5. Fettuccine 2025

According to various studies conducted in 2023 and 2024, over 48% of information on the internet is incorrect or unverified.  I lied. That is misinformation, and it is dangerously confusing. Media outlets, fake media outlets, and even influencers with fan bases of millions of people use incorrect or faulty information on the regular to sway public opinion or increase traction on their pages. Misinformation is a powerful tool, though it is used strictly for wrongdoings.  Misinformation can be detrimental to youth and those new to social media as these people are unsure of how to approach it or identify it. If they do see something misleading, they may mistake it for real information which is the point of this information being posted in the first place. A study conducted by the UK Safer Internet Centre concluded that 48% of young children see misleading content daily, with over 10% of children seeing it in over six separate instances daily. This is very concerning—the innocent...

  The few own the many because they possess the means of livelihood of all ... The country is governed for the richest, for the corporations, the bankers, the land speculators, and for the exploiters of labor. The majority of mankind are working people. This is a quote by the American author Helen Keller. Helen Keller’s description of the power dynamics in America is still very relevant today as big corporations like Apple and Walmart are richer than countries like Russia and Belgium. One aspect of Keller’s quote which is especially important is who she says possesses the means of livelihood for all. The few.  Throughout human history the few have always exploited the many. This is one trend that can be observed in every human civilization that ever existed. Whether it was the Lords and Kings who forced peasants to work on their land or the global corporations using cheap labor in developing countries while maintaining vast profit margins, there are always a few people who gai...

I n George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 which follows government worker Winston Smith in the “utopian” society of Oceania, the citizens are constantly being watched over by the Thought Police through telescreens that must remain on at all times. Posters that are found throughout the city and on the telescreens say “Big Brother is watching you,” compelling the citizens to behave and act according to the laws of the totalitarian government. P ublished in 1949, Orwell’s novel highlighted and foreshadowed many issues that he had predicted from what he observed of the societies of his time—one of these being that of government surveillance and the intrusion of privacy. O rwell was indeed correct in many of his predictions. A question that emerged from around the nineteenth century or earlier, and one that remains relevant today, is that of the moral or immoral nature of surveillance. Who are the watchers of the watched? What decides who the watchers are? What decides who is watched? Do th...

One of the greatest pleasures of life is being able to travel the world and explore the vast cultures that make it up. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, and it's something I hope to further pursue in my adulthood. I've visited so many different places and experienced so many different kinds of people that it honestly makes the Bay Area feel small and confining sometimes.  There is so much beauty that engulfs our world, and it's important to make an effort to discover it. The power of exploring different environments stimulates knowledge, understanding, and exposure to the diversity of our planet.  The most beautiful place I've gotten the opportunity to visit is definitely  Lake Como, Italy . It's a charming resort area surrounding a breathtakingly blue lake. Taking time to truly absorb the warm, picturesque scenery reminded me that there's an entire world outside of Fremont, California.  Aside from this tiny town in northern Italy, I've visited many o...

“Lock in!” my friend yells to me as I go for my final rep in the gym. It is a brief moment of camaraderie as my gym buddy encourages me to keep pushing. But why choose to say “lock in”? Well, it is the power of a positive mindset. I truly believe that the mindset is the first and most crucial step to success. You can only start something if you believe that you can start it, and similarly the process of finishing a task will also be ameliorated if a positive mindset is applied.  A key example is manifestation. Manifestation is the power of shaping your thoughts into reality through focusing on your goals. It can be as simple as telling yourself “I’ve got this,” but the effects are truly remarkable. Although there is no scientific proof of its direct effect on your future, it embodies the power of positive thinking. Numerous studies of the positive mindset show that it can help in increasing lifespan, lowering rates of depression, lowering levels of pain, having greater resistances...

A thought-provoking  YouTube video  that I watched some weeks back from the  "Honest"  channel essentially remapped the understanding of Rihanna's career by depicting it in terms that were simultaneously simple and reflective. This clip presents Rihanna's journey as far less glamorous and less showy than the traditional pop stardom persona. The channel allows for the establishment of an intimate connection not only with Rihanna the music figure, but also Rihanna the businesswoman—one who has achieved personal success in the fashion and cosmetic industries through Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin, respectively, while using her unique voice simultaneously. This clip sets forth the unique argument: Rihanna's entry into the fashion and cosmetic fields through Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin is not necessarily indicative of a career shift, but one of emphasis. Rihanna's music, previously the source of all achievements, has now turned into "the subject matter," rat...

There is a fine line that exists between power and corruption. While some can maintain their power and utilize it in a way that sees the improvement of society, others may succumb to corruption and use their influence for personal gain at the expense of those who hold less authority. This observation raises the question: Why do some leaders use their power to progress while others fall into corruption? The answer lies in the psychology of power and, similarly, the psychology of corruption—how power can change one’s behavior and the human nature of greed and self-interest that ultimately leads to corruption. P ower has always been closely linked to corruption. In his book The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence , Dr. Dacher Keltner reveals the nature of power, asserting that while it grants people the ability to help those in need and change their lives for the better, “the very experience of having power and privilege leads us to behave...like...out-of-control sociopaths” ...

