A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
‘Down in the Valley’ – sometimes also known as ‘Birmingham Jail’ – is a traditional American folk song that was circulating in earnest in the 1920s. Versions have been recorded by a huge set of music icons, with our favourites including those of Pete Seeger, Tex Ritter, the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, Solomon Burke, and a Glen Campbell version which encouraged us to include modulations up a perfect fourth cos they’re very uplifting.
The song comes from a deep heritage mixing English, Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, and Ozark influences, with its distinctive mournful (perhaps jailhouse) waltz. For our version we’ve stepped away from a love ballad, but there is a lament in the arrangement and it hopefully feels resonant of US pioneer history. It contemplates how some of the more progressive ideas that were kindled by early generations of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have been flamboyantly cast aside by the latest cohort, as they move aggressively to embrace a different set of values – scrabbling for an ever-more concentrated and destructive matrix of resources and power, while backfilling flimsy self-oriented rationales. Not that US tech or Silicon Valley didn’t always have its fair share of corporate greed, competition, and self-promotion, but there was often at least a veneer of social conscience, environmental mindfulness, techno-altruism, and a kind of confidence and coolness that the current crop of tech bros have lost, as they suck at whatever teat will fit with their fantasies of deregulation, accumulation, and self-glorification.
The lyrics referencing The Lord of the Rings remind me of Vox asking 'What would J.R.R. Tolkien think of Palantir?' "[C]yberpunk villain ideas straight out of SnowCrash" and "bad readings of classic fantasy." Also, William Shockley serves as a cautionary tale that Silicon Valley has seen brilliant people go bad in similar ways before.
As for the techbros resembling Bond villains, I've said that before, writing "Musk thinks he's Tony Stark (the "real-life Iron Man"), but he's really a Bond villain, specifically a cooler version of Hugo Drax." I also reacted to a video that is no longer available by referring to a parody of a 007 villain.
Ready to protect nature’s top jungle predators? On this episode of National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are looking to conservation efforts for International Tiger Day... They’ll focus on vanishing wild habitats and the global efforts underway to ensure a safe future for these animals of majestic stripes. Tune in for an inspiring look at wilderness protection!
I'm not done with environmental holidays, as tomorrow is Earth Overshoot Day for 2026. I'll mention it, but I think it will play second fiddle to the Emmy Awards. Americans are quite clear about our screwed-up priorities, and I'm an American. Stay tuned.
The legend of Paul Bunyan is ingrained in Minnesota history, and his statue is a symbol of local pride to Bemidji residents. FOX 9's Maury Glover takes a closer look at the legacy the statue represents as it nears its 90th birthday.
The first record of loggers telling Paul Bunyan stories may have been in Wisconsin, but the first Paul Bunyan story was published in Michigan in 1906. News Center Maine mentions the date, but not the location, in History and folklore of Bangor's Paul Bunyan statue now on display.
New signage aims to educate visitors about the folklore and history behind the iconic statue.
I learned something new about the importance of timber to Bangor from this video. Any day I learn something new is a good day.
Joel Baker is the owner of American Giants, a company that restores muffler men. Muffler men are 18- to 25-foot advertising giants that were popular in the 1960s and are becoming popular again.
He shows us how his team restores a Paul Bunyan muffler man. This includes patching up cracks on the giant, adding a structure inside, repainting it, and placing it in its new location.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for another post I can share in July tomorrow followed by InternationalAsteroidDay, the younger but paradoxically more established version of Apophis Day, to close June, and Canada Day to begin July.
Americans are back at the movies. Summer blockbusters like Michael, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Obsession, and Backrooms have all contributed to the best first half of the year since 2019. CNBC’s Sarah Whitten breaks down the data.
Movie theaters are enjoying a post-pandemic resurgence, with Gen Z driving ticket sales and helping fuel one of Hollywood's strongest summer seasons in years.
After all the "Millennials are killing" some institution, cultural activity, food or other product I've been reading since before the pandemic, I shouldn't be surprised that news media and popular culture would discover a contrasting feature about Gen Z to report. Gen Z reversing the trend by saving malls certainly fits.
So does Gen Z saving movie theaters. While I'm planning to retire this year, it's not because of my students. I like them and think they're good people (I'm tempted to write kids, but they're adults and deserve to be treated as such).
