Monthly Archives: October 2022

Human Behavior

Once and for all: should we feed the squirrels? – The Michigan Daily

From wading through the fountain by the bell tower the first week of freshman year to cautiously avoiding the M on the Diag, to be a Michigan student is to participate in a rich array of traditions. To some, these customs include feeding squirrels on a sunny day. So, the question stands, once and for all, should we feed the squirrels?

Nursing senior Autumn Farnum is the co-president of The Squirrel Club at the University of Michigan, an organization of students, alumni and members of the Ann Arbor community that feed squirrels during the school year every Sunday. Farnum said they believe feeding squirrels is a good way to build a campus community, as long as they are fed healthy food.

Having the connection between the wildlife and our students here kind of builds that friendly campus environment that we have and also makes sure that (the squirrels) have a nice treat once in a while, Farnum said.

While Farnum and campus tour guides embrace squirrel feeding, animal welfare organizations have raised concerns over feeding the furry creatures. Squirrels who are fed by people can become dependent on handouts occasionally never regaining self-sufficiency. Feeding squirrels can also contribute to their overpopulation in certain areas as the squirrels adapt to reside in areas where human handouts are popular, such as parks and urban areas.

When humans feed squirrels, whether on campus or in other areas, squirrels can lose their natural fear of humans. Ann Arbors fearless squirrels often approach students, especially around the Diag, because they are so often fed there.

LSA sophomore Alanna Carlo-Pagan is a member of the Animal Ethics Society, an organization dedicated to furthering discussion about the ethical treatment of animals through philosophy, and often volunteers for The Creature Conservancy in Ann Arbor. Carlo-Pagan said it is important to think about the impact humans actions have on animal behavior when feeding animals like squirrels.

What you have to take into account when youre measuring the impact of human behavior on the environment is how its gonna affect humans, how its gonna affect other species and how it might affect that species, Carlo-Pagan said. What people are mostly concerned about is how it just rubs patterns of migration and food seeking behavior and how it might lead animals to become so trusting of humans or imprinted on humans that theyre unable to actually go out and look for food on their own.

Squirrels can also cause problems for local residents, as they can destroy property and carry disease in highly populated areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says while it is extremely unlikely for squirrels to contract rabies or carry the rabies virus, they can carry other diseases like typhus and ringworm.

Despite these concerns, many students actively partake in feeding the squirrels on campus and befriending the creatures. LSA freshman Julia Holden said feeding squirrels on campus is fun for her and her friends, and it is a nice way for students to get outside.

Its just fun, honestly, Holden said. Its just nice to be around animals. Its a good way to get outside. They obviously arent antsy about being around people. So, I mean, theyre here anyways. Why not?

Holden said squirrels might often be fed the wrong foods, but she is careful to feed them healthy nuts that the animals can digest.

Im sure they get enough not good food, Holden said. I have organic, unsalted walnuts. So, I think if youre feeding them the right thing, its probably okay.

Farnum echoed Holdens emphasis on feeding squirrels nutritional foods.

The peanuts we give (squirrels) help them control their teeth growth because gnawing on stuff helps their teeth, Farnum said. I just think its specifically like what is decided to feed them (that is important) because a lot of foods that are salty overload their kidneys, and its just not good for them.

Carlo-Pagan said she believes since U-M students have been feeding the squirrels on campus for so long, its almost impossible to imagine how to discontinue campus squirrels imprint on humans.

I have seen the way the Diag squirrels literally come up to and sit on top of people, Carlo-Pagan said. So, what Im thinking is were well past the point where it would matter (if students fed them or not).

As a new student on campus, Holden said she thinks feeding the squirrels gives students a break from their campus activities and a moment to relax outdoors.

They come up to you and theyre looking at you like, do you have anything for me? Holden said. And I was like, Im just gonna go buy some snacks, and I took my friend to do it. She was like, this is like the happiest I felt in weeks.

Daily News Reporter Rachel Mintz can be reached at mintzrac@umich.edu.

View original post here:
Once and for all: should we feed the squirrels? - The Michigan Daily

Human Behavior

Innovations in human-machine teaming improve crew readiness before and during battle – Thales

The history of warfare has brought together humans and tools in the constant search for tactical advantages and overmatch capabilities. From the most elementary weapons to the most advanced modern vehicles, military units have long recognized the role that technology plays in determining battlefield outcomes.

In recent years, the increased use of computing, sensors and artificial intelligence in military operations has shifted the relationship between human and machine. For centuries, the equipment, weapons and vehicles used by military forces were viewed as tools, put to service by human strategy and intellect. Today, technological advancements have made many of these machines capable of performing battlefield tasks for human forces: the resulting concept is human-machine teaming.

A modern battlefield deployment could consist of multiple heavy and light motor vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, in-vehicle crews, and off-site support. A complex web of sensor, communications and connectivity solutions helps to unite military forces with their machine counterparts, delivering relevant information in real-time and prioritizing the most essential data for human decision-making. Realistic training supports land forces in being effective at operating with their machine counterparts in scenarios that replicate the dynamic nature of the modern battlefield.

Thales technology facilitates human-machine teaming

Advanced sensor networks are essential for land units to maintain local situational awareness. Thales portfolio of state-of-the-art radar networks delivers detection, identification, tracking and targeting capabilities against demanding target sets in all weather conditions. Beyond offering tangible benefits to situational awareness, these systems increase lethality for military forces by enhancing targeting of both stationary and mobile adversary units from longer distances greatly reducing the kill-chain. Thales advanced geo-location capabilities enable crews to quickly and precisely identify targets of interest, while multi-role surveillance radar makes it possible to track moving vehicles or fixed objects along extensive borders.

Modern land forces are expected to collect, process and communicate more information than ever before. Advanced communications systems must perform reliably with high data rate capabilities to allow disparate forces and vehicles to communicate in real time. Vehicle Communication Nodes from Thales offer secure, dependable performance across a fully scalable architecture. The communication nodes can integrate a broad range of radio types, with an open architecture facilitating interoperability between different radio networks. This emphasis on open design ensures an easy transition and offers a future-proof solution for military units that may upgrade their radio technologies. Thales communication nodes support software-defined networking radios, handheld soldier radios, VoIP and other essential communications devices.

