Role playing tabletop and board games.gettyIn 2024, Hasbro.com reported that Dungeons & Dragons celebrated its 50th anniversary and reached over 50 million fans worldwide. Utilizing D&D, as well as other tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), is becoming a popular trend for colleges and universities to promote student mental health. In August of 2024, eight schools launched the National Learning Network for Supportive Gaming Communities. These schools include Dallas College, Georgia Southern University, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Southern Indiana, Ringling College of Art and Design, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Texas Christian University (I serve as the director of the counseling center TCU, which was the host site of the learning network). The goal of this network is for each school to launch Support Gaming Communities (SGC), which are small groups that promote the positive benefits of TTRPGs to students. As of date, the schools are proving three important things about TTRPGs.TTRPGs Are Popular Among College StudentsJoe LeConte is the lead trainer of the national learning network. Hes a Substance Use and Recovery Counselor/Peer Support Coordinator at TCU and is regarded as a leading expert in the use of TTRPGs in higher education. When asked why TTRPGs are so appealing to students, Joe LeConte responded, There's a lot of popular media including Critical Role, Dimension 20 and a bunch of television shows including Stranger Things and Community, which have really popularized role-playing games like Dungeons and DragonsThis appeal is evident for the schools in the national learning network. Cara Guziak, a senior staff therapist and the groups & workshops coordinator at UTD reported, the response from faculty, staff, and students to our initial interest survey has been overwhelming and exciting, with more than 75 people responding within the first few hours to our campus-wide email! Kristie Postorino, the Director of Counseling at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology proclaimed for the year that, this was the most successful, recurring group our counseling center has offered at our small school.TTRPGs Are Effective In Promoting Mental HealthAccording to Joe LeConte, TTRPGs are instrumental in promoting positive aspects of mental health. He stated, Similar to the way an actor can inhabit a role, an TTRPG player can give themselves a break from their daily lives and take on the role of an epic hero, a powerful sorcerer, a swashbuckler or any other character they can imagine. I believe there is relaxation and empowerment in that imaginative exercise.Other experts have also found TTRPGs to be effective in this regard. Dr. Anthony Bean, a renowned psychologist for Geek Therapy who has numerous publications and presentations related to gaming, states that TTRPGs can benefit students in ways such as enhancing their social skills and teamwork, supporting identity exploration and growth, reducing stress through play and escapism, and promoting problem-solving and cognitive flexibility. Dr. Bean initially helped trained TCU staff in providing positive gaming experiences to students, and he commented, Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons provide a structured environment for students to collaboratively solve problems and build relationships. These games encourage players to communicate effectively, negotiate, and work as a team, skills that are directly transferable to their academic and social lives.MORE FOR YOUIn addition to promoting positive skills, the SGCs have helped students reduce loneliness and social isolation. As Kristie Postorino described for her campus, we have all been aware of how difficult it can be for students to find their people/community in college, the demonstrated link between loneliness and increased psychological distress among college students, and the overall loneliness epidemic that Surgeon General Vivek Murphy has prioritized. Offering SGCs seemed like a fun way to approach this serious concern, particularly for students who might not utilize traditional counseling center services.Cara Guziak echoed this sentiment for UTD, At the Student Counseling Center, we have first-hand experience with the growing levels of isolation and loneliness in our student population. Our students are actively looking for ways to create meaningful connections in ways that single-event outreaches and individual services don't satisfy. This concept of SGCs appealed to us as a means to facilitate that connection while remaining available as a source of support.TTRPGs Are Enjoyable For Staff To FacilitateKristie Postorino summarized her enjoyment in facilitating TTRPGs for students, All and all, this was a fantastic experience and one I will definitely incorporate annually it was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I have had as a clinician. There are plans to expand the learning network to other schools next year, and Joe LeConte voiced bigger ambitions, I believe that it can be very helpful to students, in university settings, high school settings, elementary school and even into older age such as managed living care facilities. Im inspired by what we have done already, but Im really inspired for the future because this idea is growing so quickly. I want to see what other people come up with.

