Why 'masterpiece' Wuthering Heights is so misunderstood

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260202-why-wuthering-heights-is-so-misunderstood It still has the ability to shock': Why 'masterpiece' Wuthering Heights is so misunderstood Molly Gorman Feb 2, 2026 Ever since it was published in the mid-19th Century, Emily Brontë's tale of passionate love and ruthless revenge has captivated fans and confounded critics in equal measure. Authored by one "Ellis Bell", Wuthering Heights was met with rather mixed reviews when it was first published in 1847. Some were scathing, horrified by its "brutal cruelty" and portrayal of a "semi-savage love". Others acknowledged the book's "power and cleverness", "its delineation forcible and truthful". Many said it was simply "strange". Despite the popularity of gothic fiction at the time, it's perhaps unsurprising that Wuthering Heights shocked readers in the 19th Century, a time of strict moral scrutiny. "People did not know what to do with this book, because it has no clear moral angle," says Clare O'Callaghan, senior professor of Victorian literature at Loughborough University in the UK, and the author of Emily Brontë Reappraised. Three years after the novel was published, Charlotte Brontë revealed the true identity of its author – Ellis Bell was not in fact a man, but a pen name for her younger sister, Emily Brontë. Charlotte argued that critics had failed to do Emily's work justice, "The immature but very real powers revealed in Wuthering Heights were scarcely recognised; its import and nature were misunderstood." A gothic tale of two families set on the wild Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights went on to become a genre-defining classic – and yet, Charlotte's words still ring true. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1376xn/p0myn4sz.jpg.webp

Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights was met with scathing reviews when it was published in 1847 (Credit: Getty Images) Now, Saltburn director Emerald Fennell is poised to reveal her version of the story, with a film released on 13 February, starring Australian actors Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. Perhaps partly in response to the various controversies preceding her film – around the age and ethnicity of the lead actors, the erotically charged scenes and inauthentic costumes shown in the trailer – Fennell added quotation marks to its title, stating that she is not actually adapting the novel, but making her version of it, because the story is too "dense, complicated and difficult". Could she be right? And just why has this "strange" but captivating novel puzzled fans, readers and critics from the beginning? A tale of passion and revenge Fennell isn't wrong about the book's complex nature. Its non-linear, multi-layered structure and multiple narrators can be mind-boggling at first. Why does everyone have the same name? How many Cathys and Catherines and Lintons and Heathcliffs and Linton Heathcliffs can there possibly be in 300-odd pages? Fennell's film uses the tagline 'the greatest love story of all time', but the greatest revenge story of all time might be more apt Wuthering Heights is effectively a story-within-a-story. Jumping between the past and present, and spanning around 30 years, it is told by Lockwood, Heathcliff's tenant, and Ellen Dean, a maid at two houses called Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. Both narrators are unreliable. Lockwood, a gentleman from London with a superiority complex, serves as a nosey outsider and a vessel for the reader to uncover secrets from the past. Nelly, the revealer of said secrets, tells the story from a seemingly perfect memory. She controls the narrative and often interferes when perhaps she shouldn't – her emotional attachments to certain characters, and judgment of others, shine through. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1376xn/p0myn507.jpg.webp