In 1952, a terrifying creature was spotted in Flatwoods, West Virginia — a 10-foot-tall creature with glowing eyes, a spade-shaped head, and cloaked in a metal skirt. Was it an alien, a Cold War experiment, or mass hysteria?
Dr. Z doesn't make up her mind to resolve her question, although she certainly leans heavily on cultural context influencing how people interpret what they see.
Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for this 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.
Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.
Steven Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers. The top-grossing director of all time, Spielberg has helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.
Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, including Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars®, and for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan. His most recent film, The Fabelmans, was released by Universal in 2022 and received seven Academy Award® nominations, including for Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Picture.
While I fully expect to see Disclosure Day earn nominations at the Critics Choice Super Awards next month and the Saturn Awards in January, if they stick to this year's schedule, I also expect it to lose to Project Hail Mary in most of its categories, especially Best Science Fiction Film or equivalent. Its best bets are best actress for Emily Blunt followed by supporting actor for Colman Domingo. That written, will it influence how people see UFOs/UAPs? Yes, but not as much as previous Spielberg movies on the subject.
Is anyone out there? On this episode of the National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are diving into the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos for World UFO Day (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celeb...) . They’ll explore why humanity keeps looking to the skies for answers and celebrate the fun of cosmic curiosity. Tune in for an episode that is truly otherworldly!
That's a wrap for this week's series of holiday entries. I have a musical post planned for tomorrow followed by a particularly doomy preview of the drum corps season, which begins Friday. Stay tuned.
Detroit isn't having all the fun in the Great Lakes State. WNEM TV5 in Saginaw, Flint, Midland and Bay City reported Juneteenth plans in Flint for 54th year.
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said Flint was the first city in Michigan to officially recognize Juneteenth in 2020, a year before the federal government.
I didn't know that about Flint, so I learned something new. That makes today a good day.
Join Famous Fat Dave as he interviews a cook who knows how to make a great taco for Cinco de Mayo.
Yeah, I know combining Cinco De Mayo and Taco Tuesday is a bad dad joke, but I couldn't resist. Besides, I have lots of final exams to grade, so I'd better get to work. See you tomorrow for Revenge of the Sixth.
Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story Amblin Documentaries [Nedland Films | National Geographic] The Merchants of Joy Dial Tone Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Dial Tone Films | Artists Equity | Boat Rocker Studios | Matador Content | Epic Magazine] The New Yorker at 100 Netflix [Netflix | Marshall Curry | Apatow] Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix] Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan Delirio Films [MPS LEGACY PRODUCTIONS | SOFA Entertainment | Mass Appeal | Diamond Docs | MRC] Tiler Peck: Suspending Time
Great Performances Late Autumn Productions, LLC. [THIRTEEN Productions LLC] WE WANT THE FUNK!
Independent Lens Firelight Films [ITVS]
Songs From the Hole leads with four nominations, WE WANT THE FUNK! sits in second with two nominations, and the rest have this one nomination. On that basis, I consider Songs From the Hole to be the favorite. I'm also embedding Songs From The Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix first to reflect its number of nominations.
Songs from the Hole is an innovative documentary/visual album composed by JJ’88, a musician incarcerated at 15 and serving a life sentence. Told through first-person narration and lyrical journal entries, the film explores his identity and untangles the complex emotions stemming from his crime and the loss of his brother.
In addition to Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Songs from the Hole earned nominations for Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary. This moving trailer shows why it is competing in all these categories.
On another note, Songs from the Hole reminds me of Art & Krimes by Krimes, which also straddled the line between Arts and Culture and Crime and Justice. It won, so that's another good sign for Songs from the Hole.
“WE WANT THE FUNK!,” a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spans from gospel, soul, highlife, and early jazz roots, to its rise and impact on new wave and hip-hop, as funk music has been transcendent for creators and listeners alike. Revolutionary moments in the movement are captured in James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and other influential musicians of the genre.
"Gotta have that funk!" This probably won't win either of its nominated categories, the other being Outstanding Sound: Documentary, but it sure looks like fun.
JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY is the authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Alongside Steven Spielberg, JAWS @ 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.
This also looks like lots of fun. I also think it's nominated at the wrong Emmy Awards. I think it would have done better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; Hollywood loves a good show about itself!
