Month: June 2023

Savant syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person diagnosed with a developmental disorder also displays extraordinary mental or artistic talent. Rarer still is Acquired Savant Syndrome, where a seemingly average person undergoes a traumatic brain injury and comes out with these otherworldly abilities.

Mathematical genius Jason Padgett is one of those cases. One of the first recorded cases, in fact.

Padgett was a furniture salesman, living a self-described “shallow” life chasing girls and parties, with zero interest in academics—least of all math, which he found “stupid.”

One fateful night in 2002 would change everything. Padgett was attacked just outside the karaoke bar he had visited, leaving him with a severe concussion. The day he woke up, he could see the world radically differently—everyday objects suddenly looked pixelated.

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He would later discover that the images he perceived were fractals, mathematical patterns that create complex geometric shapes, more or less. It’s a hard enough concept to fathom, and even more incredible to actually see.

Padgett began drawing these shapes whenever he could, believing them to be the “keys to the universe.” It wouldn’t be until a physicist recognized his drawings and urged him to take more math classes that Padgett had a language for the things he now understood intuitively.

Padgett’s newfound genius eventually became the subject of research, confirming an Acquired Savant Syndrome diagnosis. MRI scans revealed that in order to compensate for the area damaged by the attack, different parts of his brain, one linked to mathematical understanding, were more activated.

He also developed synesthesia, when involuntary perceptions cross over between senses (tasting shapes, hearing colors, etc.). This explained him being able to suddenly perceive mathematical formulas as geometric figures.

“I see it [beauty] everywhere,” he said, according to the BBC. “I’m having this mathematical awakening and all around us is absolute magic or about as close as you can get to magic.” Padgett now sells his mesmerizing mathematical artwork online and captivates readers and live audiences alike with his remarkable story.

There is still very little known about savant syndrome, and nuances are being discovered all the time. A report in 2021, for instance, documented 11 cases in which ordinary people, without previous head injuries or neurotypical diagnosis, gained savant-like abilities, leading to a new term of Sudden Savant Syndrome. The human brain really is an entire mysterious universe, and we are only beginning to scratch the surface of it.

For many, even those that proudly wave the flag of self-love, the sight of that first gray hair is anxiety inducing. That single strand is a harbinger of the doom of our youth. More than one, and you might as well weave them together to create yourself a noose. It’s time to kiss your beauty—and therefore, your value—goodbye.

But what if, instead of marking the end of our glory days, we could see this change as a new chapter with equally glorious reveals? Something worth presenting, rather than hiding?

Back in July 2021, actress Andie MacDowell made headlines for rocking the silver vixen look at the Cannes Film Festival. MacDowell’s hair has always been a defining feature, but previously she had been coloring her raven locks to maintain her signature look. This was at the behest of her managers, according to an interview with Vogue.

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But after her kids officially declared the salt-and-pepper look was “badass,” MacDowell started to see going natural as a “power move.” So she followed the impulse, and you don’t need me to tell you it was a bit of a social media sensation.

MacDowell reflected on how freeing the experience was in a conversation with Interview Magazine. “I feel better like this. Honestly, it’s exhausting to have to be something that you no longer are…I was finally like, ‘You know what? I’m not young. And I’m OK with that..I feel so much more comfortable. It’s like I’ve taken a mask off or something.”’

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Isn’t this a battle so many of us fight? Instead of basking in how far we’ve come, we spend so much effort trying to wind back the clock. And in all the rigamarole of trying to delay the inevitable, we forget that aging is a glorious gift. One that’s not guaranteed.

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Even when we use terms like “embrace the gray,” there’s this connotation that aging is this frightening tidal wave that we simply need to bolster ourselves for. Where’s the grace in that? I mean, yes, as the end of life approaches, it is scary to think about the impending unknown. But the process of getting there? Perhaps not so much.

In the same article, MacDowell reflected that she, too, “hates the word ’embrace,’ because it always sounds like you’re having to accept something, and I don’t feel like that.” I love this viewpoint. Accept it? Why not value it? Let’s come back to the original meaning of the word … and welcome it warmly.

