Wednesday, March 12
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Michelle Obama and her brother, former college basketball coach Craig Robinson, launch "IMO" podcast, produced by Obama's media company Higher Ground (More)
> UEFA Champions League knockout stage second leg kicks off today; see full schedule and storylines (More) | Stephen Curry takes assistant general manager role for men's and women's basketball at his alma mater, Davidson College (More)
> Grammy-winning rapper Doechii named Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year (More) | Los Angeles district attorney withdraws request to reduce sentencing in high-profile Menendez brothers murder case (More)
Science & Technology
> NASA to eliminate the agency's office of the chief scientists and other roles as part of Trump administration's reduction in force (More)
> Analysis questions Microsoft's recent announcement of a quantum computer relying on exotic Majorana particles, arguing the test used to confirm performance was insufficient (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> New study suggests megalodons—a prehistoric shark considered to be one of the largest predators in history—grew up to 80 feet long, weighed 94 tons, and was shaped like a blue whale (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets slide (S&P 500 -2.7%, Dow -2.1%, Nasdaq -4.0%); Nasdaq records worst day since 2022 as tariff policies worry investors over health of US economy (More) | Tesla shares fall over 15% in steepest drop since 2020 (More)
> Mortgage giant Rocket Companies to acquire digital real estate brokerage Redfin and take it private for $1.75B; Redfin shares close up nearly 68% on the news (More)
> Nirvana Insurance secures $80M in Series C funding, valuing the AI-driven commercial trucking insurer at $830M (More) | Venture capital 101 (1440 Topics)
Politics & World Affairs
> Senate confirms former Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) to lead the Labor Department (More) | House to vote today on stopgap funding bill ahead of Friday shutdown deadline (More) | US secretary of state says 83% of USAID programs will be cut (More) | Judge blocks deportation of Palestinian student who led Columbia University protests against Israel, pending ruling on petition; student has lawful permanent residency in the US (More)
> Cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals crashes with US oil tanker in the North Sea off England's east coast; cause of fiery collision unknown, 37 people from both vessels brought ashore alive (More)
> Guatemala's Volcano of Fire erupts, forcing 300 families to evacuate and putting another 30,000 at risk; the volcano, about 33 miles from Guatemala's capital, is one of the most active in Central America (More) | See photos (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Lifestyle Change
In 2010, my wife and I were able to pay off our mortgage, our vehicle and all our credit card debt because of an inheritance. That inheritance was exactly enough to eliminate our debt, so we decided to that rather than spend the money on a more expensive home, more expensive vehicles, or take several luxury vacations.
In short, my wife and I decided to make a lifestyle change. Making a lifestyle change is not an easy task to execute, but it is a task that nevertheless was something we both wanted to do.
We have been DEBT FREE for 15 years.
We have been retired for 10 years.
We pay cash for our vehicles, either through money we have save or through interest we have earned on our investments.
We use a credit card often for purchases so we can get frequent flyer points/miles on Delta but pay off that card at the end of the month before any interest is due.
We don't live HIGH ON THE HOG as the saying goes but we do not deny ourselves anything either, always making sure our health comes first.
The reason why we don't deny ourselves anything is because we have made a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.
- We recently downsized our home so we would not have so much to maintain
- We don't purchase new clothes unless we NEED them
- We don't go out to eat except once a week
- We don't go on expensive vacations
- We don't drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes
The Quantum World Isn't so Weird?
Down at the level of atoms and electrons, quantum physics describes the behavior of the very smallest objects. Solar panels, LED lights, your mobile phone and MRI scanners in hospitals: all of these rely on quantum behavior. It is one of the best-tested theories of physics, and we use it all the time.
On the face of it, however, the quantum realm is extraordinary: Within it, quantum objects can be “in two places at once”; they can move through barriers; and share a connection no matter how far apart they are. Compared to what you would expect of, say, a tennis ball, their properties are certainly weird and counterintuitive.
But don’t let this scare you off! Much of quantum physics’ odd behavior becomes a lot less surprising if you stop thinking of atoms and electrons as minuscule tennis balls, and instead imagine any “quantum object” as something like a wave you create by pushing your hand through water. You could say that, at small scales, everything is made of waves.
In the spirit of demystifying quantum behavior, here are three key types of “weird” quantum phenomena that normal water waves can do just as well, and the one thing that sets the quantum world apart. READ MORE...
Tuesday, March 11
At A Glance
Is ranch dressing a liquid or solid? It's neither.
The wealth-building plan used by doctors and lawyers.
Humans struggle to accurately read dogs' emotions.
Visualizing the world's top 20 most walkable cities.
The woman who invented the dishwasher.
San Francisco's most unforgettable TV ad.
Trailer drops for season 2 of hit show "The Last of Us."
