Quotes of the Day ([syndicated profile] quoteoftheday_feed) wrote2025-08-08 12:00 am
Quotes of the Day ([syndicated profile] quoteoftheday_feed) wrote2025-08-08 12:00 am
Quotes of the Day ([syndicated profile] quoteoftheday_feed) wrote2025-08-08 12:00 am

Franklin P. Jones

"It's the opinion of some that crops could be grown on the moon. Which raises the fear that it may not be long before we're paying somebody not to."
Wordsmith.org: Today's Word ([syndicated profile] wordsmithdaily_feed) wrote2025-08-08 04:42 am

boojum

noun: An imaginary or elusive goal whose pursuit may lead to ruin.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day ([syndicated profile] merriamwebster_feed) wrote2025-08-08 01:00 am

winsome

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2025 is:

winsome • \WIN-sum\  • adjective

Winsome describes people and things that are cheerful, pleasant, and appealing.

// Though a relative newcomer to acting, Maya won the casting directors over with her winsome charm, which was perfect for the role of the plucky young superhero.

// Our winsome guide put us at ease immediately.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Wilson’s take on Snow White is surprisingly winsome. It delivers a familiar story with a fresh perspective and some unexpected sources of nostalgia.” — Kristy Puchko, Mashable, 19 March 2025

Did you know?

Despite appearances, winsome bears no relation to the familiar word win, meaning “to achieve victory.” The Old English predecessor of winsome is wynsum, which in turn comes from the noun wynn, meaning “joy” or “pleasure.” And the ancestor of win is the Old English verb winnan, meaning “to labor or strive.” Given those facts, one might guess that the adjective winning, meaning “tending to please or delight,” as in “a winning personality,” is a winsome relation, but in fact it’s in the win/winnan lineage. Winning is more common today than the similar winsome in such constructions as “a winning/winsome smile,” but we sense no hard feelings between the two. It’s just the way things (lexically) go: you win some, you lose some.



NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day ([syndicated profile] earthobservatory_iod_feed) wrote2025-08-07 04:53 pm

Wildfire Sweeps Through Southern France

Posted by NASA Earth Observatory

Wildfire Sweeps Through Southern France
The Aude fire rapidly burned around 16,000 hectares in August 2025, becoming the country’s largest fire since 1949.

Read More...

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 09:30 pm

HBO Max Will Soon Get ‘Aggressive’ About Password Sharing

Posted by Jake Peterson

In November, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels confirmed that HBO Max (which was known as "Max" for a few years but is now HBO Max again) would soon start cracking down on password sharing. The news, while disappointing, was far from shocking, seeing as rival platforms like Netflix and Disney+ had already rolled out similar policies.

Wiedenfels said HBO Max would begin shutting down password sharing over time, starting with "very soft messaging" over "the next few months," then clamping down harder moving into 2025 and through 2026. You might have noticed this, if yours is among the accounts HBO Max has targeted with a warning.

But if you're used to being able to easily dismiss messages about not sharing passwords, things are about to change.

HBO Max's anti-password sharing policy

HBO Max's "gentle, early messaging" on password sharing has been in effect since December, with the company targeting password-sharing users it believes are "in the higher tier of usage." HBO Max hasn't been guessing who that is, either; rather, the company has been collecting data on its users to figure out which ones are actually sharing their passwords, versus the ones using their accounts while traveling. (Personally, nothing makes me feel more valued as a customer more than being spied on, especially when the end result is potentially charging me more money.)

In practice, that means if HBO Max detected your account was being used frequently, especially across multiple devices outside your "household," you were more likely to experience this "gentle messaging," as opposed to someone who watched their HBO Max account sparingly at home.

We now appear to be nearing the end of the "gentle messaging phase." On the company's earnings call this week, JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that this messaging is about to get "aggressive." Perette says the company now has a good idea which users are legitimate account holders, and which are not, and that's giving the company the confidence to push its plans further. Perette didn't go into specifics about the messaging itself, but reading between the lines, it's likely some users can soon expect to be blocked from accessing HBO Max accounts that they aren't directly paying for.

Perette is sticking to that original timeline, too: He expects by Q4, the crackdown on password sharing will be continuing “in a much more aggressive fashion," and will likely extend into 2026. So if you're still sharing a password with someone outside your household, savor it while you can.

