Back in the 1980s, there was a popular antidrug commercial that showed a guy holding up an egg and saying, This is your brain, then pointing to a heated pan and explaining, This is drugs. The guy then cracks the egg into the pan and as it fries, he warns, "This is your brain on drugs." The metaphor served up by the Partnership For A Drug Free America always struck me as being a few eggs short of a dozen, after all, turning an uncracked egg into a popular breakfast treat hardly seems like a negative outcome. Forget my anxiety and borderline depression, give me my brain on drugs with a side of rye. Our attitudes toward some drugs has changed. So has our brain imaging technology. These days, when someone says, "This is your brain on drugs," they're likely pointing to images captured from a functional M.R.I. scanner. It's a lot less tasty than the brain on drugs they served in the 80s, but it's a lot more accurate. NYT (Gift Article): This Is Literally Your Brain on Drugs. My neuroscience chops are a little rusty, but it seems pretty clear you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet. 2Don't Bogart That Torch My FriendAs the RNC's hero-worship week draws big ratings, the Dems remain divided over the most basic of matters: Who their presidential candidate should be. The Dems have cult heroes of their own and one of them is Adam Schiff. So it's pretty big news when he calls for Biden to "Pass the torch." 3Seine Master"It has been the dream and promise of Paris mayors for decades and a nightmare for Olympic organisers: could the Seine be cleaned up enough to swim in and hold triathlon and other events? For the last 100 years and up until a few days ago, the answer seemed to be no. On Wednesday, however, the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, kept her promise that it would be and she would be one of the first in." Paris mayor swims in Seine as river is cleaned up just in time for Olympics. (This cleanup and the general idea of using the Seine for watersports has been a major controversy. As political fights go, arguments over how much shit is in the water sure beat debates about whether we should remain a democracy.) 4Joint EffortHerbert Hoelter recently passed away at the age of 73. If you've never heard the name, then it's quite likely you've never been a wealthy celebrity who found yourself headed for the slammer. NYT (Gift Article): Herbert Hoelter, Prison Consultant to the Rich and Infamous, Dies at 73. "He helped Martha Stewart, Leona Helmsley, Michael Milken and other white-collar criminals win lighter sentences, and prepared them for life in prison." 5Extra, ExtraThick Around the Middle: "As polar and glacial ice melts because of global warming, water that was once concentrated at the top and the bottom of the globe is getting redistributed toward the equator." Melting ice is slowing Earth's spin, shifting its axis and even influencing its inner core. For most people, there's a more immediate climate crisis. Their vacations are being ruined. 'Hellishly hot' southern Europe bakes under temperatures topping 104 F. And yes, unfortunately, there's an election angle to this, too. The MAGA Plan to End Free Weather Reports. 6Bottom of the News"The seasoning garnishes everything from bagels and scrambled eggs to fried chicken in many countries. But in South Korea, it tops something else: a list of unexpected goods travelers are banned from bringing into the country." Why Everything Bagel Seasoning Was Banned in South Korea. (It's all about the poppy seeds.)
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