Human crews will always be at the center of human-machine teaming, and an effective battlefield system is designed to enhance the decision-making abilities and lethality of the human end user. Thales helmet-mounted displays (HMD) deliver the most relevant information to in-vehicle crews, synthesizing and prioritizing the aggregated data without overwhelming the human user. These HMDs dramatically improve decision-making in both nighttime and daytime missions, supporting target designation and allocation of points of interest, even in potentially degraded visual environments.

Realistic training for battlefield environments

The goals of human-machine teaming are to improve crew readiness and to enhance battlefield effectiveness. In order to achieve these goals, land forces must understand how to work effectively with their machine counterparts in challenging situations. Effective training scenarios must be able to replicate the many dynamic elements of modern warfare, including the behavior and movement of foreign forces, the capabilities and trajectories of weapons, and the ways in which human forces communicate and interface with unmanned vehicles and other machines. Todays warfighter must have sufficient experience in combat simulation in order to maintain readiness and effectiveness during an operational deployment.

Thales live combat training solutions allow military units to work directly with the same technologies they use on the battlefield. Computer-generated files, developed with artificial intelligence, simulate the behavior of foreign forces, with the capability of integrating specific doctrines or weapons effects to mimic a chosen combat environment. These AI-backed scenarios allow soldiers to train in a completely immersive environment, while the option of using real red forces makes it possible to simulate a complete tactical maneuver in a live combat training center.

Any disruptive technology carries a learning curve before the end user can integrate it seamlessly into their operations. Efficient human-machine teaming is only achievable if the human forces are provided with the time and resources necessary to understand their role in the ecosystem. Thales desktop trainers and combat simulation training make it possible for warfighters to dramatically reduce their learning curve and deploy seamlessly into new and complex battlefield environments.

To achieve victory on the future battlefield, military personnel must embrace the concept of human-machine teaming. Leaders inside command centers as well as infantry units advancing on the enemy will need advanced technology that allows them to analyze and process information faster than their foe. Thales solutions for sophisticated sensor networks, communications nodes, data prioritization and AI-enhanced training will help humans and machines form cohesive teams that will be critical in future fights.

Here is the original post:
Innovations in human-machine teaming improve crew readiness before and during battle - Thales

Human Behavior

Hiltzik: The overhyping of AI – Los Angeles Times

The star of the show at Teslas annual AI Day (for artificial intelligence) on Sept. 30 was a humanoid robot introduced by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk as Optimus.

The robot could walk, if gingerly, and perform a few repetitive mechanical tasks such as waving its arms and wielding a watering can over plant boxes. The demo was greeted enthusiastically by the several hundred engineers in the audience, many of whom hoped to land a job with Tesla.

This means a future of abundance, Musk proclaimed from the stage. A future where there is no poverty. ... It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it.

We still dont have a learning paradigm that allows machines to learn how the world works, like human and many non-human babies do.

AI researcher Yann LeCun

Robotics experts watching remotely were less impressed. Not mind-blowing was the sober judgment of Christian Hubicki of Florida State University.

Some AI experts were even less charitable. The event was quite the dud, Ben Shneiderman of the University of Maryland told me. Among other shortcomings, Musk failed to articulate a coherent use case for the robot that is, what would it do?

Newsletter

Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik

Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Enter email address

Sign Me Up

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

To Shneiderman and others in the AI field, the Tesla demo embodied some of the worst qualities of AI hype; its reduction to humanoid characters, its exorbitant promises, its promotion by self-interested entrepreneurs and its suggestion that AI systems or devices can function autonomously, without human guidance, to achieve results that outmatch human capacities.

When news articles uncritically repeat PR statements, overuse images of robots, attribute agency to AI tools, or downplay their limitations, they mislead and misinform readers about the potential and limitations of AI, Sayash Kapoor and Arvind Narayanan wrote in a checklist of AI reporting pitfalls posted online the very day of the Tesla demo.

When we talk about AI, Kapoor says, we tend to say things like AI is doing X artificial intelligence is grading your homework, for instance. We dont talk about any other technology this way we dont say, the truck is driving on the road or a telescope is looking at a star. Its illuminating to think about why we consider AI to be different from other tools. In reality, its just another tool for doing a task.

That is not how AI is commonly portrayed in the media or, indeed, in announcements by researchers and firms engaged in the field. There, the systems are described as having learned to read, to grade papers or to diagnose diseases at least as well as, or even better than, humans.

Kapoor believes that the reason some researchers may try to hide the human ingenuity behind their AI systems is that its easier to attract investors and publicity with claims of AI breakthroughs in the same way that dot-com was a marketing draw around the year 2000 or crypto is today.

What is typically left out of much AI reporting is that the machines successes apply in only limited cases, or that the evidence of their accomplishments is dubious. Some years ago, the education world was rocked by a study purporting to show that machine- and human-generated grades of a selection of student essays were similar.

The claim was challenged by researchers who questioned its methodology and results, but not before headlines appeared in national newspapers such as: Essay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break. One of the studys leading critics, Les Perelman of MIT, subsequently built a system he dubbed the Basic Automatic B.S. Essay Language Generator, or Babel, with which he demonstrated that machine grading couldnt tell the difference between gibberish and cogent writing.

The emperor has no clothes, Perelman told the Chronicle of Higher Education at the time. OK, maybe in 200 years the emperor will get clothes. ... But right now, the emperor doesnt.

A more recent claim was that AI systems may be as effective as medical specialists at diagnosing disease, as a CNN article asserted in 2019. The diagnostic system in question, according to the article, employed algorithms, big data, and computing power to emulate human intelligence.

Those are buzzwords that promoted the false impression that the system actually did emulate human intelligence, Kapoor observed. Nor did the article make clear that the AI systems purported success was seen in only a very narrow range of diseases.

AI hype is not only a hazard to laypersons understanding of the field but poses the danger of undermining the field itself. One key to human-machine interaction is trust, but if people begin to see a field having overpromised and underdelivered, the route to public acceptance will only grow longer.

Oversimplification of achievements in artificial intelligence evokes scenarios familiar from science fiction: futurescapes in which machines take over the world, reducing humans to enslaved drones or leaving them with nothing to do but laze around.

A persistent fear is that AI-powered automation, supposedly cheaper and more efficient than humans, will put millions of people out of work. This concern was triggered in part by a 2013 Oxford University paper estimating that future computerization placed 47% of U.S. employment at risk.