How you might be able to get around HBO Max's password sharing crackdown

Based on the info we have now, HBO Max isn't yet planning to start locking users out of an account if they try logging from outside the household. However, it's good to be prepared.

While HBO Max has yet to detail how exactly it plans to enforce its rules, we can expect the strategy to mirror the one Netflix employs. Netflix considers the TV or streaming device you use to log into your account as your "household." Any device connecting to your account within the household (i.e. via your home wifi) will work fine. It's when you try to access the account on a device outside of your household where things get tricky.

While Netflix is a stickler for logging in on smart TVs, it's more lenient for mobile devices like phones, tablets, and computers: As long as you use your mobile device to access Netflix while its connected to the account holder's household wifi, it should work when you're outside the household for at least the next 30 days.

Though there are no guarantees, I imagine HBO Max will employ a similar process, so if you're sharing passwords with friends or family across town who you visit often, you might not have much to worry about. If you're using the password of someone who lives a few states away, however, it might be time to get your own account.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 09:00 pm

When to Turn Up the Incline on Your Treadmill (and When Not To)

Posted by Meredith Dietz

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

I've recently had a shocking change of heart as a runner: I no longer dread the treadmill. What changed? For one, poor air quality has left me no other choice. And secondly, I stopped using the treadmill solely for speed workouts, and started using it for hills.

I have to admit, this change of heart comes from the trendy 12-3-30 "hot girl walk" workout. In fact, now some of my favorite training sessions happen at a walking pace on my Merach 450 walking pad right at home. The key is incline.

Whether you choose greater incline or speed drills really depends on your goals. I'm coming at this decision from the perspective of marathon training, but I know the motivator for so many gym-goers: Which one will help me lose weight?

The truth is that no individual workout is going to be responsible for weight loss. As my colleague Beth Skwarecki put it, "You lose weight by eating slightly less than you burn, measured as an average over time. Exercise can help you burn more calories, but your body often compensates by burning fewer calories when you’re at rest, so you can’t just trust a treadmill walk to burn a certain number of calories each time."

Still, if you're staring at your treadmill display, wondering whether you want to focus on speed or incline for a more effective workout, here's what you need to understand to make that decision.

When to embrace the incline

When you increase treadmill incline, you're essentially simulating uphill running or walking. (And no, you do not need to set the incline to 1% to mimic outdoor air resistance every time). Your instinct may be to hit "quick start" on the treadmill and run as fast as you can for 30 minutes, but here are reasons you might want to consider a focus on incline instead.

Building your aerobic base

For marathon training, incline walking or easy running at 3-6% grade is invaluable for base building phases. The increased workload strengthens your cardiovascular system while keeping impact relatively low. I'd recommend 30-ish minute sessions at conversational pace on 4-5% incline for runners building their aerobic foundation.

Strength training without weights

Incline training is essentially resistance training for your legs. The steep grades target your glutes, hamstrings, and calves more intensely than flat running. For marathon runners who struggle to fit gym sessions into their training schedule, 15-20 minutes of steep incline walking (8-15%) can serve as supplementary strength work.

Active recovery sessions

On easy days between hard workouts, gentle incline walking allows you to maintain training stimulus while promoting blood flow and recovery. Variations of the 12-3-30 method work well here—something challenging enough to feel productive, but gentle enough not to interfere with your next quality session.

Injury prevention

When dealing with minor injuries or returning from time off, incline walking provides cardio benefits with reduced impact stress. The controlled environment of a treadmill also allows you to gradually increase intensity as you heal.

When to keep to keep it flat

It can't all be walking up hills. I am a runner, after all. As someone who's logged thousands of miles preparing for 26.2-mile races, I've learned that knowing when to keep it flat is just as important as knowing when to crank up that incline.

Speed work and intervals

Sometimes, adding incline to speed work can compromise running form and make it difficult to hit target paces. Runners doing true track-style speed workouts should generally stick to 0-1% incline. Unless you're training for a notoriously hilly marathon (like Boston), practicing your goal race pace should happen on minimal incline.

Form focus sessions

When working on running mechanics, cadence, or efficiency, flat treadmill running provides the most stable platform. Inclines can mask form issues or even create compensatory movement patterns that don't translate well to outdoor running.

