All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education

Cover Previews: World Archaeology – Sept 2022

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The World Archaeology October 2022 issue explores the secrets of Japan’s stone circles, the lost prehistoric cities of Bolivia, women’s everyday lives in the Ice Age, an idyllic alpine region that saw fierce fighting during the First World War, and much more.

The stone circles of Japan are enigmatic monuments. These structures were created by Jomon hunter-gatherers, mostly from roughly 2500-300 BC, and can be associated with burials, seasonal ceremonies, and solar alignments. Such preoccupations are far from being restricted to Jomon Japan, with study of these circles proving influential when it came to early 20th-century attempts to understand Stonehenge. In our cover feature, we take a detailed look at some of the Jomon stone circles, examining both the monuments themselves, and wider activity in the period.

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept 22, 2022

Volume 609 Issue 7928


A gentle lick or nibble makes this brain circuit buzz

Scientists identify a neuronal pathway in rats that drives ‘social grooming’, a behaviour that helps to hold animal communities together.

Warming Arctic brings jet-stream waviness and extreme weather

As high-level winds shift, heat and heavy rain can persist.

A diamond sensor shines at ‘seeing’ voltages

Crystalline device could be used to visualize voltages with high resolution, speed and stability.

A chocoholic’s best friends are the birds and the bats

The trees that provide the raw material for chocolate have a higher yield when the groves are accessible to certain species.

How did the sea cow cross the Pacific? At a ponderous paddle

A family tree of sea cows suggests that the dugong traversed an ocean to reach its present habitat.

Builder drones

Ground-based robots have potential for helping in the construction industry, but they are limited by their height. In this week’s issue, Mirko Kovac, Robert Stuart-Smith and their colleagues introduce highly manoeuvrable aerial robots that can perform additive 3D construction tasks. Inspired by natural builders such as wasps and bees, the researchers created BuilDrones (as shown on the cover) that can work in an autonomous team to perform 3D printing tasks using foam- or cement-based materials. They also created ScanDrones to assess the quality of the structures

 being built. The team hopes that this approach of ‘aerial additive manufacturing’ could help to build structures in difficult to access areas.

Summer Walks: Le Marais In Central Paris, France

The fashionable Marais district in the 4th arrondissement, also known as SoMa (South Marais), is filled with hip boutiques, galleries, and gay bars. Once the city’s Jewish quarter, the area still hosts numerous kosher restaurants. The grassy Place des Vosges is home to elegant arcades and the Musée Victor Hugo, where the writer lived. Streets around Saint-Paul metro lead to the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. 

Filmed in September 2022.

News: Putin Mobilizes And Escalates War, Protests In Iran, Zurich Film Festival

Vladimir Putin mobilizes more troops in the biggest escalation of the war in Ukraine since the invasion. Plus: protests in Iran continue after the death of a woman in police custody, the latest climate news, and the Zürich Film Festival kicks off.

Front Page: The New York Times – September 22, 2022

Appeals Court Frees Justice Dept. to Use Sensitive Files Seized From Trump

A federal judge had temporarily barred the department from using the records marked as classified in its inquiry into whether the former president illegally retained national defense documents.

Putin Raises Stakes in the War, With Direct Challenge to the West

The Russian leader announced a call-up of troops and hinted at using nuclear weapons, accusing the West of trying to “destroy our country” and vowing that Russia would defend itself.

Preview: The Atlantic Magazine – October 2022

The Atlantic October 2022 Issue:

Ukraine defiant: George Packer, Anne Applebaum, and Franklin Foer on democracy’s front lines. Plus the myopia generation, the Benin bronzes’ contested return, Ian McEwan’s anti-memoir, cursive’s demise, redshirting boys, John Roberts v. the Voting Rights Act, the GOP’s extremist history, and more.

Six months into Ukraine’s defiant stand against Russia’s invasion, The Atlantic is publishing a special cover package devoted to life in the country and the state of the war, with new, on-the-ground reporting by staff writers George Packer, Anne Applebaum, and Franklin Foer. Packer, Applebaum, and Foer are three of the most influential and established voices on the perils of war, authoritarian threats to democracy, and Ukrainian and Russian politics.

Sea Of Galilee Views: A Walk In Tiberias, Israel (4K)

Tiberias is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Its Old City holds important Jewish and Christian pilgrimage sites including the Tomb of Maimonides and Abulafia (Etz Chaim) Synagogue.

Route timestamps: 00:00 Sea of Galilee 07:20 The city of Tiberias 27:14 Rambam’s Grave 31:31 Ancient city of Tiberias

The waterfront features the restaurant-lined Yigal Allon Promenade, a marina and a fish market. South of the city, Hamat Tiberias National Park is home to famed mineral hot springs dating to antiquity. 

Preview: Country Life Magazine – Sept 21, 2022

Country Life’s 21 September 2022 issue is a Cotswolds special, looking at gardens, homes and Oxford’s brief stint as the British capital.

Our great good fortune

Long live the Kings and Queens, says Carla Carlisle as she marvels at the balancing act of our enduring monarchy

A Cotswold capital

Simon Thurley explains how Oxford was fortified during its brief spell as Charles I’s capital city during the Civil War

A concentrated Arcadia

Tilly Ware lauds the dedicated restoration of the many buildings and features of a historic Cotswolds landscape garden

Stella Ioannou’s favourite painting

The artistic director of Sculpture in the City chooses a vivid and compelling British work

Travel & Culture: Visiting Munich’s Oktoberfest

Following a two-year break, Munich’s Oktoberfest is back! Dhruv Rathee and partner Juli visit the world’s largest Volksfest. The 17-day event kicks off with the traditional ‘parade of Wiesn landlords and breweries”.

Video timeline: 0:00 Intro 0:47 What is the Oktoberfest? 1:48 Parade of Wiesn landlords and breweries 2:58 A brief history of the Oktoberfest 3:39 Getting there 4:50 Dirndl and lederhosen 5:52 O’zaft is! – the opening tradition 7:10 Beer tents 8:28 Food 10:17 Rides and attractions 11:29 Tips for families

Dressed in their dirndls and lederhosen, they explore the many rides and attractions on the Wiesn – the field where it all takes place. Along with sampling some culinary delights, they of course have to drop in to one of the famous beer tents.

Plant-Based Meat: Why It Hasn’t Gone Mainstream

As people’s eating habits change and environmental concerns grow, plant-based protein used as a meat substitute has gained popularity. However, some barriers are preventing it from becoming truly mainstream. Watch what needs to be done to truly realize a future with less meat.