Nature, Published online: 13 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-04241-0A study highlights how public-health researchers are targeted for focusing on tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods.

Honkai: Star Rail is known for releasing alternate versions of characters, giving them new abilities and a 5-star level, but it doesn't have a set skin system yet. Longtime HoYoverse fans have enjoyed various outfits in titles like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd. Soon, Zenless Zone Zero, which is the newest game in the developer's lineup, will launch a skin system. Many Honkai: Star Rail fans have been waiting for such a feature to arrive and after many leaks and rumors, the feature's slowly coming to the game.

Every time a new evolution card gets released, the meta in Clash Royale shifts drastically. The last card to receive the evo treatment was the Giant Snowball, and yes, it was good for a time, but the players quickly learned to play around it. These days, apart from some X-Bow or Goblin Giant decks, you won't see many people using the Evo Giant Snowball.

Marvel Rivals has given players their first look at official artwork for the hero Blade as part of the game's Midnight Features event quests. With Season 1 of Marvel Rivals underway, players have been given the chance to explore new maps, a fresh game mode, and a robust battle pass filled with cosmetics.

For decades, leadership in computing and software ecosystems has been a cornerstone of American strength and influence worldwide. The federal government has wisely refrained from dictating the design, marketing and sale of mainstream computers and software key drivers of innovation and economic growth.The first Trump Administration laid the foundation for Americas current strength and success in AI, fostering an environment where U.S. industry could compete and win on merit without compromising national security. As a result, mainstream AI has become an integral part of every new application, driving economic growth, promoting U.S. interests and ensuring American leadership in cutting-edge technology.Today, companies, startups and universities around the world are tapping mainstream AI to advance healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, education and countless other fields, driving economic growth and unlocking the potential of nations. Built on American technology, the adoption of AI around the world fuels growth and opportunity for industries at home and abroad.That global progress is now in jeopardy. The Biden Administration now seeks to restrict access to mainstream computing applications with its unprecedented and misguided AI Diffusion rule, which threatens to derail innovation and economic growth worldwide.In its last days in office, the Biden Administration seeks to undermine Americas leadership with a 200+ page regulatory morass, drafted in secret and without proper legislative review. This sweeping overreach would impose bureaucratic control over how Americas leading semiconductors, computers, systems and even software are designed and marketed globally. And by attempting to rig market outcomes and stifle competition the lifeblood of innovation the Biden Administrations new rule threatens to squander Americas hard-won technological advantage.While cloaked in the guise of an anti-China measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance U.S. security. The new rules would control technology worldwide, including technology that is already widely available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware. Rather than mitigate any threat, the new Biden rules would only weaken Americas global competitiveness, undermining the innovation that has kept the U.S. ahead.Although the rule is not enforceable for 120 days, it is already undercutting U.S. interests. As the first Trump Administration demonstrated, America wins through innovation, competition and by sharing our technologies with the world not by retreating behind a wall of government overreach. We look forward to a return to policies that strengthen American leadership, bolster our economy and preserve our competitive edge in AI and beyond.Ned Finkle is vice president of government affairs at NVIDIA.

