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You wear extra chunky sweaters. You’ve never met a mitten you didn’t like. You may even keep a lap blanket at work.

You’re one of those people who is always cold. And you are not alone.

— (@)

Inside or outside, you just can’t seem to get warm. This characteristic of yours manifests itself in extra blankets, wild heating bills, and enough complaints that you start going hoarse.

But surely there’s a scientific reason as to why some people are always cold, right?

It can’t just be random chance that has doomed you to a life of perpetual shivers. I reached out to an expert to learn more.

Dr. Christopher Minson is a professor in the department of human physiology at the University of Oregon. One of his primary research interests is thermoregulation, that’s how the brain and body interact and adapt as we heat and cool. Plainly put, he is the perfect guy to answer a few questions from #TeamCold.

(This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

Upworthy (UP): So what is actually happening in the body when a person gets chilly?

Dr. Chris Minson (CM): In the simplest of terms, feeling either cold or warm means that the temperature “set point” of the body is being challenged by thermal inputs throughout the body, including in the brain, the blood, the spinal cord, our organs, our muscles, and our skin. Part of our brain collects all of those thermal inputs and essentially compares them to what body temperature it wants to hold. So if your skin temperature is lowered, even though the rest of your body is still at a comfortable set-point, you will feel cold — in some cases, cold enough to make behavioral changes like putting on a sweater.

UP: Is there a reason this seems to largely impact women?

CM: The people who feel “always cold” will typically have lower muscle mass relative to body surface area (typically, women and older people). Their actual body core temperature may not really be below normal, but they feel cold because their body is telling them to conserve heat.

There have also been limited reports that women have a higher density of blood vessels at the skin surface, which would make them more sensitive to cold. However, there hasn’t been enough good data collected on this theory to confirm or disprove it.

This also explains a frequent frustrations about women and men in relationships…

CM: A common complaint by women and men in relationships is that women’s feet are often very cold, especially in bed. That goes along with the lower body mass to surface area relationship in women. As their body works to conserve heat, it vasoconstricts blood vessels in the extremities (hands and feet) to keep the core warm. This reduced blood flow results in cold hands and feet in women more than men.

So there you have it: Your brain is simply an overworked project manager trying to keep you alive. But there are a few things you can do about it.

UP: If you are a person who is always cold, is there anything you can do to “retrain” your body, so to speak?

CM: One of the best things someone can do is to increase their fat-free mass (muscle). This will increase overall metabolic rate (although it’s not easy to do.)

Another thing a person could do is undergo cold-stresses, such as allowing themselves to be exposed to very cold temperatures for short periods of time. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s been suggested that this could decrease the sensation of feeling cold. An example is putting the shower on ‘cold’ for a short period of time in the shower. Not easy to do, and you would want to build up to a full minute each day, but in some people it can help them to decrease the feeling of being cold.

UP: There are a lot of jokes at the expense of people who are always cold, but at what point does it go from “I’m always cold, and it’s a quirky thing about me” to “I’m always cold and I should probably see my doctor”?

CM: There is the possibility that someone’s perpetual coldness could be caused by abnormally low thyroid hormone levels, and that can be verified with a blood test. That is by far the rarer condition, but taking hormone supplements if medically needed can help. If a person is quite lethargic, has low motivation, and is always cold, it might be worth having thyroid hormones evaluated.

So if you are a lap-blanket wearing member of #TeamCold, don’t fret.

You are strong. You are capable. And unless you have pain or some of the symptoms Minson mentioned, there is likely nothing wrong with you. Our bodies just require different things of us, and yours requires that you have to deal with an overly-air conditioned-society. My sincerest apologies. On behalf of #TeamHot, your next cocoa is on me.

This article originally appeared on 02.13.18

Dua Lipa is gearing up for her next album, as she will seemingly be kickstarting it with her upcoming new single, “Houdini.” A few days ago, Lipa revealed that fans in London would be getting a surprise event this Thursday, but it seems she is starting the festivities early.

BBC’s music correspondent, Mark Savage, went viral on Twitter after taking a photo of her listening party. She held it right outside the organization’s office.

Lipa, wearing a black jacket and some sunglasses, smiles, as a man appears to be listening to it with wired headphones. BBC’s security team surrounds the small but fun event with colorful flags, and even one member is standing on a stepstool with a disco ball just to bring the party vibes.

“Congratulations, you are the first person to hear Dua Lipa’s brand new song,” read the banner in the back of the photo.

Along with Lipa’s other planned London event, she will be holding other “Houdini” launches in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 14, and Tokyo on Monday, November 20.

