Perfusion, good touch and AI as a deadly weapon
#311 Outriders Magazine
The good touch, the keto diet and socialization for mental health
According to researchers from the University Hospital Essen, touch can have positive effects on reducing pain, depression, and anxiety. Whether it is a hug from a friend or a social robot or simply wrapping oneself in a blanket, it benefits both the body and mind. However, human touch is more effective when it comes to mental health. The type and duration of touch are unimportant, unlike its frequency, and touching the head is the most effective.
A report by the US Surgeon General suggests that chronic loneliness may be as harmful as obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking. Depression, dementia, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death are all linked to loneliness. According to a survey conducted in 2023 by Meta and the Gallup Institute, approximately 1/4 of adults in the world feel very or entirely lonely. Why is loneliness so dangerous? In recent years, scientists have discovered the neural mechanisms that cause the human body to break down when social needs are unmet.
Researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that a ketogenic, or low-carb, high-fat diet helps restore metabolic health in patients taking antipsychotic medications. The diet also improved the mental condition of the subjects, including those suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In addition, participants in the experiment lost an average of 10% of their body weight, reduced their waist circumference by 11%, and had lower blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar and triglyceride levels, and insulin resistance.
AI in flood forecasting, bank lending and the Gaza conflict
Google Research has developed an AI-based system that can accurately predict floods up to seven days in advance in over 80 countries, protecting the livelihoods of 460 million people. The system can be used even in regions where data is scarce, making them vulnerable to threats. By leveraging machine learning technology, flood forecasting can be scaled using various parameters such as historical events, river level readings, terrain and altitude above sea level. Based on these parameters, Google Research generated maps and performed hundreds of thousands of simulations in each location to ensure the accuracy of the predictions.
Zest AI, a Californian start-up, uses a machine learning model based on "hundreds of variables" to assess credit risk for banks as an alternative to traditional credit scores. Over 180 banks and credit unions use their services, resulting in a 25% increase in loan approvals while keeping risk constant. Applying AI in bank lending could transform the industry and make it much less risky.
The Lawenda system is an AI-based database developed by an elite intelligence branch of the Israel Defense Forces called Unit 8200. This system allowed Israel to identify 37,000 potential targets associated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad based on their connections. It is a powerful tool for national security and intelligence gathering, similar to the US National Security Agency or the UK’s GCHQ.
Countries against NGOs: Slovakia, Albania, Kyrgyzstan
The Slovak National Party (SNS) proposes a law to increase transparency in non-governmental organisations (NGOs). According to the proposed law, NGOs that receive more than 5,000 euros per year in foreign financing would be marked and labelled as "organisations with foreign support". Additionally, SNS suggests expanding the possibility of compulsory dissolution of NGOs. However, they view the government's plans as restrictions similar to those in Hungary. Meanwhile, Albania has established a parliamentary commission to investigate foreign influence and financing of non-governmental organisations, social media and traditional media.
Kyrgyz authorities have introduced a new law tightening state control over foreign-funded non-governmental organisations. However, human rights groups have criticised the law as being too restrictive, and Western countries have called it an attack on independent Kyrgyz media.
The US Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that a total of 90 Palestinian journalists, two Israelis and three Lebanese journalists have been killed so far in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is the highest death toll among journalists in any modern conflict monitored by CPJ. Israeli forces detained 25 more Palestinian journalists, and four journalists are missing. Israel also prohibits foreign media from entering Gaza, and on Israeli territory, they must adhere to the rules and censorship of the Israeli military censor.
"Artificial pancreas" and improving the organ transplant process
A new technology called the "artificial pancreas" significantly improves people's lives with type 1 diabetes. The system includes a subcutaneous sensor and an insulin pump that sends data to the patient's smartphone. It works by mimicking the function of the pancreas, preventing dangerous glucose levels in the blood. Patients only need to enter information about the meals they consume. This technology can reduce the risk of complications like heart disease, kidney disease, and vision problems. Tens of thousands of people with type 1 diabetes in England are expected to benefit from this technology. Scotland already offers it, and Wales and Northern Ireland will likely follow.
In addition, modern technological solutions are revolutionising the organ transplantation process. Heart or liver perfusion devices pump blood or oxygenated fluid into the blood vessels of organs waiting for a recipient. Organs without blood flow outside the body have a short lifespan and may be irreversibly damaged. Thanks to such perfusion devices manufactured by companies like TransMedic, organs can safely stay outside the body for extended periods. According to transplant centres, this technology can enable faster organ finding for urgently needed patients. However, costs may be an obstacle - TransMedic significantly increased prices after regulators approved the device.
