Human bodies are sacks of fluids supported by skeletons. The entire human organism has evolved over billions of years on Earth in harmony with the planet’s specific gravity. But when astronauts spend too much time on the ISS in a microgravity environment, the organism responds, the fluids shift, and problems can occur. One of those problems is with vision, and scientists are working to understand how it happens and what they can do about it. We’re talking about Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). NASA says that 70% of astronauts who spend time on the International Space Station (ISS) experience at least mild SANS. Sometimes, the effect is minor and often temporary. Other times, it’s more severe and can cause long-term vision problems, including partial loss of vision. Researchers have been dealing with microgravity and its effects on vision for a while. “Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), previously known as Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure (VIIP), is a major risk associated with long-duration spaceflight,” wrote the authors of a 2020 paper. “During prolonged missions, optic disk edema, posterior globe flattening, decreased near vision, and hyperopic shifts are hallmarks of SANS. This risk stems from the lack of gravity, which causes a headward shift of blood and other body fluids.” Now, a group of physicians are working with Polaris Dawn to understand the problem. Polaris Dawn is a private spaceflight initiative operated by SpaceX. It will send four private astronauts on a highly elliptical Earth orbit that will take them 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) away from Earth. This is the furthest any human being has been from Earth since the Apollo missions. Matt Lyon, MD, from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) at Augusta University, is leading a team that is working with Polaris Dawn to study SANS. “The changes start happening on day one,” said Lyon, who also is the J. Harold Harrison M.D. Distinguished Chair in Telehealth. “We are not entirely sure what causes these issues with vision, but we suspect it has to do with a shift in cerebrospinal fluid in the optic nerve sheath. On Earth, gravity pushes that fluid down and it drains out, but in space, it floats up and presses against the optic nerve and retina.” Lyon and his colleagues are focusing on the optic nerve sheath. The optic nerve is a conduit that carries visual information from the eyes to the brain. Inside the sheath, the nerve is protected by cerebrospinal fluid. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) carries toxins away from the eye. A simple schematic of the optic nerve and the sheath with cerebrospinal fluid. Image Credit: Netteland et al. 2023. Here on Earth, MCG patented the use of ultrasound to image the optic nerve and its sheath and rapidly visualize damage associated with pressure and fluid changes in the sheath. Now, Lyon and his team are putting a portable ultrasound machine in the hands of the four Polaris Dawn astronauts and training them on how to use it. But first they’re screening the four astronauts to try to determine which people are more susceptible to SANS. They think that people who suffered concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the past are likely more susceptible to SANS. “We discovered that when the cerebral spinal pressure goes up with mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), there is resulting damage to the sheath that is likely lifelong,” he explained. “We think that when astronauts who have experienced concussions or mild TBIs go into space and experience the low-gravity fluid shifts, the sheath dilates from the increase in volume. It is like a tire — a normal tire remains its normal shape as it is filled with air, and the shape doesn’t change. When it’s damaged, like bulges on the side of a tire, the fluid fills the bulges up and the sheath expands. This can cause pressure on the nerve and retina. A damaged sheath is less of a problem on Earth, but in space, the excess fluid has nowhere to go.” It’s critical that the private Polaris Dawn astronauts image the changes to their optical nerves and sheaths in real-time. Real-time data will help researchers understand if vision changes due to SANS are caused by the sheer volume of fluid, the increased pressure from the fluid, or interactions between the two. The video below shows how ultrasound is used to scan the eye, including the optical nerve (0:40). Go to the 0:40 second mark to see the eye being scanned. “If it’s just volume, we suspect the cerebrospinal fluid goes up, fills