All posts tagged: Modern

The Fires in France and Spain are Breaking Modern Records: Charts and Maps

The Fires in France and Spain are Breaking Modern Records: Charts and Maps

Published by Sam Flores

France cumulative burnt areaFrance050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000acresburned202220192026Jan.MarchMayJulySept.Nov. France cumulative burnt areaFrance050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000acresburned2022201920252026Jan.MarchMayJulySept.Nov. Spain cumulative burnt areaSpain0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,000acresburned202520222026Jan.MarchMayJulySept.Nov. Spain cumulative burnt areaSpain0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,000acresburned2025202220122026Jan.MarchMayJulySept.Nov. Note: Dashed lines show the latest data, which is often revised upwards. Source: European Forest Fire Information System. The extraordinary growth of a few enormous wildfires in France and Spain in the last two weeks has transformed an above-average fire season into a record-breaking one. Forty percent more land has already burned in France than in the previous record year documented by the European Forest Fire Information System, which began tracking burned areas in 2006. In Spain, the amount of land consumed so far this year is nearly at record levels for the last two decades. The two largest wildfires are the largest recorded in France and Spain since European Union data began. They have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and threatened Bordeaux in France and Madrid and Valencia in Spain. Source: VIIRS satellite fire detection data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via NASA. Rarely have so many enormous fires burned in Europe at …

A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life

A Two-Person Startup Has Fixed One of the Most Hated Sounds in Modern Life

Published by skeptic

To banish repetitive harsh beeps when pressing multiple buttons, like when you’re cycling through the microwave’s menus, Starling has also re-created the soft, premium click you get on your smartphone when typing. “I just wanted to see what a 4,000-Hz beep for one millisecond would sound like, and I was like, ‘Oh, that actually sounds pretty good.’ It would make a microwave infinitely more satisfying to use,” Corelitz says. Coogan says it can be more challenging to communicate a lot with a little, which made the challenge more enticing to them both. But the response on Instagram seems to suggest there’s more than sound aesthetics at stake here. “One of the top things that people kept commenting over and over again was, ‘Oh my God, I would pay $50 more for a microwave that sounded better,’” Coogan says. It seems there’s gold in them thar trills. Sound Design Richard Hughes, now Volvo’s design lead for digital user experiences and interfaces in North America, was the principal UX designer at Whirlpool for 15 years. He knows …

As Jews mark Tisha B’Av, ancient mourning rituals make room for modern grief

As Jews mark Tisha B’Av, ancient mourning rituals make room for modern grief

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — As Jews across the world observe Tisha B’Av, the annual fast mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, many will also grieve modern-day tragedies. The holiday, which begins at sundown Wednesday (July 22) and ends Thursday at sunset, is observed as Judaism’s central day of communal mourning. Centuries-long tradition contributes to an evolving memory of the fast day through “kinot,” the liturgical poems recited in synagogues that mourn the destruction of Jerusalem while also commemorating later tragedies. Over centuries, rabbis and poets have composed new kinot in response to catastrophes and persecutions, from the Crusades and Inquisition to the Holocaust. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the devastating war in Gaza, new lamentations have continued that tradition as modern authors started penning liturgical poems. Rabbi Diana Fersko (Photo courtesy of Rabbi Diana Fersko) “In 2026, Tisha B’Av looks a lot like it’s always looked,” Rabbi Diana Fersko, chief Jewish life officer at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, told RNS. “It’s this day of sadness where …

What dating apps are really doing to modern relationships, according to research

What dating apps are really doing to modern relationships, according to research

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more In recent years, it has become commonplace to see people selecting potential partners with the same gestures (and enthusiasm) they use to scroll through videos on TikTok or browse products in an online store. Swipe right for interest; swipe left to move on. What once involved the drama of meeting someone — glances, hesitation, approaching, rejection, discovery — has been compressed into almost “gamified” interfaces. Dating apps have expanded the possibilities for meeting people, but research in social psychology indicates that more options do not always mean greater satisfaction, more stable relationships, or better outcomes for all users. Dating apps like Tinder didn’t invent desire or casual sex, social comparison, or the fantasy that there might be someone better just around the corner. Their …

How the horror film Obsession turns the anxieties of modern dating into something terrifying

How the horror film Obsession turns the anxieties of modern dating into something terrifying

