heals

During lockdown, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, like many others, got a cat, and her memoir recounts the first year of feline ownership, interlaced with excavations of the author’s past. At first, the premise seems twee. Only cat people will be onboard with descriptions of little Mackerel the kitten’s cuteness. But the acquisition of a pet is really just a conceit for Cosslett to explore much deeper issues around womanhood and society.The author invites us to consider why a woman might retire from the world, “retreat from a game…

Waiting on a wound to heal can not only take a while, but it can also leave you with long-lasting scar tissue as a reminder of the wound. While we have seen tech in the past that looks to minimize scarring, researchers are still looking for ways to speed up healing as a whole. Now, that answer may be closer than ever, as Stanford scientists have created a smart bandage. The smart bandage combines biosensors and wireless electrical stimulation to help patients with slow-to-heal injuries recover faster. The tech,…

Hats off to the Geffen Playhouse for pulling off with exquisite panache a most difficult double-header in “The Inheritance,” Matthew López’s two-part, Tony-winning gay drama. This marathon undertaking, roughly 6½ hours long, is broken up into two plays. Forget about fast-food theater: This is a full-course dramatic meal. An epic that had its world premiere in London in 2018, “The Inheritance” follows a group of gay men — friends, lovers and exes — as they piece together their intergenerational story. While grappling with…

Scientists experimenting with next-generation plastics at Finland's University of Turku have developed a form of the material with some impressive capabilities, most notably an ability to quickly break down after use. The eco-friendly "supramolecular" plastic is therefore highly recyclable and, with careful tuning of its water content, can be turned into an adhesive or even instantly self-heal when damaged.The reason conventional plastics persist in the environment for so long is the incredibly strong chemical connections…

Waymo and Uber, former legal foes and bitter rivals in the autonomous vehicle space, are teaming up to speed up the adoption of driverless trucks. Waymo is integrating Uber Freight, the ride-hail company’s truck brokerage, into the technology that powers its autonomous big rigs. This “long-term strategic partnership” will enable fleet owners to more quickly deploy trucks equipped with Waymo’s autonomous “driver” for on-demand delivery routes offered by Uber Freight, the companies said. The announcement represents a…