David Stănete

Skip your daily nap, shrink your brain. A study by researchers from University College London and the University of the Republic in Uruguay has found that people who habitually take daytime naps tend to have significantly larger total brain volume—a key indicator of brain health that typically declines with age and is associated with reduced dementia risk. The team used Mendelian randomization, a method that leverages genetic variants (present from birth) that make people more likely to nap regularly. By analyzing brain MRI scans and health records from more than 35,000 participants in the UK Biobank, they discovered that those genetically inclined to nap had brain volumes corresponding to 2.6 to 6.5 fewer years of aging. While this doesn’t definitively prove that napping itself enlarges the brain, the genetic approach helps rule out many lifestyle-related confounding factors, providing stronger evidence of a potential causal relationship than traditional observational studies. Notably, the researchers found no link between napping predisposition and performance on tests of reaction time, memory, or visual processing. However, previous studies have shown that short naps can deliver immediate cognitive benefits. The study lacked specific data on nap duration, but prior research suggests naps of 30 minutes or less provide the greatest advantages while minimizing disruption to nighttime sleep. This is the largest study to date linking regular napping with brain structure. Although further research is needed in more diverse populations, the findings bolster the idea that a brief daytime rest may help preserve brain volume and support long-term cognitive health.

Negative sentiment toward AI is a luxury belief

Even Chuck Norris turned out to be powerless against aging. We need to accelerate, aging is no joke. RIP, Chuck.

Jack Dorsey’s Block quietly rehires few from 4,000 fired staff according to LinkedIn posts.

Today we are presenting a new European strategy for Small Modular Reactors. Our goal is simple. We want this new technology to be operational in Europe by the early 2030s. And to back this we will create a €200M guarantee, to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies.

Amazon is holding a mandatory meeting about AI breaking its systems. The official framing is "part of normal business." The briefing note describes a trend of incidents with "high blast radius" caused by "Gen-AI assisted changes" for which "best practices and safeguards are not yet fully established." Translation to human language: we gave AI to engineers and things keep breaking? The response for now? Junior and mid-level engineers can no longer push AI-assisted code without a senior signing off. AWS spent 13 hours recovering after its own AI coding tool, asked to make some changes, decided instead to delete and recreate the environment (the software equivalent of fixing a leaky tap by knocking down the wall). Amazon called that an "extremely limited event" (the affected tool served customers in mainland China).

FSD Supervised responds to hand gestures while squeezing through a tight lane in the Netherlands