The Flynn effect is constantly mischaracterized. It did not document some gradual increase in general intelligence in Western countries. The increase was all found in one very specific subtest, visual-spatial reasoning (your ability to have a mental map of the world around you, what it contains, where everything is relative to everything else). Since the increase was only in one very specific subset of intelligence (everything else stayed the same), the cause is some kind of shared environmental factor.
My personal guess is the impact of automobiles, both car accidents killing off people with low ability, sometimes entire crappy gene pools at a time and also the rigors of driving training everyone to be better at visual-spatial reasoning. I like my theory because the Flynn effect shows up in countries about when automobiles become widespread, and its end roughly coincides with the widespread adoption of airbags, crumple zones, other stupidproofing.
Back in the 1800's people got on the idea of homeopathy because infinitely diluted medications were associated with better health outcomes. Turns out 19th century medicines were just on balance bad for you and you were better off drinking water.
Yeah.
Ukraine is an absolute shit show. No one wants anything to do with the place. The Kremlin has to protect the breakaway provinces because a huge chunk of the Russian population really believes all the propaganda about Kiev being run by the new Nazis. Every time Kiev and NATO look like they're gearing up to retake the east Russia puts a giant army on the border to deter them. In a few weeks/months things will die down, but we'll be back in the same situation again at some point.
All life is dissolved in water and all (or at least most all) biochemical reactions involve water. I always find it weird when SciFi or whatever theorizes silicon based life. Sorry but Dilithium Sulfide does not behave like water, so it's not going to work.
That was my "wait a fucking second, that's what a complete psychopath would say" moment.