Shneiderman rejected this forecast in his book Human Centered AI, published in January. Automation eliminates certain jobs, as it has ... from at least the time when Gutenbergs printing presses put scribes out of work, he wrote. However, automation usually lowers costs and increases quality.... The expanded production, broader distribution channels, and novel products lead to increased employment.

Technological innovations may render older occupations obsolete, according to a 2020 MIT report on the future of work, but also bring new occupations to life, generate demands for new forms of expertise, and create opportunities for rewarding work.

A common feature of AI hype is the drawing of a straight line from an existing accomplishment to a limitless future in which all the problems in the way of further advancement are magically solved, and therefore success in reaching human-level AI is just around the corner.

Yet we still dont have a learning paradigm that allows machines to learn how the world works, like human and many non-human babies do, Yann LeCun, chief AI scientist at Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) and a professor of computer science at NYU, observed recently on Facebook. The solution is not just around the corner. We have a number of obstacles to clear, and we dont know how.

So how can readers and consumers avoid getting duped by AI hype?

Beware of the sleight of hand that asks readers to believe that something that takes the form of a human artifact is equivalent to that artifact, counsels Emily Bender, a computational linguistics expert at the University of Washington. That includes claims that AI systems have written nonfiction, composed software or produced sophisticated legal documents.

The system may have replicated those forms, but it doesnt have access to the multitude of facts needed for nonfiction or the specifications that make a software program work or a document legally valid.

Among the 18 pitfalls in AI reporting cited by Kapoor and Narayanan are the anthropomorphizing of AI tools through images of humanoid robots (including, sadly, the illustration accompanying this article) and descriptions that utilize human-like intellectual qualities such as learning or seeing these tend to be simulations of human behavior, far from the real thing.

Readers should beware of phrases such as the magic of AI or references to superhuman qualities, which implies that an AI tool is doing something remarkable, they write. It hides how mundane the tasks are.

Shneiderman advises reporters and editors to take care to clarify human initiative and control. ... Instead of suggesting that computers take actions on their own initiative, clarify that humans program the computers to take these actions.

Its also important to be aware of the source of any exaggerated claims for AI. When an article only or primarily has quotes from company spokespeople or researchers who built an AI tool, Kapoor and Narayanan advise, it is likely to be over-optimistic about the potential benefits of the tool.

The best defense is healthy skepticism. Artificial intelligence has progressed over recent decades, but it is still in its infancy, and claims for its applications in the modern world, much less into the future, are inescapably incomplete.

To put it another way, no one knows where AI is heading. Its theoretically possible that, as Musk claimed, humanoid robots may eventually bring about a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it. But no one really knows when or if that utopia will arrive. Until then, the road will be pockmarked by hype.

As Bender advised readers of an especially breathless article about a supposed AI advance: Resist the urge to be impressed.

Read more from the original source:
Hiltzik: The overhyping of AI - Los Angeles Times

Human Behavior

Cryptocurrency users with gambling affinity are more involved mentally and financially than non-gambling users – PsyPost

Cryptocurrency users who also gamble tend to be more mentally involved compared to their non-gambling counterparts, according to new research published in Computers in Human Behavior. The new study provides insight into some of the psychological patterns that characterize heavy cryptocurrency users.

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses strong cryptography to secure financial transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets. Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, was created in 2009. Since then, cryptocurrencies have become increasingly popular. But prices can fluctuate rapidly and investing in cryptocurrencies involves substantial risk.

The risk-taking aspect of cryptocurrencies has led researchers to examine the potential link between cryptocurrency trading and problem gambling. Study author Fred Steinmetz noted that trust in cryptocurrency and ideological motivation might play a substantial role in the use of cryptocurrency. Furthermore, little is known about cryptocurrency users who also gamble

Since the beginning of my research journey in 2015, my research topics included blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and gambling. It was only logical for me to start investigating the intersections between these topics, said study author Fred Steinmetz, co-founder of the non-profit Blockchain Research Lab and author of Blockchain and the Digital Economy: The Socio-Economic Impact of Blockchain Technology.

For his study, Steinmetz analyzed a representative sample of 3,864 Germans regarding their use of cryptocurrency and engagement in gambling over the past year. The data was collected in 2019.

The participants were categorized into four separate groups: there were 1,844 non-users (who neither gambled nor ever used cryptocurrency), there were 1,312 gamblers (who had gambled recently but never owned cryptocurrency), there were 708 crypto-users (who at some point owned cryptocurrency but had not gambled recently), and there were 435 crypto-gamblers (who at some point owned cryptocurrency and had also gambled recently).

Crypto-gamblers reported having significantly higher levels of knowledge about blockchain technology along with higher levels of trust in cryptocurrency. Crypto-gamblers were also much more likely, compared to regular crypto-users, to consider their ownership of cryptocurrency to be ideologically motivated.

Cryptocurrency is not only about trading alternative financial assets. In differentiation to, e.g. trading stocks, cryptocurrency users experience a different mental involvement, which relate to the narratives and ideologies which permeate the industry, Steinmetz told PsyPost. Cryptocurrency users with gambling affinity are more involved mentally, proactively and financially than non-gambling users.

In addition, crypto-gamblers tended to be younger, more likely to be male, better educated, and better off financially than non-gambling crypto-users. The profiles of crypto-gamblers resemble those of skill-based gamblers and stock traders but differ in terms of their average young age, Steinmetz wrote in his study.

The crypto-gamblers were further broken down into three distinct clusters. One cluster consisted of those with high ideological motivation and trust toward cryptocurrency and a moderate level of financial investment who used their cryptocurrency for the purpose of speculating relatively infrequently. The second cluster had high ideological motivation and trust, a high level of investment, and frequently engaged in cryptocurrency speculation. The third cluster consisted of crypto-gamblers with low ideological motivation and trust, low levels of investment, and low levels of cryptocurrency speculation.

Among crypto-users who also gamble, I identified a group which comprises the heavy users, who are highly engaged and potentially consider cryptocurrency and gambling substitutes, Steinmetz told PsyPost. The interrelations among the investigated variables suggest that high levels of mental involvement among crypto-users who also gamble induces higher engagement in terms of owning more cryptocurrencies and speculating more often.

The second cluster of heavy users accounted for a sizable share of crypto-gamblers. A ~35% share of heavy users among all cryptocurrency users who also gamble was not expected. This warrants further research on the domain, Steinmetz said.