A terrible situation Heres what we know, and what we dont, about the awful Palisades wildfire "I think weve got more questions than answers at this point." Eric Berger Jan 9, 2025 5:31 pm | 91 SkySat (including near-infrared) image of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. Credit: Planet SkySat (including near-infrared) image of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. Credit: Planet Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMore than 130,000 residents in Southern California face the catastrophic loss of property, and possibly life, as a series of wildfires have brought devastation to the region this week.The most notable fire developed late Monday or early Tuesday in the Santa Monica Mountains, to the north of Los Angeles, and quickly spread to threaten the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. This fire has already become the most destructive fire in the history of the Los Angeles region, and by some estimates, it may become the costliest wildfire of all time, anywhere in the world.Several additional wildfires have broken out in the vicinity of Los Angeles, and firefighters there have struggled to contain the multiple outbreaks, including the ongoing Palisades fire. To date, more than 2,000 structures have been burned and that total will assuredly increase. Ongoing, on-the-ground coverage is available from the Los Angeles Times, which has removed its paywall around fire-related news for now.Disasters such as these wildfiresespecially ones affecting affluent areas of the second-most populous city of the United Statescapture public attention and drive debate. Some of this debate is honest, and some is dishonest. In this post, we will attempt to shed some light on what is known and what is not about these particular wildfires.Caused by nature and humansMost natural disasters occurring today are a combination of natural and human-caused factors; the former because nature has always produced dramatic and damaging events, and the latter because humans continue to build houses and develop vulnerable areas, as well as climate change, which has loaded the dice in terms of the frequency and severity of natural disasters.Let's start with the meteorology. The Palisades wildfire and other nearby conflagrations were well-predicted days in advance. After a typically arid summer and fall, the Los Angeles area has also had a dry winter so far. December, January, February, and March are usually the wettest months in the region by far. More than 80 percent of Los Angeles' rain comes during these colder months. But this year, during December, the region received, on average, less than one-tenth of an inch of rainfall. Normal totals are on the order of 2.5 inches in December.So, the foliage in the area was already very dry, effectively extending the region's wildfire season. Then, strong Santa Ana winds were predicted for this week due, in part, to the extreme cold observed in the eastern United States and high pressure over the Great Basin region of the country. "Red flag" winds were forecast locally, which indicates that winds could combine with dry grounds to spread wildfires efficiently. The direct cause of the Palisades fire is yet unknown.Wildfires during the winter months in California are not a normal occurrence, but they are not unprecedented either. Scientists, however, generally agree that a warmer planet is extending wildfire seasons such as those observed in California."Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades," the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concludes. "Wildfires require the alignment of a number of factors, including temperature, humidity, and the lack of moisture in fuels, such as trees, shrubs, grasses, and forest debris. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change."Descent into political gamesmanshipInevitably, of course, such disasters become political. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has taken considerable flack for being out of the country this week as part of a delegation to celebrate the inauguration of Ghana President John Mahama. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the citys utility, has also been criticized for the lack of water pressure available at fire hydrants to fight the fire."The chronic under-investment in the city of Los Angeles in our public infrastructure and our public safety partners was evident and on full display over the last 24 hours," LA City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, said Wednesday during a news conference. "I am extremely concerned about this. Im already working with my team to take a closer look at this, and I think weve got more questions than answers at this point."That's an important point to make. Regarding the early stages of natural disasters, we often have many more questions than answers. Undoubtedly, there were failings among the public officials and institutions that worsened the fire. Evacuations certainly could be handled much better. Climate change is likely a factor contributing to the background conditions that amplified the fire spreading. In heated times such as these, when trying to discern the truth, it is probably worth questioning the motivations of those who are most certain about their convictions.For now, the focus should be on helping the many families who have had to evacuate their homes or, even worse, lost them. The fires are yet raging, and additional strong winds are forecast in a few days' time.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 91 Comments

