Getting the right gear is an important part of playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — so it's understandable that when you're playing, you may be wonder how to stock up on better gear than what the enemies are dropping. You've also probably found some Ancient Cores, which reference "researchers" in their item description. But who are these researchers, and where do you find them?

The answer to both of those conundrums lies in one place: the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. Here's what you need to know about the Akkala Tech Lab location in Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

How to unlock Akkala Ancient Tech Lab in Zelda: Breath of the Wild

If you've been following the main story, you've gone to Impa in Kakariko Village, who in turn sent you to the research center in Hateno Village. Purah at the research center will give you a side quest to seek out someone named Robbie at his tech lab in Akkala. That's where we're going.

Set that side quest as your objective and follow the waypoint, which will lead you northeast of Kakariko Village. You're going to the very northeast corner of the game world for this, so stock up on food, weapons, and (most importantly) a torch for the journey. On the road directly to the south of the Akkala tech lab, you'll find a stable with a shrine that conveniently acts as a fast travel point.

One important thing to note: On the road between the stable and the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab location is a stationary Guardian that will kill you in one hit with its eye beam if you aren't careful. I recommend killing it now, because later on you're going to have to walk up this same road without the ability to sprint. By this point, you may have one Ancient Arrow that you could use to kill it in one hit — but naturally, I can't guarantee you will. This could be the most frustrating part of the whole endeavor.

Once you get to the tech lab, you'll meet an eccentric old researcher named Robbie. He wants to give you some sweet gear, but he needs you to light the furnace outside of the lab using blue fire, just like you did at the Hateno research center. The quest waypoint will take you to the furnace, which is on the opposite side of a creek. Glide over there and prepare to fight.

While your torch carries the blue flame, you can't sprint, glide, or fight with it. This is troublesome, because the path back to the tech lab is fairly winding and full of moblins, bokoblins, and that pesky Guardian mentioned earlier. You'll need to do what you did the first time, which is follow the path of lantern posts and store the blue flame in each one so you won't have to jog all the way back to the source after each fight.

Rather frustratingly, you'll have to go do something else or wait it out if it starts raining. The blue flame can't be carried for any length of time during rain. You can also try skipping ahead by aiming your bow into one of the lantern posts and shooting a blue flame arrow at a lantern post ahead, if your aim is true. 

After following the path of lantern posts for long enough, you'll eventually get back to the tech lab and be able to light the blue furnace, creating a fast travel point. Go inside and talk to Robbie again.

Akkala Ancient Tech Lab: How to get high-level gear

Robbie can now use his robotic assistant, Cherry, to sell and upgrade high-level gear. He'll also take those Ancient Cores off of your hands for some nice bonuses, but we'll let you see those for yourself. 

He won't just give you all of that sweet gear for free, though. You're going to need plenty of rupees to get the best stuff. However, the nice thing is you now have a fast travel point for a repository of powerful gear, which is a godsend in this game.

More Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips, tricks and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version; how to preserve your items; how to beat bosses like the  Stone Talus and Lynel; the best recipes for Link; and how to take on the game's shrines.

If you're a regular Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild player, you've certainly encountered plenty of gemstones in your journey. BOTW gems include stones like opals, topazes, sapphires, and the highest quality gem of all, diamonds. They drop from enemies and ore deposits around the world, and even come as quest rewards.

But what should you do with your Breath of the Wild gems? If you're hurting for cash, these stones will fetch a high price at any vendor in Hyrule. That's certainly tempting, but you should know that there are other things you can (and should) do with the BOTW gems instead.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild gems: Why you should keep them

Put simply, gems can be used to create and power up some of the most powerful gear in the game. For example, when you want to enhance your gear to the highest level at the Great Fairy Fountain in Gerudo Desert, you'll need different gems for different clothing sets.

There's also a jewelry merchant in the Gerudo village who (after an easy side quest) will make unique jewelry with different, life-saving properties. The sapphire circlet, for instance, will protect you from intense heat when you wear it. You'll need each piece of jewelry's corresponding gem, along with some money, in order to buy them. 

Finally, as you complete each of the game's four dungeons, you'll get a special heirloom weapon from each race. These weapons can break, but you can repair them using diamonds by visiting certain characters in each race's hometown. For example, the powerful Boulder Breaker you get from the Gorons can be repaired by the blacksmith Rohan in Goron City — as long as you have a diamond, some flint, and a similar weapon, which can be found lying next to a building nearby.

If none of that sounds appealing to you, then just sell the gems and rake in rupees. Those weapons and accessories are by no means necessary to finish the game, but they are nice to have.

More Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips, tricks, and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version; how to preserve your items; how to beat bosses like the Stone Talus, Lynel, the Guardians  and the Hinox; the best recipes for Link; and how to take on the game's shrines. You'll also want to find out where all the great fairies and available stables are in the game; how to use amiibo with your version of Zelda; and how to increase your health, stamina, and weapon slots.

Like a lot of geniuses, Shock G was never fully understood or appreciated by the masses while he walked among us. His unique way of flipping well-known samples and making them his own, his infusion of funk into hip-hop, and his character development influenced a litany of your favorite rappers and producers, evidenced by the outpouring of love and admiration on social media in the wake of his passing on Thursday.

Shock was the embodiment of the popular #IYKYK hashtag. From producing the bulk of Digital Underground’s platinum and gold records, to lacing some of the most important records of 2Pac’s recording career like “Trapped,” “I Get Around” and “So Many Tears,” to helping develop the Luniz, Shock G’s imprint on hip-hop is undeniable. And yet, his name was rarely brought up in conversations about top producers who ruled the “golden era” of hip-hop.

Although Shock is rightfully associated with Oakland, California, he was born Gregory Jacobs in New York and raised in the Tampa Bay Area. He would eventually relocate to California in 1985 as a young adult and begin the journey that was Digital Underground.

DU was founded by Shock G and his partner Chopmaster J in the 1980s with a vision of creating a crew that was ever evolving and changing, hence the incredible roster of talent past and present (2Pac, Mystic, DJ Fuze, and many more) that can claim Digital Underground membership.

A child of the funk, Shock saw the future of a hip-hop band that was all about the music. So much so that early on he asked all members to wear only black with black shades when in public — take a look at the Sex Packets album cover — to keep an air of mystery around the group.

Despite the fact that Shock wanted the group member’s identities to be veiled, superstardom was on the horizon. He would release a few underground singles (“Hip-Hop Doll,” “Your Life’s a Cartoon” and “Underwater Rimes”) in the late 1980s before inking a single deal with Tommy Boy Records and eventually blowing up off of the strength of "Doowutchyalike." The song’s fun, party vibe and the accompanying video put Digital Underground on the map, but it was the group’s 1990 classic “The Humpty Dance” that pushed Shock and his alter ego Humpty to legend status. That song alone has been sampled in nearly 150 songs since it dropped 30 years ago.

On Thursday, Grammy-winning, multi-platinum producer Just Blaze shared the song’s impact on Jay-Z’s “Interlude” from The Black Album, better known as “Public Service Announcement.” “Without the Humpty Dance, you don’t get PSA’s opening bar. which is one of the key elements that really makes the song ultimately.”

Shock would go on to use Humpty throughout his career for DU projects, guest spots, and solo work. Many MC’s have used alter-egos, but not to the level that Shock G did.

His genius extended beyond music and into marketing and branding as well. Take for instance the rollout for the debut DU album Sex Packets. Shock and DU member Schmoovy-Schmoov came up with an idea for a fake pill that simulates sex at a level so intense it feels real. They typed up literature that explained what sex packets were, and the group distributed the pamphlets throughout the Bay Area before the album hit the streets.

It worked perfectly. People were genuinely unsure whether or not sex packets actually existed. In a 2014 interview with bandmate Money B, he shared that later, Schmoovy-Schmoov and Shock actually tried to make the concept a reality. Who knows how close they actually got to bringing the crazy idea to fruition?

When they dropped in the late 1980s, Digital Underground was unlike any other group or contemporary artist. Not nearly as serious as NWA or Public Enemy, not as safe as Kid N Play or Salt-N-Pepa. They existed in a space all their own. And with Shock’s vision, Humpty’s antics, Money B’s pen, and a killer stage show, they won big.

During a time when hip-hop is the dominant culture and tons of artists stream/sell big records, Shock’s commercial accomplishments may seem unimpressive. But keep in mind: in 1990, rap music was still underground. At that time, it was rare for a hip-hop record to be in regular rotation on MTV, crossover to the pop charts or sell a million records. Digital Underground did all of that and more.

Shock was a creator who thrived off of feel more than anything else. His production skills were unmatched. From his Stevie Wonder flip on Pac’s “So Many Tears” to being one of the first to flip Bollywood samples on DU’s criminally slept on “We Got More,” Shock was always original and ahead of his time.

The last time I saw Shock was in the fall of 2018. It wasn’t on stage or in a studio, it was of all places at a BART train station in San Francisco. As we waited for our respective trains, we spoke about his reclusiveness (really me asking “where TF have you been”) and how his fans desperately need a full-fledged Digital Underground tour for the upcoming 30th anniversary of Sex Packets. Shock smiled and nodded in agreement, telling me that he hears us, and they have something coming.

Unfortunately, that “something” never came.

Shock was so much more than “the one who put the satin on your panties,” as he famously said on 2Pac’s hit “I Get Around.” He was more than the rapper/producer who is credited for introducing the late Tupac Shakur to the world. Shock G was a musical genius whose art influenced creators in the past and present, and will continue to do so in the future.

Rest in Peace Greg, Shock G, MC Blowfish and Humpty Hump. You and your amazing creations will be missed.

Just like in the actual wild, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, survival is the name of the game. Not only do you have to fend off enemies, but you're required to find food and cook it up. Or, in Link's quiet moments, the Hylian hero is required to pass large amounts of time to get to the next day. Both of these tasks can be accomplished with the help of Prometheus — we're talking setting stuff on fire.

But many of these survival techniques, including making a fire, are new to the Zelda world. Here's how to start a fire in Breath of the Wild.

How to start a fire in Breath of the Wild using arrows

Early on in the game, you may run into one or two campsites with their own fireplaces. If not, fire arrows are your easiest opportunity when you begin Breath of the Wild. Head toward the Temple of Time after speaking with the mysterious old man for the first time. As seen in the below video by Prima Games, you'll enter a camp of Bokoblins inside and around a giant skull. Defeat all of those enemies and you'll gain access to a chest, inside of which you'll find your fire arrows. 

Use your axe to chop down a tree and obtain wood (or just find an unused campsite), and aim the arrow at the wood. Do so at a distance though — you don't want to set yourself on fire.

How to start a fire in Breath of the Wild using flint and wood

If you don't want to waste a fire arrow to start a flame, don't worry. There are other methods. 

You can also start a fire using flint, found inside dark rocks in the game — break these with a weapon or using your bombs. Simply lay out some wood, which you can obtain from chopping down a tree or find lying around near campsites. Then lay the flint and the wood on the ground and hit it with a metal weapon. 

How to start a fire in Breath of the Wild without using a single item

If you're lucky, you'll simply stumble upon some fire. It's actually not uncommon when traveling between locations. If you find a nearby fire and want to cook up some grub in a pot, you can do this trick from Wilderness Games. Simply take out your bow and arrow and light the tip. Bring the flaming arrow over to the pot, and you'll have free fire without spending any of your items.

More Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips, tricks and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version; where the great fairies are; how to preserve your items; how to beat bosses like the Stone Talus and Lynel; the best recipes for Link; and how to take on the game's shrines. See a map of where all the shrines are, and make sure to also take a look at how to get unlimited stamina and how big the Zelda game map really is.

Here's the thing: Heists aren't a great way to make money in GTA Online, but there's still a reason to do them: You'll get bragging rights from an incredibly difficult completion bonus called Criminal Mastermind. It's not easy, but do it right and you'll net yourself a cool $10 million.

If you're looking to heist smarter, not harder, we've got some insights on how to successfully complete the criminal mastermind challenge.

GTA Online Criminal Mastermind guide: You'll need some friends

To even think about completing this challenge, you'll need friends who are just as wild as you are.

According to IGN, you'll need to follow these simple rules to complete the challenge and net the $10 million bonus: You have to beat all the heists (including the prep missions) in order, on hard, and with the same teammates. Oh, and no one can die. 

This means you'll not only need to be very good at the game, but you'll also have to know three other people who are just as good and who haven't already gotten this bonus — you can only get it once.

If you're going to try and give it a go, this is the order you'll have to go in, according to IGN: the Fleeca Job, the Prison Break, the Humane Labs Raid, Series-A Funding, and finally, the Pacific Standard Job. 

GTA Online Criminal Mastermind guide: The Fleeca Job can be an early stumbling block for players

Crashes and bad luck can, too. Heist-savvy GTA Online players might notice something about requirements for the criminal mastermind challenge: The Fleeca Job is a two-person heist, but the rest require four players. According to GameFAQs user Neo_Ledah, this means you'll have to do the Fleeca Job in pairs, and then join up beginning with the Prison Break. The easiest way to do this is to set up a private lobby with your other teammates only, which will reduce loading times.

The same GameFAQs user shared a helpful criminal mastermind guide for anyone trying to complete the challenge. They advise you to constantly check your progress: Go into the "Heists" portion of the Awards tab in your pause menu, and make sure the challenge is counting up correctly. When you and your teammates reach the Prison Break mission, your counter should say 3/26. If it doesn't, you'll have to start over from the Fleeca Job.

According to Neo_Ledah, you can still pull out a win, even if a player's award counter glitches out. If you finish the challenge and everyone but the person with the glitched counter gets the award, go back and redo the Fleeca Job and the Prison Break with the same team. The person with the glitch should get the $10 million after finishing the finale of the Prison Break and completing the challenge.

It's going to be tough, but if you can round up three adrenaline junkies as foolhardy as you are, you might stand a chance.

More GTA Online tips and tricks

Check out Mic's GTA Online guides on how to buy Shark Cards; how to get rich without buying Shark Cards; how run an auto theft ring, how to buy and sell property; how to increase your strength stat; how to change your appearance; and how to kill the Insurgent, one of the most powerful vehicles in GTA Online.

When playing Grand Theft Auto 5, you don't have to be one of the characters pulling a heist. Instead, you can be a member of law enforcement, working against those very people. Here's how to be a cop in GTA 5.

Getting a job at the GTA 5 police station is a little different than it is IRL. In GTA 5, there's no police academy and no applications you can fill out to work in law enforcement. However, in single-player story mode, a change of clothes and a stolen police cruiser can land you a job with the Los Santos Police Department.

The following method works on the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One copies of GTA 5. This method only works if you have finished the GTA 5 story campaign and are able to play as Michael afterward — so keep that in mind if you're still playing through the story.

This information comes from several YouTube videos posted by the account AlphaWhiskeySix, which we've included below; it's also supported by another video from YouTube user Gooney Ty. If you're having trouble becoming a police office in GTA 5, these embedded video tutorials should help. Let's get started.

How to be cop in GTA 5 — Step one: Steal a police cruiser

You can't be a police officer without a police car, right? You need to get your hands on one, and then store it in Michael's garage.

If you're feeling charitable, you can steal a police cruiser from one of the police stations in the game. You'll probably get chased, meaning you'll have to lose your wanted level to proceed, but that'd be the worst of it. Or, you could cause some trouble in the streets, wait for the cops to show up, and take your cop car the old-fashioned GTA way.

How to be a cop in GTA 5 — Step two: Use the Rockstar Editor

The Rockstar Editor is a feature in GTA 5 that's meant to assist players in making game clips and movies. It's also the second key to beginning your career in law enforcement. The video clip above will work you through the process.

You can find the Rockstar Editor by pausing the game and then scrolling through the main menu categories. Select the Rockstar Editor and then select "director mode."

Once you're in director mode, you have a casting menu in the upper-left-hand corner of the screen. Select "actors," then "emergency services," and then "LSPD." Michael will be standing at the entrance to a trailer while you are in this menu, and you will see his clothes change based on the option you choose.

Once you've selected LSPD, you'll load back into GTA 5. From there you can jump in your stolen police cruiser and get to work!

How to be a cop in GTA 5 — Step three: Go be a police officer

Unlike in some other GTA games, there are no police "jobs" you can do, like tracking down suspects. So finding something to do as a police officer is your next challenge. Unfortunately, the list is pretty short.

If you see cops engaged in a traffic stop, feel free to give them a hand. Try tasering the suspects. If you see police officers chasing down a speeding car, you can join in. 

You can also call for backup, after which the cops will defend you if they see you in a fistfight or a firefight. Use your phone to call 911 emergency services, and then call the police. The dispatcher will send a car your way. Then start some trouble, and watch the police defend their "fellow officer."

More GTA tips and tricks

Check out Mic's GTA 5 and GTA Online guides on how to get rich quick; run an auto theft ring; buy and sell property; increase your strength stat; treat yourself to plastic surgery; and kill the Insurgent, one of the most powerful vehicles in GTA Online.

Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic imagining of a meat-free world, and much more. All of the stories will be cataloged here, along with the rest of our environmental coverage.

It's hard enough growing up amidst never-ending lists of pending climate crises without a once-in-a-lifetime global health event thrown in on top of it. Yet these dual existential threats merged in the last year, throwing the youth of the world a curveball as they work to fight for a livable future. Some expected organizing around issues like climate change to take a hit as lockdowns made massive actions like rallies and marches impossible. But instead, the pandemic has fundamentally changed how youth approach environmental justice as a whole, and many say that shift has occurred for the better.

Youth have always taken part in environmental justice organizing, but the spotlight on them has increased over the past few years. In the United States, youth like 13-year-old Mari Copeny — also known as Little Miss Flint — and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez have garnered publicity for tirelessly advocating for their communities. And while youth have staged massive in-person events, like the first-ever Youth Climate Strike in 2019, a global walkout of more than 1 million students, they've always utilized social media, too.

The Earth Guardians Youth Council, the youth-led decision-making body of an intergenerational organization addressing environmental movements globally, cites this familiarity with digital organizing as key to sustaining activity during the pandemic. In a collective statement, the Youth Council told Mic, "[We have] been working across the nation and across borders via phone conferences and using Zoom for years prior to the pandemic. So, when it hit, we had the opportunity to process together and begin to reimagine, once again, what we could do together."

Rather than bring everything to a screeching halt because of the pandemic, the Youth Council worked on initiatives like a virtual training series for youth who are new to activism, and Earth Day Live 2020, a three-day livestream that reached millions of viewers worldwide. Planning for the event began after in-person mobilizations were cancelled in March 2020 and helped the Youth Council realize the power of virtual organizing.

There was a legitimate bonus, too: By shifting online, the Youth Council said it was able to build connections not only nationally, by bringing its grassroots-level crews into national work, but also globally. With all of the council's in-person trainings now taking place virtually, the Youth Council is able to "meet and collaborate with youth from around the world, who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to attend," they told Mic.

"We were able to see the larger impact we could have as an organization," the Youth Council shared. "This pandemic has been so hard on so many, but it has allowed us to connect our Earth Guardians family more than we have ever been able to do. With this newfound inspiration and camaraderie, we are ready to take Earth Guardians to the next level."

The ability to collaborate digitally with people that otherwise wouldn't have been available was also mentioned by Natalie Sweet, the 17-year-old communications director for Zero Hour, an international youth climate justice movement. Sweet told Mic by email that "the pandemic has provided more opportunities for projects with our international chapters; now that we are all online, we have more time to communicate and plan. We were able to uplift and work with chapters around Earth Day 2020," and they planned to do the same for Earth Day 2021.

Like Earth Guardians, Zero Hour had to dramatically restructure some of its planned events, including a bus tour across the U.S. that was supposed to take place in March 2020 as part of a voter campaign called Vote 4 Our Future. With those plans uprooted by the pandemic, Zero Hour made its campaign virtual instead, which included holding livestreams with organizers from some of the Midwestern states they planned to hit on their bus tour.

"We have been able to organize phone banks for this campaign, which might not have been a top priority if we were organizing in person. But I’ve found it to be very impactful to connect with voters — even on the phone — about issues that they deeply care about, such as jobs and climate change," Sweet told Mic. "I have learned that you can make a huge impact while organizing online — COVID has not rendered Zero Hour unmotivated, rather, we've continued the fight for climate justice in unique ways."

The Youth Council echoed Sweet's sentiments about the usefulness of replacing large-scale protests with locally-focused efforts like phone banking, petitioning, and education. "Virtual organizing has afforded us the opportunity not only to collaborate more effectively within our own international organization," the council wrote, but also "to build powerful multi-organizational coalitions within the national climate organizing space."

"The movement became accessible to youth who may feel they do not have a community to share their passions with, and those who live in remote areas, far away from the large-scale physical mobilizations of New York, Los Angeles, and D.C.," the Youth Council continued.

In addition, Sweet shared that the pandemic has made Zero Hour and others more conscious of the roles that corporations play in global crises. For example, Zero Hour joined the No Fossil Fuel Bailout campaign in May 2020, which, Sweet explained, was aimed at preventing Congress from giving fossil fuel corporations millions while people in the U.S. struggle to survive because those same politicians refused to release any substantial form of aid.

"Because of this experience, we're looking to expand our policy and lobbying reach in the future to many other tangential and relating movements under the umbrella of climate change, such as labor issues and bills about the filibuster," Sweet wrote. "I'm very excited to show the impact that youth organizers can make, and we've already started — for example, we partnered with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's team to publicize the BUILD Green Act in March."

Although digital organizing obviously has its positives, organizers are looking forward to when they'll be able to build those in-person connections again. Ivy Jaguzny, the press lead for Zero Hour, told Mic by email, "While we have been able to adapt to online organizing, this pandemic has revealed the value of on-the-ground community organizing and in-person action. Social media and online organizing have their limits, and alone, they cannot sustain a movement forever."

Recognizing the work of youth in areas like environmental justice is vital. But it's also necessary to remember that, at the end of the day, the youngest activists are still harmed by the pandemic on a personal level. Researchers have repeatedly found that the pandemic has severely impacted the mental health of youth, with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and more. And while Earth Guardians and Zero Hour continue to organize, they are also having tough conversations about how to prioritize their own well-being.

It's easy to run yourself into the ground until you are exhausted; anybody who has organized can attest to that. And with youth organizers so often revered as almost superhuman in their abilities to mobilize, this becomes especially true. But as Jaguzny told Mic, "Even as young people with an immense capacity for optimism and hope, we are not invincible. Many of us have really struggled during the pandemic, as high school and college students especially. We are facing serious conversations about burnout and what it takes to keep people engaged."