Of all the trailers for the next film, "The Merchants of Joy" Trailer by majorfilmevents had the best description, which was enough to overcome its less flashy preview image.
In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts. The Merchants of Joy follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It's a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.
This also looks like lots of fun and leans into culture more than art, which is probably why it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary. Those can be fun, too, but they're more about the money. This is more about the joy of the season. Ho! Ho! Ho!
For the first time, The New Yorker opens up its offices to Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry, allowing unprecedented access to its newsroom at a pivotal moment for all media, offering a rare look at what it took to publish a century of intrepid journalism, generation-defining fiction, and unforgettable cartoons.
In contrast to Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, this documentary is nominated at the right Emmy Awards. The voters here are mostly journalists and this is a story about journalism. A lot of them are also based in New York. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter. Also, this trailer has the most views of any nominee in this category, 652,263 to 267,831 for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story and 119,879 for Songs from the Hole. People are watching, which is a good sign and makes me think that this is the most likely to win in an upset.
A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Andrew Salt and his son Josh are the executive producers of the documentary. They spoke with Inside Edition.
This does show why this is an important documentary, but Inside Edition's reporting replaces the voice of the documentary that would be expressed in the trailer. That written, I can see why Inside Edition is interested; Ed Sullivan was on CBS, which is owned by the same parent company as Inside Edition. It's not just news and entertainment value that's driving this.
A world premiere documentary, Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a raw and deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads.
Following a series of life-altering events — a major injury, a pandemic, a personal loss — New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself.
Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Tiler over the course of six years of her life, through rehearsal studios, stages, and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.
This documentary pushes a boundary one might not expect, between arts and culture on one side and science and technology, which covers health, on the other. STEAM in action! Also, I used to live in Bakersfield, so I feel a connection to Tiler Peck, enough of one that I can understand why she'd leave.
Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Songs from the Hole and WE WANT THE FUNK! earned their other nominations plus a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
How did English become the most spoken language on the planet, and why are there so many varieties of English?
Dr. B underplayed the role of British colonialism in her explanation, concentrating instead on American economic and cultural power helping to dethrone French as the language of diplomacy. Still, it works.
Storied uploaded the above on April 20, 2023, the same week as English Language Day. I'm also returning to 2023 for National Day Calendar's Talk Like Shakespeare Day | April 23.
William Shakespeare (April 1564-April 23, 1616) is the author of some of the world’s most celebrated plays and poems. In 2016, we honored the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. What better way to celebrate his life and art than to speak like the poet and playwright.
It was about time I embedded National Day Calendar's video for today.
Since today is a Throwback Thursday, I'm making this entry a retrospective. Follow over the jump for the most active posts on Instagram about holidays during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
Since 2010, the Marche du Nain Rouge has drawn thousands of people to Midtown Detroit each year in a vibrant celebration of community.
I started this blog in 2011, but it took me until 2013 to begin covering the Marche du Nain Rouge. That written, I've been blogging about it long enough that I can say I'm an early adopter.
A festival where creativity wins and the evil spirits are chased away.
I can imagine the after parties. That way, I don't have to attend!
Both of these videos assume some knowledge of the Nain Rouge. I'm sharing Halloween Cocktails 2025: The Lore of the Nain Rouge both to get my new readers up to speed and because I can't resist a good, or at least competent, cocktail recipe video that includes supernatural lore.
Happy Halloween, friends! The lore we are bringing you this wonderful Halloween weekend is based around a Detroit legend known as the Nain Rouge...
I wonder if any of today's after parties are serving one or more of these drinks. Whether or not, drink responsibly!
That's a wrap for today's post. I might observe World Water Day late, or skip it until next year. Stay tuned to find out.
Fox 5 Morning News celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
I'm with you, Shally.
I'm moving on to the blog's 15th birthday, because lingering more on Nowruz would make me even sadder. On that note, I'm sharing a childhood memory in video form, Put Another Candle on My Birthday Cake - Sheriff John Birthday Song sung by
Bruce Kaplan (Claudia and Bruce).
Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan perform their version of the Sheriff John Birthday Song aka the Birthday Polka. If you're from Los Angeles and grew up in the 1950s and early 60s, you very likely know this song.
Unless you grew up in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s, you probably don't know who Sheriff John is, so I'll let Wikipedia explain.