The Horse Hill oil site was discovered in 2015Invicta Kent Media/ShutterstockOver 100 earthquakes that shook the south of England are likely to have been triggered by oil extraction, say experts. Previous research had ruled out a link, but fresh information about the geology of the area has established a probable connection.The earthquakes were all fairly minor, measuring between 1.34 and 3.18 on the Richter scale, and took place near Newdigate in Surrey in 2018 and 2019. Residents reported their houses shaking for several seconds. AdvertisementThere was speculation at the time that the earthquakes were linked to oil extraction by UK Oil & Gas, although the epicentre of the earthquakes was between 5 kilometres and 10 kilometres from the companys Horse Hill drilling site. But previous research by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and others determined that the earthquakes, while rare and relatively near to the drilling, were natural and coincidental.Now, Matthew Fox and Philip Meredith at University College London have taken another look, using the latest understanding of the rock makeup of the area, and suggest that the earthquakes were indeed induced by oil extraction.The pair ran more than a million computer simulations based on the location and magnitude of oil extraction, along with details of the geology of the surrounding area, and found that the predictions of earthquakes matched real events more closely than previously thought. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterWhen oil is extracted from deep underground it changes the pressure beneath the surface, which can cause rock movements that lead to earthquakes. Fox says there were previously discrepancies between dates on which earthquakes occurred and when oil was extracted, which can now be accounted for by factoring in the geology of areas being drilled.The pair found that in regions composed of porous Portland stone, pressure changes and rock movement could be almost simultaneous, while in areas of dense Kimmeridge Clay, there could be a delay as pressure changes took time to propagate.For me, this increases the probability [that oil extraction led to earthquakes], says Fox. The correlation between these two between oil extraction and seismicity is quite strong, and that does suggest that there is a link.Fox says there is still a chance the link is coincidental, but that this is now less likely than previous research suggested. He expects further statistical analysis to precisely quantify the probability of a coincidence, but stopped short of making an estimate with current data.UK Oil & Gas controlled oil extraction at Horse Hilluntil October last year, when work was stopped after the withdrawal of planning permission from Surrey County Council following a court case brought by campaigners supported by Friends of the Earth.A spokesperson for the company told New Scientist: This is an incident that was answered and dealt with many years ago when the BGS seismologists were satisfied it was a natural event associated with movement on a deeper unassociated fault many kilometres deeper and distant from the site.ButStuart Haszeldine at the University of Edinburgh, who wasnt involved in this particular study but has done his own work with colleagues, says that a connection between oil extraction and the earthquakes is now extremely likely.We have made a detailed study of these small earthquakes in Surrey and the possibility that tremors were linked to activities at the Horse Hill oilfield, says Haszeldine. In my professional judgement, there was a clear linkage of earthquake timing and operational activities to produce oil and gas from the Horse Hill site.Journal reference:Geological Magazine DOI: 10.1017/S0016756824000505Topics:

Avian influenza has been hitting birds hard in recent yearsDaniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesConcerns are rising about the potential for the H5N1 bird flu virus to cause a pandemic like covid-19. But the situation this time around is very different: we know how to fight influenzas very well, vaccine stockpiles already exist and we have robust flu surveillance systems in place. However, the virus has been infecting people, spreading among animals and mutating keeping public health officials on high alert.How concerned should we