MacDowell continued “We do have something unique to offer. You can’t be young forever, but you can always be considered beautiful, fashionable, and glamorous.”

The cynical voice in your head might say, “sure easy for someone who’s already glamorous to say that.” But MacDowell isn’t the only one who made this discovery. Tons of “real” women have had the same revelation.

Once the pandemic caused salons across the country to close down (coupled with major pay cuts and job losses), a surge of women chose to stop coloring their hair. But—as with many life aspects affected by COVID-19—what started as a forced restriction became an opportunity for reinvention. In ditching the hair dye, many women found that their silver strands were not only tolerable, they were empowering.

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Now you could even say gray hair is “in” and making a comeback tour. And trust, these dames are definitely glamorous. This is not just an experience for A-listers.

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Of course, this movement is not just about aesthetics. There is a bigger idea here. It’s no secret that our society has some deep-seated stigmas when it comes to aging, for women in particular. We place a high value on those “30 Under 30” lists, seek out the strongest retinol to erase all signs of life and stand mouth agape in horror at the first mention of the word “ma’am.” But it doesn’t have to be that way. All chapters of life are precious, and worth celebrating.

I’m a firm believer that glamor is only a result of confidence. And as we grow older, we only become more dynamic, more nuanced, more interesting. If that’s not a confidence booster, I don’t know what is.

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Going gray won’t be the answer for everyone. I certainly don’t plan on trading in my signature red anytime soon. But the real call to adventure is: How can you feel good about yourself at every stage of life? How can you throw away the (false) notion that you somehow lose your shine with every passing year?

As the saying goes, “beauty is truth, truth beauty.” I think we can really see that in stories like these. To age gracefully is to age fearlessly. Radical self-acceptance is gorgeous.

This article originally appeared on 02.25.22

Most of us have been trained since before we could talk to smile when someone is taking our picture. It’s almost a Pavlovian response at this point, especially when that picture is going to be representative of you for years to come in an official capacity. Driver’s license pictures usually involve people attempting to look their best, or at least as presentable as possible, complete with a smile.

Passport photos are no different, except when you get to the passport photo place with your freshly coifed hair, showing off that beautiful smile, you’re told to cut it out. Well, maybe in nicer words, but the sentiment is still the same. Keep your teeth behind your lips; there’s no smiling in passport photos. But why?

I’ve personally never understood why this was a thing for the government to be concerned about. You’re likely getting your passport to go somewhere exciting or visit family in another country (which is also exciting), so why no smiles?

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Technically, according to the State Department, you can smile, but only if you look like you don’t want to. Kidding. In its Frequently Asked Questions, the State Department explains that smiling is allowed, “but make sure both your eyes are open and your mouth is closed in your photo.” So essentially a closed-mouth smile rather than a big toothy grin. But it also can’t be a smile that emits a lot of emotion since the website states also states that you must have a “neutral facial expression.”

So it’s not that you can’t smile, it’s that you can only do a very specific type of smile. In an interview with HuffPost, Karolina Turowska, a biometric photography and travel expert at Passport Photo.Online said, “The main reason for banning smiling is the introduction of facial recognition software at airports and other border control checkpoints.”

Seems the actual reason for the “ban” on smiling in passport photos doesn’t have anything to do with postal service workers trying to keep you from living your best life. It’s because of the robots…or at least the algorithms. Evidently, it’s difficult for computer-based software programs to tell humans apart if our faces are contorted in a joyous way.

“Algorithms don’t work as we do. To compare a 3D face with a 2D passport photo, they need to pinpoint and measure the users’ facial features. It includes the distance between the pupils, ears, nose and mouth, the mouth’s and the eyes’ width, and many others. Smiling can make it harder, as it alters facial proportions,” Turowska told HuffPost.

