Author: wildgreenquest@gmail.com

Published May 18, 2026 01:00AMKey Takeaways: A recent study found that adding patchouli oil to unscented cream to make an essential-oil-based lotion for the skin protects against mosquitoes just as effectively as DEET. This offers a natural alternative to chemical bug repellents. Entomologists and dermatologists explain why patchouli wards off mosquitoes and offer tips on how to make your own bug-repelling lotion at home. A mosquito bite or being surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes makes any outdoor activity unpleasant. Many people, one-third of the United States’ population, turn to insect repellents to keep bugs away. Common choices include products containing…

SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reservedSpaceX is preparing for the next major test of its Starship launch system, with liftoff targeted for Tuesday evening from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The mission, known as Starship Flight 12, is scheduled to launch during a window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 19. The flight will mark the first launch of heavily upgraded versions of both the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy…

There’s a quiet trade-off happening inside high-growth companies right now. We’re moving faster than ever, and teams are more efficient. AI is handling work that used to take hours, and asynchronous communication means decisions don’t have to wait for meetings. On paper, it’s all an upside. But underneath the speed, something else is happening. Leaders are moving further away from their teams. Not intentionally and not dramatically—just gradually enough that you don’t notice it until alignment shifts: decisions that need to be revisited, priorities that aren’t as clear as you thought, or challenges surfacing later than they used to. The…

All change for Galaxy.AFP via Getty ImagesUpdated on May 17 with additional Android 17 and One UI 9 beta reports.Samsung’s delayed One UI 8.5 upgrade has just started rolling out, but attention has already turned to One UI 9, which brings Android 17 to Galaxy smartphones. The new Android firmware delivers a raft of security updates, and owners of Samsung flagships will not want to see more delays.Samsung says One UI 9 “introduces enhanced protection against suspicious apps and potential threats: when new high-risk apps are detected, it now warns users, blocks execution and installation, and recommends deletion through security…

Find the links between the words to win today’s game of Connections.gettyEach day’s game of NYT Connections goes live at midnight local time. Before today’s NYT Connections hints, here’s what you missed on Sunday:ForbesNYT ‘Connections’ Hints And Answers For Sunday, May 17By Erik KainHey there, Connectors! Welcome to the start of a new week. I’m very happy to be back here with you for another weekday run of this column.As you might know by now, I like to get things started on Mondays with a fun, upbeat song for no other reason than to help you get your week started…

Uber exhausted its entire 2026 artificial intelligence budget by April, four months into the calendar year, after Anthropic’s Claude Code spread across roughly 5,000 engineers faster than the company’s finance models had anticipated. Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli Naga confirmed the overrun to The Information, saying the company was back to the drawing board on its assumptions. Uber’s total research and development spend reached $3.4 billion in 2025, up 9 percent year over year, which makes the budget collapse less about scale and more about a pricing model that enterprise finance teams have not learned how to manage.The disclosure landed…

Watching the series finale of Outlander, the thought that kept running through my head was “I’m bored. I hope this is over soon.” Spoilers follow.That is not the ideal way to end an 8-season-long TV show, though it could be worse. When I was watching the Stranger Things series finale I was mostly laughing at how unbelievably stupid, rushed and cheesy it all was.Don’t get me wrong, some of Outlander’s finale was pretty cheesy also. The extended farewells that occupied the first half of the episode were both tedious and hammy. They felt less like organic farewells and more like…

Alas, my dear Pipsqueaks, the weekend is over. Like all good things, it has come to an end. Monday is here and another work week to grind our way through before next weekend. The good news? Next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, which means a week from now is a holiday. In the meantime, we have dominoes to lay down on grids of colorful tiles. Let’s solve these Pips puzzles!Looking for Sunday’s Pips? Read our guide right here.How To Play PipsIn Pips, you have a grid of multicolored boxes. Each colored area represents a different “condition” that you have to…

How to solve today’s Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesWelcome back, dearest Wordlers, to yet another Monday edition of this Wordle guide. The weeks go on and on and time is a flat circle and all that jazz. Just keep putting one Wordle in front of the other and everything will be just fine. Let’s solve today’s, shall we?Looking for Sunday’s Wordle? Check out our guide right here.Today’s Bonus Custom WordleNow that we can create our own custom Wordles, I’m including a bonus Wordle with each daily Wordle guide. These can be 4 to 7 letters long. Hopefully this is a…

Here’s some help with today’s Quordle, including hints and the answers. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesBefore today’s Quordle hints and answers, here’s what you missed on Sunday:ForbesQuordle Hints Today: Sunday, May 17 Clues And AnswersBy Kris HoltHey, folks! Today’s Quordle hints and answers are just ahead. How To Play QuordleFor any newcomers joining us, here’s how to play Quordle: Just start typing in words. You have four five-letter words to guess and nine attempts to find them all. The catch is that you play all four words simultaneously.If you get a letter in the right place for any of the…