As a result, Jaguzny shared, Zero Hour has become more intentional about team-building and community bonding, while people also consider what is keeping them tied to this work. Sweet said, "We've been working on storytelling exercises to ground ourselves in why we are in the fight for climate justice."

Similarly, Earth Guardians has used the pandemic to reflect and turn inward. That means not only looking at the organization's internal structure but also recognizing the value of individual growth. As the Youth Council told Mic: "On a personal level, the effects of the pandemic impacted us all, and it became increasingly apparent that mental health must be prioritized within the organization. We used the pandemic to slow down, pause, and reflect on what it means to be an Earth Guardian, and to hold space for each other while we process the effects of the pandemic as a community."

The pandemic by itself is terrible — there are no questions about that. But in terrible moments, it is perhaps even more important to recognize the useful lessons that you can take away for the future. When the pandemic ends, youth will undoubtedly be permanently changed by it, but it doesn't necessarily have to be for the worse. As the Earth Guardians Youth Council wrote, the need to "change to stay afloat in the midst of a global pandemic ... had a large, positive impact on us, and we plan to advance many of the initiatives we engaged with."

And in reflecting on how the pandemic has changed how Zero Hour will respond to environmental issues in the future, Jaguzny shared, "I think many of us have discovered that person-to-person connection and community support are necessary to sustain this work." When the pandemic ends, she said, rebuilding from the "isolation and trauma" it has inflicted will be a priority.

But still, Jaguzny said, "As a movement, I think we are emerging from this pandemic with a renewed desire to build solidarity and connection, because real connections matter." The pandemic might have changed the work — but it certainly didn't stop it.

Legend of Zelda's Link spent 30 years stuck in the same green tunic (with one brief sartorial stop in an extremely good crawfish shirt in The Wind Waker). So it's no surprise that in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BOTW), Link is really feeling his equipment oats — specifically when it comes to clothing. Some outfits give him special moves: The Zora helm grants him the spin attack, the climbing set allows him to get to otherwise unreachable heights, and the barbarian set allows him to fell his enemies more quickly in combat. But if you're heading into the Gerudo Desert's extreme heat, you'll want some BOTW heat resistance armor.

If you'd like to know where to get heat resistance in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you're in luck. There are actually two sets of heat resistant armor in the game, and you can wear either of them to gain this benefit.

Zelda: BOTW heat resistance armor location guide: Where to find the Gerudo set

Unless you've been hiding under a rock to avoid spoilers, you've probably found out by now that at one point in the game, Link has to dress in traditional Gerudo clothing in order to sneak into the women-only city — and he looks darn good doing it. 

You'll get the full set as part of the "Forbidden City Entry" main quest. As long as you're following along with the quest once you get to the Gerudo Desert, you'll be one heat resistance set richer. To get it, IGN says that you'll need to talk to Benja at the shrine on the outskirts of town; Benja will tell you that men aren't allowed inside the town, but another man has successfully snuck in and out before. You'll find someone on the rooftops of Kara Kara bazaar, and once you compliment their appearance, they'll offer to sell you the Gerudo set for 600 rupees — so make sure you have the money before you climb all the way up there.

Zelda: BOTW heat resistance armor location guide: Where to find the Desert Voe set

If wearing the Gerudo set isn't your thing, you can also get another set of BOTW heat resistance gear once you're inside the city proper, courtesy of the quest "The Secret Club's Secret." If you go to the back door of the Gerudo clothes shop, you'll be asked to provide a password: three letters and a symbol. Get it wrong and they'll turn you away, but get it right and you'll gain access to a secret shop.

According to TheUnstealthyNinjas on YouTube, to find out the password, eavesdrop on the conversation Sumati, Pyra and Yaido are having through the wall. They'll have a short conversation before saying out loud that it's "GSC," presumably for "Gerudo Secret Club," followed by a diamond shape. Wait a day if you screwed up the password to begin with, then head back to the back door of the shop. Give them the password, and they'll let you into a secret shop where you can buy the Desert Voe armor set for a combined 2,400 rupees. 

According to Prima Games, the full Desert Voe set grants you shock resistance as well, so it's great to take into any area where you might experience some electroshock therapy. They also state that you can buy the full set in the Tarrey Town.

More Zelda: BOTW tips, tricks, and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version; how to preserve your items; how to beat bosses like the Stone Talus, Lynel, the Guardians  and the Hinox; the best recipes for Link; and how to take on the game's shrines. You'll also want to find out where all the great fairies and available stables are in the game; how to use amiibo with your version of Zelda; and how to increase your health, stamina, and weapon slots.

This week, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene continued her ongoing streak of being absolutely the worst, using the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial to rail against the Black Lives Matter social justice movement, and insist that Chauvin's conviction was less a matter of careful jurisprudence and more the result of (her entirely imagined threat of) mob justice.

Speaking with ultra-right wing podcaster and conspiracy enabler David Harris Jr. on Wednesday evening, Greene lamented the Chauvin trial as resulting in a sham conviction, explaining that "I personally believe — and this is what I tweeted — that there was no way that we could see anything but a guilty verdict. There was so much pressure it was unreal."

The tweet Greene appeared to be referencing was one she sent the night before, in which she'd claimed that the nation's capital had been paralyzed by fear over the Chauvin trial and the specter of violence from the Black Lives Matter movement, which she claimed is "the strongest terrorist threat in our country."

Had D.C. been "completely dead" on a Tuesday night, that would have been understandable, I suppose. But as it happens, the District seems to have been having a fairly normal evening, as many, many, many respondents to Greene's tweet attested. But it wasn't so much her wildly — if predictably — inaccurate assessment of D.C. nightlife that put the congresswoman in a defensive crouch. Instead it was the pushback against her assertion that the Black Lives Matter movement is the "strongest terrorist threat" to the United States.

"I got called a racist nonstop," Greene complained to Harris Jr. at one point. Later she doubled down on her assertion, comparing BLM to the Ku Klux Klan.

"It's basically the same tactics that the Ku Klux Klan used to use," she insisted. "They used to go and take to the streets with their torches and their uniforms, and go out there like some sort of army."

Because if there's a natural comparison to be made, it's between a virulently racist organization responsible for who knows how many murders in the name of defending a bigoted system of racial discrimination and ... people who would like to not be killed by police.

In fact, as it so happens, the actual "strongest terrorist threat" to the country isn't the overwhelmingly peaceful movement asking for progress on civil, racial, and criminal justice. According to the Department of Homeland Security, it's the proliferation of right-wing white nationalist groups, the likes of which Greene herself has been associated with, during events like the attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol. But that's not as good a sound bite for the podcast, apparently.

Since 1945, the United States has conducted more than 1,000 nuclear tests. You can still taste them in your honey. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, honey in the U.S. contains elevated levels of cesium, a chemical element that is the product of nuclear explosions.

Researchers looked at honey samples collected from more than 100 hives across the eastern U.S., along with accompanying soil samples, and tested them for evidence of radiation. The found cesium present at higher than expected levels in both the honey and the soil, suggesting that the nuclear blasts have stuck around — and that we're probably eating the fallout.

This isn't uncommon, as it turns out. Following the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, researchers found that honey and pollen in Europe carried elevated levels of cesium as well. Cesium has a radioactive half-life of 30.2 years, making it one of the longest lasting fission products that result from nuclear blasts.

In the U.S., the cesium is likely the result of atmospheric nuclear tests that were conducted in the Marshall Islands, located in the central Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, and the southwestern deserts of the continental U.S. So why grab samples from the East cCast, and why is there still radiation on the opposite side of the country from where the tests were conducted? According to researchers, the fallout from those bomb tests spread throughout the atmosphere and landed all over the planet. A disproportionate amount of it settled in across eastern North America.

While most of the radiation decayed in just a few days, the cesium soaked into the soil. The plants were largely cool with that, as the chemical element has a similar structure to potassium, leading to the flora absorbing large quantities of it. With the plants chowing down on radiation, they started serving that up in pollen, which bees happily spread and took back to their hives. As they made honey, they passed on the radiation — which we then bottle up and consume.

The good news is that the cesium found in these samples is unlikely to hurt you. The researchers said that the levels are below the "dietary threshold level of concern observed by many countries, and not evidently dangerous for human consumption." However, it's not great for bees. The researchers warned that prior studies have found that low levels of cesium pollution "can be lethal to pollinating insects" and can cause damage to their ecosystems. As if we haven't made the lives of bees hard enough already.

Everyone knows the difference between male and female brains. One is chatty and a little nervous, but never forgets and takes good care of others. The other is calmer, albeit more impulsive, but can tune out gossip to get the job done.

These are stereotypes, of course, but they hold surprising sway over the way actual brain science is designed and interpreted. Since the dawn of MRI, neuroscientists have worked ceaselessly to find differences between men’s and women’s brains. This research attracts lots of attention because it’s just so easy to try to link any particular brain finding to some gender difference in behavior.

But as a neuroscientist long experienced in the field, I recently completed a painstaking analysis of 30 years of research on human brain sex differences. And what I found, with the help of excellent collaborators, is that virtually none of these claims has proven reliable.

Except for the simple difference in size, there are no meaningful differences between men’s and women’s brain structure or activity that hold up across diverse populations. Nor do any of the alleged brain differences actually explain the familiar but modest differences in personality and abilities between men and women.

More alike than not

My colleagues and I titled our study “Dump the Dimorphism” to debunk the idea that human brains are “sexually dimorphic.” That’s a very science-y term biologists use to describe a structure that comes in two distinct forms in males and females, such as antlers on deer or the genitalia of men and women.

When it comes to the brain, some animals do indeed exhibit sexual dimorphism, such as certain birds whose brains contain a song-control nucleus that is six times larger in males and is responsible for male-only courtship singing. But as we demonstrate in our exhaustive survey, nothing in human brains comes remotely close to this.

Yes, men’s overall brain size is about 11% bigger than women’s, but unlike some songbirds, no specific brain areas are disproportionately larger in men or women. Brain size is proportional to body size, and the brain difference between sexes is actually smaller than other internal organs, such as the heart, lungs and kidneys, which range from 17% to 25% larger in men.

When overall size is properly controlled, no individual brain region varies by more than about 1% between men and women, and even these tiny differences are not found consistently across geographically or ethnically diverse populations.

Other highly touted brain sex differences are also a product of size, not sex. These include the ratio of gray matter to white matter and the ratio of connections between, versus within, the two hemispheres of the brain. Both of these ratios are larger in people with smaller brains, whether male or female.

What’s more, recent research has utterly rejected the idea that the tiny difference in connectivity between left and right hemispheres actually explains any behavioral difference between men and women.

A zombie concept

Still, “sexual dimorphism” won’t die. It’s a zombie concept, with the latest revival using artificial intelligence to predict whether a given brain scan comes from a man or woman.

Computers can do this with 80% to 90% accuracy except, once again, this accuracy falls to 60% (or not much better than a coin flip) when you properly control for head size. More troublesome is that these algorithms don’t translate across populations, such as European versus Chinese. Such inconsistency shows there are no universal features that discriminate male and female brains in humans – unlike those deer antlers.

Neuroscientists have long held out hope that bigger studies and better methods would finally uncover the “real” or species-wide sex differences in the brain. But the truth is, as studies have gotten bigger, the sex effects have gotten smaller.

This collapse is a telltale sign of a problem known as publication bias. Small, early studies which found a significant sex difference were likelier to get published than research finding no male-female brain difference.

Software versus hardware

We must be doing something right, because our challenge to the dogma of brain sex has received pushback from both ends of the academic spectrum. Some have labeled us as science “deniers”and deride us for political correctness. On the other extreme, we are dismissed by women’s health advocates, who believe research has overlooked women’s brains — and that neuroscientists should intensify our search for sex differences to better treat female-dominant disorders, such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

But there’s no denying the decades of actual data, which show that brain sex differences are tiny and swamped by the much greater variance in individuals’ brain measures across the population. And the same is true for most behavioral measures.

About a decade ago, teachers were urged to separate boys and girls for math and English classes based on the sexes’ alleged learning differences. Fortunately, many refused, arguing the range of ability is always much greater among boys or among girls than between each gender as a group.

In other words, sex is a very imprecise indicator of what kind of brain a person will have. Another way to think about it is every individual brain is a mosaic of circuits that control the many dimensions of masculinity and femininity, such as emotional expressiveness, interpersonal style, verbal and analytic reasoning, sexuality and gender identity itself.

Or, to use a computer analogy, gendered behavior comes from running different software on the same basic hardware.

The absence of binary brain sex features also resonates with the increasing numbers of people who identify as nonbinary, queer, nonconforming or transgender. Whatever influence biological sex exerts directly on human brain circuitry is clearly not sufficient to explain the multidimensional behaviors we lump under the complex phenomenon of gender.

Rather than “dimorphic,” the human brain is a sexually monomorphic organ ‚ much more like the heart, kidneys, and lungs. As you may have noticed, these can be transplanted between women and men with great success.

This article is originally published on The Conversation by Lise Eliot. Read the original article here.

No Hot Girl has ever deserved the chance to rest and recharge more than Megan Thee Stallion. It’s honestly mind-boggling that her mega-hit “Savage” is barely a year old. The remix featuring Beyoncé dropped on April 29, 2020!

Flash forward 12 months, and the superstar is finally taking a well-earned break, which she announced on Instagram with a series of sci-fi images of herself in some sort of regeneration tank. (Famously an anime fan, Meg also posted a still to her story from Dragon Ball Z, picturing a character in a similar medical machine.)

Meg barely slowed down last year, even when she was grappling with the trauma of a violent assault that sent her to the hospital with bullets in her feet last July. (Tory Lanez was charged in the shooting by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in October.) She teamed up with Cardi B on “WAP” in August, bagging the second number-one hit of her career just months after her first. Conservatives are still getting worked up about the song.

Then came a spot on Time’s list of the hundred most influential people in the world, followed by an acclaimed op-ed for The New York Times about the reality of being a Black woman in America. During her debut performance on Saturday Night Live in the fall, Thee Hot Girl used her platform to protest police brutality. And this was all before she even dropped her first full-length album, Good News, in November. When the Grammys rolled around in early 2021, Meg won Best New Artist and walked away with two other trophies, both for the "Savage” remix.

Whew! On top of everything else, Meg lost her mother and great-grandmother within months of each other in 2019, right before her career really took off. Flash forward a couple of years, and the rapper has a new boyfriend and four adorable pups. We hope Thee Hottie will go as hard on R&R as she does on her tracks.

If you’re concerned about missing Meg during her hiatus, don’t fret. "I'll be back when it's time,” she reassured fans on Twitter. They really won’t have that long to wait: she’s scheduled to perform at Rolling Loud Miami in July and Bonnaroo in September.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and 17-year-old Greta Thunberg essentially have the same end goal when it comes to addressing climate change: Make sure the planet isn't destroyed. But that's about where the similarities end. The Swedish climate activist views climate change as an existential threat and an opportunity to address inequities and injustices that have resulted in marginalized communities bearing the burden for the actions of the wealthy and powerful. Johnson views it as an opportunity to make a quick buck.

The contrast in style came starkly into view Thursday, when both had the opportunity to share their vision for the future in front of policymakers. Testifying in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee's environmental subcommittee, Thunberg ripped into the U.S. government's willingness to hand out subsidies and offer tax breaks to companies that are ruining the planet by burning fossil fuels. "I am not even going to explain why fossil fuel subsidies are bad," she told the committee. "It is the year 2021. The fact we are still having this discussion and, even more, that we are still supporting fossil fuels directly or indirectly using taxpayer money is a disgrace. It is proof that we have not understood the climate emergency at all." She made it clear that ending these subsidies is an absolute necessity if the U.S. is to do its part in addressing climate change. Failing to do so, she said, would mean lawmakers would have to "explain to your children why you are surrendering on the 1.5 [degrees Celsius] target, giving up without even trying."

Thunberg is correct that these government handouts allow corporations to continue destroying the planet without consequence — and, in fact, with incentive to do so. The U.S. hands out between $10 billion and $52 billion each year in subsidies, according to research from Oil Change International, with even more cash pouring into the coffers of Big Oil in the form of coronavirus relief programs.

While Thunberg was making the case for ditching Big Oil, Johnson was laying out his vision for Big Green. Speaking at the Virtual Climate Summit where the U.S. committed itself to cutting emissions in half by 2030, Johnson smarmed it up, saying that addressing climate change "is not all about some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging." And while he noted that there is "nothing wrong with bunny hugging," he said it's really about growth and jobs. Summing up his message, Johnson said: "Cake, have, eat, is my message to you."

Going green will create jobs and likely make lots of money, which is great. It's a little less great to tell the countries who are responsible for an outsized portion of greenhouse gas emissions that it's okay to go green because they'll profit off that, too, and won't have to face any consequences for those decades of carelessly pushing the world to the brink.

As if their words weren't enough to show just how different they are, Thunberg picked up on a part of Johnson's address and used it to do a little of her favorite type of trolling: On Twitter, Thunberg changed her bio to "bunny hugger." To her, that is exactly what addressing climate change is about. It's not an untapped profit center — it is the only way we survive. Plus, who wouldn't want to hug a bunny?

After weeks of speculation and insinuation, Caitlyn Jenner made it official Friday, announcing she had filed the initial round of paperwork to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom, should ongoing recall efforts against Newsom successfully force a special election.

The former Olympian and reality TV star — as well as one-time fervent Donald Trump supporter — explained she was running as a Republican, with a campaign predicated on her history as "compassionate disruptor" fighting to become an "honest leader with a clear vision." Based on her brief campaign announcement, however, that "clear vision" seemed largely couched in the generic conservative grievances against high taxes and Newsom's coronavirus pandemic response.

In fact, while Jenner doesn't say much in her campaign announcement, or on her newly launched website, the moves she's made behind the scenes speak volumes as to what sort of a campaign she plans to run — to say nothing of what sort of administration she would lead should she win.

According to Axios, Jenner's nascent campaign team includes a number of former Trump-world fixtures, including former Trump administration rapid response director and special assistant to the president Steven Cheung, as well as longtime Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio. She also is reportedly being informally advised by one-time Trump campaign mastermind Brad Parscale, with whom Axios claims Jenner is a personal friend.

Jenner — whose estimated net worth hovers somewhere around the $100 million mark — is just the latest in a long line of celebrities with limited (if any) political experience who are counting on their name recognition to vault them to the forefront of national politics. But if someone with a lot of money and zero legislative experience can win anywhere, it's likely California, where actors like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger first demonstrated that parlaying celebrity into political power is a feasible (if not necessarily good, policy-wise) career path.

Still, Jenner has a long way to go before her goal of governorship is within her reach. Assuming the Recall Newsom effort is successful — which appears increasingly likely, but by no means guaranteed — her name recognition may not be enough to overcome what is almost certainly going to be a crowded field of candidates with significantly more experience at actually running a political race in California.

But now, unfortunately, I guess we're going to have to see how this thing plays out.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer is one of the strongest aspects of the game. Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch lets you crowd around a TV and pummel your friends with shells and bananas. 

The Switch throws in the added benefit of being able to bring the game on the go and challenge your friends on the spot, as well as online. But with various play modes and controller schemes, the numerous combinations of the two can get confusing, leaving you with questions like how many people can play Nintendo Switch at once, and how many Mario Kart 8 players can race?

Here's everything you need to know in one ultimate guide to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer modes: How many people can race on one Switch?

As shown on the main menu screen, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe supports four players racing one another on a single Switch screen. The four racers will need to be within wireless range of the Switch — a sensible option for couch multiplayer or playing huddled around a table.

The online play option supports two local players taking on 10 others in a race, according to Nintendo's official page. If you want to test it out before committing, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial for Nintendo Switch Online.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer modes: Linking the Nintendo Switch

If you know other people with a Nintendo Switch, those consoles can be linked. Mario Kart 8 on the Switch supports eight players, each with their own consoles and copies of the game, to link up wirelessly.

Those with multiple Switch units also have the option of LAN play. Up to 12 Switch units and 12 Nintendo Switch docks (all plugged into TVs) can connect to one another for a LAN party. With a LAN adapter plugged into each Nintendo Switch dock, and each dock housing a Switch unit, the docks can support a giant, TV-filled Mario Kart party. The LAN party method also requires each person to have a copy of the game. 

NintendoFuse confirms that each Switch can support two racers each, but keep in mind matches overall can have 12 people. This will likely be the rarest setting you'll find yourself in, but hey, it's good to have the option.

The confirmed multiplayer combos are as follows. If you have:

One Nintendo Switch

The combos are:

• Four-player local multiplayer, all on one screen.

• 12-player online multiplayer, one to two people locally on one screen.

Two to Eight Nintendo Switches

• Two- to eight-player wireless multiplayer, each on one Switch screen.

Up to 12 Nintendo Switches

• Up to 12 people play via wired LAN connection. This requires each person to use their dock and play on a TV. One to two people can play on a single Nintendo Switch.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer controllers: What are my options?

The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe multiplayer situation can be dizzying, without taking into account the Switch-compatible controllers. The Switch does not support the Wii U Pro Controller, GamePad or Wii Remotes, so your only options are the Joy-Con and the Switch Pro Controller.

Players are able to choose between any configuration of a single Joy-Con horizontally, two Joy-Cons held vertically or a Switch Pro Controller. But in some situations, choices are limited.

Interestingly, as Polygon pointed out, the game refuses to let players use two Joy-Cons held vertically when the Switch is connected to other Switches and two players are using one single Switch. 

For example, one person playing with two Joy-Cons (one in each hand) is OK. But two people playing with one Joy-Con in each hand isn't possible, nor is one person able to use a Pro Controller while the other goes the double Joy-Con route. When it's time to arrange controllers for a multiplayer race (reminder: with two people on one console), the double Joy-Con method is simply grayed out. 

This could possibly be due to a limitation of the Nintendo Switch's wireless. Nintendo may have opted to keep wireless speeds fast, rather than require your console to talk to yet another device. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Online Play mode allows both players use of the double Joy-Con method. 

Here's a quick rundown of multiplayer controller configurations:

Local Multiplayer (two to four players on one console): Supports single horizontal Joy-Con for each player, two Joy-Cons held vertically for each player, and Switch Pro Controller.

Online Play (one to two players on one console, playing online matches): Supports single horizontal Joy-Con for each player, two vertically held Joy-Cons for each player or Switch Pro Controller.

