Ho, ho, ho it's magic

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today: China is meddling in U.S. AI development; Dispelling the myth of the 60bpm heart rate; and why some people seem to have all the luck…🍀

Let’s get into it!

It’s hot as all h*** across most of Canada and the United States this week, and outside of jumping head first into a cool backyard pool, there aren’t many better ways to handle the heat than with ice cream.

Adults, however, may wish to get a little buzz goin’ as they try to enjoy their respective Canada Day or Fourth of July breaks.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to introduce the Sherbet Sidecar, which is basically exactly what it sounds like (albeit in cocktail terms).

The Sidecar is a timeless classic was invented during Prohibition, either in Paris or London. It’s possible multiple bartenders arrived at the same recipe coincidentally in separate countries, but the important thing is that someone invented it! 😜

Two ounces of Cognac, 3/4 oz of Cointreau orange liqueur, and 3/4 lemon juice will get the first part of the job done.

Shake it up and strain it directly over a scoop of orange sherbet, rather than mixing the two into a frozen cocktail. This one is special, and yields the classic Creamsicle flavor you’re looking for. As it melts, it’ll take a bit of the bite outta the Sidecar, but its engine will still be functioning fine, and get you where you want to go.

Having a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute is a sign of excellent cardiovascular health. Many think getting into the range of 50 or 60 bpm requires training like a super athlete, but worry not; though it certainly requires training, it doesn’t require going off the rails.

According to Michael Matthews, author of Muscle for Life, stats suggest the average person’s resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 bpm.

“Instead, a healthy range to shoot for would be closer to 50 to 80 beats per minute, and if you’re in very good shape, your resting heart rate might dip as low as 40 to 50 beats per minute.”

First off, there’s no way to get into this range without taking up and committing to a regular cardio regimen. It doesn’t have to be sprints or long-distance running, but it does have to get the heart pumping and blood flowing. Try Zone 2!

That said, you’ll need to put your most important muscle through the ringer as well. HIIT workouts are good for upping the intensity, while leading the heart to beat slower while at rest. HIIT is useful, but never make it the primary workout!

For a few more pointers, you can read on here.

A study that analyzed the various forests of China’s Great Green Wall found planted forests will grow faster and absorb more carbon dioxide than natural forests for a certain amount of time, before dropping off and slowing down on both metrics.

The Great Green Wall is a project that began in 1978, and has so far resulted in the planting of 66 billion trees, with plans for 34 billion more to be planted by the middle of the century.

"Planted forests are widely used in climate mitigation strategies, but most global ecosystem models do not distinguish between forest types or represent age-related dynamics adequately," said study first author Yuhang Luo, a landscape ecologist at Peking University in Shenzhen, China.

Luo and team found the Great Green Wall forests increase their leaf area—which is an important indicator of how much CO2 they’re consuming—at a pace 60% faster than natural forests, and still 4.6% faster even when accounting for age and tree type.

"Our work offers a more practical guide for forest-based climate action: when to plant, what to plant, how long the benefits last, and what current models are getting wrong. We hope that helps people make better decisions," Lou said.

Some people seem to have all the luck, but if you look closely across the board, there are common denominators among those for whom lady luck has a liking.

That’s according to Tina Seelig, executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University and leadership coach of 27 years.

First off, she says the luckiest people have the strongest core values. Having a firm grasp of what matters to you at a fundamental level helps you distinguish between situations that you consider worth your time, attention, emotion, etc. Knowing where to be, when, and why are all ways to boost the likelihood that fortune will favor you while you’re there.

She also says lucky people “own their stories,” which means they don’t allow themselves to get bogged down in things. They celebrate successes and learn from failures, but they don’t dwell on the unknown or uncontrollable; they keep moving forward, guided by their values, and often run into luck along the way.

Furthermore, by not dwelling on the unknown and uncontrollable, they accept the possibility of surprises and harness the good ones and the bad ones, staying on top of the situation by remembering their values and the fact they can control how they react to surprises.

Turns out being open to left turns in life is how lucky people end up on the street of dreams.

Gettin’ common

What do these things have in common? That’s what we’re askin’ with different songs and bands with today’s musical commonalities trivia! 🎶