Right now, whiskey distillers are crazy for barrels made from a fragrant, finicky Japanese oak called Mizunara. Here, how to bypass the hype and (affordably) discover what this wood actually has to offer.

Obesity rates in the US have begun fallingEvgeniya Pavlova/Getty ImagesFor decades, rates of obesity in the US have climbed but that trend may be changing. The number of adults with obesity dipped ever so slightly in 2023, suggesting the country has reached a turning point in this public health crisis. The rise of weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, has prompted some to suggest these may be driving the shift. But it isnt that simple.Obesity rates began to rise in the US during the 1970s. Between 1976 and 1980, 15 per cent of adults in

Bottlenose dolphins have teeth unlike those of many other mammalsJeff Mondragon/Alamy Stock PhotoA study of dolphin jaw anatomy suggests their teeth might act as antennae for sound waves, potentially helping to explain how they hear and use echolocation underwater.Our findings support the hypothesis that dolphins utilise their teeth as part of an advanced sound reception system, says Ryo Kodera at Tsurumi University in Japan. This finding provides insight into how dentition may be helpful for dolphins underwater life.Scientists have long known that dolphins and other

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory aims to make heavier elements by firing titanium particles at a metal targetMarilyn Sargent/Berkeley LabThe race to discover new chemical elements will heat up in 2025, resulting in the heaviest one so far and a new row added to the periodic table if successful.Patience will be the biggest challenge, says Jacklyn Gates at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in California.Gates and her colleagues are one of a number of teams attempting to produce element 120, also currently known as unbinilium. Attempts to forge such synthetic substances, which dont exist naturally on Earth,

I'm already getting sad that all of my kids will be out of high school in half a decade.I'm also excited about all the things I'll have time to do when I'm an empty nester.I'm taking steps now like building better friendships to ensure I'm not lost when they leave.I realized earlier this year that if everything goes according to plan, all four of my kids will be out of high school in just five years.Even if they don't move out of the house, then I'll have a lot more free time. Right now, I'm still driving some of them around. They have school, practices, classes, and clubs. Our evenings and weekends often revolve around their plans and performances. I love being part of this whirlwind of activity.But as I think about the fact that I'm close to an empty nest, I oscillate between being excited that I'll have time to pursue other interests and being sad that I won't be spending all that time with my favorite people in the world.I'm trying to set myself up now so that when this stage is over, I won't be a lonely, empty nester and feel left behind.I'm working on other relationshipsWhen it first hit me that I could have an empty nest in five years, I realized I'd need some friends. It's going to be strange to go from a rowdy house that once held four noisy children to a quiet home with two middle-aged adults.I made a conscious decision to strengthen my relationships with my friends about a year ago. I listed a handful of people whom I wanted to know better, and I'm trying to build those relationships. I meet up with them for dinner, drinks, or coffee. I text people when I'm thinking of them. I check up with friends after they return from a trip or something big happens.These things don't come naturally to me. I'd rather be in my PJs by 5:30 p.m. and curled up on the couch than go to dinner. But I never regret spending time with my friends. We have good, sometimes ridiculous, and sometimes important conversations. We've been friends since our kids were little, but now we have more time to invest in each other. It's also been helpful to have other women in my life who are experiencing the same feelings I am.I'm also making a deliberate effort to connect with my husband. As the kids have gotten older, we've taken some trips without them. We have date nights or try to do other activities together. Our kids have consumed a lot of our time these past two decades, and I want to make sure we still know each other when those kids move out.I'm already planning the activities I want to try when the kids leaveI've wanted to volunteer at several places in my community over the years, but our family schedules haven't allowed it. So, I'm looking forward to checking out those opportunities when my schedule opens up.My husband and I also want to do a lot more traveling, which will be easier when we don't have to consider school schedules. We already have a list of places across the globe that we dream of going. We're already doing research and planning travel budgets, and it's getting me excited about seeing the world.I'm prioritizing exercise and my bodyIt's a cruel irony that just when I get some extra time for hiking, travel, and other active things that I love, my body is beginning to slowly fall apart.It's nothing big yet. But I have a funny twinge in my knee sometimes. I sneezed, and my back hurt for two days. Lots of small parts that I never thought about before hurt randomly now.I'm exercising and trying to maintain the mobility I'm lucky enough to have. I'm doing cardio, and I've added weights to strengthen my bones and fight off osteoporosis. I want to climb mountains and walk city streets in far-flung places, so I need to keep my body working as well as I can.It's time to look inwardI'm also noticing that as my kids get older, I have more time to reflect on myself. It's hard to wrestle with who you want to be at your core when you're in the midst of diapers, spills, and messy faces. Now, I have time to think again.I'm spending time meditating and focusing more on my spiritual life. I'm thinking about who I want to be as a person in the second half of my time on this planet.I'm also thinking about career moves now that I can spend more time on my work. Do I need any coaching to advance? Is there somewhere I really want to work? Do I need more education or to make other changes?I'm also staying open to the idea of therapy or counseling. This stage of life, when we say goodbye to our fledgling children, comes at the same time as a lot of other stressors. Lots of us worry about the next big thing on the horizon like retirement.I'm already feeling many emotions about this next chapter in our family. My husband came downstairs the other day to find me having a good cry because our son is graduating in a year and a half.I know planning for our empty nest doesn't mean I won't feel sad, nostalgic, or even lonely despite my best efforts. But I think this next phase will also be exciting and fulfilling as all of us in this family continue to grow.

