Moms know that the world stands ready to judge them for any minor misstep; that part isn’t new. The internet has just gotten smarter about capitalizing on those insecurities, making moms believe that they need to project good parenting through good purchases, even when they can’t afford it.

Nina Bandelj, author of “Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting,” said that for mothers, every little buying decision can feel like a reflection of who they are as parents. “These moves and purchases are entangled in both: We do something for our children, but aren’t we also thinking, ‘What will make me a good parent? What should a good parent do? What will others say? What do others do?’” she said. “The industry is good at emphasizing and playing on all of those.”

I do these every year. You can also use silk peptides and glycerine for a cool potion effect.

When showing up for others feels hard, some strugglers have lately steeled themselves with a version of this maxim: “Inconvenience is the cost of community.” It’s a reminder, oft-repeated on social media these days, that if you don’t want to be lonely—if you want to have robust relationships—you should occasionally do things that are effortful or even irritating, like cat sitting for a neighbor (or even just conversing with one!). You must give up on always pursuing maximum ease.

The inverse of this adage is also true: Community is, all too often, the cost of convenience.

In the journalist Gabe Bullard’s new book, Against Convenience, he argues that society’s relentless pursuit of faster and more frictionless experiences carries invisible costs, and he pushes back against how unthinkingly people often accept those costs as inevitable. Some of those costs are paid in dollars, as with monthly subscription fees to Netflix rather than the onetime cost of buying a DVD. Some are paid in lowered standards: more easily accessible entertainment that’s of poorer quality (YouTube shorts, anyone?), “smart” products that become obsolete faster than their analog forebears. But in reading the book, I noticed just how many of those costs are social.

https://archive.ph/3oOBu

Scientific studies, and news coverage about them, often declare that a study “controlled” for certain variables.

For example, the Washington Post reported on a study of GLP-1 drugs and a hormonal disorder. The article noted that “women on GLP-1s lost more weight than those in control groups.”

A couple months earlier, the Post reported on a different study about GLP-1s and bone and tendon injuries. It said “researchers controlled for age, sex, race and tobacco use” and found that people taking GLP-1s had higher risk of skeletal disorders than nonusers.

This language typically gives the impression that having a control enhances credibility. But what exactly does “control” mean? And should you be impressed by it?

I’ve been a statistician for many years, and my recent research has shown that 90% of American adults would base decisions on statistics, at least sometimes, if they understood the basic concepts better. Control is one such concept.

Understanding controls can help you assess how well a study’s conclusions are supported by evidence, and can help you judge the media’s interpretation of new research.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — More than a dozen words long used in Bermuda and across the Caribbean got an official nod on Wednesday from the Oxford English Dictionary.

First in line is “bimpert,” a Bermudian word of unknown origin that is used to describe a stupid or foolish person. People on the tiny island in the north Atlantic often use it in this traditional phrase: “A bimpert is justah wuffless bye,” which roughly translates to: an idiot is just a worthless boy.

Extreme heat caused by the “super” El Niño currently brewing in the Pacific Ocean could cause nearly half a million deaths by the end of February.

The estimate, described in a report released in September by the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab, found that people living in the Global South will be hardest hit. Although the work has not been peer-reviewed, the authors say their findings are urgent enough to publicize prior to formal publication. They plan to submit it to a scientific journal, and in the meantime, they hope that it can guide humanitarian and government decisions in the coming months to avoid some of the predicted deaths.

The near-total ban on abortion in Texas states that women cannot have an abortion as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detected, which can be as early as five weeks. This is before most women even know they’re pregnant. In addition, the extreme law gives zero exceptions for rape or incest. Doctors and other medical professionals who violate the state's abortion ban face up to 99 years in prison, creating a culture of fear that leaves healthcare pros hesitant to intervene.

Since the summer of 2026, rumors have been circulating in Russia that the authorities might announce a new wave of mobilization. Vladimir Putin has called the rumors “nonsense” and says there’s no need for a draft right now, but many Russians are leaving the country anyway, just in case. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Georgia, Armenia, and Serbia have remained the most popular destinations for relocation. Local real estate agents are among the first to notice the mass emigration of Russians to these countries. Meduza asked real estate agents in Tbilisi, Yerevan, and other cities whether demand for rental housing has increased in recent months, how much prices have already risen, and how the new clients differ from the emigrants of 2022.