Saltburn director Emerald Fennell's new film has already drawn criticism for its casting, costume and erotic content (Credit: Warner Bros) Fennell has spoken of how she was captivated by the novel when she first read it as a teenager. Her film uses the tagline "the greatest love story of all time", but the greatest revenge story of all time might be more apt. Of course, there is undeniable romantic passion in the story: "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." But some readers may have latched onto this, while forgetting what ensues afterwards. It quickly becomes clear that Heathcliff is more of a tortured anti-hero than a romantic one. Catherine is challenging too – she is melodramatic and spiteful. Their unbreakable bond, while spirited and everlasting, is ill-fated ¬– and their unending misery creates a generational cycle of abuse and destruction begging to be broken. Love and vengeance are the engines of the book… there's no boundary to the depths to which [Heathcliff] will go to, to make people pay – Clare O'Callaghan The structure of Wuthering Heights cleverly plays into these themes of passion and revenge. The first edition was divided into two volumes, which could be perceived as the generational divide – the first focusing on Catherine and Heathcliff, the second focusing on their children. Brontë draws on our sympathy for Heathcliff in the first volume. Upon his arrival at the Heights as an orphaned young boy, he is othered, a "ragged, black-haired child… a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect". Catherine even spits on him. Later, he is physically abused by his drunkard adoptive brother Hindley Earnshaw, who treats him as a servant. Throughout, he is referred to as "dirty". His only solace is Catherine, with whom he roams the wild moors. But even then, despite her declaration, "I am Heathcliff… he is more myself than I am," and partly due to a misheard conversation, she marries the wealthy Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff's revenge on Edgar and Catherine intensifies in the second half of the novel, after the latter's death. Brontë sorely tests any sympathy readers might have had for Heathcliff, as his monstrous tyranny reigns. He physically and psychologically abuses his wife (and Catherine's sister-in-law) Isabella through vile acts like hanging her dog. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1376xn/p0myn50y.jpg.webp

Heathcliff is more of a tortured anti-hero than a romantic one, whose revenge intensifies in the second half of the novel (Credit: Warner Bros) He also abuses the family's children. Hindley's son Hareton is forced to work as a servant just as Heathcliff was as a young boy. He kidnaps Cathy Linton, Catherine and Edgar's daughter, forcing her to marry his son, Linton Heathcliff, to secure ownership of Thrushcross Grange. Every action is deliberate, calculated and vengeful. The novel's complex legacy Some film and TV adaptations have skipped the second half of Wuthering Heights entirely, presumably because of its savagery and complexity – William Wyler's 1939 Oscar-winner ends shortly after Catherine's death, her ghost and Heathcliff wandering the moors. Robert Fuest's 1970 film starring Timothy Dalton also ends with her death, as does Andrea Arnold's 2011 film, which dedicates most of the screen time to the younger Catherine and Heathcliff. But her death comes halfway through the novel and therefore many adaptations have missed out a further 18 years or so of plot, softening the ending and sanitising its darkest parts. A few have attempted to cover the whole story – including the BBC's 1967 series, which inspired Kate Bush to write her 1978 hit. But it's the BBC's 1978 mini-series (aided by its five-hour running time), which is held up as being the most faithful to the whole text. Ignoring the latter part of the book "doesn't work", says Claire O'Callaghan. "I think love and vengeance are the engines of the book, and that's what so great about it… there's no boundary to the depths to which [Heathcliff] will go to, to make people pay," says O'Callaghan. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1376xn/p0myn51z.jpg.webp