Smiling isn’t the only no-no in passport photos. According to US Passport Service Guide, you can get your passport rejected for a number of reasons and only one of them is smiling like The Joker. Wearing glasses, submitting an edited picture and using the wrong background are all reasons your passport photo can be denied.

If you’re due to renew your passport or if you’re going for your first one, it’s best to review all the rules before submitting your photo or showing up at your nearest Walgreens. It’s better to lead with caution on this one or it could delay you receiving your little book of world stamps. Happy traveling, folks.

Hey there, millennials! Welcome to the “Holy crapoly, I have real-life memories from 20 years ago!” club. It’s a strangely disorienting milestone to reach when you find yourself starting sentences with “When I was young…” or “Back in my day…” isn’t it?

Your Gen X elders have been here for a while, but even we have moments of incredulously calculating how the heck we’ve arrived at this place. Time is a tricky little jokester, isn’t he?

To highlight how much has changed for middle-aged folks since we were young, a user on Reddit asked people born before 1990 what useless skills they possess that nobody has a need for anymore. It’s both a hilarious trip down memory lane and a time capsule of life pre-Y2K. (Do kids these days even know what Y2K was? Gracious.)

If you’re down for some good-old-days nostalgia, check out people’s responses:

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Ask Reddit Question: People born before 1990, what trivial skill do you possess that no one uses anymore?

Making brown paper bag book covers

“I can cover a textbook with a brown paper bag.” — sourwaterbug

Oh goodness yes. And there was always that one girl in class who had the art of the brown paper bag book cover perfected. (They’re probably Pinterest influencers now.)

Folding a map—and knowing where to find a map

“I can re-fold a map correctly.” —JungleZac

“Man remember actually using maps…I had an atlas with the road system in my car to navigate other states during road trips. Crazy.” – jagua_haku

How did we ever figure out how to get anywhere before GPS and Google Maps? (Two-inch thick road atlases in our car and stopping at gas stations to buy local maps while traveling, that’s how. Positively primitive.)

Memorizing phone numbers and answering the house phone

For real, though, kids these days don’t even know.

“Remembering phone numbers.” — greatmilliondog

“Not only that, having to speak to your friend’s parents for a few minutes when you call their house.” — Logical_Area_5552

“How to take a message when the person they want to talk to isn’t there.” — Amoori_A_Splooge

How about dialing on a rotary phone, using a pay phone and making (or taking) a collect call?

The skillful phone shoulder hold

“Using your shoulder to hold a telephone up to your ear while doing multiple other things at once. Now, the phones are so damned small I drop them.” – Regular_Sample_5197

“100 ft phone cords 🤣” – mrch1ck3nn

“I got in sooooo much trouble for stretching the phone cord into the bathroom for some privacy. Accidentally clotheslined Grandma 😬 She laughed about it but Mom was pissed!” – AffectionateBite3827

Knowing the exact name of every Crayola color because we only had so many

“I know what the color “goldenrod” is.” — ImAmazedBaybee

“That and burnt sienna were the crayolas of choice.” — Signiference

“Cornflower would like a word.” — cps12345

The art of the mixed tape—especially from the radio

I don’t think kids these days fully grasp how revolutionary Spotify and the like are for those of us who spent hours in front of the radio with our cassette tape recorder queued up at just the right spot waiting for the song we wanted to record to come one. And they will never, ever know the frustration of the DJ yapping right up until the lyrics start.

“Record to tape from the radio. Trying to make sure to not get the DJ/presenter talking sh-t or an ad” – Gankstajam

“‘Shut up, shut up, shut up!!! I’m trying to record my song!!!'” – tearsonurcheek

“Haha yeah and trying to tell others so they don’t make random noise or knock on the door.

How about making cassette-based mix tapes, trying to figure out to the second, how many and which types of songs in which order, that would still fit perfectly on the length of tape per side.

People who make digital recordings do not have to worry about ‘running out of tape.’

