The Abstract

Amid the latest Playstation-Xbox console wars and “review bombing” controversies, Inverse’s Jen Glennon offers a look at the key issues shaping the future of video game culture.

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

ALL ABOUT XBOX SERIES X: https://www.inverse.com/gaming/xbox-series-x-release-date-price-specs-features-games

METACRITIC’S REVIEW BOMBING PROBLEM:

https://www.inverse.com/gaming/last-of-us-2-review-bombing-metacritic-open

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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The ultimate pop-culture convention, San Diego Comic-Con, 

took an unprecedented gamble in July 2020 with Comic-Con at Home, 

the virtual attempt to capture geek culture in a bottle 

(and funnel it to the streaming masses).

While virtually connecting an international ‘community of fans’ proved to be a challenge,

the annual event known for bringing together outsiders and celebrating inclusion 

still managed to bring some core issues to the surface. 

Whether it’s highlighting the social importance of shared experiences, 

or celebrating a sense of belonging through collective fandom …

Comic-Con at Home can serve as a learning experience for future conventions, 

pushing organizers to rethink what events like these are really about, 

who they’re for, and who they should represent in the future. 

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse, I’m Tanya Bustos your host.  

Our first story is about Comic-Con at Home, San Diego Comic-Con’s virtual attempt at recreating one of the nation’s biggest annual fan conventions in the face of Covid-19.  As mixed reactions from fans highlight the need for truly interactive experiences, could Comic-Con at Home set the stage for the future of conventions?

Our second story takes a closer look at the future of LGBTQ superheroes. Recent Comic-Con panels have allowed artists to stress the need for more LGBTQ roles in movies and on TV — hoping that increased representation in fantasy and action movies in particular can create better, more inclusive stories on screen.  

COMIC-CON@HOME IS MISSING THE BEST PART OF COMIC-CON: 

: https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/comic-con-at-home-third-space

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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As researchers work around the clock to develop a vaccine for Covid-19,  the novel coronavirus that’s sickened over 15 million people globally, we’ve seen human, scientific and technological resources mobilize like never before. 

Faced with widespread economic losses and mounting public pressure, scientists are banding together in the global fight against Covid-19, doing everything possible to bring about a quicker end to the pandemic.

From smart-tech wearable innovations that monitor symptoms, to the “human challenge trial” volunteers making sacrifices to save others from the virus, the coronavirus has us pulling out all the stops.

Experimenting with technology —and on ourselves  —to stay ahead of the Covid-19 curve.  

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about Covid-19 tracking ”smart rings” that can monitor users’ heart rate, body temperature, and breathing patterns. With the NBA's restart offering players the option to use these wearable sensors, researchers hope this unique testing ground can provide Big Tech with new opportunities to shift gears and help fight the coronavirus.  

Our second story is about a growing group of volunteers willing to take science into their own hands and deliberately get infected with the novel coronavirus.  Would-be volunteers hope these “human challenge trials” can speed up the vaccine development process, and offer a new sense of purpose amid uncertain times.

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

SMART RING SCIENCE: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/nba-smart-ring-covid-19

HUMAN CHALLENGE TRAILS: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/the-people-volunteering-to-get-coronavirus

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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The mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are hitting people of all ages.  With the latest research finding that three in 10 Millennials feel lonely, either ‘often’ or ‘always,’ ‘lockdown life’ and social distancing has added a healthy dose of stress and anxiety to an already precarious mix.

If you’re feeling particularly isolated and on edge, science says it may not be a personal shortcoming, but a natural disposition instead — and there’s an explanation for it in our brains. Newly identified patterns of brain activity reveals why some people are more prone to anxiety and feelings of isolation. While scientists may not have a solution just yet, they can finally offer an explanation. 

Which is a good start.

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about the latest research explaining why lonely people feel so isolated from those around them.  Highlighting a phenomenon known as the “self-other gap,” researchers say loneliness may not necessarily be a consequence of your circumstances but rather your own state of mind.

