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☆ A 21-year-old won $40,000 for using AI to read the first word on a 2,000-year-old papyrus scroll buried by Mount Vesuvius
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The scrolls can't be unrolled so the Vesuvius Challenge was launched to find alternative methods. Why the Herculaneum scrolls can't be read like normalWhen Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, Pompeii wasn't the only town it obliterated. Those ancient scrolls then lay buried in mud for 1,700 years until they were finally excavated in 1752. AdvertisementAdvertisementAny attempts to unfurl the Herculaneum scrolls, which now resemble charcoal logs, would damage them beyond repair. Seth Parker and Brent Seales of the Digital Restoration Initiative project scan a replica of the Herculaneum scroll.

Persons: —, Luke Farritor, Farritor, Seth Parker, Brent Seales, University of Naples Federico, there's, University of Oxford Seales, it's Organizations: Service, University of Nebraska, University of Kentucky, University of Naples, Bodleian, University of Oxford Bodleian Library, University of Oxford Locations: Herculaneum

Meanwhile, two indoor farming companies that attracted strong startup money — New Jersey's AeroFarms and Kentucky's AppHarvest — filed for bankruptcy reorganization. Advocates say growing indoors uses less water and land and allows food to be grown closer to consumers, saving on transport. Tom Kimmerer, a plant physiologist who taught at the University of Kentucky, has tracked indoor farming alongside his research into the growth of plants both outdoors and inside. He said some companies may be struggling to scale up, with problems that come from launching in spaces that aren't necessarily built specifically for indoor farming. Several of the companies say they're on the right track.

Persons: AppHarvest —, Jacob Portillo, Eden Green, that’s, ”, It's, they’re, Tom Kimmerer, “, Kimmerer, Hannah Burrack, you’re, ” Burrack, Evan Lucas, he's, Lucas, Eden, Eddy Badrina, Arama Kukutai, Matt Ryan, Curt Covington, isn't, “ It's, ” Covington, ___ Walling, Joshua A, Bickel, ___, Melina Walling Organizations: Eden Green Technology, Kroger, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Eden Green, Walmart, AgAmerica, Associated Press, AP Locations: CLEBURNE, Texas, Dallas, Eden, Cleburne, California, Detroit, Elmwood, Farm, Lexington , Kentucky, Plenty, Chicago, Georgetown , Kentucky, Georgetown, ___

☆ No more 'yours truly': Gen Z is speaking a whole new language in the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

And they believe that Gen Z is the reason for this. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe changing language of emails represents the younger generation's desire to put their own stamp on things. Whereas for Gen Z, social media has driven linguistic change and sped up the spread of language trends." Gen Z is picking up words like "ick," "naur," "slay," and "unserious," and applying them to professional settings to the dismay of HR professionals and older workers. Adopting more casual language at work may help Gen Z assert some control and find their way in the professional world.

Persons: LifeSkills, Censuswide, Laura Bailey, Bailey, Gen, Z Organizations: Service, Barclays LifeSkills, Barclays Bank, University of Kent, LinkedIn Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ The Great College Pricing Sham
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( James S. Murphy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

I use quotation marks, because merit aid is granted to half the students at public colleges and 84% at private colleges. Today the average merit-aid discount at private colleges is $23,000 — leaving the student to cover the remaining $30,000 or $40,000. At four-year public colleges, tuition now accounts for 52% of operational revenue, versus 48% from state funding. To make college more accessible, we need to make greater public investments — at both the state and federal levels — in higher education. James S. Murphy is a higher education policy analyst at Education Reform Now.

Persons: Joe Biden, YouGov, Gen, Gen Zers, You'll, Pell Grant, Dominique Baker, —, Getty, Ben Sasse, who's, Sasse, David Feldman, William & Mary, Ford, Feldman, they're, Sandy Baum, It's, There's, Baum, They're, Josh Shapiro, Spencer Cox, shouldn't, James S, Murphy Organizations: Insider, Harvard, of California, Southern Methodist University, Ivy League, U.S . News, Honda, Porsche, University of Florida, McKinsey & Company, University of Oklahoma, University of Kentucky, Ford, Apple, Fordham, Appalachian, William &, Technology, West Virginia University, WVU, Urban Institute, Google, Reform, Twitter Locations: United States, Italian, Appalachian State, America, Pennsylvania, Utah

☆ Fact Check-US swimmer did not reject ‘$3 million partnership with Nike’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines has not rejected a multimillion-dollar partnership with Nike on account of the brand being “woke.” The claim shared online stems from a parody website. Regardless, the claim was taken seriously online with one Facebook user sharing the image with the caption, “Go WOKE...go Broke....” (here). The meme was first shared by the official America’s Last Line of Defense Facebook page (here). Gaines previously spoke out against Nike for its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April (here), (here). Swimmer Riley Gaines has not turned down a $3 million contract with Nike.