this floppy bag and gets stuck. It’s almost like not flushing your toilets. You’re creating this toxic environment, because the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is what carries toxins away from your eyes and nerves, and instead the toxins sit against the optic nerve, killing it,” Lyon said. “But it could be that combined with the increased pressure that comes with increased CSF, which would be like getting intermittent hypertension in your eye.” The solution to SANS could be a Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) device. These are large, bulky devices that counteract the headward shift of fluids in microgravity by creating ground reaction forces (GRFs). They’re typically airtight chambers that astronauts spend time in. Unfortunately, LBNPs require astronauts to be static while using them. NASA tested them during the International Microgravity Laboratory on Space Shuttle Mission STS-65. This image showed payload commander Richard Hieb wearing and testing the LBNP on Shuttle mission STS 65 in 1994. By creating lower pressure in the bottom of the body, blood and fluids are prevented from accumulating in the upper body in microgravity. Image Credit: NASA. Researchers at the University of California’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Department of Bioengineering are developing a mobile version of an LBNP. “Our new mobile gravity suit is relatively small, untethered, and flexible in order to improve mobility in space. We hypothesized that this novel mobile gravity suit generates greater ground reaction forces than a standard LBNP chamber,” wrote the authors of the 2020 paper. This image shows a mobile LBNP suit under development. Image Credit: Ashari and Hargens, 2020. Mobile Lower Body Negative Pressure suits are still under development, and scientists need more data. Polaris Dawn can help provide the needed data. The ultrasound images of the optical nerve are part of a broader research effort that will be conducted during Polaris Dawn. The Medical College of Georgia is one of 23 institutions that the mission is working with. The data that Polaris Dawn returns should help lead to a solution for SANS. The post How Can Astronauts Avoid Vision Loss from Spaceflight? appeared first on Universe Today.

Guitarist says he would have gotten an operation for the chance to join his favorite band. Continue reading…

A Michigan judge ruled Monday that Cornel West, an independent candidate for president, has qualified and must appear on Michigan’s ballot in November. The ruling was made by Court of Claims Judge James Robert Redford, overturning an earlier disqualification of West and his running mate Melina Abdullah.  The suit was brought by Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, which was backed by a Democratic-aligned PAC. A spokesperson from Benson’s office has indicated that Redford’s ruling will be appealed. “This ruling is not just a legal victory—it is a moral victory for everyone who believes in the sanctity of the democratic process” West said in a statement in response to the decision, continuing, “Our campaign submitted over 26,000 signatures, significantly more than required, which the court recognized as a legitimate expression of the people’s will. We are grateful for this affirmation and promise to continue championing the rights of all voters.” West challenges the Democrats from the left, supporting the nationalization of healthcare, abolishing ICE, reparations, and holds left-wing positions on abortion and transgenderism. Relevant to Michigan and its large Arab-American community, West is known for his pro-Palestine views, having described President Joe Biden as a “war criminal” due to his support of U.S. military aid to Israel. West is also a noteworthy opponent of globalization and technocracy, and defender of free speech. He supports disbanding NATO. West’s campaign has faced an uphill battle due to litigation, and was kicked off of the Pennsylvania ballot in a Saturday ruling. With the Michigan ruling, the West campaign has secured ballot access in ten states, including the swing state of North Carolina. The ruling concerning West comes the same day as the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Jill Stein, the presidential candidate of the Green Party, will remain on that state’s presidential ballot. Stein appeared on the Wisconsin ballot in 2016, when her vote total in the state was greater than Donald Trump’s margin of victory over Hillary Clinton, but was disqualified in 2020. The post Judge: Cornel West Must Appear On Michigan Ballot appeared first on The American Conservative.

