How superstimuli like porn and junk food flood our brains with dopamine but don't bring lasting satisfaction
In Super Stimulated, Danish science writer Nicklas Brendborg successfully answers an unsettling question – why are many of us fatter, unhappier, and having less sex than our forefathers, despite today's world of unprecedented convenience?
Brendborg says it's because our basic instincts can be tricked and he opens with an example from nature. In the 1950s, Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen discovered an oystercatcher bird will ignore her eggs to sit on fake, oversized, bright blue ones. The exaggerated features confuse her natural inclination to nurture her bigger eggs. Humans, Brendborg argues, are no different.
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Agriland
12-08-2025
- Agriland
Danish technology aims to eradicate methane emissions from livestock barn air
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Extra.ie
09-08-2025
- Extra.ie
Gulf Stream on brink of collapse - What could this mean for Ireland?
The potential collapse of the Gulf Stream could have devastating consequences for Ireland other countries along the Western Atlantic Seaboard. New research from British and Dutch scientists, has shown that the warm water source, also known as the North Atlantic Drift, has been weakening for much longer than previously thought – and it could be on the verge of total collapse due to climate change. The new research has shown that due to overheating in the Arctic, the melting of the polar ice caps is causing a huge increase in fresh water rushing into the Atlantic, and its thought this could be enough to have catastrophic consequences for Western Europe. Gulf Stream Path – PIC: Getty Images The Gulf Stream is a major ocean current that moves warm surface water from Mexico northwards across the Atlantic towards Europe and is one of the most important natural weather systems, keeping Northern and Western Europe warm. Unfortunately, scientists say this new research points towards a 'tipping point' for the sensitive warm water current, heralding its total collapse. When it collapses, it could plummet Europe into a deep freeze reminiscent of the 2004 Hollywood film 'The Day After Tomorrow'. The iceberg lagoon at Jökulsárlón in Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland In reaction to the study, which was published earlier this summer, Met Éireann said 'This research adds to a body of evidence showing that an Amoc (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) collapse would be a high-impact, transformative event. The concern is justified because the consequences, as modelled here, would be severe.' The meteorological agency went on to say 'People should be concerned about the risk that climate change poses to major Earth systems like the Amoc,' as this paper underscores the severity of what is at stake. However, it is not a prediction that Ireland is headed for an ice age in the coming decades.' But what does it mean for Ireland? Will it mean our winters will get much colder and last for much longer? Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire A report on this subject in the Irish Times earlier this year said that 'Specifically for Dublin, the scientists at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Utrecht University predict 32 per cent of days per year will go below zero – 95 days more than pre-industrial times'. They conclude 37 days per year will only reach a maximum temperature of below zero in Dublin – 36 days more than pre-industrial levels. But Belfast could be hit even harder, with the research predicting the city will have 41 percent of the year below zero. Met Éireann said the figures mentioned by the researchers for Dublin and Belfast should be interpreted with 'extreme caution'.
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Agriland
Eib to Fund Development of Disease Resilient Potato Varieties
Dutch biotechnology company, Solynta, is being funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to develop new potato varieties with higher levels of disease resistance. The EIB has signed a €20 million venture debt financing agreement with the business to accelerate this process. Significantly, Solynta will use the EIB support for its research into the use of true potato seeds instead of traditional tubers for cultivation. True potato seeds, unlike larger and heavier tubers, do not spoil during transportation and long-term storage for the next crop season, thereby boosting the chances of a successful harvest and enhancing global food security. Using true potato seeds as an alternative to tubers for cultivation has the potential to improve the economics of potato production. Solynta's hybrid breeding method, which excludes genetically modified organisms, can adapt potato characteristics relatively quickly to different needs, including resistance to diseases such as late blight and adaptation to climate change. The EIB backing for Solynta takes the form of venture debt and is supported under the European Commission's InvestEU programme. EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti said: 'Climate action and adaptation are at the heart of our financing, as is the successful scaling up of innovative European companies so that they grow and thrive. The Solynta operation is a win-win in that sense. 'Potatoes are a food staple around the world. Making sure that they can grow in increasingly difficult climates and with higher chances of a good yield is extremely important.' Solynta chief executive officer, Peter Poortinga, said: 'With this significant contribution from the EIB, we are well positioned to meet growing demand for new, robust potato varieties. 'Potato growers around the world need access to disease-free starting material with strong resistance against diseases like late blight. With our new potato varieties, propagated via true seeds instead of the traditional tubers, we bring new varieties to the market that require fewer chemicals for crop protection and help improve global food security, particularly for local communities." Klasja van de Ridder, head of the Representation of the European Commission in The Netherlands, added: 'Food security is a key element of the new Vision on Agriculture and Food of the European Commission. "The loss of yield due to climate change is a threat to the EU and the rest of world. Development of more resilient potato seeds will strengthen global food security.'