Persons: Riley Gaines, “, Gaines, “ Riley Gaines, “ I’m, “ Go, “ Dunning, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Clay Travis, Buck Sexton, Read Organizations: Nike, Riley Gaines Center, Leadership Institute, Reuters, University of Kentucky, Defense, “ Dunning Kruger Times

The nation’s best-known public universities have been on an unfettered spending spree. Over the past two decades, they erected new skylines, poured money into big-time sports programs and hired layers of administrators. Then they passed the bill along to students. The Gatton Student Center courtyard at the University of Kentucky. Photo: Jon Cherry for The Wall Street Journal

Persons: Jon Cherry Organizations: The Gatton Student, University of Kentucky, Wall Street

In 2006 she gave $200 million to New York University to help create the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, which operates in a townhouse her foundation bought near the Met. White and Levy had begun amassing their extensive collection of more than 700 antiquities in the 1970s. Beginning in 1993, the couple agreed to relinquish 16 items after claims they had been looted from an ancient Roman site in England. In 2008, White surrendered 10 objects to Italy and two to Greece. It had been part of the “Glories of the Past” exhibition at the Met in 1990.

Persons: White, Levy, Giacomo Medici, Robin Symes, Eucharides, “, ”, David Gill Organizations: Brooklyn Museum, New, Botanical, Lincoln Center, New York University, for, Carnegie, Met, Centre for Heritage, University of Kent Locations: England, Italy, Greece, Italian, British, Turkey

☆ MrBeast: Behind the success of YouTube’s most popular creator
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“People would tell me, ‘All you do is talk about YouTube videos. Seven years later, Donaldson, better known online as MrBeast, has 167 million YouTube subscribers – more than any other individual creator on the platform. Donaldson navigates a maze in a screenshot from MrBeast's video, "I Got Hunted By the FBI." “That’s an interesting model, because you’re giving video viewers access to something they would never get to see in real life,” Fischer says. He often uses income from his previous videos to outdo himself in his next videos,” Miller says.

Persons: Jimmy Donaldson, ”, podcasters Colin, Samir, “, You’re, ’ ”, Donaldson, Mark Zuckerberg, Colin, ’, Donaldson breathlessly, Sara Fischer, “ It’s, CNN’s Jon Sarlin, ” Fischer, Pete Davidson, Tom Brady, relatable, Miller, MrBeast, ” Donaldson, Monica Schipper, Vince Miller, ” Miller, – Donaldson, Kristen Ruby, Gen Zers, Ruby, Burger, Dave Kotinsky, MrBeast Burger, –, mobbing, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, East Carolina University, YouTube, FBI, NFL, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Microsoft Theater, University of Kent, Ruby Media, Getty, Google, Records, Harvard Business School, Harvard Locations: North Carolina, Los Angeles, Greenville , North Carolina, New Jersey, Greenville, Chile

Stanton, Kentucky CNN —All Heather and Nick Maberry wanted to do was hold their dead baby, but strict Kentucky abortion laws meant they couldn’t. They were “furious” that the laws meant they never got to kiss or cuddle their daughter, Willow Rose, or tell her goodbye, Heather said. The Maberrys wanted to terminate the pregnancy, but a near-complete abortion ban in their state doesn’t have exceptions for birth defects – even severe ones like anencephaly. CNN reached out to three sponsors of Kentucky abortion laws to ask why fatal fetal anomalies aren’t an exception to the current laws. While she was willing to take that risk for a live baby, Willow was not going to live.

Persons: Heather, Nick Maberry, ”, Willow Rose, “ We’ll, We’ll, “ We’re, we’ve, –, Maberrys, “, ” Heather, Nick, Heather Maberry, Heather Neace Maberry Heather, ‘, Heather Neace Maberry, gravidarum, “ I’d, Anencephaly, Willow, ‘ We’ll, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” “ Organizations: Kentucky CNN, Kentucky Medicaid, CNN, Maberrys, Facebook, University of Kentucky, National Institutes of Health, Heather’s, CNN Health, Family Planning, of Chicago Locations: Stanton, Kentucky, Madison, Aubrie, Stanton , Kentucky, Lexington, Chicago

☆ Bedbugs: What travelers need to know this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Potter suggests that before you even unpack, at least do a cursory bed check. If there are two beds in a room, Potter does not put his suitcase on the other bed. These are the signs of bedbug infestationsThis is what a serious bed bug infestation looks like on a mattress. Bed bug eggs are the size of a pinhead and pearl-white. Bedbugs are more than a bed and motel problemIn a hotel room, place your luggage on a rack, as you see above.

