Is "Dry Begging" A Form Of Manipulation?

Have you ever frustratingly mumbled to your partner that it "must be nice to have a partner who walks the dog" in hopes of them walking the dog more often? Or have you ever sighed that you’ll "just do the errands alone" even though you don’t want to? Turns out, you may be dry begging, a tool that people use in relationships of all sorts to get their needs met.

"Dry begging is when someone indirectly asks for something. There’s a need there, but they’re not stating it clearly," said Aerial Cetnar, a therapist and owner of Boulder Therapy and Wellness in Colorado.

Instead of making a straightforward request or voicing a direct want, someone who is dry begging hints at a need or makes a vague complaint, Cetnar added.

So, instead of stating, "I wish we spent more time together," someone who is dry begging may say, "Oh, I guess I’ll just stay home with the cat" — they’re hinting at their displeasure instead of addressing it.

"I’ll say it can come from a place of insecurity, fear or manipulation," said Tori-Lyn Mills, a licensed clinical professional counselor with Thriveworks in Columbia, MD. But it can also be something that folks grew up with and learned as a way to get their needs met, Mills added.

It’s also not an official psychological term that you’ll find in mental health literature, said Cetnar — "regardless, it’s very much a thing."

While it can feel easier than directly asking for what you want, dry begging really isn’t meant for the long haul.

According to Mills, dry begging can weaponize emotion and empathy while also shifting responsibility in a situation. It can "even weaponize a person’s role as a partner, specifically in romantic relationships," she said.

For example, in a romantic relationship, if one partner wants to have sex and the other doesn’t, instead of flat-out saying how they feel, someone who is dry begging may say something like "well, most people would be happy that their partner wants to have sex with them all the time [and] is attracted to them all the time," Mills said.

This can put the other partner in a position where they feel guilty about not wanting to have sex in the moment. It can even put responsibility on them and make them think, "Oh, I should be happy about this," Mills noted.

"It’s kind of like — I should be giving into this. That’s how dry begging can work," she said.

If this sounds manipulative, it’s because it often is.

If it becomes a pattern, that’s a red flag for manipulation, Cetnar said. More, if the partner ends up doing things they don’t want to do without ever being clearly asked, it’s another red flag, she said.

"It’s not always manipulative — it certainly can be — but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. First, look at what’s the intention and is it a pattern," Cetnar said. Once again, if it’s a pattern, that is not OK.

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Frances Tiafoe Faced Fan's Anger For Belittling Novak Djokovic

What do you do when you are losing matches and fails to advance in several major tournaments? You make yourself an idiot and a fool in front of everyone to become more relevant.

This is what tennis player Frances Tiafoe did when he made his opinion public regarding the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Tiafoe has been in a slump of late, losing to Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round of the US Open and suffering an opening-round loss to Marton Fucsovics at the Japan Open. Before that tournament even started, the American talked about wanting to challenge the top two players in the world, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

When discussing the current state of the ATP Tour, Tiafoe said he doesn't count Novak Djokovic as the "third guy" behind Alcaraz and Sinner.

"There's a couple more guys who've got to join them. I'm not saying beat them, but there's got to be (other) guys - and that motivates me," Tiafoe said, via the Olympics website. "I’m like, yo, who's that third guy? Who's that fourth guy? Novak (Djokovic) doesn't count. He’s 40. I love him, but doesn't count. He’s 40. He's a GOAT, he's the best player of all time. He's not with those guys."

Unsurprisingly countless tennis fans ripped Tiafoe for these remarks.

"A mouth shut because every time he speaks only filth comes out of it, Novak may be 38 years old but he reaches the semifinals of GS while Tiafoe does not advance to the second round of an ATP 500," one fan replied.

"Oh boy. Novak is not gonna like that comment. Foe better prepare to lose 6-1 6-1 6-1 next time he faces Novak. Just killed any chance of beating Novak right there," a second fan wrote.

"Tiafoe just sealed his early retirement," another fan said.

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Sex Education Should Contain More Topics On Fertility

When Anna De Souza was in her early 30s, she asked her ob-gyn when she should start thinking about having kids. "When you were 26," she remembers the doctor saying.

She was surprised. She’d had some sense that fertility decreases with age but didn’t know how significant the drop-off was. No doctor had ever told her, and she certainly didn’t learn about it in school. She took sex ed at her New Jersey high school in the late 1990s, but she said it focused mostly on trying to scare students out of having sex. She remembers little about the class besides watching a graphic VHS video of a woman giving birth.

De Souza, a journalist in Philadelphia, now wishes that class had included the basics of fertility and reproduction. A more robust sex-ed program, she thinks, could have prompted her to check her egg count or freeze her eggs when she was younger, or even try to have kids sooner.

She ended up having twins at 36, after two rounds of IVF, and later a son, also through IVF. But if she’d known more about fertility earlier in her life, she might have tried for a family "the good, old-fashioned, fun way," she said, "instead of the needles way." Teenagers, she believes, should understand that just because they don’t want kids at 16 doesn’t mean they won’t want kids ever.

She’s far from the only person who feels this way. Fertility doctors and other experts told me that better sex education—with a curriculum that explains both how to prevent pregnancy and how to boost fertility—could help more families have the number of children they desire.

A 2023 study of nearly 1,800 women ages 18 to 29 found that only 59 percent knew the phase during the menstrual cycle when they were most likely to get pregnant, and most erroneously thought that a woman’s ovaries continually make eggs until she reaches menopause. (Women are born with all of the eggs they’ll ever have, and the eggs’ quality and quantity diminish with time.)

In a 2016 study of mostly low-income women, just over half knew what ovulation meant, and fewer than a third knew when it occurs. In a 2017 study, reproductive-age women correctly answered an average of only about 16 out of 29 fertility questions, covering topics such as the percentage of pregnancies that end in miscarriage and the lifestyle factors that decrease fertility.

Women studying to become doctors fared little better, answering an average of only about 19 questions correctly, leading the authors to conclude that "fertility knowledge is low among U.S. women of reproductive age, including those with children and even among medical trainees."

