For the Union-Tribune
Covid and animals
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed human behaviours, at least for a while.
It also affected animal behavior. Using data from more than 5,000 camera traps during the pandemic, the researchers found that in urban areas where animals have become accustomed to humans, all species appear to be getting out into nature more often. For example, raccoon and deer sightings have increased, even with more people.
However, in rural areas, animals that are more wary of humans have become more skittish and have greatly reduced their activity, a form of social distancing.
Viral dementia
The causes of dementia are many, most of which are not well understood.
One of the things receiving more attention these days is viral infections, the idea that pathogens can trigger a cascade of events that lead to progressive neurodegeneration. In fact, some recent evidence has found that the shingles vaccine, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, helps protect people’s brains from dementia.
Part of this shift is due to COVID-19 and concerns about long-term cognitive decline. “I’ve always been a believer in vaccines, but the Covid-19 vaccine has confirmed for me that there may be long-term benefits to vaccination that go beyond simply stopping the short-term effects,” Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, told STAT.
Get me that. Statistics!
Drifting smoke from wildfires from 2019 to 2021 reached nearly every lake in North America for at least one day annually, according to a UC Davis report. Importantly, 89% of the lakes were exposed to smoke for more than 30 days.
This research is part of an effort to study how smoke affects lake environments, such as how much solar radiation penetrates the water or changes its composition.
“We don’t yet know how smoke affects food webs, lake ecology, or what the future of these systems is if there is an increase in lake smoke days,” said study author Mary Jade Farrugia.
“I think defining the scope of the problem is really the first step. We point out that this is something we need to manage all over the world, not just areas affected by bushfires.
Document talk
Singultus – hiccups or hiccup attack. Multiple attacks are single.
Obsession of the week
Macromania – the illusion that objects are actually larger than their normal size
Food for thought
Botanically speaking, banana is a berry. Blackberries and strawberries are members of the rose family, as are cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, quince and peaches. Blueberries and cranberries are part of the heath family.
note
“Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.”
– French writer Jules Reynard (1864-1910)
Medical history
This week in 1750, Benjamin Franklin suffered a severe shock while electrocuting a turkey. Two days later, he wrote to his brother saying that one of his experiments with electricity had failed, when he inadvertently came into contact with “electric fire,” causing a small swelling where he went into shock, after being distracted by the conversation of observers around him.
“I am ashamed that I was guilty of this terrible mistake,” he wrote to his brother.
The electrocuted turkey wasn’t happy either.
Perishable leaflets
Many, if not most, published papers have titles that are difficult to understand. They use specialized terms, complex words, and vague phrases such as “nonlinear dynamics.” Sometimes it doesn’t, yet it can still be difficult to detect. Here’s the actual title of the actual published research study: “On the effectiveness of aluminum foil helmets: a pilot study.”
In the study, published in 2008, researchers sought to determine which styles of helmets made of aluminum foil (or aluminium, both are correct) were most effective at repelling invasive radio signals. They found that some radio frequencies were attenuated, but others were amplified, most notably frequencies designated for government use. Very suspicious.
School of medicine
Q: What is the name of the snake that entangles the stick and symbolizes medicine?
A) Asclepius
b) The snake
c) McSnakeface
d) It has no name
A: The snake is associated with Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, who allegedly learned some of his craft from snakes. According to mythology, the human Asclepius witnessed a snake using herbs to revive another snake he had killed. In another tale, a snake whispered healing secrets into Asclepius’ ear after saving the snake’s life.
Lavie is vice president of communications at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Research Institute.
Originally published:
