All posts tagged: Literally

The House | Sir Robert Buckland: Politicians Who “Bleat On” About Overdiagnosis “Literally Don’t Know What They’re Talking About”

The House | Sir Robert Buckland: Politicians Who “Bleat On” About Overdiagnosis “Literally Don’t Know What They’re Talking About”

Published by Sam Flores

9 min read59 min Former cabinet minister Robert Buckland, a SEND campaigner and parent to an autistic child, speaks to Matilda Martin about why the government’s approach could fail those with the most complex needs, and what lessons can be learned from mistakes made by the Tories Sir Robert Buckland is concerned that history is repeating itself. “Having been through the process myself as a parent, and having done the Children and Families Act as a backbencher, just before I entered government, I’ve got the scars on my back about all of this, and I’ve seen a lot of this before.” Twelve years ago, as a backbench Tory MP, the former cabinet minister contributed to what was arguably the biggest shake-up of the education system in a generation, as children’s rights to support for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were set out in law under education, health and care plans (EHCPs). More than a decade later, a system introduced to bring greater certainty for young people is in crisis, described by the …

People Who Refuse To Wait In Line For Literally Anything Have 11 Rare Traits

People Who Refuse To Wait In Line For Literally Anything Have 11 Rare Traits

Published by Jenni Sidey

Minor inconveniences in our lives can often feel like the end of the world when we’re already exhausted or stretched too thin. When they topple onto existing inner turmoil or build up to larger emotional outbursts, they can harm us more than the big disappointments and struggles. Of course, there’s nuance to someone’s distaste for random inconveniences, but people who refuse to wait in line for literally anything often have certain rare traits. They don’t subject themselves to the pain of inefficiency or inconveniences because they have the mindset, autonomy, and resources to choose a different path in their best interests. People who refuse to wait in line for literally anything have 11 rare traits 1. They don’t tolerate inefficiency MAYA LAB | Shutterstock Efficiency is an important trait that often makes people more productive than others, both in their personal lives and at work. They can be patient with mistakes and minor inconveniences, but when it comes to wasted time or weaponized incompetence around others, they have a much lower threshold for grace. Even if …

You Know How Scientists Keep Finding Microplastics Literally Everywhere? Well, You’d Never Guess What Their Lab Gloves Are Coated in Straight Out of the Packaging

You Know How Scientists Keep Finding Microplastics Literally Everywhere? Well, You’d Never Guess What Their Lab Gloves Are Coated in Straight Out of the Packaging

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech A growing contingent of the scientific community has become skeptical about the body of research finding that microplastics have infiltrated almost every aspect of nature, from the remotest regions of Earth to inside our bodies. As The Guardian reported earlier this year, scientists have started warned that some of these studies may be based on errors due bad methodology, inadequate efforts to limit plastic contamination, and lack of validation. Now, researchers from the University of Michigan have found that the special coating on commonly used nitrile and latex gloves worn by scientists could be causing measured levels of microplastics to shoot through the roof, even though the coating isn’t technically made of microplastics itself. As detailed in a recent paper published in the journal Analytical Methods, special substances added to disposable gloves to make them separate from molds more easily, called stearates, are chemically very similar to microplastics, making them almost impossible to distinguish in the lab. However, …

Our Favorite Budget Earbuds Are Literally

Our Favorite Budget Earbuds Are Literally $19

Published by skeptic

Looking for an inexpensive pair of earbuds to toss in your gym bag? You can snag our favorite budget wireless earbuds, the JLab Go Pop ANC, for a shockingly low $19 on Amazon, an $11 markdown from their usual price. Don’t let the cost fool you, these earbuds have surprised multiple WIRED writers with their clear sound, water resistance, and ANC performance. These earbuds have all the features you’d expect from a pair five times the price. They sport IP55 water and dust resistance, perfect for a sweaty trip to the gym or a long run on the beach, and multipoint pairing in case you want to use them for a quick call on your laptop. The included app has an adjustable equalizer, something not even all expensive earbuds can claim, plus programmable controls in case you don’t like the default button layout. Battery life is even pretty decent for the category, with eight hours of juice in the buds, and up to 32 hours total with the included charging case. When you’ve got the …

Difficult People Literally Age You, Study Finds

Difficult People Literally Age You, Study Finds

Published by Sam Flores

“Hasslers,” or people who repeatedly “create problems or make life more difficult” for you, can literally age you, a new study published in PNAS found. Stating that relationships like these are “not rare,” the researchers added that they are “disproportionately experienced by individuals facing greater social and health vulnerabilities, and consequential for ageing”. And the more of these sorts of relationships, the worse the health outcomes seem to be. How do “hasslers” affect our health? This research showed that for every “hassler” in a person’s life, biological ageing sped up by 1.5%, or nine months. The authors think this could happen because negative interactions chronically strain the body’s hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which helps to regulate stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. And, they posit, the chronic stress of talking to “hasslers” leads to lasting inflammation, which is linked to ageing if it lasts when the body doesn’t need it. This could, they say, be an example of allostatic load; a form of “wear and tear” that happens when we try repeatedly to adapt to ongoing …