There was a particular moment just a few hours into my Dynasty Warriors: Origins playthrough when I felt that I was truly witnessing something special. I was at Hulao Gate, the imposing fortress that defended the pass to the capital of Luoyang. As the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition marched to a clearing, fully confident in their numbers, I waited with bated breath knowing what was about to happen. Suddenly, one soldier stammered, I-its Lu Bu!The mightiest warrior in all of China had joined the fray, astride Red Hare, the fastest horse in the land. Lu Bu charged into the center of our army, red energy sparking from his halberd, his fierce mount barreling through our forces as he cast his musou, shattering the ground, killing hundreds of troops, and laying waste to allied generals left and right. Everyone was panicking and retreating, though some were like me, standing transfixed and marveling at the sight.Then, Lu Bu rode across a mountain pass, only to be met by the Three Sworn Brothers: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Everyone knows that you shouldnt pursue Lu Bu, but I decided to go against conventional wisdom to watch him face the Three Brothers in a grueling bout. Mind you, all of these events werent part of a cutscene; they all happened in the middle of a battle in real time.This was just one of many fascinating aspects of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the latest entry in Koei Tecmos long-running hack-and-slash series. However, I have some caveats that might cause consternation to fans of the franchise, as this game makes changes that are a clear departure from what those fans have become accustomed to for many years.For the uninitiated, Koei Tecmos Dynasty Warriors franchise is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or Sanguo Yanyi, a novel set during the fall of the Han dynasty, one thats also considered a pillar of Chinese and East Asian literature. The video game series has been around since 1997, starting as a fighting game before evolving into a hack-and-slash extravaganza that eventually had a roster of over 90 characters.The first and easily the most surprising change is that Dynasty Warriors: Origins has you playing as just one character: a mercenary named Ziluan, also known as the Wanderer. I could joke around and reference Sanguo Yanyis opening lines about how the empire, long united, must divide, or, in this case, how the roster, long bloated, must shrink, but I digress.The point is that recent Dynasty Warriors titles included so many officers as well as their sons, daughters, grandparents, in-laws, next-door neighbors, Uber Eats delivery guys, and uncles who work at Nintendo that its become too tiresome to remember all of them.Since Origins has only one playable character, the story is given enough room to breathe. As someone whos enraptured by the novels events and the historical setting, going so far as to watch multiple film and TV adaptations of it and having joined a forum called the Scholars of Shen Zhou decades ago, I genuinely loved this new direction, since it also allows the spotlight to shine on more personages.Dynasty Warriors: Origins narrative arc is structured wonderfully, beginning with the Wanderers identity and role as a Guardian with a mission to usher in peace by helping heroes from the shadows. From there, you meet numerous important leaders of the age, such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Jian, and Yuan Shao, and subordinates like Xiahou Dun, Zhao Yun, Cheng Pu, and more. Many characters are depicted as young adults and 30-somethings, as even Guan Yu, the future God of War and Lord of the Magnificent Beard, is still in the process of growing his medium-length facial hair.These officers, some of whom were portrayed in the most comical manner in previous titles, are fully fleshed out in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The mystic Zhang Jiao, who was as kooky as a snake oil salesman in previous titles, is now a sympathetic rebel who regrets losing control of his own men. The tyrant Dong Zhuo, meanwhile, is still an evil despot, though hes no longer portrayed as akin to a Saturday morning cartoon villain. Instead, his motivations align with his knowledge that the Han dynasty is crumbling and only those who hold power can survive.The defining facets of other characters are still noticeable, too Cao Caos ambition, Liu Beis benevolence, the Sun clans familial ties, Xu Chu being a simpleton, and Yuan Shu being incredibly inept but these personality quirks arent so overt to the point of turning these individuals into walking and talking memes.Moreover, as the Wanderer, I could visit various cities and locations on a beautiful and vividly colored map, which looks significantly better than the drab open world of Dynasty Warriors 9. One little tidbit I really found interesting is how certain features in regions changed as I progressed through the campaign. For example, Luoyang was inaccessible while it was controlled by Dong Zhuo, but I was able to pass through the aforementioned Hulao Gate once the city had been burned down by the tyrant. As I explored, I could also purchase weapons, upgrade gems, partake in skirmishes, read letters from people I had met, and introduce myself to a memorable cast of characters. These cutscenes further showcased various officers motivations and traits, somewhat similar to increasing relationship bonds in the Empires spinoffs.Perhaps my only complaint here is that officers tend to become too enamored too quickly by the Wanderer, with brief meetings causing some to remark about how Ziluan is unforgettable and that he changed their lives. I get it: The Wanderer is so charming that hed feel right at home as a member of a boy band. Still, thats no reason for Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, or Zhenji to act as though theyve fallen for him, or for Lu Bu to talk about how his burning passion had been ignited. Some of these interactions straight-up bordered on fanfiction.The most important part of any Dynasty Warriors game is the action, and Origins has this in spades. Initially, this can be seen in how brilliantly the campaign and battles are structured. The first two chapters are mostly linear, following the events of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition, where the Wanderer