The results suggest that rather than focusing solely on trading frequencies of cryptocurrency, researchers should broaden their scope by recognizing the importance of mental involvement of cryptocurrency users, e.g. trust-perceptions, proclaimed knowledge about cryptocurrency and ideological motivation, the researcher said.

The study, The interrelations of cryptocurrency and gambling: Results from a representative survey, was published online on August 22, 2022.

Go here to read the rest:
Cryptocurrency users with gambling affinity are more involved mentally and financially than non-gambling users - PsyPost

Human Behavior

‘Triangle of Sadness’ Director Ruben stlund on Making the Years Most Disgusting Class Satire – GQ

Midway through the Swedish director Ruben stlunds new film Triangle of Sadness, the passengers on a luxury yacht start vomiting. And vomiting. And vomiting. By the time its all said and done, well have watched 15 balletic minutes of the .01 percent projectile puking and otherwise sloshing around in bodily fluids.

This disgusting, entirely unsubtle bit of class satire marks a turning point in the movie. The first third explores the relationship between Carl, a male model (Harris Dickinson), and his breadwinner girlfriend, a model and influencer named Yaya (the late Charlbi Dean). Thanks to her influencing, they get invited for a ride on a luxury yacht, where they rub elbows with the highest echelons of society: a Russian fertilizer magnate, elderly British arms dealers, all steered by a ship captain who happens to be a Marxist (a delightful Woody Harrelson). When the boat crashes post-vomiting on a desert island, the hierarchies are quickly flipped. A member of the cleaning crew, Abigail (Dolly De Leon), is the only one with practical skills and becomes the de facto leader of all the survivors.

stlund, whose amusingly excruciating explorations of human behavior and modern masculinity made us laugh and squirm in Force Majeure and The Square, won his second Palme D'Or this year for Triangle of Sadness. (And once again led the Cannes audience in a collective primal scream.) In advance of the U.S. premiere, he talked to GQ about his weird YouTube inspirations, why male models fascinate him, and what hed do to survive on a desert island.

GQ: The first thing I need to know is how the disgusting boat scene came together.

Ruben stlund: It actually started with me making research on a luxury cruise. There was an Italian buffet one night, and the weather was getting kind of rough, so the boat was rocking. People were getting more and more silent in this dining room. There was a moment when you heard someone throw up somewhere in the dining room. And it was so interesting to look at how people reacted to it. People were like, I have to get out here. I was, of course ,comparing it with vomiting scenes that have been in film history, and I wanted to go further than anyone had done before.

What were the actual logistics of shooting it?

All the shooting that took place when it came to the vomiting was in the studio, and we had built the dining room on a board so we could rock it. So we spent eight hours a day on a rocking set where part of the film crew had to eat seasick pills because we got seasick. It took almost half a year to edit that scene.

When you write your films, do you start off with the main character or the setting? For instance, in this case were you thinking: I want to explore what its like to be a male model?

Go here to see the original:
'Triangle of Sadness' Director Ruben stlund on Making the Years Most Disgusting Class Satire - GQ

Human Behavior

What to Do If You Cant Afford Therapy – VICE

Some scenarios can be resolved just by talking to someone. Photo: Emma Simpson, Unsplash

There are lots of good reasons to get therapy. An effective session could help you overcome childhood trauma, unearth deeply entrenched emotional baggage, and teach you new coping skills and techniques to manage the stress of everyday life. And if youre dealing with a mental disorder like depression or ADHD, then therapy is often essential in managing symptoms.

Unfortunately, therapy aint cheap. In the Philippines, one session can set you back anywhere between 1,000 to 4,500 Philippine pesos ($17-76). To put that into perspective, the cost of therapy in the United States ranges between $60 and $200, but the estimated average salary in the US is almost ten times more than that in the Philippines.

Therapy also isnt easy to come by.

In our clinic, for example, the average waiting time is three weeks. And thats already very fast, Mary Grace Orquiza, a psychologist based in the Philippines and the director of Gray Matters Philippines, told VICE. Most clients who come to us from referrals from other institutions have been waiting for a schedule for around two months. Its really that long.

Orquiza said that one of the main reasons therapy is so inaccessible is the scarcity of licensed professionals. There are only about 1,000 psychologists and 600 psychiatrists in the Philippines, and not all of them are actively providing their services.

Other countries have this problem too. In Singapore, the ratio between psychiatrists and the countrys population is about 4.5 to 100,000. In Malaysia, its 1 to 100,000. In India, its a grim 0.75 to 100,000.

One of the factors impacting the availability and accessibility of mental health services is the stigma associated with it. In many Asian countries, mental health is still taboo. This influences the number of people willing to get into the industry, and the number of organizations that support such services.

Luckily, times are changing. The pandemic has opened our eyes to the value of mental health. And while institutional change will require more time and investment, there are a few alternatives to therapy that people can explore in the meantime.

Take note that these suggestions are not substitutes for therapy. Theres a chance you may develop one mental health problem or another at some point in your life. So, if you feel like your mental health is disrupting your day-to-day, its best to consult a licensed professional.

Life coaching

Therapy is a scientific thing, Orquiza explained. Professionals attend schools, go through extensive training, and further their education through workshops or training. Its based on science and research, wherein we apply various psychological principles or things that we know about human behavior to help someone alleviate their suffering.

But there are cases where therapy, though helpful, would not be necessary to achieve a certain goal. This includes making decisions, seeking guidance, and dealing with unresolved issues.

Orquiza explained that each person is equipped with unique coping mechanisms, and so some scenarios can be resolved by just talking to someone and getting a nudge in the right direction.

In these cases, life coaching would be a good alternative to therapy.

Life coaches are not licensed professionals like psychologists, psychiatrists, and guidance counselors, but they do have their own functions, said Orquiza, adding that life coaches can help people improve their relationships, careers, and overall well-being.

Its not that life coaches have all the answers. But through a series of conversations, they can help steer people toward answering these tough questions themselves. Need help drawing boundaries between work and life? Cant understand how to beat the procrastination habit? A life coach can help in these regards.

Scientifically-backed breathing and meditation apps

In therapy, distressed people are often advised to meditate or practice breathing exercises because the physical act of calming down can impact mental health.

[Meditation] helps with the physiological responses of the body Once your body is calm and relaxed, you can think better, said Orquiza.

Another good thing about meditation is that, because youre more attuned to yourselfmore aware of whats happening to you, your thoughts, feelings, and emotionsyou process a lot of information and a lot of things about yourself. It can help you reflect, gain insights about yourself, and lessen feelings of threat.

