Curated Collection and Daily Updates
Look What Aiden Found Today — Episode #56
Favorite stories I read plus community-nominated pieces tailored for avid readers of ILLUMINATION Publications on Medium

Today, Dr Mehmet Yildiz interviewed one of my favorite writers, Dr. Lutz Kraushaar, who is contributing to our publications. He’s not just any writer — he’s a longevity expert. So, if you’re aiming for those extra years, dive into this interview and soak up insights from his decades of experience. As Mike, his fellow scientist, puts it, he walks his talk. Plus, he’s got a wild side just like me when it comes to vehicles. Buckle up and explore his passion.
Yesterday I drafted and planned to share boosted stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated but I couldn’t as the publishing queue was humongous. Then I gave priority to compiling this collection and creating a list. I am excited to complete 56 collections as of today. It energizes me. Please consider sharing lists on your socials, so we bring more readers to Medium.
Every share can increase our collective chance. Please don’t underestimate the power of your shares. The goal of my collections is to increase reading times for these stories. So please choose a few pieces that are interesting to you and support these writers.
You may also check out the recent collection of Mike Broadly, DHSc, an avid reader and a proud FoM contributing to the earnings of our writers.
Our editors and curators also explained how we promote non-boosted stories, which are more than 99%, so I take a significant role in this process to create visibility for such stories. Thanks, everyone, for the support that keeps me trucking on this fabulous journey.
Today, I was busy as it was the last public holiday in Australia. I helped with onboarding around 100 new writers, so I was able to find around 60 great pieces and listed them.
As I grappled with the hedonistic treadmill pursuing money and fame, which eventually led to burnout, Dr. Yildiz’s new story deeply resonated with me. It offers valuable insights that can shift perspectives on material possessions and money, perhaps even making it easier to integrate money effortlessly into our lives.
The cloning machine struck again, attempting to cast its shady duplicates in my blockbuster movie. But let me make it clear — even if they get down on their knees and beg, these scammers won’t be snagging a role in my soon-to-be award-winning cinematic masterpiece. Nice try, cloning contraption, but this director’s chair is reserved for the legit and hilarious, not the fraudulent and dubious. Yay, I Was Cloned Again but I Know the Scammer Will Kick the Bucket Soon.
The audacity of these scammers is off the charts — they’ve cloned Dr. Yildiz once more, spamming his impeccably crafted story on his mentor’s advice today.
I mean, really, how daft can they get? Trying to duplicate an account with badges belonging to an author known far and wide? It’s like they’re aiming for the gold medal in the Absurd Olympics. Do they seriously expect readers to buy into their comically misguided charade? The plot thickens, and so does the layer of absurdity!
I learned that scammers targeted Mike’s beautiful curated collections again after 5th time spamming all the readers pretending to be him. But this time, they used sophisticated methods that Mike revealed in a masterpiece. I think those scammers have no clue that Mike is a seasoned professional and will not allow them to win. That dubious writing club might kick the bucket soon. Battling Scams: My Heartfelt Struggle Against 5 Medium Attacks in a Week, Unveiling Their Latest Tricks
During our conversations, I gained a deeper understanding of Dr Yildiz’s challenges, and I hope those who sometimes take our volunteer service for granted read this story. Running these Medium publications is no walk in the park. I believe that it’s not all roses and rainbows in the editorial team.
As I curated these gems, I encountered numerous “aha” moments — some inducing fits of laughter, others coaxing tears, all painting my journey with vivid emotions. I’m excited to pass on these emotional roller coasters to you, hoping they’ll add a sprinkle of joy or even a smidgen of uncontrollable giggles to your day. Enjoy the ride.
I couldn’t write a story for the last few days, but reading and curating made me happy. I plan to write a piece this weekend. As you might have noticed, I reverted back to the previous style, as some readers believe subtitles and images make the stories more appealing. So, I traded off the size for reader preference. But if I read more stories, I plan to divide them into releases to keep the size reasonable. Today’s collection is a bit smaller, around 50.
I helped ILLUMINATION-Curators to create a new collection for our Reading Club. It is full of engaging stories.
ILLUMINATION editors created an important bulletin for increasing spam, scam, and bot accounts, contaminating the platform and causing grief to writers and readers. Please be careful as I was cloned and felt bad about it.
I read an interesting story from Dr Yildiz related to Mike’s story and his findings from the spammy topics pages. Rather than sharing his remarkable story on Medium, Dr Yildiz chose to publish it on NewsBreak because he got tired of spam affecting the performance of our stories. He explained the reasons in a post.
