'Lithium' Is A Homage To A Drug — And To The Renegade Side Of Science

"Like any good story about a scientific discovery, Walter A. Brown's account of the history of lithium features plenty of improvisation, conjecture and straight-up kismet."

"Unlike many such stories, though, it also features a fair share of personal bias, senseless puttering and random speculation — on part of these scientific researchers."

"Brown, a practicing psychiatrist and university professor of more than 40 years, seems to have been drawn to write Lithium: A Doctor, A Drug and a Breakthrough as much because of lithium's fluky history and overlooked importance (for many years, he argues, it was "the Cinderella of psychiatric drugs") as by the profound impact it's had on countless sufferers of bipolar disorder and depression."

"Lithium is a homage, not just to a drug, but to the renegade side of science. Its heroes are researchers scattered around the globe, short on funding and frequently unaware of each other's work, without whom a commonly available substance would never have been recognized as a treatment for one of the most baffling psychiatric illnesses. By celebrating these men, Brown hopes to do a lot more than simply raise awareness about an underappreciated substance. He aims to demolish what remains of the myth that scientific progress is driven by rigorous dispassion."

How Woodstock Changed The Little Town Of Bethel, N.Y.

"Fifty years ago, the tiny town of Bethel, N.Y., was transformed into a teeming city of more than 400,000 people brought together by peace, love and music. Today, the site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, as it was officially called, is on the National Register of Historic Places. For some who were there, it's a place of pilgrimage, memories and the site of a museum full of memorabilia."

"'I remember that sign. A farmer put it out on the side of the road,' Carl Porter says as he tours the Woodstock exhibition in the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Museum, which sits on the actual site of the festival. Porter was 21 years old in 1969 and his leave from the service coincided with Woodstock. But as thrilled as Porter was to be there, lots of other locals weren't."

"'It's actually an old porcelain tabletop that he scribbled that sign on to chase away the hippies,' Porter continues. 'It says, 'Local people speak out. Stop Max's hippie music festival. No 150,000 hippies here.' "

California's Largest Legal Weed Farms Face Conflict In Wine Country

"The Santa Rita Hills, nestled in Santa Barbara County, are ideal for pinot noir, a notoriously finicky grape. That's why Kathy Joseph came here to plant Fiddlestix Vineyard."

"'The plants are over 20 years old, which comes through in the wines we make. The topography is just right; the proximity to the ocean is incredible,' Joseph says. 'Difficult to find a pinot noir district this good.'"

"Neighboring grape vines extend to the west as far as the eye can see. In the other direction, there's a new neighbor in town. This spring, a cannabis farmer started building hoop houses on the 100-acre parcel. So far, a quarter of the land is growing pot. Joseph has seen plenty of vegetable farms there before."

"'We've lived together with other vegetables, lettuces and cauliflower, and broccoli and snap peas, and walnuts very happily,' she says."

Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better For The Planet? Here's The Science

"For the environmentally minded carnivore, meat poses a culinary conundrum. Producing it requires a great deal of land and water resources, and ruminants such as cows and sheep are responsible for half of all greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture, according to the World Resources Institute."

"That's why many researchers are now calling for the world to cut back on its meat consumption. But some advocates say there is a way to eat meat that's better for the planet and better for the animals: grass-fed beef."

"But is grass-fed beef really greener than feedlot-finished beef? Let's parse the science."

"What's the difference between grass-fed and feedlot beef?"

"Feedlot calves begin their lives on pasture with the cow that produced them. They're weaned after six to nine months, then grazed a bit more on pasture. They're then "finished" for about 120 days on high-energy corn and other grains in a feedlot, gaining weight fast and creating that fat-marbled beef that consumers like. At about 14 to 18 months of age, they are sent to slaughter. (One downside of the feedlot system, as we've reported, is that a diet of corn can lead to liver abscesses in cattle, which is why animals who eat it receive antibiotics as part of their feed.)"

From Pain To Purpose: 5 Ways To Cope In The Wake Of Trauma

"Could it happen here? It's a question a lot of people ask in the wake of a traumatic event."

"Even if you're not directly connected to the events in El Paso, Gilroy or Dayton, chances are you've felt the weight of them."

"'People do feel traumatized,' says family therapist Jonathan Vickburg, of Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. The idea that an act of violence could happen anywhere makes us anxious. People may think twice about attending a music festival or walking into a WalMart."

"But, there are strategies to counter the fear — and move forward."

"Rian Finney, 16, knows the feeling of vulnerability all too well. He's never witnessed a mass shooting, but he's grown up surrounded by violence."

"As a young kid in west Baltimore, he'd fall asleep to the sound of fireworks — or at least that's what he thought. Then, one day his parents told him he was hearing gunshots."