Orquiza recommends meditation apps to her clients, particularly those based on compassion-focused therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

I usually recommend CBT apps because they help people address dysfunctional thoughts. It also helps people identify goals and how they can make it more possible, said Orquiza.

I also recommend compassion-focused apps because they teach you how to be more kind, gentle, and compassionate with yourself[things] you would normally do for another person, but usually have difficulty showing yourself.

Good sleep, lots of water, pockets of rest and relaxation

Just like our physical health, Orquiza said that prevention is better than cure when it comes to our mental well-being.

Its important that we nourish ourselves before we develop mental health problems, said Orquiza, adding that finding a balance between work and rest can help keep our mental health intact.

Work is important because it fosters a sense of achievement. But if we neglect other areas of our life, were more prone to experience burnout and stress. We must allow ourselves rest and relaxation, pleasure, enjoyment.

Mental health hotlines, NGOs, and government units

While therapy can be hard to come by, there are a number of mental health hotlines that you can reach out to for help. But before you do that, Orquiza said its important to understand that the function of a hotline is inherently different from that of therapy. Where the latter provides long-term interventions, hotlines are more for people who face immediate threats, like those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Crisis hotlines function as a brief intervention, said Orquiza, adding that the crisis counselor on the other line will assess the problem and provide a short-term intervention or recommendation.

The goal is really to make you feel better instantly and to lessen the risk to you and your life. So if you are in a crisis situation like that, you can call a hotline.

Crisis hotlines are also useful for referrals. You can reach out to a hotline to get in touch with organizations that offer low-cost or no-cost therapy. In the Philippines, that would include the National Center for Mental Health, the Philippine Mental Health Association, or hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital. Certain local government units also provide counseling services for free.

But individuals should be wary of centers or organizations that offer very cheap services, especially if these centers or organizations are not verified to have licensed professionals, said Orquiza.

Employee benefits

With mental health conditions on the rise,more companies now offer mental health benefits to their employees. For instance, some companies have mental health leaves, in-house counseling sessions, or even therapy stipends.

The same goes for health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Some have begun offering coverage for mental health conditions for the first time.

While a lot of these services can only offer baseline solutions, they can help cut the cost of therapy as a whole. If you havent looked into it yet, it might be worth emailing HR to get an idea of the options available to you.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is available. Call 1-800-273-8255 to speak with someone now or text START to 741741 to message with the Crisis Text Line.

Follow Nikki Natividad on Instagram.

Here is the original post:
What to Do If You Cant Afford Therapy - VICE

Human Behavior

The long-term answer to fixing bias in AI systems – TechTarget

A new AI system or tool pops up every day.

AI systems are more popular than ever -- and smarter.

From large language models such as GPT-3 to text-to-image models like Dall-E and, most recently, text-to-video systems like Imagen Video -- a system Google introduced on Oct. 5 that takes a text description and generates video -- AI systems have also become more sophisticated.

However, sophistication comes at a cost, according to Chirag Shah, associate professor in the Information School at the University of Washington.

While the systems' creators have tried to make the systems smart, they haven't done the same in making them fair and equitable, Shah said. Problems with how the systems learn and the data they learn on often cause bias to creep in.

In this Q&A, Shah discusses approaches to fixing bias in AI technology.

What are some of the ways to fix the bias problems in AI systems?

Chirag Shah: Are you looking for a quick fix? Those kinds of things can be done relatively quickly. But that doesn't really solve the underlying problem.

For instance, if your search results are biased, you could actually detect that and ... instead of providing the original results, you shuffle them in a way that provides more diversity, more fairness. That kind of addresses the issue. But it doesn't change the fact that the underlying system is still unfair, and it is still biased. It means that you're dependent now on this additional layer of checking and undoing some of the things. If somebody wanted to game the system, they can easily do that, and we've seen this. This is not a long-term solution.

Some of these [long-term fix] recommendations are hard. For instance, one way these systems get biased is they're obviously being run by for-profit organizations. The usual players are Google, Facebook and Amazon. They are banking on their algorithms trying to optimize user engagement, which on the surface seems like a good idea. The problem is, people don't engage with things just because they are good or relevant. More often, they engage with things because the content has certain kinds of emotions, like fear or hatred, or certain kinds of conspiracy.

Unfortunately, this focus on engagement is problematic. It's primarily because an average user engages with things that are often not verified, but are entertaining. The algorithms essentially end up learning that, OK, that's a good thing to do. This creates a vicious cycle.

A longer-term solution is to start breaking the cycle. That needs to happen from both sides. It needs to happen from these services, the tech companies that are targeting for higher engagement. They need to start changing their formula for how they consider engagement or how they optimize their algorithms for something other than engagement.

We also need to do things from the user side because these tech companies are going to argue that, 'Hey, we're only giving people what they want. It's not our fault that people want to click a lot more on conspiracy theories.' Chirag ShahAssociate professor, Information School at the University of Washington

We also need to do things from the user side because these tech companies are going to argue that, 'Hey, we're only giving people what they want. It's not our fault that people want to click a lot more on conspiracy theories. We're simply surfacing those things.' We need to start doing more from the user side, which is user education.

These are not quick fixes. This is, essentially, talking about changing user behavior -- human behavior. That's not going to happen overnight.

How willing are vendors to take the long route in fixing the problems with bias in AI systems?

Shah: They don't have a clear incentive to change their formula for engagement or have their algorithms not optimize on engagement, but rather on authoritativeness or authenticity, or a quality of information or sources. The only way -- or the main way -- they will be compelled to do that is through regulation.

By regulation, I do mean things coming from different government agencies that have the authority to actually impose fines if the businesses don't comply. There has to be some 'teeth in this' policies and, you know, regulations.

There are actually AI-related regulations that the European Union came up with last year. And then the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] here followed, but our side of the policy is not as strong.

I think we need regulations that recognize that anytime an algorithm mediates information being presented to the user, it is equivalent to that mediator actually producing [the information] because they dictate who sees what in which order, and that has a significant impact. So we're nowhere close to that.

Without the proper incentives, will bias in AI systems get worse as more are created?

Shah: It depends. The question is, [are the systems] what we want? This is where some of my colleagues and I would argue that, at least in some of these cases, we have gone overboard -- we have crossed the line already. We have gotten too excited about what technology could do. We're not asking enough for what technology should do.