Those who missed my Vocal saga can read it from this link. But I highly recommend the story of Dr Yildiz as it is concerning for new writers like me trying to make Medium our home.
Our newsletter for Illumination informing our progress and plans was released on both Medium and on Substack earlier. I link both so you can share with your relevant audience. Sharing is a wonderful community trait.
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled and published the collection of boosted stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated. I believe you will find amazing stories from that collection. It is a labor of love between writers, editors, nominators, and Medium curators to delight our readers.
Finally, yesterday, I wrote a short gaming story. If you are into Tetris, you may like this amazing news. A New World Record in NES Tetris Game: It Was Just Beaten By A 13-Year-Old
I also helped add many new writers. You may start exploring their content. ILLUMINATION editors guided them earlier to start writing for us. Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #30
December 2023 was an excellent month for me. In addition, a story near and dear to my heart got a boost. Many thanks for the comments on this story: Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media’s Grip on My Life.
I recently self-curated my monthly stories for my loyal readers and as a sample for fellow writers. I look forward the same success this month so I keep working hard.
Here’s an interview with popular writer Tim Denning. You may enjoy what Tim said in this interesting interview. He is a source of inspiration for fellow writers and thousands of readers.
Last year, I wrote a story about Tim as part of an AI project. I believe you will love what AI thinks about Tim.
If you are an avid reader like me or Mike and can afford to consider upgrading your subscription by taking the plunge like many early adopters whom I introduced you to in this story.
ILLUMINATION editors interviewed Dr Yildiz on how Friends of Medium can share links on out tailored social media platforms. I tried them, and sharing these stories took only 10 minutes. I hope they bring many new readers to Medium. We all need to attract more readers to make this platform more vibrant and sustainable.
Please also check our strategic approach for 2024, which is aligned with Medium’s direction articulated by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, our chief editor.
He also mentioned that only 5% of his stories performed well in 2023 and other 95% hardly got any views.
Dr Yildiz also added many new writers during his holidays.
Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #31 ILLUMINATION
Daily List for Sharing — Volume 56
I volunteered to create a list of this collection. So you can easily share this collection on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Quora. You can find all our sharing platforms from this story link by Dr Yildiz.
Let’s all engage in this list and at least tweet it so that more readers can find these stories. It is the purpose of these curated lists. We appreciate your wonderful support for these writers who pour their hearts and souls into these stories to delight you. Here are the nominated stories from avid readers today.
Chosen Stories from ILLUMINATION Writers Today
As we mentioned before, “these stories are a combination of what I enjoyed and those which nominated by volunteering editors (also writers and readers) on this platform, so the stories in this collection reflect their collective tastes. As a publication, ILLUMINATION keeps a neutral position for all published stories, and it is impossible to feature over one million published stories. But we will do our best to amplify as many great stories as possible almost daily from now on based on the availability of our volunteers.”
Here are our wonderful and nominated stories today! I believe you will find something that will satisfy your reading needs.
Are We Ready to Welcome the Internet of Bodies Where Every Pulse Counts? Dr Mehmet Yildiz
This Unknown Book with a Boring Title Explains Everything You Need to Know About Money Tim Denning
A New Scientific Link Between Smoking and ALS Mike Broadly, DHSc
What Car Shows Mean to Me and How They Enriched My Life Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
Know Truth From the Inside Out Cedric Johnson, PhD
In the Day Marie Grace, Ph.D.
Cycle Moshe Sipper, Ph.D.
Overcoming Writer’s Block Was My first 2024 Writing Experience Antonio Segovia, MD.
2 Hacks That Will Give Your Mental Health a Big Boost Sufyan Maan, M.Eng
The 10% Rule: Say No to 90% (More Life, Less Hustle) Thomas Oppong
My Dental Woes Became a Course in Mini Miracles Rebecca Romanelli
Defining Spiritual Faith in a Life of Distraction Pernoste & Dahl
Embracing Knowledge Humility: Navigating the Dunning-Kruger Effect in the Workplace K. Joseph
A True Tale of Synchronicity — or Was it a Case of Irrational Coincidence? Deborah Camp
Time Rifts 43 — Too Many, Too Much Frank Ontario | empathy, logic, love.
