Having a panic attack? This might help...

"I'll put it out there - I love hugs." - Nicole Kidman

Author

Nate Huskey
April 09, 2024

SCIENCE

HAVING A PANIC ATTACK? THIS MIGHT HELP…

IMAGE CREDIT: TUMBLRGALLERY

Feeling down? Ask for a hug - we have evidence it’ll help.

German researchers found that physical touch - like receiving a hug from a loved one - dramatically reduces the severity of anxiety and depression in people struggling with their mental health.

SUPRISING FINDINGS?

  • Having the head touched was more effective at reducing anxiety than other parts of the body.

  • A weighted blanket can reproduce some of these benefits, but is not nearly as effective as human touch at calming anxiety.

GO DEEPER: Read more here

ARTS

DIVISIVE “CIVIL WAR” RELEASES THIS WEEK

Showings for Alex Garland’s “Civil War” begin this Thursday in what is expected to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.

Described by critics as ‘unsettling’ and ‘provocative,’ the A24 film depicts the outbreak of a second American civil war in modern times.

WHY IT MATTERS?

  • The film has received strong reviews from critics, averaging a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes

  • “Civil War” has been compared to “Apocalypse Now” for its visceral depictions of political violence - this is not a movie to bring your kids to.

GO DEEPER: Read more here

SCIENCE

A TIME ZONE FOR THE MOON?

The White House released a memo today directing NASA to establish a new time zone for the moon.

Designated as (LTC), the Coordinated Lunar Time would establish a universal frame of reference for lunar activity across all the world’s nations.

WHY IT MATTERS?

  • Time is relative - the moon experiences time differently than we do on Earth.

  • As NASA hopes to establish a permanant base on the moon in the near future - timekeeping is a major logistical issue to achieving this goal.

GO DEEPER: Read more here

QUICK HITS:

  • New satellite photographs show images of the solar eclipse’s shadow moving across the United States.

  • The Tesla Cybertruck is repeatedly malfunctioning - owners are reporting the truck dying after driving as little as a single mile

  • A worker at a German art gallery was fired after hanging his own artwork next to Andy Warhol’s in hopes of catching his big break

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Knife; Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie wrote powerful literature that made him powerful enemies. He was nearly assassinated for it.

His new memoir discusses life after a fatwa was issued calling for his murder.