Features
Why are Olympics so good at making us root for sports and athletes we tune out most of the time?
Every four years, millions of Americans join billions of their fellow humans across the globe to celebrate the astonishing athletic feats at the Summer Olympics. Warm-weather sports such as swimming and track that usually don’t capture much attention in U.S. media suddenly vault to the forefront. National teams compete in… Read
Gen Z members willing to pay for help to quit their jobs
A young man we'll refer to here only as "Mr. A" had recently joined a firm dealing in medical equipment. Barely several months into the job, he procured the services of a professional taishoku daiko (resignation agency) to notify the company of his wish to resign. His reasons were not… Read
From cherry blossoms to roses, the gardens at Tokachi Hills have lots to see for floral fans
Located in the central Hokkaido town of Ohibiro, Tokachi Hills is a collection of gardens, cafes and recreational areas. Designed in the style of English gardens, it brings a touch of England to Hokkaido’s floral landscape. The garden section covers an area of five hectares. Here, you’ll find motifs typically found in… Read
Universal Studios Japan adding new Resident Evil attraction; little kids barred once again
It’s been, somewhat ironically, quite a while since Universal Studios Japan got a new, big-name movie-themed attraction. That’s OK, though, because the bigger draw for the park these days appears to be its steady rotation of attractions based on hit anime and Japanese video game franchises. USJ frequently partners with game developer Capcom,… Read
Street medicine teams in U.S. search for homeless people to deliver lifesaving IV hydration in extreme heat
Alfred Handley leaned back in his wheelchair alongside a major Phoenix freeway as a street medicine team helped him get rehydrated with an intravenous saline solution dripping from a bag hanging on a pole. Cars whooshed by under the blazing 96-degree morning sun as the 59-year-old homeless man with a… Read
Starbucks Japan adds Love and Peach Frappuccino to its menu for limited time
Things are getting fruity at Starbucks in Japan this summer, with the chain giving us not one but two banana-flavored Frappuccinos for the month of June, and now we have another juicy offering for July, this time with peaches as the star. This third summer release of the year is called the Love and Peach Frappuccino, and according… Read
Satellite images show deforestation toll of Indonesia mines
More than 700,000 hectares of forest in Indonesia have been cleared for mining since 2001, including large tracts of primary forest, a new analysis using satellite data has found. The TreeMap, a conservation start-up, used high-resolution imagery from several satellites and two decades of data from the long-running Landsat program… Read
Enjoy shochu, awamori and gourmet food at annual event in Fukuoka
Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association will hold an event called "Honkaku Shochu, Awamori and Food Festival 2024" at the Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, Japan's largest dome stadium, on July 13 and 14. Honkaku Shochu and Awamori are traditional Japanese distilled spirits, consumed in similar quantities to sake in Japan.… Read
Coral bleachings devastate Bali reefs as sea temperatures rise
Indonesian conservationist Nyoman Sugiarto has been working for 16 years to preserve coral on the reefs of Bali, but the frequency of mass coral bleachings he says is now devastating. Ninety percent of the corals Sugiarto had nurtured on the reefs near his village in Bondalem, in northern shore of… Read
From diagnosing brain disorders to cognitive enhancement, 100 years of EEG have transformed neuroscience
Electroencephalography, or EEG, was invented 100 years ago. In the years since the invention of this device to monitor brain electricity, it has had an incredible impact on how scientists study the human brain. Since its first use, the EEG has shaped researchers’ understanding of cognition, from perception to memory.… Read