Expectations: A Harbinger of Hatred. Chapter 5 Dmitry Potylitsyn
Yoga Nidra: 5 Practical Tips to Help You Rest, Meditate, And Feel Less Stressed Ntathu Allen (she/her)
You take the gun out from the drawer, still loaded from yesterday. Yong Kim
An Ancient Philosopher Explains How the World Is Not What It Appears to Be Andy Murphy
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Rises, Concerning Me As It Was My Big Problem Dr Mehmet Yildiz
The Power of Transformation Philip M - I
Chaos at OpenAI: The Emergence of Q-Star and Its Implications for Humanity Ekant Mate (AWS APN Ambassador)
3 Foolproof Methods That Will Drag You Out Of Your Comfort Zone Raghunathan Srinivasan
A Journey Through The Market — Treacle Puddings And Evening Icicles; Tales To The Warm-hearted In… The Doctor - Joanie Adams
“The Niche Is Me” Gia
Why Waiting For An Apology Is Futile Rashmi G
Four Self-Employment Lessons From RuPaul’s Drag Race Nicholas Barron
AI Art Made Me Worry Less About Creating Art of My Own Fran Holly
Preventative Detention Dr John Frederick Rose
5 Things You Should Know Before Self-Publishing A Novel Cam Roze
5 Essential Tips to Reduce Information Overload (& Overcome Analysis Paralysis) Maggie Kelly
Navigating Imposter Syndrome Adonis Richards
Jack Robinson’s Statue Stolen, Except The Feet Black Culture Unlocked
Why You Shouldn’t Do Dietbet.com and What to Do Instead Fisk Harrison
Best Camera For The Next 30 Years Gurmohit Randhawa
A Kinder Lesson in Forgiveness and Peace of Mind S ESOOF SIDDIQ
When Only Love Remains Un-Traditional Mother
Do This For An Instant Confidence Boost Jasmine
Is Your Fear of Intimacy Leading You To Unavailable Partners? Above The Middle
13 Insights From Schoolyard Friendships That Transformed My Financial Success Celia Fidalgo, PhD
Stop Letting Perfectionism Stifle Your Potential. Angelica Mendez
Her Son Saw Her in the Shower, and The Sky Was Falling Down Mike Broadly, DHSc
Save for 8 Years in Your Youth, a Retirement Without Worries Adam Stern
Biohacking Your Brain: The Science and Ethics of Cognitive Enhancement Cortex Chronicles
The Plane Tree’s Secret: A Traveler’s Chronicle S ESOOF SIDDIQ
3 Mental Hacks To Instantly Unlock More Success in Your Life Manj Bahra
Does The Wake Drive Your Boat? Karo NoiseOfFreedom
Sins, Stones, and Glasshouses Brooklyn Muse (editor)
Did Hominids Who Lived 1.4 Million Years Ago Already Know Geometry? Cristiano Luchini
When There Is Money In Your Hand And Not In Your Heart — It Will Not Harm You Even If It Is Alot: S.a.n.a.h
Unlocking the Wonders of Sleep: Unveiling Psychedelic Chemicals Produced by Our Brains Lawson Wallace
Hail The Traveler Philip Writes
How Can You Lead a Good Life? Emily Chan - Life and love sharing
I Am James Boylan
Unveiling the Shadow — Self-Discovery and Emotional Liberation Jess West
How To Overcome Shame and Pride Christina Sponias
3 Signs Of Relationship Disconnection Zondra Dos Anjos
Should I Use My Roth IRA For A First Time Home Purchase: Zach Breiner
OPINION WITH TONGUE-Illl Veritas Civis
These Two People Helped Change The Landscape Of The United States Stephanie A. James
Why You Should Make the Most of Your Time and Just Live Life With The Brakes Off Glyn Bawden
How Romantic is Your State? Arlo Hennings
4 Awesome Human-Centred Design Tips: How to Achieve Genuine Human Connection Toby Castles
5 Analytical Skills that Every Data Analyst Should Have Richard Warepam
Highs, Lows, and Lessons of Intense Love Hidayatullah
Unimpressionists — A Legacy of Self-Actualization & Dissent Anthony Eichberger
Sometimes, Give Your Emotions the Privilege They Deserve Kanika Pal
“Oh My God! There Is Nothing to Do! And We Are All Gonna Die!” Satori Savant
0.47 $ of Happiness Atlas
Writers Can’t Be Sick or Take a Break Michael Koetsier
I Mapped Out My Skills in Four Levels and Realized What I Must Improve Josef Cruz
Australian Table Wine Rodrigo S-C
Why 80% of Writers Quit Medium Manish Dangi
If You Want To Progress In Your Job But Do Not Know How Bad Or Good You Are, Do This. Tser Dennis
The Moment it Finally, Clicked Adam
50 African Proverbs and Wise Sayings with Their Meanings Kingsley Asuamah
Don’t Make This Comment to the Children of Divorce Colleen Sheehy Orme
Lithium Orotate: Why This Unique Molecule Might Save Lives Based on My Intense Research Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Satan Wants You To Be Defeated And Helpless Asma Khalid
Embracing Self-Care: Prioritizing Health Over Work Hive 42
This Is Where 90% Of My Content Ideas Come From Suvan Goel
Why there are no new stories to say anymore? Reading Same Stuff Everyday Sreevidya. A
Vienna in 1900: Glorious and Doomed. Jeff Miller
The Day Mum Died Sue Moseley
5 Nutrition ‘Worsts’: #2. The Worst Trend Joan Kent, PhD
The Power of Boredom orestisJP