Persons: Michelle Quinn, bedbugs, “, Jeff March, Quinn, ”, Michael F, Potter, I’d, Andrew Francis Wallace, Dmitry Bezrukov, Daniel K, it’s, you’ve, Joel Carillet, ” Potter, she’s, ” Quinn Organizations: CNN, Google, Alamy, Entomology, University of Kentucky, Toronto Star, American, & Lodging Association, Environmental Protection Agency, Inouye International Airport, Hawaii Department of Transportation, CNN Travel, Medical, Centers for Disease Control, bedbugs, Cleveland Clinic, Washington , D.C Locations: Indiana, sofas, Honolulu , Hawaii, Washington ,

☆ Controversial Chinese scientist He Jiankui proposes new gene editing research
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Authorities in China took multiple steps to tighten rules and ethical standards affecting human gene editing in the wake of the revelations about his previous research. But the scientist’s release of a new proposal involving gene editing of embryos has scientists and medical ethics experts concerned – and confused. Genetic manipulation of human embryos – both viable and nonviable ones – is typically tightly controlled globally and some countries ban all such research, experts say. But there is robust global debate around allowing genome editing of human embryos to treat serious genetic conditions or expanding research. Chinese law does not allow gene-edited human embryos used in research to be implanted into humans, or developed for more than 14 days.

Persons: ”, It’s, Peter Dröge, “, “ I’m, ” Joy Zhang, bioethicists, There’s, He’s, He’s “, Françoise Baylis, ” Baylis Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Authorities, Nanyang Technological University, Centre for Global Science, University of Kent, CNN, bioethicists, Twitter, China’s Ministry of Science, Technology, National Health Commission, Southern University of Science, China’s biosciences, Dalhousie University Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Singapore, Britain, USA, Europe, Shenzhen

☆ FDA considers temporary cancer drug imports from unapproved companies to ease U.S. shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

She is one of hundreds of Ontario cancer patients who received diluted chemotherapy in the last year and who are still undergoing treatment to beat the disease. The FDA in the past has taken similar action to loosen restrictions on imports when faced with drug shortages. At least 14 cancer drugs are currently in short supply across the U.S. Up to 20% of cancer patients rely on platinum-based chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin for treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute. Some cancer patients could die if the shortages are not quickly resolved, doctors said.

Persons: Dawn Deslippe, Diane Marley, Richard Lautens, Drug Administration –, Julie Gralow, We're, Gralow, —, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Naqash, Philip Schwieterman, Schwieterman Organizations: Windsor Regional Hospital, Toronto Star, Getty, Drug Administration, CNBC, FDA, U.S, The American Society of Clinical Oncology, World Health, Pharmaceuticals, National Cancer Institute, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, University of Kentucky, kiwis Locations: WINDSOR, Ontario, United States, U.S, carboplatin

☆ Kentucky Republicans to choose challenger to Democratic Governor Beshear
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Republican voters in Kentucky were casting ballots on Tuesday to choose their party's challenger to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, setting up one of the most closely watched elections of the year. The winner will face Beshear, who enjoys high approval ratings despite being a Democrat in a strongly Republican state, in the November general election. Trump won Kentucky in the 2020 election against Democrat Joe Biden by more than 25 percentage points. While Cameron has Trump's official endorsement, other candidates have sought to claim the mantle of Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement. One Republican challenger, Stephen Knipper, has echoed Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was rigged and endorsed conspiracy theories about voting machines.

CNN —Two more horses have died at Churchill Downs, the home of the famed Kentucky Derby, officials from the track announced on Saturday. A total of seven horses have now died at the racetrack in the week-long lead up to the race. On Friday, racehorse trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended indefinitely by Churchill Downs following the “highly unusual” deaths of two of his horses, Parents Pride and Chasing Artie. Three other horses – not trained by Joseph – also died in recent days. According to Churchill Downs, Wild on Ice, a Derby contender, was hurt while training on Thursday and Take Charge Briana was injured in a race on Tuesday.

☆ Four Horse Deaths at Churchill Downs Cast Shadow Ahead of Kentucky Derby
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Kentucky Derby is on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Photo: AMIRA KARAOUD/REUTERSThe deaths of four horses at Churchill Downs days before this weekend’s Kentucky Derby have renewed safety concerns in the horse-racing industry. Two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr ., Parents Pride and Chasing Artie, died in recent days from unknown causes. The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory is conducting necropsies on the horses to determine causes of death. Two other horses were euthanized after suffering injuries.

☆ The 'mammoth meatball' grown in a lab probably doesn't taste like woolly mammoth at all
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It probably doesn't taste like woolly mammoth, a meat specialist and mammoth DNA researcher said. The Belgian startup Paleo says it added woolly mammoth myoglobin to a plant-based burger. The mammoth meatball doesn't have either of those elements from woolly mammoth. Mammoth myoglobin doesn't necessarily bring mammoth flavorThough he didn't taste it, Ryall said everyone could smell the meatball while it was cooking. So why make a mammoth meatball that doesn't taste like mammoth?

