For the past few weeks, videos from Buzzfeed have popped up in my Youtube recommendations. I guess nostalgia is coded in the algorithms. Either way, I fell for it. My past viewing history informed Youtube of my possible current interests, so it is merely my past self suggesting content to my current self, right?

I tend to perceive this as an iterative cycle of optimization: We search for what we are interested in, the platforms offer suggestions based on our behavior, we again make decisions when we browse the platforms with advertisements embedded and the algorithms are refined in this process. But what is the driving force behind this cycle? Our data, our attention, our time. The rhetoric of automation is merely delusional. The platforms create the impression that they are helping us find the right content, but the hidden labor of recommendation algorithms is performed by us. Our attention is extracted like raw materials, and to stay on the platforms for social participation, we are forced to pay more attention and make more decisions for the platforms profit maximization. In fact, the more time we spend on the platforms, the more time we have to spend to stay on the platforms.

Attention is an intriguing concept: We dont exactly have control over what we pay our attention to, and we cannot necessarily overlook something were already paying attention to. With everything now first being fed into these tech giants before they turn to demand our attention, our attention is enslaved in the information economy. We no longer have full autonomy over what we spend our time consuming with the endless browsing we have to perform for the free platforms.

As for Buzzfeed, the company rose to prominence by leveraging this new business model based on attention colonialism. The new media companys strategy is clear more clicks, more money. Buzzfeed uses every way conceivable to grab your attention to click on their content, but their reliance on social media platforms has posed a threat to their longevity. When the algorithms make decisions based on the interests of the social media platforms, how can new media companies gain visibility? It doesnt sound right if new media companies pay the platforms to have their content promoted in the first place. The platformization of media is challenging the very distinction between a media company and a content creator.

So I watched the Buzzfeed video. After a year of not getting exposed to any Buzzfeed content, I couldnt recognize any of the new Buzzfeed people. The video does not feature any of the big names Im familiar with because they have all left Buzzfeed. Remember when there was a wave of prominent producers leaving Buzzfeed to embark on their journey as content creators? The Why I Left Buzzfeed genre became sensational hits and garnered more views than the videos Buzzfeed produced at the time. The new people still share the likable Buzzfeed spirit, but theyre just not the Try Guys, Safiya Nygaard or Michelle Khare.

A netizen myth emerged that Buzzfeed is dying with these people leaving. Have trends proved this assertion right? Judging by the views of their recent videos, it is indeed slowly dying in peoples attention. What happened?

With the platformization of media, branding for media companies has been a difficult task. In the new media landscape, it is far more common for people to recognize personalities rather than non-human brands. (On the other hand, we dont just look at humans. There are non-human personalities that might be entirely artificial yet immensely attention-grabbing). With Buzzfeed losing its known faces, it is getting increasingly challenging for the company to retain its presence in the audiences mind. Buzzfeed doesnt just fail to retain its stars, it has also been laying off its emerging talents. While the business itself is still profitable, such practices to help it remain profitable have destructively hurt the branding of the company. Influencers now dominate new media, and companies are struggling to keep up with that.

The most notable exception to this rule of celebrity dominance in the new media landscape is perhaps in the realm of journalism. When people look for quality news, they look for The New York Times or The Washington Post, but we wont necessarily be able to recognize Nate Silver from FiveThirtyEight or Ezra Klein from Vox. In the case of Buzzfeed, its identity crisis is also rooted in its hybridity of news and entertainment. It is often overlooked that Buzzfeed News is, in fact, a reputable news outlet that has been finalists for Pulitzer Prizes for its contribution to investigative journalism. Nonetheless, the popular image of Buzzfeed as an entertainment company obscures its position as a media company. With Buzzfeed blurring the line between news and entertainment, the company as a brand is having a hard time standing out. It is not as trustworthy as The Atlantic, but it is also not as interesting as Kim Kardashian.

So, with Buzzfeed Newss editor-in-chief Ben Smith moving to The New York Times as the next media columnist, are we witnessing the burst of the digital media bubble? I shall say not yet. Digital media consumption is at an all-time high. What we are seeing now is a stormy reshuffling of the organizational hierarchies of the new media landscape. In my opinion, a radical restructuring of the business model rooted in attention colonialism is in urgent need of radical refashioning, or else we will just spend an absurd amount of time reading and watching nothing.

Stephen Yang is a sophomore in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at syang@cornellsun.com. Rewiring Technoculture runs alternate Mondays this semester.

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YANG | Do You Still Watch Buzzfeed? - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

A SECRETIVE filming event closed Rocky Creek Dam for four days, with Rous County Council saying they couldn't divulge any details because of a "confidentiality agreement".

But Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth is understood to be the real reason behind the controversial closure.

Locals were outraged they couldn't visit their favourite recreational area and wanted answers.

Rous general manager Phillip Rudd confirmed the dam was in lockout mode from 5pm on Saturday until 9am on Tuesday due to the filming of a National Geographic documentary.

"Due to a signed confidentiality agreement I can't say much more than that," he said.

"We decided to close Rocky Creek Dam to the general public and tour groups mostly from a safety point of view due to the use of plant equipment."

Rocky Creek Dam was closed for filming.

However sources have confirmed the filming was for a new science doco-series, Limitless.

The show is being produced by Darren Aronofsky and Jane Root, and will be hosted by Hemsworth.

"Basically, I was somehow convinced to volunteer myself as a human guinea pig and endure a series of mental and physical challenges across the globe, all for the sake of science," Hemsworth told The Daily Telegraph.

"We're hoping to shed some light on new ideas and emerging science with the focus on extending a healthy life span. Production starts soon, so wish me luck."

The series seeks to expand our knowledge on how to live healthier, longer lives.

Hemsworth will undertake both mental and physical challenges to push the science and himself - to the limits of human potential.

National Geographic said that the series will showcase extraordinary examples of longevity science from around the world, from centenarian martial artists through to how navy seals conquer stress.

The filming crew finished up at Rocky Creek Dam on Tuesday morning, and the area has since reopened to the public.

Originally posted here:
Hemsworth rumoured to be filming new project at dam - Central Telegraph

It's that time again when a fresh, new year awaits with so many possibilities. You want to make resolutions, but you definitely don't want to fail. We can help with that.

Here are plenty of great ideas to make this year a healthier, happier one Pick one, two or several ideas. They're not monstrously big changes but big enough that you'll feel better. And what better way to kick off a new decade?

There's a reason the gym is so packed in January. Many people make huge plans to hit the elliptical every day or attend regular aerobics classes. But when life starts to get in the way, attendance dwindles and the gym begins to look normal again.

The good news is that you don't have to do a serious workout to get the benefits of being active. Even 10 minutes of activity here and there adds up and gives you health benefits. Try pacing when you're on the phone, taking things up and down the stairs one at a time or dancing to a couple of your favorite songs. Or make a promise to walk your dog every day. You'll both love the exercise.

What if you added just an extra serving of vegetables each day? (Photo: Pinkyone/Shutterstock)

Going on a diet is another common resolution. But if you try to overhaul your diet completely, chances are you'll default to old habits quickly. You'll have much better luck if you start small.

Try making gradual diet changes like adding one more fruit or vegetable to your daily diet. Or try eating less meat and sugar. Once you conquer one small change, see if you can add another.

Although diet and exercise are two of the most popular resolutions, they aren't equal if weight loss is your goal. Moving matters, but cutting calories counts more when you want to drop pounds. Ideally, the two should go hand in hand for a well-rounded, healthier you.

If you increase only your exercise regimen without changing your eating habits, you're unlikely to lose much weight. This "exercise paradox" might be because your body adapts or you make up for your workouts by being sedentary the rest of the day.

Walking in the woods can lower stress and make you sleep better. (Photo: Skumer/Shutterstock)

Everyone knows that being in nature is good for your health. So make time to get outside. Just a simple walk in the woods boosts your well-being and has benefits from better sleep to lower stress. One study even found that walking in a park can give you the same feel-good sensations as Christmas.

If you don't have time to head to the park, try taking a walk at lunch. A lunchtime stroll can immediately improve your mood, increase relaxation and make you more enthusiastic about your work.

Stress in small doses is a normal part of everyday life. But when you're overwhelmed at work or at home, your body can suffer. Too much stress can take a toll on your heart, your brain and your weight, leading to headaches and trouble sleeping, upset stomach and chest pain, reports WebMD.

It's hard to get rid of stress completely, but there are ways to tackle it when it comes barreling your way. Try a few moments of deep breathing, yoga or meditation to calm your brain and body. One recent study found that people who learned eight happiness strategies were more easily able to conquer stress and were happier. You can choose the skills that work for you, including writing in a gratitude journal, recognizing a positive event every day and practicing a small act of kindness daily.

Spending time with pets is good for your physical and mental health. (Photo: ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock)

Dogs and cats are good for your health. If you have a pet, you know that great feeling when they crawl up in your lap or you go for a walk or play a game of fetch. Study after study shows how pets are good for everything from your heart health and longevity to your fitness and social life.

If you don't have a pet, consider getting one or at least maybe foster one or volunteer at a local shelter. If you do have a pet, dedicate yourself to spending more time with your four-legged pal.

You know you're helping others when you volunteer, but you will also reap the rewards of your kindness.

Studies have shown that people who volunteer for selfless reasons live longer than those who don't do charity work (or who do it because they have to). Other research has found that people who volunteer are less stressed and have lower blood pressure than those who don't help others in the community.

Getting a good sleep routine can mean less tossing and turning. (Photo: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock)

Just going to bed earlier or trying to sleep in longer doesn't count for getting better rest. You have to work on your sleep routine in order to wake up feeling amazing.

Make your bedroom inviting with comfortable sheets and no electronics. Have a nighttime ritual and go to bed and wake up at the same time even on weekends. Don't nap during the day and watch your caffeine. Be smart about exercise late in the day and consider whether your pet should be sharing your space.

