PARIS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A large fire broke out in a building on boulevard des Capucines, near the Place de L'Opera square in central Paris on Saturday, sending clouds of smoke rising into the air.
"Firemen are intervening, avoid the area," the Prefecture de Police said in a statement on Twitter.
People watch as smoke billows from a building affected by a fire near the Opera Garnier in Paris, France, It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
The ability to control our dreams is a skill that more of us are seeking to acquire for sheer pleasure. But if taken seriously, scientists believe it could unlock new secrets of the mind.
Michelle Carr is frequently plagued by tidal waves in her dreams. What should be a terrifying nightmare, however, can quickly turn into a whimsical adventure – thanks to her ability to control her dreams. She can transform herself into a dolphin and swim into the water. Once, she transformed the wave itself, turning it into a giant snail with a huge shell. “It came right up to me – it was a really beautiful moment.”
There’s a thriving online community of people who are now trying to learn how to lucid dream. (A single subreddit devoted to the phenomenon has more than 400,000 members.) Many are simply looking for entertainment. “It’s just so exciting and unbelievable to be in a lucid dream and to witness your mind creating this completely vivid simulation,” says Carr, who is a sleep researcher at the University of Rochester in New York state. Others hope that exercising skills in their dreams will increase their real-life abilities. “A lot of elite athletes use lucid dreams to practise their sport.”
Sleep researcher Michelle Carr says she can tranform herself into a dolphin during her lucid dreams.
“It’s just so exciting and unbelievable,” she says. Photograph: TEDX/YouTube
And there are more profound reasons to exploit this sleep state, besides personal improvement. By identifying the brain activity that gives rise to the heightened awareness and sense of agency in lucid dreams, neuroscientists and psychologists hope to answer fundamental questions about the nature of human consciousness, including our apparently unique capacity for self-awareness. “More and more researchers, from many different fields, have started to incorporate lucid dreams in their research,” says Carr.
This interest in lucid dreaming has been growing in fits and starts for more than a century. Despite his fascination with the interaction between the conscious and subconscious minds, Sigmund Freud barely mentioned lucid dreams in his writings. Instead, it was an English aristocrat and writer, Mary Arnold-Forster, who provided one of the earliest and most detailed descriptions in the English language in her book Studies in Dreams. TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS, CLICK HERE...
Over the past seven months, many of us have got closer to experiencing the kind of solitude long sought by monks, nuns, philosophers and misanthropes.
For some, this has brought loneliness. Nevertheless, like religions such as Buddhism, the West has a rich literature — both religious and secular — exploring the possible benefits of being alone.
“Take time and see the Lord is good,” Psalm 34 enjoins, in a biblical passage long read as a call to periodically withdraw from worldly occupations. The best form of life will be contemplative, the philosopher Aristotle concurs.
Solitude, according to the Renaissance poet-philosopher Petrarch, rehabilitates the soul, corrects morals, renews affections, erases blemishes, purges faults, (and) reconciles God and man.
Here are four key benefits of solitude these very different, contemplative authors point to.
1. Freedom to do what you want — any old time The first boon identified by those who praise solitude is the leisure and liberty it provides.
There is freedom in space. You can (proverbially) get around in your PJs, and who’s to know? There is the release from the needs and demands of others (a liberty many parents may have found themselves longing for recently). And there may be a freedom in time, also. In solitude, we may do, think, imagine and pay easy attention to whatever pleases us.
“When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep,” the 16th century French philosopher Montaigne, a connoisseur of the quiet life, mused.
Yes, and when I walk alone in a beautiful orchard, if my thoughts drift to far-off matters for some part of the time, for some other part I lead them back again to the walk, the orchard, to the sweetness of this solitude, to myself.
2. Reconnecting with yourself Solitude (unless of course we are working from home) withdraws the external objects, demands and tasks crowding our days. All the energies we have distributed so widely, in different relationships, projects and pursuits can regather themselves, “like a wave rolling from sand and shore back to its ocean source,” as psychologist Oliver Morgan has written. TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...
A research team from students at Brown University and Brandeis University surveyed a small area in the Western Maya Lowlands.
It sits on the border between Mexico and Guatemala where the Maya people were thought to have lived around 350 AD and 900 AD. It was previously believed that the Maya were people who engaged in “unchecked agricultural development”.
Andrew Scherer, an associate professor of anthropology, said that “The narrative goes – the population grew too large, the agriculture scaled up, and then everything fell apart.”
But now, the researchers found using a lidar survey — and, later from on the ground surveying, that there were extensive systems of sophisticated irrigation and terracing in and outside the region’s towns, but no huge population booms to match.
This showed that between 350 AD and 900 AD, some Maya kingdoms were living comfortably, with sustainable agricultural systems and no demonstrated food insecurity.
