Kickoff For February 3, 2025
The first month of 2025 is over, and it was a bit of a roller coaster wasn't it? Will the next eleven be as undulating? To be honest, I'm not sure I can take that level of excitement ...
With that out of the way, let's get Monday started with these links:
How I hunt down fake degrees and zombie universities — Wherein we learn about the work of André Hesselbäck to investigate and combat degree fraud using nothing but exhaustive research and an incredibly keen memory for details.
From the article:
Degree-mill operators have seized on the growing scale and prestige of US research universities over the past century, he says. Their bogus websites might show images of idyllic campuses reminiscent of the Ivy League, a group of prestigious US universities, and have names such as Barkley or Manhattan Bay University that resemble those of familiar US institutions.
The big idea: is convenience making our lives more difficult? — Wherein Alex Curmi explores why we seek convenience in many of life's tasks (whether simple or otherwise), and why seeking convenience can be a a trap.
From the article:
Modern hyper-convenience is a kind of deal with the devil. It is seductive because it appeals to our instincts, but it surreptitiously depletes us. It has made it easier to get by, but in many ways harder to truly succeed. Human flourishing and happiness is not just about subsistence, but also depends on growth, dynamic problem-solving, and solidarity through hardship.
How the Occult Gave Birth to Science — Wherein we learn about how, in order to break from a reliance on ancient and incomplete texts, scholars gradually turned to experimentation to better understand the world and how that led to the methods that we know as science today.
From the article:
These investments, regardless of the occult motivations of those who contributed them, resulted in real scientific progress: Alchemy led to an interest in mining and the study of minerals, improvements in the distillation process, the design of furnaces, ventilation systems, and glass and ceramic making techniques. Interest in astrology led to better lenses, mirrors, astronomical equipment, and even clocks, which were used to time the movement of stars.
Silence, please! When did everything get so very... loud? — Wherein Jennifer Savin explores why the volume of noise in our environment seems to have been cranked up to 11, the effects noise has on our physical and mental well being, and how to mitigate those effects.
From the article:
This idea of my brain being akin to a sink overflowing with plates, or a bin crammed with rubbish? Err, yep, unfortunately that checks out – I’ve started noticing patches of brain fog but only recently, have I started to think my audio obsession could be playing as big a part as work stress, in impacting this. I decide to lower the volume, and it soon feels like my shoulder begin to drop away from my ears too.
Stressed? Writing down a to-do list might help — Wherein Claudia Hammond explores the idea of using something people find to be a source of stress to help alleviate whatever's troubling them and to get more rest.
From the article:
In the case of the written to-do list at bedtime, you are downloading your tasks from your mind to a piece of paper (or a phone if you prefer and if you're sure you won't be lured onto social media or your emails) in a way that reduces the need for you to think about them when you're trying to get to sleep.
The thriving business of looking good on Zoom — Wherein we get a peek into the thriving cottage industry of image consultants focusing on giving clients, and their home workspaces, makeovers in an effort to improve the experience of video calls.
From the article:
Just like a good painting, Golden says, the Zoom “box” should have balanced lighting hitting the subject’s face, subtly showcase the elements around the subject, and make sure there is a little bit of space above the subject’s head. And whatever is closest to the camera, she adds, appears 30% larger.