There are so many reasons to declutter in the new year. You can get rid of things you don't need and donate them to people who can use them instead.

But having piles of paper and loads of things all around you also can lead to anxiety and stress, according to WebMD. You can feel overwhelmed and become nonproductive when you have too much stuff. It can be bad for your mental health and your physical health because of the dust and mold that can collect.

Take your cluttering a little at a time. Tackle a drawer, a shelf, a closet or a room at a time. Divide items into things you can donate, throw away or keep.

Standing at your desk can help ease some of the risks linked with too much sitting. (Photo: Juhan Sonin [CC by 2.0]/Flickr)

If you sit at a desk most of the day, it's easy to forget to get up and take a break. But sedentary behavior like sitting at a computer or watching TV for hours on end is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes, among other problems.

Just because you exercise at the beginning or end of the day, that doesn't offset sitting for nearly eight or nine hours straight. The best thing to do is take lots of breaks throughout the day or consider a standing desk.

If you didn't get your flu shot yet, you're not out of luck or out of the woods. Ideally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests everyone get the flu shot by the end of October. Flu season is October through March, but peak activity is typically in February.

While you're at it, check to see if you're up to date on other vaccines. If you're over 50, for example, you're due for a shingles shot. And when was the last time you had a tetanus booster?

Mary Jo DiLonardo writes about everything from health to parenting and anything that helps explain why her dog does what he does.

How to be a healthier, happier human in 2020

These small resolutions can make for a great start to the new year.

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How to be a healthier, happier human in 2020 - Mother Nature Network

Marking progress through a life in the arts is often measured in inches across years. Day-to-day, month-by-month, year after year after year. A show here, a break, another show. Life intervenes: relationships with artists are notoriously complicated for all involved, though not without distinct rewards. Issues of finances and longevity, ethics and the elusive nature of quality, that most subjective of measures, which moonlights under the auspices of its opposite, are daily considerations. Making art as a person of color, a woman, or an artist who is unquietly queer, femme, trans, non-binary or otherwise socially or culturally marginalized redoubles these complications and adds a few more: institutionalized racism and sexism, the demand for excellence in the face of white cis male mediocrity, a constant barrage of microaggressions, well-meaning liberalism. The list goes on and on.

And yet, against the odds, the artist rises. One of the most gratifying ascents to behold in the last few years has been that of Wardell Julius Clark. After a decade as a professional actor, Julius Clark switched his focus to directing in 2018while maintaining a foothold in the world of actingand has achieved a degree of critical and popular success the likes of which are rare for artists at any point in their career, with each new play building on the artistry of the ones before it. I spoke with Wardell via email as well as in person during this years Players photoshoot, where he was generous, thoughtful and game for anything, qualities that gracefully transpose onto his art and activism.

We talked a little over a year ago but it seems like a lifetime at the clip youve been working at. Catch us up on what youve been up to and whats coming next.

I went back on the other side of the table to act in Flyin West at American Blues Theater, then directed two staged readings at TimeLine Theatre. I worked with Make Believe Productions, recording an audio drama written by Nate Marshall, Bruh Rabbit, in front of a live studio audience. I opened the critically acclaimed Dutch Masters at Jackalope Theatre, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 at Chicago Childrens Theatre, His Shadow at 16th Street Theater, and Hoodoo Love at Raven Theatre. I workshopped and did a stage reading of a brand new Calamity West play, Christmas at Home, with Sideshow Theatre this summer, as well as finally joining the ensemble of The Fly Honey Show for their tenth anniversary. Coming up, the Chicago premiere of Sheepdog opens at Shattered Globe, followed by the Chicago premiere of James Ijames Kill Move Paradise at TimeLine Theatre Company. After that, I head to Steppenwolf as associate director on the world premiere of the new Rajiv Joseph play King James with Anna D. Shapiro, which will move to the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles later in the summer.

What are the most significant things youve learned along the way about yourself as an artist and particularly as a director?

What I know for sure is that I am walking in my calling, living in my purpose and growing as a human being through my art. My ideologies have morphed and changed greatly over the past years, especially the last five. I have found a specific mission, one that is about illuminating, celebrating and relishing black life onstage, as a means to seek liberation for my people through the art we create. I have also learned that it is okay to not have all the answers. The best thing a director can do is surround themselves with a fierce, diverse team of individuals who share a common goal for the work, with a myriad of ideas about how to achieve our collective goal. Ive learned that my connection to any play is directly tied to how effective and powerful I think a story can be for the audience.

Because I spent ten years as a professional actor before adding director to my resume, it is less about learning new things and more about sharpening instincts that are already there. Ive learned that if I cannot figure out the big moment in the play before I accept the job, then I cant do the play. I have to have an instinctual, mental and visual understanding of how that works in the storytelling. Ive learned that taking something as small as three lines of stage direction can spark an entire theatrical moment in my mind, unrealized to the playwright and fully in service of the story.

Every storefront show you directed last year sold out. What is it about the work that you and your collaborators are doing that draws such enthusiastic crowds?

To me, theater is church. A sacred place to tell truths, to be a conduit and a reflection. Lifes mirror. I often talk about the distinction between concept and intention. What I mean by that is, every director has a concept for how they choose to interpret the text of a play. However, there are many productions that do not fully connect the concept to what the intention of the audiences emotion should be. From initial design meetings throughout preproduction and first rehearsal and the entire rehearsal process, I am continually reminding myself and all collaborators what the intention of our concept is. That idea fuels the theatrical relationship between production and audience. Audiences have to know that a Wardell Julius Clark production will be a full-bodied, visceral, emotional journey. That is because in every area of the production my collaborators and I intentionally seek to be as effective as possible in creating a world that not only the actors can live inside of but the audience as well. Chicago audiences have always known and continually crave this unabashed in-your-face experience from their storefront theater. Theater is both entertainment and education, even in the darkest moments onstage I want the audiences to be fully enthralled. The collective experience of the audience by nature makes people want to share it with each other. I like to build early word of mouth, buzz and excitement around the shows that I do. That, coupled with social media marketing and a lot of self-promotion [laughs] makes the whole thing work.

Critics like to note, or perhaps project patterns onto an artists output. What connections do you see between the plays youve directed?

All of the plays that I have directed so far deal with some aspect of the black experience juxtaposed against a past, present and future society seeking to invalidate our existence. I am drawn to work that illuminates black folks in our current condition while always striving for a more equitable existence in the world. A lot of my work has social justice themes. Growing up in Fairfield, Alabama and being steeped in the history of Birmingham, I have always thought of myself as an activist. A lot of the work that I have donefrom my first play Insurrection: Holding History at Stage Leftto the upcoming Kill Move Paradise at Timeline Theatreis steeped in various forms of liberation of black people. I am drawn to plays that have large theatrical moments or plays absent of blocking on the page. I said in our previous interview, and I still believe, what we do with our art is our revolution. I seek to do work that leads audiences on a revelatory journey, that can also act as a conduit for a better society.

Take us inside your directorial process. Where do you begin? Whats it like in the room? Are you nervous when a new show opens or are you already thinking about the next?

I begin with the images in my minds eye on my first read of the text. There are usually moments that I see from the page that are in the final form of the production. My conversations with designers during preproduction are less instructive and more free-form exploration of ideas. I always have a very clear understanding of how the world of the play should function and seek to collaborate with designers to bring their instincts to my vision. On the first day of rehearsal I always begin with a James Baldwin quote. Baldwin for me articulates the vast dexterity of black life. It sets the tone for how we will work over the next several weeks in rehearsal. My rehearsal room is very fun, I like to think. When the play is hard, the work shouldnt be.

I am always nervous when a new show opens, in that I hope the work resonates with audiences. I am also always thinking about the next show, usually based on necessity. Because of the freelance lifestyle, and scheduling, it has become a regular occurrence for me to be in preproduction while in rehearsals for another show. For example, my first week of rehearsals for Kill Move Paradise overlaps with tech and previews for Sheepdog.

You dont show much sign of slowing down but lets talk about self-care. What does a day off look like for you? Do you have a go-to getaway spot?

A day off? Whats that? Ha. Yes. My best friend Sydney Charles often jokes that I need a hobby. If I am gifted with a day off, I prefer to stay in bed. Self-care for me comes in very simple forms. Catching up on television shows, books that Ive been meaning to read, and checking in on pop culture. If I am treating myself, there are specific foods and beverages that I will indulge in. A Popeyes chicken sandwich and a Kentucky mule can do wonders. Dance for me is the loftiest of art forms and through daily practice and the occasional patronage I use dance as a form of rejuvenation and healing.

Who or what is currently inspiring you?

I am inspired by the artists in my inner circle. As a person who is constantly on the hunt for inspiration, surrounding myself with a small group of humans who share similar values and passion for life is my inspiration. My partner, Regina Victor, a person who embodies what I personally feel are the best qualities of the human spirit, is a daily inspiration in the way they pursue life. That daily interaction alone facilitates an energy in me that allows me to continue on my hardest days. I am inspired by the everyman in America who, in spite of everything, not only survives but thrives in their own world. My mothers joy inspires me. My brother Phillip James Brannon, who Ive long considered one of the greatest young actors in the American theater and now a rising TV and film star, has maintained his unique sense of self while continually growing and pursuing the very heights of our industry. There are also visual artists who greatly inspire me: Kara Walker, Hebru Brantley, Kerry James Marshall and Erin Mitchell.

Anything else you want our readers to know?

Yes. We are at a vital point in the American society and the human condition. As we have been before and more than likely will be again. It is more imperative than ever that we as people acknowledge the humanity in one another, and seek to find a more united understanding of how we can all exist together. That is what I search for in my work and that is the social media gospel I preach. The fundamental understanding that there are more things that connect us than separate us is the key to whatever comes next.