High-volume days

Incline may be trendy, but there's still a time and place for focusing on your VO2 max. Long runs and high-mileage weeks should prioritize time on feet over intensity. Excessive incline can turn what should be aerobic base-building sessions into more strength-focused workouts, potentially leading to overtraining and poor recovery.

My personal incline strategy

As a recent treadmill convert, my relationship with incline is finally looking strategic rather than arbitrary. Here's how I plan to integrate incline work into training cycles:

  • Base phase: 2-3 weekly sessions of moderate incline (4-6%) at conversational effort, focusing on aerobic development and strength building.

  • Build phase: One weekly hill-specific session using steeper grades (6-12%) for shorter intervals, preparing legs for race-day climbs.

  • Peak phase: Minimal incline work except for race-specific preparation. If your goal marathon has significant hills, practice those specific grades and gradients.

  • Recovery phase: Gentle incline walking for active recovery, using methods like 12-3-30 to maintain fitness.

The bottom line

Luckily, incline and speed don't need to be mutually exclusive. You can do hills one day, and speed work another. The key insight for runners—that going slower but steeper can be more beneficial than going faster—applies broadly to whatever training you're doing.

Remember: the best workout isn't necessarily the "hardest" one. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is slow down, turn up the incline, and let time and consistency work their magic. Other times, you'll want to leave the incline button alone and focus on true heart-pumping cardio.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 07:30 pm

Four Ways to Spot a Bad (or Unsafe) At-Home Workout Video

Posted by Lindsey Ellefson

A few months ago, I made a dedicated Instagram account just to curate an algorithm around fitness and nutrition. I was annoyed that the algorithm on my personal account—full of baseball, hairstyle tutorials, fashion, bunny rabbits, and other forms of levity I desperately need during these trying times—was being overrun with high-protein recipes and exercise hacks. But the more I looked at the workout content my second account was suggesting, the more something stuck out to me: A lot of those videos really weren't good.

Some were simply engagement-farming nonsense suggesting I do foolish, useless things in the gym. Others, though, seemed legitimately dangerous. I started looking at the content creators' profiles and noticed a great deal of them weren't even personal trainers or otherwise certified or educated in anything related to fitness. I consider myself someone who knows what to do in the gym for the most part, but some of these people were pretty convincing when claiming to know what they were talking about. Here's what to look out for and avoid when you're choosing at-home, guided workouts to follow.

Avoid anyone who isn't clear about certification

I have absolutely no doubt there are plenty of people out there who have done their own research, toiled in the gym, and emerged from their personal wellness journeys super well-versed in all things health and fitness, all without ever taking a certification or education course in anything relevant. That does not mean you should listen to them. Even if 99 out of 100 are brilliant, right on the money with their advice, and knowledgeable about sports science, you always run the risk of inadvertently following the guidance of the one out of 100 who is not.

Certified personal trainers (CPTs), performance enhancement specialists (PESs), group fitness instructors (GFIs)—you'll be looking for a lot of acronyms, basically, and they should be right there in the trainer's bio on whatever platform you're using. If someone is certified in something like yoga, pilates, or cycling, their profile should also say that outright. If you don't see anything like that, keep it moving. Certifications are expensive and time-consuming; certified trainers advertise what they've earned upfront.

I've recommended a lot of my own favorite yoga, cycling, and pilates instructors whose classes are available on YouTube. The ones I selected all come from certified pros. As someone with a certification in teaching indoor cycling, I can't tell you how different my classes are from what I imagined they'd be like before I took my training courses. Learning about the science behind different exercises and having to prove you retained it all with a certification test is crucial to providing safe, effective instruction.

One thing I do when I see a tip on Instagram but I'm not so sure about it is I just ask a trainer at the gym. If you have a gym membership, there are probably trainers available and most of them are happy to answer a quick question—especially if it can prevent someone from getting hurt. Bring them a coffee or something the next time you go in, as a thank-you (sugar and milk on the side, of course, so as not to offend their nutritional sensibilities).

Avoid poor production quality

I have so much respect for gritty content creators who want to share their expertise and, in most cases, I don't care if a makeup tutorial or day-in-the-life vlog is shot on a noticeably bad camera or the audio is a little shaky. I commend them for having the wherewithal and the vision to try at all. That's not the case with workout instruction, though, because poor quality can lead to unsafe practices.

