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Final Countdown
Doomsday Clock Edges Closer to Midnight
Fatih Taskiran
January 29, 2025 • Reading Time: 7 minutes
Wishing you a happy Lunar New Year, curious minds!
Welcome back to another day of big headlines, bold opinions, and (yep) a few jaw-droppers. We've got everything from New Year vibes and serpentine transformations to a cannabis study that might make you lose those keys. Let's dive right in with a cup of coffee!
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Today’s world, simplified for you:
You're on notice: the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists just moved the "Doomsday Clock" one tick closer to midnight. It's just 89 seconds until oblivion—our closest brush with it since 1947. What's got us on the verge of apocalypse?
In a nutshell: global warming, nuclear threats from Russia and North Korea, plus AI running wild (because 2025 needed more drama). The good news is that we can turn back time if global leaders (and the rest of us) take action. Let's hope "time's up" stays just a metaphor.
Kennedy vs. Kennedy
Move over, Hollywood drama—Caroline Kennedy just called Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a "predator" unfit for President Trump's Health and Human Services secretary job. She says he's pushed wild (and potentially dangerous) views on vaccines while quietly getting his own kids vaccinated, racked up big bucks from a lawsuit against a big pharma company, and even threw baby chicks (yes, really) into a blender for his hawks before younger relatives.
As RFK Jr. heads into Senate confirmation hearings, Caroline says her father (JFK) and uncles would be "disgusted." We're not talking about your average family disagreement.
Hiss-tory in the Making
Cue the fireworks and break out the dumplings—it's Lunar New Year! Here's to the Year of the Wood Snake, a 15-day festival filled with lanterns, family feasts, and red décor. In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, resilience, and a knack for transformation—think shedding old habits and grudges.
"Wood" dials up growth, flexibility, and charm, making this the perfect year to shed your old skin. Not to mention the travel surge—billions of people travel around the world every year, making it the planet's biggest migration. I hope you enjoy lion dances or a quiet family reunion dinner at home. Here's to letting go of the past and moving forward!
Bonus: Chinese zodiac predictions: What's in store for 2025, and what's your Zodiac Animal?
A Joint Effort
Apparently, "natural” doesn't always mean "no big deal." Researchers at the University of Colorado studied over 1,000 young adults (ages 22–36) and found that heavy lifetime cannabis users (1,000+ times) had noticeably lower brain activity during working memory tasks—thinking, solving short-term problems, following instructions, and remembering where your phone is... or what you were doing.
Even recent users weren't off the hook, with 68% seeing reduced activity. If you smoke regularly, you might want to keep track of those memory lapses. Just remember to read this newsletter every day and where you put it.
💬 Et cetera
No Problem: “I Don’t Have a Cell Phone. I’ve Never Emailed’ and Can Only Watch TV Using a Satellite Dish on My House”
Bookstores Go Digital: You'll soon be able to buy e-books at indie bookstores.
Space Laundry: In space, how do astronauts clean their clothes?
No More Pinup Girls: Celebrities and semi-clad models grace Pirelli's 2025 calendar.
💡 Core Wisdom
📸 Lens to Life
Photos from 2024 Close Up Photographer of the Year winners.
🧮 Core Count: 85
The percentage of the world's plant life in the oceans.
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🗓️ Flashback:
1595 - William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet is thought to have been first performed. It was officially published in early 1597.
1892 - 1892 The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia.
1896 - The first doctor to use radiation on breast cancer was Emile Grubbe.
2002 - President George W. Bush described Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as members of the “Axis of Evil" in his State of the Union address.
I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
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