"It was just shock, that those [shootings were] happening right outside my house," Finney says. Living amid violence began to take its toll, especially in moments when he felt threatened. "I just felt this sense of, like, fear and anxiety going through my entire body," he says.

A Century Later: The Treaty Of Versailles And Its Rejection Of Racial Equality

"A century ago, a new world order began."

"The Treaty of Versailles concluded the war to end all wars. Constructed through diplomacy, a fragile peace replaced global bloodshed."

"The treaty's proclamations are now iconic: that nations should have the right to self-determine, that a war's victors should negotiate how to move forward, that the defeated powers should be held responsible for the damage."

"Yet the treaty, negotiated by the key players in World War I — notably France, Great Britain, Italy and the United States — was deeply flawed and could not fend off the rise of fascism, the Nazi Party, and eventually, World War II."

"Versailles' mixed legacy is even further complicated by a little-known attempt by Japan, one of the emerging players at the table, to move the world forward on the issue of racial equality."

"Japan asked for, and nearly got approved, a clause in the treaty that would have affirmed the equality of all nations, regardless of race or nationality."

"For all of the history forged, some historians believe the Great Powers missed a pivotal opportunity to fashion a much different 20th century."

The Swaying Power Of Scented Spaces Isn't Always Right Under Our Nose

"There's a new smell tingling tourists' noses in the Big Apple, far above the trash bag-lined sidewalks — and this scent is by design."

"Atop One World Trade Center, New York City's tallest building, a fragrance carrying hints of citrus, beech trees and red maples wafts through the glass-enclosed observatory deck."

"When the observatory commissioned the custom scent to diffuse through the floor's HVAC system, Managing Director Keith Douglas told the New York Times that he wanted it to elicit a 'positive thought,' and offer a "a subtle complement to the experience" of visiting the space."

But not everyone is keen on the scent. One tourist described the smell as "sickly," according to the Times, which first documented the new aromatic experience in lower Manhattan.

It's a marketing strategy businesses are increasingly deploying to lure customers into stores and entice them to stay longer. The smell of cinnamon fills Yankee Candle stores, Subway pumps a doughy bread scent through its vents. International Flavors & Fragrances, the same company that developed clothing chain Abercrombie & Fitch's notoriously pungent "Fierce" cologne, known to linger on clothes long after their purchase, designed One World's scent.

Here's What Tourists Might See If They Were Allowed To Visit Gaza

"It's not easy to find a tour guide in Gaza. Even clerks at the local Tourism Ministry, a vestige of the 1990s that remarkably still exists, struggle to recommend professional guides, before suggesting a man who hasn't led tourists around for 20 years."

"Ayman Hassouna seems delighted to spend a sweltering day in a suit jacket, showing off the historical sites, colorful markets and delicious grilled fish of his native Gaza — among other unexpected gems made even more precious by the reality that most people in the world are unable to experience them."

"Gaza used to be an ancient crossroads connecting Arabia to Europe and, in more recent years, a magnet for international visitors exploring the Holy Land. Today this narrow strip on the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most isolated spots on Earth."

To Slow Global Warming, U.N. Warns Agriculture Must Change

"Humans must drastically alter food production to prevent the most catastrophic effects of global warming, according to a new report from the United Nations panel on climate change."

"The panel of scientists looked at the climate change effects of agriculture, deforestation and other land use, such as harvesting peat and managing grasslands and wetlands. Together, those activities generate about a third of human greenhouse gas emissions, including more than 40% of methane."

"That's important because methane is particularly good at trapping heat in the atmosphere. And the problem is getting more severe."

"Emissions from agricultural production are projected to increase," the authors warn. "Delaying action" on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, they continue, "could result in some irreversible impacts on some ecosystems."

"This is the latest in a series of reports from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The new report adds weight and detail to a warning put out by the same panel of scientists last fall, in which they sounded the alarm about the inadequacy of the pledges countries have made so far to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

'Drive-Thru Dreams' Explores America's Love-Hate Relationship With Fast Food

"Do you want fries with that? It's complicated."

"Americans have a torturous relationship with fast food. We often vilify it for expanding our waistlines, yet we also look at it as a way to treat ourselves. And part of the reason we seek the guilty pleasures to be found in burgers, shakes and fries is the familiarity such foods evoke, says writer Adam Chandler."

"'Even for people who haven't had fast food in 5 or 10 years, they still have fond memories of sneaking out of high school with their friends and going to Taco Bell during their lunch breaks, or going to McDonald's for a birthday party when they were kids,' says Chandler, author of Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom."

"In his book, Chandler describes the unshakable bond between Americans and fast food — which he explored during his travels across the country, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. This bond is defined by fast food's connection to American history, as well as its ability to adapt to different times, palates, and cultures."

Trust In Scientists Is Rising, Poll Finds

"In a time of climate change denial and vaccine resistance, scientists worry they are losing public trust. But it's just the opposite, a survey released Friday finds."