Even women who are actively trying to get pregnant tend to be underinformed: A 2021 review found that women who wanted to conceive had "low to moderate fertility knowledge." In a 2022 study of women struggling to conceive, only a quarter correctly recognized the week during their cycle when they had the highest chance of getting pregnant.

This lack of knowledge has real consequences: "A lot of the misunderstanding around fertility and reproductive health lends people to either not be able to have the family size that they desire," Kudesia said, "or to have lost a lot of time along the way."

That’s in part why Kudesia and some other doctors think that fertility should be taught as a standard part of sex ed in schools. Although doctors could try to give patients this information themselves, most doctors’ appointments are too brief for a long lecture on ovulation, and some patients don’t bring up fertility challenges until after they’ve started trying to have a baby.

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Gen Z College Grads Are Flocking To Texas And Florida

Historically, recent college students have centered their post-grad lives on landing a job in big cities like New York City and Los Angeles that promise a lively lifestyle and often higher starting salaries (although the high cost of living quickly eats into that).

But two Republican-dominated states have emerged as new hotspots for Gen Z college grads: Texas and Florida, according to a study by JLL Research published this week. That’s largely thanks to a mass migration of publicly traded corporations’ headquarters since 2020, according to the research arm of global real-estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

"Finance firms relocating to Miami or Dallas since the pandemic began are having a meaningful impact on the distribution of job availabilities," Jacob Rowden, senior manager of U.S. office research at JLL, told Fortune. "Before the pandemic, Texas and Florida housed about 16.2 percent of financial services employment in the country, today that’s rapidly approaching 18 percent. That 2 percent shift reflects almost 2 million jobs, so it’s a robust and significant improvement in local labor markets."

Of the top 20 talent hubs for recent college grads, five are in either Florida or Texas. They include Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Miami/South Florida, and Orlando. Dallas-Forth Worth even surpassed Seattle—home to Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Starbucks, and Nordstrom—claiming the No. 9 spot on JLL’s list.

Still, New York City claimed the No. 1 spot, followed by the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago. Some of that can be attributed to the concentration of university students nationally, according to JLL. While Texas and Florida boast the third- and fourth-highest concentrations of college students, the Sun belt houses 143,000 students, compared to 174,000 in Midwest states and more than 282,000 students on the East Coast, JLL reported.

Several cities in Florida and Texas have become major hiring hubs for recent grads, especially those who specialized in finance or technology. Dallas has become a significant financial hub, so a large share of business graduates in the Sun Belt end up there, Rowden said. It has even earned the nickname of "Y’all Street" as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and JPMorgan grow their presence in the region.

"It’s also a very diversified market in general and has a robust base of professional services companies, a growing technology sector, and is well-represented by other large organizations," he added. Some of the largest companies based in Dallas include AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Comerica, and Match Group. According to the JLL report, the median tech salary in Dallas is US$ 144,000; finance is US$ 91,000; accounting and consulting is US$ 86,000; and US$ 90,000 for those who work at law firms.

Just south of Dallas is Austin, which is becoming a significant secondary tech market, largely due to long-term investments from local universities in partnership with other local stakeholders, Rowden said. Some tech companies in Austin with a large presence include Dell, Apple, IBM, Google, Amazon, Meta, Tesla, and Oracle. Houston remains the most preeminent market for the oil-and-gas industry, Rowden said.

And in Florida, Orlando has grown as a market for aerospace companies like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Aerojet Rocketdyne. The city is also home to several major travel and leisure companies like Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Darden Restaurants, and Universal.

While there might be plenty of job opportunities in these two states, recent grads still make relatively less than "gateway markets" like New York City and San Francisco.

"For instance, a company shifting tech headcount from the Bay Area to Austin can procure talent for 15-20 percent lower salaries," Rowden said. "A company relocating finance headcount from the tri-state area to Dallas-Fort Worth would see about 10-15 percent savings."

But that hasn’t stopped new grads from moving there anyway.

"Seeing elevated talent migration to those areas, and now a growing pipeline of college graduates from university expansions, adds to the legitimacy and permanence of that momentum for office markets," Rowden said.

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Diet Change Can Help Cure Brain Cancer

A change t healthy diet may make the fatal brain cancer glioblastoma more vulnerable to cancer therapies, a new study suggests.

The researchers behind the work think this dietary change exploits a key metabolic vulnerability in the cancer, and their work demonstrates that the approach extends survival in mice when used in combination with chemoradiation therapy.

The study, published 3 September in the journal Nature, suggests that a deeper understanding of how tumor cells tweak their metabolisms in the pursuit of all-out growth could open treatment windows for this notoriously deadly cancer.

Healthy cells in the brain need fuel to maintain their extensive list of functions, like electrical signaling and the release of chemical messengers. Cancer cells dispose of these normal processes as they rewire to become "professional dividing cells," said study co-author Costas Lyssiotis, a professor of oncology at the University of Michigan.

These changes are of great interest to cancer researchers because they may allow therapies to distinguish between healthy cells and tumors, making them more targeted.

"The real art of delivering therapy is making it so that you kill the cancer way more than you kill the normal [cells]," Lyssiotis told Live Science.

The work, coordinated by University of Michigan oncologist Dr. Dan Wahl, assessed how glioblastoma warps its metabolism in both human and animal brains. The study ambitiously combined laboratory research and clinical practice by drawing some of its data from tissue taken from the brains of patients undergoing cancer surgery. The study required the collaboration of experts in human and rodent brain surgery, metabolic pathways, and molecular analysis.

The protocol began in the hours before surgery. The patients received an infusion of glucose, which was tagged so that it was detectable by molecular analysis techniques. The glucose flowed through their bloodstreams and into both their healthy and tumorous cells.

A common approach for glioblastoma surgery is to remove the tumor and some surrounding brain tissue to minimize the risk of the cancer quickly growing back. The team took blood samples every 30 minutes during surgery and then flash-froze the excised tumor and healthy tissue for analysis.

