An apprentice writer has an entirely unexpected encounter with literary genius Jorge Luis Borges that will profoundly alter his life and work. A poignant and comic literary coming-of-age memoir. “This is a jewel of a book.” –Ian McEwan
New Architecture Books: “Living In The Mountains”
A breathtaking survey of contemporary homes, each with a deep connection to the landscapes and vistas of the mountains.
Whether snow-capped, rocky, or covered with verdant forest, the sublime wilderness of mountains has inspired humans for millennia. Offering respite from urban living and a profound connection to nature, mountain landscapes also present unique challenges that have resulted in innovative, resourceful, and beautiful residential architecture. Living in the Mountains is the definitive global tour, showcasing the finest examples of architect-designed homes, whether furnished with impressive views, offering protection from harsh environments, or simply reveling in their extraordinary altitude.
Brain Research: 40% Of Dementia Cases Prevented With Lifestyle Changes
“We are learning that tactics to avoid dementia begin early and continue throughout life, so it’s never too early or too late to take action,” says commission member and AAIC presenter Lon Schneider, MD, co-director of the USC Alzheimer Disease Research Center‘s clinical core and professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences and neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
LOS ANGELES — Modifying 12 risk factors over a lifetime could delay or prevent 40% of dementia cases, according to an updated report by the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC 2020).
Twenty-eight world-leading dementia experts added three new risk factors in the new report — excessive alcohol intake and head injury in mid-life and air pollution in later life. These are in addition to nine factors previously identified by the commission in 2017: less education early in life; mid-life hearing loss, hypertension and obesity; and smoking, depression, social isolation, physical inactivity and diabetes later in life (65 and up).
Schneider and commission members recommend that policymakers and individuals adopt the following interventions:
- Aim to maintain systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or less from the age of 40.
- Encourage use of hearing aids for hearing loss and reduce hearing loss by protecting ears from high noise levels.
- Reduce exposure to air pollution and second-hand tobacco smoke.
- Prevent head injury (particularly by targeting high-risk occupations).
- Limit alcohol intake to no more than 21 units per week (one unit of alcohol equals 10 ml or 8 g pure alcohol).
- Stop smoking and support others to stop smoking.
- Provide all children with primary and secondary education.
- Lead an active life into mid-life and possibly later life.
- Reduce obesity and the linked condition of diabetes.
Morning News Podcast: Covid-19 Hospital Data, Protests In Portland
NPR News Now reports on tracking hospital data on Covid-19, continuing protests in Portland, and other top news stories.
Food Trends: American “Fresh Seaweed” Products Are Expanding (Podcast)
Atlantic Sea Farms is the largest commercial seaweed farm in the U.S. They line-grow their seaweed in clear, icy cold Maine waters. The seaweed — which is sold frozen in pureed cubes and in ready to eat cut strands and fermented products — is never dyed or dehydrated.
Beyond sushi restaurants and roasted snacks, seaweed is increasingly accepted, appreciated, even adored, in American kitchens — and for good reason.
Seaweed is really good for you. It’s loaded with potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B12, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and tons of calcium. And then there’s the umami bomb of taste: briny, sweet, meaty, and vegetal are just some of the ways cooks describe the flavor of various seaweeds.
TOP TRAVEL VIDEOS: “AERIAL AMERICA – RHODE ISLAND” (SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL)
With an array of lighthouses and even more stories of rumrunners, pirates and captains of industry, Rhode Island represents our nation’s progress and its excesses. See it from the sky and witness the East Coast’s tiny gleaming treasure.
From the Series: Aerial America: Rhode Island http://bit.ly/2ilXKpy
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (JULY 31, 2020)
Travel & Driving Videos: “Black Forest & Alpine Roads” Of Germany
It is a special, almost festive feeling to travel with CURVES through Southern Germany. And there’s a good reason: The CURVES crew comes from here. Southern Germany is our home turf.
We grew up with the tang of the forests and meadows, with the feeling of sweet lake water in our hair, with slightly uneven legs due to the undulating mountainscape – and our way of thinking, which has its roots in the many generations before us: We are Bavarians, we are Swabians, we are people of the Black Forest. And we have been looking forward to this CURVES edition for a very long time. There was just no way around it.
Perhaps we should have brought our readers on this trip much earlier – it’s beautiful here. But it’s just not done. It would have been impolite, pushy and, we first had to get to know each other, anyway. Hence, it took long detours around half the world until we finally arrived in the Black Forest, in Swabia and Bavaria. Of course, that’s only half the story.
Top New Science Podcasts: Covid-19 Vaccine Fears And Origin Controversies
Science Editor-in-Chief Holden Thorp joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss his editorial on preventing vaccine hesitancy during the coronavirus pandemic. Even before the current crisis, fear of vaccines had become a global problem, with the World Health Organization naming it as one of the top 10 worldwide health threats in 2019. Now, it seems increasingly possible that many people will refuse to get vaccinated. What can public health officials and researchers do to get ahead of this issue?
Also this week, Sarah talks with Science Senior Correspondent Jon Cohen about his story on Chinese scientist Shi Zhengli, the bat researcher at the center of the COVID-19 origins controversy—and why she thinks President Donald Trump owes her an apology.
Finally, Geert Van der Snickt, a professor in the conservation-restoration department at the University of Antwerp, talks with Sarah about his Science Advances paper on a new process for peering into the past of paintings. His team used a combination of techniques to look beneath an overpainting on the Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck—a pivotal piece that showed the potential of oil paints and even included an early example of painting from an aerial view.
Video Interviews: 71-Year Old Welsh Author Ken Follett On His Writing
Ken Follett, international best-selling author and one of the world’s best-loved novelists, joined Reverend Hilary De Lyon (RSM Vice-President) for a lively discussion about his work, including the variety of different kinds of novels he has written, from the longevity and international success of his first novel Eye of the Needle and the later The Pillars of the Earth, to his latest book A Column of Fire; and what inspires him in the creative process of developing exciting plots in many different historical settings. The RSM’s In Conversation Live series offers the opportunity to get first-hand insights into the lives and thoughts of high profile individuals through an intimate, relaxed and entertaining setting, direct to your living room.
Kenneth Martin Follett, CBE, FRSL is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists.
Boomers Daily 