"Public trust of scientists is growing. It's on a par with our trust of the military and far above trust of clergy, politicians and journalists."

"The survey by the Pew Research Center finds 86% of those surveyed say they have a fair amount or a great deal of faith that scientists act in our best interests. And that's been trending higher — it was 76% in 2016."

"The proportion of people who say they have a "great deal" of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest increased from 21% in 2016 to 35% in 2019."

"But the picture isn't entirely rosy. "It tends to be kind of a soft support," says Cary Funk, director of science and society research at the Pew Research Center and co-author of the report."

Living With Puffins? Better Duck And Cover

"Every summer, a handful of interns and research assistants are selected from hundreds of applicants to camp in primitive conditions on a tiny, treeless island several miles off Maine's coast. Their job description calls for 'a sense of humor and love ... of adventure, the outdoors and birds.'"

"The coveted jobs are with the National Audubon Society's Project Puffin, an unusual seabird restoration project that got its start on Eastern Egg Rock in the 1970s."

"It takes about 30 minutes by boat to reach the 7-acre island, which is bordered by slippery, seaweed-covered boulders. Hundreds of screeching terns and gulls circle overhead. Sarah Guitart says she sometimes wishes the birds weren't quite so loud."

"You gotta remember that you're in a seabird colony and it's pretty wonderful."

"Guitart is the crew lead for the four interns and research assistants living and working on the island from May to August. She wears earplugs to get to sleep in her tent at night."

College Student Discovers 65-Million-Year-Old Triceratops Skull

"As a child, Harrison Duran would visit the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, captivated by the fossils preserved in asphalt. Now 23, Duran is responsible for his own fossil discovery: the 65-million-year-old partial skull of a triceratops."

"In June, the University of California, Merced student participated in a paleontology dig with Michael Kjelland, a biology professor at Mayville State University of North Dakota. The two met at a conference and began a mentor-mentee relationship – now, Duran is an intern at Kjelland's nonprofit group, Fossil Excavators."

"Duran's account isn't too far off from the action-movie plot the name Fossil Excavators evokes."

Birds Are Trying To Adapt To Climate Change — But Is It Too Little, Too Late?

"Viktoriia Radchuk, an evolutionary ecologist at Berlin's Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, wanted to know how animals were responding to climate change."

"So she scoured the results of more than 10,000 animal studies — on species from frogs to snakes, from insects to birds to mammals — looking for information on how changing environments were affecting animal behavior. Based on the available data, she decided to focus on birds in the Northern Hemisphere."

"As detailed in a new paper in Nature Communications, Radchuk and her co-authors found that many birds are adapting to climate change — but probably not fast enough. 'Which means, on average, these species are at risk of extinction,' she says."

"The data focused on common and abundant bird species, such as tits, song sparrows and magpies (which are also the most well documented in studies). They showed that some bird populations are breeding, laying eggs and migrating earlier, which makes them better prepared for earlier onsets of spring — a significant effect of climate change."

Radchuk explains that when temperatures warm, plants flower earlier, and insects also develop earlier.

Holy Guacamole! Avocados Are Pricey And It's The Pits

"What's a Mexican restaurant without guacamole? What's a hipster cafe without avocado toast? Some restaurateurs may be contemplating these questions this summer as the price of avocados has spiked to almost double the price a year ago."

"In Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood, El Tepeyac Cafe uses loads of avocados for its delicious homemade guacamole. In fact, it goes through about 50 boxes of the fruit every week. Operations manager Bernadette Thom says the restaurant has no choice but to pay more."

"'I mean, we're in a Mexican restaurant, and everything pretty much on our plate requires guacamole,' she says. 'So to completely be out of it would not work.'"

"El Tepeyac has been around since 1955, and Thom says the owners are resigned to price spikes. She says they try not to charge customers more, but in the past they have had to resort to charging a bit more during price spikes. The higher prices also mean they have to shop around."

"'We always find avocados somewhere,' says Thom. 'If we can get a different quality or different sizes, like a little bit cheaper and they're a little bit smaller, or a different kind of avocado, then we'll do that as well too, until we can get through it.'"

As Climate Changes, Taxpayers Will Shoulder Larger U.S. Payouts To Farmers

"Robert Henry is driving along the top of a Mississippi River levee, giving me a tour of land where he'd love to be planting soybeans right now. We're just east of New Madrid, Mo."

"'Smells kind of raunchy, doesn't it?' he says."

"From the window of Henry's truck, I see what looks like a swamp, with trees standing in water. Then we make a turn, and suddenly, as far as I can see, there's water. It covers a wide flood plain between the main river channel and the levee. This is where Henry normally grows his crops."

"Thousands and thousands of acres," Henry says. "Some of the best land in the world."

"Henry won't grow anything here this year. He even has a tractor and harvesting equipment stranded on an island out in the middle of the river."