joins various volunteer armies.Then, during the third chapter, youre asked to support one of the three main clans: Cao, Liu, or Sun. Your decision here leads to a branching path that affects succeeding missions in the fourth and fifth chapters. Finally, everything culminates in the massive Battle of Chibi/Red Cliffs/Huarong Pass, which serves as the games conclusion.Make no mistake: Even with the shortened timeline the campaign ends at the Battle of Chibi as opposed to, say, Wuzhang Plains or Jins conquest of Shu, Wei, and Wu there are still plenty of battles. Similarly, the branching paths add a ton of replayability potential, which I liked. Upon finishing the campaign, I was able to replay missions that I had already completed to obtain new rewards, as well as restart from a certain point of the story to try the other faction arcs. Also, without spoiling too much, lets just say that there were moments when I was able to alter the fates of certain officers, which unlocked hidden cutscenes.Unfortunately, developer Omega Forces attempts to expand the whole saga do hit a few snags, as several encounters just arent that interesting, turning entire portions of the campaign into tedious slogs. For example, in my original playthrough, I decided to side with the Sun family, which presented numerous bouts against Liu Yao, Liu Biao/Huang Zu, and the Shanyue Rebels. At times, I honestly felt that these couldve been condensed into just four epic battles, as opposed to nearly a dozen that werent memorable and were downright repetitive. Conversely, when I tried Cao Caos arc, I was pitted against Lu Bu, Liu Bei, and Yuan Shao in a series of climactic engagements. (To be fair, the Sun clan/Eastern Wu played third wheel, novel-wise, to the brewing enmity between Cao-Wei and Shu-Han.)Combat in Dynasty Warriors: Origins, meanwhile, is more fluid and frantic than ever before, with mechanics that not only make the game stand out from its predecessors, but also the entirety of the hack-and-slash genre. Chief among these refreshing features are the large forces, where you face hundreds or even thousands of troops in wide open areas. As you mash attack buttons to whittle down the number of enemy soldiers, you also need to be mindful of grand tactics that empower your rivals. Stymie their progress and your allies could counter with their own moves, which might grant you absolute dominance on the battlefield. I cant stress this enough, but Dynasty Warriors: Origins made me feel like a true hero fighting against all odds.In addition to the above, you gain access to all sorts of weapons, such as swords, spears, twin pikes, crescent blades, staves, and even a trusty halberd (post-campaign completion). Each weapon has its own array of combo moves and skills, from a flurry of stabs and spinning swipes to unique musou ultimates that decimate entire squads. Furthermore, youre aided by bodyguards, whom you can order around to activate their own tactics, including army buffs, fire arrows, and devastating charges. Similarly, there are a few instances in which youre able to engage in duels, where victory could bolster your armys morale.Fighting against enemy generals is also not for the faint of heart, since in these moments, Dynasty Warriors: Origins feels more akin to a Soulslike game. Whenever I took on tough, larger-than-life opponents like Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Gan Ning, Guan Yu, and others, I had to be mindful of when to parry or perfectly dodge. Conversely, I could use special arts, which are meant to effectively counter some abilities. I could then follow up with the aforementioned weapon skills, breaking a foes guard and using an assault strike to finish them off. The fluidity in terms of character movement and animations looks nothing short of spectacular, similar to the gracefulness seen in wuxia or Chinese martial arts.Exemplary combat mechanics are further complemented by terrific performance. My PC has an Intel i9-10900K CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, and 32 GB of RAM, and I was able to play at the highest settings at 4K resolution, experiencing stable frame rates with nary a drop or slowdown, even when there were countless units on my screen.Theres one facet with regard to combat and battles thats bound to cause consternation, though, and its something I mentioned earlier: The Wanderer is the only playable character. While its true that the Wanderer can be joined by a select few companions from other factions, including Zhang Liao, Sun Shangxiang, and Zhang Fei, they can only be controlled briefly upon filling up their respective gauges. Going from over 90 playable characters in previous titles to just one is a huge disparity that can take a while to get used to. Personally, I didnt mind it as much since the story already kept me engaged, but its bound to be an important factor for some veterans of the series.Lastly, a recurring Dynasty Warriors issue, that of awful AI-controlled generals, rears its ugly head once again. I experienced instances when lords and officers almost had no survival instincts, advancing without a care in the world and causing me to run back and forth to babysit them.All in all, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, without a doubt, still captures the essence of the tumultuous time period that saw the fall of the Han dynasty and the rise of rival warlords. For the first time in a long while, the franchise has an entry that makes you feel like youre truly part of the action, a lone hero against a thousand hostiles. As someone who has played numerous Dynasty Warriors games and spinoffs over the years, its rare for one of these titles to surprise me, but Origins has managed to astonish me many times over in my 35-hour playthrough, thanks to a slew of new features, admirable presentation, and bold changes.Lets just hope that any planned expansions or Xtreme Legends/Empires spinoffs wouldnt have too many repetitive battles, given what I experienced when I picked the Sun clan in my initial playthrough. Lord knows no one wants to see Zhuge Liang fight and capture Meng Huo in seven separate missions.Dynasty Warriors: Origins will be released on Jan. 17 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release copy provided by Koei Tecmo. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygons ethics policy here.

