A list of curious facts
One: The Flow headset uses two large circular pads with electrodes to send a small electrical current into your brain. It claims to help treat depression—with 77% of users reporting an improvement in symptoms within just three weeks. More than half were symptom free after 10 weeks. Sounds miraculous but how does it work?
The electrodes stimulate two specific brain regions. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in executive function and cognition—while the ventromedial prefrontal cortex controls emotional regulation. People with depression have less brain activity than normal in the first and more brain activity than normal in the second. These headphones are all about rebalancing the flow (literally). Also: It’s very sleek and cool—see lead image. (CNN)
Two: Thanks to Sam Dalrymple, we stumbled on the fascinating tale of the tomb of the last Caliph of Islam—located in Ellora, no less. It was built by Nizam of Hyderabad—who married his sons to the daughters of the deposed Ottoman caliph Abdulmecid II in 1931. The ambitious Nizam also secured a deed nominating their joint grandchildren as the next Caliphs of Islam. And to secure the claim, he began building a grand Ottoman tomb for Abdulmecid II at Ellora. But the world he lived in was already disappearing. World War II swept through Europe—its aftermath dismantling the Empire and the royal state of Hyderabad. The tomb lies abandoned among other ruins on a hill in Ellora—as you can see below. For lots more fascinating history of Ellora, we highly recommend checking out Dalrymple’s Substack newsletter.
Three: Yes, there is indeed a very popular Spotify list called ‘Music for Plants’—with gems such as ‘Forest Bathing’ and ‘Plantasia’. Okay, so our green friends don’t have ears but they can feel the good vibrations, so to speak: “When the cells are stimulated by the sound, nutrients are encouraged to move throughout the plant body, promoting new growth and strengthening their immune systems.” But, but, but: Don’t be playing heavy metal or rock. Think spa music—like your hydrangeas are enjoying a lovely massage. See below. (The Independent)
Bonus fact: You can get rid of the annoying “AI overview” at the top of your search results by starting your search with the word ‘f***’. For example: Try typing “Who the f*** was the corpse in f***ing ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’” The Google AI will just stop talking to you—and go back to giving you useless links instead. (Vice)