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LOST CITIES DOCUMENTARY: Discovered places of lost civilizations 2,086,271 views 8-16-2024 - 2,086,271 views Aug. 16, 2024 Lifeder En - Documentary on lost cities. We showcase the lost cities of the Amazon, a remote place never shown before. Ancestral remains around the world, from the jungles of North America, through cities once thought to be mythical, to secluded ruins in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. - FAIR USE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES - Mirrored From: https://www.youtube.com/@lifederenglish

Gen Z has their own slang that seems to have a life of it's own. Americans hear the popular phrases so often that it can be easy to forget that not every teen and young adult knows all the lingo. But Robert Irwin, the late Steve Irwin's son, was interviewed for Pedestrian TV where they asked him to guess American Gen Z slang.It turned into this chaotically silly exchange as Irwin repeated the popular words and phrases in his thick Australian accent. Something about an Aussie saying "that's cap" just sounds like it's not supposed to go together. The 20-year-old himself couldn't contain his laughter throughout the whole interview realizing that he didn't know as much as he thought he should as part of the Gen Z generation. In his defense, there were some Gen Alpha phrases thrown in there so plenty of American 20somethings would've also been confused on a couple of those. Even with the few curve balls, Irwin starts off strong in the word game. When Pedestrian TV asks the Australian icon what "slay" means, he answers, "slay...that happens to be what I do all day everyday, 'nough said," clearly showing he knows the lingo. Well...until they get to "slaps." Irwin thought it was a hand game where you try to avoid getting your hands slapped. But the slang meaning quickly popped into his head, "oh like slaps as in like music. Like that slaps, like that goes...that slaps, that goes hard, that's a banger." Nice save.The few that tripped up the Aussie were, "glizzy," "GYATT," and "sigma." It was at that point Irwin admitted to feeling old and quickly slipped into an American southern accent saying, "I don't know what the kids are saying these days but I'm clearly behind the times." Commenters couldn't get over his his accent switch up and one dubbed him a Millennial at heart. @robertirwin I gotta up my Gen Z game ? thanks for a fun chat @PEDESTRIAN.TV ♬ original sound - Robert Irwin "That Aussie's old man accent is SOUTHERN AMERICAN. I think my brain just broke," one person writes."That southern American accent slaps. All rizz. no cap," someone jokes."Lowkey its good he doesn't know the trending terms, means he's worried about more important matter in the real world love you either way robert," another person laughs.The accent really threw people and they simply could not get over the fact that other people outside of America do random accents for no good reason with one person writing, "so the Australians also like to mimic accents when they're feeling silly. Just sounds like they're turning their accent off."Another person added to the chorus dubbing Irwin a honorary Millennial saying, "as a Texan I did not expect that accent at the end spot on. Robert is definitely Millennial coded." While Robert Irwin is displaying his Millennial energy, he shouldn't feel alone. Slang is always changing and evolving leaving each generation a little more confused than the last as slag turns into acronyms being sounded out or words that simply don't exist. Plus he's on a completely different continent, so he gets a pass on the slag. Southern accent was top tier though.

It’s nothing new for parents to lament their kid’s ever growing list of school requirements. From piles of homework to getting graded for school supplies, the pressures seem to be ot only racking up over time, but spreading to younger and younger grades. And it’s not just parents who have noticed the shift. Recently, longtime kindergarten teacher Ms. Kelli, of the TikTok account @the_wondermint, reflected on how different it is for students at even an introductory level. In the clip, Kelli begins, “So I just gotta ask, as a 20-year kindergarten teacher myself, remember when we went to kindergarten that we just had to be potty trained and not eat the glue?” Comparing that to the long list of requirements nowadays, the educator says she feels sorry for families going through it. “My heart breaks when I see all these videos of what do you need to do to prepare your child for kindergarten, and things your child must know before going to kindergarten, and these lists of things that parents need to be working on.” Keli argues that “human development hasn't changed. What a five or six-year-old child is physically, mentally and developmentally able to do hasn't changed, in all these years.” Still, the standards have changed. And kids are paying the price. So she encourages fellow teachers and parents to not force the educational aspect. “The learning will come. The development will come, the ABCs, the one, two, threes, writing, all of it, it will come ... Curriculum, it will happen. The learning, it will happen,” she says. @the_wondermint Little bit of a plea and PSA for the day… let them be kids! #teachersontiktok #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #iteachk #kindergarten #ilovekindergarten #iloveteaching #foryoupage #teacherforyoupage #fypage #teacherfyp #playbasedlearning #seethewonderkeepitfresh #handsonlearning #reggioemilia #letthemexplore #parentsontiktok #parentsoftiktok #kindergartenparents #kinderprep #backtoschool ♬ original sound - The Classrooms of Ms. Kelli Instead