October 07, 2026
Good Morning. A physicist turned a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice into a telescope. Yesterday it won him the Nobel Prize. Plus, the best afternoon energy drink* , your Zone 2 cardio number and Gatorade recall (first time here? Join 523,000 Betterists ).
Yesterday’s most clicked link : Where Americans are moving by generation
TOP STORY TODAY
Telescope Made of Ice
Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for turning a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice into a telescope. They drilled 86 holes about 1.5 miles into the ice using hot water, then lowered strings of light sensors into each one before the holes refroze. Over 5,000 sensors, spread through a cubic kilometer of ice.
Those particles, neutrinos, pass through everything. Trillions go through your body every second. The detector registers 3,000 charged particles a second, and from that haul, roughly one confirmed cosmic neutrino a month.
Halzen proposed the idea in 1988 and the observatory was finished in 2011. He's 82, said people always called it a cute idea that would never work, and told reporters he just had to live long enough. The committee's own explanation .
Sebastian Angers Comics
SiriusXM replaced its Raw Dog comedy channel in April with one curated by Sebastian Maniscalco. The number of comics getting airplay fell from 812 in April to 275 in September , per an advocacy group's analysis.
Total plays stayed about the same. They shifted to bigger names, with roughly 75% now going to the top tier. Each spin pays a comedian about $15, which added up to real monthly income for touring acts.
Comics including Patton Oswalt and Michelle Wolf are publicly asking for the old format back ( video ). SiriusXM says the relaunch introduced a new creative direction. Maniscalco hasn't responded. The data behind the numbers .
Exercise = Cancer Treatment
A landmark trial found colon cancer patients who worked with an exercise coach for three years were less likely to see their cancer return ( NYT ). After eight years, 90% were alive versus 83% in the control group.
The program cost about $3,000 per patient and saved the health system money by cutting hospitalizations. For comparison, a new pancreatic cancer drug runs $480,000 a year and doesn't improve long-term survival.
Insurance doesn't cover it. Programs exist mostly at major cancer centers, funded by philanthropy or paid out of pocket. One Pittsburgh system will become the first to cover it through its employee plan next year.
The move: cancer survivors can join a free 12-week program at 600+ YMCA branches | Find a location near you
TOGETHER WITH NATURE’S BOUNTY
The Two Vitamins Most People Run Low On
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GET 1% BETTER
Your Zone 2 Cardio Number
Zone 2 is the easy cardio longevity experts keep recommending: a steady effort, slow enough to hold a conversation. The hard part is knowing your number. Coach Phil Maffetone's 180 Formula:
- Start with 180 minus your age. At 40, that's 140 beats per minute.
- Subtract 10 if you're recovering from a major illness or take regular medication.
- Subtract 5 if you're injured, new to training, or get sick more than twice a year.
- Keep it if you've trained four-plus times a week for up to two years.
- Add 5 if you've trained for over two years and you're still improving.
Stay at or below that number on easy days, even if it means walking the hills.
Calculate yours here.
Your Year-End Money Checklist
There are 12 weeks left in 2026, and some tax moves expire Dec. 31:
- Top off your 401(k). The 2026 limit is $24,500, plus $8,000 if you're 50 or older. It has to come out of a paycheck by Dec. 31, so raise your percentage now.
- Spend your FSA. Depending on your plan, you might carry over up to $680 or get a short grace period. Otherwise it's gone.
- Harvest losses. Selling losing investments offsets your gains plus up to $3,000 of income. Don't rebuy within 30 days, or the loss won't count.
- Check your withholding with the IRS estimator .
What can wait: IRA, HSA and SEP-IRA contributions all count for 2026 until you file next year. See every 2026 limit.
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▲ One company now owns HBO, CNN, CBS, DC, Harry Potter and 200 million streaming subscribers | What it means for your subscriptions
TOGETHER WITH BLOOM
The 3PM Problem
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Fun Links
Vitamins made from food, not labs [ Partner* ]
Interactive maps for peak fall foliage near you [ Map ]
8 hot dog brands, blind-tested, ranked [ List ]
What Warren Buffett watches on YouTube [ Blog ]
What’s in Nickelodeon slime anyway? [ Recipe ]
10 questions that make people like you [ List ]
Gatorade recalled in 37 states [ List ]
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