13 Famous Celebrities Who live in Charlotte, North Carolina Bruno Ewayu
How Do You Like Your Tea? Miraç Yazıcı
How to Draw with Words — What Shakespeare Teaches Us in His Sonnet 8. Brian Mak
Why Professionals Should Read Daily Prashansa Gadgil
Credence Clash Sтepн Tнoмpѕoɴ
The Fisherman PAX
Resign, But Be Smart About It! Peter Tilsen
Small Business Owners Should Embrace Technology Instead of Avoiding It Ngozi Anna Akunne
Why do you need cloud-ready applications? Shamim Rajani
As above, so below — Reflections on the Paris Catacombs Pills for thoughts
5 Things That Cause Way More Deaths Than People Are Aware Of. Dr. Christine Chuckle
Are Productivity Tools Making You Less Productive? Danny Ross
One Story YOU All Should Read. Pyrros Mathios
Navigating the Sea of Information Teronie Donaldson
The GOP: Repressed Kinkers Who Just Want to Be Free to Melt Their Butter Like the Rest of Us John Worthington
Beyond Annoyance: A Journey Through Everyday’s Frustrating Phrases Nishith Goyal
Men Are Wonderful Entry 1: In Their Righteous Anger TDO Timothy
Queer Organisms: Nature’s Lesson for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Thank you for reading these beautiful stories.
Quick Updates for Highlights of Our Pubs
ILLUMINATION-Curators introduced some recently boosted stories. I believe you will find some great stories in that collection. Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION Publications — V2
By upgrading his main profile, Dr Yildiz inspired our readers to become Medium Friends. I hope many readers join this inspiring journey. Celebrating My Reading Anniversary with My Upgraded Subscription to New Medium Friendship
Boost Education:
I’ve launched a new series to help writers hit the literary stratosphere. Dr. Yildiz got the grand opening gig because I’ve got the scoop on his stellar stories. Now that I’m peeking behind the scenes as an editor and boost nominator, I’m trying to put as many writers in the spotlight as possible. Your thoughts on the story would be cosmic — let’s team up and make these tales shine like stars! I will do it for every boosted writer as soon as I get a chance. Here is Episode 2 introducing boosted stories of Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D. Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #2 and Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #1. You can learn more about Matt’s background from this interview. An Interview with Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D.
Recently, I added several new writers. I look forward to seeing their stories in these collections soon. You can meet them from the attached post. I also added their profiles at the end of this post so you can follow them easily if you want to. I will add more writers later today. There are many applicants. Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28 and #27
For new readers and writers, I have also joined the ranks as a Friend of Medium (FoM). From now on, stories I read from other writers will earn them four times the previous ones. Details are in the attached story. I Took the Plunge and Became a Friend of Medium (FoM) Yesterday.
Dr Yildiz also wrote about it to invite our readers to become Medium Friends and support our writers. The more FoMs the merrier. Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
But scammers spammed his beautiful story and tried to deceive our readers. Here’s his sad and important story: every writer and reader needs to understand and act cautiously. They act too realistically! Scam and Spam Accounts on Medium Are As Bad As Hate Speech and Defamation for Writers
They did the same thing to me. For those who missed the excitement, two days ago, I was happy the scary scam account that emulated my profile and tried to deceive my readers was removed. Those who missed the drama can read it from this link. Breaking News: My Clone Kicked the Bucket, and I’m Gleefully Celebrating It🎉
How to Identify Them? These fraudulent accounts typically lack followers and haven’t authored any stories themselves. They are non-members with no star or heart icons in their profile names. Urgent Notice: Beware of Fake Accounts Impersonating Influential Writers
If you are into gaming, I also wrote about winners of 2023 for popular games. I will introduce some of those games in my forthcoming stories for game lovers. The Winners of The Game Awards 2023 Have Been Announced
Talking of gaming, if you plan to craft stories about these remarkable games, consider submitting them to my publication, ILLUMINATION-Gaming. I’m here to elevate your narratives, ensuring they stand out and increasing their chances of a boost. I wrote about my goals and how I can help our writers in a story titled ILLUMINATION Gaming Is Part of the Boost Program Now.
