ScottinVictoria 🇨🇦 @ScottinVictoria

A recent study has demonstrated that continuous exposure to rose essential oil through inhalation can lead to measurable increases in gray matter volume in the human brain. In this randomized controlled intervention, 50 healthy women participated: 28 in the experimental group applied rose essential oil to their clothing daily for one month, while 22 in the control group used plain water. Before and after the period, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess changes in brain structure. The results indicated a significant increase in gray matter volume (GMV) across the whole brain, with a particularly notable effect in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)—a region involved in memory processing, self-referential thinking, and emotional regulation. No significant changes occurred in areas like the amygdala or orbitofrontal cortex. The olfactory pathway likely explains this effect: aromatic compounds from the rose oil travel directly to the limbic system, providing sustained stimulation that may promote neuroplasticity and help counteract age-related brain atrophy. The authors suggest this could have implications for dementia prevention, as the PCC is among the regions affected early in conditions like Alzheimer's disease. This appears to be the first evidence that prolonged scent inhalation can induce structural changes in the adult human brain. [Kokubun, K., et al. (2024). Continuous inhalation of essential oil increases gray matter volume. Brain Research Bulletin, 208, 110896. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110896]

Using soft LED lights led to an 84% drop in suicide attempts in Japan. Japan's innovative deployment of calming blue LED lights at train station platforms has led to a dramatic 84% reduction in suicide incidents, according to research analyzing data over a decade. In a low-cost yet impactful public health strategy, major Japanese railway operators—starting with the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in 2009—installed high-intensity blue LED lamps at the ends of platforms on high-risk lines, such as Tokyo's Yamanote Line. These isolated platform edges are frequent sites for suicide attempts involving trains. The blue lighting, evoking the serenity of the sky or ocean, is intended to create a soothing psychological effect that may deter impulsive actions in moments of distress. A key before-and-after observational study by researchers from the University of Tokyo (published in the Journal of Affective Disorders) examined panel data from 71 metropolitan train stations between 2000 and 2010. Their regression analysis attributed the introduction of blue lights to an 84% decrease in suicides (95% confidence interval: 14–97%). This finding has been widely cited, though some later critiques and follow-up research have noted potential limitations, such as confounding factors (e.g., concurrent safety improvements like cameras or platform changes) or the possibility that effects vary by time of day or weather conditions. The approach gains additional plausibility from evidence linking reduced sunlight exposure—such as during prolonged rainy or overcast periods—to higher rates of railway suicide attempts. Blue light exposure may help counteract mood dips associated with dim, gloomy environments by providing a subtle mood-stabilizing brightness. Compared to more expensive physical barriers (e.g., platform screen doors or chest-high fences), which are effective but challenging and costly to retrofit in older stations, blue LED installations offer a scalable, affordable alternative. They address potential emotional triggers rather than solely blocking access, potentially preventing acts before they escalate. While not a complete solution—and experts emphasize that multi-layered prevention (including mental health support) remains essential—this initiative highlights how thoughtful environmental design can yield profound public safety benefits. [Psychology Today. (2025, January 27). Train Suicides Reduced by Blue Lighting. Psychology Today]

Fascinating.

Massimo @Rainmaker1973

3 days ago

Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D reconstructions of a human cell (eukaryotic cell) ever produced. This groundbreaking model, often termed a "Cellular Landscape Cross-Section Through a Eukaryotic Cell," combines data from X-ray tomography, nuclear magnetic

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This is genuinely shocking, and says so much about our approach to China. I decided to check for independent reviews of the English version Xi Jinping's latest book, published a year ago, to see what people had to say about it since I hadn't read it myself. To my surprise, I couldn't find any: not a single thoughtful review about the book out there! Even on Amazon, check it for yourself (amazon.com/XI-JINPING-GOV…): the book has only 3 ratings, that's it. No matter where you stand on China, you’ve got to admit that’s pretty crazy: the sitting president of the world's rising superpower publishes a 700-page book explaining exactly what he's doing and why, and we don’t even care to look. If there ever was a fact that illustrates just how willfully ignorant we are about China, this is it. All the more because we then go spew the usual clichés around how secretive and impenetrable the Chinese system is: the book is on Amazon for $21 for crying out loud! Anyhow, this felt so wrong that I figured I'd fix it. I bought the book, read it attentively and wrote what I hope you'll agree is a thoughtful review of it. The book contains genuinely surprising passages, such as Xi writing that oversight of the Communist Party by "the judiciary, the public, and the media" was not just something the Party must “readily accept,” but something that he framed as historically decisive - an essential component to "escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall" that has doomed every dynasty in China's history. Other passage that I'm sure would surprise many: a common narrative out there is that China blames the West for the century of humiliation and is driven by revenge. Well, Xi explains that's not true at all: the century of humiliation was China's own mistake, originated in the Ming Dynasty's disastrous "policy of national seclusion" that "resulted in China missing out on the opportunities presented by the Industrial Revolution" and "led to China’s decline." All in all, the book is remarkably self-reflective and thoughtful. For instance Xi recognizes that his drive for “full and rigorous internal governance” - including to rid the Party of corruption - risked "instill[ing] fear and apprehension, or intimidate members into inaction.” He emphasizes the need for pragmatism in this regard, codified in a framework called the “Three Distinctions” that separates honest mistakes - made while experimenting, reforming, or operating without precedent - from deliberate violations committed for personal gain. And many other surprises still. I found it a genuinely fascinating read for anyone interested in how the Chinese system works and how Xi thinks - or anyone interested in governance, period, as so much of what he writes is pretty universally applicable. This is the link to my review of the book, an article I titled "The Book the West Refuses to Read": open.substack.com/pub/arnaudbert…

