Get down and boogie

Saturday Night Fever did a lot. As in, a lot at the box office, a lot for the Bee Gees and disco, and a lot for pop culture. When it comes down to it though, the thing that will always stand out the most are those iconic Tony Manero moves 🤣

Speaking of iconic moves, sports fans might be aware of things like Kobe’s signature fadeaway jump shot or Rinaldo’s mid-air spin celebration. Believe it or not, humanoid robots have now been taught to mimic them! 

Still got nothing on Travolta ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon eGift Card!)

Researchers at the University of Alberta, led by Professor Luc Berthiaume, have created a pill that targets cancer cells by inhibiting their metabolism and signaling pathways.

Professor Berthiaume is a highly respected researcher at UofA, where he’s made significant contributions to the field of cell biology. One of his major breakthroughs was the development of compounds that target the metabolism of cancer cells. By inhibiting specific enzymes, he discovered a way to interfere with cancer cell growth.

The unchecked growth of cancer cells often leads to metastatic disease—when the cancer spreads from the place it started to other parts of the body. Once the cancer has spread, treating it becomes much more challenging.

Berthiaume’s work led to the creation of Zelenirstat, also known as PCLX-001, a promising cancer pill currently undergoing clinical trials. Zelenirstat works by suffocating and starving cancer cells, making them more vulnerable to treatment while minimizing harm to healthy cells.

Wines are often described as being harvested in warm climates or cold climates, and though these broad terms are applicable to an extent, experts say it’s a little more nuanced than that.

A region can be categorized as cold or warm, but the key, according to Laura Jones, a winemaker at Skipstone Ranch in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, is striking a balance that’s leveraged by the diurnal shift—the temperature difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows.

Some shifts are less intense, leading to either an overemphasis on sweetness or on acidic bitterness, depending on whether the emphasis is on warmth or cold, but the right balance can lead to a great bottle of wine.

“This can be achieved both via your site selection and with practices in the vineyard,” says Jones. “Alexander Valley is a warm region, which makes it well-suited for the Bordeaux varieties we are famous for.

“Our special positioning in the southern end of the proposed new Pocket Peak appellation provides us with three amazing moderating influences: higher elevations, breezes off the Russian River, and a unique topography from the mountains on our estate. This provides an extra layer of structure and richness to our wines.”

And now you know! 🥂

A strain of the avian flu virus currently wiping out millions of wild birds and poultry appears to have jumped from cows to humans for the first time.

The first detected case that jumped from birds to cows last year was of the B3.13 genotype, but the strain detected in a human case from Nevada recently bore the D.1.1 genotype. The patient later died. It was the same strain detected in a human case picked up from birds by a female teenager in Canada, who became critically ill but survived.

The initial strain of H5N1 in the current outbreak was confirmed to have spread to other animals last year, but the D.1.1 strain making the jump to humans via bird and via cow suggests the virus could be adapting to make mammalian infection and transmission easier.

There are yet to be any cases of human-to-human transmission, any sign of which would trigger global alarm bells similar to those that rung out in March of 2020.

Ever thought of travelling while paying zero dollars for accommodation and getting to spend time with other people’s pets? The TrustedHousesitters have you covered.

What does the platform do? Exactly as described above: it connects pet owners with travellers who need someone to look after their home and their pets while they travel themselves.

"It feeds my soul," said Jeannine Orr, who’s traveled to Portland–both in Maine and Oregon–as well as Redondo Beach and San Diego in California over the last half year.

"It gives you the opportunity to live like a local versus staying in a hotel, sometimes Airbnbs don't always feel as comfortable. I love really embedding myself in a community and just living like a local, and it's fun because you've got an adventure buddy, too."

For sitters, an annual membership costs $169, while homeowners pay $269, which includes home and vet insurance.

The platform is trusted because of its vetting process which includes background checks and requires three references for members on both sides of the equation.

It’s a beautiful way to slow-travel and connect with pets and local communities, and is becoming increasingly popular among retirees, digital nomads, and female solo travellers.

The king of shock rock announced the other day that the ongoing Too Close for Comfort Tour is just going so well that he’s decided to to extend it.

"You can never be too close…right? That's why we've added more dates to the 2025 Too Close for Comfort Tour this spring and summer," he announced on his website "Come along for a nightmare you won't forget!"

21 new dates in total were added, starting on May 2 in Huntsville, AL. He’ll spend over half of May playing gigs throughout the U.S., culminating on May 24 in Atlantic City, after which he’ll take a hiatus until August. From there, he’ll get back up and running in Salem, VA to kick off seven more gigs that’ll wrap up on Aug. 30 in Memphis, TN.

The current run of the Too Close for Comfort Tour is approaching its end, on which ex-Guns N Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke has been plucking in place of Nita Strauss, the long-time blond bombshell shredder, who’s off on a solo tour of her own. It’s not clear yet if she’ll be back for the extended leg of the North American tour starting in May.

Continuing on with our love theme from yesterday, could there be any better spot for romance than The Love Boat?

Over the course of the show’s 10 seasons, countless celebrities appeared as guest stars. If we gave you a little intel, do you think you could identify who some of them are? Find out with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Amazon eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow—keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.