A bit of a clown: George Santos

I really try not to be political here because politics are so devisive right now and I do not wish to be that way.  That said, I have to say something about this person, this clown of a Senator, George Santos.  I am so unbelieving that first, he is in our Congress, and second, that no one seems to care that he is a bufoon and a liar and without any moral compass. (I know, that is an oxymoron when we talk about Congress, but let's pretend it isn't so.)

This person is in it just for himself, period.  He wants to get as much money, fame, notoriety, etc. as possible.  For what reason, we can only guess.  Let's line it out step by step.

First, once you become a Senator, you will always have the insurance and health care that Senators get.  

Second, once you become a member of Congress, you will be afforded many perks that regular citizens do not have access to.

Third, people will know who you are and recognize your name, since you are in Congress.

Fourth, money is so available to Congressmen who have no morals.  They can be bought by just about anyone.

All that said, let's look at what he has said and done so far:

George Santos's Political Career: 

Santos, a New York congressman, is known more for his self-promotion than for any significant legislative achievements. His main accomplishment is winning an election through a web of lies and deceit.

Election and Charges: 

He was elected in November 2022 but was later charged with 23 federal crimes. Despite these charges, he has managed to retain his seat in the House of Representatives.

Pattern of Lies: 

Throughout his campaign, Santos fabricated almost every aspect of his life. His lies ranged from his education and work history to personal and family stories.

•  False Educational Claims: He falsely claimed to have been educated at an elite New York City high school and to have graduated in the top 1% of his class from Baruch College. Both institutions have no record of his attendance.
• 9/11 Fabrication: Santos lied about his mother being in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks, despite records showing she wasn't in the country at the time.
• Invented Jewish Heritage: He claimed Jewish heritage and that his grandparents escaped the Holocaust, which was untrue.
• Property and Employment Lies: Santos falsely claimed to own 13 properties and to have worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. He also lied about running a pet charity.
• Unnecessary Lies: Some of his lies, such as being a star on a college volleyball team or working as a model, seemed to have no political benefit.

Election Success: 

Despite being relatively unknown, Santos had a strong showing in the 2020 election against Thomas Suozzi and won in 2022 after Suozzi stepped down.

Post-Election Revelations: 

The New York Times exposed Santos's fabrications in December 2022, leading to a closer scrutiny of his background and the discovery of alleged crimes.

Charges and House Response: 

Santos faces charges related to identity theft, misuse of campaign contributions, and unemployment benefit fraud. The House has so far voted against expelling him, but a recent ethics committee report found substantial evidence of misuse of campaign funds.

Extravagant Spending: The report details Santos's spending of campaign money on personal luxuries like Botox treatments and luxury brands.

Political Oversight: Santos's success is partly attributed to being underestimated by both parties and a lack of thorough media scrutiny during his campaign.

Future Uncertain: Following the ethics committee report, Santos announced he would not run for re-election and may face a third expulsion vote.

George Santos is a politician whose career has been marked by an extraordinary level of dishonesty and deception, leading to legal troubles and political scrutiny. Is there any wonder why I would refer to this man as a "clown"?

Effects of the Shutdown on Adolescent Brains

I have been reading a lot in the science news about all the research going on related to the 2 year shutdown and its effects on us.  This article below talks about how a study was done on teenagers before and after the shutdown, and the results are very alarming to me. These teenagers are the future of our society and damage done to them will affect us all eventually.

So, here is this article for you to check out. This should alarm you also. The study size is more than adequate to show that the findings, though not verified by other studies yet, are valid.  I will be looking for more or future studies on this to see how these results stand up. 

It really doesn't need to be validated to cause you some alarm.  If just a small number of adolescents globally were affected so negatively, then the potential for a serious problem exists.

Here is the synopsis:

 Recent studies, including those presented at a major neuroscience conference, reveal alarming changes in the brain development of adolescents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This period, marked by school closures and social isolation, has intensified the pre-existing decline in the psychological health of American teenagers. 

 Key findings from the University of Washington show an unusual acceleration in the thinning of the cerebral cortex among teenagers during the pandemic. This research, led by Patricia Kuhl, involved 124 adolescents and highlighted a more pronounced effect in female participants. The thinning of the cortex, a normal part of growth, appeared to be fast-tracked during the lockdown, with some teenagers' brains resembling those of older adolescents. 

 The implications of this accelerated brain aging are profound, potentially affecting learning capabilities, emotional well-being, and cognitive functions. The research team is also exploring the role of social media during this critical period. 