The BBC's 1967 TV series inspired Kate Bush's 1978 hit song (Credit: Getty Images) Heathcliff lives a life of torment and uncontainable grief, but inflicts that suffering on everyone around him and feels no remorse in doing so. By not righting his wrongs, and letting him die without further punishment, O'Callaghan says, Brontë poses more complex questions to the reader, rather than giving them answers: What is love? Does the marriage system work? What are the limits of violence? That's part of the complex legacy of the novel. "Popular culture tends to tell us it's this great romance… when [readers] are encountering it for the first time, that jars, because the book is so different. It still has the ability to shock, and I think, like the Victorians, we're still grappling with how to define it and what to do with it," O'Callaghan says. Another popular misconception of the novel is that it's unremittingly bleak, when, at times, it's quite funny. Nelly and Zillah, the two servants, are major gossips. Linton Heathcliff is a mopey, sickly and bratty child, who provokes an eye roll from the reader. And when you can understand what the farm servant Joseph is saying through his thick Yorkshire dialect, he is often a witty cynic, who never has anything nice to say. When Catherine falls ill after searching for Heathcliff in the rain, he snarkily croaks, "Running after t'lads, as usual?" More like this: • Why Heathcliff and literature's greatest love story are toxic Lockwood's snootiness is amusing, too. "He is like a character from a Jane Austen novel who's walked into a Brontë world, and that, for me, is hilarious," says O'Callaghan. "If you read this book and take it as a kind of gothic satire to some extent, it's a completely different book. And I think that's one of the things, though. People take it very, very seriously, don't they? They're absolutely convinced that these are real characters, rather than this gothic, over-the-topness." Emily Brontë never saw the success of her only novel, but we know that she read initial reviews. Her writing desk is on display at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, and it contains five clippings of Wuthering Heights reviews, which were largely negative. She died at the age of 30 from tuberculosis, around a year after Wuthering Heights was published. Behind her she leaves a masterpiece. Whether you are a fierce lover or loather of Brontë's deeply flawed characters, the harrowing and unsettling plot and the toxic romance, Wuthering Heights has possessed its legions of fans throughout history – "driven us mad", you could say. We can be sure that Fennell's interpretation will not be the last. Whether anyone can do this book justice on screen, however, is a whole other question. Hopefully, at least, we can all agree with one anonymous critic, who reviewed Wuthering Heights in January 1848. "It is impossible to begin and not finish it," they said, "and quite as impossible to lay it aside afterwards and say nothing about it." Wuthering Heights is released on 13 February.

