membership to the most elite secret society at one of the most elite universities in the world—part of a rare group that for generations included individuals from the most powerful families on the planet. Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Buckleys have all been in Skull and Bones. Three Bonesmen would go on to become president of the United States. Their traditions (including oaths of secrecy upon admission) and antics (stealing the…