Weekly curated resources for designersthinkers andmakers.Dear Mark,Unfortunately, when youve claimed the word meta from our lexicon and then you announce that youve done a bad job deciding whats right so youve decided to stop deciding whats rightbut you get that decision wrong, were out of words to describe theirony.Meta: you cant put the toothpaste back in the tubeNew year savings: start your product (UX/UI) design career with UX Design Institute [Sponsored] Launch your career as a certified Product (UX/UI) Designer with UX Design Institutes university credit-rated Product Design Programme. Gain in-demand UX/UI skills, build a professional portfolio, and save big with their early birdoffer.Editor picksMeta and Spotifys AI takeover Is this the end of human-created content?By Angele LenglemetzThe obscure side of Honey Deceptive tricks turned a savings tool into a trust trap.By MarcusFlecknerSeeing what nobody else can Understanding competitive advantage.By HelgeTennThe UX Collective is an independent design publication that elevates unheard design voices and helps designers think more critically about theirwork.Stimulation clickerMake methinkWhither dashboard design? Every dashboard is a sunk cost. Every dashboard is an answer to some long-forgotten question. Every dashboard is an invitation to pattern-match the past instead of interrogate the present. Every dashboard gives the illusion of correlation. Every dashboard dampens your thinking.Automated accessibility testing at Slack Automated tools can overlook nuanced accessibility issues that require human judgment, such as screen reader usability. Additionally, these tools can also flag issues that dont align with the products specific design considerations.Are we at peak shittiness? I switched from an Apple Watch to a mechanical watch for that reason (one less battery to charge!), and bought a simple nightstand alarm clock that doesnt need an app, doesnt have a screen, a Wi-Fi connection, or an unremovable battery.Little gems thisweekHuman flourishing in the age of AI By Josh LaMar(He/Him)The four pillars model of content design By AndrewTippWhat are the big opportunities to make an impact in 2025? By YaronCohenTools and resourcesQuantitative personas with latent class analysis Facilitating the creation of statistical personas.By TaliehKazemiGenAI and the tetrad color harmony Unanimous consensus among three chatbots.By Theresa-Marie RhyneThe art of storytelling and persuasion A designers guide.By AbbyAkerSupport the newsletterIf you find our content helpful, heres how you can supportus:Check out this weeks sponsor to support their worktooForward this email to a friend and invite them to subscribeSponsor aneditionMetas decision, 4 pillars of content design, GenAI color harmony, quantitative personas was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Making a big batch of Sunday sauce, curry, or a giant pot of chili for the month is smart, but it can also be taxing. Recipes require large quantities of ingredients, the process can be a multi-hour or all-day endeavorand for what? Oh, right, you get 10-20 servings of richly flavored sauce that has been made with love and patience. Its worth it to ensure every drop gets used, so put technology to use and freeze the majority of it. Heres how to freeze large quantities of sauce for easy dinners later.Freeze your single serving sizeThe biggest hurdle with freezing anythingsauce, broth, or even meatin large blocks is that thawing a small part of it is a true pain in the ass. You either have to thaw the entire thing and refreeze it, which can negatively impact the quality, or hack it apart, which can be dangerous.Instead, address the portion size before you freeze the sauce the first time. You may have heard of using ice cube trays for portioning sauce in an adorable way. While its important for everyone to discover what works for them (and this might work for you), for me, the ice cube tray is a garbage idea. For one thing, it's way too small. My ice cube divots hold one tablespoon of water each. Id need at least half the tray for one small bowl of pasta. Im also relatively sure those trays will be imbued with tomato, garlic, or basil smell afterward, which means I cant use them for ice ever again, and Im not the type of person who wants to keep sauce-specific ice cube trays in my home. Instead of ice cube trays, use something more realistic to a real serving size.Ice cube trays can work for freezing potent, powerful liquidslike lemon juice, or olive brinewhere youre likely to just use a bit. For large batches of sauce, portion the servings in plastic reusable containers or bags. The size should match the single serving you will likely need. If you have a family of five, youll freeze larger portions than a two-person household. Use appropriately sized freezer bags or reusable containers accordingly.Sheet trays are indispensable tools for flat freezing:Nordic Ware Aluminum Half-sheet Pan SetUSA Pan Warp-resistant Half-sheet PanWhen in doubt, freeze flatArranging my freezer is like a terrifying puzzle sometimes. I know theres a way to fit it all, but there are so many irregular shapes in there. Freezing liquid flat instead of in a block shape can help make storage easier. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann More importantly, you can break the sauce into pieces easily when its frozen thin and flat to adjust the portion size later. This is perfect if youre not really sure how much youll need for dinner on any given night. Not only is freezing sauce quicker this way, but thawing and cooking will be faster too.How to freeze large batches of saucePre-portion sauce into bags, or use the whole sheet tray method.Pre-portioning with freezer bags: Simply dump your single serving into the freezer bag, around one to four cups. Lay it flat on a sheet tray and put it in the freezer until frozen solid. You can probably fit a couple bags on one tray if you need to. Then neatly stack the frozen sauce bags.Use chopsticks or pens to divide portions. If you only have gallon freezer bags but you only make single servings, use a freezer-safe implements to divide the sauce while it's freezing. For a half-inch layer of tomato sauce, I can use a chopstick to create a divot. Helpfully, it's the same length as the bag. Once it's frozen, remove the chopstick or other tool. This divot in the sauce allows you to break it here, like a perforation. Slide out one portion and keep the rest in the freezer. You can also use pens, pencils or, for thicker layers of sauce, use a metal spoon. Credit: Allie Chanthorn reinmann The sheet tray method. To consolidate even more slabs, youll use the sheet tray slightly differently. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or plastic wrap, with some overhang over the sides. Spread the sauce directly onto the tray, about a half-inch deep. Carefully put the sheet tray in the freezer so it doesnt spill. Allow the sauce to freeze, probably 2 hours to overnight, depending on the type of sauce and its thickness. Take it out of the freezer and use the liner to lift and help break the sauce into smaller slabs. Slide the slabs into freezer bags or other containers.Even if youre an ice cube tray portioner for life, you can still consolidate your cubes into a bag or container if that helps with your freezer Tetris. When youre ready for a zero-effort, slow-simmered sauce on a time-crunched weeknight, simply drop a slab or two of sauce into a pot along with some frozen rice and two tablespoons of water (to prevent burning). Cover it with a lid and put it on low heat. Let it heat up on its own for 20 minutes while you take some time to yourself to unwind.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Kindle readers are arguably the best ink readers in the market (certainly they are the most ubiquitous), but when it comes to note-taking ink readers, it's not necessarily the same story, with competitors like Onyx Boox offering e-inks tablets that are far more feature-packed and customizable. That said, they are cost a pretty penny, with the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C running around $450. Amazon's newest Kindle Scribe, on the other hand, is currently available for $324.99 (originally $399.99), the lowest price it has reached since its recent release, according to price tracking tools. Amazon Kindle Scribe (16 GB) Dimensions: 9.0 by 7.7 by 0.22 inches, Weight: 15.3 oz, Screen Size: 10.2 inches, Storage: 16 GB $399.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $399.99 at Amazon The Kindle Scribe first came out in 2022; this first version is currently $339.99 (yes, thanks to the current discount, the newer version is cheaper than the old version). But honestly, if you already have the 2022 version, there is no reason to upgrade. The main difference is the 2024 version comes with the Premium Pen instead of the Basic Pen stylus. The tablet itself is shorter, narrower, and slimmer, but not by much (you can even still use the same case). The new screen also has texture, which will add more resistance when you're writing on it, and the gap between the screen and outer casing is smaller. But that's where the differences end, at least according to PCMag's 3.5-star review.Otherwise, you'll get the same 16GB of storage, the same book format compatibility, the same 15.3 oz weight, the same glare-free 300 ppi front-lit display screen, and the same 12-week battery life. Both tablets run the same software. Still, if you don't own a Scribe at all and are considering getting one, the newer version is the better option, especially when it costs less.However, if your focus is more on writing and other tasks rather than reading, the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 C is a much better option. It has a color E Ink display, better note-taking software, and wider platform support. I've had the non-color version for several months and can recommend it to anyone looking for a serious digital notebook.