One of the reasons I love the Peloton app so much is that the production quality is really high—which it should be, since I and millions of others are paying $44 a month for the service. It's worth it, though, to be able to see and hear the instructors clearly so I never miss a form or safety cue.

That said, some of my favorite YouTube instructors have some shaky production and I won't lie. I love Kristina Girod as a cycling coach, for instance, but I'll admit her audio can be a little garbled from time to time. Avoiding poor production or unclear audio and video is important, but especially so when you're a beginner and you need all the help you can get. As you progress, you might be able to get by without knowing precisely what resistance a cycling instructor is calling for or whatever, but you don't want to make a habit of going rogue.

Avoid anything without variety or modifications

A one-size-fits-all approach isn't very applicable when you're setting out to work out on your own. A yoga class that's easy for you might be hard for me and while it's good that either of us is even trying it, it's not that beneficial for you to be doing something that doesn't challenge you at all, nor for me to be doing something I can't do correctly. For something to be engaging enough for you to stick with it and also still be safe enough, it needs to be a little more tailored to your skill level.

In my pilates roundup, for instance, I only included instructors who either break down their videos by skill level or provide modifications throughout the workout by verbally explaining options people at different levels can try out. If you see content labeled "all levels" but the teacher offers no modifications, you're better off spending more time looking for something that aligns with what you're able to do, specifically.

The worst offenders for this one are found on short-form video apps like Instagram and TikTok. You see a lot of people demonstrate an exercise with no clear instruction, no modifications, and no context like how long they've been training that way or what weight they're using. Replicate their vague advice (which is tailored just to their body and skills) at your own peril.

Avoid using only free instruction

I won't insult your intelligence by advising you to avoid anything that advertises you can drop a certain amount of weight or gain a specific skill in a certain amount of time; you know that's almost always nonsense. How, I ask you, can a three-week YouTube course help you lose precisely 21 pounds when it doesn't know your starting weight or anything else about you? Be serious.

But that's the problem with free content. Creators are incentivized to post sensational videos so they can monetize a higher amount of clicks. You might not want to hear this, but sometimes, you should avoid the free option. I do my best to find the top-quality free instruction that's out there, but frankly, I love my Peloton and Les Mills+ subscriptions more than I love free YouTube videos. With those, I know I'm getting guidance from educated and credentialed trainers, the production quality is going to be high, and I'm not going to be served up any clicky gimmicks. This doesn't have to break the bank. Peloton offers a version of its app to people who don't have the company's proprietary equipment for just $24 a month instead of the $44 it costs if you do have a Bike, Tread, or Row. A basic Les Mills+ membership is $15 per month.

A lot of the fitness instructors on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms do offer paid-only content, as well. I recommend consuming their free content to feel out if they're a fit for you, then considering subscribing.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 06:30 pm

Five of the Best Free Pilates Channels I've Found on YouTube

Posted by Lindsey Ellefson

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Even though it costs me a borderline comedic amount of money to take Pilates classes at a reformer studio here in Manhattan, I'm quite willing to pay—I love Pilates that much. And even though I'm also fortunate enough to work at a gym where we have free mat Pilates classes, I still want more, which is how I find myself perusing YouTube and my beloved Peloton app for guided classes I can follow along with at home. I'm a sicko, but it's fine.

Luckily, for my fellow sickos (and the more well-adjusted Pilates fans out there), there are plenty of great, free Pilates instructors available on YouTube. You can use these classes to familiarize yourself with Pilates if you're new, save some money if studios around you are getting too expensive, or stick to your routine when you're away from traditional classes.

Move With Nicole

This channel has 5 million subscribers, which is a pretty solid endorsement on its own. I like Move With Nicole because the instructor produces such a solid variety of content. From the title of each video, you'll immediately know if it's easy or more advanced, how long the routine will take, and whether you'll need equipment. (Personally, I don't have a lot of dedicated Pilates equipment in my home, since I can't justify investing in it when I have access to so many in-person classes that provide it, so I'm always on the lookout for YouTube workouts that don't require anything too fancy.)

Nicole McPherson is certified to teach Pilates and yoga, both of which are available on the channel, which rounds out the offerings nicely. On days you might be more interested in a calmer stretch, she gives you that option through her yoga, all without you having to go hunt elsewhere. She speaks in soothing, calm tones while she gives clear instruction about what to do (which is really valuable, especially for beginners) and as a bonus, you get to see some gorgeous shots of her environment in Thailand.