These extracted cells had metabolized the glucose, and the researchers tracked the molecules' path through the cells. In concert with experiments in mice, the researchers gained a clear view into what tumor cells were doing differently as they gobbled up the sugar.

Healthy cells metabolized glucose for cell processes like respiration, in which sugar and oxygen are converted into fuel for the cell. These cells also converted glucose into an amino acid called serine, a key ingredient for important neurotransmitter molecules.

The tumor cells, by contrast, set these processes aside. Instead, the cancer cells directed glucose to produce nucleotides — the building blocks of DNA. These molecules are vital fuel sources for the tumor cells' endless replication.

Chemoradiation therapies attack cancer by destroying its DNA, but this rerouting gives the cancer cells a steady source of nucleotides with which to repair the damage. The study showed that the tumor cells also scavenged serine from surrounding tissues to further fuel their growth.

Here, Wahl and his team saw an opportunity. They put mice that had been transplanted with human cancer cells on a feeding regimen that drastically reduced their dietary serine. Lyssiotis suggested that this could potentially be replicated in human cancer patients with a low-protein diet supplemented with serine-free protein shakes.

As this cut the amount of serine available for tumor cells, it forced the cancer to reroute its glucose metabolism back into serine production. In turn, this slashed their nucleotide synthesis and made the cells more vulnerable to chemoradiation. Mice given this treatment combination lived longer than mice that were only given chemoradiation.

Lyssiotis explained that this vulnerability would likely work for a limited time, as glioblastoma cells can deftly adapt their metabolisms. In addition, some tumor cells appeared to rely less than others on scavenged serine. "If you can hit that sweet spot, you deprive them of serine, and you come in with the therapies, you get them before they figure out a workaround," he suggested.

Wahl is already beginning work on a follow-up clinical study to back up these results in mice with data from human cancer patients.

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Can Humans Unlock The Secrets To Anemone's Immortality?

As part of the Homo sapiens family, we have remarkable regenerative abilities — wounds heal, bone fractures "thread" back together, and some organs can even regrow from devastating injury. However, none of these biological bonafides compares to the healing power of the humble starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis).

Located along the eastern coast of the U.S., with a few introduced populations scattered along the western U.S. coast and the southeast coast of Britain, this sea anemone is a member of the sea-dwelling phylum Cnidaria, which is well-known for its full-body regenerative abilities — so much so that some animals in this phylum, such as the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii, are functionally immortal. Because of this ability to seemingly defy the aging process, these animals have figured prominently in anti-aging research.

Now, in a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers from the University of Vienna have possibly identified small, multi-potent cells in scarlet sea anemones that basically allow cnidarians to continually drink from the proverbial fountain of youth. In humans, stems cells allow limited regeneration of certain cells in our body (which is why they’re central to the exploration of anti-aging therapies), however, other animals display much greater, whole-body regenerative abilities compared to us humans.

Because it can reproduce asexually (though it can multiply sexually as well) and can be raised easily in laboratory conditions, N. vectensis has quickly become the go-to species for studying the immortal abilities of cnidarians more broadly (a concept known as a "model organism"). While scientists have known that the scarlet sea anemone shows little to no signs of aging, they haven’t been able to identify stem cells that drive this unending youth mainly due to their extremely small size.

University of Vienna’s Ulrich Technau, the senior author of this new study, and his team used a new method called "single cell genomics" in the hunt for these missing stem cells. The scientists were able to discern the stem cell lineage of certain cells developed based on transcriptome profiles, which are a collection of mRNA transcripts.

"By combining single-cell gene expression analyses and transgenesis," University of Vienna’s Andreas Denner, the first author of the study, said in a press statement. "We have now been able to identify a large population of cells in the sea anemone that form differentiated cells such as nerve cells and glandular cells and are therefore candidates for multipotent stem cells."

The team looked specifically at highly-conserved (i.e. unchanged via evolution) genes nanos and piwi, which are regulatory proteins involved in stem cell differentiation as well as gametogenesis—the process of creating germ cells and gametes (sperm and eggs). When the team mutated the nanos2 gene using CRISPR gene scissors, they discovered that this protein was necessary for forming germ cells as well as somatic cells and likely appeared in nature around 600 million years ago.

Now that scientists have enticing stem cell candidates, future studies will delve deeper into the mechanisms that make cnidarians, such as the scarlet sea anemone, adept fighters against the ravages of aging that afflict nearly every other species on the planet.

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Have We Reached The Maximum Lifespan For Humans?

With life expectancy having climbed about twenty years in the last century, will humans ever reach an average lifespan of 100? Spoiler alert: not anytime soon.

Someone born between 1900 and 1938—even in a high-income country—was only expected to live about 62 years at that time. Vaccines were limited if not unheard of. Surgery was brutal. Infant mortality surged. What was thought of as medication ranged from ineffectual, fraudulent "cure alls" often referred to as "snake oil," to potentially toxic substances, such as strychnine, laudanum, or opium.

Back then, something as mundane as the flu was seen as potentially fatal, but medical innovations that weren’t even conceivable then are now extending lives to an average of about 80 years.

Emerging medicines and technology meant an upward trend in life expectancy from the turn of the 20th century to the end of the Depression era; to say nothing of the dramatic decline in infant mortality rates which markedly impacted average life expectancy statistics. Every new generation could expect to live at least five and a half months longer than the generation before them.

However, according to a team of researchers who predicted future lifespans, it does’t seem like there is much more left to gain.

"This slowdown is driven mainly by a diminished pace of mortality improvements at very young ages ... as this pattern is already evident in observed data, even if our forecasts are overly pessimistic, a reversal is unlikely," they said in a study recently published in PNAS. "These findings have important implications for future longevity projections and social policy."

Future mortality was predicted using cohort life expectancy. This method gauges longevity based on how many individuals born in a particular year survive to a certain age, versus period life expectancy, which is the average mortality risk for a given year and usually not as accurate. If period life expectancy was anything to go by, it would look as if the average human lifespan had plummeted during the pandemic and then experienced a miraculous upsurge. The main downside of cohort life expectancy is that the final picture is not entirely clear until an entire cohort has died out. Whether the rise in longevity from one cohort will continue is also debatable.