I wore the world’s first HDR10 XR glasses, and they turned me into Batman (literally)

I wore the world’s first HDR10 XR glasses, and they turned me into Batman (literally)

Published by skeptic

ZDNET’s key takeaways The RayNeo Air 4 Pro is available with a regular price of $299 These XR glasses are the world’s first with HDR10 support, sport vibrant brightness and excellent clarity, and have solid audio output There is no electrochromic dimming capability, the sound tube material is fragile, and productivity support is limited to native MacOS and Windows. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. XR glasses continue to improve with increased brightness, improved audio output, and other advances in technology. Most of these improvements come with increasing prices, too, but RayNeo continues to offer a solid entry-level option for $299 with the RayNeo Air 4 Pro. The Justice Edition, where you choose Batman or Joker, is available for $319. Special early buyer pricing may even save you $50. Also: I wore the world’s first HDR10 smart glasses, and they can easily replace my living room TV ZDNET’s Kerry Wan tried out these new glasses at CES in January, and now I’ve had the chance to spend a couple of weeks …

The Olympics went big for their Opening Ceremony — literally

The Olympics went big for their Opening Ceremony — literally

Published by Sam Flores

One of the more delightful visual moments from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony wasn’t an athlete at all — it was the trio of oversized “big heads” representing three towering figures from Italy’s rich musical legacy: Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini. These giant, caricatured figures danced and moved through the ceremony alongside dancers and performers, offering a surreal, almost carnival-like nod to classical music’s place in Italian culture. These composers aren’t just names in a music textbook. They helped define the Italian operatic tradition and influenced centuries of Western music. Verdi’s dramatic operas like “La Traviata” and “Aida” made him a symbol of Italian cultural identity. Puccini’s melodic gift in works like “La Bohème” and “Tosca” captured emotional intensity and sweeping romanticism. Rossini’s wit and brilliance in pieces such as “The Barber of Seville” defined a lighter side of Italian opera. Bringing them to life — albeit in giant, comically oversized form — tied the ceremony’s artistic celebration to a broader narrative about Italy’s impact on global culture. The inclusion of these …

This type of cheap Ethernet cable can literally set your smart home on fire — avoid it

This type of cheap Ethernet cable can literally set your smart home on fire — avoid it

Published by skeptic

Ethernet cables aren’t the most expensive cables you’ll buy, but they do come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. That said, you’ve probably seen those suspiciously cheap Ethernet cables on the market, those that go for a fraction of the branded ones. They might look tempting, but before you buy them, there’s something you need to know. That bargain cable might be a hazard in hiding. Expensive Ethernet cables won’t make your internet faster, but cheap ones can literally set your smart home on fire. Copper-clad aluminum is the hidden problem Looks like copper, behaves like a hazard Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf / ChatGPTCredit: Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf / ChatGPT The cable in question is called CCA, or Copper-Clad Aluminum. From the outside, it looks identical to a regular Ethernet cable. The jacket might even say Cat6 or Cat5e. But when you crack it open, you’ll find that the conductors inside are made of aluminum with just a thin copper coating on the outside. Why does this matter? Manufacturers use aluminum because its dirt cheap compared …

Uber is literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to AV bets

Uber is literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to AV bets

Published by skeptic

Self-driving truck startup Waabi’s billion-dollar fundraise isn’t just about trucks.   The deal, for $750 million up front plus another $250 million from Uber tied to deployment milestones, marks a major expansion into robotaxis for the company founded by former Uber AI chief Raquel Urtasun. It also feels like another chip from Uber on the autonomous vehicle roulette table. With more than 20 AV partners worldwide, the question isn’t just whether Waabi can deliver on its plans to deploy over 25,000 robotaxis, but whether Uber’s bet-on-everything strategy actually works.  Watch as Equity podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane and Anthony Ha discussed Uber’s AV partnership strategy, why Waabi’s “simulation-first” approach might be different, and more of the week’s headlines.  Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.  Source link

Rachel McAdams says audiences literally cheered when she got hit by a bus in iconic film

Rachel McAdams says audiences literally cheered when she got hit by a bus in iconic film

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter From “is butter a carb?” to “stop trying to make fetch happen!”, Rachel McAdams gave us plenty of iconic quotes when she first donned her tank top and mini skirt to stepped into the polished pink pumps of Mean Girls’ Regina George. In fact, it’s easy to forget that Regina is actually the villain of the hit teen comedy, and that viewers might not love-to-hate her but just straight-up loathe her. But that’s something McAdams experienced first hand. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, the 47-year-old star admitted that she had been taken aback by just how reviled Regina was. “I didn’t know how hated she would be and for how long,” she said. Of course, anyone who knows Tina Fey’s cult film knows that Regina does meet her comeuppance in the end and is hit by a bus after inciting …