Flow With Mira

On Flow With Mira, you can find videos broken down by skill level, but also ones dedicated to routines with specific equipment, so if you do happen to have a magic circle or Pilates ball, you can really put it into action here. Videos are also broken down by muscle group, which makes it simple to build a weekly program around the channel.

Mira Bassan leads the classes for her 244,000 subscribers with clear, direct instructions and little fanfare. She tends to jump right into routines after explaining which muscle groups will be targeted and her production is solid enough that you can see clearly exactly what she's doing as she describes it.

Trifecta Pilates

Trifecta Pilates, which has 209,000 subscribers, is a good place to turn when you don't want to get decision paralysis about which sort of class to follow. Beth Sandlin offers up all-level routines, meaning just about anyone can tune into one of her videos and get something out of it. Rather than creating workouts for various skill levels, she provides modification options throughout her routines so everyone can follow the same clip.

In addition to classes of various lengths and using different types of equipment, she also provides educational content for other instructors or just people curious about Pilates, hosting discussions with other experts or giving overviews of Pilates' history.

Blogilates

No list of at-home Pilates channels is complete without a nod to Blogilates, maybe the most recognized name in the game, thanks to the instructor's lines of activewear and equipment through Target and her brand Popflex. Cassey Ho has nearly 11 million subscribers and has been in the game a long time. (I was watching her videos 14 years ago.) While she's moved on to vlogging about her experiences as an entrepreneur, plus nutritional content and other standard YouTuber fare, even the old Pilates videos are great. (You can track how much production improved over the years, too, but they've always been good workout videos, even when the quality wasn't that high.)

Ho has structured the channel meticulously. There is a new workout playlist curated every day, so you can just tap on the one designed for whatever day it is and jump right into her program. Her instructions are clear and she's super upbeat, creating some contrast with the other, more zen instructors on the platform.

Jessica Valant

With over 1 million subscribers of her own, Jessica Valant is a high-quality instructor who really knows her stuff. Not only is she certified to teach Pilates, but she's a physical therapist. She is especially knowledgeable about women's bodies and structures her workouts around her expertise.

Her channel is easy to navigate and videos are divided into categories based on their length, type, muscle focus, and more. Valant is dedicated to making her routines accessible, so her approach is educational and encouraging all at once. She's clear when she gives instructions, safety cues, and modifications, so you can follow along easily.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 06:15 pm

These JBL SoundGear Earbuds Are on Sale for Just $75 Right Now

Posted by Pradershika Sharma

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

If you’ve been looking for open-ear headphones that let you hear the outside world without totally sacrificing sound quality, these JBL SoundGear Sense are worth checking out. They’re currently on sale for just $74.99 on StackSocial, refurbished and listed in “Grade A” condition, so you’re getting near-mint hardware for a pretty steep discount. These aren’t your typical noise-isolating buds: They sit outside your ears, held in place with adjustable hooks, and come with an optional neckband for more stability when moving around.

The open design means your surroundings stay audible, which makes them ideal for running, biking, or any situation where awareness matters. That also means you're not getting chest-thumping bass—lows are present, but not deep, and they tend to drop off when you crank up the volume, according to this PCMag review. Still, the sound is clean and punchy thanks to 16.2mm drivers, and the four built-in mics deliver surprisingly clear calls, even in windier conditions. Touch controls work fine for the most part, though they’re reportedly a little too easy to trigger by accident. You can tweak their sensitivity and EQ using the My JBL Headphones app, which adds some welcome customization.

Battery life is solid: You’ll get around six hours per charge, with another 18 from the case. A 15-minute quick charge adds four more hours, which is great if you’re heading out the door in a rush. They're also IP54 rated, meaning they’ll survive sweat and the occasional splash. Just note: there's no active noise cancellation, but that’s by design. These are meant for transparent listening. If you’re okay trading isolation for awareness, and you like the idea of earbuds that don’t block your ears, the SoundGear Sense makes a solid, affordable pick, especially at this price.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 06:00 pm

Are ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods Really That Bad for You?