A report concludes that human error caused the deadly collision at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in January.The pilot of the Japan Coast Guard plane misinterpreted air traffic control instructions.Limited visibility and air traffic control oversight were additional factors in the collision.A report released Wednesday from the Japan Transport Safety Board concluded that human error was the primary cause of a deadly collision at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.The incident occurred on January 2, 2024, when a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane arriving from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo barreled into a Japan Coast Guard plane waiting on the runway.According to the report, the Coast Guard pilot mistakenly believed he had clearance to enter the runway. The air traffic controller told the coast guard plane that it was "No. 1," meaning it was first in line to take off and meant to stop and wait at a holding point. The pilot misinterpreted the instruction, believing it to be permission to enter the runway for takeoff.In the final moments before the collision, the Coast Guard pilot ordered his co-pilot to go through a checklist that is typically performed once final takeoff clearance has been granted. The pilot, who survived, told investigators he thought he heard "cleared for takeoff" from the control tower.The report noted that the pilot said he was in a hurry, which could have contributed to the misinterpretation. The Coast Guard plane was traveling to the city of Niigata to deliver emergency supplies after recent earthquakes on Japan's west coast, and the pilot said he was worried about his crew getting home late from the mission.The report said that there were other contributing factors to the collision: Air traffic control failed to realize that the Coast Guard plane had entered the runway, despite the runway occupancy alert, and the JAL plane didn't see the other aircraft as it was descending due to limited visibility. The accident occurred around 5:47 p.m., after sunset.Five of the six people aboard the Coast Guard aircraft died. The pilot survived but was seriously injured.All 379 passengers and crew on the passenger plane escaped just before the jet erupted into flames.

My mom made the holidays special. The first Christmas without her in 2018 I basically turned into The Grinch. I re-found joy in the holidays while also grieving my loss. My mother had a penchant for making things special. She knew how to grab joy where she could. She decorated our home for every holiday, donning earrings and sweaters that matched the occasion. On Christmas, she'd watch with joy while we opened her thoughtful gifts and ate our favorite holiday dishes. I don't remember a lot about the first Christmas without her in 2018. But for the next few years, like The Grinch, I wanted Christmas gone. If I'd had energy that wasn't solely dedicated to staying upright amidst my grief, I might have even taken down a Christmas tree or two in the night.Nothing could compare to what my mom did At 20-years-old, I didn't know how to make things special myself. I wasn't really interested in trying, either, or welcoming anyone else's efforts. Nothing could compare to the holiday scene she'd set. No one else could make the food, decorate the house, or wrap the presents right.I couldn't accept this truth: that everything would change. So I put a wall up between Christmas and I, white-knuckling my way through December. I didn't want to watch holiday movies or listen to holiday music. I wanted to dismiss it as any other insignificant day. I'd get together with my family and try to pretend I was happy to be there, but I felt guilty for pretending and resentful of having to. Yet I didn't think not pretending was an option.The thing about grief, though, is that with each year, the tide rose, washed away more grit, and left me softer. I had to find beauty in things againFrom the spring of 2019 through the spring of 2020, I spent a year living in Denver. I needed to change my surroundings and make a change that was in my control to teach my brain that there could be beauty in newness. I needed to learn what the newness would make of me. When I returned to Michigan at the start of the pandemic, I returned as someone who had made new memories in a new place. It helped me accept that things could look different and still be good. The holidays could still be special if I wanted them to be. During the Christmas of 2020, my sister and her family had COVID-19, so I stood outside their window in the snow for 15 minutes before going back to my apartment alone. I noticed, with sad poignancy, how much I wanted to be inside with her, my brother-in-law, my nephews, and my dad. In 2021, I met my now wife, and I had the delicious instinct to make things special together. To create our own traditions. She prioritizes fun, and it rubbed off on me. I came to love taking part in her family's traditions, too. It became clear that there was so much celebration to go around, no matter what it looked like.I look forward to the holidays nowThis year will be the seventh Christmas without my mother, and I look forward to the holiday now. My wife and I put up our tree on November 3rd. To me, Christmas symbolizes coziness, a focus on joy, an excuse for good food and extra sugar and sitting around a table with people I love. While there are traditions, new and old, that I cherish, it's less about the specifics and more about the feeling. And, grief is a part of that feeling. It's just not such a sharp ache anymore more like a familiar smell that reminds me of a warm and nostalgic childhood memory. Holiday grief (and any grief, for that matter) isn't a thing to be conquered and moved on from, but a thing to accept and learn how to live alongside. In those early years, much of my strife came from wishing I could prevent change and control my feelings. When I don't set rigid expectations of myself, and instead let the tide wash over and soften me, that softness allows space for grief and joy. I've learned how to appreciate specialness any way it comes and grab joy where I can even if it means putting the Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving.

