News Sidequest

New research confirms what trial-and-error learners have always suspected: getting something wrong first — and then learning the right answer — produces significantly better retention than memorizing correctly from the start. Also: a study from Norway finds that solo time in nature has a measurable protective effect against loneliness, and the mechanism is more interesting than just "fresh air." And a case study from the BMJ that went viral this week: a woman in 1980s England heard voices telling her she had a brain tumor, her doctors initially dismissed it, and the scan proved the voices right. Plus the Lego pasta swap, a Florida driver who thought a Supra was a license, and a paraglider with very poor aim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A major new study finds that Americans in midlife are lonelier, more depressed, physically weaker, and showing worse memory than earlier generations — and the gap between the US and most of the rest of the wealthy world is significant and growing. Also: a Simon Fraser University study finds that life satisfaction isn't just about feeling good — autonomy, the sense that your choices are genuinely your own, turns out to be a stronger predictor than positive emotions. And demographers are increasingly clear: the world is running out of people, and it's not because of war or disease — it's because prosperity itself is changing the math. Plus humanoid robots beating humans in a half-marathon, a skydiver hitting a scoreboard, and a bear costume that did not hold up to scrutiny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researchers have a new model for treating chronic nightmares in kids — and the key insight is that it's not the nightmare itself that keeps them coming back, it's the child's response to waking up. Also: a double-level airplane seat concept called the Chaise Longue is back with its "final statement" design, and honestly the economics of it make more sense than you might expect. And Dan the Pizza Man, a 68-year-old Domino's driver in Idaho who stopped at a convenience store to buy a customer's Diet Coke out of his own pocket, is heading into retirement with over $150,000 raised by strangers on the internet. Plus a Florida surgeon who removed the wrong organ, a Louisiana fugitive tracking his own escape stats, and a Japanese fire official whose idea of workplace fun went very badly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bloomberg reports that anxious parents are spending $50,000 or more to hire career coaches for their college-age kids — starting as early as freshman year. It raises a real question: is this a generational shift, a symptom of a brutal job market, or both? Also: a Vanderbilt study of 633,000 people finds loneliness is a critical step on the road to suicidal ideation — and the finding has direct implications for how we think about mental health treatment. Plus, a tool called Delphi-2M can now predict more than 1,000 diseases up to 20 years before symptoms appear, using nothing but your medical history. And a man declared dead who wasn't, a deputy on a dating app during a SWAT operation, a Disney stroller scheme, and an Ohio man who won the lottery twice in one day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After ten days, 695,000 miles, and one crater named Carroll, the Artemis II crew splashed down safely in the Pacific on Friday — and the reaction was everything NASA needed it to be. Also: veterinary costs are up 43% since 2021, the average dog will cost you $50,000 over its lifetime, and the pet debt crisis is quietly becoming a breaking point for a lot of families. Plus, a new Gallup survey finds Gen Z's excitement about AI has collapsed while anger has surged — and the worry underneath it is actually pretty legitimate. And three men, a million dollars worth of Lego, a chimpanzee civil war, and a cow that apparently had an appointment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.