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2025-07-18 04:11:00| Fast Company

The new must-have pet accessory? A concrete slab. On #CatTok, videos are racking up views as cat owners bring slabs into their homes, set them down, and watch their beloved pets sniff, lick, roll, and rub against their new favorite toys. Bonus points if they’re placed in a sunny spot. @mrmilothechonk I should have bought 3 #foryou #foryoupage #cats #catsoftiktok #viral Almost forgot that this was the whole point – Take my Hand Instrumental – AntonioVivald The trend appears to have started with an orange tabby named Kurt and his owner, Abram Engle. Kurt loves rolling around on the concrete outside, so Im bringing the concrete to him, Engle explains in a video posted back in May. That video has since gained 4.7 million views and inspired other cat owners to try the DIY enrichment hack for themselves. Some are even taking their cats to Home Depot to pick out their own slabs. @abrameng Kurt was conking the crete original sound – Abram Engle Several cat owners have speculated whether their pampered pets former life might have something to do with the attraction. Since Minnow was originally a street cat, I was wondering if she missed being outside on the pavement, one owner theorized. Its safe to say she loved it, and now Im stuck with this new piece of furniture. Or, as one commenter put it, the toe stubber 3000. @shecatcalls PART 2 | Cat enrichment ideas. The way she sits more on this $7 brick than any of the actual cat beds and huts I buy her Can anyone else relate? Video idea inspired by Kurt the Cat @Abram Engle @The Home Depot #creatorsearchinsights #cats #cattok #sillycat #funny #meow Cute – In Music If its not nostalgia for a life once spent sleeping rough on the streets, what explains the attachment to what is, after all, just a block of concrete? While there havent been any formal studies on the phenomenon, Purina pet behaviorist and TikTok user Dr. Annie, aka Annie Valuska, PhD, has a few theories. For one, they’re new and kind of out of place, she explains. Due to cats’ territorial and predatory nature, they really like new stuff. The material itself may also play a role. Concretes porous surface holds onto scenta major way cats can communicate that a space belongs to them. It also offers a satisfying texture for scratching. And if you park it in the sun? Even better. It warms up really nicely when its placed in a sunny spot,” Valuska says in one video. “Cats like warmth because they have a higher body temperature than humans do, and they evolved from a species adapted to a warm environment.” Best of all? Its cheaper than most cat trees or towers.


Category: E-Commerce

 

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2025-07-18 00:05:00| Fast Company

The STEM talent shortage in the U.S. isnt caused by lack of student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. It is caused by us overlooking and under-supporting the students who are most capable of driving the innovation economy forward. For years, policymakers have rung alarm bells about the shrinking American STEM pipeline. The data is sobering: While Japan, China, and Korea award over 40% of their college degrees in STEM fields, the U.S. lags behind at under 20%, according to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. As the global economy becomes more knowledge-based, America’s ability to compete depends on whether we can widen and diversify the pool of STEM talent. Much of the public narrative around STEM has mainly focused on students who are behind grade level and need additional supports to catch up. But an equally urgent and far less discussed issue is the vast population of students who are ready to accelerate but remain invisible in our systems. Schools need to actively recruit students According to a report by The Education Trust and Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), more than 640,000 Black, Latino, and low-income students who are academically capable are missing from Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate courses each year. These students often attend schools that offer advanced coursework, but they are not actively enrolled in those programs. The problem isn’t one of supply. The courses exist. The opportunity gap lives inside the enrollment lists. Even more telling, College Board data shows that many Black and Latino students have already demonstrated their potential to succeed in AP-level math and science through PSAT performance. Yet they are never invited to take the leap. The result? A leaky pipeline that loses capable students who might have become engineers, data scientists, or biotech innovators. At EOS, we’ve partnered with hundreds of districts across the country to identify and enroll these “missing students.” Our work proves that when schools take an intentional, data-driven approach to proactively recruit underrepresented students into rigorous courses the results are transformative. Students are ready for advanced coursework This isn’t about fixing students; it’s about fixing opportunity and adult mindsets. A rigorous independent evaluation by George Smith and researchers at Mathematica found EOS significantly increased AP course enrollmentparticularly among underserved students. Practically, this means enrolling an average of 52 additional students per schooltwo full classrooms of previously overlooked young people. Furthermore, there was no difference in the schools average AP exam performance, which underscores an important truth: These students were always ready for advanced coursework. Without proactively identifying and enrolling them, they would have continued to fall through the cracks. Targeted supports yield substantial returns Identifying and enrolling students is only the beginning. To ensure students and teachers thrive, capacity-building must follow enrollment. The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) College Readiness Program has shown that, in participating schools, students enrolled in more AP science courses and increased the number of earned college credits. Female students and Black students, in particular, saw significant gains. Within six years, 28% of Black NMSI students earned STEM degreescompared to 12% of the general national student population. Among female students, 27% of NMSI students earned STEM degrees within six yearsversus 12% nationally. What made the difference? A multi-tiered support system: ongoing teacher training, student prep sessions, curriculum resources, reduced exam fees, and targeted incentives. This type of capacity-building suggests that small, targeted investments can yield substantial returns. Unlike intensive interventions designed to help students reach grade-level proficiency, many high-potential students hovering just below AP readiness may benefit from lighter-touch supports such as adaptive learning tools to fine-tune gaps, short-term tutoring to reinforce core concepts, and professional development that equips teachers to deliver rigorous, culturally affirming instruction. The good news is this approach may be more scalable than we think. The marginal cost of providing these additional supports for students who are already academically proximate to advanced coursework is relatively low compared to the long-term payoff in postsecondary success and workforce readiness. Strategic touchpoints with adaptive learning, targeted tutoring, and additional resources can significantly propel students forward. Unleashing the full potential of those ready to soarespecially when so many of them have been overlooked for far too long, yields meaningful dividends for students. EOS-identified students have passed over 290,000 AP exams since 2011-2012, which would amount to roughly $345 million in college tuition and fee savings for EOS-partner students and their families based on trends in pricing. Final thoughts The STEM pipeline isn’t just leaking at the bottomits leaking at the top too. Policymakers, educators, and business leaders must center opportunity as the foundation for improving outcomes. Bold action is required, such as establishing competitive grant programs for states and districts to increase enrollment and success of underrepresented students in advanced coursework. Investing in students ready to accelerate, leveraging adaptive learning and targeted tutoring, and scaling proven initiatives like EOS and NMSI are essential next steps. Our economic future and national competitiveness depend on fully tapping all of Americas talent. Antonio Gutierrez is CEO at Equal Opportunity Schools and Co-founder of Saga Education.