Our second story attempts to explain why some people are more susceptible to anxiety than others. With the help of a strange new study on marmosets, researchers narrowed in on a clear neurological reason some of us are prone to panic while others remain calm.

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

LONELY BRAIN: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/lonely-brain-study-explains-isolated-feeling

SEROTONIN MONKEY:  https://www.inverse.com/science/why-are-some-people-more-prone-to-anxiety

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, scientists suggested that fatherhood fulfilled a primarily evolutionary function: 

protecting and providing for offspring in return for sex. Meanwhile sex, with as many partners as possible, helped dads’ genes carry on.

But after millions of years, changing sexual norms, 

dating apps, 

and entertainment going increasingly digital...

that relationship with sex … evolved. 

Somewhere all along the line, men transitioned from archaic cads…

to doting dads …

to taking “Netflix and chill” literally.

As scientists scratch their heads about why some men are having less sex than ever, new data offers insight into the surprising evolution of the American male sex drive.

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about sex in America (and how 1 in 3 young men aren’t have it).  Scientists caught a glimpse of Americans' sex lives and discovered a steady sexual decline of the young American male — regardless of sexual orientation. The decades-long data hints why sex is losing its appeal in modern life. 

Our second story digs further back into history with a look at how ancient men evolved from carnal carousers to family providers. As scientists get a better idea of the conditions that honed human fatherhood, a closer look at evolution helps explain how the ‘dads’ ultimately bead out the ‘cads.’

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

MALE SEX DECLINE:  https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/young-american-men-are-having-less-sex

FIRST STAY AT HOME DAD:  https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/the-first-stay-at-home-dad

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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Deep beneath the ocean’s surface, lies a profound space between what science can explain and what's left to our imaginations. 

As a result, humans have spent centuries spinning tales of enormous monsters lurking far below, from mysterious giant squids to tentacled hundred-foot reptiles.

But after centuries of mystery, scientists are finally beginning to confirm what creatures have been eerily haunting us since the beginning of time — sea monsters. 

Whether it’s evidence of an enormous cephalopod tangling with a shark, or groundbreaking clues to a real life Loch Ness monster,  

science continues to bring ancient myths to life, 

Carrying the enduring hunt for sea monsters into the future. 

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about the first photo evidence ever of a giant squid fighting with a shark. An interaction that humans have long fabled, the rare sighting helps explain how the age-old myth came to be, and that when it comes to what we do — and don't — know about the deepest parts of the ocean, giant squids are just the beginning. 

Our second story is about the discovery of an unusual fossil from Antarctica that may have belonged to a real-life Loch Ness Monster.  Previously known as “The Thing,” researchers reveal how an egg belonging to a massive aquatic reptile helped reignite “dino-mania” and the hunt for sea monsters. 

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

ANTARCTICA EGG: https://www.inverse.com/science/big-egg

SQUID-SHARK FIGHT:  https://www.inverse.com/science/study-helps-explain-ancient-shark-versus-squid-myth

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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After three seasons in isolation, a “quarantine 15,” and hundreds of Zoom calls later, pandemic fatigue has finally taken its toll. (We get it.)

And at present, there’s no immediate end in sight. Adjusting to a new life of remote working, homeschooling, and extreme isolation during Covid-19 will continue to wreak havoc on our mental and emotional health -- 

not to mention our bodies.

Between the strange coronavirus dreams keeping us up at night, 

to the uncertain future weighing on our mental health,

the pandemic has us feeling 10 years older and 20 pounds heavier. 

If your body needs a reset, 

quarantine may be the perfect time to learn about the latest biohacks breaking new ground in the health industry.

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about a type of exercise that may reverse aging’s effect on essential muscle stem cells. Offering new hope for any damage done to your muscle tissue, research says engaging in aerobic exercise can help rejuvenate old cells into behaving more like young ones — opening the door to new benefits above and beyond the prevention of age-related diseases in the process.

Our second story is about how the active ingredient in one fungus can reset your body’s clock in record time. Essentially adjusting our circadian rhythm, the compound can reboot our sleep and wake cycles, allowing our biological clocks to run smoother — proving new drastic and quick bodily resets are possible.