 Another perspective comes from Harvard Medical School's Caterina Stamoulis, who examined how adolescent brains were prepared to handle such a crisis. Using data from the largest U.S. study on brain development and child health, Stamoulis' team assessed the organization and efficiency of brain networks in adolescents. They found that weaker brain circuits were linked to increased sadness and stress during the pandemic years. 

 These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to support the mental health of youth during extraordinary events like the COVID-19 pandemic. They also highlight the importance of understanding brain development as a factor in adolescents' emotional and mental resilience.

Whew! That is a mouthful, but the information presented is interesting and engaging.  I for one look forward to learning more about this topic and I hope you are also moved to watch out for more news about it. I know I am a science geek and most are not, but some topics should be interesting to anyone.  I think this is one.

Good Heart Health Slows Biological Aging

I found an interesting article recently about how heart health is absolutely connected to aging in your body and mind.  It was an interesting read and the link to the actual article is here.  But below I have paraphrased it into more understandable word bites since it comes from a scientific article. You should know by now that I am a science geek.

Aging is an inevitable part of life, but the rate at which we age can be influenced by various factors, including the health of our heart. Recent research has increasingly shown that good heart health is not just crucial for longevity but also plays a significant role in slowing down the biological aging process.

The Heart-Aging Connection 

The heart, a vital organ, is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. When the heart is healthy, it performs these functions efficiently, supporting the overall health and vitality of the body. 

However, when heart health deteriorates, it can accelerate biological aging in several ways: 

Reduced Cellular Health: 

Poor heart health can lead to reduced blood flow, which means less oxygen and nutrients reach the cells. This can accelerate cellular aging and contribute to the decline in organ function. 

• Inflammation: Heart issues often lead to chronic inflammation, a known factor in accelerating aging. Inflammation can damage cells and tissues, hastening their aging process.
•  Oxidative Stress: A struggling heart can increase oxidative stress in the body, leading to damage of cells, proteins, and DNA, which is a hallmark of aging. 

Improving and Maintaining Heart Health 

To keep your heart healthy and slow down biological aging, consider the following lifestyle changes: 

• Regular Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity, especially cardiovascular exercises like walking, running, swimming, or cycling, strengthens the heart and improves circulation. 
• Balanced Diet: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help maintain heart health. Reducing the intake of processed foods, salt, and sugars is also crucial. 
• Stress Management: Chronic stress can harm heart health. Techniques like meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness can help manage stress. 
• Adequate Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for heart health. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to allow your body to repair and rejuvenate. 
• No Smoking and Limited Alcohol: Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption, as these can negatively impact heart health. 

Other Anti-Aging Strategies 

Apart from maintaining good heart health, there are other ways to slow down the biological aging process: 

• Mental Stimulation: Keeping the brain active and engaged through learning, puzzles, reading, and other cognitive activities can help maintain mental agility and slow down aging. 
• Social Connections: Strong social ties and regular social interaction have been linked to longer, healthier lives. They can reduce stress, boost mental health, and foster a sense of belonging and purpose. 
• Regular Health Check-ups: Regular check-ups can help catch and address potential health issues early, preventing them from accelerating aging. 
• Hydration and Skin Care: Proper hydration and skin care protect the skin, the body's largest organ, from premature aging. 
• Antioxidants: Consuming foods rich in antioxidants can combat oxidative stress, a significant factor in aging. Berries, nuts, dark chocolate, and green tea are excellent sources. 

Good heart health is a cornerstone of not just a longer life, but also a more youthful biological profile. By combining heart-healthy practices with other anti-aging strategies, we can significantly influence how gracefully and healthily we age. Remember, it's never too late to start taking care of your heart and your overall health. Your future self will thank you for the years of vitality and wellness that such care can bring.

This post is connected to another post and you can read that here.

Forgotten Women in History and Science

Women of Science who are forgotten:

As I have said before here, I am a science geek and when I was in college I took every science class they offered, which also meant I had to take horrible math classes to be able to understand the information.  I have always been interested in how things work and what makes things happen like they do.

One area that I find very interesting, even though it is sad that it exists, is the way women were swept under the carpet and received no recognition for their research and findings, even though later men claimed the fame for their discoveries. We talked about this briefly in the post Women in Science:  the History of Erasure.

There is even a podcast called, "Lost Women of Science" that you might be interested to listen to.

Today, I was reading about Eunice Newton Foote(1819-1888) .  She discovered that carbon dioxide and water vapor trapped more heat than the air, suggesting a link between these gases and temperature regulation on Earth. It is good to note here that on her father's side, she was a distant relative of the legendary British scientist-astronomer and alchemist Isaac Newton.

She conducted homespun experiments using 30-inch-long cylinders filled with different gases (moist air, dry air, carbon dioxide, oxygen, hydrogen). Placed cylinders in the sun and charted how the gases warmed. She noted that the cylinder with carbon dioxide warmed the most and retained heat for a long time.This work laid the groundwork for what later became known as the greenhouse effect.