Sheriff John was an American children's television host who appeared on KTTV in Los Angeles from July 18, 1952, to July 10, 1970, on two separate series, Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade and Sheriff John's Cartoon Time. He was played by John Rovick[1] who served as a radio operator-gunner in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, surviving 50 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations. After the war he became a radio announcer, moving to television in its early days. He developed the program's concept himself.
As Sheriff John he began each program entering his office, singing "Laugh and be happy, and the world will laugh with you." He then said the Pledge of Allegiance and read a safety bulletin. He showed cartoons including Q.T. Hush, Underdog, Crusader Rabbit, and Porky Pig; he was often visited by farm animals.[2] An artist, Sketchbook Suzie, drew pictures requested by viewers; he would complete squiggles sent by the children and make a squiggle for them to complete. He also gave them lessons on safety and good health habits.
The show's highlight was the birthday celebration. Sheriff John read as many as 100 names, then brought out a cake and sang the Birthday Party Polka ("Put Another Candle on my Birthday Cake").
I used to watch this show every day after school and have fond memories of it, so when I saw YouTube recommend this video, I knew immediately that it would be today's song. I especially couldn't resist because Claudia and I dated in 1987 when we both worked at the Tar Pits.* It's good to see her again.
That's a wrap for today's double (triple if one counts today as Twitter/X's 20th birthday) celebration. Stay tuned for Marche du Nain Rouge as the Sunday entertainment feature.
*Yes, Claudia is an ex-girlfriend, but she's not the ex-girlfriend I usually mention. As I've written many times, the latter lived in Canada while we were dating, while Claudia and I were both living in Los Angeles. Coincidentally, both have since moved to the San Francisco Bay area. I would find it ironically funny if they have encountered each other while not knowing they both know me.
In Irish folklore, Cú Chulainn was one of the greatest warriors ever to live. From his first battle against a vicious hound at the age of 6 to his last against an entire army just two decades later, Cú Chulainn lived a legendary, but short life. Some might call him a tragic hero, but is it tragic to get everything you ever wanted?
No, Dr. Moiya McTier, it's not really tragic. Cursed and blessed at the same time, maybe, but not any more tragic than the story of El Cid, which the ending reminds me of.
The Blood Of Cu Chulainn Official Music Video by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna...
The Blood of Cu Chulainn has become known as the Theme to The Boondock Saints films, but was first released on Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna's 1998 album, A Celtic Romance: Legend of Liadain and Curithir.
I couldn't resist the music, animals, and landscapes, although as a biologist and geologist, I could tell that many of the latter are not Irish. No matter, they're pretty and fit the music.
Get ready to celebrate ST. PATRICK’S Day with the most viral green cocktails!
These drinks are festive, fun, creamy, and refreshing — perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day party. Whether you’re hosting friends or celebrating at home, these cocktails will bring the luck of the Irish straight to your glass!
He's not Tipsy Bartender, but he said "And there you have it" to make up for it.
That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for an educational post I can share next month.
India Naftali reports from the Jaffa port, where the Indian Embassy in Israel and Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality have organized a special Holi-Purim festival to celebrate both holidays.
Early Tuesday morning, the moon will go red and we will witness a total lunar eclipse.
At around 3 a.m. on March 3, we will see March’s full moon pass through Earth’s shadow, turning it a copper color for 58 spell-binding minutes.
Shannon Schmoll, the director of Abram’s Planetarium at Michigan State University, joined Local 4 Live to talk more about the eclipse.
It might be clear enough to see the Moon early this morning. I'll probably be asleep, but if I'm up, I'll look.
It's time to say goodbye to the Year of the Snake and hello to the Year of the Horse. What do you know about the Year of the Horse?
0:00 Kai Feng, reporter for ABC Chinese, explains the significance of the horse in Chinese culture and history, 0:49 why 2026 is a 'fire' year, 5:10 and how people across Asia celebrate Lunar New Year.
Not only did ABC News (Australia) explain Lunar New Year, it explained the importance of horses to humans. Bonus educational content!
On Sunday 8 February, Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl half-time show to an audience of more than 100 million people across the world.
But the NFL’s choice of the Puerto Rican star has proven controversial, because he has long been outspoken in his criticism of Donald Trump's government, including most recently at the 2026 Grammy Awards, when he called for ICE agents to be removed from the streets.
