Condensed Soup

A 73-year-old Tekken gamer proves you're never too old for video games -- and it may even be healthy for your brain!

Gaming in their golden years: why millions of seniors are playing video games (Adrienne Matei, The Guardian, Jul 14, 2025)

73-Year-Old Grandma Wins Tekken 8 Tournament as Panda (Alina Joan Ito, Tokyo Weekender, Jul 17, 2025)

Tekken (Wikipedia)

73-year-old takes the crown in Japan's old-folks-only Tekken 8 tournament, beating out a 93-year-old vet and a sprightly up and comer of 63 years (Mollie Taylor, PC Gamer, Jul 16, 2025)

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As someone who has championed the Brightline train and loved my experiences riding it, the news that it's a tragic and irresponsible neighbor is frightening and sobering.

Killer Train: Brightline death toll surpasses 180, but safeguards are still lacking (Brittany Wallman, Aaron Leibowitz, Shradha Dinesh, Susan Merriam, Daniel Rivero, and Joshua Ceballos, WLRN and Miami Herald)

The Shinkansen's legendary operation and safety record (Caleb Villamin, High Speed Rail Alliance, Jul 24, 2024)

High Speed Rail by Country 2025 (World Population Review)

Chimpanzees are making fashion choices. Primates, they're just like us!

Also, if you're in the U.S., watch out for flooding -- there are watches across the country.

Tropical rainstorm to drench Gulf Coast as Northeast braces for more flooding (Kenton Gewecke, Jon Haworth, and Melissa Griffin, ABC News, Jul 16, 2025)

2025 has become 'the year of the flood.' Why is it raining so much? (Doyle Rice, USA Today, Jul 15, 2025)

It's not just humans — chimpanzees also like to follow trends, study shows (Jack Guy, CNN, Jul 10, 2025)

Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remain a mystery, scientists say (Tessa Vikander, CBC News, Nov 30, 2024)

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Winter Garden, Florida, had no more recycling program -- and two residents decided to change that fact. It's a good chance to check in with recycling guidelines!

Duo brings recycling back to Winter Garden (Liz Ramos, Orange Observer, Jul 10, 2025)

14 Recycling Myths You Need to Stop Believing (Samira Tasneem, Green Citizen, Jan 22, 2025)

The Problem With Those Kitchen Composting Machines (Rosie Spinks, Sierra, Nov 19, 2023)

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Stumped? A walk may open up your creative flow! (If you don't trust me, trust Steve Jobs?)

Steve Jobs Swore the 10-Minute Rule Made Him Smarter. Modern Neuroscience is Disovering He Was Right (Jessica Stillman, Inc., Sep 26, 2024)

Stanford study finds walking improves creativity (Stanford Report, Apr 24, 2014)

Why a Daily 8-Minute Afternoon Walk Might Change Your Life (Katherine Bernard, Vogue, May 21, 2014)

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In the shadow of the recent Texas floods, a grandmother has created a way to reunite flood victims with their loved items. It only takes one person to make a difference!

Grandma Starts Viral Online Group to Reunite Texas Flood Victims with What They Love and Lost (Janelle Griffith, People, Jul 11, 2025)

For Chinatown's Forgotten Residents, Mutual Aid Projects Are Lifelines (Karissa Chen, Bon Appetit, May 31, 2022)

Heart of Dinner (official)

The Love Fridge Chicago (official)

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TikTok is saying that pearl jewelry is a red flag! Nobody tell Cleopatra.

Wearing This Jewelry Could Be Why Men Aren't Asking You Out (Ashley Fike, Vice, Jul 5, 2025)

Cleopatra and the Pearl (University of Chicago)

Cleopatra pearl cocktail proven possible (Rossella Lorenzi, NBC News, Aug 3, 2010)

Pearls: what they are, what pearls are made of and how they form (JV Chambray, BBC Discover Wildlife, Oct 24, 2022)

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Fire up the Chevy Vega, it's finally out of the time capsule! The 'world's largest' time capsule has been opened in Nebraska -- but what else is out there waiting to be found?

'World's largest' time capsule opened in Nebraska 50 years later (Maya Eaglin, NBC News, Jul 5, 2025)

Time Capsules (Maxine Carter-Lome, Journal of Antiques and Collectibles)

America's Oldest Known Time Capsule Was Made by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams (Evan Andrews, History.com, May 27, 2025)

Every Item in Nickelodeon's 1992 Time Capsule (Adrienne Crezo, Sep 5, 2023)

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I use FaceID iPhone all the time -- it's so convenient. How does it work, and what are the implications?

My make-up class at Glastonbury to fool facial recognition cameras (Charlotte Alt, Will Humphries, The Times

Anti-surveillance clothing aims to hide wearers from facial recognition (Alex Hern, The Guardian)

Iran is using drones and apps to catch women who aren't wearing hijabs, says UN report (Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, March 14, 2025)

How Does Facial Recognition Technology Work: A Beginner's Guide (FieldDrive, November 21, 2024)

We all want to get a gold star, and most of that is as simple as showing up. But sometimes, athletes and performers find themselves pushing through the pain. What are the costs?

Cousins says on Netflix's 'Quarterback' he played through arm injury to keep Falcons' starting job (AP, Jul 8, 2025)

Kesha Tore Her ACL on Stage Mid-Performance — and Finished the Show: 'I'm a Bad Bitch' (Madison E. Goldberg, People, Jul 8, 2025)

10 Times When Musicians Played on Through Grueling Injuries (Amanda Angel, WQXR, Oct 21, 2015)

Playing through the pain = more loss than gain (Chayil Champion, UCLA Health, Nov 16, 2022)

Playing in Pain in the N.F.L. (Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, Mar 21, 2017)

NFL abuse of painkillers and other drugs described in court filings (Rick Maese, The Washington Post, Mar 9, 2017)

Best MLB performances while injured or sick (Andrew Simon, MLB, Oct 31, 2024)

26 years later: Would Kerri Strug's famous vault have happened today? (Patricia Duffy, Gymnastics Now, Jul 23, 2022)

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