The International Fact-Checking Network warned of Meta's move to crowdsourced fact-checking.A group of 71 fact checkers said the change is "a step backward" for accuracy.The group proposed crowdsourcing in conjunction with professionals, a "new model."The fact-checking group that has worked with Meta for years wrote Mark Zuckerberg an open letter on Thursday, warning him about the company's move toward crowdsourced moderation in the US."Fact-checking is essential to maintaining shared realities and evidence-based discussion, both in the United States and globally," wrote the International Fact-Checking Network, part of the nonprofit media organization Poynter Institute.The group said Meta's decision, announced Tuesday, to replace third-party fact-checkers with crowdsourced moderation on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the US "is a step backward for those who want to see an internet that prioritizes accurate and trustworthy information."Meta told the IFCN about the end of its partnership less than an hour before publishing the post about the switch, Business Insider reported. The change could have serious financial repercussions for the fact-checking organizations that rely on Meta for revenue.The organization and the letter's 71 signatories, representing groups from the US to Syria, said Meta has fact-checking partnerships in more than 100 countries."If Meta decides to stop the program worldwide, it is almost certain to result in real-world harm in many places," IFCN wrote. Meta has not announced plans to end the fact-checking program globally.Meta said it plans to build a crowdsourced moderation system this year similar to the community notes used by Elon Musk's X, where people can weigh in on posts ranging from the serious to the mundane. Musk laid off hundreds of X's trust and safety workers after he bought the company in 2022, and X has since been slow to act on some misinformation, BI previously reported.IFCN wrote that community notes could be used in conjunction with professional fact-checkers, a "new model" for collaboration."The need for this is great: If people believe social media platforms are full of scams and hoaxes, they won't want to spend time there or do business on them," IFCN wrote.Nearly 3.3 billion people used a Meta product every day in September, according to the company's most recent financials more than 40% of the world's population.Ad insiders who spoke to BI this week said they didn't expect the changes to hurt the company's business. Meta has more than a fifth of the US digital ad market in second place behind Google, per data from BI's sister company EMARKETER.Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Google is joining tech companies like Amazon and Meta in donating to Donald Trump's inauguration.The search giant said it is giving $1 million, more than triple what it gave Trump in 2017.In September, Trump threatened to prosecute Google if he was elected president.Google said it is donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's coming inauguration."Google is pleased to support the 2025 inauguration, with a livestream on YouTube and a direct link on our homepage. We're also donating to the inaugural committee," the company's global head of government affairs and public policy, Karan Bhatia, told CNBC.Google's contribution, which will help fund the celebratory events after Trump takes office, is more than triple what it gave in 2017. The search giant donated $285,000 to Trump's first inauguration, per Federal Election Commission filings.Back in September, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would prosecute Google "at the maximum levels" if he won the election.In his post, Trump accused Google of "illegally" using its system to display only "bad stories" about him while surfacing positive reports about his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.Google and Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.Trump's second inauguration, on January 20, has seen donations pour in from multiple companies and business leaders.The president-elect has received contributions from tech companies like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Uber. Like Google, all four companies have donated $1 million each.That's on top of the personal donations made by tech executives like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Both Altman and Khosrowshahi donated $1 million each as well."One of the big differences between the first term, in the first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend," Trump said at a press conference in December."I don't know, my personality changed or something," he added.Since winning the election in November, Trump has raised more than $200 million in donations, of which at least $150 million will go toward the inauguration, The New York Times reported on Saturday.Trump raised $106.8 million for his first inauguration in 2017, per the FEC.

