Study of Buddhist Monks Finds Meditation Alters Brain Activity

If you’ve ever considered practicing meditation, you might believe you should relax, breathe, and empty your mind of distracting thoughts. Novices tend to think of meditation as the brain at rest, but a new international study concludes that this ancient practice is quite the opposite: Meditation is a state of heightened cerebral activity that profoundly…

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Talking Cars 493: Driving the Toyota bZ

Keith Barry Keith Barry has been an auto reporter at Consumer Reports since 2018. He focuses on safety, technology, and the environmental impact of cars. Previously, he led home and appliance coverage at Reviewed; reported on cars for USA Today, Wired, and Car & Driver; and wrote for other publications as well. Keith earned a…

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Preview: All-New 2027 Toyota Highlander Goes Electric

With this reinvention, the Highlander now faces fresh rivals in the electric-only space, especially the Kia EV9 and related Hyundai Ioniq 9. It’s the fourth battery-electric vehicle in the Toyota lineup (after the bZ, bZ Woodland, and C-HR) and the automaker’s first three-row EV. The company claims it will soon offer 22 models with electrified…

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Best Cooktop Brands of 2026

In our labs, we test 30- and 36-inch gas cooktops from brands such as Bosch, GE, Ikea, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, Viking, and Wolf, along with 30- and 36-inch electric and induction cooktops from brands such as Bosch, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool. We test every cooktop at low and high heat. That covers its…

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Best Wall Oven Brands of 2026

We provide three crucial pieces of information that can help you find the best wall oven possible.  Model performance: We capture performance at the model level in our wall oven ratings. You’re able to search by model and see how well a particular oven bakes, broils, and self-cleans. You can also see how its capacity…

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Need a Splashy Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gift? Try This Dessert Box

Everything was at least good, and many treats were downright spectacular—the toffee with rose petals, for instance, and the strawberry cheesecake bark with striations of “crust.” The 10 different-flavored macarons were all fresh, and I appreciated the breadth of truffle varieties, which included key lime, piña colada, and carrot spice, among the traditional chocolate. The…

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