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

FUNGUS COMPOUND: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/cure-for-jetlag-fungus-compound

ANTI-AGING AEROBICS: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/exercise-can-rejuvenate-stem-cells

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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After months of quarantine, Americans have been jolted into undeniable new challenges —  

faced with accepting strange new realities, 

or in some cases, forced into creating new ones.

Whether it’s taking drastic measures to ensure our livelihood,

or transforming our bizarre nightmares into anxiety-fighting tools, 

quarantine can ultimately prepare us for life’s biggest threats to come,

and make us better at managing our own greatest fears —

one vivid new reality at a time.  

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about how the coronavirus pandemic provided life-long smokers with new motivation to quit the habit. As a trusted coping mechanism turns into an imminent threat, the drive to finally stop smoking during a pandemic is often met with one very difficult question: How exactly do you quit while the world is retreating into quarantine? 

Our second story is about the vivid coronavirus-related dreams you’re having. Ranging from hopeful to terrifying, it turns out our weird new pandemic dreams aren't just strange – they have an upside. With research suggesting they can help prepare the brain for real-life situations, understanding what our feelings and anxieties are in quarantine can offer us a healthy new way to express these emotions in the future.

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

Quarantine Quitters: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/smokers-who-want-to-survive-coronavirus-should-100-percent-quit-experts-say

Quarantine Dreams: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/coronavirus-dreams-experts-explain

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Researchers across the world are constantly studying what makes a human body healthy. 

What they are increasingly learning is that external factors influence your well-being.

After all, your health doesn’t just come down to genetics. It doesn’t only come down to biology.

Our health depends on where we live...

Our health depends on the care we receive...

Our health depends on personal choices…

From deep-rooted socioeconomic factors … 

to the cup of coffee you drink every day ...

… we’re learning, with each new study released by those researchers, how long we live …

... is a result of the lives we lead.

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story looks at the relationship between upward mobility, stress, and cardiometabolic health. Scientists have learned that there are unique stressors on people who "buck the odds" and improve their financial status. While climbing the socioeconomic ladder is part of the "American dream," the process can come with eye-opening new costs to our physical wellness.

Our second story follows the health outcomes of something that over 83 percent of American adults partake in regardless of their economic status: drinking coffee. In analyzing brewing methods head to head, researchers got to the bottom of one nagging question: How does drinking coffee actually affect our health? And more importantly, what is the best way to drink it? 

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

WEALTH VS HEALTH: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/study-counterintuitive-effect-wealth-has-on-health

WHAT’S THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO DRINK COFFEE?: https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/whats-the-healthiest-way-to-drink-coffee

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

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The ever-expanding universe keeps getting bigger and new surprises baffle scientists every day.   The more astronomers probe strange corners of the galaxies, the more one thing becomes clear — what we don’t know about the universe could fill it.

From eye-opening images of how a planet is born to discoveries of black holes we didn’t think were possible, scientists continue to stumble upon revelations, hidden like Easter eggs, all throughout the Milky Way — and completely by accident.  

Welcome to the Abstract podcast from Inverse. I’m Tanya Bustos, your host. 

Our first story is about the newly discovered images that reveal how a baby planet is born.  Thanks to the European Southern Observatory's very large telescope, astronomers were able to see a newly born planet coo its way into the universe.

Our second story is about the nearest black hole to Earth. Of the billions of black holes that could be lurking in space, astronomers spotted a new black one that is just 1,000 light-years away. The discovery of the nearby black hole poses the question: Are there other black holes in the Milky Way galaxy?

Read more at Inverse.com:

Find links to all the stories discussed in today’s episode at inverse.com/the-abstract

BABY PLANET: https://www.inverse.com/science/baby-planet-formation-study

NEAREST BLACK HOLE: https://www.inverse.com/science/astronomers-find-nearest-black-hole-to-earth

Subscribe to Inverse Daily, our free weekday email with the latest science and innovation news at inverse.com/newsletter

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We're hosted and produced by Tanya Bustos https://twitter.com/tanyapodcasts

Thank you for listening!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.