Check out the celebratory photo of Dua Lipa’s first listener above.

Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” is out 11/9. Find more information here.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last night Jung Kook stepped into the solo spotlight to treat The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon audience to the live debut of his new song, “Standing Next To You.” The romantic track serves as the standout one from his new debut album, Golden.

At the start of the video, Fallon poses in front of a crowd holding Jung Kook’s album cover. It then cuts to a shot of a sun design that is flashing on the screen. The silhouettes of background dancers take the stage, with Jung Kook being creatively hidden, only seen with a glittery blazer. He then makes his way to the front, showing off his moves alongside the other performers.

Along with the song, Jung Kook sat down with Fallon, where he discussed the possibility of doing a world tour tied to the album. As BTS is currently on an indefinite hiatus, he currently has lots of free time.

“I want to complement them more and make more songs, and maybe when I’m ready I can do the tour in full swing,” Jung Kook shared.

At another point in the interview, he also gave a shoutout to the BTS fandom (known as ARMY) for enjoying the “unexpected” moment when he fell asleep during a WeVerse livestream.

Check out Jung Kook’s TV debut of “Standing Next To You” on The Tonight Show above.

Each year that I teach the book “1984” I turn my classroom into a totalitarian regime under the guise of the “common good.”

I run a simulation in which I become a dictator. I tell my students that in order to battle “Senioritis,” the teachers and admin have adapted an evidence-based strategy, a strategy that has “been implemented in many schools throughout the country and has had immense success.” I hang posters with motivational quotes and falsified statistics, and provide a false narrative for the problem that is “Senioritis.”

I tell the students that in order to help them succeed, I must implement strict classroom rules. They must raise their hand before doing anything at all, even when asking another student for a pencil. They lose points each time they don’t behave as expected. They gain points by reporting other students. If someone breaks the rule and I don’t see it, it’s the responsibility of the other students to let me know. Those students earn bonus points. I tell students that in order for this plan to work they must “trust the process and not question their teachers.” This becomes a school-wide effort. The other teachers and admin join in.

I’ve done this experiment numerous times, and each year I have similar results. This year, however, was different.

This year, a handful of students did fall in line as always. The majority of students, however, rebelled.

By day two of the simulation, the students were contacting members of administration, writing letters, and creating protest posters. They were organizing against me and against the admin. They were stomping the hallways, refusing to do as they were told.

The president of the Student Government Association, whom I don’t even teach, wrote an email demanding an end to this “program.” He wrote that this program is “simply fascism at its worst. Statements such as these are the base of a dictatorship rule, this school, as well as this country cannot and will not fall prey to these totalitarian behaviors.”

I did everything in my power to fight their rebellion.

I “bribed” the president of the SGA. I “forced” him to publicly “resign.” And, yet, the students did not back down. They fought even harder. They were more vigilant. They became more organized. They found a new leader. They were more than ready to fight. They knew they would win in numbers.

I ended the experiment two days earlier than I had planned because their rebellion was so strong and overwhelming. For the first time since I’ve done this experiment, the students “won.”

What I learned is this: Teenagers will be the ones to save us.

Just like Emma Gonzalez, the teen activist from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, my students did not back down nor conform. They fought for their rights. They won.

Adults can learn a lot from the teens of this generations. Adults are complacent, jaded, and disparaged. Teenagers are ignited, spirited, and take no prisoners. Do not squander their fight. They really are our future. Do not call them entitled. That entitlement is their drive and their passion. Do not get in their way. They will crush you.

Foster their rebellion. They are our best allies.

This story originally appeared on Medium and is reprinted here with permission. It was originally published on 2.21.18.

It’s interesting how the little things we say in our day-to-day conversations can sometimes seem harsh, even without us meaning to be. Sometimes, even when trying to be friendly, we can say the wrong thing and come off as passive-aggressive or condescending.

John Bowe, a speech trainer, award-winning journalist, and author of “I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection,” recently wrote an article for CNBC on commonly heard phrases, especially in the professional world, that can unintentionally make us come off as rude or condescending.

Here are 3 of those phrases people commonly use that may be considered rude.

1. “Do you want to …?”

“This phrase is great when you’re offering someone a choice (“Do you want to go to lunch with me?”). But as a way of delivering orders (“Do you want to take out the trash?”), its indirect fake-politeness comes across as belittling,” Bowe told CNBC.

He adds that it is more polite to state your request “directly.” If your spouse asked you to take out the trash, how would you like to be told?

“Will you do me a favor and take out the trash when you have a second?”