There are plenty of these cases where you question like, who's asking for this? There are more important problems in the world to solve. Why are we not putting our resources to those things? Why are we not directing our resources to that? So yes, I think that's a bigger question here.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Visit link:
The long-term answer to fixing bias in AI systems - TechTarget

Human Behavior

11 Career Podcasts To Listen To If You’re Ready To Level Up At Your Job – Evie Magazine

We all love podcasts. Whether youre a true crime junkie, pop-culture fanatic, history nerd, political enthusiast, or simply a Joe Rogan fan, there is a podcast out there for you! One genre of podcast that Id argue doesnt get the love that it deserves are career-minded podcasts.

Thats probably because we listen to podcasts so that we can relax, unwind, or learn something interesting. Few people want to be thinking about work on the weekends when theyre trying to relax or catch up on the latest episode of Morbid. But career podcasts arent as dull as they might seem at first, and many of them are actually applicable to far more things in life than just your job.

In fact, some of the podcasts on this list arent technically career podcasts at all, in that theyre not marketed that way. However, many of the guests that these podcasts have on and advice that they dole out will 100% help you in your career because a lot of career advice is really just life advice thats applied in a different context. So here are 11 podcasts that will help you level up at your job (and in your life)!

Read that title twice before you skip this one! Host Jenna Kutcher is here to help you dig into your goals, enrich your mind, and unlock your more successful self. Jenna is the author of the best-selling book How Are You, Really?, and true to the title, you get the sense that Jenna genuinely cares about each and every person listening to her show and wants them to be successful and happy. If you have a dream of leaving your 9-5, starting your own business, or simply feeling more fulfilled at work, then this is the podcast for you.

This isnt your typical career podcast because Jordans guests are all over the map, from detectives to psychologists to former mob bosses. But its important to listen to people whose experiences are completely different from your own because it broadens your perspective and makes you realize you have so many unknown unknowns or questions you never even thought to ask. Learning about things like human psychology is critical to succeeding at work because it helps you understand why people act the way they do and how to navigate the intricacies of human behavior. Even if you deserve that raise at work, if you dont go about asking for it the right way, you probably wont get it. Also, Jordan is hilarious and a great interviewer, so no matter what guest he has on that week, you know youll be entertained.

Ever wonder how some of the worlds most renowned boss babes came to be so successful? Then look no further! In this podcast from the Wall Street Journal, youll learn about things like how to master a side hustle, build a business, and feel empowered financially. Whether youre an entrepreneurial-minded gal or simply like hearing from successful women in a variety of fields, this podcast has something to offer you.

Lewis Howes wants to help you be great. Hes a professional athlete-turned entrepreneur who uses his platform to speak with leaders in business, entertainment, sports, and science. The self-stated goal of his podcast is to inspire YOU to unlock your inner greatness and live your best life. With guests like fashion phenom Kendra Scott and Master Negotiator Chris Voss, youre certain to learn a thing or two about success!

What does a retired Navy SEAL have to teach you about how to succeed at the office? As it turns out, a lot! Jocko Willinks podcast covers a host of topics like discipline, leadership, and accountability. Jockos known for speaking bluntly about extreme ownership and how Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.While its certainly not a traditional career podcast, Jockos and his guests wisdom can often be applied to the boardroom.

Whether you need advice on how to update your resume, negotiate a raise, feel more confident at work, or where to find interesting job openings, The Career Contessa has got you covered. Its a weekly podcast by women, for women, to help us feel more fulfilled, successful, and happy in the workplace. In a world where were often inundated with professional advice on social media, the advice doled out on this podcast is refreshingly actionable.

Its very likely that even if you dont realize it, youve read or heard something by Adam Grant. Hes a best-selling author who, in addition to his books and highly-viewed Ted Talks, has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. As you might have guessed from the title, his podcast aims to help you create a better work life. Hes got a range of great guests like Mark Cuban, Dolly Parton, and Michael Schur (the writer behind beloved shows like The Office and Parks and Rec!) who offer advice on morality, emotional intelligence, and why you shouldnt follow your passions.

Jenny Blake is of the belief that if change is the only constant, wed better get good at it. Shes the author of the award-winning book Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and her podcast is in the same vein. Jenny hosts her friends, fellow authors, and other successful business people as they discuss topics like imposter syndrome, trust building, and how stealing wifi can be a great career strategy.

This is another podcast that, on the surface, might not seem like a traditional career podcast, but the advice offered on how to hustle, invest wisely, and find financial freedom can definitely aid your success in both work and life. BiggerPockets started out as a podcast about real estate investing, but they now have a number of spin-off shows about money, business, and real-estate for rookies. No matter what professional field youre in, and even if you have zero interest in real estate, theres a lot you can learn from the uber-smart and entertaining folks at BiggerPockets.

BossBabe is more than just a podcast, its an entire online community of ambitious women focused on achieving success and happiness in life. Hosted by co-founders Natalie Ellis and Danielle Canty, The BossBabe Podcast gets candid about how to navigate the realities of work and life, and how to find balance in our crazy world. One thing I love about this podcast is that in addition to hosting amazing guests, they also release one short episode each week called BossBabe Business School where Danielle or Natalie will dig into one specific, relatable topic and offer actionable advice about how to change bad habits, try something new, or shift your mindset.

Jay Shetty is a former Hindu monk whose guests run the cultural gambit. On his podcast, he speaks with everyone from Dave Ramsey to Kendall Jenner about things like success, relationships, finding the right work-life balance, and more. While every episode is a little different and you may never know what to expect, you do know that regardless of who his next guest is, youll learn some valuable lessons.

The next time youre going for a walk or commuting to work, try putting on one of these podcasts so you can learn something along the way! Using your commute as a time to learn and better yourself is a great hack to help you level up at your job and in life.

Dont miss anything! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get curated content weekly!

Original post:
11 Career Podcasts To Listen To If You're Ready To Level Up At Your Job - Evie Magazine

Physiology

National award honors UB biochemist’s transformational leadership promoting inclusivity in science – UBNow: News and views for UB faculty and staff -…

Campus News

UB biochemist Gabriela K. Popescuis an internationally known researcher in neuroscience and an effective advocate for making science a more welcoming and inclusive environment. Photo: Douglas Levere

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

Published October 11, 2022

UB biochemist Gabriela K. Popescuis an internationally known researcher in neuroscience. She is also an effective advocate for making science a more welcoming and inclusive environment, efforts that have earned her a significant new honor.

