Years of persistent financial strain may leave measurable effects on cognitive performance by middle age and on brain health decades later. Research led by University College London (UCL) linked long-lasting money problems with poorer cognitive outcomes, rather than treating financial hardship as a temporary event. Published in Innovation in Aging, the study examined lifelong questionnaire data from 2,759 UK adults participating in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (also known as the 1946 British cohort study). read more
Gruesome images of a teenage girl's dismembered corpse have been shown in court before her horrified parents on the opening day of a preliminary hearing in the murder case against the singer who performs under the stage name D4vd. Prosecutors presented graphic crime scene photos showing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez's body when it was found last year inside a Tesla registered to singer David Anthony Burke in Hollywood, Los Angeles. read more
Quoidbach et al. elicited estimates of people's personality, values, and choices and compared how much, for instance, 33-year-olds believed that they would change in the next 10 years with how much 43-year-olds reported that they had changed in the past 10 years. For groups spanning 18 to 68 years of age, people of all ages described more change in the past 10 years than they would have predicted 10 years ago. read more
MEXICO CITY " Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega said his country won't be holding elections anytime soon, a statement underscoring the strongman's efforts to extend his nearly 20-year rule and dashing hopes by the opposition that he might heed their demands for a democratic vote. The announcement effectively canceled Nicaragua's next elections, originally scheduled for November 2027 after the government-controlled Congress voted in January 2025 to extend the five-year presidential term by one year. read more
Karolina Urbanov from the Czech Republic set world records in two events. She earned first place in the Women's Underhand Chop, cutting through 11" (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in 21.28 seconds. She also came in first in the Women's Standing Chop, cutting through 9" (22.8 centimeters) of white pine in 19.38 seconds. Meredith Ingbretson of Hayward set a world record in the Women's Boom Run, sprinting across the water and back over eight red cedar logs in 13.78 seconds. read more
"Inside it is one of the worst designs I've seen."
#160 | Posted by NerfHerder
Biltmore House in Asheville: www.biltmore.com
Up close it looks as well put together as a Hollywood facade.
And the most fascinating parts of the tour, even though postbellum, were all the working areas. And I don't think in the late 1800s, it was drum-circle lefties from Asheville providing the labor. Or the white Western NC inhabitants, who would scoff at such ostentation. Food was probably better at their house anyway.
What I'd like to see is Jefferson's octagonal house that originally had grass landscaped steps going up to the front door.
https://www.poplarforest.org/
Thanks, enslaved persons.
Another great tour: Montpelier: https://www.montpelier.org/.
A bit overwhelming to be in the room where Madison's books were and where he did his research for the Constitution.
AI: Thomas Jefferson's octagon house is Poplar Forest, his private plantation retreat located in Bedford County, Virginia, about 100 miles southwest of Monticello. Designed in 1806, this architectural marvel is considered the earliest and most notable octagon house in the Americas.
Key Details & Architecture
The Design: Jefferson, a passionate architect, designed the 50-foot diameter brick villa around the mathematical perfection of an octagon. The floor plan features three elongated octagonal rooms clustered around a central, perfectly cubic dining room.
The Skylight: The central dining room measures 20' 20' 20' and is crowned by an elegant 16-foot skylight.
The Purpose: Originally inherited from his father-in-law in 1773, Jefferson used the property as a quiet, rural sanctuary to escape public life and indulge in the "life of the mind". He frequently visited and stayed for months at a time, particularly during planting seasons.
Current Status: Saved from development in 1984 by local citizens, the National Historic Landmark has been painstakingly restored.