Wireless Play (one to two players on one console, playing against other Switch owners nearby): Supports single horizontal Joy-Con for each player or Switch Pro Controller for each player. Does not support two Joy-Cons held vertically.

Check out more Mario Kart 8 Deluxe news, tips and tricks

If you're anxious to get racing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, check out our video gameplay of the first 20 minutes of the game and find out the eight characters the game needs ASAP. Check out the best techniques to race with and learn how you can buy the game bundled with the console, including one bundle from Nintendo. Or you can play Mario Kart 64 on a newer console instead, if you're looking for some nostalgic throwback. And when all else fails, back that thang up.

If you're returning to Grand Theft Auto 5 Online after a long absence — maybe to join friends that just picked up gaming during quarantine or to bide time until the GTA 6 release — you may want to take a fresh look at what your character looks like, and perhaps remember how to change character in GTA 5.

Luckily, giving your character in GTA 5 Online a rigorous course of plastic surgery is just an expensive hospital bill away.

How to change your appearance in GTA 5 Online: Easy but expensive

To change your appearance in GTA Online, call up the interaction menu and then select "Style." In the following menu, select "Change Appearance." To proceed any further, you'll need to pay a hefty fee of 100,000 GTA$. 

If you're willing to foot the bill in GTA Online, you can change your character's appearance entirely — almost as if you were creating a new character from scratch.

It's pricey, but the change just might be worth it. Of course, that's up to you to decide.

More GTA 5 and GTA Online news, tips and tricks

Check out Mic's guide on how to make money fast in GTA Online, all the best cheat codes for GTA 5, how to make money with the Import/Export update and how to raise your Strength stat in GTA Online.

Tekken 7, is still going strong, four years after its initial release. In April 2021, Bandai Namco Games announced that the game has surpassed 7 million sales. The latest numbered entry in a long line of excellent fighting games is rife with several characters you can choose between to take on your opponents, whether you play online or with friends at home. The initial roster includes 36 fighters with 1 preorder bonus and/or paid DLC character, as well as 16 additional characters that can be unlocked.

If you're keen to play with the full roster, here's how to unlock characters in Tekken 7.

Tekken 7 : The initial roster

The initial roster available from the get-go (all 37), included 1 pre-order bonus or paid DLC character. On top of this, there is 1 unlockable character transformation & 1 character palette swap. The Tekken 7 characters select screen has room for plenty of bonus characters, and at least 10 more playable characters are available through the four Tekken 7 season passes. You can make do with the characters available now and unlock characters you're missing, however. 

Tekken 7: How to unlock Eliza 

Eliza, the gorgeous yet dangerous vampire queen, was initially only available as a preorder bonus. Now, you can purchase Eliza from the DLC store. You won't be able to get her if you complete the game or anything like that, and there's no secret way to get her otherwise, but you'll want to snap her up as quickly as possible, because she's an excellent character. Tekken 7 marks Eliza's second appearance in the franchise aside from 2013's Tekken Revolution. 

Tekken 7: How to unlock Devil Kazuya

The only "true" unlockable character in Tekken 7 is actually Devil Kazuya. The rest aren't technically unlocks, though we'll refer to them throughout the list for the sake of uniformity as unlockable characters. You can't, however, select him as a separate character to play as. You need to choose Kazuya Mishima and transform into Devil Kazuya in the middle of a match. 

You can do this by triggering the Devil mode by utilizing Kazuya's Rage Art (press R1 on PS4 or RB on Xbox One), and he'll transform into Devil Kazuya for a short time. These are currently the only ways you can transform into Devil Kazuya, so if you want to see him, you'll have to start with Kazuya Mishima first. 

Tekken 7: How to unlock Violet

Violet isn't technically a new character; rather Violet is a palette swap of Lee Chaolan. You'll need to select Lee as player two to see Violet. The only differences are the coloring, as this character is an alternate coloring for Lee. 

Check out more video game content on Mic, including which Pokémon are actually the best and why Black players can never seem to get custom characters that look like them. Learn more about how blind gamers are getting in on the fun. And don't miss our guide to dodging blue shells in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — you can thank us later.

Remember in Fight Club, when Jack is so stressed and sleep deprived that he develops a second personality who plans an anti-capitalist revolution and has to shoot himself in the head to kill his hallucination? That’s a hell of a reach, but if you’ve ever been robbed of sleep because of anxiety, it does feel pretty apocalyptic. You could take meds, but that’s generally a temporary fix. Also, if you already take anxiety meds (many of which already make you drowsy), you might not want to mix drugs.

Sleep helps people with anxiety, but anxious folks often also struggle with insomnia. This seems like a vicious circle, but it doesn’t have to be; you can change your anxiety-induced insomnia. But, according to the experts I consulted — psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical sleep specialists — there’s no quick fix. You’re going to have to alter your habits.

Your body’s rhythm changes as you mature so the later bedtime that worked for you as a teen won’t work for you as an adult.

“We are all born knowing how to sleep,” says Nancy Irwin, a California-based psychologist. “We have to learn how to be sleep-disordered, yet this can be unlearned.” Unlearning poor sleep habits might feel a little weird, at first, because we tend to be set in our ways, but it’s worth it because our sleep affects every single aspect of our health, not just our anxiety. Here are some sleep-doctor-approved habits that will give you a better chance at more and better quality sleep.

Have a consistent sleep schedule

“Get into bed at the same time each night,” Irwin says. “As babies and young children, our bodies got conditioned to sleep at certain times. Our brain still functions best with this.” Your body’s rhythm changes as you mature so the later bedtime that worked for you as a teen won’t work for you as an adult.

“As you age, melatonin release reaches its peak earlier in the evening, nudging you towards an earlier bedtime,” explains Sabina Brennan, psychologist and adjunct assistant professor at Trinity College in Dublin. “If you continually refuse to take account of the changing rhythms and pressures of your body, you will push yourself further and further into sleep debt.”

In other words, when the light of the sun starts fading, your body will naturally become tired. It will happen earlier and earlier as you age. You can ignore it, but as Brennan suggests, it will create a chronic imbalance in your sleep cycle — and that'll inevitably affect your anxiety levels.

Create a sleep-friendly environment

Most of us are accustomed to letting the different parts of lives blend. We send work emails from bars and swipe on dating apps at work. As tempting as it is to squeeze in a little extra productivity before snoozing, this multi-tasking approach won’t work when it comes to sleep. Irwin suggests leaving all reminders of work outside the door of your bedroom. “When you enter your ‘sleep chamber,’ you should feel like you are entering a spa,” says Irwin. “Get into bed in a room that is neat and tidy, clutter-free with no reminders of the mundane. Keep computers and bills to pay out of your sleep chamber. Leave all that in another room.”

If you’re naturally kind of messy, it’s cool. You don't have to Mari Kondo your home to get a good night’s sleep — it just has to feel uncluttered to you.

Turn off your screens

Ideally, our crash pad should be dark and screen-free. “Make your bedroom a technology-free zone,” says Brennan. “Artificial blue light is emitted from digital devices and from LED lighting. Exposure to blue light suppresses the release of melatonin.” She adds that avoiding electronic devices is important both before and during sleep. “If you wake in the night don’t be tempted to reach for your phone or laptop because the device’s blue light will wake your brain and make it difficult to get back to sleep,” she adds. Interrupted sleep can be almost as detrimental to your anxiety as no sleep at all.

But how will I wake up without Siri to remind me? “Get yourself a traditional clock to check the time and to use as an alarm,” says Brennan. This might seem archaic, but if you deal with anxiety, you’re going to want to go the extra yard to make sure you get your well-deserved sleep. “This will prevent you falling down the rabbit hole of checking the time on your phone, which not only exposes you to blue light but also increases the risk of clicking on email or social media notifications.” We all know how hard it can be to resist a neon bubble.

Have a bedtime routine

“One of the most common reasons people have trouble falling asleep is because their routine leading up to bedtime isn’t conducive to falling asleep,” says Vinay Saranga, a North Carolina-based psychiatrist. “In order to fall asleep and set the body up for optimal sleep, the hour or so leading up to when you turn off the lights should be focused on slowing the body down, unwinding and relaxing,” he says. Sounds about right. I listen to podcasts about murder before bed. Very relaxing.

Try a sleep-inducing breathing exercise

What can we do instead of scrolling or bingeing Netflix? Saranga has a no-tech suggestion. “Lay down on your bed with the lights dim or completely turned off,” he says, “Place your hands on your stomach and close your mouth. Slowly inhale through the diaphragm — the belly area — and hold for a few seconds. Then slowly exhale through a small opening in your lips.” Repeat this several times, he says, and watch how relaxed you begin to feel; it literally melts all the stress and tension of the day away.

“Before or after this, you can induce relaxation by slowly tensing various muscle groups, holding for a few seconds, then letting go,” Saranga says. “Most people find it easier by starting at the feet and working their way to the neck or head.”

Apple cores tossed out of car windows are ruining native apple trees in Scotland, according to a study by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. In an article reported by The Telegraph, a team of scientists found that more than half of the apple trees growing along the M9 and A9 highways in Scotland were grown from non-native, supermarket apples. In total, about 30 percent of 'wild' apple trees in the country are actually hybrids.

The team, led by molecular biologist Dr. Markus Ruhsam, conducted genetic testing on apple trees throughout Scotland. Most wild apple trees are in woodland areas that haven't been greatly touched by human development. In populated places, like residential homes or highways, pollen from amateur gardeners planting non-native apple trees in their yard have traveled to create hybrid trees. While this can be bad news for the wild trees — the hybrid genes can eventually propagate enough to remove pure wild apple trees from the environment — Dr. Ruhsam didn't pin the blame on gardeners too much.

"I wouldn’t want to discourage people from planting apple trees in their gardens," he said to The Telegraph. "What I would like to discourage is people randomly planting apple trees in the wild. We want to keep wild apples wild." To that end, he encourages people to stop "chucking your apple core out of the window." A practice that he's "guilty of [...] as well."

Despite how natural and biodegradable apple cores are, most of the people tossing them aside likely didn't intend to introduce them into the area as an invasive species. But accidents like this isn't entirely unheard off — other well-intended folks have invited invasive species' into their ecosystem.

In the Midwest and Northeast United States, for example, invasive species of earthworms have spread due to residents using worms as part of their compost. According to the University of New Hampshire, composts that contain these earthworms — notably the species casually called the 'Jumping Worm' — sometimes end up accidentally spreading them to forested areas. Although earthworms are known to be useful in composts and gardens, they aren't so useful in forests. The University of New Hampshire says that the worms end up eating the nutritious top layer of the soil, leaving less for the seeds of native plants and trees to germinate from.

Invasive worms have also spread due to fishermen dumping their bait in the water after use. According to Great Lakes Worm Watch, the worms cannot drown and are better off being tossed into the trash instead.

A lot of native species are spread unknowingly, but it doesn't mean there's little that can be done about it. The Alliance for Chesapeake Bay recommends taking steps to ensure you don't contribute to spreading invasive species, and to keep yourself informed about the native and non-native species in your local area. And that might just mean keeping your cores, worms, and other waste with you until you can find the best way to dispose of them.

When consumers get a prescription drug from the pharmacy, they assume that it’s been tested and is safe to use. But what if a drug changes in harmful ways as it sits on the shelf or in the body?

One dangerous result has been the creation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable carcinogen, in certain drugs. NDMA is found in chlorinated water, food, and drugs in trace amounts. To minimize exposure, the Food and Drug Administration has set an acceptable level of NDMA in each pill at less than 96 nanograms.

But over the past few years the FDA has found excessive amounts of NDMA in several drugs for hypertension, diabetes, and heartburn. As a result, the agency has initiated recalls to protect the public. These products were contaminated with NDMA during the manufacturing process. The FDA recommended best practices for manufacturers to minimize this risk going forward.

Unfortunately for the buying public, emerging evidence suggests that NDMA can also be created as some pills sit on the store shelf or medicine cabinet, or even after the patient swallows it. Thus, there is no way to test for its presence in the factory.

I am a pharmacist and distinguished professor who has written extensively about manufacturing issues and FDA oversight associated with both drugs and dietary supplements in the past, including the issue of NDMA contamination. In a new article, I discuss how NDMA can end up in a patient’s medication if it wasn’t put there during its manufacture.

NDMA levels creep up after manufacture

Ranitidine (Zantac) was a commonly used heartburn and ulcer prescription and over-the-counter medication for decades before it was recalled by the FDA on April 1, 2020. It may now be the canary in the coal mine for the post-manufacturing creation of NDMA.

In one study, investigators found that ranitidine contained only 18 nanograms of NDMA after it was manufactured. However, when stored at 158°F for 12 days — as if the drug had been left in a hot car — NDMA dosages rose above 140 ng. This is only slightly above the 96 ng limit the FDA has deemed safe, but this was only 12 days later.

In another study, storing ranitidine where it was exposed to higher temperatures or high humidity enhanced the creation of NDMA over time. This suggests that some medications can leave the factory with a safe amount of NDMA but if kept for too long at home or on the store shelf can exceed known acceptable limits by the time patients use them.

In a new study in JAMA Network Open, investigators simulated the stomach environment and found that when ranitidine was exposed to an acidic environment with a nitrite source, these chemicals could create more than 10,000 ng of NDMA.

These results support a clinical study in which urine samples were collected from 10 adults both before and after using ranitidine. After people swallowed ranitidine, the urinary NDMA doses rose from about 100 ng to more than 40,000 ng over the next day.

Other drugs need closer investigation

In another study, investigators added chloramine, a disinfectant routinely added to sterilize drinking water, to water samples that contained one of several medications that are structurally similar to ranitidine. They found that several commonly used drugs, including antihistamines (doxylamine and chlorpheniramine), a migraine drug (sumatriptan), another heartburn drug (nizatidine) and a blood pressure drug (diltiazem) all generated NDMA.

It is unclear whether the amount of NDMA created by these drugs when stored in hot and humid environments or after a patient swallows them is dangerous, as with ranitidine. I believe that more studies need to be done right away to find out. It is always better to be safe than sorry, particularly when dealing with a possible carcinogen.

This article is originally published on The Conversation by C. Michael White. Read the original article here.

I barely drank in college, but in my mid-20s, I jumped on pretty much any opportunity to imbibe. When a social gathering didn’t involve alcohol, I was crestfallen; if it did, I would drink myself into oblivion, or close to it. Sometimes my habit would land me in unsafe situations, like stumbling back to my downtown Los Angeles apartment by myself after midnight. I thought I was letting off steam after the grind of the workweek, like any young professional. I didn’t consider whether I was really self-medicating my anxiety, or avoiding the dreaded realization that the co-dependent relationship that had defined my young adulthood had begun to unravel.

After a few years of therapy plus anti-anxiety medication, I’ve learned to be aware of my limits (and the consequences of exceeding them), and regularly check in with how I’m feeling when and after I drink. In the wake of a binge back in the day, I would vow, in a fit of shame, never to touch alcohol again. Now, I still drink, but in an intentional way that doesn’t leave me feeling like shit. Without realizing it, I’ve been practicing what’s called intuitive drinking, and it has vastly improved my mental health and well-being.

What is intuitive drinking, exactly? The term has emerged only very recently, so there still isn’t an official definition, but it’s basically an offshoot of the hugely popular concept of intuitive eating, a non-diet approach that involves tuning into your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Likewise, intuitive drinking is “having a healthy relationship with alcohol and finding ways to incorporate it into your life that feel good for your body,” says Carolina Guizar, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified intuitive eating counselor with a private practice in New York City.

You can use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ definition of moderate alcohol consumption (up to one drink per day for women, and two per day for men), but intuitive drinking has more to do with checking in with your body, Guizar explains. A healthy relationship with alcohol makes you feel mentally and physically healthy, but what that looks and feels like will vary depending on lifestyle factors, such as whether your job requires you to have meetings over drinks. Alcohol use becomes unhealthy when it no longer enhances your life, which is what it’s supposed to do when used properly, says Timothy Fong, director of the UCLA Addiction Medicine Clinic.

The rationale behind intuitive drinking is that, like intuitive eating, it allows you the freedom to make the choices that are right for you and your body, without shame or judgment, making you less likely to binge. (In the long-run, excessive binge drinking could increase your risk for advanced liver disease.) For instance, after a night of bingeing, someone might swear off drinking the next week. Although they’d be “good” Monday through Thursday, they might start itching for a drink as the week wears on, and binge on Friday and Saturday night, Guizar says. Then, they feel guilty and hungover on Sunday, spurring the vicious circle all over again.

Intuitive drinking also foregoes short-term fasts, like Dry November or Dry January, for a more balanced, sustainable approach. These “sober challenges also set people up for binging, Guizar says. They rationalize going overboard during the holidays, for example, because they plan to go cold turkey in January. “Your body is this casualty in the process,” she says.

But while several studies have found intuitive eating to be associated with increased well-being and lower body mass, research hasn’t looked at intuitive drinking yet, Fong says. While he thinks the word “intuitive” makes the approach seem a little fuzzy and woo, he supports the underlying idea: getting in touch with how the substances you ingest affect your body. “I’m absolutely in favor of connecting feelings and emotions to thoughts, reasoning, and judgment,” he says.

Intuitive drinking isn’t for everyone, though. If you have a family history of breast, liver, colorectal, or other types of cancer that have been correlated with alcohol use, Guizar notes that you might consider consulting with a doctor and limiting your alcohol intake —and if you have a personal history of substance abuse, she recommends not drinking at all. If you have a pattern of experiencing problems after you go out for drinks, such as missing important work meetings, and alcohol use becomes a real problem in your life, Fong suggests talking to a professional, such as a primary care doctor or therapist, rather than going at it alone by practicing intuitive drinking. You could also call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHSA) helpline.

Otherwise, Guizar recommends intuitive drinking to anyone seeking to develop a healthier relationship with alcohol. Here’s how to practice it:

Establish your baseline

Observe your current drinking behavior and how it makes you feel mentally and physically. Once you have a baseline reading, start experimenting with your consumption. Say you normally have two drinks when you go out with your friends after work, but this time you have a presentation tomorrow morning. Rather than telling yourself you shouldn’t have more than one drink, ask yourself how it would feel to have one drink. “It comes from a much gentler place,” Guizar says. Also consider what level of consumption feels good on a weekday, versus on a weekend.

Identify why you’re drinking

Fostering a healthier relationship with alcohol entails understanding your motivations for drinking in the first place, Guizar tells Mic. “Is it purely just pleasure, or is there something underneath that needs to be addressed?” In other words, do you drink your feelings, in the same way you might eat your feelings?

“Knowing is the first battle,” Guizar says. “Then you can make a choice about coping with whatever underlying emotion is there.” If you choose to chase down a stress-filled day with a marg or two, be aware of the reasoning behind that decision and own it, which will make you feel less like you’ve “slipped up,” and stave off the self-loathing — and subsequent bingeing — that can trigger. It’s the difference between planning to get wasted (and communicating as much to your friends to prepare them) versus planning to tap out after three drinks but slamming ten and sleeping until noon the next day, Fong says.

“Is it purely just pleasure, or is there something underneath that needs to be addressed?” In other words, do you drink your feelings, in the same way you might eat your feelings?

Although Guizar notes that emotional drinking is “a perfectly fine coping mechanism,” ask yourself whether it’s your only coping mechanism. For instance, now I realize bingeing was my sole means of stress release, as well as a way to numb out from my toxic relationship and other sources of anxiety. Since expanding my coping strategies (ending said relationship, working on my issues in therapy, and going on anti-anxiety meds) I feel way less compelled to get wasted. I do sip a shot of whiskey or tequila one or two nights a week, but because I enjoy the taste and overall sensory experience, which brings us to our experts’ next recommendation.

Ask yourself whether your drinks still taste good

Guizar has noticed that her clients often keep drinking, even when they can no longer taste or enjoy their beverages anymore. “At what point does it go from tasting good to ‘meh?’” she suggests asking yourself. “Can you lean into the ‘meh,’ get curious around that, and understand what makes it difficult for you to stop when it doesn’t even taste good anymore?”

It goes back to pinpointing why you’re drinking. Will you have FOMO if you stop? Do you want the night to keep going instead of calling it quits? Or are you on autopilot and just not paying attention? If someone offers you another drink, ask yourself what it would feel like to pause for a second and ask yourself if you even want it, especially if you’ve already had a few — again, “not from a place of judgment,” Guizar says. “You’re just observing yourself very neutrally.”

Check in with your body

Ask yourself how your body feels during and after drinking. If you feel dehydrated and basically not great, feel free to explore those signals, Guizar says. Examine how it feels when you drink for days on end. Do you feel ok, or sort of sluggish? Once you’ve clarified your drinking patterns, take a giant step back, and if you notice you’re drinking more than what feels good, reflect on whether it makes sense to experience what’s it’s like to limit or abstain from drinking.

Lately, I’ve noticed that my hangovers feel way worse than they used to. (Hey there, 30s!) And besides making me susceptible to risky behavior, I’ve discovered heavy drinking intensifies my anxiety, which has strained my relationships with loved ones. Keeping all these possible outcomes in mind when I drink makes bingeing far less tempting.

The overall guiding principle of intuitive drinking is curiosity. I’ve learned to ask myself how drinking makes me feel out of a genuine desire to understand myself and body, which ultimately feels more productive and empowering than endlessly beating myself up over my alcohol use.

Italian food is indisputably delicious, arguably the best of all cuisines. But eating microwaved lasagna in front of your favorite sitcom re-run is hardly eating like an Italian — that's a very American habit.

While Italy is the land of pizza and pasta, it's also the healthiest country in the world, partly because of its food. Healthy fats, fresh produce and, yes, delicious pastas all help contribute to its low obesity rates. There are so many good reasons to adopt healthy Italian eating habits as your own. Here's a few easy ways to get started:

Take a moment to enjoy your coffee.

For those of us who have a cardboard cup permanently affixed to our hands, the sensation of not carrying a hot coffee while commuting may feel strange. On a recent trip to Milan, the jet lag was winning and I really craved a Starbucks. There are currently zero Starbucks locations in Italy, though the company plans to open a café in Milan come 2018. There wasn't even a Dunkin' (Italy does not run on either) to help me out, so I had to go to a café and drink a shot of espresso out of a tiny mug while associating with other humans.

While American coffee culture has led us to apps where we can order sugary foamy drinks before we even get to the drive-thru, Italian coffee culture is more about relaxing and actually enjoying your coffee, even if it's just a few minutes for a quick-sipping espresso at a proper coffee bar in the morning. Italians' days are defined by coffee drinking, so consider syncing your schedule with optimized coffee breaks and chats over espresso throughout the day. Research has shown that drinking coffee can help reduce stress, improve memory and boost mood, so stop shuffling between errands with a hot tumbler in hand and just enjoy a few moments with a mug as you sip up a less stressful life.

