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Pumpkin season is here, and I've been wondering why folks freak out so much about it.
My best guess: it isn't a flavor thing. It's entirely a scent thing.
Smells of pumpkin and spice are tightly associated with Thanksgiving, family gatherings, and childhood autumns.
The nose is a faster track to nostalgia than the tongue. And nostalgia wins.
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STORY OF THE WEEK |
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A genuine end to cancer may be on the horizon.
This week pharma giants Moderna and Merck announced their personalized cancer drug passed its final-stage trial in 1K+ melanoma patients - the first time a custom cancer drug has gained such approval.
The "custom" piece is what's incredible: doctors sequence each patient's tumor, find the specific mutations that make each cancer tick, and print a drug that teaches the immune system to hunt down those exact cells (which, until now, tricked the body into thinking they're friendly).
The drug cut risk of melanoma returning in half, and slashed the risk of it spreading - which is how it becomes fatal - by 60%. No chemo, no collateral damage. Just each patient's own immune system with the enemy's coordinates in hand.
And melanoma is just the opening act. The same playbook is already in late-stage trials for lung cancer, with pancreatic, bladder, kidney, and stomach cancer studies right behind it.
As Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of ASCO (the American cancer doctors' org), says: "we're experiencing a monumental leap forward."
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IN OTHER NEWS |
Rage-bait feed, "adult" = 32, screen time plot twist...
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| Scientists scanning 4,216 brains found four "re-wiring points": 9, 32, 66 and 83. The biggest shift is at 32, when critical white matter peaks and your brain finally flips into adult mode. |
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| A Finnish team tracked 260 kids' screen time for eight years. Plot twist: heavier users had sharper teen cognition, but only if they spent it creating and problem-solving, not scrolling. |
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| Mass General tracked 112,284 people and found the first link between sugary drinks and stomach cancer: one a day = 2.5x the risk. Correlation, not proof, but maybe skip the refill. |
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| A review of 67 studies found affirmations barely help, and can backfire (e.g., for low-self-esteem folks, repeating "I am lovable" clashes with their self-image, making them feel worse). |
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HACK OF THE WEEK |
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Someone telling you "You're gorgeous!" feels good for a moment, then fades.
But "You've got great taste!" sticks for days.
To give actually impactful compliments, praise people's choices and actions. Looks, height, natural talent - these aren't earned, so compliments here are really a commentary on luck.
Choices are different. The art someone created, their playlist, how they set up a room, the restaurant they picked - these are things they worked for.
People like to think they've developed good judgement and character. It's why Carol Dweck found praising a kid's effort ("you figured it out") beats praising the trait ("you're a genius").
Excellent choice of newsletter I might add...
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SHOWER THOUGHTS |
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1. Erasers slowly sacrifice their lives for our mistakes.
2. Spoons are just tiny bowls with handles.
3. Mercedes has three E's, and all three are pronounced differently.
4. The first person to ever say "cool" must have been really cool, since everyone copied them.
5. Trial and error sounds like the world's worst law firm.
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POST OF THE WEEK |
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QUOTE / TIL / WORD / TRIVIA |
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Georgia O'Keeffe: “I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” |
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Today I learned Carrots used to be purple. Orange ones didn't take over until Dutch growers cultivated them in the 1600s, and today the original purple version is the trendy "heirloom" upsell. (more here) |
numinous [ NOO-min-us ] - adjective
filled with a sense of awe or mystery.
The old cathedral was empty, but the silence felt numinous, like the room was holding its breath.
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Q: What color is a polar bear's skin?
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SHOP BRAIN + BODY FUEL |
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Fan of IQNEWS? Forward to friends! 
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