Puerto Rican cultural critic Carina del Valle Schorske, who profiled Bad Bunny for The New York Times Magazine, speaks to Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman.
She explains how the artist’s pride in his homeland is infused throughout his music, and considers how he might use the United States' biggest stage this weekend to challenge the president’s policies.
On the other hand, I expect Bad Bunny's halftime show will join Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and others by being nominated and winning Emmy Awards. As I wrote two years ago:
We'll find out about the nominations in July and the Emmy Awards in September. In the meantime, stay tuned for coverage of Best Cinematic Adaptation Film, the successor to Best Superhero Film at the SaturnAwards, tomorrow.
I enjoyed Dr. Z connecting this monster to both the Winter Solstice and to other European Christmas monsters, including Krampus, who has a video of his own. I'm an environmentalist, so I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources. I'm saving that episode of Monstrum for a future Yule.
You better watch out, you better not cry, and you certainly must behave—or else face the brutal beating of the Krampus. Why does this demonic, horned Yuletide monster exist? This episode looks at the historical origins of Krampus in the winter festivals of the Alpine region, challenging the false claim that this monster came from pagan tradition, and traces its renewed popularity across the globe.
On December 5th, adults celebrating Krampusnacht seek to punish misbehaving children. This not-so-jolly holiday is also referred to as Krampus Night.
Most people associate the holiday season with lots of cheer, merriment, and joy. However, there is one traditional holiday during this time of the year that doesn’t sound so fun. In fact, it seems a little scary. It’s actually more Halloween-like than Christmassy.
We’re thrilled to share this year’s Chanukkah video, inspired by the dynamic style of KPop Demon Hunters. This project blends our music with a bold animated world that aims to bring Chanukkah to life in a fresh, vivid way. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it :-)
Please subscribe, comment, like, and share with your friends who love Chanukkah, KPop Demon Hunters, or both!
I've been seeing The Maccabeats in my YouTube search results for Hanukkah videos for years and this year's video finally inspired me to use one of their songs. Behold the power of the YouTube algorithmKPop Demon Hunters! Also, I'm hungry.
I think these videos qualify as evergreen and educational, as I promised yesterday. Stay tuned for more awards show coverage tomorrow, as I will finish my grading today.
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for their work on quantum mechanics that is paving the way for a new generation of very powerful computers.
"There is no advanced technology used today that does not rely on quantum mechanics, including mobile phones, cameras... and fibre optic cables," said the Nobel committee.
The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
The three winners will share prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (£872,000).
Yay, three physicists from the University of California, even if they aren't from my undergraduate alma mater, UCLA!
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "for the development of metal–organic frameworks." The new type of molecular architecture developed by the group allows for "large cavities in which molecules can flow in and out. Researchers have used them to harvest water from desert air, extract pollutants from water, capture carbon dioxide and store hydrogen," according to the award-giving body. Their research could provide solutions for combatting climate change.
"A small amount of such material can be almost like Hermione's handbag in Harry Potter. It can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume," Heiner Linke, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said during a press conference.
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their work on the functioning of the human immune system.
The award, announced by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute on Monday, will be presented to the trio in December for “their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body”.
The research “relates to how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease”, said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute.
The prize of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.17m) is to be shared equally between Brunkow and Ramsdell, both 64, of the United States and Japan’s Sakaguchi, 74.
The king of Sweden will also present them with gold medals.
Al Jazeera’s Paul Rhys reports from Stockholm.
This advancement could help me personally, as I am a cancer survivor and Type I diabetic, an autoimmune disease. May I live long enough for the science to advance enough to improve my condition.
Thanksgiving is arguably one of the yummiest celebrations in the US and one where you’re expected to be home for the holidays. But, what are your options when going home isn’t one? In recent decades, Friendsgiving has emerged as the go-to choice as an additional event or complete alternative to Thanksgiving.
It can be tough during the holidays with the pressures of trying to get everything just right to present yourself as a well-adjusted adult hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, or to be present with family that may think they know what’s best for you. Friendsgiving has opened the door to do things a little bit differently. The intention is to have a laid-back, low-pressure (or over-the-top, totally up to the host) potluck-style dinner with friends and other people in your chosen community — because as cheesy as it sounds, friends are the new family.
