Recent Climate Change At the Poles

General Posts, Science Alvin BregmanNo Comment on Recent Climate Change At the Poles

Human beings can wreak environmental damage to any place they live or work in by clearing out forests, strip mining mountains, etc. However, Antarctica was out of reach till now was supposedly said to be safe from damage at the hands of humans. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. Climate change has made sure that no corner of the planet is safe from the destruction caused by humans. The gradual increase in temperature has caused the sea ice around the poles to reach a record low last year.

Although the disappearance of the Arctic sea ice is deemed important, the ice that around Antarctica seems to be causing more panic amongst scientists and researchers at present. According to the recent studies, if the greenhouse gas emissions continue at the present rate, there will be at least a 4 ft sea level increase in the low lying areas around the world. This is why NASA uses satellites to monitor the climate and weather from outer space. This way, the present scenario is monitored, helping the scientists come up with different ways to slow down the climate change.

NASA’s IceBridge mission was established in 2009 to cover the Polar Regions and study the state of the ice at these locations using equipment like radars, laser altimeters, gravimeters, and magnetometers. The mission consisted of 8 to 12-hour expeditions where the average cruising altitude of the flights was maintained at 1500 ft. and at times even lower than that. The pilots were allowed to change the cruising altitude according to the lay of the land.

The thinning of the ice is measured using a laser altimeter and a shallow radar. If the problem of thinning ice is not solved soon, the world will be facing trouble pretty soon. It is up to the people to take the issue of climate change into their hands and try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible.

Scientist Warn Against Giving Smartphones To kids

General Posts, Health Alvin BregmanNo Comment on Scientist Warn Against Giving Smartphones To kids

The growing number of complaints about children becoming too involved in their own world as a result of extreme smartphone usage has the scientists worried. Many parents struggle with deciding whether it is time to give their children access to smartphones these days. According to recent studies, increased screen time can have a detrimental effect on the eyesight of kids. It has also been observed that giving a smartphone to kids at a young age, causes them to abstain from other childhood activities like imaginary games, building forts, playing pretend and so on.

Although the problems of handing over a smartphone to a young child have been discussed to death everywhere, smartphones have also become a necessity of the day. With both parents working, the kids are often left alone to their own devices these days. Giving them a smartphone makes it easier for their parents to keep track of their kids and ensure that they are safe at all times. Scientists recommend using a tracker app on the child’s phone to find out where they are exactly at any point in time. If a parent feels that their child is responsible enough to handle using a smartphone responsibly, it might be time to get them one. However, the parents need to lay down rules to make sure that their kids do not end up spending their entire time on their phones as well. Parents need to have access to their passwords to check their phones once in a while.

Scientists Report Increased Brain Activity Keeps Dementia At Bay

General Posts, Health Alvin BregmanNo Comment on Scientists Report Increased Brain Activity Keeps Dementia At Bay

In order to function properly, the brain requires an adequate blood flow. In case this blood flow is blocked as a result of heart not pumping or arteries getting blocked, the brain tissue will get damaged. This is why strokes or mini-strokes can cause a subsequent cognitive decline which is also known as vascular dementia. To reduce the risk of cognitive decline, scientists recommend managing blood pressure, keeping blood sugar normal, controlling cholesterol levels, being more physically active, losing extra weight, stop smoking and eating a healthy diet.

According to recent studies, implementing the above steps has shown an increase in brain activity by over 25%. Other brain-boosting activities include continuing education and social interactions. Scientists and medical professionals encourage their patients to take up new hobbies after they retire from their jobs. This way the brain learns a new task and keeps the brain cells active at the same time. Interacting socially with different people also help keep the brain sharper. If a patient has a family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is a good idea to implement these ideas to reduce their risk to these diseases for as long as possible.