The Darién Gap, Inherited Stress and Helping Whales
Outriders Magazine #323
Container Ship Competitions for Whale Safety and Eagle Care
Off the coast of California, tankers, car carriers, and container ships are participating in a unique race by reducing their speed in ocean waters to protect marine life. Awards are given to companies whose fleets voluntarily reduce their speed in ocean areas where endangered whales migrate and feed. In the 2023 season, thirty-three companies took part in the race. 81% of their ships' total distance through the reduction zones was travelled at the recommended speed of 10 knots or less, reducing the risk of fatal ship-whale collisions by 58% over the year.
Slower-moving ships also produce less ocean noise, greenhouse gases, and other pollutants. It's estimated that about 80 endangered blue, humpback, and humpback whales die in ship collisions along the West Coast of the United States each year.
Bald eagles were an endangered species as recently as the 1960s. Now, there are so many of them that they collide with cars as they feed on roadkill, and they also poison themselves with lead when they feed on carcasses left by hunters. For example, a record number of bald eagles have been admitted to a rehabilitation hospital in Virginia in recent years – 66 in 2023 alone. Meanwhile, at the San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Rome, animals are helping people. Horses and ponies participate in activities that help neurological patients regain mobility and self-confidence. These patients have suffered injuries, strokes, degenerative diseases, and long COVID.
Sweden's Welfare State and Rental Housing Without Remote Work
A new social welfare law has granted Swedish grandparents the right to paid parental leave. This law extends childcare benefits beyond the child's immediate family, allowing Swedish parents to transfer part of their parental leave to other caregivers. This reinforces Sweden's reputation as a standard-bearer for progressive parental leave policies. Single parents can now transfer up to 90 days of paid leave to other caregivers, while couples can transfer up to 45 days. The Swedish welfare state grants 480 days of paid leave per child, divided between parents, and allows parents to spend 30 days of this leave together in the child's first year of life.
Taiwan is making significant strides in caring for the elderly by easing restrictions on hiring foreign home caregivers. Seniors aged 80 and older with long medical histories or disabilities will no longer have to undergo a functional assessment before hiring a foreign caregiver. These changes are expected to benefit around 55,000 people and underscore Taiwan's commitment to its ageing population. Given that Taiwan is one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world, these proactive steps aim to ensure the well-being of its seniors.
In the UK, landlords are increasingly banning tenants from working from home. The charity Generation Rent has called on the new government to introduce legislation to stop this practice, as it puts tenants at risk of homelessness if they are unable to work from home.
The Nuclear Arms Race and the Ambitions of Iran and South Korea
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has warned about the increasing potential of nuclear weapons globally. It emphasizes that almost 90% of the world's nuclear stockpile is possessed by Russia and the United States. In the past year, nine nuclear-armed states, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel, have increased their reliance on nuclear weapons and their spending on modernizing their nuclear arsenals. Some of these states have deployed new weapons systems equipped with nuclear weapons or capable of delivering them. As of January 2024, there were 12,121 nuclear warheads worldwide. Meanwhile, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), total spending on nuclear arsenals increased by $10.7 billion to reach $91.4 billion in 2023. The largest spenders were the US (over $51 billion), China (almost $12 billion), and Russia ($8 billion).
Given Russia's alliance with North Korea, there is a growing inclination among South Koreans to establish an independent nuclear capability. About 66% of the country's population believes that South Korea must develop and deploy its nuclear weapons to serve as a deterrent to potential conflict, particularly in light of doubts about the US's commitment to South Korea's security.
Despite controls and numerous attempts to restrain it, Iran continues to develop one of the most advanced nuclear programs in the world. It is reportedly seeking to obtain uranium from Niger and acquire mining licenses there. Niger has just revoked the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano at its Imouraren mine in the north of the country.
Relationship Between Buildings and Exam Results, Diet, and Brain Function
Do high ceilings in exam rooms affect exam results? According to a study by the University of South Australia and Deakin University, students performed worse than expected when they took tests in rooms with high ceilings. The researchers analyzed the results of more than 15,000 students and confirmed their findings with an electroencephalogram. It is difficult to say whether the worse results are due to the size of the room itself or other factors, such as student density and poor insulation, which cause fluctuations in temperature and air quality. All of these factors can affect the brain and body of the test taker.
According to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, even when we are young, chronic inflammation in our bodies can increase the risk of memory and thinking problems in middle age. Fruits, vegetables, fibre, spices, nuts, oily fish, good sleep, and regular exercise reduce this condition.
Meanwhile, a healthy diet in childhood can help "keep your mind sharp until you are 70" and prevent dementia. In the study, researchers from Tufts University tracked thousands of Britons from ages 4 to 70 over seven decades. Those with the best scores ate more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and less sodium, sugars, and refined grains.