The Society of General Physiologists (SGP) has chosen Popescu, professor of biochemistry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, to receive the 2022 Sharona Gordon Award.

Established in 2020, the award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated transformational leadership in physiology and related fields. It is given to an individual who has made a clear and sustained impact on improving equity and inclusivity in the fields of physiology and biophysics.

Popescu will give an invited talk at the next SGP Awards Symposium.

The awards previous two winners are Karen Fleming, professor of biophysics at Johns Hopkins University, and Miriam Goodman, the Mrs. George Winzer Professor of Cell Biology at Stanford University.

Dr. Popescus achievements as an outstanding neuroscientist and as an advocate for equity in all aspects of the scientific endeavor are so deserving of this recognition, said Allison Brashear, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. We could not be more proud that she is among the first scientists to be recognized with this impactful award.

The SGP states that Popescu led the charge to establish the Biophysical Societys anti-harassment code of conduct and organized its first plenary session addressing sexual harassment. The description adds: She continues to provide a voice in situations where implicit bias and unrealized inequities enter the room, particularly speaking up for those with invisible disabilities and raising awareness aboutviolence against women.

As a woman and an immigrant, Popescus awareness of the impact of inequities in science has evolved over the years, often as a direct result of the national scientific and educational organizations in which she has played increasingly influential roles.

Earlier this year, she was voted president-elect of the Biophysical Society, an international organization with 7,500 members. She previously served two terms as chair of that societys Committee for Professional Opportunities for Women.

A turning point

A key turning point for Popescu occurred in 2018. She was attending the leadership committee meeting of a national professional society when the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine announced release of the report of its Committee on the Impacts of Sexual Harassment in Academia.

Together, attendees heard the news that the report had found that 50% of females in academic medicine reported having experienced some type of sexual harassment. At first, Popescu recalled, the room just went uncomfortably quiet. About a third of the people in the meeting were women. The first person to speak was a man. He said he wanted to see the data.

Then a woman who said she had been a Title IX officer spoke up. This woman said that sure, it would be good to see the data, but she thought 50% sounded accurate. Another woman mentioned that many instances of sexual harassment never even get reported.

As the conversation continued, Popescu could see peoples perceptions were beginning to change.

That report changed the playing field, Popescu said. And that was such a lesson for me. You have to be at the table.

Since then, Popescus willingness to speak up for people who are underrepresented in science has intensified. She initially served on the Administrative Board of the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS), representing the Jacobs School. In 2017, she was named chair-elect of CFAS, which also gave her a seat on the board of directors of the AAMC. She has used her participation on the boards of major organizations to raise awareness and make change.

I thought, what can I do? said Popescu, about how she thought she could make the most impact. I want to keep their feet to the fire.

First-ever plenaries on sexual harassment

She was instrumental in getting two major academic, scientific organizations CFAS and the Biophysical Society to hold their first-ever plenary sessions on sexual harassment, activities that the SGP cited in giving Popescu the Gordon award.

She is also serving her second term on the steering committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which nominates AAAS fellows.

Popescu has also, not surprisingly, worked to benefit faculty at the Jacobs School. In 2018-19, with her colleagues, she started a program called SheLeads@Jacobs School, a yearlong curriculum designed to grow the pool of women faculty ready for leadership positions in academic medicine.

Early passion for making improvements

Her passion for improving conditions for her fellow scientists began early; she thinks it goes back to when she got her first grant after serving as a postdoctoral fellow in the Jacobs School in the lab of Anthony Auerbach, professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

He encouraged me to apply to the National Institutes of Health for something very prestigious: the F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, she recalled. And I got the grant. Its a big deal.

But at the same time she was celebrating that award, she discovered that it would mean that she would lose her health insurance.

The timing wasnt ideal. Popescu was raising two children and her daughter, who was 15, needed braces. She needed to figure out how to get back on insurance.

I thought, Ok, this is wrong. So I asked around and found out there wasnt even a postdoctoral association here. There was nobody responsible for postdocs, she said.

Popescu approached Suzanne Laychock, senior associate dean for faculty affairs, who agreed that it was a problem that needed addressing.

So we got some people together and organized a committee to evaluate how we could develop an association for postdocs. We thought we should at least have a door with a sign on it that says Postdoctoral office with someone in that office, said Popescu.

Their efforts paid off and resulted in what is now the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars.

Popescu noted, That was my first advocacy role in my career. It was figuring out what we needed. It was egregious to have nothing.

Participating in these activities helps magnify impact, Popescu said. What makes someone be impactful? she asked. Im there when the policies are being written, when the speakers are being invited and when fellows are being nominated. I am at the table, she said, adding with a grin: You know what they say: If youre not at the table, you are on the menu!

She has simple advice to young faculty interested in leadership roles. Everybody has their thing, she said. Do what youre passionate about. You see a wrong? Go right it. Its the right thing to do.

Read the rest here:
National award honors UB biochemist's transformational leadership promoting inclusivity in science - UBNow: News and views for UB faculty and staff -...

Physiology

These are the real benefits of running, according to the science – Livescience.com

A runners body can come in all shapes and sizes, but the benefits of running remain the same for everyone. So, if youre thinking about kicking your run to the curb side now the weather has turned. dont!

Whether you stick with your outdoor run and yield the extra benefits of training in colder temperatures, or start looking into the best treadmill (opens in new tab) you can buy, studies show that in the long-term, running can improve longevity of life by lowering your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and resting heart rate. But theres more. For those who really want to deep-dive into the physiological technicalities, heres why running really is one of the best forms of exercise.

The term feel the burn is generally associated with hard working muscles during a workout. Youve probably felt it during a particularly gruelling session. Your body breaks down glucose to be used as energy and a by-product of this process is lactic acid. The harder you work, the more lactate accumulates until eventually you cant get rid of it quick enough.

This is known as your lactate threshold and there have been lots of studies - such as this one, published in the Journal of Physiology (opens in new tab) - that show the importance and role of anaerobic threshold in endurance sports.

A higher lactate threshold (aka anaerobic threshold) will allow for a faster, more sustainable running pace, says Jim Pate, Senior Physiologist at Marylebone Health (opens in new tab).