Friendsgiving was seemingly plucked from obscurity in the 2010s. While its exact origins are debated, it was likely widely practiced prior to its fame on The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2011. Even then it took a few more years for it to pick up steam in the media.
That was a cozy, chill video for a chill post, even if it didn't shy away from the darker side of the holiday's history.
Some parents are concerned (or thrilled?) that their kids might be developing an Australian accent from watching Bluey... but is that really possible? How much of our language acquisition comes from TV anyway?
This was the perfect video to upload on World Television Day, as it shows the significance of television to society. Since no one else has mentioned it, a belated happy World Television Day to Erica/Dr. B., all of the Storied crew, and viewers!
I knew then that I would be sharing this video today.
By the way, I recommend reading the comments, which are full of Australians saying it was time Australia struck back at the U.S. for all the Americanisms introduced through television. TV can change the way you speak!
That's a wrap for today's holiday about the effect of technology on society. Stay tuned for an evergreen educational entry tomorrow.
DÃa de los Muertos is a celebration honoring the deceased that takes place in Mexico and other parts of Latin America on Nov. 1 and 2. The holiday is celebrated through ritual observations like constructing altars, ofrendas, filled with offerings to the dead and decorating family gravesites to commune with the dead. It is also commemorated through fiestas in which communities gather to celebrate by dancing, playing music, feasting, drinking and masquerading as death.
"The beautiful thing about DÃa de los Muertos is that it allows the pain and difficulty [of death] to be transformed through joyous celebration so that it's not about just sitting in the difficulty of death," Arizona State University researcher Mathew Sandoval told the PBS NewsHour's Casey Kuhn.
That's an explanation of the holiday like I last posted in 2021's Inside Edition and NBC News report on Day of the Dead. Of course, PBS covered it in a more intellectual way than Inside Edition, which is not the hardest news source.
Hundreds of people dressed as “La Catrina,” the iconic skeletal figure associated with Day of the Dead, paraded through the streets of Mexico City on Sunday evening.
The parade is one of numerous celebrations held throughout Mexico City for Day of the Dead, or “Dia de Muertos” in Spanish. It is a day when families in Mexico honour their loved ones.
Day of the Dead is celebrated this year on Nov. 2.
It's also celebrated on November 1st, which is when National Day Calendar lists it, so I'm sticking with November 1st.
I spent the week of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico during October and November, 2011. It was an eye-opening experience. I'll just concentrate on the public celebrations I observed.
First, I toured a cemetery during the night of Halloween. In the U.S., only the thrillseekers and vandals would be there. In Oaxaca, entire families were having picnics on the family plots. The atmosphere was festive with the local orchestra playing, fireworks, and vendors just outside the gates of the cemetery. Kids were trick-or-treating inside the cemetery, just as mentioned in the article. While they were wearing costumes, like American kids, they weren't going door to door asking for candy. Instead, they were begging strangers for coins. That's certainly an adaptation of an American tradition that makes it distinct.
The next night, I joined a grownup version of trick-or-treating. My hostess and her friend invited me to a parade of sorts. A bunch of revelers, most in costume, lined up in an alley behind a brass band. We then strolled down the street, stopped at a house, and asked for treats. We got tortas, Mexican sandwiches, which were passed out on a platter the size of a small door. I managed to get one of them. It was delicious. Also, plastic shot glasses of mezcal were being passed around. That made for a very entertaining evening, and is the reason I often describe the holiday as a combination of Halloween and Mardi Gras.
While waiting for that parade to form up, I watched another pass by. It was led by three young men in costume, a devil, a grim reaper, and a Mesoamerican death god. That image perfectly summed up the Mexican heritage of being a fusion of European and native elements. I wish Americans could be as comfortable with our hybrid origins.
Since I have gained many new readers during the past eleven years, I decided it was worth sharing my story again.
Day of the Dead is a cherished Mexican tradition honoring the lives of loved ones.
Brand Ambassador Ricardo Rodriguez joined us to share how Mijenta Tequila is celebrating this long-standing tradition.
Drink responsibly. This includes the anchors of the local morning shows, which engage in more day drinking while on the clock than I knew about before I started writing this blog.
That's a wrap for today's post and spooky season, unless tonight's Saturday Night Live has Halloween content, in which case I'll share it as part of tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned.