Know that pasta can be an everyday occurrence.

If you're eating pasta only once a week, you're doing it wrong. According to survey data by YouGov and Bertolli, 90% of Italians eat pasta multiple times a week, while only 23% of Americans eat pasta more than once a week. Better yet, about 25% of Italians eat pasta every day, while only 2% of Americans fessed up to eating pasta daily. Even so, Italians aren't shoving boatloads of pasta into their mouths on the reg, which may help explain their lower rates of obesity.

The key to a daily pasta dose may be in the portion size: Italians adhere to a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) pasta serving (that's 4.5 servings per package, if you're buying a 1-pound box). Pasta is often the first course during larger meals rather than the main, meaning a mountain of spaghetti isn't fueling Italian diners but preparing their palates for protein.

In Italy, millennials are the leaders in pasta consumption, with 32% of Italian millennials eating pasta daily compared to just 4% of American millennials. We can all do better.

Go for bigger meals at lunchtime and smaller ones at dinner.

Italians who traditionally work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. typically break for lunch from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. as a tasty part of an average 36-hour work week. These breaks are beneficial: Studies show that taking a break can actually improve productivity, and that's not including the creativity a nice plate of baked ziti might evoke when you slip away from the office for a 90-minute retreat. Research has also found it can be better to eat more earlier in the day and less at night — you need more calories while you're active, not sleeping — so a long lunch not only benefits your personal schedule but also your overall health and sleep cycle.

Make it family-style.

You'll want to embrace this Italian custom if you're the kind of dinner mate who always suggests splitting several menu items. According to YouGov survey data, 70% of Italians eat family-style, while only 31% of Americans regularly practice communal dinning. Sharing means you can order both the lasagna and the spaghetti puttanesca — and maybe even the penne arrabbiata — and get to enjoy them all versus being stuck with a single pasta dish. Plus, the tradition could boost your well-being: Studies show prioritizing social relationships may help your mental health, morbidity and mortality, while eating with others may make you more altruistic.

Equate eating with leisure.

Just 42% of Americans think eating is a legitimate way to relax, while 57% of Italians believe it to be a leisure activity. Why not think of eating as meditation for your mouth and stomach, or at least a calming activity that's meant to be enjoyed? Studies show that eating more slowly may make you feel full and satiate you faster, meaning you'll need a smaller portion to obtain just as much enjoyment from your meal — all while ensuring you're not shoveling an unhealthy quantity of chicken parmesan in your mouth in the first five minutes of that Friends re-run.

If you're not into socializing over every meal, consider adapting mindful eating practices — think focusing on chewing and enjoying your mouth full of food before pushing more on your fork instead of simultaneously chowing down and reloading — which will also help your mind and stomach unite during your meal.

Embrace the Mediterranean diet.

You probably already know the Mediterranean diet is known as the healthiest in the world, so why are you wasting time on sub-par burgers and hot dogs when you can embrace a much more delicious, life-extending meal? The diet native to southern Italy is high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and olive oil, and contains moderate levels of fermented dairy products, fish, poultry and wine and just a small amount of red meat. In other words, we see a lot of spaghetti with clam sauce in your future.

Choose olive oil.

An essential part of any Italian dinner table, olive oil is rife with flavor and health benefits. Consuming olive oil — which is high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids — is believed to lower your risk of depression and osteoporosis and protect your brain tissue against Alzheimer's.

Free yourself from strange ingredients.

You may find anchovies as foreign as Italians find neon-yellow cheese powder, but eating like an Italian means eating more real, whole foods and leaving the preservatives, additives and all-around fake foods behind. In fact, nitrates, aspartame, MSG and high-end molecular gastronomy ingredients — think dry ice or liquid nitrogen — are banned from Italian restaurants. You can bet that when there's a flurry of fresh pasta, produce and fish around, Italians aren't microwaving a can of Chef Boyardee for dinner.

Buon appetito!

A plethora of new vaginal "health" products that claim to keep your vagina pretty, “fresh,” and healthy have emerged as of late, so much so that media outlets have declared V-care one of the biggest wellness trends of 2019. Fur sells oil for pubic hair and skin, while The Perfect V sells beauty sheets for your vulva. Lady Suite sells a probiotic cleanser. Plenty of other brands sell spritzes, washes, and wipes. Douches and wipes have been pushed on women for a while — but now, brands market these and similar products as “self-care.” Are all these vulvar and vaginal health products really necessary, though? And more importantly, are they safe?

Before this recent explosion of products, consumers posed the same question about douches, products that cleanse the vagina with water and other fluids. It turns out that many doctors advise against douching, since it can disrupt the delicate bacterial ecosystem in the vagina, which in turn maintains the acidic environment needed to prevent irritation and infection. Yet nearly one in five women ages 15 to 44 in the US douches, according to the Office on Women’s Health. Douching persists, as Timeline points out, thanks largely to the longstanding marketing strategy of cashing in on women’s insecurities — namely that their vaginas are smelly and gross.

Nearly a decade after Summer’s Eve drew criticism for employing this very tactic to market its feminine hygiene products, a new cadre of “intimate care” brands have emerged. Many distinguish their products from their older, mainstream counterparts through attractive, millennial-bait packaging, as well as the promise of gentle, naturally-derived, organic ingredients. They focus not only on cleansing, but also on pampering and beautifying — a means of feminist self-care. The Perfect V describes its offerings as “pure, indulgent pampering and love for your ‘V,” while “lady-owned” Lady Suite says it’s “dedicated to helping all ladies fall in love with their bodies” and wants to facilitate “a positive connection between you and your lady parts.”

But are these products really all that different from their predecessors who pandered to patriarchal expectations that women’s bodies constantly be groomed, fragrant, "pretty," and youthful? Experts still believe that their appeal is more so psychological than physical.

“As a general matter, there is no good evidence that women need these products,” says Stacy Lindau, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago, about douches, feminine wipes, or any variation of them. For the most part, vaginas and vulvas have evolved to function without their help. Think about the safeguards your other mucosal surfaces have in place, like your nose, which contains hair and mucus to trap germs, or your eyes, which produce tears to keep them lubricated. Your vagina works in a similar way, Lindau explains, with hair on the outside and mucus on the inside.

In fact, these products may even worsen vaginal health, and we have little evidence of their safety, Lindau tells Mic. Washes, soaps, sprays, and other products used to cleanse the vulva or vagina can irritate and break the skin, as well as cause inflammation that prevents bacteria, blood vessels, and nerves from maintaining an acidic environment in the vagina, she adds.

Several patients who have visited her with complaints of vaginal dryness and painful intercourse saw their symptoms improve after they stopped using feminine hygiene products. (She does note that there are some cases in which intimate care products may help, such as for women with breast cancer who have undergone therapy that lowers their estrogen levels. Since reduced estrogen levels can cause vaginal dryness, they may benefit from products that restore its moisture.)

“Any person with a vagina who might want to use these products should look at the ingredient list and ask themselves how many they can pronounce or recognize,” Lindau says. You should also ask yourself whether you would put these ingredients in other mucosal membranes, like your eyes or mouth. If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn’t put them in your vagina, either.

And unless you’ve had a hysterectomy, remember that the vagina connects to the cervix and uterus, and finally, the fallopian tubes, which enter the abdominal cavity — meaning that “we’re putting chemicals into a body part that allows them to essentially travel to the inner cavity of the body,” Lindau says. The abdominal cavity, in turn, houses many other organs, and there’s a chance that douching may carry germs into that cavity.

Many of the newer intimate care products are advertised as “pH-balanced,” which may make you think they won’t throw off your vagina’s pH, but Lindau says that they may still contain ingredients that cause irritation. There’s also no strong evidence to suggest that probiotics — typically live, beneficial bacteria — will restore a healthy bacterial ecosystem in the vagina. Although researchers are trying to understand the human microbiome, “we’re not at the point where we can take early scientific discoveries and translate them to a recommendation.”

So, what are some proven ways to stay healthy down there? First, consider embracing your bush. Lindau says that pubic hair plays an important role in maintaining vulvar and vaginal health. Second, “let your body do its job,” Lindau says. “Avoid soaps, sprays, oils, and creams to the vulva and vaginal area unless there’s a very good reason.” Mucus already expels discharge, blood, and semen from the vagina.

Lastly, body odor is normal, Lindau says. The beneficial bacteria in the body naturally produce some odor. Using soaps and other odor-eliminating products could destroy beneficial bacteria and cause an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. If your vagina smells like baby powder and roses, you’ve probably killed important bacteria that help keep it healthy. A fishy scent or other strong odor may point to a problem, though, especially if you’re also experiencing issues such as itching or discharge, according to the Mayo Clinic. See a doctor if you’re worried about vaginal odor, rather than try to mask or remove it with an intimate care product.

To Lindau, these self-care-gone-south products speak to a larger, problematic obsession with hygiene — “where women feel that they need to use cleansing products in order to be sexually active or to be appealing.” Even if you’re drawn to these products mainly for the wellness they promise, you’ll probably have more luck finding it elsewhere.

It happens at least once a month like clockwork: I wake up from a solid eight-hour sleep, only to realize I’ve pulled my back and I can’t lift my arm beyond shoulder height. Sure, it’s frustrating because the pain shoots through my body like a knife, but even more so because I know the issues are a result of me sleeping on my stomach — the only position I’m able to fall asleep in.

My sleep posture is far from ideal, since a large body of science concludes that sleeping on your stomach puts pressure on the respiratory system, nerves, ribcage, and spine, all while increasing heart rate — none of which are conducive to a good night’s sleep. Our sleep positions also affect our health and mood in more ways than many of us realize, and there's actually an ideal sleep posture to aim for each night: sleeping on your side.

This position keeps your spine straight and aligned, since “it will help prevent stress points that may aggravate joints and connective tissue,” says Dr. Robert Hayden, Georgia-based chiropractor and American Chiropractic Association spokesperson. Additionally, side sleeping is crucial for those who snore or suffer from sleep apnea since it’s an effective way to keep your airways open, says Dr. Natalie Dautovich, assistant professor of counseling psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and environmental scholar at the National Sleep Foundation. If you’re pregnant, side-sleeping isn’t only a great way to relieve pressure off your belly. A 2012 study from BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth found that sleeping on your left side specifically can help promote oxygen flow to both the mother and fetus.

To facilitate — and maintain — the side sleeping position, Dr. Hayden recommends placing a body pillow under your torso to support your upper arm and knee. Dr. Dautovich also recommends placing another pillow in between your knees to relieve any pain and help keep your pelvis aligned. Also, your head on the pillow should remain level with the mattress (read: No funky double or triple stacks of pillows that can strain your neck and spine). It might feel more comfortable to rest your head on an incline when you’re reading a book or scrolling through Twitter before bed, but it’s not a great idea to fall asleep with your head on top of multiple pillows, says Dr. Kristina Petrocco-Napuli, Florida-based chiropractor, and president of the ACA Council on Women’s Health.

When you’re asleep, your muscle tone, which protects your joints when you’re not alert, becomes lax. According to Dr. Hayden, if your head, which weighs between 13 and 15 pounds, isn’t level with the mattress and you’re sleeping on your side, stress points develop along the joints in your neck. Your muscles would normally protect those joints from shifting too far in either direction, but while you’re asleep, your brain won’t send messages to your muscles to perform those protective functions. “Joints that are stressed will be eventually injured, and arthritic changes in the joint may manifest at some point,” Dr. Hayden explains.

OK, so you’re probably thinking, If I’m asleep, how can I force myself to stay put in a specific position? Beyond the use of a body pillow to stabilize your position, take stock of your mattress, because a bad mattress can make it more likely that you'll toss and turn. A 2011 study from the journal Ergonomics found that participants who slept on sagging, too-soft mattresses experienced poor sleep quality. Dr. Hayden recommends a mattress that is firm enough to support the weight of your body, providing only a subtle amount of give.

There is, however, a “wrong” way to sleep on your side. If you have a habit of sleeping curled up in the fetal position, Dr. Dautovich says it can hinder breathing by restricting movement of your diaphragm. It can also place unnecessary stress on your joints and leave you feeling sore the next day. “You can reduce the strain on joints by straightening your body as much as possible,” says Dr. Dautovich. In addition, avoid putting your weight on your arms while you sleep, since this can lead to circulatory issues like a feeling of numbness or pins and needles. If possible, try sleeping with your arms folded into your chest.

If you’re not a current side-sleeper, you may be at risk for developing soreness the next day. But beyond immediate physical consequences, improper sleep posture can impact your emotional, psychological, and cardiovascular health in the long run. “Certain hormones are designed to ebb and flow during the sleep cycle,” explains Dr. Hayden. “Growth hormones regulate the production of hormones that we use to repair tissues and heal, [which are] secreted during stage IV of the sleep cycle.”

Ultimately, if you don’t achieve stage IV of your sleep cycle (or rapid eye movement, which occurs 90 minutes after you fall asleep) or it gets interrupted, “you may find yourself gaining weight, getting sick and staying sick more often, and eventually having changes in your cardiovascular system such as hypertension,” he says.

What’s more is that if you’re tossing and turning all night, you’re likely to wake up feeling like you only slept four hours, even if you were under the covers for eight. “Fatigue itself will make you not feel your best,” Dr. Hayden says. “The physical aspects of your health will spill into the emotional and mental aspects. When you feel your best physically, you’re more likely to have a positive self-image.”

Even if you position yourself correctly, you might still move around in your sleep, ultimately shifting your body out of your desired side-sleeping position. It’s important to look at your stress levels and find a way to manage them before bed, says Dr. Hayden, since they might be causing you to be restless at night, and ultimately shift your body out of your desired side-sleeping position.

“If you’re one of these [people who tosses and turns], do something before you go to bed to offload your stress,” he says. Eliminating your stress entirely is easier said than done, but there are small steps you can take to ease yourself into a more restful state. Instead of scrolling through a screen emanating blue light that might compromise your circadian rhythms and ultimately suppress sleep-inducing melatonin, Dr. Hayden recommends reading a book. “Let your mind go blank, or to a time or place that is relaxing and comfortable. Try a warm bath or shower to relax,” he says.

Look: You’re not doomed for a life of pinched nerves and sore muscles if you’re unable to sleep on your side, and only on your side. At the end of the day, all our experts agree that comfort is most important. Other postures like sleeping on your back can also be beneficial if executed properly. If you’re going to sleep on your back, Petrocco-Napuli recommends placing a pillow under your head and under both of your knees in order to support and level the spine. Feel free to experiment with exact pillow placement so as to support the natural curvature of your unique spine.

This might all seem like a lot to think about and remember before you’re supposed to relax and ultimately fall asleep, but rest assured: with a proper pillow, a firm mattress, and an aligned spine, you’ll be well on your way to sleeping soundly — and waking up relatively pain-free. If pain does persist, speak to your doctor about any underlying issues.

Sometimes when I’m dozing off at night, something weird happens. I feel like I’m falling, and every now and then, I even dream that I’m stumbling backward off a curb. A second or two later, my body jerks, startling me awake. Sometimes, the experience leaves me feeling so anxious that I have trouble drifting back asleep.

But according to sleep experts, I have nothing to worry about. That falling sensation and sudden jolt is what’s called a hypnic jerk, which, though somewhat alarming, is a totally normal phenomenon, not a sign of a serious underlying problem. It’s also extremely common: As many as 60 to 70% of people have reported experiencing hypnic jerks, per the most recent edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, a manual used to diagnose sleep-related issues.

When this happens, certain parts of your nervous system are asleep, while other parts are awake, Pelayo explains.

Also known as a hypnagogic jerk or sleep start, a hypnic jerk is basically an involuntary movement, usually of a large muscle group, that occurs as you transition from wakefulness to sleep, Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, tells Mic. You might swing your arms, for instance, or kick your legs. If you’re sitting upright, you might snap your head back (I know — it's creepy).

Because hypnic jerks are benign and don’t need to be treated, there hasn’t been a ton of research on them. As a result, “they’re not well-understood,” Pelayo says. They do tend to occur more often when you’re sleep-deprived, yet force your mind to be engaged in some activity — like when you’re lying in bed listening to a podcast, or at a work meeting. I usually experience hypnic jerks when I’m reading or watching Netflix, and haven’t slept much over the past few nights.

When this happens, certain parts of your nervous system are asleep, while other parts are awake, Pelayo explains. It turns out that your nervous system’s control of your muscle movements during sleep is different than it is during wakefulness, which explains why your limbs twitch or flail. Basically, you can think of hypnic jerks as “misfires” triggered by your nervous system sending your body mixed messages.

If you dream about falling during hypnic jerks, like I do, that could indicate that you’re severely sleep deprived, he says. Before delving into why, let’s back up and go over what happens to your mind and body when you sleep: As you nod off, you enter Stage 1 sleep, followed by Stages 2 and 3, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Altogether, these stages last around 90 to 120 minutes, and you cycle through them four or five times a night, Ramiz Fargo, a sleep medicine specialist at Loma Linda University Health, told Mic in a previous article.

Hypnic jerks generally occur as you transition from wakefulness to Stage 1 sleep. Vivid dreaming takes place during deeper REM sleep, which you normally enter roughly 90 minutes after drifting off. But when you’re really sleep-deprived, you book it from Stage 1 straight to REM sleep. “You’re skipping over those bricks [Stages 2 and 3] and hugging REM,” Ralls says. That could explain why I occasionally dream that I’m falling from a curb, even after having just dozed off.

A hypnic jerk is “a clear signal from the body, telling you it wants to sleep,” Pelayo says. “Nothing else is going to satisfy that urge.” If it’s nighttime, close Netflix, turn off the light, and go to bed.

If you’re experiencing hypnic jerks, but sleep isn’t an option — like during a class lecture or a meeting at work — focus on something about that scenario that's more important than dozing off, Pelayo suggests. Make eye contact with the speaker. If you anticipate snoozing during the presentation, drink coffee beforehand, since it’ll take 15 or 20 minutes to take effect. And if you want to prevent hypnic jerks, make sure you clock in the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Hypnic jerks can feel scary, but reminding yourself that they don’t mean anything is wrong with you can help, Ralls says. Next time I experience one, I’ll try to practice this self-talk and honor that freaky falling sensation as a message from my body of what it really needs.

The coronavirus pandemic and the anxieties it’s triggered have pretty much stolen my mojo. But pre-pandemic, evening sex, post-dinner and drinks, was absolutely my jam. My partner, on the other hand, was always more down to bone morning or night. I’ve been pondering the cause of my erstwhile evening horniness, and why the time of day didn’t matter as much for my partner. My bigger question: What determines whether you’re horny in the morning or at night?

It’s a tricky line of inquiry. The experts I interviewed say that the answer comes down to a complex combination of biological and environmental factors.

A 2014 study of 565 men and women in Poland suggests that biological sex and chronotype play a role. Your chronotype refers to variations in your wakefulness and activity throughout the day, per Healthline. In general, research groups people into three chronotypes: morning, evening, or neither.

In the Polish study, all the women, regardless of their chronotype, reported feeling horniest at night, although morning types reported a second spike between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. All the men on the other hand, reported that their horniness peaked twice: once in the morning, and once at night — but in morning types, these peaks occurred earlier in the morning and night than in evening types.

Why were the men in the study, like my partner, down to pound, morning or night? In explaining their morning horniness, Konrad Jankowski of the University of Warsaw’s psychology department, the study’s lead author, pointed to men’s daily testosterone cycles, possibly tied to their circadian rhythms, or sleep-wake cycles. “The circadian peak of testosterone occurs in the morning,” he tells Mic.

In men (or anyone with a penis), “this can contribute to both morning wood and increased desire.” And according to evolutionary psychology, which posits that males are invested in sowing their sperm far and wide, “men need to be more flexible in case a mating opportunity arises.” (It’s worth noting, though, that the field of evolutionary psychology has often spurred controversy, and has also been used to justify sexism.)

The reasons why men and women in the study reported feeling especially thirsty at night are probably largely environmental, Jankowski says. For starters, you tend to actually be with your partner in the evening. Drinking and dim lighting during these hours can lower your inhibitions. You also tend to socialize more, and worry less about work and other obligations.

“As we start to approach sleep, we get a slowing of brain activity, and that includes a rejection of cognitive control,” says Nicole Prause, a neuroscientist, researcher, and founder of sexual biotechnology company Liberos, who wasn't involved in the Polish study. High cognitive control — the alertness you feel while mentally reviewing your to-do list in the morning, for example — can make it hard to engage in sex.

Most of the participants in the Polish study were coupled up and living apart, or single; the vast majority were straight; and they all lived in Poland. That being said, we can't necessarily extend the findings on them to the general population, though they do provide food for though.

And Prause argues that your preferred time for sex might depend less on your sleep and hormone cycles and more on when you can get it. “We have some data saying the times people are more likely to want it are when they’re more likely to have it,” she says. That means if you work full-time, you’ll probably stick to weekends, and if you have kids, you’ll most likely work around their sleep schedule.

Your preferred time for sex might depend less on your sleep and hormone cycles and more on when you can get it.

Both Prause and Jankowski agree that not getting enough sleep can diminish your sex drive. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults ages 18 to 60 clock in at least seven hours a night.) Insufficient sleep not only saps you of energy, it also lowers testosterone and estrogen, hormones that play a major role in libido and sexual performance, Jankowski explains. And when you’re horny, your brain’s approach motivation network is active, Prause says, as it is anytime you’re motivated, whether to exercise or dive into a work project. Think of horniness as just another motivational drive; you’re less likely to feel motivated when you’re sleepy.

In other words, you tend to want to bang one out not only when you can, Prause explains, but when you feel especially motivated. If you want to go full-nerd, you can pinpoint this time by measuring your heart rate for a week with a fitness tracker. Maybe you see a spike every day at 3:00 p.m. or so, when you’re most active and walking around. “That’s probably a good time for you,” Prause says.

Think of horniness as just another motivational drive; you’re less likely to feel motivated when you’re sleepy.

If you're in a relationship, and you and bae prefer sex at different times of day, know that your experience is totally normal. Prause explains that discrepancy is the rule, not the exception. “It’s rare that people want to have the same frequency of sex at the same time,” she says. She suggests considering masturbation as a way to handle situations when one of you wants to have sex and the other doesn’t, and maybe talking about it in case you have different values around it within a relationship. (In some cases, if one partner masturbates, the other might view it as a sign that they’re “not enough.”)

