The world’s largest database of human genomes has been made available to scientists and doctors by the National Institutes of Health, “paving the way for a new era of study in personalized medicine,” said The New York Times. Pairing this data from more than 747,000 participants with clinical information could power “next-generation discoveries” in “precision medicine,” said the NIH. 

What’s precision medicine?
It’s an “innovative approach that uses information about an individual’s genomic, environmental and lifestyle information to guide decisions related to their medical management,” said the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute. Its goal is to “provide” each patient with a “more precise approach for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.”

What are the obstacles?
In theory, “therapies targeted to a person’s genetic makeup should be more effective and have fewer side effects,” said David Cox at the BBC. But in practice, it has often proved “erratic and expensive.” 

Using precision medicine effectively also requires people to “trust governments and companies with their genomic data” and scientists to navigate a “regulatory environment around medicines” that’s “ill-equipped to cope with therapies that are designed for just one person.”

That’s the “paradox at the heart of precision medicine,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. To “tailor treatments to individuals, you actually need very large populations to uncover the patterns that connect genetics, lifestyle and the environment to health outcomes.”

What can it be used for?
The data has already fueled more than 1,400 peer-reviewed publications across the U.S. and around the world. Recent related breakthroughs range from a clinical genetic test predicting the inherited risk of heart disease to the development of a low-cost prostate cancer risk model.

In a small-scale trial in California, people with early-stage dementia who were given personalized treatment plans combining medical interventions with lifestyle changes seemed to show improvements in memory and cognitive function. And millions of women with breast cancer could be spared debilitating treatment, following trials of a genomic test that spots who needs chemotherapy and who doesn’t. That could “transform healthcare guidelines worldwide,” said The Guardian.

If you have ever avoided giving criticism or expressing boundaries in the workplace, you may have been “bubble wrapping.” The practice of cushioning words or actions to protect others’ feelings is most common among women. And this avoidance of confrontation may inadvertently hinder upward mobility in the office.

Gendered habit
More than half of women “feel pressure to be likeable at work compared with only 36% of men,” and this “‘likeability labor’ means women often feel overly responsible for other people’s comfort at work,” said Mandy Lehto, an executive coach and leadership expert, to Stylist. Examples of bubble wrapping in the workplace include apologizing unnecessarily, softening the delivery of criticism or expectations, or taking on extra tasks instead of communicating limits. Many women feel pressure to avoid confrontation because they are “far more likely to receive feedback that they are being ‘bossy’ or ‘too direct’ when they communicate in the same way as male colleagues,” said Léonie Kennepohl, a female leadership expert and co-founder of the networking platform and recruiting community Female x Finance, to Forbes. 

Harder job
This pressure to be agreeable can hinder career growth. Bubble wrapping “makes women appear less confident in leadership positions,” said Forbes. It also “deprives people of the very feedback and challenges they need to become more resilient, capable and successful.”

Women often “become the colleague others vent to, the one who smooths over conflicts, explains someone’s intentions or makes sure everyone else feels comfortable,” said Her World. These added burdens often make jobs more taxing. This emotional labor has “real value because it helps build trust, psychological safety and stronger workplace relationships.” It becomes problematic when it’s “expected from the same people every time.”

One can “build self-trust by showing yourself that you value your own experience as much as other people’s,” said Lehto. There’s “so much coming at us that’s trying to make us complacent or to look the other way or to not sit in discomfort,” said Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, to Big Think. “We actually need people to feel and to act with courage in their everyday life.”

A member of the Red Devils, the British Army’s parachute display team, turns in the sky above the Farnborough International Airshow. The annual event in Hampshire, England, attracts tens of thousands of aviation fans keen to see state-of-the-art and historic aircraft.
Toby Shepheard / AFP / Getty Images

The heat is very on, but that doesn’t mean you have to sweat it out. When you don’t have an air conditioner or the temperature is so high that AC isn’t enough, turn to these items to reinvigorate yourself.

Avène thermal spring water
One spray of this “soothing” mist on a hot day gives you a “quick refresh,” said Glamour. The pure thermal spring water contains postbiotic microflora, which can calm the skin and reduce redness. It’s also free of fragrance, parabens, alcohol, silicone, mineral oil, aluminum and sulfates, making it ideal for most skin types and safe for use throughout the day. ($15, Ulta)

Cozy Earth bamboo sheet set
These sheets are made from 100% bamboo viscose that’s temperature-regulating and “next-level soft,” said Architectural Digest. Snoozing on the fabric feels like “being draped in a luxuriously lightweight silk,” and because it’s thin, air passes “easily through the layer,” keeping you cool and comfortable overnight. Choose from more than a dozen solid colors and limited edition patterns, from twin/twin XL to split king. (starting at $258, Cozy Earth)

Torras Coolify 2S neck air conditioner
This “easy to use” neck air conditioner delivers an arctic blast whenever you need it, said Wirecutter. A “decadent” array of advanced semiconductor plates lines the device and when pressed against your skin feels like a refreshingly “cold can of soda.” And the Coolify features a dual-axis hinge design that expands to accommodate most neck sizes. ($199, Amazon)