Or:

“Do you want to take out the trash?”

2. “Here’s the thing …”

“This phrase insists that whatever follows will be the final, authoritative take on the subject at hand. Even when used inadvertently, it can sound a bit self-important. Truly authoritative people don’t tend to waste time on throat-clearing statements,” Bowe told CNBC.

When people give their opinion by starting with, “Here’s the thing…” they are making a declarative statement that what they have to say is the objective truth. When, in reality, they are probably just sharing an opinion. By making a declarative statement, they are pumping themselves up while also diminishing the opinions of others.

As Chris Illuminati humorously points out in Brobible, there is “no specific thing.” People say “Here’s the thing” to introduce a fact or observation, but the phrase serves no purpose. One could easily lead with the fact or observation without the unnecessary puffery.

3. “Obviously …”

“This word subtly or not-so-subtly conveys that anyone disagreeing with the speaker is wrong. Even if you don’t realize it, using it can make you seem arrogant,” Bowe writes.

Dianna Booher, founder and CEO of Dallas-based communication firm Booher Research Institute, agrees. “It sounds as though the writer is pointing out that the information that follows should be obvious, but you, the reader, are not smart enough to grasp it,” Booher tells Monster.

Sometimes, it can be hard to know how we are coming off to other people. The best way to find out if we’re being rude, arrogant, or belittling is to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and ask ourselves, “How would I feel if someone spoke to me that way?” It’s also good to record ourselves in meetings or on the phone from time to time to make sure that we are communicating as effectively and politely as we can.

This article originally appeared on 03.04.20

There are few more fulfilling hobbies than having a love of books.

Reading isn’t just a great way to have a good time. Reading increases brain connectivity, makes people more empathetic, reduces depression symptoms, improves vocabulary, and may even cause you to live longer.

It’s a huge benefit for a child’s development as well. According to Parent.com, reading “stimulates the side of the brain that helps with mental imagery, understanding, and language processing, and that brain activity.”

Sure beats wasting time playing video games.

Thirteen-year-old Callum Manning wanted to share his love of reading with the world, so he created an Instagram account where he posted photos of the books he’s read. It started with a post about Stephen King’s “The Shining.”

“So I guess I’m going to start this account off with one of my favourite books, Callum wrote. “This book was the first book I read in 1 day. And I was like 10. So yeah it scared me.”

See on Instagram

He would go on to fill his pages with books such as “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “1984” by George Orwell, and current classics such as “A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” by J.K. Rowling

Kids Callum’s age can be exceptionally cruel. A group of them created a group chat where they bullied him for his love of books and then invited him to join. After subjecting him to emotional abuse, they kicked him out of the chat.

“I don’t tend to cry that often but I think that was the first time in a while I’ve actually cried,” Callum told PA Media.

His older sister, Ellis Landreth, was understandably upset about the cruelty, so she tweeted about the group chat, hoping about “20 or 30 of my friends [would] like a few of his posts or follow him or give him some words of encouragement.”

Her tweet would go viral, receiving over 180,000 likes.

Canu2019t believe how awful kids are. My little brothers made an Instagram reviewing and talking about books and kids in his new school have seen it and have created a group chat calling him a creep slagging him off about it and added him to it so he could see pic.twitter.com/wuuj2XlO34

— Ellis (@Ellis)
1582972178

She was bombarded by responses from people who wanted to support her brother.

I think the love from all around the world has probably let him know he isn’t alone. But all the interesting people I know were once considered weird kids with books. Including me.

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 2, 2020

I’ve followed him and dropped him a little message but I’d love to buy him a book or send him over an amazon gift card – I’m sure he has a lot of books on the way but please DM me if there’s any book he doesn’t have 😊

— beffy (@beffybadbelly) March 1, 2020

Just a few hours after the tweet, Callum received thousands of followers on his page. In just three days, he’s up to nearly 400,000 followers. He’s also received countless messages of support through the page.

English novelist Matt Haig sent Callum a collection of books, adding: “Hey let’s all follow Cals Book Account on Instagram and show him some support.” A book store near Manning’s home in northeast England promised him a book on the house.

Callum’s story was shared on Instagram by authors Caroline Kepnes and Malorie Blackman.

The teenager received over 15,000 messages in his DMs. “He’s absolutely overwhelmed,” Landreth told CNN. “He can’t even get through all his DMs.”

Callum’s mother is over the moon about the response. “She’s so happy people are spreading positive messages about these issues,” Landreth said. “No matter how small some things seem, they can stick with kids forever.”