A former NASA engineer says his team has identified an electrostatic "New Force" that can generate thrust without any propellant, potentially challenging established physics and enabling devices capable of countering Earth's gravity. Dr. Charles Buhler, a longtime NASA veteran and co-founder of Exodus Propulsion Technologies, claims that his group has uncovered a novel force produced purely through electric fields. Their experimental propulsion system creates directional thrust without expelling mass, unlike conventional rockets that rely on large amounts of heavy fuel. If validated, this propellantless technology could revolutionize spaceflight by slashing spacecraft weight and making sustained, fuel-free exploration of deep space possible. The broader scientific community remains cautious. A reactionless drive of this kind would appear to contradict Newton's third law and the conservation of momentum. Earlier claims for "impossible" engines, such as the EmDrive, were ultimately debunked after careful testing eliminated experimental artifacts. Buhler's extensive expertise in electrostatics, developed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, gives the announcement more credibility than most fringe proposals. Nevertheless, the results require rigorous independent replication and peer-reviewed validation before they can be accepted as a genuine breakthrough.

Could you do me a huge favor? 🥺Please accept my invite so that I can get free gifts temu.com/s/ijzrsevYQGOQ…

Yet another study shows a 24% reduced risk of dementia after the Shingles vaccine. This one in over 500,000 participants with a recent skilled nursing facility stay, adding to 4 huge natural experiments in 4 countries (US, Canada, Wales, and Australia) acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/AN… @AnnalsofIM

I am grateful to Canada for its new package of sanctions against more than 160 entities linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. Today, during our meeting with @MarkJCarney, we discussed strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia. And it is important that such decisions are being made. We also discussed formats of defense cooperation, Canada’s participation in financing the production of Ukrainian drones under the Danish model, and cooperation in the energy sector. Importantly, Canada will continue to provide Ukraine with energy support and assistance in recovery. I thank Mark for his strong position during the G7–Ukraine meeting and for all the support for our people. We truly have strong allies and the Prime Minister’s significant personal engagement in supporting Ukraine. And this is highly valuable.

A massive effort to sequence the DNA of Vikings across Europe was published in 2020. The study revealed family histories of Vikings who set forth—and died—far from home. Learn more: scim.ag/4eEBSzu #ScienceMagArchives

Discovery of a 14-protein biomarker that predicts lung cancer 5.6 years before it is diagnosed, even in non-smokers, and an anti-inflammatory medicine that prevents its progression. And, challenging dogma, the proteins are not coming from cancerous cells!

“One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen," clinicians said. The new treatment reduces the risk of death by 60%. An experimental oral drug called daraxonrasib has delivered historic, 'grand slam' clinical trial results for advanced pancreatic cancer, slashing the risk of death by 60% compared to standard chemotherapy. The oncology community erupted in a rare standing ovation at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting following the presentation of the Phase 3 RASolute 302 trial. Led by Dr. Brian Wolpin of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the landmark study evaluated daraxonrasib—a groundbreaking, once-daily oral pill that targets the historically 'undruggable' KRAS gene mutation. For patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the trial showed that daraxonrasib doubled median overall survival to 13.2 months, compared to just 6.6 months for those receiving standard intravenous chemotherapy. This achievement marks a dramatic leap forward for a disease that has historically seen a five-year survival rate of just 3% once metastatic. Unlike traditional treatments, daraxonrasib acts as a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, effectively turning off multiple KRAS variants and offering hope to virtually all pancreatic cancer patients, regardless of their tumor's genetic profile. Beyond its remarkable efficacy, the oral pill proved exceptionally well-tolerated; only 1.2% of patients discontinued treatment due to side effects, compared to 11.2% on standard chemotherapy. With the FDA already granting expanded access to the drug for eligible patients, experts are hailing this breakthrough as a paradigm shift that could soon transition pancreatic cancer from one of medicine's most lethal diagnoses into a manageable, chronic condition. source: Wolpin, B. M., Wainberg, Z. A., Hendifar, A. E., Borad, M. J., Pietrantonio, F., Pant, S., ... & RASolute 302 Trial Investigators. (2026). Daraxonrasib or Chemotherapy in Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine.