Mr Scherer said: “It’s exciting to talk about the really large populations that the Maya maintained in some places, to survive for so long with such density was a testament to their technological accomplishments. READ MORE...
Coffee is a constant, almost sacred part of many morning routines, whether you brew a pot of coffee at home or look forward to your daily walk to the neighborhood coffee shop for a latte.
In some ways, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has deepened our relationships (and dependency) on coffee and caffeine. In September, Cinch Home Services spoke to more than 1,000 coffee drinkers in the United States. 34% of respondents reported drinking more caffeinated beverages during the pandemic than ever before, with coffee ranking as their go-to choice.
Remote employees drink more coffee than their in-office colleagues, the report found, consuming an average of 3.1 cups vs. 2.5 cups every day. Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ranked as the most popular brands among coffee aficionados. But some Americans aren’t reaching for their second or third cup for the bitter taste or caffeine jolt — in the report, 28% of respondents said coffee makes them more productive at work.
There are steps you can take to maximize your coffee habit and be more productive while working from home. CNBC Make It spoke with a coffee educator and productivity expert to learn how to get the most out of your morning cup.
Don’t drink coffee as soon as you wake up The thought of a fresh cup of coffee might be your only motivation to get out of bed some mornings, but drinking coffee right after you wake up can blunt your body’s natural energy levels.
Management and behavioral science expert Daniel Pink has examined the science of timing and how it can affect our productivity. In his book “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” Pink notes, based on research from several studies, that the best time to have your first cup of coffee is about 60-90 minutes after you wake up. That’s because caffeine interferes with the production of cortisol, the hormone that signals your body to be awake and responsive. According to this research, cortisol levels usually peak around 8:30 a.m. TO READ MORE ABOUT HOW TO DRINK COFFEE, CLICK HERE...
One glance at a map shows how New York’s Finger Lakes got their collective name. The 11 long, slender lakes, extending roughly north-to-south, look like outstretched fingers.
On the mystical side, Iroquois tribes believed the lakes were formed by the Great Spirit, reaching down to bless the land and leaving impressions of fingerprints that were filled with clear, fresh water. According to geologists, however, the gorges of water that form the present-day Finger Lakes were carved by moving, melting glaciers two million years ago.
Science and lore aside, there is no arguing the allure of this upstate region rich in history (and herstory) thanks to American roots that run even deeper than those of the Finger Lakes’s bounteous vineyards. Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Mark Twain, Clara Barton, Joseph Smith, and many other heroes and luminaries dwelled in the Finger Lakes region, leaving their own deep imprints on U.S. culture.
Seneca Lake Pier in Watkins Glen Alamy
There’s much to explore: Comprising 14 counties across more than 9,000 square miles, the expansive Finger Lakes region is almost as large as the state of Massachusetts. It’s dotted with charming small towns, each with a unique character that has beguiled travelers for two centuries. Many of them began as villages that grew steadily once the Erie Canal opened in 1825. Today, their legacies endure for visitors seeking everything from abundant nature and recreation to great wine and gastronomy, renowned art, and historic landmarks.
When (and how) to go All four seasons in the Finger Lakes offer something by way of natural delights. Warmer months invite outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and water sports, particularly in some of the great state parks where you’ll find waterfalls, picturesque trails, and natural swimming holes.
Winter brings its holiday and lights festivals and snow sports, plus a greater appreciation for cozy spa sessions, and abundant opportunities for tastings—whether you’re thirsty for craft beer, cider, spirits, or wine. The region is especially glorious come autumn, when harvest season brings apples, pumpkins, and grapes, overlapping with mesmerizing fall foliage to make any scenic drive, from Owasco to Canandaigua Lake, ultra colorful. READ MORE...
Whether your main motivator is an attractive physique or simply healthier living in general, there's no wrong reason to pursue improved fitness at any age. In fact, while many middle-aged and older adults make the mistake of assuming exercise is reserved solely for those under the age of 40, the truth is, consistent physical activity is much more important the older we become.
For instance, according to research published in the scientific journal Neurology, a mere 10 minutes per day of exercise in middle age protects the brain against cognitive decline. "Our study suggests that getting at least an hour and 15 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity a week or more during midlife may be important throughout your lifetime for promoting brain health and preserving the actual structure of your brain," says study author Professor Priya Palta, Ph.D., of Columbia University.
If that isn't enough motivation to start making your lean body goals a reality, consider this study published in the scientific journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity: Scientists from Iowa State University actually discovered that excess belly fat appears to actively work against older adults' ability to think quickly and react to situations on the fly. That's right, besides a major self-confidence boost, building a leaner physique can also benefit your brain health.
Of course, like so much else in life, attaining that lean, toned look you've always wanted is often easier said than done. One recent survey of middle-aged American men even found that as many as one in three would be willing to give up watching the NFL entirely if it led to a smaller waistline!