☆ A company says it added mammoth DNA to plant-based burgers and that they tasted much more 'intense' and 'meatier' than the cow version
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Belgian startup says it added woolly mammoth DNA to a plant-based burger. The mammoth myoglobin gave it a more intense taste and aroma, and a richer color, the CEO said. But it's unclear when, if ever, mammoth protein will make it to grocery store shelves. The Belgian startup Paleo says it added woolly mammoth protein to a plant-based burger — and that the result was more intense than with cow. Sanctorum said the company added the mammoth protein to several different versions of plant-based burgers and tasted it.

☆ This Y Combinator-backed startup helps reduce climate-warming methane in cow burps. Check out the pitch deck Alga Biosciences used to secure $4 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Y Combinator startup Algo Biosciences has developed a way to reduce methane in cow burps. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck the company used to secure $4 million from Collaborative Fund. A Y Combinator-backed startup trying to curb methane spewing cow burps has just landed $4 million in its first institutional funding round. Berkeley-based Alga Biosciences, founded in 2021, has developed a feed additive to reduce methane from cow burps using biochemically modified kelp. Check out the 11 slide pitch deck the company used to raise the funds.

☆ A day in the life of a sorority house interior designer, from picking out makeup mirrors to transforming closets into mental wellness spaces
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Liz Toombs is a Lexington, Kentucky-based interior designer who mostly works with sororities. Her work varies from designing a newly built sorority house to styling one room in a facility. After refreshing some rooms in the house, Toombs was approached by a sorority who needed work on their house, too. "When we're building a new sorority house, we're doing everything. For a new sorority house, Toombs said whatever furniture goes in one bedroom goes in all of them.

A newly approved Alzheimer's drug will be available to patients in the coming days, according to its maker, the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai. While Leqembi offers hope to patients and their families, experts say that there are still some key unanswered questions about the drug, including about its safety and effectiveness. Besides questions about who will benefit the most, there are also questions about how long the drug will benefit patients. About 17% of the Leqembi group experienced brain bleeds, compared with 9% in the placebo group. The reports of brain bleeding and brain swelling "may only be the tip of the iceberg," he said.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an Alzheimer’s drug shown in clinical trials to slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of the illness. The FDA approved Leqembi for use in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. Most drugs approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s are aimed at helping symptoms, not actually slowing the progression of the disease. Friday's announcement comes on the heels of a scathing congressional report released last week detailing the approval of a different Alzheimer’s drug, called Aduhelm. The Alzheimer's Association has said that based on the Eisai and Biogen phase 3 clinical trial results, the FDA should approve Leqembi for early-stage Alzheimer’s.

☆ Sorority House Design in the Age of Instagram and RushTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Kelsey Ogletree | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Curled up on the couch in the traditionally decorated TV room of the Alpha Gamma Delta house at University of Kentucky in 2002, freshman Liz Toombs watched an episode of the reality show “Trading Spaces” that featured a sorority house redesign. “I didn’t think it was real, just that it was a made-for-TV moment,” she said. Years later, Mrs. Toombs, who launched her Lexington, Ky.-based interior design firm, PDR Interiors, in 2009, was approached by a Greek organization that needed help updating its 1970s home at the University of Kentucky. She took the project, and has since gone all-in on this niche design space, even adapting her company logo to a Greek key. Sorority design is now about 90% of her business, she said.

More adults in the U.S. expect to be more stressed in 2023 than at this time last year, but they also say they're more willing to take steps to tackle that stress, a survey released Wednesday finds. And about 37% of adults (nearly 2 out of 5) rated their mental health as “fair or poor” this month, up from 31% a year ago. Young adults, low-income adults and parents were most likely to rank their mental health as fair or poor. At the same time, more adults say they plan to take steps to improve their mental health next year, such as journaling or going to therapy, the survey found. McKernan said other ways people can take care of their mental health include paying attention to signs of stress.

The authors noted that “social forces” may have played a part in the accelerated brain aging seen among their Black subjects. A lot of things contribute to dementia and Alzheimer’s, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Pete Comparoni“Elevated blood pressure is a very strong risk factor for worsening cerebrovascular disease,” King said. One option is through activities like restorative yoga, which Grant said can help address stress and regulate blood pressure and brain function. You have to go to your primary care doctor and check your blood pressure and blood sugar level.

☆ John Y. Brown Jr. Helped Col. Sanders Make KFC a Giant
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

While studying law at the University of Kentucky in the late 1950s, John Y. Brown Jr. sold encyclopedias door to door and sometimes earned $500 in a weekend. It was the best training he ever had, he said later. As chief executive and part owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken in the 1960s, Mr. Brown continued to dazzle with his salesmanship as the chain grew from a small operation into an international franchising giant. As governor, he promoted Kentucky as a paradise for business.

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