The Daily Valet. - 6/1/23, Thursday
✔️ Brain Shapes Matter
Thursday, June 1st Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
If you enjoy a regular cocktail (like I do), you might be surprised (like I was) of just how much they add up over a year.
Today’s Big Story
Brain Shapes Matter
According to science, The geometry of your brain may influence your thoughts and behavior
I wonder what my brain looks like, rattling around inside my melon. Is it a textured, prolate spheroid, like a football? Or perhaps it's rounder and more smooth? You might think it doesn't matter. But the way a person thinks, feels and behaves is much more connected to the shape of their brain than scientists first thought.A team of researchers looked at the long-held belief that the brain's activity patterns are caused by a complex web of neural connections. Their study, published on Thursday in the international journal Nature, found that wasn't necessarily the case. They now believe that the shape of the brain (its size, curves and grooves) may actually exert a greater influence on how we think, feel and behave than the connections and signals zapping between neurons.The doctors arrived at this bold new conclusion after taking MRI scans of 255 people's brains while the participants performed tasks like tapping their fingers or recalling a sequence of images. From there, the team examined 10,000 different maps of people's brain activity, gathered from more than 1,000 experiments worldwide, to further assess the role of brain shape.Next, they created a computer model that simulated the way a brain's size and shape affect waves of electrical activity, better known as brain waves. James Pang, the study's lead author and a research fellow at Monash University in Australia, likened the significance of brain shape to a pebble making ripples in a pond: The size and shape of the pond helps determine the nature of those ripples.David Van Essen, a neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told NBC News that the brain shape theory has been floated for more than a decade, but this is the first time it's been illustrated so clearly. Now, with a new link between shape and brain activity, researchers will look to see if this might change the way diseases are diagnosed or behavior is predicted.
FYI:
An adult brain weighs about three pounds and is around 75% water. This means that dehydration, even in small amounts, can have an effect on brain functions.
House Passes Debt Limit Bill
After sailing THROUGH on bipartisan vote, the debt ceiling deal now goes to the Senate
The House voted Wednesday night to pass the painstakingly negotiated bill to suspend the debt ceiling and limit federal spending. According to the Washington Post, the deal “averts a catastrophic U.S. government default,” while securing a major win for the GOP and the White House that seemed elusive just days ago.The hard-fought compromise pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative—a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. In the end, it allowed Republicans, who refused to raise the debt ceiling, to say that they succeeded in reducing some federal spending (even as funding for the military and veterans' programs would continue to grow), while allowing Democrats to say they spared most domestic programs from severe cuts.Now, the bill heads over to the Senate, where lawmakers will rush to enact the legislation before Monday—when the United States will no longer be able to pay its bills.
Dig Deeper:
Vox explains the biggest policy changes in the debt ceiling deal, from student loans and food aid, to the IRS.
Are Weddings Too Expensive?
Over-the-top nuptials seem to be costing everyone more these days
Summertime means wedding season is upon us, right? Perhaps you're getting hitched, helping a friend plan or simply have a slew of nuptials penciled in on your calendar already—either way, make sure you've got plenty of money.After a pandemic-induced backup and pent-up demand, weddings have come roaring back with bigger budgets and longer guest lists. What's more, inflation and high demand are driving up the price of those big days, as everything from music to flowers to makeup gets more expensive. CNBC reports that 77% of wedding vendors surveyed in a recent study said they'd be raising their rates for the rest of the year.The result? Now the average cost of a wedding has risen to $29,000, according to the wedding planning website Zola. Perhaps even more unfortunate is that the high costs don't just burden the happy couple. Nearly half of people who've gone to weddings in the past five years have gone into debt to be there, per a recent LendingTree survey. And that jumps to 62% if they were also in the bridal party, which comes with additional obligations, like showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties. Suddenly eloping seems like the responsible thing to do.
FYI:
The U.S. wedding services business is booming, growing 10% in 2022 to a $71 billion industry.
The Delivery Bots Are Coming
Uber Eats is set to deploy the roving Delivery robots in multiple American cities
The next time you order some delivery, it might just show up inside the belly of a bot. Uber Eats is partnering with Serve Robotics, an autonomous delivery startup, to deploy up to 2,000 of the company's robots in multiple markets across the United States.This is actually an expansion of Uber's pilot program that launched in my old neighborhood in Los Angeles last year. Apparently, deliveries via Serve increased by over 30% month-over-month. It was fascinating (and, at times, hilarious) to see how people would interact with the machines. They would be curious and watch it like a puppy passing. It certainly helps that the big headlight eyes make them look a bit like Pixar's lovable WALL-E.According to Tech Crunch, this not only validates Serve's goal to mass commercialize robotics for delivery, “but it also signals that Uber is furthering its commitment to autonomy.” Last week, Uber announced Waymo's autonomous vehicles would be available for ride-hail and delivery on the app starting in Phoenix later this year. And they're not the only game in town. Companies like Starship Technologies, Ottonomy and Nuro are all sending out deliveries via wheeled robots.
FYI:
How do you make these robots more disability-friendly? One company is working to solve this before it's too late.
In Other News
A little under 3.7 million babies were born in the U.S. last year, about 3,000 fewer than the year before.
Special Counsel Obtains Audio of Trump Discussing Document He Had Post-Presidency That Was Still Classified
Have you heard about ...
The Long Read
A chicago teen became a legend after successfully impersonating a police officer
When Vincent Richardson was 14 years old, he wore a police uniform into Chicago's Third District Grand Crossing police station and reported for duty ... an intake officer issued Vincent a police radio and ticket book; then, the officer assigned Vincent a partner and a police cruiser.”
- By The Verge's Matt Stroud
Read It:
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Shopping
What We’re Buying
Modular shelving
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Get It:
Mid-century modular shelving, from $499 by West Elm
Morning Motto
As long as you’re trying, you’re good.
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