The research team, led by Héctor Pifarré i Arolas, an Assistant Professor of Public Affairs at the La Follette School of Public Affairs of the University of Wisconson-Madison, estimated the lifespans of cohorts from 23 high-income, low-mortality countries. Some previous studies based on period life expectancy had shown rising life expectancy. Arolas and colleagues Carlo Giovanni Camarda of Institut National d’études Démographiques (INED) in France and José Andrade of the Max Planck Institute of Demographic Research found that increases are slowing down.

For those born between 1938 and 2000, life expectancy is probably not going to see a huge increase in the future because the improvements that decreased infant mortality have just about been exhausted. Even treatments that keep people alive later in life can come nowhere close to the jump in life expectancy that came from a downturn in infant mortality. Still, the researchers are cautious, because there is no way to predict a full increase or decrease in lifespan while individuals in a cohort are still living.

"The findings of this study are not intended to be interpreted as evidence in favor or against a biological age limit to human life," they said. "Instead, the observed deceleration in cohort life expectancy is likely influenced by a combination of biological and social determinants."

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Casio Has A Fluffy AI Pet Robot

Casio Computer is famous for its watches. Now, it’s branching out with an artificial-intelligence-powered pet as rising loneliness makes more people turn to chatbots for companionship.

The Japanese company behind G-Shock timepieces has named the AI robot "Moflin," a play on the Japanese onomatopoeic word "mofu mofu" used to describe a fluffy texture like animal fur.

The furry electronic pet is selling faster than expected in Japan, and Casio wants to bring it to the U.S. and the U.K. next.

With AI models increasingly being used as life coaches, therapists, or even romantic partners, Casio sees an opportunity to tap that demand for connection with something more tangible.

Moflin, which can develop its own "personality" depending on how it is raised and interactions with its owner, could be the start of a new source of revenue for Casio.

"Watches and calculators are a mature market," said Ryoichi Furukawa, deputy senior general manager at Casio’s sound and new business division.

"We are working on building our next main revenue stream," he said. "Mental wellness is a clear growth area."

As of the end of May, Casio had sold 10,000 of the cuddly robots in Japan, where they retail for about US$ 400.

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Authorities Issued Warning Against Supplements In L.A.

Key health officials in California issued a public warning about an energy product sold at convenience stores and smoke shops after three people died of overdoses in the Los Angeles area.

The products, sold online and at convenience stores and smoke shops in the form of tablets, gummies and drink mixes, contain the compound kratom, which medical experts say can be addictive and often carries toxic consequences.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in a release issued 12 September, warned consumers and health care providers about the synthetic kratom compound 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) after the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner identified three fatal overdoses in residents who'd used products containing it.

Officials did not identify the victims or say where they lived in the county; but, autopsies revealed the victims, all between ages 18 and 40, had consumed alcohol in each case, according to the health department.

"The decedents were otherwise healthy, with no other substances identified as substantively contributing to their deaths," the agency wrote in the Sept. 12 notice. "At low doses, 7-OH can have stimulant-like effects, and at higher doses, it has opioid-like effects."

High doses of 7-OH alone, or those mixed with alcohol or other sedatives, can cause "severe respiratory depression and death," Los Angeles County health officials wrote. "Again, they are unregulated and may contain unknown concentrations of 7-OH, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose."

Late this summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would be taking steps to ban 7-OH.

During a 29 July press conference, FDA commissioner Martin Makary spoke alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to announce plans to send warning letters to companies for illegally marketing products containing 7-OH, part of an effort to combat the country's opioid addiction problem.

The compound will be scheduled as an illicit drug if the Drug Enforcement Administration − a branch of the Justice Department responsible for classifying drugs as controlled substances − approves the change after a review.

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The Risk Of "Glow Up" Culture On Teens

Skincare, fashion, and beauty videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram are all over the place and constantly dominates the discussions of young girls. Just search the hashtag #glowuproutine on TikTok and you’ll be flooded with videos touting various products and routines that are aimed specifically at the tween and teen girls.

A quick search for #glowuproutine on TikTok will bringa video, which has a whopping 17K likes, and shows a girl putting together her back-to-school "glow-up" routine. First, she shops at Ulta and fills a basket with numerous "essential" products. Then, she begins her "routine": applying press-on nails, taking an "everything" shower, laminating her eye brows, doing her "holy grail" lymphatic drainage gua sha routine, treating her under eyes with two moon-shaped skincare patches, and whitening her teeth.

However, the most extensive part is her skin care routine, which she describes this way: "Literally, every product I could put on my face, I slathered on my face."

Videos like this are super popular, and many teens and tween girls take them seriously. They believe that these routines are "musts," that they have to stock up and use whatever products are being suggested, and that they'll fall behind other girls if they don't partake. Ultimately, many girls today buy into the idea that having a curated and expensive routine solely to improve their physical appearance is something to aspire to.

Teens and tween are easy targets for beauty enhancing content because they tend to feel insecure about their appearance and hyper-focus on comparing themselves to others, says Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, pediatrician and author of My-One-of-a-Kind Body.

Back-to-school glow-up routines specifically prey on kids' fears around being attractive or popular enough, and do this by encouraging teens to spend exorbitant amounts of money on the products they say will offer a quick fix. "I absolutely notice this as a central focus among my patients in this age cohort," says Dr. Casares. "And it’s only getting worse as time goes on."

Grace Lautman, LMHC, CN, nutritionist and teen eating disorder therapist, says that these glow-up routines can also spotlight unrealistic bodies which can encourage unhealthy habits, and even eating disorders. "It's another area of the internet where perfectionist and unrealistic beauty standards are upheld," she says.

Glow-up is teen slang for a dramatic improvement in one's appearance. Kids typically use it to describe the process of becoming the best version of oneself (aesthetically). Think of the makeover scene from any '90's or early 2000's rom-com—that's a glow-up.