The SAG-AFTRA strike may still be going (at least as of this writing), but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from announcing future projects. Tuesday brought a biggie: After nearly four decades, Nintendo was finally, belatedly making a movie out of The Legend of Zelda. Unlike this year’s Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Zelda one won’t be animated. They’re going live-action (with lots of CGI, of course).

Another big difference: the Super Mario Bros. characters have big personalities. It’s essentially a comedy, and comedy actors is mostly what the movie got for voice talent. Link, the intrepid hero of Zelda? He’s just some dogged loner going from place to place, killing beasties. It’s unclear if the Zelda movie will have a comic tone, but given the seriousness of the games and the hiring of director Wes Ball — whose Maze Runner movies aren’t laugh riots, and presumably the same goes for his forthcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — it seems unlikely.

So who to cast for Link? When news of the movie broke, people instantly thought of two no-brainers for Link: Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. Both are cromulent picks. (Honestly, Pratt is probably too old now to play the young Link, though his non-Italian-ness didn’t stop him from nabbing the Mario role.) But surely there are others. Here’s some possible candidates:

Timothée Chalamet

If there’s a young heroic role and Tom Holland doesn’t get it, there’s always Chalamet. Each has a very different vibe: Holland is more clean-cut, Chalamet is floppy-haired. Could Holland play Willy Wonka? Probably, though his would presumably not be as wacky. Likewise, Chalamet can do po-faced heroic, too, as witness his Paul Atreides in Dune. Imagine Chalamet as a dashing young Millennial Link who has to constantly do cool coif-flips while shooting his sword at Octoroks.

Jeremy Allen White

An intense Zelda, who’s constantly suffering volcanic high blood pressure and pushing back his copious curls after kills. In between battles, there would be montages set to Sufjan Stevens.

Shameik Moore

Moviegoers mostly know the animated version of Moore in the Miles Morales Spider-Man movies (though he’s also been his live-action self on shows like The Get Down and Wu-Tang: An American Saga, in which he played Raekwon). Let more people see his face as he prowls the monster-laden realm of Hyrule.

Jacob Elordi

A sky high Link, towering over even Ganon. He can even bring some of the mumbly Elvis drawal he brought to Priscilla.

Jharrel Jerome

He was great in his breakthrough during the second segment of Moonlight. He won an Emmy for When They See Us. And he was excellent in Steven Soderbergh’s Full Circle. All of these are heavy works. Let Jerome have some fun. Let him make a movie where he wanders around a fantasy realm by himself, killing endless monsters, and collecting triangles.

Aubrey Plaza

If they did a gender-swapped Link and they got Plaza, they could go one of two ways. They could ask for Plaza in withering deadpan mode. Or, better yet, they could have Plaza do her more serious, intense side, as seen in Emily the Criminal and the second season of The White Lotus. Plus having a woman play Link would piss off tetchy conservatives, which is always fun.

Zendaya

If we’re switching genders, why not cast Tom Holland’s paramour? Give her a chance to be a hero, rather than an accomplice/love interest as she is in the Dune series.

But what of Princess Zelda? She probably wouldn’t be a mere damsel-in-distress, as she is in the original game. This Zelda would have to have more agency. Zendaya would be a good choice (if she’s not getting Link, that is). Anya Taylor-Joy already played a Nintendo princess in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, so why not here, too? Other popular young actresses who would make enjoyably strong-willed Zeldas include Jenny Ortega, Storm Reid, Auli’i Cravalho, Amandla Sternberg, and Kaitlin Dever.

But let’s consider some way outside-the-box Zeldas, ones who would bring a more comic edge:

Ayo Edebiri or Rachel Sennott

They’re such a dynamic duo in Bottoms, at once stressed-out and sharp-witted. If comic is the way Zelda goes — and it probably isn’t, but one can dream — then either of them would make a great non-boring Princess Zelda.

Maria Bakalova

The Oscars rarely realize the greatness of comic performances, but the Bulgarian actress was so mind-blowingly good in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — even ensnaring Rudy Giuliani in what proved his fifth or sixth most embarrassing moment in 2020 — that she nabbed a nomination. Bakalova can do more than Tutar Sagdiyev — she was straight-faced in Bodies Bodies Bodies, with the aforementioned Sennott and Sternberg — but imagine her bringing that same Borat 2 energy to a Nintendo video game about a dude stabbing things.

Keke Palmer

Let Keke Palmer steal the Legend of Zelda movie. Maybe even cast Daniel Kaluuya as Link for a much-welcomed Nope reunion.

Hope this has helped, Nintendo.