Her findings,"Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays,"  were presented at the 1856 American Association for the Advancement of Science conference. However, as a woman, she was not allowed to present her paper herself and it was read by a male colleague. 

She presented her own research on static electricity in the following year's AAAS meeting and filed patents for several inventions, including a rubber sole for shoes and a paper-making machine.

Although her paper was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting on August 23, 1856.

Foote's work faded into obscurity, overshadowed by John Tyndall's later similar discoveries, 3 years later.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in her contributions to climate science. In the 1970s, female historians of science began recognizing Foote's contributions. Elizabeth Wagner Reed, in her 1992 book, highlighted Foote's demonstration of the greenhouse effect. In 2011, Ray Sorenson published a paper acknowledging Foote's role as a climate pioneer. A 2020 retrospective obituary in The New York Times praised her experiment as "ingenious."

Now, I understand that the times were very different in 1856, but there may have been even more at play here for her work to be shoved under the rug.

She was a known part of the "Women's Movement" in those times that marched in protest for women to have the right to vote.  She was a close friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who formulated the agenda for woman’s rights that guided the struggle well into the 20th century. This could very well have played a major part in her obscurment. Both she and her husband attended the Seneca Falls Convention and signed the Declaration to establish women's rights. This could not have been overlooked in this period.

It is good, though, that 150 years later she is finally being vindicated and receiving the credit she deserves for her early work on climate change.  Without her work, we might still be in the dark about all the effects climate change can cause. She deserves to be known and ranked high in the annals of science.

If this is of any interest to you, here are some resource articles to help you learn more about this time period for women scientists and particularly about Eunice:

Eunice Newton Foote’s nearly forgotten discovery

This Suffrage-Supporting Scientist Defined the Greenhouse Effect But Didn’t Get the Credit, Because Sexism

More UFO's in the news!!!

 Back in August, I posted a blog post about UFO's because it was all over the news.  It seemed that no matter where you looked, you would come across some coverage of UFO's.  Here is the link to that post to check it out because in it I gave some historical information about this whole situation: What Do You Think about UFO's?

Since that post, there has been a flurry of activity about these unidentified objects with numerous accounts of seeing them everywhere.  So, today, I thought I would round up what I could find about this topic and post all the links here in case you or someone you know would like to check them out.

I am still on the fence on this one.  I can see why we should think there is life elsewhere due to the sheer size of the universe.  It just seems likely that in all those planets, stars, etc. there may possibly be intelligent life.  To disbelieve it seems a bit self-inflated and egotistical.  What? We are the only intellingent life every created in all the vastness of space?  Really?

That said, I also can see the other side.  Where is the proof? Why, if there is such a thing do we not have any information about it? How can we believe if we cannot see, feel, hear, touch or taste it? The science major in me sees this point of view quite clearly; but in this instance, I'm not sure that stance actually helps us out much.

There are things in this world and I assume in the Universe that defy our logic and science. People who believe in God, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, and all the other spiritual souls really have no concrete proof that they even existed, yet they are devout believers and would die for this belief.

Okay, off my soapbox.  Here is the round-up of the news that I found:

NBC News

• A 33-page report by an independent team commissioned by NASA highlighted that the negative perception surrounding UFOs is a significant obstacle to collecting data.

Fox News

Harvard Scientist's Search for Alien Probe (Published 3 days ago): Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, who started the Galileo Project to investigate UFOs, is planning to search for pieces of an "interstellar object" that could be an alien probe or artifact. The object is believed to have crashed off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Pentagon's Classified UFO Footage (Published on March 28): The Pentagon has confirmed the existence of footage showing fighter jets shooting down UFOs over Alaska, but it has no plans to release the footage as it is classified.

The Guardian

• Explosion of UFO Podcasts (Published in April 2023): There has been a significant increase in the number of series devoted to visitors from other worlds.
• Harvard Physicist's Expedition (Published in March 2023): Avi Loeb is organizing a $1.5 million search to Papua New Guinea to look for an interstellar object that crashed into the ocean in 2014.
• UFO Reports in the US (Published in January 2023): The US government has logged more than 500 UFO reports, with hundreds remaining unexplained. Many are attributed to drones or balloons, while others point to the spying capabilities of rival nations.
• Pentagon's UFO Tracking Office (Published in December 2022): The Pentagon's new All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office has received "several hundred" UFO reports. The office was set up to track unidentified objects in the sky, underwater, or in space.

This is a list of just the most recent news I could find, but I assure you that there are many more out there.  Enjoy!