Category: E-Commerce

 

2025-07-17 23:30:00| Fast Company

Many families now have a new reality when they visit their pediatricians office. Instead of leaving with more questions, they have answers and a real plan. Genomic testing, once reserved for rare or complex cases and ordered by specialists, is rapidly becoming a standard tool in pediatric care. The latest guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), released this year, recommends using exome and genome sequencing as a first-tier test for more children, particularly those with developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. More than one in three children with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, or autism have an underlying genetic condition that can be found using genetic testing. Given known genetic links to autism, pediatricians can now genomic insights right from the start, moving forward bringing answers and actionable next steps in a childs care journey. This shift is transforming how we diagnose, treat, and support kids with unexplained medical challenges. Invest in science  Spun out of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), GeneDx was founded 25 years ago on the belief that genomic science could fundamentally change how we diagnose and treat disease. At the time, this field felt like the frontier, a promising but distant future, more exploration than clinical applications. Today, that vision is a reality. GeneDx has discovered more than 500 links between specific genes and diseases. What once felt futuristic is now central to modern pediatric care. Genomic testing has become faster, more affordable, and more accessible. The updated AAP guidance means genomic testing should be integrated into every familys pediatric office. It should be used to diagnose rare diseases and understand the genetic cause of common conditions like autism and epilepsy with greater speed and precision. Its not just about understanding the root cause, its about accelerating the path to accurate treatment that can change or save children’s lives. This transformation didnt happen overnight. It was the result of decades of scientific investmentour collective bet on the future of healthcareto one day ensure children live longer and healthier lives. That investment paid off. Genomic testing not only improves outcomes for patients and families, but it also reduces overall healthcare costs through fewer unnecessary tests and procedures, earlier diagnoses, and more targeted interventions and treatments. Continued investments in science and medicine are essential. Advancing access to genomic testing isnt just about whats possible today, its about building a healthcare system thats smarter, more sustainable, and truly patient-centered. Why genomic testing matters What was once only available to few, is now broadly available. Genomic testing offers immediate and profound benefits for families. For children facing developmental delays or other unexplained health issues, a single test can sometimes reveal the underlying cause in weeks or even days, in critical situations. This means families no longer must endure months or sometimes years of uncertaintywith multiple rounds of inconclusive tests, uninformative specialist visits, or unnecessary medical bills and suffering. Instead, clear answers can arrive quickly, allowing everyone to move forward with personalized treatment plans in confidence. With a genetic diagnosis in hand, doctors can provide truly targeted care, tailoring treatments, therapies, and support to fit the unique needs for a diagnosis and in some cases, even stop disease progression. A confirmed diagnosis also opens doors to early intervention, specialized care teams, clinical trials, and support networks that might otherwise remain out of reach. Exome and genome testing are transforming the path to answers and support for children and their families, and now its more accessible than ever before. Looking ahead We see the AAPs guidance as a major milestone, bringing genomics into everyday pediatric care. And for the first time, genomics is equipping pediatricians with critical insights to support early diagnosis and intervention. But this is just the beginning. Were still in the early chapters of what genomic science and care can unlock. To fully realize its potential, we must continue investing in innovation and driving progress that elevates the standard of care across every clinical setting. Where a child accesses care should never determine their outcome. Today, we see genomic insights shaping the future in pediatricians’ offices. Tomorrow, we envision a world where every babys genome is sequenced at birth, giving families the power to stop disease before symptoms even start. My career has been dedicated to expanding access to genomic testing, and I commend the AAP for helping pave the way toward a new standard of care, one where genomics plays a central role in improving pediatric health outcomes nationwide. The path to answersand to hopehas never been more accessible. Bringing genomics into the hands of every pediatrician marks a critical step toward shortening the diagnostic journey for families, enabling earlier intervention, and reducing costs for both patients and the healthcare system. Its a meaningful advancement in pediatric care, and one that brings us closer to a future where children can be diagnosed before symptoms even begin. Britt Johnson, PhD, FACMG, is head of medical affairs at GeneDx


Category: E-Commerce

 

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