Apple pie. Baseball. These are things you think of when you think of America. Another thing that could be added to the list, though, is the superhero. From 1938, when Superman graced the cover of Action Comics #1, superheroes have become a major American export. And, because he was the first, Superman will always be a little extra American than the rest. Of course, Superman isnt American at all. Hes an immigrant. An alien immigrant at thatand these days, those words have a much different connotation than they have in the past. At a recent event attended by io9, writer-director James Gunn spoke about how he feels his version of Superman fits into the politically charged America of today. When I watch the trailer and the movie, we do have a sort of battered vision of Superman at the beginning. I think that is our country, Gunn said. I believe in the goodness of human beings. And I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs [or] their politics, are doing their best to get by and trying to be good people, despite what it may seem like to the other side and what that other side might be. I think this movie is about that. Its about the basic kindness of human beings. And that it can be seen as uncool, and it can be seen as under siege when some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices. Thats what happens when you let the internet seem like its the worldwhen its not the world. The world is us. Gunn likened it to his own experiences. I live in a very rural part of Georgia, he said. I see the kindness and the beauty of the people every day who dont share all the same political beliefs as I do. But I think thats what the movie is about, the basic fundamental decency of human beings. All over the world, by the way.Meaning, yes, Superman can be seen as a beacon of hope and goodness in America, the characters country of origin, but also the entire world that the hero oversees. Do you think Gunn is onto something here with his read on humanity? Will Superman be a film embraced by all people? Well find out in a few months when Superman opens in theaters July 11. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Odiseo Gastronomic and Leisure Center / Clavel ArquitectosSave this picture! David FrutosArchitects: Clavel ArquitectosAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:15494 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2020 ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Cosentino, Hisbalit, Kriskadecor, Sika, Adapta Color, Complementto, EGE, ESCOFET, Flaminia, Gancedo, Maxwell Render, Naturtex, Porcelanosa Grupo, Robert McNeel & Associates, Trencads Innovacin, Tres Lead Architect: Manuel Clavel Rojo, Luis Clavel Rojo Productstranslation missing: en-US.post.svg.material_descriptionMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Odiseo is the result of the desire to create a big urban leisure complex, which wants to become a reference, not only for the city of Murcia, but for the entire southeast region of Spain. Covering a total built area of 15,500 m2, the building houses two restaurants, a nightclub, a performance hall, a casino, and a sports bar, as well as two parking levels underground.Save this picture!Located in one of the main entrances to the city, surrounded by high-speed roads (where the landscape is dominated by the billboards and logos of shopping malls and other businesses), the building seeks to make itself visible without appealing for external sign poles, becoming a colossal totem that houses air and vegetation, designed to be appreciated in motion and from a 360-degree angle.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!On the other hand, and assuming the essence of the main use of the building (a leisure center), the project pursues the user experience as a fundamental objective: from the purely sensorial (comfort, the sound of water, reflections, textures) to the psychological (curiosity, amazement, expectation, surprise, smile ...).Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Based on these guides, the building is made up externally by a two-level plinth, slightly shifted from each other, generating a large terrace on its roof, where a pavilion for a restaurant is placed. Above this appears the totem (a large latticework of metal tubes supporting the sign that crowns the building) and a raised terrace crossed by a cantilevered pool on both sides, which, by leaning only on two central concrete cores, overhangs up to 22 meters. A challenging and complex structural design, where singular resources become conventional, is ultimately used to generate an elevated forest: water features, vegetation, shade, ventilation... combine to create an ecosystem that defends the building from the strong climate of one of the sunniest cities in Europe, very focused on tourism.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Inside, an extremely careful design generates independent worlds, juxtaposed with each other, led by the restaurant space. Taking the Mediterranean as a starting point (which also guides its kitchen) and Greek mythology as its most essential representation, an accumulation of textures (woods, gold and bronze, natural fibers, velvets, artisan ceramics...), blended under deeply warm lighting, transmit to the user different perceptions of the beauty of this concept.Save this picture!Save this picture!The construction, financed exclusively with private money, has counted to a large extent on local talent and workers, based on a spirit of economic responsibility with the small city in which it is located, badly hit by the previous crisis. Architecture, communication, and nature overlap to give character and livability to a previously inhospitable and charmless area of the city, creating an urban oasis with a domesticated climate open to all citizens.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Av. Don Juan de Borbn, Murcia, SpainLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeClavel ArquitectosOfficePublished on December 25, 2024Cite: "Odiseo Gastronomic and Leisure Center / Clavel Arquitectos" [Centro Gastronmico y de Ocio Odiseo / Clavel Arquitectos] 25 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/960992/odiseo-gastronomic-and-leisure-center-clavel-arquitectos&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

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