Blurs

Few psychoactive substances have been surrounded by such a mixture of science, medicine, politics and mythology as THC. For some people, THC is simply the compound that produces the familiar cannabis "high". For others, it is part of a plant that has been used medicinally for centuries. It can make people relaxed, alter perception, increase appetite and change the way pain is experienced. It can also impair memory and coordination, and some people experience anxiety or paranoia. Both sides of that picture are real. The interesting question isn't whether THC is "good" or "bad". It is why the same chemical can produce such different effects in different people — and what the evidence actually tells us about its benefits and risks. What exactly is THC? THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, with delta-9-THC being the principal intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis. Cannabis contains many cannabinoids, including CBD, but THC is primarily responsible for the p...

The Hidden Journey of Information From Reality to Your Phone There was a time when war was something most people encountered through newspapers, radio broadcasts or the evening news. Today, it can arrive in our homes before we have even got out of bed. A phone vibrates on the bedside table. A notification appears. A video shows a missile strike thousands of miles away. Another shows a collapsed building. Another reports a bombing, a natural disaster, a mass shooting, a famine or a humanitarian crisis. Within minutes, we can move from a mental photograph of breakfast to images of death, destruction and despair. And then, almost immediately, back to entertainment, advertising and social media. The extraordinary and catastrophic has now become part of the ordinary. A World of Permanent Crisis Modern technology has fundamentally changed our relationship with catastrophic events.  A war happening on another continent is no longer simply reported to us. We can watch it unfold. Smartphone...