Around 863 million people flew U.S. airlines in 2023, and if you were one of them, you know that it feels like the experience keeps getting less and less enjoyable. From ever-shrinking personal space to ever-increasing fees, flying has become a crucible of suffering for anyone who cant afford (or negotiate) an upgrade to first class. But the worst part about air travel these days can be our fellow travelersour angry and sometimes rude fellow travelers who sometimes break every rule of flight etiquette there is.One easy way to trigger a Yellowjackets-style descent into savagery? The seat swap. Booking flights can be a dystopian nightmare, so its not uncommon for folks to wind up in distant seats and want to sit together. Weve all asked someone to switch seats so we could be next to a partner, a friend, a child, or someone who might need some extra help during the flightbut as with everything else in this life, theres a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If you need to negotiate a seat swap on your next flight, follow these rules to avoid being the bad guy.Rule 1: Dont squatThe most important rule of trying to swap seats on a plane: Never, never squat in the seat you want.Seat squatting means jumping into the seat youd like to occupy in the hope that you can just bluff your way into it. When the rightful owner of the seat shows up, seat squatters try to ignore them, bully them, or convince them to just let it happen as a fait accompli.This is not only rude, but it will also annoy the flight crew, who would greatly prefer everyone stay in their assigned seats until after boarding (see Rule 2) to reduce chaos. And finally, that same flight crew will probably force you to move anywayand then any chance you had of negotiating the swap will be dead.Rule 2: Wait until boarding is finishedIf youre anxious about getting your seating arrangement in order, you naturally want to get the process started as soon as you step onto the plane. Boarding can be absolute chaos on crowded flightsthe overhead compartments start to fill up, people block the aisle trying to corral their luggage, last-minute ticketing problems get resolvedand trying to move up and down the plane to arrange a seat swap just makes everything worse. Plus, the flight crew may be performing some seat-swapping magic of their own that youre now making even more complicated, much to their probable irritation.The best way to approach a seat swap is to wait for boarding to finish (or at least mostly finish). The aisle will be clear and youll have plenty of time to politely ask someone to change seats.Rule 3: Be politeNo one is under any obligation to swap seats with you, and it isnt their fault that your booking didnt go as planned. Demanding that they comply with your wishes or responding to reasonable questions (such as is your seat right next to the restroom? or do you really have an aisle seat?) with snark or rude comebacks isnt going to get you anything.Rule 4: Equivalent valueSeat swaps should be parallel in the sense that the person swapping with you shouldnt get shafted in the process. If they have a seat with extra legroom, a first- or business-class seat, or an aisle or window seat, they should get a seat of equivalent quality. Asking someone to go from a roomy aisle seat to a squished middle seat is simply not fair. You can still ask, of course, but be situationally aware of what youre askingseats on a plane are definitely not all the same. Take a moment to think about the location and class of your current seat so you know what youre asking a total stranger to sacrifice for you.If you really need to ask for an unbalanced swap, offer something to the other passenger. Thats right, the long tradition of bribery is your best friend in these situations. If they paid for an upgraded seat or simply have a better seat than you do, offering to buy them few cocktails or snacks or simply compensating them for the difference in seat price might be the difference between closing the deal or not.Rule 5: Be honestSpeaking of being situationally aware of your seats advantages and disadvantages: Dont lie about them. If you have a middle seat, dont tell the potential swapper in an aisle seat that you also have an aisle seat just to get them upthats what scientists call an asshole move. Most of the time the swapper will just return to demand their seat back, and your fellow passengers will know that youre not a good person. And if your little scheme causes a lot of confusion and ruckus, youll earn the enmity of the flight crewwho absolutely have the power to get you tossed off the plane.Rule 6: If you're refused, don't argueFinally, if your seat swap request is denied, accept it. No is a complete sentence, and you have no idea why the person isnt interested in helping you outthey may have perfectly good reasons for staying put. In any case, theyre under zero obligation to fix your booking problems. Its perfectly OK to politely ask for a seat swap. Its not OK to argue with the person if they say no.