Read the rest here:

Player of the Moment: Wardell Julius Clark - Newcity Stage

Humans are incredible living machines, with legs strong enough to run marathons and brains smart enough to know that invisible dark matter exists. Our bodies make sure we hear the correct frequencies, send the right immune cells to a paper cut and know when to stop drinking water. But there's still much to untangle about our human bodies, so all the time, we are discovering new organs and new secrets about how all of our nooks and crannies keep us going. This past year, new discoveries revealed an invisible network of immune cells, a "Jell-O" violin in our ears and how the oldest people in this world survived to such extreme ages.

Humans might hear so well because of a tiny "Jell-O" violin that sits inside the ears. The thin, blob of tissue, otherwise known as the tectorial membrane, is made up of 97% water. This tissue helps to bring sound waves from the ear to nerve receptors, which then translate that vibration into an electrical signal the brain can read. New research conducted on mice has found that this ear Jell-O helps the cochlea a cavity in the inner ear that contains these nerve receptors separate high frequencies from low frequencies. It does so by changing its stiffness, based on water flow that runs through its tiny pores, similar to what happens when you tune a violin or guitar. [Read more about the 'Jell-O' Violin]

Our bones might be full of a previously unknown network of microscopic tunnels. These pathways might be vital for transporting immune cells made in bones out to the blood for circulation. A group of researchers discovered hundreds of these tiny blood vessels, or capillaries, in the leg bones of mice. But finding something in mice doesn't necessarily translate to humans, so one of the researchers decided to stick his own leg into an MRI machine. The scans of the researcher's leg showed that there were holes in the bone tissue that could indicate that these capillaries also exist in humans. [Read more about these microscopic tunnels]

The brain makes sure that we don't drink too much or too little water, using a prediction mechanism in the gut, according to new research. The group figured this out by implanting optical fibers and lenses in mice near the hypothalamus a brain region that regulates blood pressure and other bodily processes and is home to "thirst cells." A few seconds after drinking something, the mouth and throat begin firing signals to the brain. These signals tell the brain that you feel less thirsty so you stop drinking. That way, you don't keep drinking for the 10 minutes to an hour it takes for that liquid to actually enter the bloodstream and circulate to cells in the body.

But your mouth and throat would tell your brain to quench your thirst, irrespective of the type of liquid you're drinking, if it weren't for another mysterious signal. This one comes from the gut, and it makes sure the brain knows that the water reaching it is salty which can dehydrate the body or nonsalty, ensuring that the brain quenches thirst only when the mice drank fresh water. [Read more about how the body knows when to stop]

This year, scientists discovered a previously unknown organ that sits right under the skin, and it may help you feel the pain of a pinprick. It was previously thought that needle pricks were sensed by nerve endings that sit below the outer layer of the skin. But a new study conducted on mice (but which is also thought to apply to humans) found that nerves tangled up in special cells are what help us feel this sensation. This mesh of branched cells called "Schwann cells" and nerves together makes up a new "sensory organ" because it responds to external pressure signals (pricks or jabs) and relays that information to the brain. [Read more about this new organ]

Human embryos grow extra, lizardlike muscles in their hands and feet that disappear before birth, scientists found. By looking at 3D images from an embryonic image database, a group found that at about week seven of gestation, human fetuses had hands and feet that contained about 30 muscles each. Six weeks later, they contained only 20. Before the baby is born, those extra muscles either meld into other muscles or shrink away, but it's unclear why or how.

These temporary muscles might be leftovers from our ancestors and may have vanished from adult humans over 250 million years ago, when mammals first began evolving from mammal-like reptiles, the researchers suggest. But because the study was small, it needs to be replicated with a much larger group before researchers can say for certain that these appearing and disappearing muscles exist in all fetuses. [Read more about these minimuscles]

Supercentenarians, or people who are 110 years of age or older, might have a secret. A study published this year found that supercentenarians have higher-than-average concentrations of an immune cell called a "T helper cell" that may protect them from viruses and tumors. To figure this out, researchers drew blood from seven supercentenarians and five control participants, who ranged in age from those in their 50s to those in their 80s. They then isolated the immune cells and figured out what they were doing by measuring the messenger RNA that is produced by the genes in the cells.Messenger RNA translates genetic instructions from DNA and brings it to the nucleus of the cell, so that specific proteins can be produced.

The supercentenarians had a type of T helper cell called CD4 CTLs that had the capability to attack and kill other cells. Of course, it's not clear if supercentenarians owe their longevity to these immune cells, but previously, such cells have been shown to attack tumor cells and protect against viruses in mice. [Read more about the world's oldest people]

There might be a reason why some people are really good at trivia and seem to "know everything": very efficiently wired brains. A group of researchers in Germany analyzed the brains of 324 people who had varying degrees of general knowledge or semantic memory (the type of information that would come up in a game of trivia), based on questions given to them concerning various fields such as art, architecture and science.

Brain scans of the participants showed that those people who had retained and could recall more general knowledge had more efficient brain connections stronger and shorter connections between brain cells. This makes sense, because imagine answering the question, "What year did the moon landing happen?"

We might have the word "moon" stored in one area of the brain, but the "moon landing" in another, and knowledge of the year it happened in yet another. People with an efficient brain can better connect those various items together to quickly answer the question. (But, the researchers didn't find any link between more general knowledge and more brain cells.) [Read more about how trivia masters do it]

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown type of cell in the human body called the "immune cell X," and it could act as two other immune cell types, playing a role in triggering type 1 diabetes, new research suggests. There is likely not a lot of these cells in the human body maybe less than 7 out of every 10,000 white blood cells, but they might be powerful players in driving autoimmunity when the body mistakes its own cells for something foreign and attacks them.

These X cells resemble both B cells and T cells, two cell types that are important for fighting infections (but are also responsible for autoimmune diseases). The X cell makes antibodies like B cells that activate T cells, which then go on to attack anything it deems foreign. In the case of type 1 diabetes, immune cells mistakenly destroy healthy beta cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin. The researchers found evidence that these X cells exist in those with type 1 diabetes, but not in healthy controls. Even so, it's not clear if there are one or multiple cells responsible for the disease. [Read more about these rogue cells]

In other news, the cells in your tongues have the ability to smell. Researchers discovered this after growing human taste cells in the lab. They found that those cells contained a couple of molecules found in olfactory cells, the cells found in the nose that are responsible for, well, smelling. When they exposed taste cells to odor molecules, the cells responded just like the olfactory cells do. But this isn't uncommon olfactory cells have also previously been found in the gut, in sperm cells and even in hair. Though we knew that taste and smell were greatly intertwined (which becomes apparent when a blocked-up nose makes food taste more bland), this study suggests human taste cells might be much more complicated than previously thought. [Read more about your tongue's strange ability]

It turns out, humans, even endurance athletes, have limited energy. Scientists calculated the limit of human endurance to be around 2.5 times the body's resting metabolic rate (the number of calories the body burns for basic physiological needs such as maintaining body temperature or breathing), or 4,000 calories per day for an average person. They calculated this by analyzing data from some of the most extreme endurance events that take place on our planet, such as the Race Across the USA, and by comparing that data to other endurance events.

They found that the longer the event, the more difficult it became to burn calories. But athletes don't fall to the ground when they reach this 2.5-times threshold. They can keep going, but they can't maintain a balance of the number of calories consumed and the amount burned, so they begin to lose weight, which isn't sustainable in the long term. What's more, researchers found that pregnant women operated at around 2.2 times their resting metabolic rate, just by growing a baby. So no matter the activity, growing a baby, cycling or running across the U.S., the body seems to have a limit to the amount of energy it can give you in the long term. [Read more about this ultimate limit]

Originally published on Live Science.

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10 Things We Learned About Humans in 2019 - Livescience.com

January 1 1990, Mr Bean debuted on ITV to an audience of 13.45 million. The brainchild of Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the pilot episode marked the birth of a major comedy character.

Bean has become so familiar, so comfortably part of our pop-culture tapestry, that its easy to miss how striking a creation he is.

At the time, the talented Atkinson was best known for his four incarnations of Blackadder.

After a slapsticky first iteration, Blackadder traded heavily on acidic and acerbic dialogue and Atkinsons knack for delivering it. Even the most lethargic line delivery (To you Baldrick, the Renaissance was just something that happened to other people.) dripped with disdain and venomous wit.

In sharp contrast, Bean was a largely silent character arguably the last great predominantly silent comic creation, extending a genealogy including Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harpo Marx and Jacques Tati.

While not to all tastes, Bean is widely recognised and beloved. The absence of dialogue helped the show become a global hit, transcending language and cultural differences to screen in almost 250 countries.

So what is it that makes Mr Bean such an adored creation?

Think of the most iconic images of silent comedy: Lloyd hanging from a clock tower, Keaton commandeering trains for the Confederacy, Chaplin body surfing through a network of oversized mechanical gears.

Now think of the most iconic Mr Bean vignettes: Bean at the swimming pool, in the dentists chair, entertaining a sick child on a plane, eating lunch at the park. All exquisite comedic scenes, shot on unflattering videotape in familiar environments.

The smaller sketches hold up stronger on repeat viewing, while more elaborate high jinks Bean playing mini-golf across a whole county, Bean looking after a lost infant at a carnival have not aged as well and tend to pale in charm and dilute the purity of the concept.

Bean is best when he works on a small scale.

Mr Bean has a child-like nature. Silent comedy stars typically played moderately functional adults. Even Harpo Marx, the most overtly childlike of them, had a predatory edge.

In contrast, Bean is, as Atkinson notes, a child in a grown mans body.

The series opening credits, in which Bean falls to the ground with a splat from a spaceship, conjure other possible backstories. Is Bean an abductee returned to Earth minus some crucial grey matter? Or an alien attempting (poorly) to pass for human?

Most of the characteristics that made Bean an indelible creation were introduced in the very first episode.

As he sits for an exam, reads the wrong test paper and attempts to cheat his way through it in the first sketch, we see his idiot savant status (he does know trigonometry), his competitiveness and compulsive one-upmanship, and his cruel sense of humour.

