That Fall Feeling
Remember those Ocean Spray commercials with two farmers standing in a cranberry bog? Totally looks fake, right? You guys, IT’S REAL.
Last week, I got to help harvest cranberries in Massachusetts—pink waders and all!—and stand waist-deep in a cranberry bog. It's hard to describe the experience but it was one of the most therapeutic and joyful experiences I've had in a long time. The combination of the cool water and gentle compression on my legs, the hypnotizing effect of the floating berries, and sheer absurdity of it all (Me? In a cranberry bog?) totally blissed me out.
It was definitely a bucket list item I never knew I had and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Seriously, someone needs to open a cranberry-bog spa experience. You'd make a killing!
The quick trip to New England was a nice respite from the exhausting news cycle. The bright side? It finally feels like fall, my favorite season.
What I’ve Written
I wrote about a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara who’s expanding physics’ horizons—and learned SO MUCH about quantum physics along the way. Plus, tips on getting the most of your workout sans pain.
What I’ve Been Reading
Female Athletes Face Crazy Expectations. They Can Be Overcome. (NY Times): This is a topic that I’ve written about a couple of times and this quote sums it up pretty well: “To be successful as a woman (and human) in athletics is to realize your body is not, in fact, a detriment to performance, let alone health or happiness.”
Everything You Know About Obesity is Wrong (Highline): The headline says it all. From the reporting to the images in the article, this piece is so good.
'A large grain of salt': Why journalists should avoid reporting on most food studies (CBC News): Related to the above—I spend a lot of time reading scientific studies, especially nutrition studies. I do my best to report on the nuances of the findings but what's frustrating is that those nuances aren’t always communicated in the final article. We want catchy headlines like “coffee is the key to longevity” yet most nutrition-related research can’t give you the golden ticket.
Even progressive academics can be racist. I’ve experienced it firsthand. (The Washington Post): This was written by one of my graduate school classmates, an extremely brilliant international relations and security scholar, about her experience in the academy and how fellow academics “refuse to see me as a member of the professional and intellectual community I’ve worked to join.”
I Witnessed Rob Krar’s Greatest Victory. It Wasn’t Winning an Ultra (Runner’s World): Beautifully written piece from Erin Strout >> “The truth is, most of my life I’ve found so few tangible ways to feel like I’m holding up my end of the deal when somebody I care about suffers from a mental health disorder. The powerlessness can be overwhelming. But for me and Rob, ultramarathons are a place of common ground, where he feels comfortable asking for help and I feel immense joy in giving it.”
Mission Unstoppable: Inside the All-Female Trek to the North Pole (WIRED): There’s so much I love about this story. A group of a dozen women from Europe and the Middle East coming together to trek to the North Pole. Oh, and they’re doing it in the name of science—to study the effects of extreme environments on the female body.
American Running Needs More Female Coaches (Outside): American women runners are definitely having a moment but why are their coaches predominantly men? This story delves into the barriers standing in the way and how the culture and dynamics of the sport might shift if more women were in leadership positions.
Today's a good day to Grind (Steph Bruce): Bad days happen in training cycles and some days, you’re just meant to grind. Steph Bruce talks about what happens when you choose to forge ahead and come out the other side.
In Math Cram Sessions, Solving for Why (NY Times): Because so many Asian families have bonded over math homework.
What I’ve Been Listening to and Watching
Dr. Death: Doctors take an oath to do no harm. But what if a doctor deliberately flaunts that code? And what if the medical system that’s supposed to protect patients doesn’t? That’s the story behind this podcast about a neurosurgeon in Texas. Of 38 patients, 33 were harmed in some way—died, paralyzed, in more pain than when they came in, can’t speak. How and why did that happen? I binged the first five episodes and am impatiently waiting for the final episode to drop. Plus, it’s hosted by one of my favorite medical and science writers, Laura Biel.
Last Seen: This podcast combines two of my favorite things: art and true crime. In 1990, two thieves stole 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. But they didn’t just dash in and dash out. They were in the museum for 81 minutes (81 minutes!!), probably the boldest art heist in history. 28 years later, the art is still missing and the case hasn’t been cracked.
Jack Ryan: I love Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan but I'm not sure how I feel about this yet?
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