Young people today don’t drink as much alcohol as their millennial‚ Gen X‚ and boomer predecessors. The question is: why not? A new editorial from scientists in Australia and Sweden says there are many potential factors in play‚ but as of now we simply don’t have enough research to know for sure.It used to be millennials who were blamed for the decline of everything from department stores‚ to cable TV‚ to raisins‚ of all things. But frankly‚ we’re older now‚ we’re tired‚ and – if research is to be believed – we’re not even getting any‚ so it’s time the heat fell on someone else for a change.Gen Z‚ the first generation to grow up surrounded by internet culture and social media‚ has come of age‚ and as these young adults have started to take their places in the world‚ scientists have picked up on some curious trends – one being‚ they’re consuming less alcohol than their forebears. Introducing a special issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Review‚ a group of researchers have laid out what we know – and crucially‚ what we don’t – about what’s driving them away from drink.Gen Z have been described as “the sober-curious generation”‚ but that doesn’t mean they’re all tee-total. Research by Mintel in 2023 found that Gen Zers considered alcohol as more of an “occasional treat” rather than the “regular‚ relaxing refreshment” it often is for older generations.In the new editorial‚ Michael Livingston‚ from the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University‚ and colleagues point to one study that found this decline in alcohol consumption was not spread evenly across the generation: “the decline in drinking has been driven more strongly by boys than girls‚ leading to a narrowing (or even over-turning) of the gender gap in drinking.”But while gender may be a contributing factor‚ personality apparently is not‚ as another upcoming study found‚ with declines in alcohol consumption occurring across all major personality trait groupings.As to the why of it‚ a number of possibilities have been put forward. One trend suggests that youths may be switching from alcohol and other substances towards cannabis. With more places tentatively moving towards legalization‚ cannabis consumption may be becoming more socially acceptable. Indeed‚ data suggests that cannabis use is not in decline among young people.The Mintel data also shone a light on the fact that the youngest consumers may be more concerned about the emotional impacts of drinking‚ like the dreaded “hangxiety”‚ or its lack of nutritional content‚ instead preferring less calorific soft drink alternatives.  But while drinks manufacturers may be dismayed by the data‚ it does beg the question: if Gen Z are dodging the booze‚ are they also managing to dodge some of its negative health consequences?The data on this is conflicted. One of the studies mentioned in the editorial used Swedish data and found a reduction in alcohol disorders‚ alcohol poisonings‚ and other acute harm in line with the reduction in consumption. However‚ this is in contrast to some other previous work that found the opposite‚ such as a 2020 study that concluded more young people (both millennials and the oldest Gen Zers) in the US were being hospitalized with alcohol-related liver disease.“The papers in this issue point to important ongoing avenues of research – more work is needed to understand how harm trends reflect drinking trends‚ to better assess how illicit drug use fits into the broad story of declining youth drinking and‚ especially‚ to fully flesh out the positives and negatives of a decline in youth drinking that appears to be strongly associated with concerns about risk‚” the researchers concluded.“With the changes in youth drinking being so profound‚ older theories often used to understand youth substance use are likely to be outdated‚” they add‚ stating that a more comprehensive view on this issue will be necessary if we are to help our young people – and the generation coming after – better navigate their changing relationship with alcohol.The editorial is published in Drug and Alcohol Review. 

In 1950‚ deep within the untamed jungles of the Congo‚ archaeologists stumbled upon the perplexing Ishango Bone‚ a discovery that has intrigued the minds of archaeologists‚ historians‚ and mathematicians for numerous decades. Unearthed at the Ishango Fishermen’s Village‚ this artifact transcends the ordinary‚ potentially being an ancient mathematical device dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era. The Upper Paleolithic period saw the coexistence of various cultures and groups with distinct linguistic and artistic expressions. Although specific details about the societies inhabiting the region during this time are limited due to the lack of written records‚ archaeologists have found evidence of social structures‚ trade networks‚ and belief systems that shaped the daily lives of these early human communities. The curved bone‚ adorned with dark brown hues and measuring approximately 10 centimeters in length‚ unveils astonishing engravings. At one end‚ a sharp piece of quartz is affixed‚ possibly indicating its use for intricate engraving‚ sparking various theories and contemplations among researchers. Some propose that the series of markings‚ meticulously arranged in three columns‚ might represent a method of counting or even simple mathematical operations. The bone’s surface contains multiple columns of engravings. The exact number of columns varies between different sources‚ but there are generally three to four primary columns that have been identified. Each column contains different sets of notches and symbols‚ arranged in distinct patterns. The engravings on the Ishango Bone display a level of precision and deliberate craftsmanship. The lines are straight and neatly etched into the bone’s surface‚ suggesting a skilled hand and a purposeful creation process. The bone’s aesthetics may indicate that it was not merely a utilitarian object but one that held cultural or symbolic value. Alternatively‚ others posit that these enigmatic marks could have served as a means to measure time or even functioned as a primitive lunar calendar. Discovered by the Belgian explorer Jean de Heinzelin de Brocourt‚ the Ishango Bone captivated the scientific community’s attention and now resides at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. To safeguard its significance‚ numerous forms and copies have been created. While the bone’s age remains a point of contention among archaeologists‚ many experts estimate it to be around 20‚000 years old. The inscriptions continue to astonish mathematicians‚ suggesting the existence of ancient number systems and potentially even lunar calendars. Despite a myriad of theories and interpretations‚ the Ishango Bone persists as mystery‚ challenging contemporary notions about the mathematical prowess of Upper Paleolithic societies. The post Ishango Bone: A 20‚000-Year-Old Mathematical Mystery appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Born out of necessity after Infowars was kicked off most major social media platforms, Banned.video is still being limited

The world is laughing at America.

The UN's World Mosquito Program last year announced plan to release billions of gene-edited mosquitos in Brazil.

The following article‚ Cartoon of the Day: Time To Go‚ was first published on Conservative Firing Line. Cartoon of the Day: Time To Go. A.F. Branco Cartoon – Folks are leaving Minneapolis and its crime-ridden streets out of fear for their safety. Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have turned a once good neighborhood into a third-world country making it unbearable for many good people to continue living there. Couple flees Minneapolis as crime turns neighborhood … Continue reading Cartoon of the Day: Time To Go ...

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced Monday morning that she would step down from leading the GOP early next month after more than seven years at the helm. "It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party‚" McDaniel said in a statement on Monday. "Some of my proudest accomplishments include firing Nancy Pelosi‚ winning the popular vote in 2022‚ creating...

Given the extra scrutiny and large number of doses‚ reports of possible side effects to a vaccine safety monitoring system increased with the COVID-19 vaccines. The high number of reports does not mean the vaccines are unsafe‚ contrary to suggestions made by posts sharing a clip of a Food and Drug Administration official acknowledging the surge. How do we know vaccines are safe? The COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably safe and only rarely cause serious side effects. Despite the good safety...