Ripped from the Headlines: August 2020: This Week In Culture: August 15–21, 2020

Researchers found that honey performs better than over-the-counter cold medicines in treating infections of the upper respiratory tract. They examined results from 14 clinical trials and the results clearly showed honey, which contains natural anti-bacterial compounds like hydrogen peroxide, was the most effective treatment. It reduced coughing by over a third and cut the average length of an illness by two days. Sweet!

Reflectors placed on the Moon by the Apollo 14 astronauts in 1971 have been used since then for determining its exact distance and other scientific measurements. But over time, likely because of dust accumulation, the reflectors have worked less and less well. So instead of shining lasers at the reflectors, researchers instead aimed them at a NASA craft orbiting the moon which has a small reflector mounted on it.

Season two of The Mandalorian will premiere in October, and Giancarlo Esposito, the actor who plays Moff Gideon, gave an interview about playing the villain in the hit series. He talked about how his father's memories of growing up in Italy under the dictator Mussolini informed his performance. He did not disclose any plot details, particularly on the origins of his Darksaber.

Nike's Air Swoopes was the most important and successful signature shoe in women's basketball history. After 25 years, there's much debate over which player will get a high-profile deal from Nike's new Swoosh Fly program. Commentators and fans are looking at Arike Ogunbowale, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu as possible candidates. Garner comes from the Latin granarium, "granary," a storehouse for grain.

Meghan Markle's recent move to California with her husband, the former Prince Harry, has sparked rumors of upcoming Hollywood projects. The couple are reportedly meeting with studio executives, but the nature of their pitch is unknown. It is said that Markle, who became famous for her role in the TV drama Suits, does not want to return to acting. Genre is French, from the same Latin root, genus, that gives us gender.

The quarantine led to a boom in gardening, with seeds, plants, and supplies selling out quickly in the spring. A new book uses evidence from a number of psychological and medical studies to show how beneficial gardening can be for mental and physical health, connecting us to nature and reducing stress. Horticulture comes from the Latin hortus, "garden," and cultura, "culture," as in "growing," like agriculture.

After the insurance giant Lloyd's of London apologized for its role in the slave trade — the company insured the ships that carried slaves across the Atlantic — the rapper T.I. wrote an open letter to the firm. In it, he called their response "insufficient." He demanded that the firm diversify its board of directors and give 10 percent of its earnings plus a $1 million line of credit to the descendants of slaves. Mea culpa means "my fault" in Latin.

Quantum theory is a strange and complex world, and researchers have long been challenged by the fact that the mere act of observing this realm changes the behavior of subatomic particles. New experiments have pushed past a theory commonly known as "Schrödinger's Cat" to explore the very nature of reality, and whether two observers can see the same event. Myriades means "countless" or "innumerable" in Ancient Greek.

Julian Bream, widely hailed as one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time, died at 87. Born outside London, Bream began playing at a young age, and briefly studied with Andrés Segovia, the Spaniard who gave the guitar a global reputation as a serious instrument. Bream went on to record hundreds of pieces, including a number that he commissioned from famous composers. He retired from recording in the 1990s, and from performing in 2002.

Netflix cancelled Patriot Act, the weekly comedy-news show hosted by Hasan Minaj. No reasons were given for the decision. Critics loved the show, and some speculate that the lack of a live studio audience may have removed some of the energy, since Minaj clearly loved to play off the crowd. Tangere means "to touch" in Latin.