Obama clarifies ‘they’re real’ remark on aliens

Former US President Barack Obama has sought to quench online speculation about comments he made on aliens on a podcast over the weekend.  During a round of quickfire questions with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked whether aliens were real.  "They're real," Obama began. "But I haven't seen them. And they're not being kept

How Epstein Accumulated His Wealth

How did Jeffrey Epstein, a college dropout who started off teaching math and physics, make a huge fortune? At least at the beginning, the man from a working-class family in Coney Island, New York, had luck on his side. Through connections, Epstein got a job at investment bank Bear Stearns, which gave him insight into

2026: Fire Horse and the Human–Horse Connection

The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on February 17 this year. Also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, the festival marking the advent of spring is widely celebrated in China and several East Asian countries. Families traditionally gather during this time to share sumptuous meals, while children are often

Why We’re Losing Touch With Nature

Strolling in a forest, nurturing a garden or even just looking at rolling green hills are interactions with nature that are often seen as a balm for the soul. There is even a word for the love of nature: biophilia. At the other end of the spectrum is biophobia — the fear of nature.  It might traditionally be used to describe fear

150 Years of the Telephone: Are We Still Calling?

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want to speak to you." With these words, Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized communication. They were the first words to be intelligibly transmitted over distance — the first telephone call. On February 14, 1876, Bell applied for a patent for his invention, signaling the rise of spoken communication as the primary way

AI-driven chip crunch raises smartphone prices

The benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) may come at a high cost for consumers. Surging demand for memory chips is driving up the price of smartphones and computers — including in Germany. "The AI boom, along with the massive investments in infrastructure and data centers that come with it, is having a noticeable impact on

Can a chemical really make you fall in love?

Love, inside the brain, is a chemical cocktail of many different hormones. Oxytocin — which is often called the "love hormone" — is believed to be the most important of all. But it is nothing more than an ancient chain of nine amino acids, produced by all mammals, with similar molecules found in fish, reptiles and worms. It

Why Germany’s Major Projects Run Late and Over Budget

Berlin's new airport? Planned for 5 years, finished in 14. Stuttgart's central station? Still under construction after 16 years. Hamburg's concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie? Nine years instead of three. And the costs? Sometimes 10 times higher than promised. Or take Cologne's opera house. Built in the 1950s as a symbol of modern democracy, it was a

Is Netflix Making Us Tune Out?

Is Netflix really making us less intelligent? I don't mean in the old school, "TV rots your brain" sense; that hours spent binging episodes of "Bridgerton" or "Squid Game" could be better spent dusting up on your Dostoevsky. I mean: is Netflix dumbing down the dialogue and storytelling in its films and TV shows to suit an

CAS Rejects Heraskevych’s Appeal Over Commemorative Helmet

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced it's decision on Friday evening, after an ad hoc division of the Swiss-based court had heard his appeal earlier in the day. "The CAS ad hoc division has denied an application by skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych (Ukraine) against the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and the International
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