of placing more pressure, Kelli suggests a gentler, simpler approach. “Let them play, let them socialize with each other. Let them learn to be away from their mommy and daddy and be sad for a little bit and be comforted. Let them find friendships that are gonna make them laugh so hard that their bellies ache and tell stories that go home. Let them create something that they never thought they could. Let them do an art project where they turn a box into a robot and they’re so excited to show their parents!” In short: “let kids be kids.” Kelli’s video seemed to really resonate with parents and teachers alike, who have definitely felt like certain aspects of childhood have been sacrificed in the name of “productivity.” Especially when it comes to homework. “Yes! My son struggled in Kindergarten last year and even had homework! I could not believe what all he had to know. Teacher said he had a hard time paying attention… yeah he is 5!” one mom shared. “Finally someone said it,” added another. “The curriculum is insane for elementary school kiddos. They have absolutely lost their childhood.”One person noted “the kindergarten report card used to be things like skipping, walking on a balance beam, the hardest thing was counting to 100.”As for whether or not a more academic-focused approach to kindergarten is, in fact, less beneficial to kids— a 2019 study in the American Educational Research Journal did find that it led to improvements, both academic and interpersonal, in the long run. But that doesn’t necessarily mean to load them up with a ton of work for after school, though. Another study reported that elementary school students, on average, are assigned three times the recommended amount of homework. This is why Kelli created a follow up video sharing why she doesn’t assign homework to her own students. “We are covering what we’re covering in the five or six hours with these little babies, and if we can’t cover that in that time, we’re definitely not gonna get the best out of them at 5, 6 o’clock at night when they’re tired and they should be enjoying time with their family,” she said. She does, however, advocate trying to instill a “love of reading,” if you can count that as homework. But even then, that assignment looks more like snuggling in bed, cozying up with a book, and having their parents read it to them. Point being: of course school is meant to help set up students for success. But if it robs them of their precious, formative and oh-so temporary childhood, then is it really worth it?

There are few things in this world more delightful than a child's imagination. Once in a while, we get a clear glimpse into that world when a kid does something that makes us scratch our heads and smile ear to ear in equal measure. For instance, when a toddler finds a dead cicada and adopts it as a beloved companion. Mom Izzy Wherry has been sharing her daughter's adventures and escapades with a cicada corpse that are hilariously endearing. The little one found a dead cicada in the family's yard, and for an entire month has been bringing him along with her everywhere she goes. He gets baths, he gets swung on the swing, he has his own remote office outside where he types on his little computer keyboard, and more. See on Instagram He goes to the park, he's gone on a camping trip, and he even went to the dentist, where he lay next to Wherry's daughter on the dentist's chair as if he were an actual emotional support pet. See on Instagram People are celebrating the girl's creative and compassionate care for her formerly-living friend as well as the cicada getting to live his best afterlife. "He's lived a full life since he died ?""Would you still love me if I was a dead cicada?""It's going to be the ring bearer on her wedding day.""If he only knew how loved he is. ?"Many people expressed how beautiful it is to see a child just being a quintessential child. Some parents would never let their child carry a bug carcass around like this, but it's clear that this lone, dead cicada means something to this kiddo. Cicadas are loud (when they're alive), large and tough (the fact that he hasn't fallen apart yet is a testament to that), but it's notable that she's so careful and gentle in the way she handles him. Wherry confirmed that her daughter knows that the cicada is actually dead, but she still uses her imagination to bring him to life, which is both hilarious and sweet. "I absolutely love her imagination and creativity!!!???""This so sweet and so innocent. Almost a shame they have to grow up.""This is sooooo precious i love when parents let their kids be unapologetically kids ❤️""My daughter littered our home with rollie pollies and named them all MR. She collected rocks as well in all of her pockets. Wash day was a bit crazy ?""My daughter found a dead ladybug and she made her a jacuzzi from a walnut shell...with saliva...""iPad kid ❌ playing with corpses ✅ maybe there is hope for the new generation."in a world where parents are constantly battling television and tablets and other screen-based technologies, it's lovely to see a child engaging natural play inspired by the outdoors. Carrying around a dead cicada may not have been what her parents had in mind when they took their kiddo outside, but that's the beauty of children engaging with the natural world—you just never know what they're going to discover, create, collect or become attached to. Seeing a child's imagination in action is a fleeting privilege, and to capture and share it with others is a wonderful gift. Thanks to this family and the dead cicada for letting us into a little one's world for a while.You can follow Izzy Wherry and her daughter's cicada adventures on Instagram.