Having the first side be tempting enough that they’d flip the other side to continue listening. That’s before continual playback machines existed. Had to flip the cassette.” – CrunchyTeaTime

And there were many more, from rewinding a cassette tape with a pencil to writing in cursive to tearing the sides off of printer paper without tearing the paper itself. (Oh and of course the ability to count out change and understand what you’re supposed to do if something costs $9.91 and someone hands you $10.01.)

Gotta love it when the things that used to be totally normal now sound like historic artifacts found in a museum. Kind of makes you wonder what normal things from today we’ll be laughing about in another 20 or 30 years.

A story by Rachel Nuwer published by the BBC shows how even the most hardcore white nationalist has the power to experience change. It all happened to a 31-year-old man named Brendan, whose life was in a hate-fueled freefall until he happened to take MDMA, known recreationally as ecstasy or Molly.

Nuwer is a freelance science journalist and the author of “I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World.” She hopes that by exposing people to the benefits of MDMA, the world can be changed through empathy.

“If people can use MDMA as a therapy to help get over their trauma and have more bandwidth to care about things in the world, maybe we could have a better place for wildlife and nature,” she told Publishers Weekly.

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Back in 2017, it seemed like there wasn’t much help for Brendan. He was a member of Identity Evropa and attended the infamous Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where three people died and dozens were injured.

Can MDMA help to dispel bigoted beliefs? This excerpt from my book, I Feel Love, delves into the possibilities and limitations of using the drug for this purpose, through the story of a disgraced white supremacist who unwittingly took MDMA. https://t.co/jvana0rjd8 @BBC_Future

— Rachel Nuwer (@RachelNuwer) June 16, 2023

Identity Evropa, now known as American Identity Movement, is a white supremacist group that the Southern Poverty Law Center refers to as a “campus-based organization [that] focuses on raising white racial consciousness, building community based on shared racial identity and intellectualizing white supremacist ideology.”

Brendan rose in the ranks of Identity Evropa, eventually becoming the coordinator for the entire Midwest. But all that changed in 2019 after an anti-fascist group doxxed Brendan and 100 of his fellow Identity Evropa members. After his identity became public, he lost his job and many of his closest relationships.

A few months later, Brendan signed up for an experiment at the University of Chicago on whether MDMA increased “the pleasantness of social touch in healthy volunteers.” Thirty minutes after taking 110 mg of MDMA, Brendan had a revelation. “Wait a second – why am I doing this? Why am I thinking this way?” he thought to himself. “Why did I ever think it was okay to jeopardize relationships with just about everyone in my life?”

After a researcher put him into an MRI, he was tickled with a brush. “I noticed it was making me happier – the experience of the touch,” Brendan told the BBC. “I started progressively rating it higher and higher.” One word popped into his mind: connection.

Brendan’s experience with MDMA is commonly felt by people who take the drug recreationally. MDMA triggers the release of neurotransmitters that make people feel euphoric, relaxed, and friendly, with a heightened feeling of security.

During the session, Brendan developed an understanding of humanity that was more like a revelation someone would have at a rave or in the desert during the Coachella festival. He realized that all humanity was “one” and that interpersonal connections were all that mattered.

“I realized I’d been fixated on stuff that doesn’t really matter, and is just so messed up, and that I’d been totally missing the point. I hadn’t been soaking up the joy that life has to offer,” he said. The experience completely changed the direction of Brendan’s life. He began meditating, attending therapy and working with a diversity, equality, and inclusion consultant to help him grow past his old ways. But there is still work to be done.

​“There are moments when I have racist or antisemitic thoughts, definitely,” he said. “But now I can recognize that those kinds of thought patterns are harming me more than anyone else.”

Researchers believe many prejudiced views are hardwired into people at a young age and can be hard to change, especially with an unwilling participant. So the notion that someone can be transformed by taking a drug in a therapeutic environment provides another avenue for change.

Of course, we won’t be able to drug our way to a new world without hate, but Brendan’s story shows that when people are starved for real human connection, a small amount can be incredibly transformative.

