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Dec 29 2024HEALTH

Autism and Social Media: Why Some People Might Be More Intrigued by Conspiracies

Ever wondered why some people with autistic traits might be more drawn to conspiracy theories on social media? It's not just about being gullible, but possibly about being more detail-oriented or questioning mainstream explanations. Studies have shown that these individuals might be more likely to e

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Dec 29 2024TECHNOLOGY

Mastering the Limits: A New Way to Generalize Offline RL

Offline reinforcement learning (RL) faces a big problem: errors can pile up when deep Q functions try to work outside the data they were trained on. This hurts how well the policy can perform on new stuff. Existing methods are too cautious, which isn't great for generalization. But here's an interes

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Dec 29 2024POLITICS

Billionaire Bigwigs Push for Budget Cuts: What's the Deal with US Federal Spending?

Ever wondered how the government spends our tax dollars? Well, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the dynamic billionaire duo heading the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are on a mission to chop at least $2 trillion off the federal budget. They're eyeing big targets like the IRS

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Dec 29 2024ENVIRONMENT

Medicines in the Water: What's Happening in Pietermaritzburg?

In the bustling city of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, scientists have been looking closely at the levels of certain medicines in wastewater. They're interested in how these drugs change as they go through a wastewater treatment plant. This study is the first of its kind in South Africa to explore

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Dec 29 2024FINANCE

Bitcoin Futures: A Rollercoaster Ride for Bitcoin Volatility

The launch of Bitcoin futures shook up the cryptocurrency world, but not in the way some expected. Initially, it seemed like the introduction of these futures contracts made Bitcoin's price swings even wilder. But as time passed, things settled down. Researchers took a close look at minute-by-minute

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Dec 29 2024HEALTH

Stomach Bug Alert: Norovirus Outbreaks Increase in Winter

Hey there, did you know that norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne illness in the US? Well, get ready for some not-so-fun facts. Recently, the number of norovirus outbreaks in the US has gone up. In just one week, from December 5 to December 12, the cases jumped from 69 to 91. That's a lot

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Dec 29 2024CELEBRITIES

Brooks Nader's See-Through Date Night Look

On a recent Friday night in Los Angeles, Brooks Nader, a 28-year-old model, made a fashion statement with her partner, Gleb Savchenko. She chose to go bra-less in a sheer top, paired with a form-fitting pencil skirt and a matching blue pinstripe blazer. Her outfit was completed with a black belt, pu

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Dec 29 2024HEALTH

Do Smartphones Make Us Happy or Unhappy?

Ever wondered why some people can’t put their smartphones down? A study from Turkey has some answers. It looked at university students to see how smartphone addiction might be linked to our feelings of happiness and whether the fear of missing out (FoMO) plays a role. The study was done with 656 st

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Dec 29 2024HEALTH

New Year, New Health Savings: A Simple Guide

As we enter 2025, many people are wondering how to manage their health care costs effectively. One important fact to keep in mind is that most of the basics of health insurance won't change. This might seem like a good thing, but it also means that the risk of unexpected bills remains, especially wi

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Dec 29 2024SPORTS

The Sad Loss of a Sports Broadcasting Legend: Greg Gumbel's Legacy Lives On

Greg Gumbel, a beloved figure in sports broadcasting, has passed away at the age of 78. His death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from notable figures in the sports world, including Magic Johnson and Jemele Hill. Marcy and Michele Gumbel, his wife and daughter, announced his peaceful passing a

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