Ancient Papyrus Reveals New Lines of Greek Philosophy
Archaeology Magazine | April 7, 2026

According to a statement released by the University of Liège, a 2,000-year-old fragment of papyrus . . . preserves 30 previously unknown verses written by Empedocles of Agrigentum, a Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century B.C.

The work of Empedocles had been known only through quotes recorded by later authors, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Plutarch. 

Alarming study reveals the universe will end much, much sooner than previously estimated
NY Post | 4/12/26 | Chris Nesi

Now, if the article had been written by Chris Massi, that would have been good.

It’s the end of the world as we know it — a lot sooner than we think.

A team of researchers have drastically scaled back the going estimate of how long it will be until the universe ceases to exist.

Previously, scientists believed it would be 10¹¹⁰⁰ years until the very last objects in the cosmos would disappear forever — that’s a 1 followed by 1,100 zeroes, in layman’s terms.

But a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics by a trio of researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands posits the real figure as closer to 10⁷⁸ years, or a 1 followed by just 78 zeroes, Science Aim writes.

UK: Taxpayers shelling out £800 a MINUTE in disability benefits to people claiming to suffer from ‘anxiety’ – as private firms cash in by coaching claimants
UK Mail | 11 April 2026 | Daisy Graham-Brown

Firms cash in by coaching claimants in exchange for half their payout

Taxpayers are shelling out £800 in disability benefits every minute to people claiming to suffer from anxiety, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The cost of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for the disorder has rocketed from under £100million in 2019 to nearly £427million last year – under rules that allow anyone, regardless of their income, to collect the payments without ever seeing a doctor.

Instead, the benefit – worth up to £194 a week – can be awarded on nothing more than a personal diary or a letter from a friend describing how anxiety affects daily life.

The payments are not means-tested and there is no requirement to stop working to receive them. A full-time company director on a six-figure salary qualifies on exactly the same basis as anyone else.

Critics say the figures are the latest proof that Britain’s benefits bill is out of control, with total PIP spending projected to rise from £26billion a year to £38billion within five years.

Keir Starmer was forced into a humiliating climbdown last year when he abandoned plans to rein in the soaring costs – pulling the proposal 90 minutes before a Commons vote after biggest rebellion of his premiership.

Ministers had wanted to tighten the rules so claimants had to prove they struggled significantly in at least one area of daily life, rather than qualifying by accumulating small difficulties across several.

Plan collapsed after 126 Labour MPs threatened to block it, with rebels arguing the changes would push disabled people into poverty.

PIP is assessed on points across 12 daily living and mobility activities, from washing and cooking to socialising and planning journeys. Needing prompting to socialise scores two points; being unable to manage it at all scores eight.