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\n In many parts of the world, crowds gathered to view the recent eclipse. Pictured is thousands of people on London’s Primrose Hill to watch it. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
In case you missed it, an exceptionally rare solar eclipse was visible in Ireland Wednesday evening. This article from the BBC explores how the feeling of awe which may be inspired by events such as an eclipse can impact the brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(BBC<\/a>, approx. seven mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cThere are few events more awe-striking than the series of celestial coincidences that allow us to experience a total solar eclipse. It relies on the Moon being the exact size and distance from Earth, and in the right orbit to pass in front of the Sun and completely block out its light for a few moments. Witnessing such an astonishing event could, according to the research, inspire us all to find greater humility and care for others.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Chronic inflammation<\/a><\/p>\n Inflammation is the body\u2019s natural defence response to injury, infection, or harmful irritants. Recently scientists have discovered that chronic inflammation may not just be a response, but something which increases the risk of other disorders, including cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n (The New York Times<\/a>, approx. 15 mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem is that inflammation isn\u2019t a single entity \u2014 a virus or cell we can target with a particular drug or therapy. Instead, it\u2019s the product of an incredibly complex regulatory network that we\u2019re just beginning to understand. As Cohen put it to me: \u201cInflammation is basically a set of systems that says something\u2019s going wrong.\u201d Turning it off without knowing exactly why it\u2019s present, then, risks doing more harm than good.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. Tony<\/a><\/p>\n Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n The new biopic about the late chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain came to Irish cinemas this week. But is it properly honouring his life? The writer of this BBC review doesn\u2019t think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n (BBC<\/a>, approx. five mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cIt evokes a good sense of mid-70s period detail, and there are compelling performances throughout from Sessa, Jones, her fellow Brit Leo Woodall as Bourdain\u2019s disreputable co-worker and Antonio Banderas as the restaurant\u2019s owner. But the latter two are both fictionalised characters, and it\u2019s glaring how many of the real-life kitchen staff from the book are sidelined in the story.\u201d<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0Does every generation love Shania Twain?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n The Canadian queen of country pop has been releasing music since the early 90s, yet some of her biggest fans weren\u2019t born until 2012. What is it about Shania Twain that appeals to so many different generations?<\/p>\n (The New York Times<\/a>, approx. 15 mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cAt Wembley there were indeed gaggles of girls of all varieties: moms and daughters, dads chaperoning bunches of friends, roving packs of glitter-covered teenagers, young professional women in fannish cosplay. I saw plenty of Styles-inspired fashion \u2014 heart sunglasses, feather boas and \u2018Respect Your Mother\u2019 T-shirts, shorthand for the kind of Forever 21 feminism that\u2019s part of his lingua franca. But there was also plenty of the leopard print that\u2019s a Twain signature. \u2018We cross audiences,\u2019 she said. \u2018We definitely do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0A day in the life of a woman in Afghanistan\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The Guardian has spoken to several women living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan to see what a typical day looks like in a variety of different roles, including an undercover journalist, an ex-soldier and a baker.<\/p>\n (The Guardian<\/a>, approx. 25 mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cI have already lived through two house searches by Taliban officers. Since then, every knock at the gate fills me with dread. What if it is the Taliban? What if they enter the house while I am working on a report about a killing, interviewing a transgender person or writing the account of a survivor of violence? A thousand scenarios race through my mind and fear consumes me.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. Why haven\u2019t we found aliens yet?<\/a><\/p>\n Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n This longread from The Guardian questions why exactly we haven\u2019t yet found other intelligent life.\u00a0<\/p>\n (The Guardian<\/a>, approx. 20 mins reading time)<\/p>\n \u201cThis expansion of human horizons raised an awkward question. Since the 16th century, when Copernicus showed that Earth is not the centre of the cosmos, modern science had learned to embrace the idea that there is nothing unique about our planet. And if Earth is statistically average, there is no reason why it should be the only home of intelligent life. Given the age of the universe \u2013 about 13.8bn years, according to current estimates \u2013 it should be full of species with technology far more advanced than what we have come up with in a few thousand years of civilisation. Yet we can\u2019t find any trace of them.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"tony-dominic-sessa-leo-woodall\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786873817_420_.jpeg\")
\n Tony Dominic Sessa and Leo Woodall star in Tony. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n![\"file-shania-twain-hosts-the-61st-annual-academy-of-country-music-awards-in-las-vegas-on-may-17-2026-ap-photochris-pizzello-file\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786873818_664_.jpeg\")
\n Shania Twain hosts the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n![\"usa-new-mexico-roswell-alien-by-welcome-sign\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786873818_667_.jpeg\")
\n An alien inflatable near a welcome sign in Roswell, New Mexico – a town renowned as the site of an alleged 1947 UFO crash. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
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