In the next sketch, Bean goes to the beach and changes into his bathers in the most complicated way possible.

The sketch introduces Beans imbecilic ingenuity finding inordinately convoluted solutions for basic predicaments as well as his tendency to generate his own complications and desperation to avoid social humiliation (it is British comedy, after all).

In the third and best sketch a tour de force showcasing Atkinsons rubbery complexion and virtuoso gangly physicality Bean attends a church service, where he struggles to stay awake and clandestinely eat some candy under the admirably straight and puritanical eye of Richard Briers.

The sketch introduces the motif of Bean attempting to imitate human behaviour and everyday rituals and failing, earning the ire of others in the process.

Bean headlined 14 television episodes from 19901995, two feature films and an animated series, and appeared in various shorts, sketches and the 2012 Olympics.

The films and cartoon somewhat diluted the brand, and the character has endured the wear and tear that comes with longevity and cultural omnipresence: parents getting sick of their children watching Bean, adolescents thinking theyre too cool for Bean.

However, Mr Beans worldwide audience speaks loudly to the genius of the character and Atkinsons performance. By returning to this first episode, 30 years on, we can re-experience the birth of this remarkable comic creation.

A line delivered by Groucho Marx in Duck Soup nicely encapsulates the simple core of Beans widespread appeal. He may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but dont let that fool you: he really is an idiot.

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Happy birthday, Mr Bean! Celebrating 30 years of a major comedy character - The Conversation AU

Some foods are just plain lucky to eat on New Years Eve. What associates these dishes with good fortune, exactly? Thats tough to pinpoint, but much of the answer has to do with symbolism and superstition.

It also has to do with a human tradition of eating something special, like a birthday cake, to mark the passage of time. So what will people be biting into at the top of 2020 to set them up for success? We talked to food historians Megan Elias, food writer and director of the gastronomy program at Boston University, and Linda Pelaccio,who hosts culinary radio showA Taste of the Past, about some of the lucky foods youll find on global New Years menus.

Spaniards eat 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.(Photo: JAIME REINA, AFP/Getty Images)

As the tradition goes, believers eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. According to one story, the ritual started in Spain around 1900, when a grape grower had a bumper crop, says Pelaccio, and was creative about giving away the surplus.But that history is fuzzy at best, she says.

Regardless, stuffing a dozen grapes into ones mouth is a tradition that has spread to citizens of many Latin American countries. As Elias says, people annually eat the grapes as fast as physically possible without puking.

Peas and lentils are round and coin-like, and so they are considered a harbinger of prosperity.(Photo: SASCHA STEINBACH, EPA-EFE)

Round foods resemble coins and money, Pelaccio says. Eat these symbolic foods, many believe, for a financially successful new year. On the contrary: Dont eat the round foods and you could have a year of bad luck!

If you eat peaswith greensand cornbread, thenthat's even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread calling to mind gold.

Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional Southern U.S. dish called Hoppin John for New Years Eve.Or, the peas can be part of a soup.In Italy, lentils mix with pork for a lucky dish.

Since pigs root forward, eating pork at the start of a new year symbolizes moving ahead.(Photo: FRANK AUGSTEIN, Associated Press)

Speaking of pork,pigs have long been considered lucky.

Pigs can be rich and fat, which is what you want in a meal promoting prosperity. And, says Pelaccio, "Pigs take their snout and root forward, as opposed to digging backwards." Forward momentum; good. "Whereas, its not good to eat lobsters, because they walk backwards."

A popular lucky New Year's Day dish in Germany is pork and sauerkraut, promising as much luck as the many strands in the cabbage.

In Japan, it is customary to eat soba noodles on New Year's Eve (and on many other days) for good luck.(Photo: JOHN SAMORA, GANNETT)

Noodles are long, and that length is thought to symbolizelong life and, yes, luck, Elias says.

In Japan, soba noodles are served on New Years.In China, during the Chinese New Year (or the Lunar New Year), which falls on Jan. 25 next year, people inhale so-called longevity noodles.Its OK to slurp.

In Prairie du Chien, Wis., "Droppin' of the Carp" is a New Year's Eve tradition. A fish like this one (named Lucky) is lowered by a crane into a wooden cradle on St. Feriole Island, where hundreds line up to kiss her frozen lips for good luck.(Photo: John Hart, AP)

Eating a whole fish has become another Dec. 31 tradition across the globe. Why? Perhaps because in lean times people saved anything they could including fish to eat on a special occasion. Herring is a fish of choice in Eastern European countries. In Germany, those looking to obtain all lucky advantages in the new year do more than just eat an entire carp: They save fish scales in their wallets for extra good fortune.

Pomegranate seeds are symbols of abundance. It is a Greek New Year's custom to break seeds on the door's threshold for good luck.(Photo: kostman, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Seeds are round and coinlike, which makes themautomatically lucky by the rules we have already set forth. Pomegranates, which come from the Middle East, also make sense to eat on New Years because they happen to be ripe that time of year.

Elias adds that pomegranates have symbolic power because they come from a land where so many religions come from. Plus, seeds are associated with life and fertility. Another promising food, indeed.

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Eating for luck on New Year's: Why foods from grapes to peas promise prosperity - USA TODAY

Some foods are just plain lucky to eat on New Years Eve. What associates these dishes with good fortune, exactly? Thats tough to pinpoint, but much of the answer has to do with symbolism and superstition.

It also has to do with a human tradition of eating something special, like a birthday cake, to mark the passage of time. So what will people be biting into at the top of 2020 to set them up for success? We talked to food historians Megan Elias, food writer and director of the gastronomy program at Boston University, and Linda Pelaccio, who hosts culinary radio show A Taste of the Past about some of the lucky foods youll find on global New Years menus.

As the tradition goes, believers eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. According to one story, the ritual started in Spain around 1900, when a grape grower had a bumper crop, says Pelaccio, and was creative about giving away the surplus. But that history is fuzzy at best, she says.

Regardless, stuffing a dozen grapes into ones mouth is a tradition that has spread to citizens of many Latin American countries. As Elias says, people annually eat the grapes as fast as physically possible without puking.

Round foods resemble coins and money, Pelaccio says. Eat these symbolic foods, many believe, for a financially successful new year. On the contrary: Dont eat the round foods and you could have a year of bad luck!

If you eat peas with greens and cornbread, then thats even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread calling to mind gold.

Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional Southern U.S. dish called Hoppin John for New Years Eve. Or, the peas can be part of a soup. In Italy, lentils mix with pork for a lucky dish.

Speaking of pork, pigs have long been considered lucky.

Pigs can be rich and fat, which is what you want in a meal promoting prosperity. And, says Pelaccio, Pigs take their snout and root forward, as opposed to digging backwards. Forward momentum; good. Whereas, its not good to eat lobsters, because they walk backwards.

A popular lucky New Years Day dish in Germany is pork and sauerkraut, promising as much luck as the many strands in the cabbage.

Noodles are long, and that length is thought to symbolize long life and, yes, luck, Elias says.

In Japan, soba noodles are served on New Years. In China, during the Chinese New Year (or the Lunar New Year), which falls on Jan. 25 next year, people inhale so-called longevity noodles. Its OK to slurp.

Eating a whole fish has become another Dec. 31 tradition across the globe. Why? Perhaps because in lean times people saved anything they could including fish to eat on a special occasion. Herring is a fish of choice in Eastern European countries. In Germany, those looking to obtain all lucky advantages in the new year do more than just eat an entire carp: They save fish scales in their wallets for extra good fortune.

Seeds are round and coinlike, which makes them automatically lucky by the rules we have already set forth. Pomegranates, which come from the Middle East, also make sense to eat on New Years because they happen to be ripe that time of year.

Elias adds that pomegranates have symbolic power because they come from a land where so many religions come from. Plus, seeds are associated with life and fertility. Another promising food, indeed.

Read more at usatoday.com.

Read more:

New Years Eve good luck foods: Grapes, black-eyes peas and more - Chicago Sun-Times

Gauging the benefits of NMN, or any supplement, medicine, or treatment regimen can be a bit tricky if done without the benefit of scientific methods and testing standards.

Treatments, and human perception itself, can be influenced by several factors. If we make changes to our diet or lifestyle routine while using a particular herb or vitamin, for example, was it the supplement that produced the perceived effects, or was it those salads?

Perhaps it was just our own mind, convinced that the supplement would produce a particular benefit. This mental ability to influence a treatment regimens outcome is called the placebo effect. The placebo effect can account for a large portion of any treatments success or failure, which is why many research studies are designed to minimize it.

Another dynamic at play to consider is a persons perception and evaluation of a particular treatment, called anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal evidence, while not considered reliable by scientists, is nonetheless a common feature of day-to-day health care. If your doctor prescribes a medicine or supplement, and then later asks, What happened?, he or she is asking for anecdotal evidence

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NMN Benefits - The Path of Longevity - ProHealth

Is it possible to cure aging?

Chip Walter says yes. The author spent years researching and writing his new book Immortality, Inc.: Renegade Science, Silicon Valley Billions, and the Quest to Live Forever which explores the efforts being taken to cure aging and hence dramatically prolong life.

This is not a work of fiction.

Walter, a science journalist, filmmaker, skeptic and former CNN bureau chief interviewed many authorities, including Craig Venter, the scientist who accelerated the completion of the first human genome and Robert Hariri, one of the worlds leading stem cell experts.

The book, published by National Geographic, is available in bookstores and online. As part of his tour to promote the book, Walter will appear at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16 to discuss the death of growing old. The event, which is part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture Series, is free with registration.

The topic is fascinating with so many implications. NEXTpittsburgh caught up with Walter to ask him some burning questions of our own.

Define immortality. Is it infinite or are we talking hundreds of years?