Donald Trump isn’t the energetic rabble rouser he once was. His brain has been off for years, but the guy running for office a third time — while fending off multiple legal woes and knowing he could very well wind up in jail — has a lot lower energy than he did when he first took over the GOP. For instance, did he really think “milquetoast” was spelled “milktoast”? And what on earth is up with this video?

On Wednesday night, apropos of nothing, the Trump War Room Twitter account posted a video with the caption “YOU HAVE TO PUT THEM IN THEIR PLACE!” In it, the big guy addressed one of the traits that most endears him to his base: his love of childish name-calling.

“Many say, ‘Don’t punch down when talking about people like Chris Sununu or Sloppy Chris Christie or “Ada” Hutchinson’ — I call him ‘Ada,’ not ‘Asa,’ because, for certain reasons,” Trump began, in fine form. “But sometimes it’s necessary to talk badly about those that, for no reason, other than politics, speak badly about you. Otherwise the people that love you don’t know whether or not they’re for real. Are they saying the truth? They’re not.

“So sometimes you have to punch down,” he continued, “and sometimes you have to say what’s happening. Otherwise they won’t understand it’s not fair to them.”

Trump’s voice then got incredibly, unnecessarily loud. “You have to put them in proper perspective, these bad people,” he declared. “You have to put them in their place. People like this are very destructive. And you have to tell the voters what it’s all about. Otherwise why should they be able to understand it?

Why would Trump feel compelled to defend something he’s been doing pretty much his whole life — that has arguably helped get him elected in the first place? Did someone on his team think the guy who pelts one of his former employees with racist taunts finally need to soften a bit? Who knows.

Meanwhile, he still hasn’t figured out a good dumb nickname for his closest rival, Meatball Ron.

Last Friday, June 16, Asake released his album Work Of Art. Uproxx‘s Wongo Okon lauded it as among the best R&B offerings of the week, writing, “With amapiano-driven production and his trademark spirituality by his side, Asake proves that he is far from a one-album wonder.”

On Wednesday, June 21, Asake expanded the range displayed thus far through Work Of Art singles “Yoga” and “Amapiano” featuring Olamide by adding the luxurious “Basquiat” video to the bunch.

Directed by Joshua Valle and Edgar Esteves, the lively video sets an opulent tone in the first scene, finding Asake lounging with beautiful women on a yacht. Later, he launches off of the boat into the depths of the ocean. Everything is muted for a moment — except for Asake’s spirit, as he beams underwater to reveal his teeth covered in icy grills.

Immediately after his uninhibited dive, Asake is posing in a colorful two-piece between two painters in an art studio. The resulting artwork is as striking as Asake’s performative presence. It all merges when Asake begins throwing paint against a blank canvas — even painting his face. By the video’s end, there is no discernible gap between the artist and his art.

Asake will bring his infectious panache to the 2023 Broccoli City Festival next month.

Watch the “Basquiat” video above.

The beef between Cardi B and Tasha K was settled. Literally. In court.

Cardi B filed and won a libel lawsuit against the YouTube personality for posting videos online in 2018 and 2019 alleging Cardi had worked as a prostitute and contracted STDs. In early 2022, Cardi testified that Tasha’s videos left her feeling suicidal. It was ruled in April 2022 that Tasha K must delete her posts in question, and by that October, a judge additionally ruled that Tasha K pay Cardi B $4 million for defamation (as reported by Billboard at the time).

On Wednesday, June 21, Tasha K poked the bear by seemingly weighing in on Cardi B’s reaction to the ongoing mystery around the missing Titanic submersible. (Cardi took issue with the son of a missing passenger, Brian Szasz, attending a Blink-182 concert, sparking a back-and-forth with him this week.)

The Neighborhood Talk captured Cardi and Szasz’s exchange on Instagram, and Tasha K commented, “Wasn’t she posting guns right after Takeoff died? And on the internet, cutting up not long after his sudden takeoff? I’m just asking…Everyone grieves diff…”

Cardi B understandably did not take kindly to Tasha K mentioning Takeoff, who was fatally shot on November 1, 2022.