Almost every long term relationship suffers from a rut eventually. That goes especially for married partners who become parents and have the added responsibility of raising kids. Maintaining a connection is hard enough in this busy, fast paced world. Top it off with making sure kids are awake, dressed, entertained, well fed, oh yeah, and alive…and you best believe all you have energy for at the end of the day is sitting on the couch barely making it through one episode on Netflix.And yet, we know how important it is to maintain a connection with our spouses. Many of us just don’t know how to make that happen while juggling a million other things. According to one mom, a “three-hour night” could be just the thing to tick off multiple boxes on the to-do list while rekindling romance at the same time. Talk about the ultimate marriage hack. The three-hour night was something that Rachel Higgins and her husband began incorporating into their lives at the beginning of this year. And so far, “it's been so fun and such like a game changer for how our evenings go,” she says in a clip posted to TikTok. Before using the three-hour night, the evening would look a bit like this: their daughter would go to bed, they would lounge on the couch, scroll through social media, then fall asleep. Sound familiar?But with a three hour night, Higgins and her husband divvy up the time before bed into three section, each for a different focus. In the first hour, starting around 7 p.m., is what Higgins calls “productive time,” during which the couple sees to any household chores that might need to be done. “So start with like a quick cleanup of the kitchen or just like things that accumulated throughout the day, and then we try to do something that either ... has been being put off or cleaning the bathroom or like organizing the pantry or hall closet or something like, super random like sharpening the knives. Anything that's productive for the household,” she explains. @rachelleehiggins if you’re stuck in a rut with your evenings try this! i saw someone do something similar to this a while ago but can’t remember who! #marriage #1sttimeparents #newyearsgoals ♬ original sound - Rachel Higgins Next, the second hour is geared towards re-establishing a physical or emotional connection in their marriage. The phones go away, and they focus only on enjoying one another. “So, that could be things like showering together or ‘having fun’ together, playing a game together, or just like anything that's gonna get you guys talking and connecting or like debriefing from the day or just like talking about what you're doing and like the plans for tomorrow or like how works going or whatever. So, anything that's gonna connect and strengthen and build your marriage,” Higgins says. Lastly, the final hour of the night is dedicated towards anything Higgins and her husband individually want to do, any sort of personal recharge activity. Since this is a judgment free time, Higgins states that “If you just want to lay on the couch and scroll your phone and watch TikToks or whatever like watch YouTube videos,” it’s totally acceptable. Higgins’ novel approach definitely interested viewers, who chimed in with their own questions. One major concern was how the heck this could be done every night. But even Higgins admits that she and her husband don’t succeed at having a three-hour night every night—they usually try for about 3-4 times a week. And honestly even once a week could still probably be beneficial in building intimacy. Others wondered how to have a three-hour night when things randomly popped up in their schedule, like when kids won’t magically go to sleep promptly at 7pm. Higgins shares that in these cases, they tend to just shorten each phase. The point being: these can and probably should be customizable, even fun, rather than yet another rigid chore.Plus, a three hour night (or whatever your version of a three-hour night may be) is a great way to remind yourself just how high of a priority your relationship has in your life…no matter what else is going on at the time. Odds are you'll probably find you do have more time for it than you previously thought when you set aside time for it. This article originally appeared on 1.8.24