Posted by Beth Skwarecki

The average American gets more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods, according to a new federal report. That's not surprising—ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and includes many of our cheapest grocery options. That's why it's concerning that ultra-processed foods have been linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, mental health disorders, and everyone's favorite, all-cause mortality.

But what counts as ultra-processed food? Let's dig in, and maybe question a few assumptions along the way.

The new study, from the Centers for Disease Control, found that the most common source of ultra-processed food for adults was "sandwiches," followed by sweet bakery products, sweetened beverages, savory snacks, and "bread, rolls, and tortillas." For kids, the findings were similar, with pizza and savory snacks outranking sweetened beverages. For kids, bread didn't make the top five. The study also found that consumption of ultra-processed food had actually dropped a bit from 2017 to 2023, the last year for which data was available. You can see the summary of results here.

Before we get too into the weeds here, there's a big caveat worth remembering: When studies look at the health of people who do and don't eat ultra-processed foods, they're not necessarily studying the fact that the food is ultra-processed. We can say pretty definitively that a diet high in candy bars is bad for you, but is that because the candy bars are ultra-processed, or because they're full of sugar? That's not a question that the current research can really untangle, but it's important one to consider. Are ultra-processed foods always bad, or are they just a category that includes a lot of foods we should eat less of?

How are ultra-processed foods defined?

This terminology comes from a classification scheme called NOVA that splits foods into four groups:

  • Unprocessed or “minimally processed” foods (group 1) include fruits, vegetables, and meats. Perhaps you’ve pulled a carrot out of the ground and washed it, or killed a cow and sliced off a steak. Foods in this category can be processed in ways that don’t add extra ingredients. They can be cooked, ground, dried, or frozen.

  • Processed culinary ingredients (group 2) include sugar, salt, and oils. If you combine ingredients in this group, for example to make salted butter, they stay in this group.

  • Processed foods (group 3) are what you get when you combine groups 1 and 2. Bread, wine, and canned veggies are included. Additives are allowed if they “preserve [a food’s] original properties” like ascorbic acid added to canned fruit to keep it from browning.

  • Ultra-processed foods (group 4) don’t have a strict definition, but NOVA hints at some properties. They “typically” have five or more ingredients. They may be aggressively marketed and highly profitable. A food is automatically in group 4 if it includes “substances not commonly used in culinary preparations, and additives whose purpose is to imitate sensory qualities of group 1 foods or of culinary preparations of these foods, or to disguise undesirable sensory qualities of the final product.”

That last group feels a little disingenuous. I’ve definitely seen things in my kitchen that are supposedly only used to make “ultra-processed” foods: food coloring, flavor extracts, artificial sweeteners, anti-caking agents (cornstarch, anyone?) and tools for extrusion and molding, to name a few.

Are ultra-processed foods always bad?

So we've learned that packaged snack cakes are ultra-processed, and so is a factory-baked loaf of bread that has 20 ingredients. Orange juice whose flavor has been manipulated would count, too. Coke and Diet Coke are both solidly in this category. It seems logical that we should eat less of these things.

But you could argue that the real problem with these foods is that they’re often sugary and high calorie, and many of the less-healthy members of the category are what stock the vending machines and convenience stores that beckon to us when we’re hungry and haven’t packed a lunch. The problem with these foods is that a diet full of them is unbalanced, due to the nutrition they do or don’t contain. The processing itself isn’t the problem.

So when we talk about ultra-processed foods, we have to remember that it’s a vague category that only loosely communicates the nutrition of its foods. Just like BMI combines muscley athletes with obese people because it makes for convenient math, NOVA categories combine things of drastically different nutritional quality.

Why the level of processing isn't always the most important thing

Illustrating the point above, the USDA published their own study showing how you can create a healthy diet out of ultra-processed foods. A homemade breakfast burrito, for example, might contain canned beans, liquid egg whites, shredded cheese, and a store-bought tortilla. Those ingredients might be ultra-processed, but they're nutritionally nothing like grabbing a Cinnabon on your way to work.

A pet peeve of mine is that the NOVA classification sometimes draws distinctions between things that aren’t really nutritionally different. Wine is in group 3 next to cheese and fresh bread, but cocktails are in group 4 with the Twinkies. Hard liquor has been distilled, you see, so it’s ultra-processed.

Canned vegetables are in group 3 (processed) while their fresh counterparts are in group 1. But canned veggies aren’t any less nutritious. Meanwhile, dried fruit is in group 1 (so wholesome!) even though it can be more sugary than cakes or cookies.

