ChatGPT Writes Obituaries Too
This author experimented with ChatGPT, having it write her eulogy: I Had An AI Chatbot Write My Eulogy. It Was Very Weird Although I found the concept of the article interesting, the author lost me with the last paragraph, "Regardless of how advanced these tools become, one thing should now be obvious: their well-documented biases and flawed decision-making abilities mean they should never be used to do anything of consequence." Totally disagree!
ChatGPT and Science
Are you using generative AI to generate research ideas and scholarly publications? It's already possible: "...a chatbot was deemed capable of generating quality academic research ideas." Why ChatGPT Could Usher in a New Era of Scientific Discovery
Tim Urban Writes a Book
I'm rarely excited by an upcoming book. But Tim Urban, the creative force behind Wait But Why (one of my favorite websites), is publishing a book this week (Amazon | Apple). In his latest blog post, A Short History of My Last Six Years — Wait But Why, he explains the six-year journey examining our society. "This book is my best crack at explaining what I think is an existential risk to liberal societies and what I think we need to do to get to that awesome future I used to be so excited about."
ME/CFS and the Microbiome
I've written about how Long Covid has ignited interest in a long-time ignored and misunderstood medical condition, ME/CFS. The NIH Director's blog mentioned recent clues to the disease in the microbiome: "... suggesting that imbalances in certain bacterial species inhabiting the gut could be used as measurable biomarkers to aid in the accurate and timely diagnosis of ME/CFS. It also points to a possible therapeutic target to explore."_ More Clues into ME/CFS Discovered in Gut Microbiome – NIH Director's Blog
Vibrating Pills for Constipation
Here is a new, FDA-approved medical device for the drug-free treatment of constipation: Vibrating Pill for Constipation Now Available This adds a whole new meaning to moving your bowels.....
You are not Your Attachment Style
I love the book Attached.. Here is an interesting article that offers an overview of Attachment Theory and some of the more common misperceptions: You Can Change Your Attachment Style
Friendship
The Atlantic curated a series of articles on enduring friendship: Why We Lose Our Friends as We Age - The Atlantic (subscription required)
Relationships and Serious Disease
Being diagnosed with a severe illness is challenging enough. But medical issues also can have a devastating effect on relationships/marriages: Why Men Leave Sick Wives - Facing Illness Alone
Optimism and Pessimism
"_Optimism and pessimism, it turns out, are all about the stories we tell ourselves after both our successes and our failures._" Are You (Still) an Optimist? These Questions Might Help Explain Why (gift article)
Six Steps to Improve Your Mood for Good
An academic happiness researcher advises on improving your life: The Key to Happiness: 6 Strategies To Boost Your Mood for Good
Asthma Drug Recovers "Lost" Memories (Pre-Clinical)
A side effect of sleep deprivation is amnesia, but whether memory loss is a storage or retrieval problem has been unclear. These scientists are zeroing in on the answer: "This study shows that neurons in the hippocampus retain the memories, albeit in an inaccessible state, but that they can be rescued artificially." Asthma drug brings back "lost" memories
Ultra-processed Foods and Obesity
Wired had a great overview of the impact of ultra-processed foods on body weight. "The results of the study surprised Hall. On the ultra-processed diet, people ate around 500 extra calories daily and weighed about two pounds more pounds." Fat, Sugar, Salt ... You’ve Been Thinking About Food All Wrong
Endocannabinoids and Health
Just like opiates, your body produces endogenous compounds that bind to the same receptors as compounds in marijuana. Research on endocannabinoids lags far behind opiates, but research has shown "An imbalance in the production of endocannabinoids, or in the body's responsiveness to them, can lead to major clinical disorders, including obesity as well as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases." People produce endocannabinoids – similar to compounds found in marijuana – that are critical to many bodily functions is a nice overview. For more on endocannabinoids, see: Why does running give you a high? A look at the science and Cannabinoids - HealthHippieMD
The Brain and the Immune Response
Nature had an excellent overview of efforts to unravel further how the brain affects immune function: Your brain could be controlling how sick you get — and how you recover (subscription required)
The Dark Side of Ketamine Telemedicine
Covid influenced many changes in medicine. One of those changes was a loosening of regulations surrounding the remote prescription of controlled substances. A Fraught New Frontier in Telehealth: Ketamine (gift article) talks about the dark side of the remote prescription trend.
The Book of Blue Zones
The Economist had an interesting article on Blue Zones, an area of the world with a disproportionate share of centenarians: Christian Californians may have a solution to America's obesity | The Economist (subscription required)
Hard Dew
I had no idea about the roots of Mountain Dew. I had no idea Mountain Dew was a nickname for moonshine. Why PepsiCo's and Coca-Cola's Alcohol Drinks Worry Health Experts (gift article) discusses the worrisome trend of "hardening" traditional soft drinks. Next up, marijuana tinged soft-drinks.....
Think Like A Monk
In addition to Tim Urban's book, I've started reading Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. I'm about three chapters in and enjoying the material. Highly recommended! (Thanks, Sandy!)