Clickbait: Your clothes could soon charge your phone.
Clickbait: Your clothes could soon charge your phone.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić becomes first in NBA history to top 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists in a single game (More) | Myles Garrett becomes highest-paid non-QB in NFL history after signing four-year, $40M-per-year extension with the Cleveland Browns (More) | Buffalo Bills sign QB Josh Allen to six-year, $330M deal with the largest-ever guarantee of $250M (More)
> Art Schallock, three-time World Series champion, dies at age 100; Schallock held title of oldest living ex-MLB player until his death (More) | D'Wayne Wiggins, Grammy-nominated founding member of R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, dies of cancer at age 64 (More)
> "Ne Zha 2" tops $2B at Chinese box office, becoming first film to ever top $2B in a single market; the animated film is now sixth all-time at the global box office (More)
Science & Technology
> NASA delays SPHEREx and PUNCH mission launches to continue checking Falcon 9 lift vehicle; next potential launch date still to be determined (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Security researchers uncover backdoor in the Chinese-made ESP32 microchip; in more than 1 billion devices worldwide, chip contains previously undocumented commands that can be used for attacks (More)
> Doctors combine AI learning algorithm and brain-computer interface to help paralyzed man control a robotic arm via thoughts (More) | Brain implants 101 (1440 Topics)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close up Friday (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq +0.7%); gains cap volatile five-day stretch, S&P posts worst week since September (More)
> AI startup Firsthand raises $26M Series A funding, valuation not disclosed; company helps brand marketers and publishers use AI agents to interact directly with consumers (More) | Venture capital 101 (1440 Topics)
> Chinese consumer price index falls into negative territory, down 0.7% year over year last month (More) | Learn more about inflation, and how deflation affects an economy (1440 Topics)
Politics & World Affairs
> House Republicans unveil six-month short-term spending bill ahead of March 14 deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown; vote expected tomorrow, bill would head to Senate for approval (More) | Health Department offers roughly 80,000 federal workers $25K buyout (More) | See federal layoff tracker (More)
> Russian forces retake much of the Russian border province Kursk; Ukraine captured large swaths of the region during a surprise August offensive (More) | US, Russian, and European leaders to meet this week to continue talks toward ending the war (More)
> South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol released from detention ahead of impeachment trial; Yoon was arrested following a failed December attempt to impose martial law (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Military Service
When I graduated from high school, I was eligible to be drafted into the military unless I was enrolled in college. That would give me a four-year deferment but eventually I would have been drafted.
If I dropped out of college, which I did 5 semesters later, I was again eligible for the draft, so I enlisted in the US Navy Reserves which required me to serve two years on active duty and four years in the reserves. Two years of active duty was what would have been required if I had been drafted, so I figured, I had made a good deal.
The US military draft ended in 1973, and I was released from active duty in the summer of 1972.
The GI Bill gave me 4 years of college plus an allowance for being married and having a child.
All of that, for serving less than 24 months on active duty. I say less than 24 months because I received an early out of three months to go back to college.
It is my belief, right or wrong, that EVERYONE should spend TWO YEARS in the military and there should be no exemptions due to health, religious beliefs, or handicaps. There is something that can be done by everyone without being sent to a potential war zone.
In return for those two years, the government needs to give something back in return similar to the GI Bill of the Vietnam Era which paid for my 4 years of college.
Let's say something that's worth $5,000 to $10,000.
Of course, that amount of money won't even pay for one semester of college at today's prices. College tuition back in the late 1960s early 1970s was about $2500/year which also included room, meals, and books.
Every American should give two years out of their life to their country. There are numerous other countries that already require that two-year mandatory service.
Archaeologists Discover Intricately Decorated Tomb
Archaeologists have excavated an intricately carved and painted tomb in northern Egypt, and they think the 4,100-year-old burial chamber belonged to a prominent, multi-talented royal doctor: a physician who served ancient Egyptian kings as an expert in medicinal plants, dentistry and venomous bites.
A team of French and Swiss researchers discovered the tomb in Saqqara, the necropolis of the ancient capital city of Memphis, according to a statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. READ MORE...
Monday, March 10
Aliens are REAL!
U.S. Government Officials Have Admitted. ‘The Age of Disclosure' Director Dan Farah Wants You to Know There's More to the Story
At A Glance
Visualizing the history of the baby boom.
The best individual TV performances of the 21st century.
How Domino's Pizza appears to be inflation-proof.
... and how the history of the camera changed the world.
What really counts as an American-made car?
Watch remastered footage of 1930s Chicago. (via YouTube)
Social media's newest star—Marley, the painting penguin.
Why the Dutch are obsessed with doorbell-ringing fish.
Clickbait: British comedy club bans Botox
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