AI Safety Report 2026

International AI Safety Report 2026 https://internationalaisafetyreport.org/publication/international-ai-safety-report-2026 AI Security Institute Dept. of Science, Innovation & Technology secretariat.AIStateofScience@dsit.gov.uk The second International AI Safety Report, published in February 2026, is the next iteration of the comprehensive review of latest scientific research on the capabilities and risks of general-purpose AI systems. Led by Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio and authored by over 100 AI experts, the report is backed by over 30 countries and international organisations. It represents the largest global collaboration on AI safety to date. .... Cyberattacks Key information • General-purpose AI systems can execute or assist with several of the tasks involved in conducting cyberattacks. There is now strong evidence that criminal groups and state-sponsored attackers actively use AI in their cyber operations. However, whether AI systems have increased the overall scale and severity of cyberattacks remains uncertain because establishing causal effects is difficult. • AI systems are particularly good at discovering software vulnerabilities and writing malicious code, and now score highly in cybersecurity competitions. In one premier cyber competition, an AI agent identified 77% of vulnerabilities in real software, placing it in the top 5% of over 400 (mostly human) teams. • AI systems are automating more parts of cyberattacks, but cannot yet execute them autonomously. At least one real-world incident has involved the use of semi-autonomous cyber capabilities, with humans intervening only at critical decision points. Fully autonomous end-to-end attacks, however, have not been reported. • Since the publication of the previous Report (January 2025), the cyber capabilities of AI systems have continued to improve. Recent benchmark results show that the cyber capabilities of AI systems have improved across several domains, at least in research settings. AI companies now frequently report on attempts to misuse their systems in cyberattacks. • Technical mitigations include detecting malicious AI use and leveraging AI to improve defences, but policymakers face a dual-use dilemma. Since it can be difficult to distinguish helpful uses from harmful ones, overly aggressive safeguards such as preventing AI systems from responding to cyber-related requests can hamper defenders. General-purpose AI systems can help malicious actors conduct cyberattacks, such as data breaches, ransomware, and attacks on critical infrastructure, with greater speed, scale, and sophistication. AI systems can assist attackers by automating technical tasks, identifying software vulnerabilities, and generating malicious code, though capabilities are progressing unevenly across these tasks. This section examines the evidence on how AI systems are being used in cyber operations and the current state of AI cyber capabilities. AI systems can be used throughout cyber operations Extensive research shows that AI systems can now support attackers at several steps of the ‘cyberattack chain’ (Figure 2.5): the multi-stage process through which attackers identify targets, develop capabilities, and achieve their objectives.392 394 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 In a typical attack, adversaries first identify targets and vulnerabilities, then develop and deploy their attack capabilities, and finally maintain persistent access to achieve their objectives, such as stealing data or destroying systems. Improvements in relevant AI capabilities such as software engineering have prompted concerns that AI systems could be used to increase both the frequency and severity of cyberattacks.451 452 ....... Conclusion This Report provides a scientific assessment, guided by over 100 experts from more than 30 countries and international organisations, of general-purpose AI: a rapidly evolving and highly consequential technology. Contributors differ in their views on how quickly capabilities will improve, how severe risks may become, and the extent to which current safeguards and risk management practices will prove adequate. On core findings, though, there is a high degree of convergence. General-purpose AI capabilities are improving faster than many experts anticipated. The evidence base for several risks has grown substantially. Current risk management techniques are improving but insufficient. This Report cannot resolve all underlying uncertainties, but it can establish a common baseline and an approach for navigating them. A year of change Regular scientific assessment allows for changes to be tracked over time. Since the first International AI Safety Report was published in January 2025, multiple AI systems have solved International Mathematical Olympiad problems at gold-medal level for the first time; reports of malicious actors misusing AI systems for cyberattacks have become more frequent and detailed, and more AI developers now regularly publish details about cyber threats; and several developers released new models with additional safeguards, after being unable to rule out the possibility that they could assist novices in developing biological weapons. Policymakers face a markedly different landscape than they did a year ago. The core challenge A number of evidence gaps appear repeatedly throughout this Report. How and why general-purpose AI models acquire new capabilities and behave in certain ways is often difficult to predict, even for developers.An ‘evaluation gap’ means that benchmark results alone cannot reliably predict real-world utility or risk. Systematic data on the prevalence and severity of AI-related harms remains limited for most risks. Whether current safeguards will be sufficiently effective for more capable systems is unclear. Together, these gaps define the limits of what any current assessment can confidently claim. The fundamental challenge this Report identifies is not any single risk. It is that the overall trajectory of general-purpose AI remains deeply uncertain, even as its present impacts grow more significant. Plausible scenarios for 2030 vary dramatically: progress could plateau near current capability levels, slow, remain steady, or accelerate dramatically in ways that are difficult to anticipate. Investment commitments suggest major AI developers expect continued capability gains, but unforeseen technical limits could slow progress. The social impact of a given level of AI capabilities also depends on how and where systems are deployed, how they are used, and how different actors respond. This uncertainty reflects the difficulty of forecasting a technology whose impacts depend on unpredictable technical breakthroughs, shifting economic conditions, and varied institutional responses. The value of shared understanding The trajectory of general-purpose AI is not fixed: it will be shaped by choices made over the coming years by developers, governments, institutions, and communities. This Report is not prescriptive about what should be done. By advancing a shared, evidence-based understanding of the AI landscape, however, it helps ensure that those choices are well-informed and that key uncertainties are recognised. It also allows policymakers in different jurisdictions to act in accordance with their community’s unique values and needs while working from a common, scientific foundation. The value of this Report is not only in the findings it presents, but in the example it sets of working together to navigate shared challenges.