This is an insane paper and I love it arxiv.org/abs/2605.31514

I really don't think enough people fully comprehend the worlds that are about to collide here. You already have people in geopolitical circles warning about the threat of famine based on surging prices / availability of fertilizer components, and you also have long-term weather modeling all converging on a worst case scenario for a building El Nino event, which will peak near the end of the year. These are two slow moving but entirely predictable disasters that when coupled together will each make the other orders of magnitude worse. (This will take months to fully unfold, but at this point, the die is cast.) There's no event in our history books that combines the current global population with the impending fertilizer shortage and the strength of the El Nino that's coming. We are about to witness an unprecedented event that will push crops around the globe to their limit.

Aidan Simardone @AidanSimardone

4 weeks ago

Famine is coming

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In Japan, you sit down at almost any restaurant. Before you order. Before you've said a word. The server brings: a glass of ice water, a hot wet towel rolled up like a present, sometimes a small dish of pickles or edamame. You haven't paid for any of it. You don't tip for any of it. The towel is hot in winter. Cold in summer. Always exactly when you needed it. Not because someone is hoping for a tip. Because the country decided long ago that being a guest should start with comfort, not negotiation. Think about the last time a restaurant gave you something just because they were happy you came. In Japan, that's not a gesture. That's the opening line.

🚨JUST IN: Physicists discover a quantum effect where choices made in the present seem to alter events in the past.

Closest Image ever taken of Jupiter

Adderall raises norepinephrine by roughly 200%. A Czech study from 2000 proved that one hour in 57°F water raises it by 530%. The first costs $300 a month and a prescription. The second is in every bathroom in your house. His name was Pavel Šrámek. He ran the experiment at Charles University in Prague, and the paper sat quietly in the European Journal of Applied Physiology for two decades before Andrew Huberman started quoting it on every podcast he appeared on. Almost nobody outside physiology has actually read it. The numbers inside it are the reason cold plunges became a billion dollar industry. Here is what he actually did. He took 10 healthy young men, sat them neck deep in water of three different temperatures, and kept them there for one hour. 32°C. 20°C. 14°C. Then he drew their blood and measured what had happened to their neurochemistry. In the 14°C water, which is 57°F, plasma norepinephrine increased by 530%. Dopamine increased by 250%. Epinephrine barely moved. The body was not panicking. It was releasing the two exact molecules your brain uses to focus, in quantities no pill on the market can match. Norepinephrine is the chemical your prefrontal cortex runs on when you are locked in. It is what every ADHD medication on earth tries to nudge upward. Strattera targets it. Wellbutrin targets it. Adderall raises it by about 200% at clinical doses. Cold water raises it by 530% for free. The strangest part is what happens to dopamine after you step out. In every drug that raises dopamine sharply, there is a crash. The spike is followed by a trough. That is what makes stimulants addictive. The brain learns to chase the high because the low feels unbearable. Cold water does something completely different. The dopamine elevation lasts 2 to 3 hours and slides back to baseline without dropping below it. No comedown. No tolerance buildup. No prescription required. This is the mechanism Huberman keeps trying to explain. Cold exposure is the only known intervention that delivers a stimulant-grade neurochemical response with no addictive backend. It is not a hack. It is a 4 billion year old reflex hardwired into mammals from the era when surviving cold water was a daily survival skill. Šrámek published the paper in 2000 and went back to his lab. He never marketed it. He never wrote a book. He never started a supplement company. The number 530% just sat there in a Czech academic journal waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. Almost no one has read the original paper. Almost everyone is repeating the number. The protocol is simpler than any drug regimen on earth. 60 to 180 seconds. Cold enough that you want to get out but safe enough that you don't. Bare skin. Once a day, ideally in the morning. Your brain has been waiting for this for a long time.

Repost if you gained anything from this thread. Follow me @thedarshakrana for more (P.S. I like Chocolate Chip Cookies 🍪)

Darshak Rana ⚡️ @thedarshakrana

a month ago

In 1973, this man learned "to exit his physical body." He "mentally traveled" to Jupiter and described its rings. 6 years later, NASA’s Voyager 1 confirmed EVERY detail he reported. CIA immediately classified it But, what he discovered about consciousness will terrify you: 🧵

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🇺🇸 The CIA was studying the human mind. People just found out. A woman pulled up a declassified CIA document on camera and found a section that tells you to close your eyes, focus on your pain, and repeat "55515" in your head until the pain fades and becomes "no longer important." That's in a real government document. Filed, classified, and eventually released without anyone making much noise about it. The same file references sleep techniques, memory enhancement and consciousness experiments, all part of the CIA's Gateway Process, a program built around pushing the limits of what the human mind can do. Nobody announced it. Nobody explained it. It just sat there in the archives until someone went looking. Now the internet wants to know what else is in those files. Source: @HustleBitch_