Scheduling is another option. But rather than planning your sex sesh to the hour and framing it as the only time it can happen, ease off the pressure, and treat it as an experiment, Prause says. “We’re gonna lay in bed and snuggle,” she recommends telling yourselves. “If something happens, great. If not, then it doesn’t.” Try to find a time when you’re not causing or adding to each other’s fatigue. If anything, communicating and tuning into your sexual preferences in this way could strengthen your relationship, even if takes some time for you to get back in sync.

Some of us have reported feeling thirstier since COVID-19 forced us to hunker down at home. In fact, the sex toy industry has apparently seen a recent uptick in sales, per the Washington Post. Sadly, reader, I can’t relate. My live-in S.O. and I have been experiencing a dry spell for the past few weeks, starting around the time the country began taking this virus seriously. Honestly, a reassuring cuddle while bingeing Ozark is way more appealing to me than sex these days. Why is the coronavirus pandemic such a boner killer?

When I asked Debby Herbenick, sex researcher and professor of sexual and reproductive health at Indiana University Bloomington, why corona is tanking my libido, she responded with another question: “Why wouldn’t it?” The constant existential anxiety spurred by this pandemic, potentially combined with being around a partner or kids around the clock, doesn’t exactly scream sexy.

“Most people, when they feel anxious or depressed, might feel less sexual desire,” Herbenick explains. This pandemic has given us plenty of reasons to feel these emotions. Many of us fear for our health and that of our loved ones, not to mention a loss of our livelihoods. Our home dynamic might’ve drastically changed, with partners and kids now constantly cooped up together. Some of us need to work in hospitals, grocery stores, or other places that raise our risk of infection.

For the booed-up among us, seeing a partner all the time might also dampen our desire for them, Herbenick says. Indeed, this happens even among other members of the animal kingdom; she cites Esther Perel’s book, Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, which talks about the challenge of getting zoo animals that have been housed together to reproduce. After all, even cohabiting couples don’t sign up to be around only each other, 24/7, for two months straight (or however long this ends up lasting). We often need some distance to feel that spark.

A lack of desire during something as dire as a pandemic could also have an adaptive purpose, evolutionarily speaking. While social media is abuzz with speculation about a possible coronavirus baby boom, owing to couples spending way more time together, Herbenick has her doubts. She suspects that many couples feel hesitant about conceiving right now, especially given the uncertain end date of this pandemic, reports about doulas being prohibited from delivery rooms, and any financial instability they might be experiencing. Media outlets skeptical of baby boom predictions also cite research showing that birth rates tend to decrease in the wake of a disaster.

A drop in desire is also common post-childbirth and during other stressful periods, Herbenick points out. Basically, it’s our mind and body’s way of saying, “The most important thing I can do right now is just take care of myself, stay healthy, stay alive, take care of friends and family,” she says. “This sex stuff can wait.”

That said, we’re all different. While most people experience a dip in desire when they’re anxious or depressed, a small percentage feel enhanced desire and might seek to relieve their anxiety or depression through sex, Herbenick says. (She cautions that those who fall under this group have a higher risk of engaging in unsafe sex, which, nowadays, can mean not practicing social distancing.) Others might not be that stressed because they live in an area with a low incidence of COVID-19. Whatever the reason, if you’re feeling hornier now, that’s ok, too.

But if you’re like me and bemoaning your lost mojo, Herbenick suggests practicing self-kindness and reminding yourself that you’ve never undergone anything like this before. And if you live with a partner, keep in mind that just because they get annoyed with you, “that doesn’t necessarily mean this isn’t your person.”

By the same token, don’t take it personally if they want more space. Creating some distance, whether through solo walks or even Facetiming bae from another room, can help. So can old-school communication. That can even look like straight-up telling them that while you’d jump their bones under normal circumstances, sex is really hard for you right now.

“Oftentimes the way people find their way back to each other is to be emotionally vulnerable” — by revealing that they’re feeling sad or scared, for instance, Herbenick says. “Whether or not they end up having intercourse or other kinds of sex together, if they’re opening up, they’re bound to feel closer and not be rejected by their partner’s lack of desire.” We’ll make it out of this dry spell eventually, but until then, we can still cultivate other aspects of ourselves and our relationships.

The American wellness world is just now getting privy to moringa, a vegetable people around the world have used in food and medicine for centuries. My earliest memories of it involve my mom plucking its delicate leaflets to add a mild, earthy bite to Filipino dishes such as suam na mais, a garlicky-sweet, rainy-day corn soup. In fact, she grows her own moringa (“malunggay” in Tagalog) in our backyard outside San Francisco.

I now also see the sprightly greens in various forms at juiceries, and in tea and energy bar aisles at grocery stores. What’s all the buzz about moringa, whose supposedly myriad health benefits have earned it the nickname, “the tree of life?” I asked nutrition experts to help me separate truth from wellness hype.

So what is moringa, anyway?

Also known as the horseradish or drumstick tree, Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant genus of tree native to the Himalayan foothills, which sprawl across India, Pakistan, and Nepal. But it’s also been cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions, including Ethiopia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, and Latin America, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

The entire plant, from the roots and tubers, to the leaves and flowers, is edible. People often eat the leaves dried or fresh, or in powdered form (you might recognize Kuli Kuli’s packets of moringa powder from grocery and health food stores), as well as the seeds, which can be brewed in tea.

The history of moringa as a healing plant has deep roots. Not only does the tree figure prominently in Ayurvedic medicine, but ancient Egyptians used moringa oil for cosmetic purposes.

What are some of the potential health benefits of moringa?

Recently, researchers are testing remedies from cultures that revere moringa as a healing plant, Robin Foroutan, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells Mic. “We often find there is a lot of validity and truth in what practitioners have been doing for thousands of years.”

But the research is limited, says Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian nutritionist in California. For instance, most of the studies on moringa in chronic disease have been conducted in cells in a lab and animals, and only a few in humans. (Although animals can be useful in modeling disease, our numerous biological differences prevent us from drawing any definitive conclusions about how moringa affects chronic disease in humans from animal studies alone.)

Like many plant foods, Palmer says moringa leaves pack several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and potassium, important for heart health, immunity, and a plethora of other body functions. (Indeed, the nutrient density and drought resistant properties of moringa have led some to use it to curb malnutrition.)

Moringa is also high in certain antioxidants, Foroutan adds. Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals, reactive molecules that, in excessive amounts, can damage protein, DNA, and fatty tissue, according to Healthline. Eventually, this can result in chronic, low-grade inflammation" — a simmering wildfire that leads to a number of health problems,” such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, she says.

A limited number of human and animal studies suggest that moringa could help lower cholesterol. Other studies, primarily in animals, hint that it could regulate blood sugar levels, important for managing and preventing diabetes. Foroutan notes that moringa contains terpenoids, compounds that can help the pancreas create more insulin, a hormone crucial for controlling blood sugar. A few studies have also shown that components of moringa can kill certain types of cancer cells grown in the lab.

As with many studies on nutritional supplements and herbs, you won’t see the same wealth of research evidence on the purported health benefits of moringa as you would with a pharmaceutical drug. The important thing to note, though, is that “it’s pretty safe for most people at reasonable doses,” Foroutan says. However, she doesn’t recommend moringa for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, due to the scarcity of research on its effects in these populations. People who are on blood sugar or blood pressure lowering drugs should also exercise caution and consult with their doctor if they want to start consuming moringa, she adds.

Will moringa help me lose weight?

Researchers have shown that moringa lowers fat accumulation and body weight, and may prevent or curb weight loss in rodent studies. But evidence of its ability to promote weight loss in humans remains scant. The few human studies researchers have conducted tended to look at the effect of moringa combined with other ingredients, making it impossible to trace the benefits they saw to moringa alone.

In one study of 140 overweight subjects who followed the same diet and fitness plans, those who took a supplement containing moringa extract did lose more weight than those who took a placebo — but along with moringa extract, the supplement also included curry leaf and turmeric extract.

How does moringa taste?

Palmer likens the leaves to arugula, which I agree with, although I find moringa a bit milder — more like “arugula lite.” On the other hand, Foroutan finds moringa “similar to green tea.” I get more of the earthy, green tea flavor from the powdered form.

How can I incorporate it into my diet?

While I prefer cooked moringa leaves, Foroutan suggests that people less familiar with the plant blend it in powdered form into a smoothie, or chia seed pudding. Because the flavor is so subtle, “you probably won’t taste it at all and still get the benefits,” she says. She suggests starting out with a teaspoon of moringa powder. The packaging on some products might recommend a little more, but “I would say to start with one and go from there.”

But Palmer notes that while moringa may be the new “superfood” on the block, it’s hardly the only one. “While I’m sure it has health properties, all plant foods have various phytochemicals (plant compounds that may improve health) and benefits,” she says. “It’s important to eat a balanced diet that includes a rainbow of superfoods in the diet.” After all, like reishi mushrooms and goji berries, it’s only a matter of time before the wellness industry seizes on another food long used in other cultures and turns it into the next “trend.”

It's maddening how famous and wealthy Jake Paul and his elder brother Logan continue to be, considering how many reprehensible acts they've literally filmed themselves committing. In her latest column for the New York Times, tech reporter Taylor Lorenz did a deep-dive on the Team 10 house that Jake Paul founded in 2016. Not super surprisingly, she dug up way more evidence that Paul and his cronies are the worst.

Nowadays, "collab houses" are commonplace, with influencers bunking together in lavish mansions and creating content as a group. When Paul launched Team 10, he pretty much pioneered the idea that these social media communes could also function as lucrative business entities. "Team 10 didn’t invent the collab house, but they became the most famous collab house and really defined it. They created the culture," Brendan Gahan, chief social officer at ad agency Mekanism, told the Times.

As Lorenz helped illuminate, toxic things were brewing behind the scenes at the Team 10 house. When he was 14, aspiring musician AJ Mitchell was recruited by Paul to join the collective. While his parents were skeptical, they were swayed by the magnitude of the opportunity. Mitchell and the other Team 10 members got to live in a Los Angeles mansion for free, and by association with Paul, their followings would balloon. In return, the rising influencers agreed to produce regular content and participate in brand deals brokered by Paul.

But when money was clearly coming in, Mitchell and the others never benefitted. “People see these mansions and they see people living like royalty, but no one knew I was sleeping on the floor or I didn’t have food,” Mitchell, who's now 19, told the Times. When Mitchell was given a bed, he had to share a room with Paul's then 19-year-old girlfriend Alissa Violet. He later entered a sexual relationship with a woman a decade older than him, who he met at an influencer party, and now says he understands it wasn't a consensual relationship. “I was a baby. I had a baby face,” he told Lorenz. “I feel like that’s just weird now.”

The vibe at Team 10 seems to have been generally lawless. Residents described being woken up by Paul hacking through their bedroom door with a chainsaw, The Shining style. Old YouTube videos chronicled him electrically shocking members without warning and pressuring them to jump off the mansion's roof into the swimming pool. It now seems likely some of Paul's behavior was actually criminal: on April 9, Justine Paradise posted a YouTube video accusing Paul of sexually assaulting her at the Team 10 house in 2019. Railey Lollie, who started working with him when she was 17, told the Times that Paul often called her "jailbait" and once groped her in 2017.

The Paul brothers maintain they're unfairly targeted and haters just want to see them fail. Meanwhile, Jake has expanded his empire to encompass both boxing and venture capital. He's thus far escaped any sort of accountability, but perhaps with more attention being paid to those he allegedly victimized, the tide could be starting to turn against him.

More than 50 years ago, the Olympics expelled two American athletes from the 1968 Games in Mexico City for protesting racial injustice. When John Carlos and his teammate Tommie Smith took the podium for winning third and first-place, respectively, in the men’s 200-meter sprint, they bowed their heads and raised black-gloved fists during the American national anthem. Captured by a Life photographer, the moment became an iconic symbol of the Black power movement and the fight for human rights worldwide. But the backlash to their protest was also intense: both men were kicked off the US team and sent home, where they faced a deluge of hate mail and death threats.

America was in a gnarly place in October 1968, when Carlos and Smith took their stand. Society was deeply divided over the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. The assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had taken place two months apart that spring. Police had brutally attacked protesters outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that August. Many African-American athletes had considered boycotting the 1968 Olympics entirely in protest of racial injustice.

Sadly and incredibly, things aren’t that much different all these decades later. The 2020 Games were postponed to the summer of 2021 and will be seriously scaled back, thanks to the ongoing global pandemic. People around the world have taken to the streets en masse to protest racism and police violence in the last year. And the Olympics still won’t allow athletes to take any sort of stand against injustice.

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that athletes who raise a fist or take a knee at the Games will be punished. After consulting with its Athletes’ Commission, the IOC decided to uphold its decades-old Rule 50, which forbids any sort of "demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda" inside stadiums, during ceremonies and on podiums. The method or extent of the punishment is unclear, but the Olympic Charter states that punishment of a bye-law, which prohibits propaganda on clothing, "may result in disqualification of the person or delegation concerned, or withdrawal of the accreditation of the person or delegation concerned, without prejudice to further measures and sanctions which may be pronounced by the IOC Executive Board or Session."

In a small nod to inclusion, the IOC recommended observing a “moment of solidarity against discrimination” during the Opening Ceremony. They also greenlit some branded apparel with “inclusive messaging,” provided the language sticks to words like “peace, respect, solidarity, inclusion and equality” and avoids phrases like Black Lives Matter, which won’t be allowed.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) athlete council lobbied the IOC to abolish Rule 50 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. They asked the Olympics to develop a new policy with athlete assistance that’d protect their freedom of expression.

However, the IOC said it conducted a survey starting in June 2020 of more than 3,500 athletes representing 185 countries and all 41 Olympic sports, and found that “a clear majority of athletes said that it is not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views on the field of play (70% of respondents), at official ceremonies (70% of respondents) or on the podium (67% of respondents).”

“I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today,” reasoned Athletes’ Commission chair Kirsty Coventry, who swam for Zimbabwe and earned seven Olympic medals between 2004 and 2008.

By contrast, the USOPC gave athletes the green light to practice freedom of speech during Olympic trials stateside this June. Taking a knee or raising a fist as well as wearing Black Lives Matter apparel will all be allowed. Hate speech or defacing the American flag will not be tolerated, however.

“There is a deep desire for Team USA athletes to speak on these issues and to lead as a positive force in our community," Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the USOPC, said in a statement. She added: "While we support your right to demonstrate peacefully in support of racial and social justice, we can't control the actions others may take in response. I have confidence you'll make the best decision for you, your sport and your fellow competitors.”

The argument that the Olympics should be apolitical is inherently flawed when you consider how the Games have been used to platform international issues in the past. In 1906, an Irish athlete who was upset to be competing for Great Britain (the push for Irish independence was in full-swing) scaled a 20-foot flagpole in an Athens stadium to wave a flag reading “Erin Go Bragh.” The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were infamously a showcase of Nazi propaganda. In 1980, Jimmy Carter announced the US would boycott the Games in Moscow and Canada, West Germany and Japan withdrew in solidarity. The president also threatened to rescind the passports of any athlete who tried to compete for a neutral nation. In retaliation, Russia skipped the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And finally, in 2004, an Iranian judo champion refused to fight an Israeli athlete "to sympathize with the suffering of the people of Palestine."

So yeah, the Olympics' specific aversion to raising a fist or taking a knee is pretty suspect. Will athletes risk getting sidelined in Tokyo to stand up for their beliefs? All eyes will be on the Games this summer.

There is oxygen on Mars. Well, kind of. NASA announced this week that the Mars rover Perseverance successfully converted some of Mars's carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into breathable oxygen. It is the first ever successful attempt at producing oxygen on another planet, and could be the first step toward eventually making it possible for humans to live on Mars.

The on-site science experiment was made possible by the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE. According to NASA, it's a toaster-sized instrument that contains 3D-printed nickel alloy parts that heat and cool gases that flow through it. This allows MOXIE to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. It does this by using capturing and heating the CO2 molecules at extremely hot temperatures — approximately 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit. An aerogel holds in the heat, and a gold coating on the outside of the box reflects any infrared heat that could radiate outward and damage the rover. By the end of the process, MOXIE creates oxygen that can be stored, breathed, or used for a number of purposes that will be essential to bringing human life to the red planet.

MOXIE's first test took place on April 20, and was just a small example of what could be a potential breakthrough achievement. Perseverance used its unique instrument to create 5 grams of oxygen, which would be enough to keep an astronaut breathing for about 10 minutes, according to NASA. MOXIE is capable of generating up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour. If you do some quick napkin math, you'll find that conversion rate is probably not going to keep anyone alive for very long, so it's a good thing that MOXIE has a significant head start on any human counterpart.

Of course, Perseverance's main mission is not to serve as an oxygen factory. It's on the planet to explore, seek out evidence of microbial life on the distant red rock, and run experiments to determine if the planet can eventually support life. The oxygen conversion test falls into the last category, but given that atmosphere of Mars is comprised of 96% carbon dioxide, any chance of humans spending time on the planet hinges on being able to create oxygen.

It's not just an important achievement for living on Mars though — it's necessary to return from the planet, too. "Oxygen isn't just the stuff we breathe," Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement. "Rocket propellant depends on oxygen, and future explorers will depend on producing propellant on Mars to make the trip home." Rockets must have oxygen in order to burn fuel. According to NASA, a return trip from Mars for four astronauts would require 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of rocket fuel and 55,000 pounds (25 metric tons) of oxygen. For those same astronauts to live on the planet for a full year, they would require just one metric ton of oxygen to breathe.

"This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars," Reuter said. "MOXIE has more work to do, but the results from this technology demonstration are full of promise as we move toward our goal of one day seeing humans on Mars."

Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic imagining of a meat-free world, and much more. All of the stories will be cataloged here, along with the rest of our environmental coverage.

Faced with a problem like climate change, it’s easy to feel powerless. When humanity at large is dumping 43 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, why should I sort my recycling? When some Americans still don’t believe that climate change is happening, or that people are causing it, why should I change my light bulbs?

It’s true that, even if we replaced every plastic bag on the planet with a reusable tote tomorrow, we’d still be in a hot mess. We need massive, collective action to mitigate the worst effects of climate change; some people even consider the focus on individual action a distraction from the true scale of the problem.

But our personal behavior does have an effect on the environment. A 2018 report by Rare, a nonprofit that uses behavioral science and design thinking to solve environmental problems, found that nearly two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to human consumption. Changing these patterns of consumption has a massive potential for reducing emissions, even absent broader policy change.

Brandon Schauer, who leads a climate change initiative at Rare’s Center for Behavior and the Environment, tells Mic that individual actions can deepen our political commitments and build constituencies for change by influencing others. “Take biking for instance,” he says. “If you didn’t bike but then you started to bike recreationally, or you started to bike to work, suddenly you might find yourself in support of policies about bike safety, bike lanes, things that make the world around you align with your values.”

In the report, Rare has researched a master list of actions that would go the furthest toward cutting carbon emissions if taken up by enough Americans (some popular ideas, like increasing residential recycling or composting, rank surprisingly low). The bad news is, making a sizable dent in our carbon emissions requires a lot of us to act. The good news is, some of the highest-impact changes really aren’t that difficult.

Here are a few that you may find surprisingly easy to pull off:

Order a veggie burger. Or even chicken

As Bill Gate famously reminded us, if cows were a country, they would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. Not only because their farts release methane, a gas with a greenhouse effect 20 times more potent than that of carbon dioxide, but the land they require (for pasture and growing feed) is often cleared through mass deforestation.

That said, while eating more plant-based proteins (like beans or tofu) and cutting back on the highest-impact meats (such as beef and lamb) is important, you don’t need to go vegan to significantly curb your diet-related carbon emissions. It can be as easy as reducing your beef consumption by the equivalent of one hamburger per week. According to a 2017 analysis by the Washington Post, if you swap beef for beans once a week for a year, you can keep 331 kilograms of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Even diehard carnivores can do better. Replacing one five-ounce steak per week with a less environmentally-unfriendly meat, like chicken or pork, can cut your carbon emissions by 260-270 kg per year, the Post analysis found.

Buy carbon offsets

One of the lowest-effort ways to reduce your carbon footprint is by offsetting it entirely. Carbon offsets allow you to “negate” your personal emissions by funding projects elsewhere on Earth that pull carbon from the atmosphere or keep it from entering it in the first place. Organizations like Cool Effect make it easy to calculate your carbon footprint and choose a project that resonates with you, like buying a clean cookstove for a family in Honduras or protecting a peat swamp in Indonesia.

And it’s a lot more affordable than you might expect. According to Cool Effect, the average American can offset their annual carbon emissions for about $150. For vegetarians, or people who don’t drive cars, the cost is likely even lower. Many offset projects are backed by 501(c)(3) nonprofits, meaning the donations can be deducted from your tax bill.

Carbon offsets are mostly purchased by companies and governments to reach “net-zero” emissions (emphasis on the net), but there’s an individual market for offsets as well. Some airlines and ecommerce shops have even started offering them at checkout.

At Rare, Schauer and his team have built a pilot version of a program that estimates your carbon footprint by analyzing your spending data. He hopes that soon, offsetting your emissions will be as easy as clicking a button in your banking app. “There was a day when no one thought they would go to their bank to learn about their credit report, but they do that now,” Schauer says. “So I think there's going to be that same adoption curve for helping consumers understand their carbon budgets.”

That said, carbon offsets shouldn’t be viewed as a free pass to pollute. Just as refusing, reducing, and reusing is more important than recycling, cutting back on your consumption before purchasing offsets is key, Schauer says.

Fly one less time

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that a lot of meetings could have been a Zoom call. If you’re able to carry that knowledge into your post-pandemic life and reduce unnecessary business travel by one trip per year, you could drastically cut your emissions and save your company some money, without depriving yourself of a vacation.

A round trip flight from JFK to LAX emits on average just over 565 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per economy class passenger. The footprints of first class and business class seats, which are heavier and take up more space, are even larger than seats in coach.

Opting for the train is your best bet for reducing emissions when you travel; and in many cases (particularly short trips), driving beats flying when it comes to minimizing your carbon footprint.

According to Rare’s report, cutting 140 million business flights between now and 2050 could keep anywhere from two to 17 gigatons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Hands down, though, the lowest-emitting option — staying home — is also the easiest.