Vitamin D and Heart Diseases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yaI5s_3K7o Vitamin D and the heart https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2735646 Vol. 4, No. 8 Vitamin D Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease Risks in More Than 83 000 Individuals in 21 Randomized Clinical TrialsA Meta-analysis 1. Mahmoud Barbarawi, MD1; Babikir Kheiri, MD, MRCP, PGDip1; Yazan Zayed, MD1 2. et al 3. Key Points 4. Question Does vitamin D supplementation have any association with cardiovascular disease risk? 5. Findings In this meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials that included more than 83 000 participants, vitamin D supplementation was not associated with reduced risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular disease mortality, or all-cause mortality compared with placebo. 6. Meaning These results suggest that vitamin D supplementation may not confer cardiovascular protection and may not be indicated for this purpose. 7. Abstract 8. Importance Observational studies have reported an association between low serum vitamin D levels and elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, but such studies cannot prove causation because of possible unmeasured confounding. 9. Objective We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials that tested the association of vitamin D supplementation with reduced CVD events and all-cause mortality. 10. Data Sources Literature search through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase was completed by 2 reviewers from each database’s inception to December 15, 2018. 11. Study Selection Inclusion criteria were randomized clinical trials that reported the effect of long-term (≥1 year) vitamin D supplementation on CVD events and all-cause mortality. Studies that did not include cardiovascular outcomes were excluded. 12. Data Extraction and Synthesis Data were abstracted independently by 2 authors. Random-effects models were used to report the risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. 13. Main Outcomes and Measures Major adverse cardiovascular events was the primary outcome, and rates of myocardial infarction, stroke or cerebrovascular accident, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality were the secondary end points. 14. Results Twenty-one randomized clinical trials were included (including 83 291 patients, of whom 41 669 received vitamin D and 41 622 received placebos). The mean (SD) age of trial participants was 65.8 (8.4) years; 61 943 (74.4%) were female. Only 4 trials had prespecified CVD as a primary end point. Vitamin D supplementation compared with placebo was not associated with reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (RR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.95-1.06]; P = .85) nor the secondary end points of myocardial infarction (RR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.93-1.08]; P = .92), stroke (RR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.98-1.15]; P = .16), CVD mortality (RR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.90-1.07]; P = .68), or all-cause mortality (RR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.93-1.02]; P = .23). Results were generally consistent by sex, baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, vitamin D dosage, formulation (daily vs bolus dosing), and presence or absence of concurrent calcium administration. 15. Conclusions and Relevance In this updated meta-analysis, vitamin D supplementation was not associated with reduced major adverse cardiovascular events, individual CVD end points (myocardial infarction, stroke, CVD mortality), or all-cause mortality. The findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation does not confer cardiovascular protection and is not indicated for this purpose.

Nipah Virus

Nipah Virus a type of zoonotic disease spread by fruit bats, spread through direct or indirect contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/nipah-virus-amid-cases-detected-india/story?id=129667635 Everything to know about Nipah virus amid cases being detected in India Two cases have been detected in India among health care workers. Mary Kekatos January 29, 2026, 10:54 AM Several countries, including Thailand and Nepal, have increased their surveillance after cases of the deadly Nipah virus were detected in India. So far, just two cases have been confirmed among 25-year-old nurses, a woman and a man, in West Bengal, according to the World Health Organization. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News earlier this week that Indian health authorities have deployed an outbreak response team and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in contact with local officials. The CDC said it is "monitoring" the situation. Despite the virus's high fatality rate, experts have said it's very unlikely it will lead to a global emergency. Here's what you need to know about the virus, including signs and symptoms, how the virus is transmitted and what treatments are available. https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/819213e4-4b21-427c-8598-42649c9054fe/nipah-virus-airport-ss-jt-260129_1769697256193_hpMain.jpg?w=1500

A handout photo released by Suvarnabhumi Airport shows Thai health officials wearing protective masks monitoring passengers from international flights arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Samut Prakan province, Thailand, Jan. 25, 2026. Thailand's international disease control checkpoints at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang International Airports began implementing health screening measures for flights arriving from West Bengal, India, to monitor and prevent Nipah virus infection. The Suvarnabhumi Airport Office via EPA via Shutterstock What is Nipah virus? Nipah virus is a type of zoonotic disease, meaning it's primarily found in animals and can spread between animals and people. It was first discovered in 1999 after a disease affected both pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore, according to the CDC. The virus is most often spread by fruit bats, and can spread through direct or indirect contact. The virus can also spread from person to person by being in close contact or coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. What are the symptoms? Symptoms typically occur between four and 14 days after exposure. The most common symptom is fever followed by headache, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing and vomiting. Diagnosing the virus in the early stages is often difficult because the symptoms resemble many other illnesses, the CDC has said. The virus can lead to severe symptoms, including disorientation, drowsiness, seizures or encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. These can progress to a coma within 24 to 48 hours, according to the CDC. Nipah virus particles, computer illustration. Nipah virus is zoonotic (transmitted to humans from animals) and was first found in Malaysia and Singapore in people who had close contact with pigs. It was initially isolated in 1999 upon examining samples from an outbreak of encephalitis and respiratory illness among adult men in those two countries. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/c79dd445-298a-4c05-86fb-0f4bbb100c27/nipah-virus-gty-jt-260129_1769697603311_hpEmbed_16x9.jpg?w=1500