The risk is not about the fact that the videos take advantage of young girls’ self-image issues and encourage them to spend money they don’t have. The products recommended in the videos may not be healthy for young girls’ skin, and may even be dangerous in some cases, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Many of the products recommended by influencers in "glow-up" videos aren't regulated for safety and aren’t even made for kids, Dr. Casares points out. "Short-term reactions like rashes and irritation are common for my patients who use these 'glow up' routines, but I worry even more about the long-term effects of using advanced skin care products on young skin," she says.

For example, sun damage, skin thinning, and premature aging are all potential risks of using the products recommended in these videos, according to Dr. Casares. Moreover, "over-exposure to beauty content is also linked to body image struggles which are, in turn, related to other negative physical outcomes for people of all ages, including dieting and overexercising," she describes.

Lautman agrees, and sees the impact of these videos among the teens she works with. "In my work I'm mostly looking at the impacts in terms of increasing the desire to diet and control food and exercise," she says. "Any increase in attention and control to the body, skin or muscle, increases already existing experiences like body dysmorphia and distorted body image."

"Any increase in attention and control to the body, skin or muscle, increases already existing experiences like body dysmorphia and distorted body image."

An abundance of research points to the fact that tweens and teens who become immersed in videos that emphasize beauty and appearance are more likely to develop body image issues. "Specifically, they’re more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies, to compare themselves to others, and to develop serious mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and disordered eating," says Dr. Casares.

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Victorias City Dropped As Futsal World Cup Venue

Victorias City in Negros island will no longer host the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, leaving Pasig City as the sole site for the first-ever edition of the tournament.

This was announced by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), citing logistical issues as one of the reasons for dropping Victorias City Coliseum as one of two venues for the matches.

The Philsports Arena will now be the lone venue for the November 21 to December 7 tournament where 16 teams, including host Philippines, will be competing.

"After a comprehensive review of logistical and operational considerations, and in light of the ongoing situations, it has been decided that Victorias City, Negros Occidental will no longer serve as a host city ," said the PFF in a statement.

"The adjustment also reflects FIFA and the LOC’s (local organizing committee) joint objective to streamline and reduce the tournament’s footprint, ensuring the most efficient delivery of the event," the PFF added.

"The PFF is fully committed to delivering a historic and memorable inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup. We are eager to showcase the passion of the Filipino people for the sport and invite everyone to celebrate women’s futsal on the global stage in Pasig City."

FIFA will hold a draw ceremony in Taguig City on 15 September to determine the four teams that will make up each of the four groups.

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Texas A&M Uni Fired A Prof For Promoting Her DEI Agenda In Class

A professor at Texas A&M University was fired and others were removed from their positions after a video surfaced in which a student confronted the instructor over her teaching of issues related to gender identity when it is not part of the curriculum.

The firing of Melissa McCoul, a senior lecturer in the English department with over a decade of teaching experience, came after Republican lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, called for her termination for selfishly promoting her personal agenda.

The incident prompted Glenn Hegar, the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, to order an audit of courses at all 12 schools in the system.

"It is unacceptable for A&M System faculty to push a personal political agenda," Hegar said in a statement last 8 September. "We have been tasked with training the next generation of teachers and childcare professionals. That responsibility should prioritize protecting children not engaging in indoctrination."

In an email, McCoul referred all questions to her attorney, Amanda Reichek. Reichek said in a statement that McCoul has appealed her termination and "is exploring further legal action."

Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III said in a statement last 9 September that he directed the campus provost to fire McCoul after learning the instructor had continued teaching content in a children’s literature course "that did not align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum for the course."

Welsh said the issue had been raised earlier this summer and he had "made it clear to our academic leadership that course content must match catalog descriptions for each and every one of our course sections." Welsh said he learned that this was not taking place.

"This isn’t about academic freedom; it’s about academic responsibility," Welsh said.

Welsh also ordered the removal of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the head of the English Department from their administrative positions.

The controversy began after Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison posted a video, audio recordings and other materials on a thread on the social media site X. Harrison called for the professor and Welsh to be fired for "DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination."

In one video, a female student and the professor can be heard arguing over gender identity being taught in a children’s literature class. The student and professor are not shown and it’s unclear when the video was taken.

"This also very much goes against not only myself but a lot of people’s religious beliefs. And so I am not going to participate in this because it's not legal and I don’t want to promote something that is against our president’s laws as well as against my religious beliefs," the student could be heard saying in the video.

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Turbo-Charged Robotic Sperm Is In The Works

Turbo-charged robotic sperm is something that was not expected in the medical world, but it became a significant development in treating the increasing trend of infertility, according to scientists.

By coating the fast-moving sperm cells with magnetic particles, the researchers said they can be tracked and steered for the first time – and one day allow them to deliver life-saving medicine to areas of the female reproductive system that are hard to access.

It’s unclear what drugs may be used this way or when it could happen, but medicine can be loaded directly into the sperm cells that would serve as vehicles to reach organs, such as the uterus or fallopian tubes.

The researchers say using them like this could help treat infertility-causing conditions affecting millions of American women, including uterine cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids. Uterine cancer can be fatal when left untreated and there were more than 13,000 deaths from the disease in 2023.

Right now, doctors aren't able to fight these conditions using treatments that focus on certain parts of the body.

The breakthrough could also offer a closer look into the body during fertilization, the researchers said.

For example, tracking sperm movement inside the female reproductive system could help understand sperm transport mechanisms and unexplained infertility. It may even improve lab-based fertilization techniques such as IVF, they said. IVF leads to the births of tens of thousands of babies in the U.S.

It’s unclear how that process might be improved but tests showed that they could be promising candidates for future research, the scientists said.

More work is needed before any clinical trials can begin, but the sperm bots were not toxic to cells in the uterus even after three days of exposure.

The key to all of this lies in the magnetic coating.

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Let's Try To Learn More TikTok Slangs

No more "skibidi," "rizz" and "sigma"? It's back-to-school season, and students are not just bringing assignments, but they are also saying new words and phrases that may make no sense to anyone out of grade school or not chronically online.