Halle Bailey is already back to working hard, even after starring in The Little Mermaid earlier this year. In a new post, Missy Elliott revealed that she and Bailey were in the studio together, sharing some behind-the-scenes glimpses on social media.

Elliott and Bailey posed for a cute selfie together, as the studio glows with purple lighting in the background. Another video finds them dancing along, as Bailey points to Elliott and notes that she’s “with the legends, yes!”

“I had a blast in the stu with Halle!!!” Elliott captioned. “We cookin up sumn… New Halle??”

As it turns out, a collab of some sort is on the way, much to fans’ excitement. “Yasss we had so much fun, can’t wait for y’all to hear,” Bailey responded to Elliott’s post.

After the teaser was posted, fans on social media were also thrilled about the fact that both Halle and her sister, Chloe, will have individual songs as a collaboration with Elliott.

“Her giving both sisters a feature for their debut >>&gt,” wrote one.

“Missy working on producing R&B with Halle?!?!?” another added. “Oh sister is about to SANG.”

Check out Missy Elliott and Halle Bailey teasing their collaboration above. Below you can find some additional fan reactions.

Missy Elliott is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

According to Complex, Washington Wizards player Jordan Poole apparently responded to the rumors of him dating Ice Spice, after a kid approached him at a recent meet-and-greet. Fans had been wondering if he took the rising star rapper on an extravagant date.

“Definitely not,” Poole replied, shutting the rumors down directly. “Definitely cap!”

This conversation started after Cam’ron used his It Is What It Is show to toss off some thoughts, claiming that Poole was not only interested in Ice Spice but had a lot to say about how their date was affecting his games. Ice Spice has yet to respond.

“Jordan Poole, you spent $500,000 on an Ice Spice date,” Cam’ron said. “You’re a munch and you’re playing like a f*cking munch. This is not you from last year, bro. Go back to Milwaukee and figure it the f*ck out and get back in the playoffs ’cause you look crazy. ‘Cause I had your back last year!”

“She don’t give a f*ck, she from the Bronx, bro,” he added. “Fordham Road, have you been to Fordham Road? Jordan Poole, next time you go to New York, go around Fordham Road, Concourse, Highbridge, South Bronx. You gone see what you spent $500,000 on and be like, ‘Yo, I was wilding.’”

Check out the video of Jordan Poole denying the Ice Spice dating rumor here.

Before his shocking death at 54, Matthew Perry seemed like he was gearing up for a comeback. He’d released a hit memoir, which not only had great stories but was bracingly honest about his struggles with addiction. Now we’re learning he had more big ideas, including one he pitched Anchorman and The Big Short director Adam McKay: a semi-autobiographical superhero movie.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Perry approached McKay while filming a small role in his climate change satire Don’t Look Up.

“It’s about this guy,” Perry said, according to McKay. “You’d recognize him. His name is Matt and he’s very famous and about 50 years old. His life is a little bit of a mess. He’s lost. Out of the blue a distant relative dies and leaves him $2 billion — and he uses to become a superhero.”

The movie was to be called Mattman, and it woud have starred Perry himself, in a role with some crossover with his real life.

McKay said he was fascinated by the pitch, though he countered with his own, less high-concept version, according to THR:

“My idea was just to do a show about being this incredibly popular, well-known TV guy who’s dealing with addiction,” McKay says. “Because the world has changed. You could actually do that show now. Ten years ago, people would have said you’re crazy. But now people can be more upfront about their mental health issues, their addiction issues, and it’s kind of wonderful.”

“Why don’t we just do a show that’s a fictional version of what you’ve struggled with,” he pressed on with his pitch to Perry. “The idea that everywhere you go, people yell your catchphrases a little bit of your past, the addiction, what it’s like, because everyone views you through this lens of this cheery, bright, multicolored show. And then, meanwhile, you’re a human being who’s dealing with real addiction, real pain. It could be an incredible show. It could be really funny. It could really affect people’s lives.”

Neither project ever materialized, but either version sounds like it would have been interesting. It seems Perry was still thinking about the idea before his death. In what became his final Instagram post, which featured a picture of him in his hot tub, the caption included the words “I’m Mattman.”

Perhaps Perry was influenced by the Oscar-winning Birdman, in which Michael Keaton played an actor who’d become famous playing a Batman-like superhero and was wrestling with that history. A handful of years later Keaton wound up playing Bruce Wayne all over again.

In the wake of Perry’s passing, many stories about him, previously not made public, emerged. For instance, he saved Friends from enraging its legion of fans after he put the kibosh on a controversial twist involving Chandler and Monica.

(Via THR)