Strange Behavior of the Earth's Core and the Ganges After the Earthquake
Scientists have observed something unusual happening in Earth’s inner core. Researchers from the University of Southern California have studied a series of earthquakes between 1991 and 2023 in the South Sandwich Islands near Antarctica. They analyzed the seismic waves from these earthquakes that passed through the Earth’s interior, including the inner core. The data suggests that around 2008, the Earth’s inner core changed its rotation direction relative to the mantle and began rotating at a speed that is less than half of its previous speed. There is a possibility that the inner core is being deformed by the gravitational pull of the mantle, which accounts for about 70% of Earth’s mass.
About 2,500 years ago, an ancient seismic event caused significant changes to the main channel of the Ganges River in Bangladesh, one of the world’s largest rivers, and the surrounding landscape. Due to this extreme event, the river has shifted to an entirely new area. Satellite images and chemical analysis of sand and silt have confirmed the old riverbed and indicated that several tremors were 7 to 8, similar to the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in 2023. Bangladesh, with its high population density, is susceptible to major earthquakes. Hence, there is a sobering possibility that within a few hundred to a thousand years, the Ganges River could change its course again due to powerful tremors. This potential scenario requires serious consideration and planning.
Ban on Underage Marriage in Sierra Leone and Slave Labor at Dior and Armani
The Milan prosecutor’s office uncovered that local factories were using foreign labour to produce leather goods, such as handbags, for Christian Dior SA and Giorgio Armani S.p.A. at a fraction of their retail price. Dior purchased a handbag from the supplier for €53 and sold it in stores for €2,600. Armani sold their bags to the supplier for €93, resold them for €250, and priced them in stores at around €1,800. The prices did not include the cost of raw materials, and the companies separately covered the expenses of design, distribution, and marketing.
Italian police inspections in March and April of this year revealed that the factory workers operated in unsafe conditions, worked long hours for €2-3 an hour and did not meet minimum hygiene and health standards. In Sierra Leone, authorities have passed a law allowing child brides to annul their marriages and receive financial compensation. The law prohibits marriages for children aged 18 and under and imposes fines on adult spouses. This decision is a victory for activists who have campaigned against underage marriages. The law also punishes those who facilitate such marriages, including parents, officials, and wedding guests. In 2020, around 800,000 girls under 18 in Sierra Leone, about one-third of all girls in the country, were married, with half of them being married before they turned 15.
Can Stress Be Inherited and Traps of Self-Improvement
Can stress be inherited from generation to generation? According to Yale University neurosurgeon John Strugar, stress or trauma experienced by one generation can impact the development of the brains of subsequent generations, creating intergenerational stress waves. Strugar explains, "Let's say your grandmother grew up in a very turbulent period [war, failed relationship - editor's note]. Her baseline glucocorticoid levels were elevated, and glucocorticoids easily cross the placenta and affect your mother's developing brain. Your mother's amygdala grew in response to the elevated glucocorticoid levels." This means that the mother was born with a larger amygdala, higher levels of anxiety, and a more intense perception of threat. When she got pregnant, the same process repeated, leading to her children being born with higher levels of anxiety and stress. This explanation aligns with research in epigenetics, which describes how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself.
Why should you be cautious about self-improvement? According to clinical psychologist Cass Dunn, "It's important to be cautious of the subtle aggression of self-improvement" because it's easy to become fixated on it and overlook the limitations of personal development. This can transform genuine intentions into an inability to meet your standards, creating a lack of self-acceptance and satisfaction. Unhelpful social comparisons and self-criticism may also surface, which can be detrimental to your mental health.
Migrants' Routes to the US: the Darién Gap and the Brazilian Amazon
In the first five months of this year, over 170,000 people, including tens of thousands of unaccompanied children, crossed the Darién Gap, an infamous jungle pass in Panama, heading towards the United States. Most migrants came from Venezuela, with others hailing from various South American countries and China, India, and Iran. In 2023, more than half a million migrants crossed this dense jungle region. According to the UNHCR, the Darién Gap has become a severe humanitarian problem, with 65% of refugees and migrants reporting theft, fraud, or deception and 70% experiencing mistreatment or abuse during their journey through the jungle. Panama's new president, José Raúl Mulino, has pledged to work with the U.S. government to reduce illegal immigration.
Migrants, police, officials, and analysts have stated that the actions of the Biden administration, including the introduction of a new temporary suspension of asylum applications at the U.S.-Mexico border, have caused concern and anticipation among migrants in Brazil who were heading towards the U.S. During the first part of this year, Brazil witnessed an influx of migrants heading to North America. These migrants included Venezuelans, Indians, Bengalis, Senegalese, and Nigerians. Citizens of South American countries have an easier time in Brazil as it allows residents of 10 neighbouring countries to stay without a visa for up to two years.