There's a lot of overlap between unhealthy(?) foods and ultra-processed foods, so I understand why scientists are studying ultra-processed foods as a group. But demonizing UPF, as they're sometimes called, often ends up putting the cheapest, most widely available food in the most shameful category. Is that fair, or does it just make you feel better when you’re eating fresh green beans and scoffing at people who buy canned?

The NOVA scale isn’t totally useless: It helps researchers keep an eye on how much of our food is coming from large-scale manufacturers. But it’s not a great way to evaluate what’s in our grocery bags, or on our plates.

Lifehacker ([syndicated profile] lifehacker_feed) wrote2025-08-07 05:00 pm

The Best Way to Label Your Circuit Breaker and Electrical Outlets

Posted by Jeff Somers

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Moving into a new house is equal parts thrilling adventure and unsettling mystery. You’re taking on a space crammed with unknowns, some of which won’t manifest until you’re comfortably settled. We try to mitigate those unknowns in various ways—home inspections and maintenance checklists, for example—but there’s one mystery too many homeowners leave unsolved until it’s too late: labeling your circuit breakers.

The worst time to figure out which breaker controls what is when there’s an emergency. And clearly labeled breakers save time and effort when you or an electrician is performing maintenance or repairs. Plus, it might actually be required by your local building codes. So if you’ve been living with a mysterious breaker panel since you moved in, today is the day you take it on and label everything.

Start with a floor plan

Your first step is to create a floor plan of your home with outlets and light fixtures marked. This doesn’t have to be fancy—a rough sketch done by hand will work as well as a computer-generated file. Make sure each room is represented, and give the rooms descriptive but generic names—instead of “Billy’s room,” call it “Southwest bedroom.” That way contractors and future owners will know what you’re referring to. Then mark every outlet, switch, and fixture in each room, giving each a unique number or other label. Paste it onto the inside of the panel door. This way anyone can quickly cross-reference the breaker labels with the layout of the house.

Drill down to the outlets

Next, go to each room of the house and start mapping specific outlets and switches to the breakers. There are a few ways to approach this step:

  • With a partner. The old-fashioned way still works great: Have someone stand by the breaker panel and turn off each breaker one at a time. Each time they switch one off, check outlets until you find the “cold” ones. Double-check by turning the breakers back on to make sure those outlets get “hot.” You can use an outlet tester to make this safe and easy to do, but you can also just use a nightlight.

  • By yourself. If you don’t have anyone to help you, you can check the outlets either by plugging something in that you’ll be able to hear from a distance (like a radio), methodically turning the breakers off, and noting when the sound stops. Alternatively, you can buy a circuit breaker finder. These work by plugging a transmitter into an outlet, then running the wand over the breakers until you identify which outlet is being used.

When you link an outlet to a breaker, mark it on both the label that you’ll paste next to the breaker and on your floor plan. This will make it easy to reset or turn off breakers when you need to.

If you identify any breakers that don’t seem connected to anything, leave them off. Check to see if they’re connected to the infrastructure of the house—the furnace, water heater, HVAC system (which usually require larger, “double” breakers), or outdoor lighting. If you can’t figure out what the breaker is connected to, leave it off and consider bringing in an electrician to figure it out.

Label wall plates

While you’re checking outlets and switches in each room, remove the wall plates and write the label on the other side before replacing them. This is an extra layer of information you can use—if you’re replacing an outlet, you can see at a glance which breaker needs to be turned off before proceeding—plus it’s an extra layer of safety. If the labels don’t match, then something’s gone wrong with your mapping, and you need to repeat the process to ensure you’ve got everything labeled correctly.

Keep a separate record

Finally, consider setting up a separate written record. A photo of your labeled panel and the floor plan will do, but consider a handwritten chart kept in your home maintenance binder (which you have, right?) or a spreadsheet in the cloud with each breaker clearly labeled. Spreadsheets are great because they’re easily updated whenever you have new circuits installed, and can be shared with contractors before they even arrive at your house so they have all the information they need.

There are also apps that can make mapping your breaker panel a little easier. Breaker Box is available for both Android and Apple phones, for example. It makes it simple to create a custom breaker panel legend, which you can then size to fit your panel and print out.