Vote

Our elected officials matter a great deal when it comes to addressing climate change and protecting the environment, it turns out. During Donald Trump’s four years in office, he consistently rolled back environmental protections, making it easier for companies to release mercury into the atmosphere and to dump toxic coal ash, lifting bans on fossil fuel exploration in coastal waters off the U.S. and a wildlife refuge in Alaska, and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, among other things. If he had been re-elected in November, it’s safe to say the United States wouldn’t have re-entered the climate agreement, and we certainly wouldn’t have just committed to halving our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Looking further back, if Richard Nixon hadn’t been president, we might not have the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, or the Environmental Protection Agency (surprisingly green guy, Nixon).

But it’s not just about who’s in the Oval Office. Voting in candidates who will act on climate change at the state and local level can help prevent the kind of deregulation we saw during the Trump years, which was mostly accomplished via executive order because congress hadn’t enshrined many Obama-era environmental protections in law. Passing the Green New Deal, the most ambitious congressional proposal for tackling climate change, means voting in enough candidates who support it.

Though it’s hard to quantify the carbon-mitigation potential of voting for candidates with better environmental policies, there’s no question doing so is an individual action with the potential for large-scale effect. It’s also something that you can do in an hour or less.

The bottom line: These individual behaviors may only reduce global carbon emissions by a tiny amount — but when it comes to your role in the climate emergency, you simply can’t view your actions in a vacuum. The influence your behavior has on the people around you is just as important as the behavior itself, Schauer says. Solar power, for instance, can be contagious; when one house on the block installs solar panels, others often follow.

In fact, he notes, it’s impossible to predict whether or not someone will change their behavior just by looking at their political affiliation, or even their beliefs about climate change. “The best predictor,” Schauer says, “is actually whether others around you are doing something, and whether you think that they think it's important.”

An effort to turn the nation's capital of Washington, D.C., into a full-fledged state cleared a major hurdle this week, as the House of Representatives narrowly advanced a bill to establish "The State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth." The vote for H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, came down along strict party lines, with 216 Democrats in favor, and 208 Republicans against.

Speaking ahead of Thursday's floor vote, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the capital city's non-voting delegate to the House, laid out the stakes of admitting D.C. as a state, noting both that the District has a larger population than several existing states, and that it already pays more federal taxes per capita than anywhere else in the nation.

"Congress has a choice," Holmes Norton explained. "It can continue to exclude D.C. residents from the democratic process, forcing them to watch from the sidelines as Congress votes on federal and D.C. laws, and to treat them, in the words of Frederick Douglass, as 'aliens, not citizens, but subjects.' Or it can live up to our nation's founding principles, join the 54% of Americans — and growing — who support D.C. statehood and pass H.R. 51."

But having barely cleared the House, the push to make D.C. a state in its own right is almost certain to stall in the Senate, where Democrats have a one-vote majority over the GOP. That's well below the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome the virtually guaranteed Republican filibuster to prevent the addition of a new state, and its two new — likely Democratic — senators.

This past summer, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the push for D.C. statehood as "full-bore socialism" and vowed that "none of that stuff is going anywhere."

McConnell had previously refused to even bring the issue of statehood to the Senate floor in 2020, when an earlier iteration of the bill was passed by the House, 232-180. That vote marked the first time D.C. statehood had made it through either chamber of Congress. Now, with a narrow Democratic majority in the upper chamber, however, there remains a chance — however slim — that D.C. statehood could in fact move ahead in the Senate for the first time in history.

But it's not only Republicans who might doom D.C.'s chances in the upper chamber of Congress. With the filibuster threat a de facto dealbreaker for the bill, two Senate Democrats — West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema — have steadfastly refused abolish the practice, even if, as Manchin has stated, he's "open" to the possibility of a 51st state.

Meanwhile, with the bill likely — for now at least — to languish in the Senate, D.C.'s roughly three-quarter of a million residents will remain voiceless in Congress, as they have been for more than 200 years.

By 2030, the carbon footprint of the United States will be cut in half. That is the pledge that President Biden made on Thursday morning during the Leaders Summit on Climate, committing the U.S. to a significant draw-down of carbon emissions with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero by 2050. While the Earth Day pledge marks a significant and meaningful re-commitment to the international community, showing that the U.S. is once again serious about climate change, climate activists are concerned that the plan doesn't go far enough.

The official commitment made by Biden will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by the start of next decade. It is double what the country originally pledged under the Paris climate agreement in 2015, when then-President Barack Obama sought to cut emissions by 26-28% by 2025. The country has seen an overall decline in emissions since the original pledge, down 12% from 2005 levels as of 2020, and even saw a slight decline during the Trump administration despite a clear fossil fuel fetish and straight up climate denialism spilling into the ranks of the federal government.

Still though, that leaves the country less than halfway to its original goal for 2025. Experts have warned that at its current pace, the U.S. will fall well short of doing enough to prevent the planet from warming to potentially disastrous levels.

Biden's pledge puts the U.S. in line with recommendations from some environmental groups, who believe reaching a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 is a key stepping stone to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century. It is notably similar to the goals that a number of major corporations have recently pledged to as well, and falls in line with the recommendations of corporate America.

However, for many climate activists, advocates, and scientists, halving emissions by 2030 is simply not enough. While it does fall in line with the global goal the U.N. has set, it cannot be ignored that the U.S. is one of the biggest contributors to global emissions and is already well behind where it needs to be on climate action. It must therefore not simply reach for the minimum goal, but go above and beyond to show its leadership and accountability for its outsized contributions to climate change.

Earlier this year, Climate Action Tracker published a study that suggested the U.S. would need to reduce emissions by between 57-63% by 2030 in order to prevent the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Others have called on the Biden administration to go even further. “A pledge to cut emissions 50-52% by 2030 simply isn’t big enough to meet the massive scale of the climate emergency,” Jean Su, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Energy Justice program, said in a statement. "The U.S. is the largest historic polluter and one of the wealthiest nations, and it must do its fair share and cut domestic emissions by at least 70% by 2030. Evan Weber, co-founder and political director of the climate activist group Sunrise Movement, said the 50% goal is "nowhere near enough," and argued, "The science is clear — if the U.S. does not achieve much, much more by the end of this decade, it will be a death sentence for our generation and the billions of people at the frontlines of the climate crisis."

In response to Biden's pledge, activists with Extinction Rebellion D.C. put on a display of protest, wheeling in more than a dozen wheelbarrows full of cow feces, which they dumped in a pile in the middle of the street outside the White House. The message: Biden's pledge is bullshit.

While the U.S. may still be viewed as slacking by those who would like to see the country be much more aggressive, Biden's pledge has seemingly at least prompted other major polluters to increase their efforts to cut back on greenhouse emissions. Japan updated its goal to reduce emissions by 46% by 2030, and Canada set a new target of reducing emissions by 40-45% by next decade. Countries like China, Russia, and India also appeared engaged and expressed a willingness to work with the U.S. and the global community to address climate change. It appears that one man's bullshit is another man's fertilizer.

Every once in a while, a celebrity or athlete takes to social media to share a photo of themself covered in perfectly round, dark purple bruises. The marks — seen recently on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kaley Cuoco — are a telltale sign of cupping therapy, a practice that dates back to ancient Egyptian and Chinese civilizations (contrary to Katy Perry's 2019 description of it as "new age"). Back then, it was used for treating various diseases, but these days, cupping is a fairly mainstream form of physical therapy favored by athletes and wellness-minded celebs. But does it actually work?

That’s a bit of a complicated question, and, to an extent, the answer depends on who you ask. Cupping has plenty of loyal followers who swear by it, including Michael Phelps; images of the swimmer bearing dark purple bruises on his back at the 2016 Rio Olympics attracted almost as much attention as his medal count. Phelps, along with U.S. gymnast Alexander Naddour and celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian West, have all been known to undergo the treatment, per Elle India.

The idea behind cupping is that when a practitioner uses small cups (typically glass or plastic) on your skin, it creates “a vacuum pressure, making the blood vessels enlarge... thus increasing blood flow and circulation, and stretching the connective tissues,” Joseph Bax, DO, pain management and rehabilitation specialist at The Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, tells Mic.

There are a few different cupping methods, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). With “dry” cupping, the oxygen is removed from each cup either with heat (think: lighting a cotton ball on fire and putting it inside the cup before it’s applied to your skin) or with a suction device (once the cup is on your skin). With “wet” cupping, meanwhile, the practitioner pierces your skin slightly before taking one of those steps, so blood flows into the cups.

With both types of cupping, “the suction of the cups physically lifts the layers of the skin, the [connective tissue] and the muscles to pull old debris — [like] toxins [and] dead cells — out of the tissues and up into circulation,” chiropractor Claire Jessen, DC, ART, SFMA, tells Mic. Through increased fluid circulation and increased oxygen flowing to tight muscles, she says, “cupping helps the body heal itself from any pain, inflammation and toxins.”

And while cupping marks are most frequently seen on celebrities’ and athletes’ backs, Jessen says the procedure can actually be done anywhere — including your face. “Certain areas are tricky — like an elbow — due to the reduced surface area of tissue to suction to, but it is awesome for shoulders, hamstrings and even chest,” she explains.

That said, like with any alternative therapy, cupping has its fair share of doubters. Much of the skepticism stems from the fact that, as the NIH notes, quality research on cupping is lacking. While there are studies out there that have determined cupping to be safe and effective, they "were not carefully done, and more high-quality studies need to be performed to determine its effectiveness,” according to Bax.

Physical therapist Karena Wu, PT, DPT, OCS, who performs cupping herself, adds that future studies on the practice need to focus on "true mechanical changes seen or chemical changes seen in the tissues." She likens cupping to kinesiology tape, which is often used to help heal and prevent injuries. Cupping "does provide a benefit that the patient is able to perceive. However the evidence is still lacking,” Wu explains.

Still, many people who've undergone the treatment vouch for cupping's effects; as Jessen says, "more research would be amazing, but it isn’t required to prove results — just ask the patients!” And even if cupping is scientifically proven to be "no more effective than placebo," adds Bax, "if someone finds it helpful, it is a safe treatment option that can help" when used as a complement to other, more proven treatments.

Caitlyn Flynn, a freelance lifestyle and travel writer, does just this. She began cupping to relieve back and shoulder pain caused by her lupus (an autoimmune disease) based on a recommendation by her acupuncturist, and says that not only has it provided temporary pain relief, but it's a better fit for her than acupuncture. “Acupuncture helps, but I’m uncomfortable with needles — I have a bit of a phobia — so cupping is preferable,” Flynn tells Mic.

Carlos Escudero, a sales representative at wine importer Wilson Daniels, reveals that he first learned about cupping while watching Phelps the Rio games and decided to pursue the treatment to deal with his shoulder and back pain. "I’ve tried what feels like everything — [like] acupuncture, massages, and physical therapy — so I decided, why not try cupping?” he tells Mic. The treatment worked, and he continues to pursue cupping therapy today.

However, even for those who find benefits from cupping, there are still side effects. The most obvious is bruising, which Wu says can last up to 10 days, though the extent varies by application and your specific needs. For example, Escudero says his bruising usually lasts four to six days, while Flynn says hers lasts about three or four. But despite the bruising, neither of them find the process to be bothersome. “It was a slightly weird sensation at first, but it wasn’t painful,” Flynn says. Escudero adds that while “you feel a slight pinching” and a small amount of pain from cupping, he overall finds it to be “a very relaxing experience.”

Jessen notes that people undergoing cupping may feel “slight tenderness” after the fact, but that it’s normal. While you "may feel a little ‘off’ the rest of the day due to...the toxins that can be released,” she says, “you can fend off this feeling by drinking a lot of water.” Wu adds that although some patients may faint from the process, particularly if they “freak out when looking at the cups (it is not the prettiest site) or psychologically stress out about it," that's certainly not the case for everyone.

Overall, many practitioners feel that cupping is safe, though there is potential for burns and infection (in addition to the aforementioned side effects), since it's a process that involves things like fire and extreme skin suction. “With wet cupping, where an incision or needle prick is made, there is a greater possibility of infection,” Bax explains. “This should be done in a clean environment to prevent [that] risk.”

The NIH notes on its website that there’s also the possibility of “persistent skin discoloration,” as well as scars and worsening of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. In rare, severe cases, the NIH states, repeated wet cupping can lead to anemia (a shortage of healthy red blood cells, according to the Mayo Clinic) from the blood loss, and cupping on the scalp can lead to bleeding in the skull. Wu states that people with certain health conditions — like a fever, serious heart disease, unhealed wounds, and certain blood and vascular issues — should avoid cupping.

Jessen says that you shouldn’t have cupping done over existing bruises or fluid-filled cysts, or on areas where you have an infection or bone fracture. Wu notes that it’s also important to not only avoid areas like eyes, genitalia, and hernias, but to be “mindful of delicate structures [like] veins and superficial nerves if, for some reason, [cupping] could potentially irritate it.”

If you Google "cupping therapy" in your area, you're likely to find a variety of offerings, but as with any treatment, prices vary depending on the facility, provider, treatment time, and more. And while it's possible insurance may cover cupping, it'll depend on your specific case and your company's policy for alternative medicine. For example, Flynn's treatments — which cost $85 per hour after her initial 80-minute, $120 session — are covered by insurance, though she owes $25 co-pay for each visit. Escudero, on the other hand, pays $60 per hour, none of which is covered by his insurance.

Even if you find a price that works, do thorough research on the provider before booking your appointment to make sure they’re qualified. Wu says cupping can be performed by a variety of providers, including acupuncturists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and athletic trainers, but they should all have certificates or evidence of legitimate continuing medical education courses that they can show you.

“Ask [the provider] what courses they have taken, and then go online and see if you can find them,” Wu suggests. “You should be able to determine legitimacy by doing some research on the provider and coursework on your own.” She also recommends reading reviews and talking to past clients, if possible.

Ultimately, your provider should be someone who will “truly listen to you, and understand your condition, and be able to explain what their findings are, what the treatment would consist of and what the expected outcome would be,” says Wu. And if you’re unsure whether or not cupping is right for you, you can always make an appointment with your primary care physician first to discuss it before giving the treatment a go.

Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic imagining of a meat-free world, and much more. All of the stories will be cataloged here, along with the rest of our environmental coverage.

Hot dogs at the ballpark, hamburgers on the grill, a celebratory dinner at the steakhouse. So many moments that feel like quintessential parts of the American experience are connected to food and, more often than not, meat. We're not alone in that, either. Countries like Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and many other wealthy, developed nations have something of a meat fetish. Rapidly developing countries like China and Brazil have seen demand for meat increase as they grow, driven largely by rising income levels.

"Worldwide meat production has more than quadrupled since 1961, and it's swallowing up our climate and ecosystems," Emma Garnett, a research fellow at King's College London's School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, says. That is only expected to continue. In the short term, experts expect meat consumption will increase by about 1.5% per year through 2023. The United Nations projects global meat consumption will increase by 76% by 2050. The global population is expected to increase by 2.3 billion by mid-century, and income is expected to increase significantly in developing countries, enabling more people to access and demand the meat-heavy diets of wealthy nations.

While more people may demand it, the planet simply cannot sustain it. In the United States alone, meat production contributes more than 280 million metric tons of carbon emissions per year. Ditching it would be like taking 60 million gas-guzzling cars off our roads. According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, the global livestock sector accounts for 7.1 gigatons of carbon emissions each year. That represents nearly 16% of all greenhouse gas emissions and has about the same environmental impact of burning 16.4 billion barrels of oil.

We can't afford to keep this up. So we're taking it away. Consider this a Thanos-like finger snap, but instead of cutting the population in half, we're taking away all of the meat. That hot dog you were about to bite into while waiting for the opening pitch? Well, the bun is empty now. So are all the freezers and display cases at your local grocery store. The majority of menus at your favorite restaurants are just blank space now.

Meat is gone. What now?

"The beauty of the next generation of alternative proteins is that there is no sacrifice."

Let's start with your plate. If you're a frequent meat-eater, envisioning what a meal may look like without a go-to protein source like chicken or pork can be a challenge, or even cause a bit of a panic. Emma Ignaszewski, corporate engagement project manager at the nonprofit food advocacy organization Good Food Institute, says that you have nothing to worry about. "The beauty of the next generation of alternative proteins is that there is no sacrifice." According to Ignaszewski, plant-based proteins and cultured meat, or lab-grown meat that is derived directly from animal cells, present options to eat in ways that "resonate with people from the scale of the taste bud to the scale of human culture."

There are already lots of vegetables that can effectively replace the protein that we get from meat sources. Black beans, lentils, and soybeans are great sources of the essential nutrient. Increasingly, plant-based alternatives to meat are capable of replicating the taste, texture, and even behavior of familiar meats. Lab-grown meats are even real meat, but without requiring all of the land and resources and slaughter of living creatures (though these alternatives still present plenty of complicated, sticky ethical questions to navigate).

"At a glance, the meals we share with our families tomorrow don't have to look any different from the meals we eat today," Ignaszewski explains, noting that even in a meatless world, we will be able to get foods that offer "taste and texture that is the same or better, nutrition that is the same or better, at a cost that is the same or lower than those of conventional animal meat."

While it's nice to have familiar foods on your plate, there's also plenty out there to expand our palates. Eve Turow-Paul, founder and executive director of Food for Climate League, points out that 75% of the world's food is generated from only 12 plants and five animal species. "There are up to 300,000 edible plants, and we eat less than 200 of them," she says. "There are tons of delicious foods out there that are currently being ignored. Instead, most of us are focusing on a small handful of foods, especially proteins. It's time to expand our horizons and celebrate the outrageous and overlooked diversity of options available for us to enjoy." Take a bite of a boiled wild grape vine, cook up a flavorful red clover, or chown down on an earthy dandelion and see what you've been missing out on.

When the food that you pile up on your plate changes, you can expect some changes to your body, too. That's not a bad thing. According to Ignaszewski, ditching meat would provide many positive health effects. "Plant-based meat tends to have less total fat, less saturated fat, less or no trans fat, no cholesterol, more complex carbohydrates, and healthy fiber," she says. She notes that animal-based meat has no fiber at all, and in fact can contain potentially harmful drug residue and toxins.

The Mayo Clinic notes that people who don't eat meat generally consume fewer calories and less fat. As a result, they typically are less at risk of the health complications tied to obesity and have a lower risk of heart disease. Harvard researchers have found that people who don't eat meat are likely to have lower total and LDL cholesterol (that's the bad one), lower blood pressure, and lower body mass index (BMI). This typically correlates to a reduced risk for chronic diseases and can result in improved health and longer lives.

There are mental health benefits, too. According to Turow-Paul, choosing to go meat-free "can help us feel more in control of our health, more bonded to the world and people around us, and more purposeful." She says that eating in a more sustainable way means eating foods that bring us closer to the people who grow and prepare our foods and the places our foods come from. "It means eating in ways that allow us to celebrate a greater diversity of people and cultures on our plates, and eating foods that empower us to make a legitimate positive impact through each dollar spent and every bite taken."

Meatless diets don't just help us directly but can improve the health of everyone around us, too — and in unexpected ways. Take, for instance, air quality. We may not associate meat with air pollution — after all, there aren't thick black clouds of smoke billowing out of grazing cows — but what we eat affects the planet in ways we might not expect. In China, a shift to more meat-heavy diets over the last few decades has resulted in more use of nitrogen fertilizer, which increases the amount of ammonia emissions that are put into the atmosphere. More demand also means more cattle, and cow burps are a notoriously dense source of methane gas emissions. This contributes to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which worsens the effects of climate change and degrades air quality. A study found that China suffers 70,000 premature deaths each year because of air pollution that is caused by meat production.

The very production of meat presents other health risks that affect everyone, whether you personally consume meat or not. "Taking a public health perspective, shifting to alternative proteins will also improve public health outcomes and reduce the risk of pandemics," Ignaszewski says. Relying on factory farms for meat, where animals are often packed into overcrowded spaces and living in unsanitary conditions, can create the risk of infectious diseases spreading. The Food and Agriculture Organization has called livestock raised in these environments "the weakest link in our global health chain," and we have in fact seen the spread of major disease from factory farming. It's believed the H1N1 swine flu, which resulted in more than 12,000 deaths, originated in a factory farm setting.

Of course, cutting meat wouldn't just help human health. It would improve the overall health of the planet, too. John Lynch, an environmental scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, says that removing all livestock emissions could have a huge impact, both in the short and long term. "Just over half of [these emissions] comes from methane," he explains. "If we cut out these methane emissions we would then rapidly, over a few decades, reverse the warming they currently cause." He notes that carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions would not disappear as quickly, because they are long-living gases that can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. "But we would be able to stop further temperature increases from these emission sources."

On top of that, Lynch says that land used for livestock could potentially be used to grow food more efficiently. Truly, it would be hard not to improve on the current efficiency of meat production. Ignaszewski notes that chicken, pork, and beef production use "more than 20 times as much land as plant-based meat." The production process also requires more water than you might imagine. According to researchers at Penn State, producing one ton of vegetables requires about 11,300 gallons of water. One ton of pork consumes 121,000 gallons — more than 10 times the amount required for those vegetables. As a result, researchers have found that 50 grams of red meat can have 20 times the carbon footprint as 100 grams of vegetables.

Demand for meat also often requires repurposing land that would otherwise be occupied by essential ecosystems. Meat production is the leading driver for deforestation around the planet, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and is responsible for more than 70% of deforestation in the Amazon alone. Rainforests are essential carbon sinks, sucking up emissions and keeping them from reaching the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. By cutting them down for meat production, we're weakening our defenses while increasing our emissions.

Ditching meat isn't going to be as easy as snapping our fingers, and it doesn't have to be. Meat or even meat-like foods can remain an important source of protein and nutrients. But producing it must become sustainable. "We need a predominantly plant-based diet to prevent runaway climate change, protect nature, and improve our health," Garrett says.

While this change is absolutely necessary, we don't have to look at this as a sacrifice. Turow-Paul argues that it's an opportunity. "The biggest mistake we make when talking about 'meatless' diets is leaving out the fantastic story about what we can be eating instead: hyper-flavorful, nutrient-loaded, re-localized, seasonal, diverse, beautiful foods that will benefit our personal health, our mental health, our economies, and our planet to ensure that Mother Earth continues to be a home for human beings."

The planet has given us bountiful options of foods to eat and enjoy. The least we can do is pick the ones that won't destroy it.

Over the course of the pandemic, it has become increasingly clear what a vital role technology plays in our ability to access health care. Things that used to seem sort of Jetsons now feel normal — like telehealth and smartphone COVID-19 tracking — and the new generation of wearable health monitors can do everything from check your temperature to call the doctor for you. But most of the watches and whatnot tend to be kind of bulky and imprecise, so now scientists are developing wearable electronic skin that can monitor your health stats.