"But here's the good news: He'll get a check anyway — a payout from his crop insurance. It won't be as much money as he'd have gotten from a soybean crop, but it'll help him get by, 'which is better than going under, you know?' he says."

"Most farmers who grow big commodity crops like corn, soybeans and wheat buy crop insurance. It's a good deal for them; the federal government actually covers about 60 percent of the cost of the premiums."

"In fact, the federal government spends, on average, about $8 billion a year subsidizing crop insurance for farmers.

Catching Sight Of A Rare Butterfly In A Surprise Refuge

"It's not easy to see the orange and black spotted regal fritillary butterfly if you live in the Eastern U.S. It used to be common across much of the country, and is still found in the Midwest. But it's all but disappeared in the East, its once vast habitat developed, divided and degraded."

"A 2007 federal report found that this now rare butterfly's "decline in the East was so rapid that in many states the regal fritillary had disappeared before it could be listed" as endangered."

"But the species has survived at one unusual refuge, and for a few days every summer hundreds of people join guided tours to get a glimpse."

"Guard training center in central Pennsylvania. They pile into their cars and caravan out to a grassy field. Wildlife biologist Mark Swartz leads them as police direct traffic."

"'It takes a lot of coordination,' he says. 'It occasionally breaks down, and that's when we have problems.'"

"On this day, in fact, Swartz is a bit rattled because the Air Force apparently didn't get the memo. Suddenly he's interrupted by loud noises. 'There—they're shooting,' he says. 'That's a .50 caliber machine gun.'"

First Came Kidney Failure. Then There Was The $540,842 Bill For Dialysis

"For months, Sovereign Valentine had been feeling progressively run-down. The 50-year-old personal trainer, who goes by "Sov," tried changing his workout and diet to no avail."

"Finally, one Sunday, he drove himself to the hospital in the small town of Plains, Mont., where his wife, Jessica, happened to be the physician on call. 'I couldn't stop throwing up. I was just toxic."

"It turned out he was in kidney failure and needed dialysis immediately."

"'I was in shock, but I was so weak that I couldn't even worry,' he said. 'I just turned it over to God."

"He was admitted to a nearby hospital that was equipped to stabilize his condition and to get his first dialysis session. A social worker there arranged for him to follow up with outpatient dialysis, three times a week. She told them Sov had two options, both about 70 miles from his home. They chose a Fresenius Kidney Care clinic in Missoula."

The Doctor Who Helped Israeli Spies Catch Eichmann But Refused Recognition For It

"The fake license plates, forged passports and concealed surveillance camera were locked away in the musty archives of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency for 50 years. Now they are touring the U.S. in a traveling exhibition about the Mossad's legendary capture of Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann."

"But one object crucial to the mission's success is not on display: the needle used to inject a sedative into Eichmann's arm before he was smuggled onto a plane back to Israel to stand trial."

"The story of the needle is also the story of Dr. Yonah Elian, an Israeli anesthesiologist recruited for the Eichmann mission to administer the sedative. He hid the needle in a drawer for most of his life and refused to come out of the shadows — even as the other Israelis on the mission were crowned national heroes."

"Many times, I asked him, 'Dad, why won't you talk about this? What's so secret?' " said Danny Elian, the doctor's son, who spent years seeking answers.

"The doctor's tale, and the secret he kept, have only come to light in recent years. But Eichmann's story is well-known."

"Dubbed an 'architect' of the Holocaust, Eichmann oversaw the deportation of Jews to their deaths. He escaped to Argentina after the war. In 1960, Mossad agents tracked him down, captured him, held him in a safe house, then dressed him in an Israeli flight crew uniform and sneaked him past Argentinian airport authorities onto a plane headed back to Israel."

Study: Sugar Rules The World And Ruins Teeth

"Ninety-five percent of 12-year-olds in the Philippines have tooth decay, or cavities. And cavities affect seven in 10 children in India, one-third of Tanzania teens and nearly one in every three Brazilians."

"These and other startling oral health statistics are the focus of a two-part series published this week in The Lancet. In it, more than a dozen dentists and public health experts call for radical action to end neglected and widespread oral disease."

"The culprit?"

"'Sugar is the causative agent for dental decay,' says Robert Weyant, one of the study authors and a dental public health expert at the University of Pittsburgh. 'Basically, without sugar, you won't develop decay.'"

"The Lancet study authors also point at what they call a failed dental system, where many dentists prioritize treatment over prevention efforts — like toothbrushing with fluoride and restricting sugar intake. Coupled with an overwhelming number of sweetened food and beverage options, cavities are on the rise, especially in low- and middle-income countries."

"That's because residents in those places are undergoing a global phenomenon known as a 'nutrition transition,' says Habib Benzian, a study coauthor and associate director of global health and policy at New York University's College of Dentistry."