thoughts of food

A soup older than some employees.

A soup older than some employees. “What has outlived them all? A beef broth simmering at a Thai restaurant since 1974.” In Bangkok, one family has kept the same pot going for 52 years, treating it like a living thing […]

under the microscope

A dividing cell from non-living parts.

A dividing cell from non-living parts. “It’s a big step forward to this holy grail of making a living thing out of dead components.” Researchers packed lab-made biomolecules into a membrane, then watched the synthetic cell grow, copy DNA, and […]

under the microscope

Exhale longer, take more risks.

Exhale longer, take more risks. “Prolonged exhalation increased risky choices by enhancing reward sensitivity and elevating cardiac parasympathetic activity.” The authors show that a longer exhale shifts autonomic state toward parasympathetic dominance and that shift tracks stronger reward responses in […]

under the microscope

A frog gut microbe for attacking tumors.

A frog gut microbe for attacking tumors. “A single intravenous dose of Ewingella americana led to complete tumor elimination in 100% of treated animals, with no recurrence upon re-exposure to cancer cells.” It’s a preclinical mouse colorectal cancer result, but […]

retail therapy

He charges $1,000 to haggle.

He charges $1,000 to haggle. “Tomislav (Tomi) Mikula charges a $1,000 flat fee to negotiate vehicle purchases on behalf of his clients, and business is booming.” He used to sell cars, now he livestreams negotiations and runs Delivrd with a […]

to your health

Mysterious compassionate use approval.

Mysterious compassionate use approval. “STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s ‘compassionate use’ program.” The patient was “a 79-year-old man” and sources say the request […]

to your health

Gray-market peptides, familiar sellers.

Gray-market peptides, familiar sellers. “Crypto payments to gray-market peptide vendors, many of which are part of the fentanyl business, totaled $27 million in the first quarter of this year, up nearly 150% from Q4 2025, per Chainalysis.” The Axios piece […]

better doing

How to ask for help.

How to ask for help. “There is only one principle. Put yourself in their mind.” The whole piece is a checklist for asking strangers for help without making it weird: show you are serious, give tight context, make the ask […]

better doing

People are bad at picking health plan.

People are bad at picking health plan. “They spent 24% more than they had, with a majority of employees picking a plan for which a strictly better version existed.” I am not sure that I’ve always (or ever?) picked the […]