Dank Trees

The American flag is set on fire as Japanese protesters demand the closure of the U.S. military base in Okinawa, weeks after the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen. October 22, 1995.

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Scientists Discover How Loneliness Can Kill

Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by 14 percent in older adults, according to a study published Monday that posits a physiological basis for the phenomenon. The dangers of social isolation have long been known but its effects on the body have not been well understood, the researchers said in the work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/PNAS. Led by University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo, the research team had previously identified a link between solitude and both a heightened expression of genes involved in inflammation and a diminution in the activity of other genes that play a role in the body’s antiviral responses. The result is a weakened immune systems that makes a person who lives alone more vulnerable to illness. In their latest research, the researchers looked at leukocytes, white blood cells that the immune system uses to protect against bacteria and viruses. They found the same shift in genetic expression in the white blood cells of people who lived alone and in social isolation. They also found that loneliness predicted the gene behavior a year or more in advance and conversely that gene expression predicted loneliness measured a year or more later. (Source)

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HOW THE MOKIN CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO SEE WITH AMAZING CLARITY UNDERWATER

The Mokin are a group in Thailand that are nomadic and have a sea-based culture. 

In the sea there is less light, so usually one’s iris will dilate. But the Mokin have an adaption where instead of dilating, they constrict as much as possible. 

This allows them to see with much better clarity. Recent studies suggest that any child can quickly learn this trick. It exemplifies how well our brain adapts to our environment. 

SOURCE 

These are some statues from Roadside attraction in South Dakota. The bull on the left is a landmark, and it’s surrounded by red hooded figure sculptures and those ram-headed soldiers. Super creepy. The place gives me a bad vibe.