Microsoft has approximately 228,000 employees worldwide.Microsoft is one of the most sought-after workplaces in the tech industry, so jobs are competitive.Here's what to know about the various jobs at Microsoft, skills you'll need, and the best salaries.Since its 1975 founding, Microsoft has grown into one of the largest companies in the world, and its software has changed the way the world uses computers and other devices.Currently, Microsoft employs roughly 228,000 people, globally.A publicly traded company since early 1986, the multinational business has long been a darling of investors, and it has been a much sought-after workplace by people in the tech world.Getting a job at Microsoft is much easier said than done, though.Is Microsoft hard to get into?Anyone hoping for employment at Microsoft should expect to compete against a flood of other highly qualified applicants at any given time. There are usually multiple rounds of interviews as many as five in some cases, depending on the position and different positions require different types of experience.For technical roles, Microsoft's hiring process includes things like testing you on problem-solving skills and coding.All jobs at Microsoft require at the minimum a college degree, usually in an applicable field, such as data science or mathematics, or demonstrable experience in a directly related position elsewhere. Some positions require several years of relevant experience, and others require more advanced degrees.Experience at other large tech companies can be a huge bonus. One former Microsoft product manager who shared his resume with Business Insider said he believed his experience at Facebook, plus his entrepreneurial experience, gave him a competitive edge.It is, in short, hard to get a job at Microsoft, but a rejection upon your first application is no reason not to try again. Many people are hired by the software giant only after applying multiple times, with their persistence and commitment seen as a positive sign by the company. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and has a sprawling campus. David Ryder/Getty Images What types of jobs can you get at Microsoft?Microsoft is a massive organization, being a software maker, and has a number of divisions that often have job postings, like the cloud-computing software Azure, the productivity suite Microsoft 365, or the legacy operating system Windows. The list of jobs one could potentially get at Microsoft is long and varied.But Microsoft also owns a number of companies, and it may be worth expanding your job search to workplaces like GitHub, Skype, or LinkedIn.At Microsoft or its companies, you could work in everything from data analytics to hardware engineering to digital sales to legal and corporate affairs. There are software designers, marketers, supply chain specialists, and so many more different roles needed to keep the company working.On the software side, specifically, Microsoft often has openings for developers, software engineers, product managers, and more.How to get a job in Microsoft?If you have the requisite education and experience, and have done your research on the role and perfected your resume, you can start by applying online at the Microsoft Careers page.Microsoft offers internships for those early career job-seekers lacking in experience, and, of course, it's always a good idea to network with anyone you know who works there before you apply. Note that Microsoft often implements hiring freezes, so don't try to join up during one.Like any massive company, sometimes Microsoft has to restructure itself, and Microsoft layoffs can be massive, with thousands of employees dismissed at the same time. The post-pandemic period has been particularly brutal at Microsoft, with multiple rounds of job cuts throughout 2023 and 2024 in divisions like Azure, Xbox, and Activision Blizzard.Know as you are going in that even if you do an excellent job in your role with Microsoft, your job may be cut in the future. The tech industry is in a period of flux, so it's always wise to have a Plan B.What is the highest paying job at Microsoft?The CEO of Microsoft makes nearly $50 million in total each year when you count the cash, stocks, and other compensation, and that makes being the boss the highest paid job at Microsoft.Other very well-compensated jobs compared to regular salaries, not the CEO's package are Corporate Vice President, which has a salary around $650,000 plus stock compensation.But even non-executive roles at Microsoft are widely known for their high salaries. For example, the role of Principal Software Engineer, typically pays about $215,000 plus stocks, and that of Senior Data Scientist, pays just under $200,000 annually.Federal data from 2020 showed some of Microsoft's highest-paying jobs, including up to $240,000 for a research role, $220,000 for a program manager, and $204,000 for a hardware engineering role.

Nature, Published online: 08 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08294-zAdding excess m-Li2ZrF6 (monoclinic) nanoparticles to a commercial LiPF6-containing carbonate electrolyte forms a stable interphase rich in t-Li2ZrF6 (trigonal), enhancing Li-ion transfer, suppressing dendrite growth and considerably improving the cycling stability of high-rate lithium metal batteries.

Nature, Published online: 08 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08400-1Serine 118 phosphorylation drives conformational changes through the disruption of hydrophobic interactions between aromatic-rich clusters, showing how hydrophobic mutations can restore oestrogen receptor-mediated transcription.

Nature, Published online: 08 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08405-wThis study presents cryogenic electron microscopy structural analysis of a diversity-generating retroelement (DGR) reverse transcription system from Bordetella bacteriophage, with results indicating that RNA surrounding the template controls reverse transcription through mechanisms that are conserved across distant taxa.