What kids are saying these days seems to move faster than the speed of light thanks to social media. And to some, today's slang may not even appear to correlate with the words or phrases kids are looking to shorten.

In a TikTok video posted last 3 September, user Mr. Lindsay, a teacher and comedian known for breaking down Gen Alpha slang, said students are repeatedly saying, "You stole my brain rot," the ever-popular "6-7" and "SDIYBT".

First, what is "brain rot"? This noun can describe a state of being impacted by increased social media usage or content that has little to no substantive value, which may lead to the metaphorical degradation of the brain. These days, "brain rot" is largely used to describe the latter and can serve as an umbrella term for the words and phrases below.

The phrase "You stole my brain rot" is specifically in reference to a Roblox game called Steal Brainrot. In the fast-paced, heist-style game, users are tasked with stealing other players' "brain rot," which appears as different silly characters.

Next, what is "6-7"? This is less of meaningful phrase than a meaningless response.

The term 6-7 was derived from the song "Doot Doot," released by rapper Skrilla in December 2024. In the song, Skrilla sings, "The way that switch, I know he dyin'. 6-7. I just bipped right on the highway."

According to Know Your Meme, a database for memes and internet slang, some people say the "6-7" in the song is in reference to 67th Street, perhaps in Philadelphia, where the rapper is from. But Skrilla had not confirmed the numbers' meaning.

The same day of the song's release, TikTok user Matvii Grinblat posted a video of Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball. In the video, Grinblat discusses Ball's height, which is 6-foot-7. At this point in the video, the lyric from "Doot Doot" in which Skrilla sings "6-7" is dubbed.

Finally, "SDIYBT". This is an acronym for "start digging in yo butt, twin." The phrase may sound crude, but it really doesn't have any meaning. It's just a phrase that has become repeatable and it may be more common to hear kids just say or use, "SDIYBT."

SDIYBT was derived from another, shorter slang phrase, "Diggin in yo butt, twin," which went viral in July. The catchphrase took off when a content creator posted a clip from the "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode "Welcome to the Chum Bucket." In the episode, the character Plankton asks a robot with SpongeBob's brain in it to make him a Krabby Patty. But in the viral clip, the robot's response is dubbed over with "Start digging in yo butt, twin," according to Know Your Meme.

As a bonus, let's add "Clock it". This term is used as validation, given to someone who is sharing new information or gossip. The phrase is used in conjunction with a finger thumb tap, in which a person taps the tips of their thumb and forefinger together to represent a miniature clap, according to Know Your Meme.

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Human Testing Has Started On Teeth Regrowing Drugs

The average adult human body contains 206 bones—the hardened mixtures of calcium, minerals, and collagen that provide the biological scaffolding that walks us through our day. While we may not think of them much, bones are incredibly resilient. But if they do break, they have this nifty trick of regrowing themselves.

Teeth, however, are not bones. Although they’re made of some of the same stuff and are the hardest material in the human body (thanks to its protective layer of enamel), they lack the crucial ability to heal and regrow themselves. But that may not always be the case.

Japanese researchers are moving forward with an experimental drug that promises to regrow human teeth. Human trials began in September 2024.

"We want to do something to help those who are suffering from tooth loss or absence," Katsu Takahashi, the head of dentistry at the medical research institute at Kitano Hospital in Osaka, told The Mainichi. "While there has been no treatment to date providing a permanent cure, we feel that people’s expectations for tooth growth are high."

This development follows years of study around a particularly antibody named Uterine sensitization–associated gene-1 (USAG-1), which has been shown to inhibit the growth of teeth in ferrets and mice. Back in 2021, scientists from the Kyoto University—who will also be involved in future human trials—discovered a monoclonal antibody (a technique usually used in fighting cancer) that disrupted the interaction between USAG-1 and molecules known as bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP.

"We knew that suppressing USAG-1 benefits tooth growth. What we did not know was whether it would be enough," Kyoto University’s Katsu Takahashi, a co-author of the study, said in a press statement at the time. "Ferrets are diphyodont animals with similar dental patterns to humans."

Now, scientists will see just how similar, because humans are undergoing a similar trial. Lasting 11 months, this study focuses on 30 males between the ages of 30 and 64—each missing at least one tooth. The drug will be administered intravenously to prove its effectiveness and safety, and luckily, no side effects have been reported in previous animal studies.

If all goes well, Kitano Hospital will administer the treatment to patients between the ages of 2 to 7 who are missing at least four teeth, with the end goal of having a tooth-regrowing medicine available by the year 2030. While these treatments are currently focused on patients with congenital tooth deficiency, Takahashi hopes the treatment will be available for anyone who’s lost a tooth.

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CDC Investigating Possible Salmonella Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a food safety alert for a salmonella outbreak the agency said is linked to ready-to-eat, home delivery meals made by the company Metabolic Meals, the agency said last 5 September.

"CDC and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to certain home delivery meals made by Metabolic Meals," the CDC stated. "Do not eat affected Metabolic Meals products while the investigation is ongoing. Check your refrigerator and freezer for these products and throw them away or contact the company."

As of time of publication, at least 16 people in 10 states have gotten sick from Metabolic Meals, according to the CDC. Of the 15 people with information available, seven have been hospitalized, the agency said.

Illnesses have so far been reported in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, according to the CDC.

FDA expands warning of radioactive shrimp as 2 more brands are recalled. No deaths have been reported so far.

The CDC said that Metabolic Meals was "collaborating with investigators and has reached out to customers directly who purchased the meal types listed above to inform them of the outbreak."

According to the CDC, customers who ordered and received the following Metabolic Meals - delivered during the week of 28 July 2025 - have been urged not to eat them:

• Four Cheese Tortellini with Pesto Sauce and Grilled Chicken: lot code 25199 and a "best by" date of 7 August 2025.
• Low Carb Chicken Teriyaki and Vegetables: lot code 25202 and a "best by" date of 5 August 2025.
• Black Garlic & Ranch Chicken Tenders with Roasted Vegetables: lot code 25205 and a "best by" date of 8 August 2025.
• Sliced Top Sirloin with Roasted Peanut Sauce and Summer Vegetables: lot code 25203 and a "best by" date of 6 August 2025.