None of us is going to live forever. Sooner or later well be hit by a bus or lightning, or maybe an angry spouse who just cant stomach celebrating their 400th anniversary! We used the title Immortality, Inc. in the book to differentiate it from simply living a couple of extra years or even a couple of extra decades. So, this book doesnt pretend to have revealed science that will guarantee infinite life, but it does explore scientific advances on the horizon that will very likely diminish and then eliminate aging. And since aging and age-related diseases are the number one reason why we die (one million people a week die of age-related disease), curing aging would radically lengthen healthy life spans into the hundreds of years, crazy as that may sound.

Do we have to cure cancer and conditions like depression first?

The opposite, I think.

If scientists solve aging, then it would also vastly reduce the number of people who die from cancer and many other diseases. The reason most people get cancer is because they are aging. If science can solve the underlying, biological causes of aging, these killer diseases would largely disappear. Well basically grow younger. And, as a rule, most people do not die when they are young unless its from an accident, murder or a severe genetic problem.

So, by curing aging, we will, in one fell swoop, cure much of the cancer, heart disease, Alzheimers and other major diseases. This arguably makes solving aging the best way to eliminate a whole group of diseases, rather than try to track each one down individually like were playing some game of whack-a-mole. In fact, you could argue that these diseases will never be eliminated unless aging is eliminated first. Well just create a series of band-aids, but eventually something will get us.

Issues like depression are more problematic because they are not directly related to aging (though they sometimes can be). But, an additional bonus is that as science attempts to cure aging, we may well develop cures for many diseases that afflict people in their youth genetic diseases, mental and emotional syndromes, viruses, childhood cancer because we will understand the genomics of the human body so much better.

How close are we really to achieving immortality and what will be the first discovery?

I doubt there will be a silver bullet any more than scientists found a silver bullet that would cure cancer when the war against cancer was launched in the 1970s. Its just too complex. But, I do believe that some major advances will be revealed and in use within the next four years. These advances will be incremental, but they will also gather speed. First, I expect to see a far broader use of stem cell technology to repair damaged and diseased bodies from arthritis to kidney disease. A company and scientist I explore in the book (Celularity) is tackling that.

Next, will come major advances as we better understand the human genome. We are gathering more and more information that is enabling us to decode the genome so that we can understand and develop drugs tailored to each individual. But first we have to understand what interactions within our DNA unravel the human body in the first place. ( I explore a company called Human Longevity, founded by genomic pioneer Craig Venter, that is working on that.) Third, based largely on genomics, will come advances that truly unveil why we age at all. Clearly we do. But why? Calico and Apple Chairman Arthur Levinson is working on that.

How will we solve all of these complex problems? Only the development of increasingly robust computing can solve that problem, and that software is advancing at an exponential pace. Ultimately, those machines, working with scientists of many stripes will crack some of these profoundly complex challenges. Generally, I believe those are the four forces that I believe will lead to the end of aging.

Has there been an actual breakthrough and if so, what is it?

There have been breakthroughs, but no cures (because, again, I doubt there will be a silver bullet). But as I reveal in the book, scientists now know, definitively, that genetics is the source behind why we age (or one of the key sources). We also know that certain key genes in other animals (like mice) can be switched, and when they are, the mice live far longer and healthier lives, sometimes more than four times longer. We also know that some mammals simply dont age. They die of other things, but not aging. This was discovered while I was writing the book. Scientists in the book also have discovered what they suspect is the explanation of youth. Why are we born young? How does that happen and then why and how do we age? So, we have already seen significant fundamental advances, and theyll continue to come.

How much of the book is about the personalities and how much is about science?

I did not want to write a book that was just a bland science survey filled with a bunch of facts. Theres a difference between fact and truth. When I first set out to explore and research Immortality, Inc., the main question in my mind was this: are we actually now living in a time when science could solve one of the greatest mysteries the human race has ever faced? And if science can accomplish that, what does it mean? To tell that story I needed to understand the history of the key scientists, and the finances and thinking of those involved. And I needed to gain access to them. It wasnt easy, but eventually I did. Much of what I found is exclusive information. Unknown until now.

In the end I wanted to thread all of those themes together into one larger, compelling story. How did something like this come to be? Who were these scientists? What motivated them? Are they crazy or geniuses? So, I spent a lot of time with all of them and I wrote about who they are and what led them to undertake such a monumental task. Who does that? Once I set the stage for outlining the personalities and the cultural and historical and financial issues, then I dove into the science that these scientists and companies were developing. I think this makes the book a much more compelling human story. At least I hope so.

How would you respond to critics who think the book is more about very wealthy older people in a quest to cheat death?

Well, the simple answer is thats not what the book is about. So folks should read it and theyll see that such an assumption would be off-base. I am sure that there are many well-heeled older people who would like to live longer and healthier lives. And I am sure that there are many not-so-well-heeled people who would as well. That doesnt make them evil. This is only evil if the rich, and only the rich, hold on to technologies that would lead to longer life. That would be wrong. But history shows that as new technologies evolve, costs drop and then they become more ubiquitous. I believe that will happen here. Insurance companies will begin to see that they can save a lot more money by enabling people to remain healthy longer than by paying to have them go into the hospital again and again.

When it comes right down to it, does anyone want to die (unless you are facing horrible physical, emotional or mental pain)? I mean when each of us is facing death, that day, do we really want to blink out? Living is literally wound into our DNA. Every living thing does everything it can to remain alive, until it simply cant anymore. From the beginning of time we have always tried to avoid dying. Thats the origin and purpose of Medicine with a capital M. Now, if we solve that problem and huge numbers of us live exceptionally long, will that create problems? Absolutely. But again, will most people say, Its okay, Ill die so we dont have an over population problem. Lets imagine someone has cancer and science offers a potential solution, do they say, No thanks. Not usually. I suspect the same will be true of drugs and treatments that extend life. A bigger issue in my mind is how, as a society, we are going to deal with a world in which we are living, not decades longer (as we already are), but hundreds of years longer. These advances are going to capsize everything. So I suggest we get a handle on it now.

Did you discuss immortality with any religious leaders or people in the death care industry? What were their thoughts?

I did speak to those people, but I didnt get deeply into it in the book or it would have been 600 pages long. Peoples feelings about this are all over the map, pro and con. There is, however, no religion that fundamentally holds that we must die. Some people, however, do feel its wrong to want to cheat death. That somehow its unnatural or that God wants us to die. But if this were universally true, then why take antibiotics? Why try to save people from automobile accidents? Why try to cure or treat any disease? All of these are basically ways to cheat death, at least for awhile.

But again, I want to clarify that my goal with this book isnt to advocate one way or another for outfoxing the grim reaper. I am simply trying to tell the story of these forces and people who are creating profound and fundamental change in the human story. I wanted to tell that tale, not explore the theology and philosophy of life and death because its not about my point of view. Its about whats happening and why its important.

Carnegie Library Lecture HallChip WalterImmortalityInc.National GeographicPittsburgh Arts and Lecture Series

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Chip Walter is dying for you to read his new book on immortality. Or is he? - NEXTpittsburgh

Ring Fit Adventure gaming thats good for you (pic: Nintendo)

A reader suggests playing games like Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure can help keep you fit and help recover from a gluttonous Christmas.

Its resolution season, and once again, for as long as I can remember, Ive pledged to become a smarter, fitter, leaner, stronger, wealthier, funnier, and an all-round more appealing/dashingly handsome human being. While I have achieved some success, I have significantly more failures.

Through active video games (AVGs) like Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure I would like you, dear readers, to learn from my successes and failures in the getting fitter, leaner, and stronger aspect of my resolution history.

AVGs offer an incredible, almost utopian promise: you can get fit and play video games at the same time. This is the dream for me, an ideal bridging of two of my favourite aspects of modern culture. Sadly, this logic is not shared across society, something I call the Active Video Game Paradox: I can play games and get fit, two things I love/want/need, but dont, for some reason

I wondered why this paradox existed. Ultimately, I think it boils down to the positioning of AVGs, which is as much a curse as it is a gift. You see, in my head, Im thinking two things:

1. Are AVGs equally/more effective at health promotion and fitness development than sport/exercise?

2. Are AVGs equally/more entertaining, immersive, relaxing, and awesome (plus many, many more adjectives) than traditional, non-active video games?

The answer really needs to be a resounding yes for both, for a rational person to commit lots of time to AVGs. I call this positioning problem The Battle for Attention.

For health and fitness: AVGs like Pokmon Go are an engaging way to increase/maintain a healthy step count. Walking may be great at achieving cardio targets at an introductory fitness level, but there will come a time (a great time of developed fitness) when walking is not enough, although still useful, and different methods will be needed to achieve further progress/benefits. A good step count alone is not all it takes to achieve thriving health and fitness.

Another side of health and fitness, coming recommended at two times a week by the Chief Medical Officer, is muscle-strengthening exercise. This is important for developing muscle strength and bone density, which is awesome for quality of life, health, and longevity. This is where Pokmon Go fails and Ring Fit Adventure steps in with colourful visuals, a classically Nintendo storyline, and social hilarity to boot.

This game is your crash course to the main movement patterns that are useful for everyday living. As before, this is useful up to the point of adaptation, where it stops becoming muscle-strengthening exercise and starts becoming movement maintenance/energy burning. Useful, but eventually not enough to keep you moving forward on your journey to excellent health and fitness.

For AVG engagement there are some standout performers: Just Dance, Beat Saber (deep love), Pokmon Go, and Ring Fit Adventure. All exceptions to the rule, outliers. Ultimately though, non-active games have, on average, more fans/players, less risk attached to investors, bigger budgets, better community infrastructures, and, personally, significantly more engagement across the board.

I remain optimistic that a new experience will be built (maybe even by me) that has the incredibly gratifying benefits of games and fitness, without compromising on the overall experience of either. Until then, if youre new to fitness this year, let AVGs such as Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure be your spirit guide, preparing you for an incredibly gratifying existence as a long term benefactor of sport and exercise. When youre ready.