What are the treatments available? Currently there are no specific treatments available for Nipah virus other than managing symptoms with supportive care, including rest and fluids. Experts said there are treatments currently under development. One is a monoclonal antibody, a treatment that uses immune system proteins manufactured in a lab. They mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting the virus. Dr. Diana Finkel, an associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious disease at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, previously told ABC News that the drug has already completed phase I clinical trials and is currently being used on a compassionate basis. Researchers are also studying the potential benefit of remdesivir -- the intravenous medication used to treat COVID-19 -- which has been shown to work well in nonhuman primates with Nipah virus. What is the likelihood of Nipah virus spreading? Experts said that while anything is possible, it's very unlikely that cases in India will lead to global spread. "The world is small, but the likelihood that somebody's infected, or an infected fruit bat with Nipah virus would be here, right now, is very unlikely," Finkel previously told ABC News. She said when people are exposed in health care settings, it's often because proper standard precautions were not followed, such as not wearing gloves or masks. Experts have said Nipah virus cases are also a reminder of the potentially devastating effects of habitat destruction and climate change, possibly leading to more interaction between infected animals and humans. "You have to think about why are fruit bats that harbor this Nipah virus, why are they coming into contact with people?" Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, director of the University of Washington Center for One Health Research, previously told ABC News. "What is changing in terms of the movement of the bat populations? Are they leaving [a] habitat where there were not very many people? Are they now spending more time close to people?"