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Scientists Developed Super-Powered Sperms

The tiny and flexible, human sperm are getting a high-tech upgrade soon. The researchers at the TechMed Centre of the University of Twente have transformed agile, fast-swimming sperm into tiny, magnetically controlled microrobots that can be tracked and steered inside a life-sized anatomical model.

Sperm cells are nature’s remarkable swimmers. Their primary role is to navigate the complex environment of the female reproductive tract to reach and fertilize an egg.

Each sperm is streamlined for speed, with a tail that propels it forward and a head that carries genetic material.

Their small size and natural flexibility allow them to maneuver through highly challenging biological environments, a feature researchers are now leveraging for medical applications.

Beyond reproduction, sperm cells’ inherent mobility and adaptability make them promising candidates for microrobotics, enabling scientists to explore new ways of delivering drugs and performing diagnostics in hard-to-reach areas of the body.

One major challenge in using sperm for medical applications has been their invisibility under conventional imaging techniques. Traditional X-ray imaging struggles to detect sperm due to their tiny size, low density, and near transparency to radiation.

This limitation has, until now, prevented scientists from observing or controlling sperm inside the human body with precision.

To overcome this, the University of Twente team collaborated with researchers and medical professionals from Radboud University Medical Center and the University of Waterloo (Canada).

"Until now, visualizing sperm inside the body was nearly impossible," said UT researcher Islam Khalil, who is also the lead author of the study.

They coated real sperm cells with magnetic nanoparticles, which made them visible under X-ray and responsive to external magnetic fields.

This innovative approach allows the microrobots to be tracked in real time and steered accurately within a life-sized anatomical model, marking a breakthrough in medical microrobotics.

The potential applications of this technology are wide-ranging. By loading drugs directly into the sperm cell bodies, researchers envision precise delivery to targeted locations such as the uterus or fallopian tubes.

This could revolutionize treatments for conditions like uterine cancer, endometriosis, or fibroids, all of which currently lack precise, minimally invasive drug delivery options.

"We’re turning nature’s own cell delivery systems into programmable microrobots," said Khalil.

Beyond therapy, tracking sperm movement in real time could shed light on the biological processes of fertilization, improve understanding of unexplained infertility, and even refine assisted reproductive techniques like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Safety is also a key consideration. Tests have shown that the sperm-nanoparticle clusters remain biocompatible, causing no significant toxicity to human uterine cells even after 72 hours of exposure. This suggests that future in-vivo applications may be feasible.

The team published their findings in the open-access journal npj Robotics.

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Brain Implant Surgeries Now Available In Canada

After a successful first brain-computer interface implant surgery in the United Kingdom last month, Neuralink has now conducted procedures on two people in Toronto, marking its first surgeries in Canada.

The surgeries took place at University Health Network (UHN) on 27 August and 3 September as reported by Neetika Walter of Interesting Engineering.

These implants involved individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries receiving Neuralink’s wireless device via robotic surgery as part of the CAN-PRIME Study.

It follows Neuralink’s earlier UK launch in its first European clinical trial, making Canada the second country outside the US hosting such operations.

The CAN-PRIME Study is testing both the implant and the surgical robot. Its goal is to evaluate safety and to see if people with paralysis can use thought to control external devices. Participants could learn to move a cursor, send a text, or operate a robotic arm.

Dr. Thomas Forbes, Surgeon-in-Chief at UHN, said, "We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this revolutionary advancement in neurosurgery."

The Canadian team was led by Dr. Andres Lozano, Alan and Susan Hudson Cornerstone Chair in Neurosurgery at UHN.

Lozano said, "This milestone represents a convergence of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical care."

He added, "The patients who volunteered to be the first in Canada are remarkable individuals, making significant contributions to advancing science and healthcare."

Recruitment for CAN-PRIME is ongoing. People with cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be eligible. Patients who join will attend follow-up appointments and research sessions to practice using the device.

For patients, the impact could be life-changing. The implant is designed to restore some control in daily routines. It could allow a person with quadriplegia to check emails, interact on social media, or use smart devices at home.

These tasks are simple for many people, but can transform life for those with paralysis.

The surgeries also highlight Canada’s growing role in neurotechnology. UHN is Canada’s largest research hospital and one of the world’s top centers for surgical innovation. Hosting Neuralink’s first Canadian trial adds to its reputation as a leader in neuroscience.

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Traditional Treatment Slowly Moving To Turkish Health System

In one brightly lit treatment room at a private hospital in Istanbul, doctor Erdal Dilekci makes dozens of small, quick incisions on a patient's back as part of a centuries-old therapy known as wet cupping.

The patient, 26-year-old nurse Furkan Ali Sayan, lies quietly as the doctor then places eight suction cups designed to draw out toxins and ease his neck and back pain.

Over the next 15 minutes, the cups slowly fill with blood.

"I don't feel much yet, but I expect the benefits to come in the next few days," said Furkan, having his first session.

Known in Turkey as hacamat, wet cupping and other traditional treatments such as leech therapy are increasingly moving to mainstream clinics as a complement to modern medicine and away from informal settings where infection risks are higher.

Encouraged by legislative changes a decade ago, now 66 of Turkey's 81 provinces have certified medical doctors performing traditional methods in hospitals, the health ministry says.

Dilekci, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, is among the hundreds of Turkish physicians integrating traditional and complementary medicine.

"We use around 15 different methods, including ozone therapy, prolotherapy, acupuncture, and leech therapy," he said at the Medicana International Hospital.

"They are regulated by the Health Ministry and taught under official certification programmes."

He emphasised that such treatments are not alternatives to modern medicine, but often used in combination, especially for chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, migraines, and joint pain.