By reader Sam Peter Kirk

The readers feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Metro GameCentral video games preview of 2020 release dates for every new game

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Active Video Games are the secret weapon for New Years Resolutions - Metro.co.uk

Increased neural activity was linked to a shorter lifespan, according to a study funded in part by NIA and published in Nature. The study, conducted using human brain tissue and worm and mouse models, suggests that suppressing electrical activity in the brain could lead to a longer life.

Led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, the team first studied gene-expression data from brain tissue samples donated by hundreds of older adults with normal cognition. They found that people 85 years and older had fewer transcripts of genes involved in neural excitation a process through which a nerve cell signals the next receiving nerve cell and synaptic function than those who were 80 years of age or younger. Specifically, they found that people who lived longer had higher levels of repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST), which appeared to suppress excitation-related genes.

To further investigate the association between REST and aging, the researchers genetically altered mice to lack the transcription repressor. Imaging scans revealed an increase in neuronal activity, measured by glucose uptake, in the brains of mice without REST.

The scientists also investigated neural regulation in C. elegans worms, a well-established model for aging research. They found that as the worms aged, neural activity heightened. By suppressing this excitatory neuronal activity with a calcium channel blocker, they found that the worms lived longer.

The researchers then boosted SPR-4, the worm equivalent of REST, which resulted in decreased excitation and extended lifespan. They found that SPR-4 relied on another transcription factor, called DAF-16, in order to reduce neural excitation. Without DAF-16, SPR-4 did not extend worm life, suggesting that the extension in lifespan was contingent on an insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway in worms. The researchers noted that the human equivalent to DAF-16, FOXO1, was similarly linked to the expression of REST in the human brain samples. In addition, findings showed REST knockout mice had less FOXO1 than age-matched controls.

The study demonstrates that REST and the suppression of neuronal activity may converge with insulin signaling pathways to extend lifespan. The authors suggest that the activation of REST and reduction of excitatory neural activity could act as an approach to slowing the aging process and extending human longevity. These findings also may inform additional research into conditions that can induce excessive neural activity, such as Alzheimers disease.

This research was funded in part by NIA grants RO1AG046174, RO1AG26651, P30AG10161, R01AG15819, R01AG17917, R01AG36836, U01AG46152, K99AG050830, P01AG02219and P50AG05138.

Reference: Zullo J, et al. Regulation of lifespan by neural excitation and REST. Nature. 2019;574:359-364. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1647-8.

Originally posted here:
Neural excitation linked to shorter lifespan - National Institute on Aging

How the Earth's health impacts human health will be the topic of the Spring Aquatic Academy at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The four-session program will be on Wednesday evenings in March. Each session runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and features scientists and professors with expertise in the topics.

Dr. Jonathan Patz, Professor and Director, Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin, will present at the first session on March 4, talking about how the way climate change is dealt with will impact our health as individuals and a species. The other three sessions drill down to specifics, from increases in infectious diseases to crop failures due to climate change.

The aquarium typically sponsors two aquatic academies a year. Last fall, the program addressed human longevity.

Cost for the series is $40 for adults, $25 for students and aquarium members. Continuing education credit through Cal State Long Beach is available with an additional $10 fee. All classes are at the aquarium, 100 Aquarium Way.

For more information and to sign up, go towww.aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/aquatic_academy.

Read more:
Long Beach Aquatic Academy Focuses On Health Earth's And Ours - Gazette Newspapers

Dr de Grey, a biomedical gerontologist, is chief science officer at the SENS Research Foundation which conducts counter-ageing research. He argued we could reach the point of longevity escape velocity, when scientific breakthroughs are able to keep pace with the ageing process, in as little as 20 years.

However the leading scientist called for a dramatic increase in funding for research aimed at stopping ageing, arguing it will revolutionise human society.

Speaking to Express.co.uk Dr de Grey stated massive advances in the fight against ageing have been made over the past two decades.

He said: Oh a huge amount of progress has been made - absolutely immense.

Over the past 15 years the whole concept that I first started putting forward about 20 years ago of comprehensively repairing the molecular and cellular damage that the body does to itself throughout life, that concept has become not only totally mainstream; weve seen enormous progress towards actually doing it in the laboratory and even now in the clinic.

There are many different types of damage that need to be repaired which means there are many different therapies that need to be developed, but some of them are already in clinical trials and most of them have got to the point where they will be in clinical trials in the next year or two.

The SENS Research Foundation, based in California, was founded in 2009 to conduct research aimed at halting ageing.

According to Dr de Grey it focuses on early stage research that is unlikely to attract commercial investment.

Asked whether the first human to live to 1,000 years is already alive Dr de Grey predicted they are.

He said: Probably already alive - its very important to be probabilistic about this.

We all know this is early stage research and therefore any timeframe predictions are extremely speculative.

The number of 1,000 years is actually an extremely conservative estimate.

Dr de Grey previously said longevity escape velocity is likely to be reached within 20 years.

Asked if still believes this he replied: I certainly think thats likely.

READ MORE:Donald Trump faces Presidential challenge from Transhumanist

In fact I think my estimate on how long it is before we have an at least 50-50 chance of reaching longevity escape velocity is now about 17 years so its coming down slowly as time goes on.

The definition of the term is the point at which we reach the rate of progress that means we are staying one step ahead of the problem and that the health problems of late life are being postponed faster than time is passing.

And yes I do believe we are definitely getting there.

However Dr de Grey was critical of politicians who he believes need to focus more on the societal effects of radically extended human life.

He commented: The Government always comes last into all of this because ultimately elected representatives main priority is to get reelected and therefore the essence of public policy always follows public opinion rather than leading it.

Theres always a lot of caution amongst the general public in believing progress is really being made against this problem that weve been trying to make progress against since the beginning of civilisation.

READ MORE:Body health deteriorates from 'head to toes' in forties, study reveals

Its beginning to become a conversation within the corridors of power, particularly in the US, but its really only just beginning.

Its crazy that politicians are keeping their heads in the sand like this.

Dr de Grey argued we should expect politicians and wider society to take radical life extension more seriously as technology improves over the next few years.

He asked: How will society change when it becomes the case that most people expect to live a very very long time?

Because that transition of expectation is likely to occur really rather soon.

Whats going to happen is pretty much overnight people are going to go from an expectation that they will live maybe slightly longer than their parents did to an expectation that they will live a very great deal longer.

A huge amount of restructuring of the economy is going to have to happen pretty much at once in order to avoid this transition being really rather turbulent and its about time policy makers started to realise that.

Dr de Grey claimed the main obstacle to research aimed at combatting ageing is the lack of funding.

He said: Even today when this field is becoming much more established it is still really difficult to get enough resources to move as fast as the science allows.

Im quite sure we could be going at least twice as fast if we had one extra digit on our tiny little budget.

Last year the all party parliamentary group on longevity was launched in the UK, though it is primarily focused on managing the ageing population rather than halting ageing itself.

Dr de Grey argued attitudes to ageing amongst the public will shift sharply once the progress towards its abolition he anticipates is made.

He commented: The fundamental problem is that humanity has been aware of ageing since the beginning of civilisation and has been aware that its absolutely horrifying.

Most people have only one way that theyre able to cope with that, namely to put it out of their minds and get on with their lives and make the best of it.

Nobody wants to hear the answers, they want to carry on thinking that ageing is a blessing in disguise so as to not get their hopes up.

Now at some point how close we actually are to achieving this will get to a sufficient stage that the fear of getting ones hopes up can finally be dismissed and people can actually get their hopes up and get emotionally invested in it.

But were not there yet.

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First human to live 1,000 years may already be alive says scientist fighting to end ageing - Express.co.uk

Academic mentorship is a very important part of the education and training of scientists, but it comes with its own set of unique challenges.

The following is the third installment in a five-part series on the core issues facing academic science today that will comprise the foundation of our first book, targeted for publication later this year.

Scientists set a very high bar and facts are actually quite rare. Rather, we consider answers to be accepted if there is a lot of data generated by a lot of different scientists using a lot of different tools that arrive at the same answer; generally accepted, but likely to be refined when there is less data generated by fewer scientists using a limited set of tools to arrive at close but not identical answers; or still uncertain and very likely to change when there is very little data generated by one or a handful of scientists, using a single or very limited set of tools to arrive at a possible answer where there wasnt one before. Over time, scientists strive to reduce uncertainty and eventually arrive at generally accepted answers. It is actually very rare that scientists are so confident in the quality and reproducibility of a particular answer that they would brand it a fact.

As you can imagine, this process takes time and regularly requires generations of scientists to arrive at robust conclusions, making training and mentorship incredibly important to ensure the passage of information and techniques down through the generations. New scientists (students or trainees) train under more experienced scientists (professors or principal investigators) to learn how to perform scientific research. Historically, as the role of advisor or mentor at academic institutions became more commonplace within academic institutions, graduate programs were created to normalize and govern the practice of scientific training, and graduate degrees were created to award and recognize students who had achieved a sufficient level of research independence. This academic mentorship soon became the bedrock of education and training, but it is accompanied by a substantial power dynamic between two people that is vulnerable to disagreement, conflict, and abuse. Over the years, academic institutions have tried to establish rules and regulations to avoid the latter while retaining the benefits of mentorship, although what constitutes good and bad in these relationships has evolved considerably as well.

The goal of all of this wrangling about how we educate and train scientists is to facilitate a greater understanding of the natural world, because this enables societal progress. Discoveries like the wheel, paper, electricity, or antibiotics have created tremendous social value by enabling transportation, communication, energy, and healthcare. These advances have shaped society and improved our quality of life and longevity. Indeed, the very recent application of the scientific method to healthcare has significantly extended the average human lifespan from about 45 years through all of human history and up until the 1900s, to roughly 78 years today (and growing!). That is a three-decade increase in ~100 years, and we continue to gain about one year of life for every six years of basic research investment.

However, scientific discovery is not cheap. How we shoulder this cost will be the focus of our next post.

