This and that (mainly from Youtube)

*   I was right - as this guy notes, The Count of Monte Cristo has, for some odd reason, had a resurgence of online approval and discussion in recent months.   Not entirely sure I should read it, all the same, given my better understanding of its nature from the video.

*   I now also understand more about The Odyssey, from this other guy's video.  I see Mary Beard has put out one about it, too.   She's hoping she can like Christopher Nolan's movie, but we shall see.  (I haven't watched the video fully yet, though.) 

*  This is possibly the most dramatic earthquake video I have ever seen.  Poor people.

*  Away from Youtube, the never ending uncertainty about how to deal with prostate cancer risk continues:

A growing number of prostate cancer experts argue that calling the lowest-risk prostate cancer "cancer" does more harm than good. A new UCLA-led study found removing the cancer label could dramatically reduce overtreatment and encourage more men to get screened, potentially leading to significantly fewer deaths from aggressive prostate cancer.

Using a model based on U.S. population data, the researchers estimated that relabeling Grade Group 1 (GG1) prostate cancer—the earliest and lowest-risk form of the disease—as a precancerous condition could reduce unnecessary treatment and prevent nearly 2,400 prostate cancer deaths annually. The researchers found this benefit would largely come from more men choosing PSA screening, as relabeling GG1 could reduce concerns about overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment among patients and clinicians.

A large body of research has shown that a pure GG1 cannot cause symptoms or metastasize. Guidelines therefore recommend active surveillance (including PSA testing, MRI and periodic biopsies) rather than treatment for nearly all men diagnosed with GG1. Nevertheless, up to 40% of men in the United States with GG1 continue to get treatment....

Unlike aggressive prostate cancers that can spread throughout the body, GG1 prostate cancer, also known as Gleason 6 prostate cancer, typically grows slowly over years or decades, or not at all. These tumors do not cause symptoms or become life-threatening unless a higher-grade cancer develops in the prostate.

But the diagnosis itself can be difficult for patients to process.

Research has shown that men diagnosed with GG1 typically experience stress and anxiety, and many choose surgery or radiation even when active surveillance would be the most appropriate option. Those treatments can cause long-term complications, including urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction. In addition, patients unnecessarily lose access to life insurance because of the cancer diagnosis.

The authors also note that calling these tumors "cancer" contributes to overtreatment because patients may assume the disease is more dangerous than it is.