The procedures are tailored to each patient, based on toxin load, medication history, and response to previous sessions.

Cupping therapy, in particular, is timed with lunar cycles to enhances its effectiveness.

"We prefer the week after the full moon. Scientific studies have shown the moon's gravitational pull can support its effectiveness," the doctor said.

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Diwa Is The Official Mascot of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™

The excitement surrounding the maiden FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ reached new heights a few days ago following the official unveiling of Diwa™, the tournament’s magical and empowering mascot, during a special community event in Pasig City.

Set to take place from 21 November to 7 December 2025, the global showpiece will feature 16 of the world’s top women’s futsal national teams and will be the first FIFA tournament to be hosted in the Philippines.

A spirited and magical girl who is deeply connected to nature, Diwa made her debut outing at San Joaquin Elementary School during a futsal fun day. Drawing inspiration from the diwata – mythical figures from Filipino folklore – the mascot is a symbol of power, grace and teamwork, qualities that combine to make her a formidable futsal player and a beacon of inspiration for girls across the Southeast Asian country and beyond.

Though blessed with extraordinary on-pitch attributes, including electrifying pace, breathtaking vision and unbeatable strength, Diwa’s true power lies in her teamwork, with her profile offering a reminder that collaboration and community are at the heart of futsal.

Hosted by the Local Organising Committee and the Philippine Football Federation, in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission and Pasig City Government, today’s event brought children and families together in a joyful celebration of sport. Young participants took part in futsal skill clinics, friendly matches and lively interactions with Diwa.

The unveiling of the mascot is the first official community event on the road to the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, with the gathering serving to energise local communities, promote futsal at grassroots level and build anticipation for what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of women’s sport.

Following the conclusion of thrilling qualifying competitions across all six confederations , the line-up of nations that will vie for global glory in the Philippines is now finalized. Players representing Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, IR Iran, Italy, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tanzania and Thailand will showcase their skills, speed and teamwork in the quest to be crowned the first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup champions in the tournament decider on 7 December 2025.

Get your tickets HERE.

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Chris Evert's "Bias" Noticed By Viewers

Chris Evert, a ESPN tennis announcer, has been accused of showing major "bias" during the Coco Gauff vs. Naomi Osaka Round of 16 match on last 1 September.

The battle between Gauff and Osaka was billed as the most anticipated Round of 16 match in recent Grand Slam history - men or women. It failed to live up to the hype. Osaka, the 27-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion, made incredibly easy work of 21-year-old Gauff. Osaka, playing for Japan, bested the American Gauff in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The match was never really close.

Evert, who joined ESPN in 2011 as an analyst, made excuse after excuse for Gauff during the match. Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, talked at length about how the past week was "just too much" for Gauff. The 21-year-old tennis star, who won the French Open earlier this year, has been going through a change to her serve. Gauff was been quite emotional this week, crying in one of her earlier matches.

"Honestly, today was a tough match for me, but I'm just happy with how I was able to manage it. It's been a rough couple of weeks," Gauff told ESPN before she began to cry after an earlier match. "You guys really helped me a lot so I'm doing this for myself and I'm also doing it for you. No matter how tough it gets inside, you can do it."

On 1 September, though, Osaka was simply too much for her.

Evert, who is close with Gauff, seemed more saddened by Gauff's performance than excited by Osaka's. The U.S Open crowd seemed to be in a similar position. It was surprisingly quiet throughout the match at Arthur Ashe, which is typically one of the loudest in the sport.

On social media, fans ripped Evert for appearing to show major bias toward Gauff.

"Chris Evert’s ongoing and incessant excuse-making and “contextualizing” Coco Gauff’s loss again is nauseating. Tournament in, tournament out, Evert’s cheerleading for Gauff is irritating. Osaka just trounced her massively - quickly and easily - and Evert couldn’t give kudos to Osaka, no. It was about Coco not having it mentally and emotionally," one tennis fan wrote on X.

"Why does Chrissie Evert routinely sound like she's about to break down into tears whenever an America woman is losing at a grand slam? Acted like Coco Gauff was the only one on court today," one fan added on X.

"Hey Chrissy Evert we heard you the first 3 times that Coco has been emotional this week - lay off it," one fan added.

"What would it take for Chris Evert to just say coco isn’t the best player on the Court? Or that if someone like Osaka or Sabalenka doesn’t beat them selves, coco isn’t good enough to win?" one fan added.

"If Coco Gauff loses, she won’t be as upset as Chrissie Evert. Another deeply biased, one-sided match for Evert whose lack of analysis deprives viewers," one fan added.

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Russian Beauty Dominates Attention In The 2025 US Open

Anna Kalinskaya is not only blitzing in the 2025 US Open with her exceptional play on the court, but also turning heads with her beauty and grace.

For the second year in a row, Kalinskaya has reached the third round at the US Open. She started her tournament off with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Clervie Ngounoue. After surviving a scare against the American, she put together a complete performance against Yulia Putintseva. The 26-year-old Russian won 79 percent of the points on her first serve.

Kalinskaya, the No. 29 ranked player in the world, isn't just serving well on the court. She's turning heads with her latest cover shoot for Flaunt Magazine.

Four days ago, Flaunt Magazine unveiled its feature on Kalinskaya. It didn't take long for tennis fans to compliment her work.

"Best tennis face card ever argue with the wall," one fan said.

"The most beautiful in the WTA," another fan declared.

Kalinskaya opened up about her career during her interview with Flaunt Magazine. She has dealt with a few serious injuries over the past few years, including a six-month absence in 2023.

"I can be mad, but will it help me?" Kalinskaya told Flaunt Magazine. "I can be stuck in my head, asking myself, 'Why, why, why?' Will it solve anything? No. You never know when you’ll lose or when you’ll play [well]—there is no control. I can control my thoughts. I think it’s very important what is on your mind. I’m a positive person in general. So, I just choose not to be mad anymore. Of course, there were moments when I was frustrated, but maybe it’s for me to learn. The big lesson from all of this is it’s not going to last forever. I can only try to improve."

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