“Who wants to live forever?” Freddie Mercury mournfully asks in Queen’s 1986 song of the same name. The answer: Quite a few people – so much so that life extension has long been a cottage industry. As a physician and scholar in the medical humanities, I’ve found the quest to expand the human lifespan both...
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Suicide, the Music Industry, and a Call to Action
Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, country music singer Mindy McCready, Keith Flint of The Prodigy, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) DJ Avicii, K Pop stars Goo Hara, Sulli and Moonbin, and many more. This long and heartbreakingly incomplete list of musicians that have died by suicide represents not only tragedies, but cultural reminders...
Violent Crime Is Indeed a Root Cause of Migration, According to New Study
Salvadoran emigration dropped following that country’s roundup of suspected gang members, according to researchers with The Bush School of Government and Public Service When El Salvador President Nayib Bukele implemented a controversial crime crackdown three years ago, he inadvertently helped answer one of the key questions in U.S. immigration policy: How much do crime and...
U.S. Tariffs on Canada and Mexico Take Effect, as China Takes Aim at U.S. Farm Exports
President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies. Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. The 10%...
The New American Imperialism: How Europe Can Deal With Trump’s Threat to Greenland
EU leaders will have to learn how to stand up to the bully in the White House. Editor’s Note: Trump’s demands that Denmark surrender control of Greenland to the United States is one of his more surprising moves, even by the standards of the new administration. The Carnegie Endowment’s Sophia Besch and European Council on Foreign...
Cuba’s Cigar Fair Showcases Humidors as the New Object of Desire
Cuba’s legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity. More than mere containers, humidors, some true works of art in wood, regulate humidity and temperature, and can...
New Research Unveils the “Dark Side” of Social Media Influencers and Their Impact on Marketing and Consumer Behaviour
Social media influencers (SMIs) pose psychological, health and security risks and need tighter regulation, a new study finds. Social media influencers (SMIs) pose psychological, health and security risks and need tighter regulation, a new study finds. SMIs have revolutionised marketing, shaping consumer behaviour, brand strategies, and even societal norms. However, new research exposes a lesser-known...
Why Is There So Much Gold in West Africa?
Militaries that have taken power in Africa’s Sahel region – notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – have put pressure on western mining firms for a fairer distribution of revenue from the lucrative mining sector. Gold is one of the resources at the heart of these tensions. West Africa has been a renowned gold mining...
Daily Cannabis Use Linked to Public Health Burden
New study suggests daily users who start in their teens at higher risk of a syndrome that causes vomiting, pain and repeated trips to the hospital A new study analyzes the disease burden and the risk factors for severity among people who suffer from a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Researchers at the George Washington...
Narcissists More Likely to Feel Ostracized
Narcissists feel ostracized more frequently than their less self-absorbed peers, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. This may stem not only from being shunned due to their personalities but from a tendency to misinterpret ambiguous social signals as exclusion. “Feeling ostracized is a subjective experience based on the perception of social cues...