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The importance of educating scientists - University Affairs

Although Scotland is more heavily forested than England or Wales, much of itswoodlandshave been lost to logging, urban sprawl and climate change. Initiatives to reversedeforestationhave been underway to contribute more trees, protect woodlands and ensure theecology, sustainability and longevity of Scotlands forest resources.

Why has reforestation become important in recent years? Last summer, aYouGovpoll found that the environment is now viewed as the third most critical public issue, given our planets burgeoningclimate crisis. Reforestation has thereby become an important tool in combatting Earths climate emergency.

Related: More than half of Europes native trees face extinction

Essentially, trees fight climate change and offer a solution. How?Planting treesencourages the absorption of carbon dioxide, one of the key greenhouse gasesresponsible forglobal warming. The more trees planted, the better they are at making a positive impact.

According to the British nonprofitWoodland Trust, the harnessing of treepower significantly counteractsclimate change: Each year an estimated 20 million tonnes of CO2 are absorbed and locked away by the UKs existing trees and woods.

And, in the face of a planetwide environmental emergency, the increase of forestcover in Scotland, and by extension the United Kingdom, can help towards achieving Britainscarbon zerotarget of 2050. Thus, implementing a sustainable cycle of replanting immediately after harvesting ensures the healthy renewal of both the supply of wood and the reduction of atmospheric carbon.

There is also a huge environmental significance to the increase in tree planting, Fergus Ewing, Rural Economy Secretary, explained further. In Scotland alone, around 9.5 million tonnes of CO2 each year are removed from the atmosphere by our forests this is a clear example of why an increase in tree planting is so important in the fight against climate change.

In 2019, theIndependentreported on Scotland planting 22 milliontrees. England, by contrast, is falling significantly short of its targets with just 1,420 hectares of woodland was planted, despite a target of 5,000 hectares being set. In other words, England missed its annual target by seven million trees. Therefore, as of last year, the UKs amount of woodland cover remains at 13%, with Northern Ireland at 8%, England at 10%, Wales at 15% and Scotland at 19%.

Indeed, Stuart Goodall, Chief Executive of Confor, a membership organisation for sustainable forestry and wood-using businesses, said: Scotland is leading the way in the UK, with 84% of all new planting happening in Scotland.

Meanwhile, The Woodland Trust encourages the turning of a new leaf for another reason. Besides helping to tackle our planets climate crisis, planting trees and increasing tree cover also resetsnature, improving ecosystemequilibrium for the protection of fragile habitats in Scotland and across the UK. Woodlands, at the heart of it all, support pollinators and endangered flora and fauna species. Restoring forests, then, would mean more protection for native wildlife, nurturing localbiodiversityand the overall stewardship of theenvironment.

Reforestationdelivers yet other environmental public goods beyond improving habitats. Flood risks are alleviated.Soilquality and quantity are maintained.Wildfiresare reduced, and the land can recover faster. Landscapes are also preserved, made more versatile and resilient. These benefits are far-reaching for land managers, not just of farms but also of landed estates.

Besides conserving the forest, itswildlife, soil and landscape, trees are imperative for the maintenance of localwaterresources.Scottish Forestry has documented that a healthy forest is also fundamental to goodwater quality. Understandably, a healthy forest ensures resilient catchment, especially for groundwater, indicating that a good forest will help restore underground water reservoirs. But trees can also hold water and maintain the water vapor in the air, thus encouraging precipitation so that the water cycle for an area remains robust.

Interestingly, creating newwoodlandalso helps protect existing ones that hold highconservationvalue, especially where ancient trees live and where wildlife struggles to thrive. As such, these ancient or established woodlands are irreplaceable ashabitats, becoming strongholds for vulnerable flora and fauna. One such paragon is Scotlands rainforest, more commonly known as the Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest, situated along the west coast and the inner isles, says theBBC.

Scotlands rainforest is just as lush and just as important as tropical rainforest, but is even rarer, Adam Harrison of Woodland Trust Scotland shared. This rainforest is a unique habitat of ancient native oak, birch, ash, pine and hazel woodlands and includes open glades and river gorges. Our rainforest relies on mild, wet and clean air coming in off the Atlantic, and is garlanded with a spectacular array of lichens, fungi, mosses, liverworts and ferns. Many are nationally and globally rare and some are found nowhere else in the world.

Gordon Gray Stephens, of theCommunity Woodlands Association, which was established as a representative body of Scotlands community woodlands groups, said, Our vision for regenerating Scotlands rainforest is clear. We need to make it larger, in better condition, and with improved connections between people and woods.

Unfortunately, development sprawl and human activity (logging, overgrazing, mismanagement, invasive species introductions) threaten Scottish woodlands, both ancient and new, unique and common. Vegetation is cleared, and nativeanimalsare evicted. In the UK, the term is called habitat fragmentation which the Woodland Trust describes as when parts of a habitat are destroyed, leaving behind smaller unconnected areas. This can occur naturally, as a result of fire or volcanic eruptions, but is normally due to human activity. Fragmentation adversely impacts wildlife because it createsenvironmentalloss of total habitat area, reduction in habitat quality and increasedextinctionrisk.

And so, while there have been proposals and legislation seeking to overcome status quo shortcomings, more work needs to be done to bridge the extensive environmental governance gap. Conservation efforts through woodland restoration, the planting of trees and advocacy for environmentally-friendlylegislation all help as starting points.

One Scottish charity invested in rewilding the Scottish Highlands,Trees for Life, advocates for more trees by informing the public of why trees are positively transformative, even beyond fighting climate change, preserving native trees and securing wildlife habitats forspeciessurvival. The additional benefits from woodlands include providing the natural environs for people to decompress for restorative wellness and absorbing pollutants (ammonia, nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulfur dioxide) to clean the air.

Only by offsetting the poor management, curtailed budgets and neglect of years past can Scottish woodland heritage be safeguarded to ensure a healthy, resilient andsustainablefuture.

Images via Pixabay

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Why should the Scottish woodlands be protected? - Inhabitat

Yet more bragging rights are in for the Mediterranean diet, long considered to be one of the healthiest in the world.

A new study published Monday in the BMJ journal Gut found that eating the Mediterranean diet for just one year altered the microbiome of elderly people in ways that improved brain function and would aid in longevity.

The study found the diet can inhibit production of inflammatory chemicals that can lead to loss of cognitive function, and prevent the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and atherosclerosis.

'Our findings support the feasibility of changing the habitual diet to modulate the gut microbiota which in turn has the potential to promote healthier aging,' the study authors said.

About 60 tons of food pass through the average human's digestive tract in a lifetime, science says, exposing our insides to billions of different bacteria in addition to those we were born with. Many of those miniscule creatures play important roles -- good and bad -- in how well we absorb nutrients; the functionality of our immune response; and our energy and metabolism levels.

Science has shown that as we age, the types and amount of microbes found in the gut are reduced. A poor diet is especially common among the elderly in long-term residential care and those who live alone. Health and dental issues can also make it difficult for the elderly to eat a well-balanced diet.

As the diversity of bacteria diminishes, 'inflamm-aging' occurs, contributing to age-related inflammatory processes that can lead to cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases.

The study analyzed the gut microbiome of 612 elderly people from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom before putting 323 of them on a special diet for a year.

While the diet was designed for the elderly, it was based on the Mediterranean principles of eating lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, olive oil and fish, and little red meat, sugar and saturated fats.

The rest of the 65- to 79-year-olds in the study were asked to continue to eat as they always did for the same 12 months.

After the year was over, those who had followed the Mediterranean diet saw beneficial changes to the microbiome in their digestive system. The loss of bacterial diversity was slowed, and the production of potentially harmful inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-17 were reduced.

At the same time, there was a growth of beneficial bacteria linked to improved memory and brain function, the study said. The diet also appeared to boost 'keystone' species, critical for a stable 'gut ecosystem' and which also slowed signs of frailty, such as walking speed and hand grip strength.

Nationality did not appear to matter. The findings were similar and consistent no matter where the people lived and no matter their age or weight, both of which influence the unique makeup of a person's microbiome.

The study is part of a larger randomized controlled trial of 1,200 people called the European Project on Nutrition in Elderly People or NU-AGE that began in 2012. Previous publications from the ongoing study found those who followed the diet closely had improved episodic memory and overall cognitive ability. Higher adherence to the diet also reduced the rate of bone loss in people with osteoporosis and improved blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

Discovering that the Mediterranean diet could affect the microbiome in a positive way isn't really surprising; the diet already has a stuffed shelf of scientific trophies. It's won gold medals in reducing the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression and breast cancer. Meals from the sunny Mediterranean region have also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and longer life. Oh, and weight loss, too.

The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.

Meat can make a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple.

'It's more than a diet, it's a lifestyle,' said Atlanta registered dietitian Rahaf Al Bochi in an earlier interview.

'It also encourages eating with friends and family, socializing over meals, mindfully eating your favorite foods, as well as mindful movement and exercise,' said Al Bochi.

The Mediterranean diet has won first place in the US News and World Report's 'best diet' rankings for three years in a row. Anyone wanting to start the diet can do so in a few easy steps, say experts, by just adding healthy choices to their daily diet.

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Mediterranean diet scores another win for longevity by improving microbiome - wlfi.com

The African turquoise killifish might not live long but, during development, it will stop growing and wait for better, wetter living conditions if it needs to.

If the pond the fish lives in dries up too much, killifish embryos can stop maturing for over six months. That pause can be even longer than their usual, uninterrupted lifespan. It appears that the fish emerge from these months relatively unscathed. Those embryos that put off growing live as long, and have as many offspring, as embryos that never pause, according to new research out in the journal Science.

What is remarkable is the embryos ability to stop damage that would happen over time, says study co-author Anne Brunet, a geneticist at Stanford University. The tiny tissues emerge in good condition and seem to have put off aging. By studying how the killifish genome changes for this months-long pause, researchers could one day prompt those alterations to preserve human organs as well.

