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The growth of Data Centers is taxing our power systems. Now we are learning that they are also using our scared water resources. More at Noema ➜

"Disturbances on the sun may have the potential to devastate our power grid and communication systems. When the next big storm arrives, will we be prepared for it?"  More at The New Yorker ➜ 

The conflict in Gaza has become “an era-defining catastrophe.” It’s increasingly clear what — and who — is to blame. More at VOX ➜

Photo credit: Anadolu Agency

Over half of Stockton, California’s residents are diabetic or prediabetic. A prescribed meal program aims to change that. More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜

"Much like love itself, St. Valentine and his reputation as the patron saint of love are not matters of verifiable history, but of faith". Read more

Groundhog Day, is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. The weather lore was brought from German-speaking areas where the badger (German: Dachs) is the forecasting animal. This appears to be an enhanced version of the lore that clear weather on the Christian festival of Candlemas forebodes a prolonged winter. As the tradition goes, if a groundhog emerges from its burrows on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early. While the tradition remains popular, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather. In the U.S , the most popular Groundhog ceremony is held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering on a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. Other cities in the United States and Canada also have adopted the event. More

"It’s the big threat. A cheap, white powder — 50 times more powerful than heroin — which kills more than 70,000 people each year in the United States and countless others across the rest of the Western Hemisphere. EL PAÍS, in a long-term investigation that spanned two continents and included interviews with anti-drug czars in the U.S. and China, visited the clandestine laboratories in Sinaloa, where fentanyl is manufactured".......Read More at El Pais ➜  Also Read: How the United States got hooked on fentanyl 

Many people are wired to seek and respond to rewards. Your brain interprets food as rewarding when you are hungry and water as rewarding when you are thirsty. But addictive substances like alcohol and drugs of abuse can overwhelm the natural reward pathways in your brain, resulting in intolerable cravings and reduced impulse control. More at The Conversation ➜

"In a “time bank,” members accumulate bankable hours, for instance by babysitting or doing repairs, and get “repaid” with assistance when they need it, usually later in life"   More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜ 

"Kochava, the self-proclaimed industry leader in mobile app data analytics, is locked in a legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission in a case that could lead to big changes in the global data marketplace and in Congress’ approach to artificial intelligence and data privacy"  More at The Conversation ➜

"Supporters are calling on the school to reinstate what would have been 87-year-old artist’s first retrospective in the US...a show, titled Centers of Energy .... according to a missive penned by a board member of the  artist’s foundation, Madison Gordon, the school abruptly canceled the show via email in late December due to “safety concerns....The circulating petition, and emails reviewed by Hyperallergic, suggest that the university’s decision is related to Halaby’s vocal pro-Palestine advocacy, including her social media activity". More at Hyperallergic ➜    

"The strategy behind the “No-Blame” approach is counterintuitive but effective: enlisting the bullies’ help to solve the problem." More at Reasons to be Cheerful ➜