All posts tagged: longlasting

Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” brings hasty decisions with long‑lasting implications

Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” brings hasty decisions with long‑lasting implications

Published by Sam Flores

The recent publication of confidential Supreme Court memoranda by The New York Times has brought to light a pivotal moment in the court’s history. “The birth of the Supreme Court’s shadow docket has long been a mystery,” wrote reporters Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptak. “Until now.” Originally coined by legal scholar William Baude, the term “shadow docket” refers to the Supreme Court’s emergency docket, which, as Baude wrote, includes “a range of orders and summary decisions that defy its normal procedural regularity.” That’s law professor-speak for cases that are given abbreviated consideration and accelerated review by the justices, all out of public view – what The New York Times story referred to as the court “sprinting.” These cases aren’t included in the annual list of cases the justices have chosen to consider and that are presented by attorneys in public sessions, called “oral argument,” at the court. During the second Trump administration, such shadow docket cases have proliferated as President Donald Trump has continued to push boundaries, challenge precedents and expand executive power. These cases …

Feeling stressed? A happiness expert cracks the simple code to long-lasting joy and ‘inner peace’

Feeling stressed? A happiness expert cracks the simple code to long-lasting joy and ‘inner peace’

Published by Daniella Wilson

You’re bound to hear plenty of talk about happiness this week. Every 20th of March marks the International Day of Happiness – an emotion we all strive for, in one way or another. Yet, looking at the data, there’s a clear disconnect: more and more people are struggling with depression, chronic stress and anxiety, all of which are fundamentally at odds with our idea of what it means to be happy. We spoke to Borja Vilaseca, author, happiness expert and a leading figure in the field of self-knowledge, about today’s obsession with the idea of chasing happiness at any price. “There is a real paradox at play today,” he says. “We see widespread unhappiness everywhere – manifesting as anxiety, stress, depression and a sense of existential emptiness – and yet, there has never been such a frantic obsession with finding happiness… “Essentially, we want it right now. This has turned the pursuit into a dopamine addiction; a hunt for instant gratification that provides a bit of short-term pleasure but doesn’t actually satisfy or fulfil us. …

Why self-expansion is the key to long-lasting love and friendship

Why self-expansion is the key to long-lasting love and friendship

Published by skeptic

Doing something out of the ordinary with your partner can expand your sense of self and bring you closer Shutterstock/Mauricio Graiki Think back to the great loves of your life, and you may remember a heady period when every day seemed to glitter with new possibilities. It was as if you had been reborn and were viewing yourself and the world around you anew – a dizzying metamorphosis that was as delightful as it was destabilising. I’m not just being sentimental. A growing body of psychological studies shows that our best relationships, be they platonic or romantic, are characterised by an exhilarating feeling of growth. We fall for the people who expand our horizons and help us to become a better version of ourselves. And if we want our love to last, we must work hard to keep nurturing that growth. This idea – known as self-expansion theory – is the brainchild of Arthur and Elaine Aron, husband-and-wife researchers at Stony Brook University in New York, who first proposed it in 1986. In the mid-1990s, …

Chile’s megadrought is dealing a severe and long-lasting blow to their glacier ecosystems

Chile’s megadrought is dealing a severe and long-lasting blow to their glacier ecosystems

Published by Jenni Sidey

The high mountains of central Chile look solid and eternal, but their ice is in trouble. For fifteen years, the country has endured a stubborn megadrought, and glaciers have quietly carried much of the burden. They have melted faster to keep rivers flowing and taps running. A new study warns that by the end of this century, that backup system may break when you most need it. An international team led by researchers in Austria, Switzerland and Chile set out a stark question: what if a drought as long and severe as today’s megadrought hits again near 2100? Their answer is blunt. The glaciers of the Southern Andes will be too worn down to cushion such a shock. Chile’s Long Thirst Chileans are used to periods of dryness. In the past, droughts came every five or six years and lasted one or two years. People could wait for rain to return. This time, relief never came. “Climate scientists only realized in 2015 that the unending drought in Chile was really a big thing,” says Francesca …