Its not totally clear how killifish know it is time to stop growing. Not all enter this hibernation-like freeze, Brunet says, and those that do likely receive a signal from their mothers instructing them to do so. Her team was interested in finding out what all happens inside the embryos that end up waiting out those long months. As killifish bred in Brunets lab, she and her team examined genetic material from embryos before, during and after their stalled growth. Some genes werent as active as they are normally. This makes sense, Brunet says after all, the embryo isnt growing. But a few genes were operating at higher-than-usual levels. Some of these highly active genes were responsible for wrapping up large chunks of the genome and effectively turning them off, an efficient process that shutters several genes at once instead of a bunch of individual pauses, Brunet says.

Other genes active during this developmental hiatus have a role in muscle development. Brunet and her team didnt see how crucial they are for keeping the embryos healthy until they bred some of the fish with dysfunctional versions of these genes. When it came time for the growth pause, the brand-new muscle tissue in the genetically modified fish disintegrated. The team concluded that the reason these genes are normally so active in stalled embryos is because they keep those muscle cells from falling apart. Its not easy to maintain muscle its an active process of amendment, even if the cells dont proliferate. Without it, the muscle is no longer preserved, Brunet says. Thats really remarkable in hibernation.

Brunet and her team plan to investigate how these genetic changes can lead to healthy muscle cells. In other words, what is happening with the fish's hormones or metabolism that lets the embryonic muscle cells keep developing even in stasis? Further down the line, the scientists say it might be worth investigating whether the dormant stem cells in our own bodies share any of the same pause mechanisms as killifish.

That is very preliminary, but that is something that would be interesting, Brunet says. If the machinery is conserved, could that also function to preserve cells in tissues in the longterm? It will take much longer than a killifishs frozen development to find out.

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African Killfish Can Put Aging on Pause. Do They Hold the Secrets of Longevity? - Discover Magazine

Is true, lasting monogamy a fading institution?

Ive worked with individuals, happily married couples, people on the dating scene, marriages on the rocks, new relationships, poly-amores, and everything in between.

I wouldnt say monogamous relationships are harder or easier to do really well than committed, consensually open relationships.

When Im working with a couple we aim to make their relationship fantastic. With this as the focus they stop thinking of monogamy as an issue either way. Seriously, people who are in a fantastic relationship arent coming to me to discuss their struggles with monogamy. (Or non-monogamy.) Its a non-issue.

That said, here is what we know about monogamy that works:

Working monogamy is monogamy in practice. Its not conceptual. Its not a personality type (as much as one might insist that it is). Monogamy is a relationship state. It means being monogamous to a real live human being, with all of their quirks and gifts and uniqueness.

What this means is, if youre currently in search of your ideal soul-mate, your perfect match on this EarthIf you left a partner who cheated on youIn short, if you are not in a relationshipThen I hate to break it to you: you are not monogamous.

You cant be monogamous without the who that you are monogamous to. What you are instead is what we might call monogamous to monogamy. You are monogamous to an idea. Its simply not the same as being monogamous to someone.

Why? Because it takes a lot to connect with another human being. All the more so, to connect in a way that eclipses all others.

If youre not actually in such a relationship if youre not doing what it takes to connect with someone at that level, grappling with the beautifully messy realities and complexities of human relating Im sorry but you have no claim to monogamy. There are plenty of people out there who are using their laundry list of ideals, monogamy among them, to avoid relationships rather than to get into one.

So get all up in there with someone. Then maybe we can have a meaningful conversation about monogamy.

Working monogamy is organic monogamy. Monogamy that arises spontaneously because the relationship really is that good. Where the thought of being with someone else draws a rather blank stare and a Why?

Organic monogamy is descriptive rather than prescriptive. It requires no effort and draws little attention. It isnt so much chosen or negotiated as discovered.

Monogamy is a convenient label for what youre naturally doing, left to your own devices. Just as the Moon travelling freely through space orbits the Earth. Theres no resisting temptation because there isnt anyone funner, sexier, more attractive, more alluring, or better in bed than the one youre with. There isnt any wandering because there isnt anywhere to go. Any step away is a step down from what youve already got.

I dont advocate monogamy as a principle, that its somehow intrinsically right or good or superior. I believe deeply in monogamy as a way that I have seen can work incredibly well, and I help couples have such a rich, fulfilling relationship that, if theyre choosing monogamy, its because its the natural best option for both of them.

Working monogamy is being monogamous to someone (as opposed to demanding monogamy from someone). It doesnt work that way. Monogamy has everything to do with your behavior and nothing to do with your partners.

Sure, you can extort / demand / insist on your partners monogamy. Perhaps indefinitely. But it will never get you a good relationship if you dont already have one.

I frequent a Facebook group for singles who are all followers of a certain very popular motivational speaker. Recently a woman posted that she met a great guy. She described his many wonderful qualities and how well-suited they were. But he refuses to be monogamous, and she was asking the group for thoughts on what to do. I read through the many responses, most of them some variation of telling her to dump the scoundrel and run as fast as she could, since hell never change. Until we got into a discussion of what she really wanted, what monogamy represented to her:

Exclusivity isnt the same as longevity. Exclusivity isnt the same as depth, or intimacy, or commitment. If your desire is to have a committed, long-lasting, passionate, deep, intimate relationship with someone, the only way is to build that kind of relationship with someone.

As for monogamy itself, the only kind of monogamy we really care about is the organic kind, where the relationship is so fantastic that nothing out there compares to what youve got at home. But that too has to be built. If you demand it, you end up with monogamy without longevity, without passion or intimacy or depth.

So having a monogamous relationship does not consist of finding a monogamous partner. Crappy relationships are the birthplace of all the affairs of the supposedly monogamy-minded. Newlyweds are generally not planning their future affairs.

By the same token, building a fantastic relationship can render open relationship status functionally irrelevant.

But in all my years of coaching/teaching and living, for that matter Ive never seen monogamy, in and of itself, make a crappy relationship fantastic.

Focusing on monogamy as an issue wont improve a relationship, but focusing on improving the relationship can neutralize monogamy as an issue.

Previously Published on Medium

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Working Monogamy - The Good Men Project

The Seahawks have about ten thousand free agents this offseason. Okay, so the number is actually 32. Ten thousand was only a slight exaggeration, especially when you consider that 22 of those are unrestricted free agents. Thanks to spotrac.com, you can see the list of all 32 right here. The 22 that are free to sign with any team are listed here. Of those 22, the Hawks are definitely going to make some a top priority. Jadeveon Clowney is obviously a player that Seattle will want back, and we have a great look at what it might take to keep him. Right now, Im going to take a look at the five players the Seahawks should be happy to see walk out the door.

I cant keep you in suspense with this choice because everyone expects it. My first choice for a fond farewell package has to be Germain Ifedi. I know, I know, Ive written enough critical pieces on Ifedi, it must seem like he owes me $10 from high school. By all accounts, he is an excellent human being. What he is not is an excellent NFL tackle. Im happy to say that hes turned into a not-terrible player. Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 81 rated players at tackle last year. That was the best performance of his career. That isnt exactly great.

The reason I say the Seahawks absolutely have to let him walk is less about his ability than his price tag. Weve discussed this in-depth previously, but Ifedi is expected to command a salary of at least $12 million per year. Crazy, I know. Thats what happens when there are very few free agents at your position who were at least capable of holding down a starting gig. If by some miracle the market isnt there, and the Hawks could bring him back for something around $7 milafter all, he has improved every year. Not that hell ever sign for that little.

My next big target and I mean big in every sense of the word is Jarran Reed. Hes expected to be offered at least $10 million per year according to Sam Gold of The Athletic:

Reed took offense, as he made clear in his reply, stating Yikes thats disrespectfully low. Gold replied in kind.Reeds response tells me volumes about the guy:

Gotta love how extremely respectful Reed was in his reply to Gold. Which still doesnt mean hes worth more than $10 million. Yes, he created terrific interior pressure on the quarterback in 2018. Projecting his 202 season, before the suspension, I cautioned 12s it was a mistake to expect another double-digit sack total. As I mentioned then, prior to his breakout season he had three sacks in 21 starts. 2019 is the year that really matters. In 10 games, Reed managed just two sacks, eight quarterback hits, and zero tackles for a loss. Prorated to a full season, thats three sacks, 13 QB hits, and still not one tackle for a loss. A reminder: not even Cortez Kennedy ever had more than one double-digit sack season. Id love to have Reed back, but if hes thinking over $12 million per year, theres just no way hes worth that.

Just an aside, but I am not going to suggest the Seahawks part ways with C.J. Prosise. Ive made that call every season since birth, it seems, and he keeps coming back. Last year, he was finally able to make some solid contributions. With the terrible luck hes had with injuries, 33 touches is solid. Theres not much reason to resign him, except that the Hawks love the guy, and he does give his best every time out. So I fully expect to see him re-signed.

Back to the guys who will find new homes. This will be a quick run through. I cant imagine defensive end Ezekiel Ansah will be back at any price. Hes just 30, but has the body of a 90-year old. A 90-year-old with a long history of injuries, that is. I dont wish to offend any longevity-blessed readers. Ziggy just cant get healthy, or stay healthy. I really wish he could.

I think its time for the Hawks to part with Jaron Brown as well. His catch rate (57 percent) was the worst of anyone on the team not named Moore. He lacks the explosion of Moore, and his role as a red-zone target has definitely been superseded by DK Metcalf and the tight end roster. Malik Turner did a fine job as well, so Brown look to be the odd man out.

My last call is all in the players hands. George Fant has made it known that he wants to start at left tackle. That would be a problem, as the Seahawks already have a pretty good player there in Duane Brown. I would love to see big George installed at right tackle in place of Ifedi. I believe the Hawks would like that as well. But if the mans dream is to play on the blind side, hell have to move on. I so badly want to see him stay, catch a pass and not stumble until hes trucked the entire back seven of a defense. Hopefully the Niners.

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Seahawks really need to let these five free agents walk - 12th Man Rising