Thiền Metta

https://thuvienhoasen.org/a43451/cac-vi-tang-di-tren-bao-tuyet-kien-cuong-va-khong-dung-buoc-tinh-thuy-bbt-tvhs Thiền Metta, còn gọi là thiền tâm từ (từ tiếng Pali metta nghĩa là lòng từ bi hoặc thiện ý, và bhavana nghĩa là sự tu tập), là một pháp thực hành truyền thống trong Phật giáo nhằm phát triển tình thương vô điều kiện, lòng từ bi và thiện lành đối với bản thân và tất cả chúng sinh. Pháp này giúp nuôi dưỡng ước nguyện chân thành mong muốn hạnh phúc và thoát khỏi khổ đau cho mọi người, bắt đầu từ chính mình rồi dần mở rộng ra. Thiền Metta giúp đối trị các cảm xúc tiêu cực như sân hận, oán giận và ác ý, từ đó nuôi dưỡng sự bình an nội tâm và lòng đồng cảm. Đây là một trong bốn trạng thái tâm cao thượng (brahmaviharas) trong Phật giáo, bên cạnh bi, hỷ và xả. Trong giáo lý nhà Phật, Brahmavihāras thường được gọi là Tứ Vô Lượng Tâm tức là bốn trạng thái tâm cao thượng, đại diện cho tình thương và sự bao dung không giới hạn dành cho mọi chúng sinh Metta không chỉ là tình cảm ngọt ngào mà là một ý định thiện lành sâu sắc, nhận ra rằng tất cả chúng sinh đều mong muốn hạnh phúc và tránh khổ đau, giống như chính mình. Cách Thực Hành Thiền Metta Pháp thực hành này đơn giản, dễ tiếp cận với người mới bắt đầu, và có thể thực hiện trong 10–20 phút (hoặc lâu hơn để đi sâu). Dưới đây là hướng dẫn từng bước theo truyền thống và hiện đại: Chuẩn Bị Và An Trú Tìm một nơi yên tĩnh, thoải mái. Ngồi thẳng lưng trên ghế hoặc đệm, mắt nhắm hoặc mở nhẹ. Thư giãn cơ thể, hít thở sâu vài lần và buông bỏ căng thẳng. Bạn có thể đặt tay lên tim để kết nối với cảm giác ấm áp. Bắt Đầu Với Chính Mình Hướng metta đến bản thân trước (điều này có thể khó nếu bạn hay tự chỉ trích — hãy kiên nhẫn). Hình dung chính mình hoặc cảm nhận hơi thở ở vùng tim. Lặng lẽ lặp lại các câu nguyện như: -Mong tôi được an toàn. -Mong tôi được hạnh phúc. -Mong tôi được khỏe mạnh. -Mong tôi sống an lạc. (Hoặc: Mong tôi được bình an và tự tại / thoát khỏi khổ đau.) Lặp lại chậm rãi, chân thành ý nghĩa từng lời. Nếu cảm giác ấm áp xuất hiện, hãy để nó lan tỏa. Mở Rộng Đến Người Thân Yêu Hoặc Ân Nhân Hình dung một người dễ khơi dậy sự ấm áp — bạn bè thân thiết, người thân, thầy cô, hoặc thậm chí thú cưng. Hình dung họ và lặp lại các câu nguyện, thay “tôi” bằng “bạn”: -Mong bạn được an toàn. -Mong bạn được hạnh phúc. v.v. Mở Rộng Đến Người Trung Tính Nghĩ đến một người bạn không thích cũng không ghét mạnh (ví dụ: đồng nghiệp hoặc nhân viên cửa hàng). Hướng các câu nguyện tương giống vậy đến họ. Mở Rộng Đến Người Khó Ưa (Tùy Chọn Cho Người Mới) Dần dần bao gồm người khiến bạn khó chịu (không chọn người khó nhất ngay từ đầu). Điều này xây dựng lòng từ bi thực sự mà không ép buộc sự tha thứ. Mở Rộng Đến Tất Cả Chúng Sinh Cuối cùng, tỏa metta ra toàn vũ trụ: đến tất cả bạn bè, người trung tính, người khó ưa và mọi chúng sinh ở khắp nơi. Các câu nguyện: -Mong tất cả chúng sinh được an toàn. -Mong tất cả chúng sinh được hạnh phúc. v.v. Hình dung điều này như ánh sáng ấm áp hoặc gợn sóng lan tỏa từ tim bạn. Nếu có cảm xúc phân tán (sân hận, buồn bã) xuất hiện, hãy nhẹ nhàng thừa nhận và quay lại các câu nguyện. Kết thúc bằng cách an trú trong cảm giác mở rộng. Một Số Lời Khuyên Để Thực Hành Hiệu Quả Bắt đầu ngắn (5–10 phút) rồi dần tăng thời gian. Sử dụng lời của chính bạn nếu các câu truyền thống cảm thấy không tự nhiên. Thực hành hàng ngày để có kết quả tốt nhất. Nếu hướng metta đến bản thân khó khăn, hãy bắt đầu từ ân nhân rồi quay lại mình sau. Kết hợp với chánh niệm hơi thở để tăng sự tĩnh lặng. Lợi Ích Thực hành metta đều đặn giúp giảm stress, sân hận và lo âu; tăng lòng đồng cảm, cảm xúc tích cực và khả năng phục hồi; cải thiện các mối quan hệ và sức khỏe tổng thể. Trong Phật giáo, pháp này làm suy yếu ác ý và nuôi dưỡng tâm từ bi vô lượng, hỗ trợ thiền định sâu hơn và tuệ giác. Pháp thực hành này rất linh hoạt — bạn có thể thử các bài hướng dẫn âm thanh nếu cần. Hãy nhớ: điều quan trọng là ý định chân thành, không phải cảm xúc hoàn hảo. Theo thời gian, metta sẽ thay đổi cách bạn liên hệ với chính mình và thế giới xung quanh. Tịnh Thủy | BBT TVHS