Jim Pate

Jim Pate is the senior physiologist and lab manager at the Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP). He specializes in cardiopulmonary exercise testing and heads up all of CHHPs exercise physiology services. He also lectures at UCL, as well as carrying out research at the university. Before joining CHHP, Jim not only worked in the NHS but also spent some time working at Everest Base Camp on the Extreme Everest Expedition, looking at how extreme conditions affect performance, survival and longevity.

When running at lower intensities, the primary component the body needs and uses to produce the energy is oxygen. This aerobic process is efficient but also relatively complex and can become overloaded or backed up, as energy demand rises with exercise intensity.

There will be a point where a second energy production system begins to make a contribution and this is the anaerobic system. This system produces energy rapidly without oxygen, but it is also inefficient, burning cellular fuel more quickly and producing the by-products: lactate and lactic acid.

From a running performance point of view, the shift to inefficient energy production results in an unsustainable system that will ultimately lead to fatigue. However, a higher lactate threshold is trainable and the best way to improve it is to train at, or around, lactate threshold intensity with working intervals significantly longer than recovery intervals.

Put simply, VO max is the maximum (max) rate (V) of oxygen (O) your body is able to consume and use during one minute of exercise. A higher VO max means youre in good shape physically and if youre looking to improve yours, running can help.

It has been shown that running at specific intensities for certain periods of time can actually improve your VO max, says Jonny Kibble, head of exercise and physical activity at Vitality (opens in new tab).

Johnny Kibble

Johnny Kibble is an experienced health and well-being coach, with a background in sports science. He currently works with Vitality, a UK health insurance company, where he leads physical activity workshops. In his spare time, he competes in 5ks, 10ks, triathlons and half marathons.

VO max is measured in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute ml/kg/min. It is generally considered the gold standard measure of cardiovascular fitness the higher it is, the longer you can potentially exercise for, at any given intensity.

While it can be impacted by numerous genetic factors, such as age and sex (men will generally have a higher VO max than women due to muscle mass and haemoglobin levels), the good news is, everyone can improve theirs.

Research from the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise Journal (opens in new tab) shows that running at 90-95% of maximum heart rate for four minutes followed by four minutes of resting at 70% max heart rate, four times round (for a specific time period) increased participants VO max by an average of 7.2 per cent (2).

According to Kibble, on top of improving your running performance, a high VO max could also make everyday tasks easier to perform.

Another study in the Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise Journal (opens in new tab) showed that climbing a set of stairs can cost around 33.5ml/kg/min of our VO max, which could be a sedentary individuals maximal capacity (27 - 40ml/kg/min), he explains. By improving this, it means we may find it easier to perform everyday tasks, which is particularly important as we grow older due to our VO max levels declining with age.

VO max can also play a huge part in prevention and, according to research from Frontiers in Bioscience (opens in new tab), is the strongest independent predictor of future life expectancy in both healthy and cardio-respiratory diseased individuals.

Lacing up and pounding the pavement can often be thought of as detrimental to joints and knees. However, research shows that running can in fact, be good for bone health.

Running is often perceived as bad for joints, in particular the knees and hips, and too much high impact exercise can damage bone and may cause long-term problems such as stress fractures, says Lindsy Kass, Principal Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise at the University of Hertfordshire (opens in new tab).

Kass is a Principal Lecturer on the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Degree Programme at the University of Hertfordshire. She is a Registered Nutritionist and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science. Kass has worked at the University of Hertfordshire for over 15 years and is a Fellow of the Teaching and Learning Academy. Her work includes research into carbohydrate and protein sport drinks, looking at the effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure and exercise and, most recently, she was the lead investigator on a large study looking at the effect of the Covid lockdown on exercise and eating habits.

However, there is much evidence (opens in new tab) to show that impact exercise such as running can actually help with bone formation and bone density, and reduce the effect of osteoporosis. In one study published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation (opens in new tab), long-distance runners were evaluated to establish change in bone properties using ultrasound and biochemical markers, to determine bone strength and bone formation markers. The male and female runners, aged 30-49 years ran an average of 48.6km per week, with an average frequency of 4.4 times per week. No significant difference was found in bone strength for either the males or females across all age groups meaning there was no decrement in bone strength when running long distances.

However, there was a significant improvement in blood serum markers of osteocalcin, which is a marker of bone formation, for both males and females across all age groups. This shows that bone formation may be improved with distance running, by stimulating osteoclasts. This supports the view that bone density is reliant on the forces acting on the bone in this case, the impact to the legs from running.

For those over 50, worried about osteoporosis, dont even think about switching to a non-resistance training modality. Research in the journal Osteoporosis International (opens in new tab) found that older runners had higher bone mineral density than swimmers of the same age. This suggests that moderate impact activities are better for maintaining skeletal integrity with age.

Struggling with that afternoon deadline? Cant make an important life decision? The answer might lie in a quick run.

A study by the University of Tsukuba in Japan (opens in new tab) last year showed that ten minutes of moderate-intensity running increases local blood flow to the parts of the brain that plays an important role in controlling mood and executive functions, says Elisabeth Philipps, a Clinical Neuroscientist and spokesperson for supplement brand FourFive (opens in new tab).

Elisabeth Philipps

Elisabeth Philipps is a clinical neuroscientist specializing in the endocannabinoid system. She has authored many articles on CBD, clinical neuroscience and health. One of her main strengths is being able to translate complex and dense scientific research into accessible written and presented content.

In such a short time, to see a mental improvement in brain function is really positive and should help spur people to enjoy daily exercise however long they have.

In the study, researchers found that just a short session increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex so it could benefit everything from focus, memory, planning, organization, and even impulse decision making.

So, what does this mean in real life? Moderate intensity running can be worked out using fancy heart rate monitoring, but more simply you can do the talk test which for moderate intensity means you can comfortably talk whilst running at a pace for 10 minutes, she adds.

This might take a bit of training and working up to this level but even just getting moving and brisk walking, especially with some hills or inclines involved helps into improve brain blood flow and boost your happy hormones, as well as trigger endocannabinoid synthesis which releases bliss molecule anandamide to help you feel good. Running and walking outdoors is best - fresh air and nature really boosts mental health. In fact, the runner's high is not an endorphins release, as previously thought but the body releasing anandamide, an endocannabinoid produced in the body, which makes us feel great.

Read more:
These are the real benefits of running, according to the science - Livescience.com