Published by Sam Flores

Another way the film reflects a problem in relationships today is how we mistakenly think we know someone just from being easily accessible or connected to them.  As the film progresses, it becomes clearer that Bear is more than willing to accept a version of Nikki that isn’t really her at all, so long as she continues loving him. In doing so, he never has to grapple with who she really is or whether the feelings he’s projected onto her are ever returned. Bear has known of Nikki for years. They work together, joke during shifts and share several mutual friends. He scrolls through her social media, tries to notice little details about her life and speaks about her as though he understands her. But seeing someone’s Instagram Stories or spending hours with them at work doesn’t mean we know how they think, what their anxieties are or what they’re really like in a relationship. It certainly doesn’t immediately tell us how they feel about us. Bear refuses to confront that. Instead, he clings to …

Call of Duty Movie Set in Modern Warfare Universe From Taylor Sheridan

Call of Duty Movie Set in Modern Warfare Universe From Taylor Sheridan

Published by Daniella Wilson

Paramount and Activision’s upcoming Call of Duty movie will be set in the Modern Warfare universe. Director and co-writer Peter Berg announced the news Saturday during Fanatics Fest in New York City, confirming that the film will adapt the franchise’s most popular and recognizable subseries. Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Landman, the Yellowstone universe, Lioness and more, is co-writing the screenplay for the studio alongside Berg, whose directing credits include Friday Night Lights, Battleship, Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon. Sheridan, Berg and David Glasser of 101 Studios are also producing. During its CinemaCon presentation in April, it was revealed that the planned theatrical release date was slated for June 30, 2028. The release will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Call of Duty franchise, which debuted in 2003. “I told everyone we were only going to make a movie if it’s right. In David Ellison, we found that partnership,” Activision head Rob Kostich said at the time. “We want to make sure that the authenticity of it is captured on a human level so …

Playboy return as print magazine is ‘respectful and modern’

Playboy return as print magazine is ‘respectful and modern’

Published by Sam Flores

Summer 2026 Playboy cover starring Cara Delevingne. Picture: Playboy The team behind a relaunched Playboy magazine have spoken about their plans for a more “inclusive” iteration of a title made famous for dressing up women as rabbits. The first issue of the relaunched Playboy featuring Colombian pop superstar Karol G was released in April and sold out a modest print run. Editor-in-chief and chief brand officer Phillip Picardi told Press Gazette: “Dropping a Playboy cover has the kind of impact that I truly have never seen in my career, even when I was working at Condé Nast,” referring to his time leading Teen Vogue and Them. “Putting a woman on the cover of Playboy in this day and age drives the kind of engagement and press that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like this before.” The second issue, featuring model and actress Cara Delevingne on the cover wearing nothing but a latex corset, was revealed this week and will have a slightly larger print run. Picardi and David Miller, president of media and …

Washington and Tulalip reach tentative gaming compact update with modern safeguards

Washington and Tulalip reach tentative gaming compact update with modern safeguards

Published by skeptic

Washington state officials and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington have reached a tentative agreement on a new amendment to the Tribe’s Class III gaming compact, bringing decades of revisions into a single governing document while introducing several changes for casino operations and regulation. The Washington State Gambling Commission said the proposed twelfth amendment restates the original compact signed in 1991 and folds the first 11 amendments into one updated agreement. Regulators say the approach is designed to simplify administration while reflecting current gaming practices, public health priorities, and oversight standards that have evolved over more than three decades. “The proposed compact amendment modernizes the first Tribal-State Gaming Compact signed in Washington 35 years ago and demonstrates the robust history of collaboration between the State and the Tribe. Together, the State and the Tribe continue to keep Class III gaming in Washington legal, honest, and well-regulated for the public.” Tulalip Tribes Chairman Hazen Shopbell said the agreement would support both the Tribe and the surrounding region. “These compact amendments reflect a strong government-to-government partnership between the …

A modern odyssey: the archaeologist following Homer’s route on a bicycle | Cycling holidays

A modern odyssey: the archaeologist following Homer’s route on a bicycle | Cycling holidays

Published by Sam Flores

Backpacking around Europe is a rite of passage for many young Australians but when Sam Wood proposed a trip with his two brothers in 2009, he had something a little more ambitious in mind. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. An avid cyclist who studied classical archaeology at the University of Sydney and spent three years working at the British Museum, he suggested retracing the route that the Carthaginian general Hannibal took over the Alps with his war elephants in 218BC. Beginning in southern Spain, the brothers rode through France and across the Alps into Italy, turning the journey into a BBC documentary. “From there, I thought it would be nice to keep riding around some interesting sites,” Wood recalls. So he set up a bike touring company with a strong historical focus. Wood follows the path of Richard the Lionheart’s Third Crusade in Grossglockner, Austria, in 2019 Though his background is in Roman archaeology, Wood developed cycling routes inspired by famous …