This kinda creepy sounding — but really cool — new technology was created at the University of Tokyo. It’s called e-skin, and it’s made of polyvinyl alcohol combined with a layer of gold. Yes, gold. This combination of materials makes e-skin into a flexible, wearable sensor that can track your vitals and other important health information, CNN reported. Before you get too excited, e-skin hasn’t gone through clinical trials yet, but the developers have been testing it on volunteers and started talking to manufacturers about how to make e-skin available to the public.

One of the coolest things about e-skin is that it’s really sensitive. A lot of wearable devices can check your heart rate — and e-skin can, too — but it can also detect subtle electrical impulses from muscle movement. This, in theory, enables it to track even your smallest body movements and send the information to the cloud without being an impediment to movement, like so many bulky monitors, CNN reported. Developers are also working on giving e-skin an LCD display that shows up on the back of your hand, so that wearers can easily see their stats and loved ones can send emojis that show up on their skin. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve.

"The ultimate goal of e-skin is to monitor all the different types of human information easily, anywhere and anytime, without disturbing daily activities," Takao Someya, a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering and developer of e-skin, told CNN. The wearability factor is key because it means that folks who need to have their stats monitored constantly can, and they don’t have to be in a hospital to do that.

E-skin was created to help monitor elderly people's health precisely and for long periods of time in order to check for early signs of illness and keep track of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart issues. But e-skin has a lot of other uses, too, some of which we probably can’t even imagine yet. During the pandemic, some athletes used e-skin to train from afar by wearing e-skin clothing that sent their data to their coaches, reported CNN, so truly, it could be a future version of a fitness tracker. That is some next level personal training.

It's been just over a month since a 21-year-old white man walked into a series of Atlanta-area spas and killed eight people, the majority of them Asian women, in the deadliest anti-Asian hate crime in recent memory.

Since then, the rising tide of targeted violence against Asian communities — in no small part fueled by former President Donald Trump's toxic insistence on blaming China for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — has reached alarming new heights, with instances of sporadic anti-Asian hate serving as an appalling reminder of the malignant discrimination felt by many of Asian descent in the United States.

On Thursday, a new study from the Pew Research Center confirmed a growing fear within the Asian community, with nearly one-third of Asian American adults claiming they've feared physical attack, and the overwhelming majority claiming that violence against Asian Americans is undeniably on the rise.

While more than half the 5,109 U.S. adults polled by Pew confirmed their belief that violence against the Asian American community is increasing, that number skyrocketed to 81% among Asian Americans themselves. White respondents were the least likely to agree that violence against Asian Americans was increasing, at just 53% — slightly below the overall average of 56%.

Nearly half of Asian American respondents to Pew's poll also claimed they'd experienced at least one of five specific forms of discrimination, such as threats of violence, racial or ethnic slurs and jokes, and COVID-related comments.

All told, one-fifth of Asian respondents placed the blame for the heightened anti-Asian sentiment squarely on Trump, with one poll participant telling Pew that "four years of Trump has normalized racism and bullying. His continual example of blaming Asians for the coronavirus is allowing people to openly discriminate against Asian[s]."

Another respondent highlighted the paradoxical irony of anti-Asian sentiment within the U.S., lamenting that "Asians are not accepted as people of color as they are seen as the model minority, but also are seen as foreign because they are not white."

Crucially, the poll — conducted between April 5-11 — was conducted in English, and utilized a relatively limited sample size of Asian American participants, making it impossible for Pew to accurately slice responses from the Asian American community by age, gender, and other democratic factors. Still, Pew explained, "Despite this limitation, it is important to report the views of Asian Americans on the topics in this study."

Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic imagining of a meat-free world, and much more. All of the stories will be cataloged here, along with the rest of our environmental coverage.

If architecture in 2021 is any indication, future skyscrapers might have less in common with the Empire State Building than they do with the 1,300-year-old Hōryū-ji temple in Japan. Its five-story pagoda is one of the oldest standing wooden buildings in the world. It is a testament to the durability of our original renewable building material, timber — which, tweaked by contemporary engineering, might be key to slashing the world’s carbon emissions.

The last decade has seen the emergence of “mass timber” — an umbrella term for engineered woods. The most common is cross-laminated timber, or CLT. With mass timber, buildings aren’t made of whole pieces of wood like a log cabin or garden shed. Instead, they’re made of panels, themselves created by gluing strips of wood together in a crisscross pattern that makes them strong enough to compete with concrete or steel.

That strength is crucial. Currently, the construction and operation of buildings accounts for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and concrete alone accounts for as much as 8%. There’s no way of averting the climate crisis without a significant change to how we build tall buildings.

Panels of mass timber form high-rises such as Norway’s 18-story Mjøstårnet, currently the tallest all-timber building in the world. And using hybrid techniques that incorporate some steel and concrete, architects are pushing the material into further heights, with the 25-story Ascent tower underway in Milwaukee and the 40-story Earth Tower proposed for Vancouver. There’s even a 70-story, 350-meter-tall hybrid timber “plyscraper” in the works for Tokyo, although it’s a long way from being realized.

But two recent changes mean that mass timber is no longer reserved for prestige projects in the world’s richest postcodes. The building material is coming to ordinary apartment and office blocks across America, where it can make a real difference. (It’s got a slight head start in Europe.) The first change is that the International Buildings Code, which most U.S. jurisdictions follow, now allows mass timber buildings of up to 18 stories, making building permits easier to get. The second is that with the new Biden administration committed to taking action on climate change in Washington, bills like the CLEAN Future Act should push the construction sector to reduce emissions.

“As it stands now, mass timber is the product to use to achieve net-zero,” says Dalton Ho, the senior sustainable building adviser at Perkins&Will, an architecture firm that frequently works with mass timber. “If you look at a high-performance building that's as close to zero-carbon as possible, mass timber is kind of the only way you can achieve that right now.”

How mass timber cuts carbon emissions — and even reverses them

The main difference between timber and almost any other building material is that timber acts as a carbon sink, storing the carbon dioxide that trees have absorbed in their lifetime rather than releasing it back into the atmosphere when they die and decompose. Scientists are racing to advance new methods of carbon capture, but trees are currently the only version of the technology that we know how to implement at scale.

But that’s just the beginning. Think of the main material that mass timber displaces — concrete — with its steep CO2 emissions. Those emissions come partly from the chemical reaction of making the key ingredient of cement, partly from the high heats required, and partly out of just how laborious the whole process is. First, a mold for the concrete needs to be constructed on site. Then cement mixers carry and pour the mixture in over a span of weeks. Once the cement mixture is dry, the construction waste from the used mold has to be taken away by more heavy vehicles.

With mass timber, that pollution is avoided. Architect John Klein, who researches mass timber at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and heads his own timber-focused architecture practice, Generate, describes the material as being “like Legos.” The panels are cut to size in factories, they are lightweight and easy to transport, and when they arrive on-site, they can be fit together with simple tools in not much time at all. The eight-story LifeCyle Tower in Austria was constructed in just over a week using prefabricated timber modules.

While we still don’t know how best to dispose of or recycle timber panels at the end of a building’s life — at which point we’d face having to return its trapped carbon to the atmosphere — Klein points out that the panels are designed for easy disassembly, making reuse possible. And if protected from its main enemy, moisture, timber can have a long, long life. “In Japan, there are timber structures that have been up for thousands of years because they design water shedding in such a strong way,” Klein tells Mic.

There are other benefits to mass timber, including a boost to human wellbeing from the connection to nature and a surprisingly high level of fire resistance. Although we associate wood with burning, trees have evolved a natural protection mechanism against fire: They char on the outside, and that black layer insulates the timber underneath. In contemporary buildings where timber is precision-engineered, that char can protect the underlying structure from flames for hours — well beyond the point at which steel would collapse.

The tipping point

We’ve known how great mass timber could be for years. The difference in 2021 is that, along with the regulatory changes, the costs of the material have come down dramatically, and the supply chains now exist to make mass timber a viable option even in your average American neighborhood.

Klein’s company Generate is among those making the material more accessible. It creates prefabricated timber and hybrid “kits of parts” so that developers and architects don’t have to design and engineer everything from scratch. Instead, they can just access Generate’s library of existing elements, ranging from individual columns and slabs to full bathroom pods. From there, they can customize those plans to their specific needs, see a cost and carbon analysis, and then get their materials made to order. It’s like building Legos, but for skyscrapers.

After a slowdown in construction at the start of the pandemic, Klein says he’s seen accelerating demand for mass timber from developers. Ho from Perkins&Will said the same.

“In this sort of weird and convoluted way, there’s been a stronger appreciation for interior spaces [since the pandemic],” Ho says. “I think that the pandemic has heightened our awareness of the impacts buildings can have on us as occupants, and also the impacts that buildings can have on the environment.”

He thinks that being able to observe improvements in water and air quality during lockdowns had a profound effect on people. “I believe seeing those changes helped to make the connection between our everyday lives and the impact on the environment,” he says. And the more people who start to care about this every day, the more demand there will be for climate-friendly methods of everything — including large-scale construction.

But is it enough?

Mass timber is the most transformative technology in architecture right now, but it’s not a silver bullet. Generate’s embodied carbon analysis shows its nearly all-timber design cutting the building’s global warming potential in half, but with more modest reductions for hybrid versions involving steel and concrete. Ho meanwhile points out that while wood may make a structure carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative, there are still all the other materials that go into fitting out a building to consider, like the building facade, insulation, and mechanical systems such as heating and air conditioning.

And with the urgency of the climate crisis, we’re going to have to think a lot more deeply about how and whether we build new buildings at all. At the Architecture of Emergency summit in London last year, architect Maria Smith, the director of sustainability and physics at Buro Happold, an engineering firm, made the case that making real progress on climate change is only possible by “degrowth” — that is, by producing less and distributing the resources we already have more equitably.

“To really make progress, to do more good and not just less bad, we need system change, and critically, we need to be free from the subjugation of obligatory economic growth.” Smith said at the conference. “We must do much more than substituting one way of extracting energy and resources from the Earth and other people for another. ... Substitution is not enough. We must think and act differently.”

At the same time, we can’t stop building entirely. And the building type we have the most need for — urban housing — is the type arguably most suited to mass timber, with its blocky, repetitive floor plans. That’s why innovators like Klein, with his company’s prefabricated designs lowering the barrier to mass timber building dramatically, are optimistic that they’re about to hit the boom times.

“I would say in the next five years, we will see mass timber buildings in every city in the U.S.,” says Klein. “It's going to come fast.”

I am admittedly a probiotics Stan. Despite the overwhelming clinical evidence that probiotic supplements don’t do much for most conditions, I take them daily. Why? Because I think they make pooping better and that’s worth committing to. When I began to hear buzz about postbiotics and parabiotics, I felt simultaneously excited and doomful. How many supplements can a human take in a day and still respect themselves as a science lover? That question led me explore what exactly postbiotics and parabiotics are and whether they are necessary or just more wellness hype.

Let’s start at the root. Probiotics are the healthy (or pro) bacterias and yeasts that live in your body, particularly in your gut. We all have them, whether you take a supplement or not, and they help the body fight off bad bacteria or help your body eliminate bacteria that you have too much of. Now on to their cousins: “Postbiotic is the waste product of probiotics,” says Jessica Blanchard, a New Orleans-based holistic nutritionist and dietician. Yep, that’s right, y’all, postbiotics are bacterial poop.

What, then, you may be wondering, are the benefits of taking these slightly gross-sounding supplements? “Postbiotics could potentially be a way to send anti-inflammatory signals to the immune cells of your gut, without introducing bacteria,” says Blanchard. This — preventing inflammation without introducing a new, unfamiliar organism into the body — could be good for immunocompromised people in particular.

If postbiotics are probiotic poop, then parabiotics are sort of like zombie probiotics. Hear me out, though. “Parabiotics are compounds that contain inactivated unused parts of probiotics,” says Ivel De Freitas, a Miami-based internal medicine physician who focuses on preventative nutritional medicine. Parabiotics don’t have any viable bacteria themselves, says De Freitas, but they do have the bacteria's cell components. In other words, parabiotics are basically dead probiotics. Like I said, zombies.

So what could these undead probiotic compounds do for your body if they’re so dead that Like, scientists actually call them “ghost probiotics?” Some recent studies suggest that introducing parabiotics into the gut biome can help strengthen the cell walls there, thus promoting healthy digestion. Yes, says De Freitas. Parabiotics may improve microbiome and immunity health, improving digestion and reducing inflammation, she explains. “[Because parabiotics] have the bacteria's cell components, they’re thought to help nourish and positively signal the microbiome.” It’s worth noting that the current research on both para- and postbiotics is mostly based on small lab-based studies — a.k.a. not on people — so it’s hard to say exactly how they will work in human bodies exactly.

Part of the problem with supplements is that people often take them when they have an issue in lieu of getting medical advice. But should they? “I first recommend that everyone work on improving their diet before spending money on supplements,” she says. And, while it’s too soon, study-wise, to tell, they could have side effects for some people. If your body gets too much of good bacteria, or for some reason your gut barrier is breached, the bacteria can cause inflammation, Blanchard says. This could be a problem for people with leaky gut or Crohn’s disease.

The experts I spoke with seemed similarly dubious about all these different kinds of probiotic-related supplements. “These are compounds that are produced by probiotics with the fermentation process of some foods, like yogurt, Kombucha, sauerkraut and sourdough bread,” De Freitas says.

Basically, while De Freitas says that para- and postbiotics could be healthy, you don’t have to buy supplements to get them, you can just eat fermented foods. She also doesn’t recommend them for anyone with gas, bloating, or any known imbalance of the gut biome.

So are parabiotics and postbiotics healthy or hype? They’re definitely healthy, and you definitely already have them in your body. There seems to be slightly more research available on postbiotics, but that doesn’t mean they are somehow “better” than parabiotics. It just means that scientists are more familiar with them. Experts still basically agree that, unless you are prescribed to do so, don’t actually need to buy any -biotic supplements, but it can’t hurt to eat some kimchi and add a little greek yogurt to your granola.

Before Tuesday, I would have started this essay by clumsily referring to the "police killing" of George Floyd. I would have dodged what we all know because legal constraints censor me, too. I would have been required to offer a presumption of innocence through wordplay despite video showing Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck until he died, because a murder is only a murder if a conviction says so.

Today, however, I can say former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. If you want to get technical, jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. These classifications don't necessarily matter to me, outside of acknowledging them so nobody can say I haven't done my due diligence as a journalist. Second- or third-degree, either way, I can finally call Derek Chauvin a murderer.

Some people are celebrating this verdict, but I can't. My feelings about it are admittedly complicated; I've written about why Chauvin's trial, and thus this verdict, are incapable of delivering real justice. Time and time again, I've had to be the voice on the sidelines, reminding people that the same state funding the police to horrifically oppress Black communities is incapable of providing mechanisms for our freedom.

In a sense, I'm here to take up that position of reorienting the conversation again. But this time, I do get to celebrate something. While I may not rejoice over the verdict itself, I can see it for what it is. Throughout Chauvin's trial, the city of Minneapolis prepared for the coming verdict by once again militarizing the streets, barricading doors and windows, and surrounding the perimeter of the Government Center downtown with barbed wire. Even outside of Minnesota, cities like Philadelphia, where I live now, responded to the news of an incoming verdict by activating the National Guard and lining areas of downtown and West Philadelphia with hordes of police.

To be clear, I'm not happy about the militarized response. But like the verdict, I'm reading beyond what the state wants. I see the law enforcement preparation and the verdict stemming from the same source. Chauvin was not brought to trial and charged because the state found a conscience. He was brought to trial because officials were afraid of how much more destruction could come to their city if they treated him the way they did Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze, who were not indicted for the police killing of Jamar Clark in 2015, or Dan May, who received a Medal of Valor after shooting 17-year-old Tycel Nelson in the back in 1990.

This fear did not come about because of massive organizations or nonprofits. No, this verdict is a desperate attempt to appease the masses — the people whose names you may never know, but who breathed in weeks' worth of chemical irritants like tear gas and pepper spray, or spent late nights spreading messages on social media, participating however they could, because a brush with celebrity was not their drive.

Today, I'm celebrating the grassroots.

Being from Minneapolis means that my feelings about the city are as complicated as my feelings surrounding Chauvin's verdict. I know every part of myself that is owed to that city, including the parts I could do without. There were times in Minneapolis when I hated it so damn much that walking outside of my door made my skin crawl. Eventually, I hated it enough to move halfway across the country to Philadelphia with no housing lined up. But now, I can't get through a conversation here without bringing Minneapolis up somehow.

Even when I lived in and hated Minneapolis, I loved it for what I knew it could be. And I only knew what it could be because of the people there. The friends who protested with me but also laughed and gossiped and spent nights hopping from party to party, living our momentarily best lives in a city that was otherwise intent on destroying them. The elders who showed me where our blood flowed before and what bloomed in its path after. The youth who were not afraid to ask questions and flip tables if they didn't like the answers. Regardless of how I felt about Minneapolis as a whole, there were always those small parts of it that breathed, moved, and dreamed differently.

So following Floyd's murder, I wasn't part of the country surprised that Minnesota, of all places, would pop off the way it did. The looting? The Third Precinct burning? The people ready and willing to face off against lines of police and Minnesota National Guard who could seriously maim, if not kill, them? All I can say is mashallah. Those are the people we owe this verdict to.

Some names behind this revolution we know, like Darnella Frazier, who captured Floyd's murder on her cell phone when she was only 17 years old. Some people we know by their positions as street medics, and yes, there are small collectives, organizations, and cooperatives like Minnesota Teen Activists, which coordinated a statewide walkout this week, or Black Table Arts, who deserve credit for their roles, too. And yet, there are just as many of the unaffiliated; friends who grouped up to do what had to be done but who never needed a formal name or hierarchy in order to define it.

Now, though, I can't help but think of how so many people wanted to discount their actions because they were not pretty enough. Who ever told you that a revolution would be easy on the eyes? In December of 1963, Malcolm X gave a speech titled "Message to the Grassroots" at a rally in Detroit, Michigan. There, he spoke about what makes a revolution, and I find his words especially fitting in a time where "peaceful" protests are somehow the only legitimate ones:

"A revolution is bloody. Revolution is hostile. Revolution knows no compromise. Revolution overturns and destroys everything that gets in its way. And you, sitting around here like a knot on the wall, saying, 'I’m going to love these folks no matter how much they hate me.' No, you need a revolution."

I don't have a message to the grassroots of Minneapolis because I think they, better than most, understand Malcolm's speech. Instead, this essay is my love letter to the grassroots, and to all the people who embody what Malcolm said next: "Whoever heard of a revolution where they lock arms, as Rev. Cleage was pointing out beautifully, singing 'We Shall Overcome'? Just tell me. You don’t do that in a revolution. You don’t do any singing; you’re too busy swinging."

Being a United States senator seems like it could be a pretty easy job. Not always, of course, but if you really wanted it to be, I think it could probably be the sort of thing you could sleepwalk your way through 90% of the time. Think about it: You're granted unimaginable power and privilege, you have a staff of professionals to write out your speeches and do all your research and answer your phones, and all you have to do is not make a complete ass out of yourself, and maybe occasionally ask some people who are even richer than you are if they'd please give you some money so you can keep doing whatever it is you've been doing thus far.

What I'm saying is, you've gotta be either very bad at your job, very stupid, or simply not care much about how you look to the general public, to be clowned on as hard as Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy (R) was clowned on by Georgia voting right activist Stacey Abrams this week.

The scene:

• The Senate Judiciary Committee's "Jim Crow 2021: The Latest Assault on the Right to Vote" hearing on Tuesday

The players:

• 69-year-old white southern Republican stalwart John Kennedy
• Voting rights activist and former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams

The issue:

• Georgia's recently passed voter suppression bill, which dramatically constrains who, how, and when people can cast their ballots in what's become a significant battleground state in national elections

Let's go to the tape!

Boy did Kennedy just set himself up to get dunked on, over and over and over again, or what? If you're going to ask a witness at a Senate hearing a question, perhaps it shouldn't be the sort of question that affords them the opportunity rattle off a clear, concise, easy-to-understand list of exactly why the thing you're defending is extremely bad.

What, exactly, was Kennedy expecting? Did he think Abrams hadn't done the homework? Did he expect her to somehow flub a question on the very issue she's made the centerpiece of her entire post-election career? What's, y'know, the goal here?

Anyway, if this brief back and forth has proven anything, it's that John Kennedy should be careful what he wishes for. He might just get it.

On Tuesday night, Fox News's increasingly fascistic, white nationalist-sympathizing host Tucker Carlson issued a strange aside during his usual screeds against racial minorities and shadowy "elites" and whatever other groups he can think to demonize on any given occasion. He was, he explained, responding to reports that The Washington Post's Erik Wemple ("a mentally unbalanced middle-aged man," Tucker smarmed) had been investigating Carlson's college yearbook — "to see if we'd done anything naughty at the age of 19."

The segment, random as it was, clearly indicated something bad was about to drop and that Carlson — perhaps the most diabolically effective broadcaster on air today — was eager to get ahead of it, whatever "it" was.

On Wednesday, that "it" appeared to be, at least in part, Tucker's claim that he was a member of the "Dan White Society" and the "Jesse Helms Foundation" — two groups with decidedly ignominious namesakes, as highlighted on Twitter by author Travis Akers.

White, as Akers notes, is the former California politician who murdered San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, and city supervisor Harvey Milk — an LGBTQ+ icon California's first openly gay elected official — in 1978.

Long-serving North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, meanwhile, was among the most racist, homophobic members of Congress within the past century, having opposed nearly every instance of civil rights legislation and openly calling members of the LGBTQ+ community "weak, morally sick wretches."

It's worth noting that, as of this moment, neither the yearbook page nor Carlson's professed involvement in either "group" has been independently confirmed or acknowledged by Tucker himself. However, it seems deeply on-brand that Carlson would lump himself in with some of the most abhorrent, hateful, violent figures in American politics, even if only as the sort of cheeky "ha ha, triggered" effort upon which he's built an entire career.

So, what's more revolting: someone planting their name next to an infamous assassin and a lifelong racist as a "joke," or because they really mean it?

