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Thursday, 06 February, 2025
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science

The Israeli Military Program for Autistic Soldiers

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Six years ago, three former Mossad agents launched an experimental Israeli Army program to recruit those on the autism spectrum, harnessing their unique aptitudes—their “superpowers,” as one soldier puts it. The name of this big military success? Roim Rachok, Hebrew for “seeing into the future,” and it may bring neurodiversity to the broader workforce. They’re part of an innovative military program called Roim Rachok, Hebrew for “seeing into the future.” The elite group consists entirely of members of a burgeoning but underserved and overlooked population with powers as special as their needs: autistic teens.

science

Octopuses Defy the Genetic Norm which Might be Connected to the Extraordinary Intelligence

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Octopuses have three hearts, parrot-like beaks, venomous bites, and eight semi-autonomous arms that can taste the world. They squirt ink, contort through the tiniest of spaces, and melt into the world by changing both color and texture. They are incredibly intelligent, capable of wielding tools, solving problems, and sabotaging equipment. As Sy Montgomery once wrote, “no sci-fi alien is so startlingly strange” as an octopus. But their disarming otherness doesn’t end with their bodies. Their genes are also really weird.

science

The Impact of Climate Change and Monster Hurricanes

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There are several characteristics of the changing climate that are helping to increase the risks of damage from Hurricanes, even though global warming is not directly causing such a storm to spin up. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate researcher at Texas Tech, put the relationship between climate change and storms such as Florence as follows: “Hurricanes are absolutely being affected by our changing climate, in many ways. As the world warms, the rainfall associated with hurricanes is becoming more intense; they are getting stronger, on average; they are intensifying faster; they are moving more slowly; and, as sea level rises, the storm surge from these events can be more damaging.”

Mentorship

Michael Phelps: Role Model for Future Athlets

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American swimmer Michael Phelps swam his final Olympic race on Saturday August 4, 2012, winning his 18th gold and 22nd overall medal with his United States teammates in the the 4×100 medley relay. Young swimmers and athlets will be looking at Michael Phelps as the greatest olympian of all times. Let’s take a look at 22 facts about Michael Phelps’ 22 career Olympic medals.1. Only eight countries have won as many gold medals in London as Phelps.

2. Michael Phelps won his first Olympic medal in 2004. His 18 golds since the Athens Games would rank 12th overall for all nations, ahead of Olympic powers like Romania, Poland, the Netherlands, Cuba and Spain.

3. Speaking of the Spanish, with tennis powers, World Cup champions and Tour de France winners, the nation is generally thought of as a world leader in athletics. Phelps has 10 more golds than Spain since 2004.

Mentorship

Apple CEO Tim Cook: I am Proud of Being GAY

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Writing over at Bloomberg Businesweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook is speaking out publicly for the first time about his sexual orientation.”While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me”

Mentorship

Proud Dad Defends Son’s Cruella de Vil Halloween Costume

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The talented dancer has two dads, a twin sister and an older sister. Every Halloween, Liam loves to go all out in creating his very own costumes. “He takes part in designing and drawing them out,” his father, Will, told The Gaily Grind. “We encourage him to do what he wants. He’s a kid and halloween is a great creative outlet.” The last few Halloweens, he has chosen a not so traditional boy’s costume. He has been a Black Swan, Cleopatra, Medusa and this year, he was Cruella de Vil.

Mentorship

Against All Odds – Ballerina Michaela DePrince’s Remarkable Journey

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Michaela Mabinty DePrince is a Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer. With her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, Michaela authored the book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. She rose to fame after starring in the documentary First Position in 2011, following her and other young ballet dancers as they prepared to compete at the Youth America Grand Prix. She formerly danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the youngest dancer in the history of the company and currently dances as a soloist for the Dutch National Ballet.

support groups

Meet the Openly Gay Athletes that Participated in the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

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This issue is both public and personal for the six openly gay Olympians who will be competing at Sochi. They’ll join 6,000 athletes from 85 countries. Gay rights have taken center stage at Sochi, thanks to Russia’s own targeting of the LGBT community. In June 2013, the Russian government banned dissemination of pro-gay “propaganda” that could be accessible to children. The law’s vagueness, activists note, could prohibit almost any pro-gay expression, such as public statements, rallies, rainbow flags, rainbow nesting dolls, or same-sex hand-holding. Violators can be fined or jailed up to 14 days. Foreigners can be expelled.

support groups

The LGBTQ+ Participants of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing

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At least 35 publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, pansexual and non-binary athletes will be in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, double the amount who competed in 2018, including the largest share of men. The athletes are competing in nine different sports from Feb. 4-20, including 12 in ice hockey and 10 in figure skating. Of the skaters, eight are men, one is non-binary and one is pansexual. The pansexual athlete, Amber Glenn, is an alternate and is currently not slated to compete. All of the out ice hockey players are women.

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