To inform new writers, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, now is a boost nominating pub You may learn about How ILLUMINATION Publications Support the BOOST Program.
I’ve bundled up all my lists into one tidy little story. It is a treasure trove of fantastic reads waiting for you. Please consider sharing the love on your socials and dive into these gems! You won’t regret it.
Shareable List Links for Curated Collections on ILLUMINATION
Dr Mehmet Yildiz introduced a writing duo known as Pernoste & Dahl. You will love this introduction as he reveals the mystery behind these interesting writers who writes inspiring and engaing content on Medium.
Meet Pernoste and Dahl: A Writing Duo of a Neuroscientist and an Artist
ILLUMINATION editors introduced a great writer, Somil Gupta. I hope you check his profile and explore his delicious stories. Meet Somil Gupta on Medium
Our team of volunteers is working through the influx of stories, aiming to review and publish each piece while welcoming new writers into our fold. It’s a labor of love that demands time and effort. Please remember that we support 25K+ writers, as mentioned in our Monthly Updates.
If you missed this recent interview featuring Luay Rahil, here is a link for you. His stories can nicely surprise you. An Interview with Luay Rahil, MBA
For those who missed my Vocal saga, here is the link. I hope new writers don’t make the same mistake I made for 18 months. Here’s How I Miserably Failed Vocal Media But Have No Regrets
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled boosted stories in December, so you might find some fascinating stories from this collection. I also chose to publish this collection on ILLUMINATION-Curated as our readers enjoy curated collections. Here is their treasure trove: Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated
ILLUMINATION-Curators wrote about that exceptional story. I hope you will get a chance to read it and pay attention to your privacy. An Exceptional Story on Privacy Every Reader May Find Helpful
Our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz, upgraded our publication accounts ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curators, as well as his tech account Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech), making them Friends of Medium. Reading from these accounts will allow writers to earn four times more. While curating stories, we read many stories from these accounts, so it will be great for writers. Details are in his story by Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech): Why I Became a Friend of Medium
Our senior editor Mike Broadly, DHSc joined the curation team and created new collections from his favorite stories that you may adore. He has amazing taste as an avid reader and has already created seven collections in such a short time. I loved his new collection earlier today.
Mike’s Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #17 Mike Broadly, DHSc
Please find his collections with the associated lists and share them on your socials so we can bring more readers to Medium. Here are links to Mike’s collections: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16
Our supportive editor, famous nutritionist, Elin Melaas, created her second collection earlier. Elin also created the Invisible Series. Elin’s Chosen ILLUMINATION Stories — #2
And our lovely editor Surekha Chandrasekhar also created a collection of her delicious pub ILLUMINATION’s Nutrition which is also our virtual kitchen. 20 Curated Stories From Illumination’s Nutrition -2023
ILLUMINATION editors introduced some great writers. You may check out their profiles and explore their fabulous stories.
Meet Seda Anbarcı, Meet Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi, Meet Jozsef Kovacs, Meet Davor Katusic. Meet Thomas Allen Moon, Meet Sneha Nagre, Meet Zondra Dos Anjos, Meet Ani Vals Meet Ammara Hassan. Meet Sridhar Pai Tonse — Leadgen Coach- Tech Startups Chosen Stories from Omni Essence, Editorial Profile of InYah
Our editors enjoy stories and nominate them for these curated collections. You may check editor profiles in this collection.
I love reading writer biographies and curating them. If you write any bio story please let me know so I can add them to my collection. Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies
Dr Mehmet Yildiz reviewed an interesting book of Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi. If you are a book author, you may contact Dr Yildiz as he really does great reviews. He even wrote the foreword of my gaming book. Here is his great review today. “Nobody Will Tell You This”
As mentioned a few weeks ago, I created a Discord server for our writers to collaborate and share their story links, so you are all welcome to join. We already have great fun there. It is not as big as our Slack, but it will be one day, as Discord is a lot of fun.
Introduction to New Writers
Now, let’s welcome the new writers who joined us yesterday. Please explore their stories and they resonate with you may connect with them. This is a great opportunity for writers and readers to meet. I followed all of them today as yesterday I couldn’t follow more than 150 profiles.
A Special Welcome to New Writers on New Year’s Day from the Chief Editor
A Special Welcome to New Writers on Christmas Day from the Chief Editor
You may also check previously joined writers in the last two weeks from the attached onboarding packs. You never know who to meet.
Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28
Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #27
Here is our onboarding pack covering everything you need to know.
New writers, when you need help please don’t hesitate to contact me on Slack workspace or Discord server. I introduce these services below.
I also enjoy introducing writers on YouTube. So if you are interested you may contact me on Slack or Discord.






