Book Review: 'Hope Dies Last' visits visionaries fighting global warming
Alan Weisman has found an all-world cast of scientists, engineers and environmentalists who have dreamed big and worked passionately to repair some of the world's wrecked ecosystems and also to develop processes that, for example, use far less energy than we get from oil
Take Azzam Alwash, for example. An engineer, he lamented destruction of thousands of square miles of marshes in Iraq that date to Biblical times and were his birthplace. Birds, fish and other animals flourished in the wetlands until Saddam Hussein drained them to flush out enemies to his regime.
The wetlands in the world's hottest region were thought beyond resurrection.
Weisman writes that to Alwash, however, 'impossible often masks a lack of imagination.' He marshaled the resources to restore much of the wetlands and a miracle followed: wildlife returned..
Some of Weisman's chapters will make readers wish they had paid more attention in high school science and chemistry classes.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made astonishing progress in developing commercial-scale fusion energy that could produce great quantities of clean energy. Such breakthroughs are critical on a planet now dependent on fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide that traps heat in the atmosphere.
To those who scoff at mentions of human-caused environmental catastrophe as a hoax or fake news, consider this: Weisman's bibliography runs 74 pages. And the type is small. He spent several years researching and reporting on this book and visited a dozen countries.
'As long as we let them keep on, there is hope,' writes Weisman, referring to the people he writes about in this book.
News also has overtaken the publication of this book. President Trump's threats to withhold money from Harvard and other universities would have a drastic effect because so many of the world's brightest students come to study at American research universities, contributing to the steady stream of American scientific breakthroughs.
Weisman set out to find inspirational people doing extraordinary work to save the planet.
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Harvard Doctor Shares 8 Surprisingly Simple Tips To Prevent Dementia
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His answer is short and not-so-sweet: No. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued the supplement-maker for false claims. 'As a result, Prevagen [made from jellyfish extract] actually changed their slogan to say it's the number one best-selling memory supplement—so they no longer claim that it works.' Which supplements actually do protect your brain? 'The two vitamin levels that we always measure in the clinic—because they're often deficient in older adults—are vitamin B12 and vitamin D, low levels of which have been linked, in different ways, to cognitive problems,' he explains. While Vitamin B helps prevent cognitive decline in large part by supporting the function of neurons, the role vitamin D plays in brain health is a little more mysterious. 'Low vitamin D has been associated with dementia in general and Alzheimer's in particular, making it an important preventative factor—but no one is exactly sure why.' Dr. Budson believes the answer lies in how vitamin D helps our immune system fight off infections. 'People who end up with fewer infections essentially reduce the number of 'triggers' for their body to make an excess of beta amyloid plaque seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.' He adds that while maintaining normal levels of these vitamins boosts brain health, there's no evidence that 'mega doses' confer any benefits. 'In general, the B12 levels I like to see in my patients are 400 to 1,000 pg/mL and 30 to 100 ng/mL of vitamin D.' Just be sure to consult your healthcare professional before taking over-the-counter supplements, as they can interact with other medications. You've likely heard of the debate between digital brain games and crossword puzzles. So, which is better for memory and cognitive health? Classic crossword for the win, declares Dr. Budson. He explains that in one recent study, the maker of digital games designed to challenge the brain and boost memory pitted their product against the old-fashioned crossword puzzle. 'Their prediction was that people who played their battery of games would end up doing better cognitively and show less brain shrinkage on MRI results,' he shares. 'But they found that doing crossword puzzles was better for the brain than playing their games.' That's because these puzzles are one of the few cognitive activities that force you to stretch your brain again and again. 'The clues are always different and the words link together in new ways,' he continues, explaining that the brain feeds on novelty and variety. Digital games, on the other hand, are more static and predictable. If you prefer apps, just try to switch them up every few weeks. Once you master them, it's time to introduce your noodle to a new challenge to maximize the dementia prevention benefits. Fostering deeper relationships doesn't just feel great, it literally boosts brain power and wards off dementia. 'One study that came out of Japan showed that people who were more socially isolated actually saw a shrinkage of their brain,' reveals Dr. Budson. 'Social interaction is one of the most important kinds of brain stimulation there is.' His simple prescription: Call, or even better, hang out with a friend and engage in a meaningful conversation. Everything from making a joke to showing empathy to simply listening is the cognitive equivalent of lifting a megaton weight, strengthening neural pathways and reducing this risk factor for dementia. 'When we use our brain, we're helping it stay metabolically active and robust,' Dr. Budson says, revealing that there is an increased risk of dementia in people with hearing loss, likely because 'they're not getting as much information into their brain if they can't hear it.' 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While walking 30 minutes a day, five times a week, is still the study-proven gold standard for brain health, that doesn't mean you have to carve out a large block of time for regular physical activity. 'There's lots of evidence that shows breaking up a 30-minute workout into three 10-minute intervals gives you just as many benefits,' he confirms. Study after study confirms the best brain food comes from the Mediterranean. 'A menu which includes fish, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains has been shown to decrease the risk of Alzheimer's,' Dr. Budson assures. 'And its sister plan, the MIND diet, which pulls in poultry like chicken and turkey, is very good as well.' In fact, new research finds that the MIND diet—a hybrid of the Mediterranean and blood pressure-slashing DASH diet—lowers the risk of dementia by nine percent. What's more, the age of study participants ranged from 45 to 75 years old, showing it's never too late to adopt healthy, brain-building habits. 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New paper sheds light on experience of Black prisoners in infamous Stateville prison malaria experiments
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OSU falls victim to budget cuts, putting a damper on scientific research
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