Renal disease and kidney

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/end-stage-renal-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354532 Renal disease and kidney Early in chronic kidney disease, you might have no signs or symptoms. As chronic kidney disease progresses to end-stage renal disease, signs and symptoms might include: • Nausea • Vomiting • Loss of appetite • Fatigue and weakness • Changes in how much you urinate • Chest pain, if fluid builds up around the lining of the heart • Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the lungs • Swelling of feet and ankles • High blood pressure (hypertension) that's difficult to control • Headaches • Difficulty sleeping • Decreased mental sharpness • Muscle twitches and cramps • Persistent itching • Metallic taste Signs and symptoms of kidney disease are often nonspecific, meaning they can also be caused by other illnesses. Because your kidneys can make up for lost function, signs and symptoms might not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.

'Night owl' lifestyle may bring higher risk of heart disease

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/night-owl-lifestyle-bring-higher-risk-heart-disease/story?id=129595210 'Night owl' lifestyle may bring higher risk of heart disease: Study "Evening type" people had a 16% higher risk of heart attack and stroke. By Dr. Joseph Wendt January 28, 2026, 4:33 AM So-called "night owls" may face a higher risk for heart attack and stroke, a new study published Wednesday finds. Researchers found that "evening type" people had poorer cardiovascular health scores than those who were neither "morning type" or "evening type" people and had an associated 16% higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, analyzed survey and biometric data from more than 320,000 British adults aged 39 to 74. Participants were asked whether they considered themselves a "definite morning" person, a "definite evening" person or somewhere in between, termed "intermediate." Researchers then calculated each person's heart health using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score. These factors include four health behaviors -- diet quality, physical activity, sleep duration and nicotine exposure -- and four health factors, including blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar and blood fat levels. "These are the factors the American Heart Association has identified as cardiovascular disease risk factors," Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology and peventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine specializing in sleep and circadian rhythm research and fellow at the American Heart Association, told ABC News. "Different people will have them in different combinations, but they are all correlated with one another," she added. Evening people were 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared with those in the intermediate group, the study found. Morning people did slightly better than the intermediate group, with a 5% lower risk of having a poor LE8 score. Researchers found the evening people had a 16% higher risk of both heart attack and stroke. Researchers estimated that about 75% of this higher risk was explained by other LE8 factors, rather than sleep timing alone. "It isn't being a night owl that's a problem," Knutson said. "I think being a night owl who's trying to live in a morning lark's world is a conflict between one's internal clock and their social clock." The higher risk appeared to be due to certain lifestyle behaviors and other health factors, the study found. Nicotine use had the strongest impact on heart health, explaining 34% of the link between late bedtime and heart disease. Shorter sleep duration accounted for 14% of the extra risk, high blood sugar for 12% and body weight and diet each accounted for about 11% of the increased risk. Behavioral effects of being a night owl were stronger in women than in men -- women were 96% more likely to have lower LE8 scores compared to 67% in men, though they did not have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. "Women are further stressed by that lifestyle because they're having to still get up and be the primary caregiver for family members," Dr. Sonia Tolani, preventative cardiologist, Associate Professor of Medicine, and co-director of the Columbia University Women's Heart Center, told ABC News. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers concluded prevention efforts should focus on improving lifestyle habits when spending more time awake at night. "The most obvious way is to quit smoking and that's not new advice," Knutson says. "But sleep regularity, meaning trying to go to bed at about the same time every day and not jumping around the clock -- particularly on days off -- can really help lead to regular timing of other behaviors like light exposure, meals, exercise activity." "Prioritize the low-hanging fruit" recommended Tolani. If an hour at the gym is not doable, "maybe you can find a way to do a 10-minute walk or cut a little bit of salt from your diet. Just try to make small changes," she said. Note: Dr. Joseph Wendt is a public health and preventive medicine resident at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.