The news that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd broke late in the afternoon on Tuesday, right around the time late night shows typically tape episodes. As a result, most of the hosts shoehorned somber statements about accountability and police reform into monologues otherwise dominated by cannabis jokes. Still, since tons of news-weary Americans rely on late night for slightly-less-depressing updates on current events, it felt important to see hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon mark a momentous day in American history.

“After 10 hours of deliberation, a jury in Minneapolis decided that it’s illegal for the police to murder people; that Black lives matter,” Colbert told viewers in a cold open. “It’s hard to celebrate, because a man is still dead, but there is a sense of relief that at least this one injustice was not compounded with indifference." Colbert celebrated the conviction but emphasized that accountability does not equal justice: "Hopefully this is a step toward a future where police being held accountable for their actions isn’t headline material."

He added that it's up to the American people to keep demanding racial justice, as they have in the streets since last May. "There is more work to be done, and it’s work that all of us should be committed to, because as Ben Crump, the Floyd family lawyer, reminded us today, justice for Black America is justice for all America," the comedian concluded.

Elsewhere on late night, Fallon echoed a lot of what his rival said: "The courts did their job and justice was served, and while this is a step in the right direction, there’s still a lot of work to be done," the NBC host told viewers. We all must continue to call out injustice until things change for the better.” And in the meantime, Fallon promised to entertain folks for an hour.

“Real justice would be Black Americans not having to live in fear of being stopped by police and killed, and surely that is a verdict that we need to work towards," observed James Corden, who's on CBS after Colbert. “I think we’re all grateful that it went the way that it did," Jimmy Kimmel said over on ABC. "And I also want to say, ‘Good luck in prison, Derek, you’ll need it.’ That’s right. I hope you’re there for a very long time.”

By contrast, the discourse on Fox News' late night show Gutfeld! centered on criticizing Rep. Maxine Waters, who rallied with protesters in Minnesota over the weekend and encouraged them to "stay on the street" and "get more confrontational" if a guilty verdict wasn't returned in the Chauvin trial. Host Greg Gutfeld and his guests complained that Democrats were sowing division willy-nilly, even as a majority of Americans thought the ex-cop was in the wrong.

Meanwhile, the comedians most folks would like to hear weigh in on the conviction haven't gotten the platform yet. Trevor Noah and The Daily Show are on hiatus this week. A Little Late with Lilly Singh seemed pre-taped, focusing on the racist war on drugs. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee airs on Wednesdays, Desus & Mero is on Sundays and Thursdays, and Amber Ruffin's show drops most Fridays. In other words, there'll surely be a lot more said about the trial on late-night in the coming days and weeks.

Tuesday’s verdict for former police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd wasn’t a victory or cause for celebration –– it was a brief sigh of relief after weeks of dread. The footage from last year’s cell phone video and the testimony in the case were crystal clear, but in a country where there’s such a long history of police being able to escape carceral ramifications from killing civilians, there was still a sense of foreboding that Chauvin’s case would have a similar fate. But that's only part of why a statement from Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful politicians in the country, was so jarring.

“Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice,” said Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus. “Because of you and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous for justice.”

Pelosi’s usage of the phrase “sacrificing your life” is thoughtless and irresponsible. Some may just dismiss it as a well-intentioned flub. But to say that George Floyd “sacrificed his life” is dishonest: He didn’t volunteer himself to die for the sake of a worldwide surge of protests against police brutality. He was fighting, and pleading, for his life until the final breath left his body. Of all the victims of police brutality that have been most covered by the news –– Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, Philando Castille, Alton Sterling, and the endless list of so many others –– none of them “sacrificed” themselves for justice. They desperately wanted, and deserved, to still be living today.

Black people may be victims and survivors of a white supremacist system that equips police officers with guns, military-grade weapons, and qualified immunity. But we aren’t sacrificing anything: We’re fighting for our lives. When Sandra Bland was pulled out of her car for the apparent crime of smoking a cigarette and being upset for being pulled over, she spoke angrily and passionately to the police officer, citing her rights while fighting to defend herself. Tamir Rice was 12 years old, playing with a toy in the park, when police did what was ostensibly a drive-by shooting. And Tuesday night, around the same time the verdict for Derek Chauvin was being delivered, 16-year-old Ohio girl Ma’Khia Bryant was killed by a police officer after she, herself, had reportedly called the police for help.

She wasn’t sacrificing her life; she was depending on the police to save her life, and she got the opposite. These people’s families didn’t sacrifice their loved ones for the movement, either; they’ll be grieving for the rest of their lives. And the people who restlessly spend their time protesting, marching, meeting with elected officials, and organizing, they aren’t sacrificing either; they’re fighting for the lives of themselves and the people they love.

The person we most associate with “sacrificing his life” was Jesus Christ. Followers of Christianity believe that he willingly suffered persecution and ultimately gave his life, through an excruciatingly painful crucifixion, in exchange for God forgiving humans for their sins. But according to this same religious belief, Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days later, walking amongst the people again before ascending into heaven. As much these victims of police brutality will have legacies that are continued by activists who do the work, they don’t have the ability to rise from the dead. Police often act as if unarmed Black men and women are supernatural beings, as if killing us is the only way to stop us. And they shoot or strangle us, often without even offering medical attention afterward, as if we can easily revive ourselves.

Politicians were quick to call Tuesday’s verdict a “victory” and to label it as “accountability,” but they directly benefit from those labels. They want the powerful bloc of Black voters to associate them and their political tenures with the fight for justice against police brutality, so that we’ll feel protected by putting them in office. But it’ll take more than one or two guilty verdicts to be on the right side of history. Police need to know ahead of time that angry protesters and civil payouts won’t be the only repercussions if they take a life unjustifiably, or stand by as their partners do so; they should credibly fear losing their badge and their freedom. And while the infamous “blue wall of silence” was breached for this case as officers testified against Chauvin, there's still a long way to go before this is changed systemically. This case doesn't leave substantial reason to believe that Black people are immensely safer from police violence than we were the minute before the verdict was delivered.

Nancy Pelosi spoke of “sacrifice for justice.” But the real sacrifice needs to be done by her fellow politicians, law enforcement organizations, and judges. To sacrifice, you have to willingly give something up on behalf of something else. And these people must be ready to sacrifice the benefits of white supremacy to destroy its evil. They have to be willing to give up hundreds of years of advantages they have as white people, all in the pursuit of what’s right.

Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic imagining of a meat-free world, and much more. All of the stories will be cataloged here, along with the rest of our environmental coverage.

In a 2008 post on the now-defunct site High Gloss and Sauce, blogger Jenna Karvunidis shared photos of herself cutting into a cake to reveal a layer of pink icing, announcing to her friends, family, and readers that she was expecting a baby girl. At the time, she probably didn’t realize she was sparking a national obsession that would produce its own genre of news coverage — “gender reveal gone wrong” — or that some of the more elaborate copycats would cause multiple fatalities and large-scale environmental destruction.

Late last month, two people died when a single-engine plane crashed off the coast of Cancun after emitting a cloud of pink smoke above a crowd that had gathered to learn an unborn baby’s gender. A similar crash, in which one passenger was injured, occurred in Texas in 2019. That same year, a grandmother in Iowa was killed when shrapnel from a homemade pipe bomb struck her in the head at a gender reveal party. And earlier this year, a New York father-to-be died after accidentally detonating a homemade explosive he was building for his child’s gender reveal.

Let’s be frank: This trend is not only woefully ignorant regarding gender constructs, it poses a threat to human life and also, the environment. In the past four years alone, gender reveal parties have sparked two massive wildfires in Arizona and California, where experts say climate change, decades of misguided wildfire management, and human carelessness are coming together in a dangerous conflagration that threatens the biodiversity of fire-prone regions.

Arizona’s Sawmill Fire started in 2017 when an off-duty border patrol agent shot at an explosive target as part of a gender reveal. The resulting wildfire, aided by dry and windy conditions, spread across 47,000 acres and scorched about 28% of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. It took nearly 800 firefighters and more than $8 million to extinguish the flames. Three years later, a gender reveal party smoke bomb sparked California’s El Dorado Fire, which ultimately burned more than 22,000 acres in San Bernardino County and killed one firefighter.

In both cases, the environmental impacts were devastating — and the local ecosystems will suffer the consequences long after the babies in question are walking and talking.

Molly Hunter, an associate research professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in the ecological effects of wildfires, tells Mic that the lower elevation grasslands that the Sawmill Fire tore through are well-adapted to fire, and are likely to bounce back within a few years — but the trees are a different story. “Once a tree is burned, it doesn’t come back,” she says. Whereas in shrub and grassland systems, “typically, a fire burns through and it's like mowing your lawn. You burn the top of the grass and the next year, it will sprout.”

According to a report from Northern Arizona University, about 14% of the Sawmill Fire burned through wooded areas, affecting conifer-oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands and weakening the area’s cottonwood trees. And in California, “the old-growth forests were devastated by the [El Dorado] fire and won't recover in our lifetimes,” Doug Chudy, Regional Director for the San Bernardino Mountains Preserves, tells Mic. Fires like the El Dorado often convert ecosystems from one type to another, Chudy says. For instance, a wooded area may become grassland, more or less permanently.

Losing trees often means losing — or displacing — the wildlife that depend on them. In Arizona, for example, the cottonwood trees provide a home for the Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, a candidate for protection under The Endangered Species Act due to its disappearing habitat. The bird only breeds in large, continuous areas of particular trees growing along rivers, like the cottonwoods found along the Las Cienegas Reserve’s Empire Gulch. The El Dorado fire, meanwhile, engulfed the Bear Paw Reserve, a remote, mountainous conservation area where endangered spotted owls have been sighted in recent years.

Many plant and animal species were affected by the blaze. “In the weeks after the fire, our staff found injured foxes, bears, and other wildlife, some of which had to be rescued,” Chudy says, adding that many bird species will likely take years to recover, and the most severely scorched sections of the reserve may never bounce back entirely.

Fish are also especially vulnerable to wildfire — in some ways moreso, because they can’t fly, borough, or run away, Hunter says. The fire itself can heat up a waterbody, killing aquatic species. Ash runoff and erosion following a fire can also make it impossible for fish to breathe, triggering mass die-offs, as was the case in the wake of Australia’s massive 2020 wildfires.

Experts say climate change, decades of misguided wildfire management, and human carelessness are coming together in a dangerous conflagration that threatens the biodiversity of fire-prone regions.

All that said, mild to moderate wildfires are actually a natural part of many landscapes with dry, Mediteranean climates like California’s, and some plant and animal species rely on them. Giant sequoias, for instance, only reproduce if their cones are exposed to fire. “It's kind of like a Goldilocks situation, where you don't want too little fire,” Morgan Tingley, an ornithologist and professor of ecology at UCLA, tells Mic. “You also don't want too much fire. You want enough fire for the forest to be healthy, and you want what we obliquely refer to as ‘good’ fire.”

But “too much fire” is a phenomenon that’s becoming more frequent in California. In 2020, the state had its most severe wildfire season on record, with more than 4% of its land mass estimated to have burned. Of course gender reveal parties aren’t to blame for this rise, which is largely the result of climate change and a history of fire suppression that has left excess fuel in the state’s forests. But these conditions do make gender reveal stunts, such as target shooting, lighting off fireworks, or detonating homemade explosives, all the more threatening to the increasingly flammable landscape.

“Controlled burns,” or planned fires set by forestry experts to manage a forest’s health, offer a partial solution. Unlike an accidental fire sparked by something like a gender reveal party, Tingley says that the process of getting a controlled burn approved is “akin to launching a space shuttle.”

Even if they don’t ignite devastating wildfires, fireworks, smoke bombs, and sparklers are definitively terrible for the environment, due to their tendencies to release heavy metals and carcinogens into the atmosphere. And glitter, sometimes deployed at the parties in pink or blue bursts, has been called an “environmental abomination” because of its status as a microplastic — you know, those tiny bits of trash so prevalent and hard to clean up that they literally rain down from the sky, are embedded by the ton on the ocean floor, and have been detected in the placentas of unborn babies.

Like a tiny spark that grows into an out-of-control inferno, gender reveals have morphed from a cute party idea into something more hazardous. Perhaps feeling the heat, Karvunidis, the blogger who so casually ignited the trend in 2008, has since denounced gender reveal parties — not only because they’re killing people and harming the environment, but also because she feels they send the wrong message about the importance of gender.

“Who cares what gender the baby is?” Karvunidis wrote on Facebook in 2019, alongside a photo of her daughter sporting short hair, a blue blazer, and slacks. “PLOT TWIST. The world’s first gender-reveal party baby is a girl who wears suits!”

Let’s hope other parents-to-be share her epiphany, before another forest goes up in flames.

Less than 24 hours after a Hennepin County jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd last spring, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a broad investigation into the department under which Chauvin operated with seeming impunity for so many years. Garland specifically referenced "potentially systemic policing issues" within the Minneapolis Police Department.

"I know that justice is sometimes slow, sometimes elusive, and sometimes never comes," Garland acknowledged during his brief remarks Wednesday. "The Department of Justice will be unwavering in its pursuit of equal justice under law. We undertake this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait."

In addition to the investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department's long history of abuses and misuse of authority, the Justice Department is also in the midst of separate federal civil rights investigation into Floyd's death specifically.

Crucially, Garland's investigation into the MPD comes just days after the Justice Department announced it would resume entering into consent decrees with cities — a practice that allows the government to affect department policies and procedures, which was curtailed under the Trump administration and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Reinstating the practice of consent decrees affords the DOJ a particularly effective method of addressing any discrimination or other flawed police practices it might uncover in the course of its investigation into the MPD.

This is not, in fact, the first time the Justice Department has delved into Minneapolis's policing practices. In 2014, the DOJ and MPD coordinated on what was described at the time as a "final assessment and implementation plans to support the MPD’s accountability procedures."

News of the DOJ's forthcoming investigation was met with near unanimous support from all but one member of the Minneapolis City Council. The supportive members wrote in a joint statement that it was a welcome change given that "the City Council's oversight of the Minneapolis Police Department has been historically constrained by the City Charter and state law."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), widely seen as having bungled his city's response to Floyd's murder, also welcomed the investigation, writing in a brief statement that "this is a defining moment of truth and reconciliation in America."

In his remarks Wednesday, Garland emphasized that the investigation was a response to the tragedy of Floyd's death, saying, "I know that nothing can fill the void that the loved ones of George Floyd have experienced since his death. My heart goes out to them and to all those who have experienced similar loss."

An objectively miniscule incident was magnified over the weekend, because one of the parties involved is famous. Basically, Demi Lovato beefed with a frozen yogurt store, accusing them of pushing diet culture, which she found triggering. But what the drama actually exemplified is that we, as a society, are really bad at talking about the realities of eating disorder recovery.

Here’s the scoop: Lovato criticized The Bigg Chill in Los Angeles for selling “tons of sugar free cookies/other diet foods” and implored the shop to “do better please.” She appended #dietculturevultures to her Instagram Story, saying she’d use the hashtag to call out businesses "that perpetuate a society that not only enables but praises disordered eating."

The froyo shop defended itself, saying they carry a variety of treats for customers with dietary restrictions, like vegans, celiacs and diabetics. "We are not diet vultures," The Bigg Chill wrote. "We cater to all of our customers’ needs for the past 36 years. We are sorry you found this offensive." But Lovato doubled down, calling the whole thing “triggering and awful.” She chastised the business for not considering customers with eating disorders, too. “Don't make excuses, just do better,” the singer wrote.

Froyo fans then attacked Lovato, accusing her of canceling a small business. Piers Morgan whined that the pop star was trying to ruin his favorite “yoghurt” shop. So on Monday, she issued a half-hearted apology, explaining she wasn’t targeting a small business, just being vocal about her everyday struggles. Lovato said dealing with her drug addiction has been easier than her eating disorder, because she can walk away from drugs, but she has to eat.

Anyhow, I’m pretty self-conscious to have already spilled 200 words on a froyo fight, but the story sparked the question: is a triggerless world possible, and should we even try to create one? To understand a little more about eating disorder recovery and where Lovato was coming from, Mic talked to licensed clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, Psy.D. She stressed that she can only comment in general, since she’s never met or assessed Lovato, but her insight was illuminating.

Mic: Did Demi overreact to sugar-free froyo? Is learning to live with triggers an important survival skill?

Aimee Daramus, Psy.D.: Triggers are automatic and irrational, and working on them is a long, complicated process. You can have them under control for a long time, and then if you’re tired or under a lot of stress, they can pop out all over again. This is especially true of eating disorders, because you can’t abstain from your triggers. You have to face food multiple times a day, and bad diet and exercise advice is all over the place even for those of us who don’t have a celebrity’s pressure to stay thin. At the same time, I can see where it was an abuse of power.

When is a trigger acceptable versus inconsiderate?

If you want to be supportive of someone with a mental illness, you have to be able to hold two different beliefs at once: that they will be triggered at times, and that it is OK to set boundaries around behavior when triggered. You can both call someone out on their behavior toward that business and show patience and support for recovery at the same time. You want to be able to set boundaries in a caring way, like, “We love you, but this is how you were out of line, and we need you to work on this.”

How does someone mindfully respond to triggers when they inevitably encounter them?

So ideally, the person would learn to respond to a trigger by taking ownership, like, “I know I’m triggered by this, and I can do my best with my coping skills.” People learn over time not to blame and how to cope, but it’s a tough journey and it’s normal to backslide sometimes, which is where you need others’ help with those firm, caring boundaries.

Leading purveyor of elegant automobile tires and fine dining discernment, Michelin is once again set to award deserving recipients their coveted star rating, via the Michelin guide. This year, in addition to the accolade given to affordable quality food, the Bib Gourmand, (single star is “high-quality,” double star is “excellent cooking,” and triple star means “exceptional cuisine,”) awards, Michelin has created a new distinction on sustainability, called the Michelin Green Star. The new star signals those establishments with an approach to sustainable gastronomy, or cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from and what is done with them on the journey to our forks.

“For many years, we've witnessed the work of chefs and the paths they have taken in striving for ethical practices,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, tells Mic. The company’s goal, he adds, is to shine a light on the practices and philosophies that will keep this planet functionally spinning and all of us eating at restaurants. He notes the tragic pandemic-fueled dip in attendance during the past year that only scarred the economy (and our restaurant-loving hearts) but also Michelin’s ability to inspect and award stars last year.

“Navigating health protocols, closures, and temporary pivots was especially challenging,” says Poullennec. They’re now back evaluating restaurants after ending the guide's fall hiatus. “All in all, it proved resilience among the industry and ourselves. Restaurants opened, thrived and were successful.”

When it comes to any type of culinary accolades, status and prestige are always at the forefront, but these green stars aren’t a gauzy facade of virtue, I’m promised. Food practices are among the biggest concerns when it comes to climate change and the hope is that everyone in the industry starts to take theirs more seriously.

It often all starts with the produce. When you see the phrase “locally sourced produce,” it sounds quaint and fresh, but actually means that greenhouse gases are reduced because of how far your food travels to get to you. Farming, production, and transport accounts for 26% of the world's gas emissions, according to Our World In Data.

To identify chefs and establishments who are taking efforts to be more eco-conscious, Michelin’s inspectors compare products and ingredients used, as well as the menu, management, their successes in reducing and/or recycling food waste, and perhaps most interestingly, the chef’s ability to increase their diners’ awareness of green behaviors and practices through what they’re serving. “Each restaurant has its own unique way of promoting a sustainable approach to sustainability,” Poullennec says.

Michelin’s Green Star has debuted in nine American establishments so far, including California restaurant The French Laundry, which just completed renovations on a green update to their building. The fanciest laundromat ever also has three original Michelin stars.

Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters, another Green Star-recipient, is the chef credited with creating “California cuisine” (fresh, organically grown, and local ingredients only, apparently) in the late 70s. Waters also founded a nonprofit called The Edible Schoolyard, a noble effort to instill gardening and food values in elementary schools. Along with seven other Green Star-winning eateries, the French Laundry and Chez Panisse prove the environment and luxe food’s place in it can coexist. “For us, the Green Star distinction is just as important as the rest of our culinary distinctions,” says Poullennec, remarking that Michelin will be devoting a good deal of energy and resources needed to make sustainability the culinary world’s norm.

In the past, fancy food was not at all known to go hand-in-hand with sustainability. In fact, wasting food was (and still is, unfortunately) seen as a luxury practice. These days, the conversation about what it means to “eat well” is transforming, and Michelin's Green Star might be a motivating factor for some restaurants to get their minds right.

The Biden administration has extended a pandemic-era waiver program to provide free school lunches to all students for the coming 2021-2022 academic year, the Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. The decision is a significant step toward addressing the plague of food insecurity which has affected an estimated 12 million children over the past year, according to the USDA.

"USDA will remain relentless in ensuring our nation's children get the critical nutrition they need," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "States and districts wanted waivers extended to plan for safe reopening in the fall. USDA answered the call to help America's schools and childcare institutions serve high-quality meals while being responsive to their local needs as children safely return to their regular routines."

"It's a win-win for kids, parents, and schools," he added.

The extension of the waiver program comes on the heels of a previous USDA decision to extend the free school lunches only through the end of September.

Citing a recently released study from Tufts University, the USDA noted that in recent years, schools have "provided the best mean diet quality of major U.S. food sources, without population disparities." Put more simply: Children receive the best nutritional value from meals served at schools.

The waiver program that will now extend through the coming school year is designed in part to allow schools more flexibility to serve meals to students outside the usual lunch times and places — a crucial feature that enabled millions of kids to receive meals during fully- or even partially-remote learning.

"Students' success in the classroom goes hand in hand with their ability to access basic needs like healthy and nutritious meals," Miguel Cardona, the education secretary, said in a statement. "It's critical that our efforts to reopen schools quickly and safely include programs that provide access to free, healthy meals for our most vulnerable students, particularly those whose communities have been hardest hit by the pandemic. This program will ensure more students, regardless of their educational setting, can access free, healthy meals as more schools reopen their doors for in-person learning."

With the extension now in place, the question becomes whether the Biden administration will make free school lunches a permanent feature of the American educational system.

"I've been in school meals since 1993. And when I came in ... the big push was universal feeding," Hattie Johnson, the director of nutrition services for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) in Bloomington, Indiana, told The Christian Science Monitor earlier this month. "For a gazillion years, [the United States Department of Agriculture] would say we cannot afford it. Then, COVID. And all of a sudden we can afford it?"

In other words, if the government truly believes free school lunches are as important and vital as they claim they are, then an extension of a stop-gap program is a first step — but only the first — toward putting its money, and its food, where its mouth is.