Man vs nature is a debate that people often have and often come to the same conclusion. Man beats nature. Humans are the apex species on planet Earth. Our dominance over nature cannot be challenged by any animal, any disease, or any natural disaster. A human can use self defense tools to protect themselves from animals, hide in a shelter during a natural disaster, and take a cure to most diseases, but in the end humans mostly always win. Despite these achievements there are certain natural forces that humans are yet to tackle and one of these forces is death itself. Can humans ever triumph over death and live forever? Originally I planned to write this blog about a man named Bryan Johnson. Bryan Johnson is a billionaire who invested a fortune in biohacking techniques like blood transfer, radiation therapy, and highly specialized diets in order to live forever. Unfortunately Bryan Johnson’s plan backfired and he has now shortened his life span rather than extend it. Johnson has been blo...

  My family and I went to Death Valley during winter break and recently I was thinking about the stars there. I had the sole purpose of taking my camera and capturing as much as I could of the Milky Way and any constellations I knew. The night sky there is one of the best in the world; the low elevation coupled with mountains on all sides that protect from clouds and light pollution make Death Valley a prime spot for staring up in wonder. When I was looking up, many questions filled my head about what was out there. The first question anyone might ask is, “Are we alone?” and for good reason. If we weren’t alone and there really was other life outside of our blue bubble, maybe it can think. Another species to share our experiences with is truly exciting and if we ever find something out there I would want to see it and see what it has to say. I wonder if we ever find intelligent life outside of Earth what would we do about it. Would we try to control it in some way, or make peace w...

It’s been 41 days since I made what I thought was an impossible New Year’s resolution: eliminating all processed sugars from my diet. To be honest, it sounded absurd to me in the beginning — something I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to handle for more than a day or two. But as each day passed, I was pleasantly surprised, not only by how much easier it’s been compared to my expectations, but also by the dramatic improvement I’ve felt in both my mental and physical well-being. For years, my life was marked by a regular diet of sugar. I used it as my quick fix, my instant shot of energy when I was flagging. Whether it was a high-sugar breakfast in the mornings or chocolate bars in the afternoons, I relied on that instant boost to get me through to dinner. And though it gave me a quick surge of energy, that was soon followed by a rapid energy crash not long after. What I hadn’t noticed, however, was just how much of a grip sugar had on my mental health. I was caught in a high-to-low cyc...

Money is one of the most powerful tools in the world; it influences politics, relationships, social status, and even degrees of respect. At its very core, money is nothing more than a means to obtain something desirable, but I feel like over time money itself is what has become desirable. More money equates to more respect, even a better standard of living. Sure, they say that “money doesn’t buy happiness,” but it certainly does buy temporary happiness. While positive and uplifting relationships can give lasting happiness, money is in the present. It allows people to pursue their passions, whether it be travelling, sky-diving, or even collecting cars. Money can always be used to buy yourself a good future, and that is precisely the problem. Money offers power, providing access to opportunities that those without money can’t even come close to obtaining. It leads to better education, and if not education then a better job. Financial security is one of the most important aspects of life,...

There are so many powerful aspects of growth that I’ve dove into throughout the majority of my blogs. I’ve referenced many of these aspects in each blog post that serve as a significant part of my life—each one holding an equally important place—but at this point of my life I’ve grown to truly understand and appreciate the power of relationships. I’ve struggled with maintaining long-term friendships for as long as I can remember, so being able to say I’ve truly discovered friendships I would give anything for and that I’ve surrounded myself with people who genuinely care about me is something the younger version of myself only dreamed of achieving.  My friends and family are the best part of me. They bring out the best in me and have been there for every experience I go through, whether I’m at my lowest point or accomplishing successes that I’ve been longing to reach.  When I think about my friends, it literally puts a smile on my face. I’m eternally grateful for being grante...

AI is, well, strange. How do robots talk to each other? The answers to that question lie in a video  by CGP Grey, a YouTube channel with over 6 million subscribers, as they thoroughly explain how machine learning models are created.  Well, for a summary of the video, consider a robot that makes other robots. This robot makes random robots and sends them to a “teacher” bot which tests the bots on differentiating two different items, for example. Whichever bots score the highest on the “test” are more accurate at identifying the difference between two items, and the “builder” bot builds more bots similar to that one but still with random wiring.  At the end, we get a “student” bot that is able to differentiate the two items, but neither the “teacher,” “builder,” or even the humans are aware of how it does this task. It talks to itself in a language foreign to us, one that cannot even be explained by the code that created the bot. This language is everywhere now, from search...