Sami and Maasai: indigenous communities in defence of nature
The Norwegian Sami people are against constructing the 54 km long power line that will power Hammerfest LNG, Western Europe's largest liquefied natural gas power plant. The reason behind their opposition is that the power line will be built on reindeer pastures used by shepherds during the summer. The line is expected to help Norway reduce carbon dioxide emissions since Hammerfest LNG is currently the country's second-largest source of emissions. However, the Sami people believe that we cannot save the climate by destroying nature.
In the hopes of attracting five million tourists to the Ngorongoro Protected Area by 2025 to witness the Great Migration of African animals, the Tanzanian government plans to change the legal status of Ngorongoro. This change will prohibit people from settling in and around the area, and the authorities will have to remove almost 100,000 people from the protected area, mainly Maasai shepherds. The Maasai have used the Ngorongoro meadows to lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle of breeding cattle for generations. The Tanzanian government argues that the move is necessary to protect the land and biodiversity, whereas the Maasai people argue that it threatens their lives and cultural survival.
The nonprofit Pure Earth is working with communities in the Global South to address environmental problems created by largely illegal mining. The most significant challenge is environmental contamination with mercury and lead during gold mining. Pure Earth works with legal miners in the Madre de Dios basin in the Peruvian Amazon to prepare suitable soil, plant trees, and regenerate the rainforest.
Corruption and political accusations among the elites of Peru and India
The media has accused Peru's president, Dina Boluarte, of amassing jewellery worth half a million dollars last year despite earning a salary of only $4,200. The prosecutor's office has investigated "illegal enrichment" and searched Boluarte's private home. Boluarte is the eighth president of Peru since 1985 and is under criminal investigation. Additionally, six Peruvian ministers have recently resigned due to the investigation into the country's president.
India's Supreme Court has made a significant decision by releasing Sanjay Singh, a key official of the opposition Ordinary Man's Party (AAP) arrested six months ago in connection with a money laundering case. The AAP has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of using federal investigative agencies to target opposition groups ahead of the elections starting in April this year, adding a political dimension to the case.
In Switzerland, two Saudi oil exploration company PetroSaudi International Ltd. managers are on trial on fraud and money laundering charges. The case concerns the years-old scandal involving the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB. According to prosecutors, the Saudi managers sought to enrich themselves and third parties by embezzling at least $1.8 billion transferred to the investment fund.
Climate change: Bangladeshi women and the black community in Mexico
In Bangladesh, the rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions are polluting the drinking water sources, which is causing severe health issues to the population. Due to the high salinity levels in the water, pregnant women are suffering from serious health problems, headaches, organ damage, preeclampsia, and even death. Water salinity is also affecting the menstrual hygiene and health of women and adolescent girls, as well as the health of unborn children.
Climate change is also affecting the employment of transgender workers in Indonesia. Almost 93% of transgender women reported a significant drop in income, up to 80%, during the extended rainy season, which is full of strong winds. Many transgender women are excluded from the formal economy and try to survive as sex workers, whose earnings depend on opportunities to meet clients outdoors. Furthermore, Indonesian transgender women face more stigma and marginalisation compared to transgender men or other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
In Mexico, a community founded by escaped enslaved people living on Costa Chica - the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca - is threatened by a changing climate and poverty. It is the oldest black community in Mexico. Longer and more severe dry seasons have led to intense droughts, making the soil dry, hard, and cracked, unable to absorb water during the rainy season. As a result, rainwater flows down the soil, hitting houses in villages and weakening their foundations. Fruit and vegetable harvests are also at risk.
Military conscription in Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Russia and Israel
The Norwegian government plans to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from 9,000 to 13,500 by 2036. The number of conscripts accepted for initial service will gradually increase each year. Denmark also plans to increase the number of young people doing military service by extending conscription to women and increasing the duration of service from four to 11 months. The Danish government aims to increase the number of new soldiers by 300 to reach 5,000 conscripts.
Ukraine has decided to lower the minimum age for military conscription from 27 to 25. According to Ukrainian population data, of the 11.1 million men aged 25 to 60, approximately 3.7 million are eligible for mobilisation. The rest are either fighting, disabled, out of the country, or considered critical workers. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that over 100,000 people have enlisted in the Russian armed forces since the beginning of 2024, and the registrations intensified after the terrorist attack on the Moscow concert hall in March this year.
Extensive privileges that exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from compulsory military service in Israel have deeply divided the state and shaken the government coalition. Israeli activists condemning the exemption from military conscription of privileged Jews protested in a religious district of Jerusalem, sparking clashes with the police.