“And Tasha K with your despicable ass.. to bring up Takeoff to prove a fake ass point is disgusting. I lost weight, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, me and my man STILL dealing wit that to to this day,” Cardi B tweeted, referencing her husband, Offset, Takeoff’s former Migos groupmate.

Cardi continued, “I’m a rapper, we targeted all the time so of course I have guns for protection. But since you wanna be funny for comments, ima make sure your kid don’t go to college. You think my lawyers don’t know you hiding money in Africa? Ima make sure I get every red cent of my 4 mill. DONT EVER PUT TAKEOFF NAME IN YA MOUTH.”

Cardi also commented on The Neighborhood Talk’s Instagram post about her tweet, clarifying, “Y’all saying I’m talking about people kids.. I’m talkin about how her mouth is going to affect financials for YEARS all because she can’t stop talking but I’m wrong for saying that but it’s cool for her to bring up my family we lost less than a year ago? Yall saw me waving a gun after take passed or literally months later on put it on the floor music video? But let me guess I’m wrong as always.”

Billboard reported on May 30 that Tasha K had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Florida federal court, listing $58,595 in total assets.

Geraldo Rivera is a Republican and a Fox News correspondent-at-large, but for the last few years he hasn’t towed the party line. He’s regularly spoken out against his longtime pal Donald Trump, decrying his voter fraud nonsense early and often. (He still thinks Biden should pardon him just as Gerald Ford did to Nixon.) His sometimes liberal-ish views have gotten him into on-air clashes, including with his sometime The Five colleague Greg Gutfeld. Well, it looks like those spats are a thing of the past.

As per The Daily Beast, Rivera announced on Twitter Wednesday that he was “off” the exceedingly popular late afternoon Fox News discussion show. “My last scheduled show appearances are Thursday and Friday June 29th and 30th,” he wrote. “It’s been a great run and I appreciate having had the opportunity. Being odd man out isn’t always easy.” He assured his fans that he’s “still Correspondent at Large” at Fox.

It’s not the first time Rivera has claimed his future with The Five was in jeopardy. In May he claimed he’d been “cancelled” from the show as his appearances dried up. He later announced he’d been asked back after all. Perhaps something similar will happen here.

The reason for Rivera’s alleged exit from The Five’s revolving door roster is unknown, though sources have claimed one possibility is his on-air spats with Gutfeld, who’s also the apparent king of late night TV. Wherever the truth lies, Rivera hasn’t been on the show since May 24.

Rivera joined the program earlier this year after the departure of Juan Williams, who it’s alleged also didn’t get along with Gutfeld. Williams was replaced by a rotating threesome of token “liberal” voices, namely Rivera, Jessica Tarlov, and Harold Ford Jr. Rivera, as already mentioned earlier in this article, is a Republican.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Wednesday, June 21, is officially the first day of summer. Beck and Phoenix released their single “Odyssey” right on time: It’s an empowered, shimmering anthem begging to be blared with the windows down and sure to be a fixture during their upcoming co-headlining Summer Odyssey Tour.

Summery imagery is laced throughout the song’s lyrics, with verses like, “Somewhere / We’ll fall into the ocean / I’ll be there / On an odyssey in the sun.” Beck and Phoenix’s Tommy Mars handle lead vocals, blending seamlessly to create an utterly pleasant sonic palette.

An accompanying press release accurately describes “Odyssey” as “the spontaneous and perfect theme song” for the Summer Odyssey Tour, which was announced in January and is set to begin on August 1 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. Produced by Live Nation, the tour will hit 19 cities, including back-to-back shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on August 15-16 and a September 9 date at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

The alternating openers for the Summer Odyssey Tour are Jenny Lewis, Japanese Breakfast, Weyes Blood, and Sir Chloe. Find all of the dates here.

Before “Odyssey,” Beck dropped “Thinking About You,” his first solo original track since 2019. Phoenix dropped their latest album, Alpha Zulu, last fall.

Listen to “Odyssey” above.