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Uh, did this need to be a study? Pretty sure that was obvious from the start; it's kinda the whole deal with those mindsets.

Because it makes a lot of sense. If microbes can survive long periods of hibernation, then statistically there is a good chance some of them hopped a ride to earth. We get hit by 20 tons of debris every single day. It's not an outlandish theory or anything.

first paragraph is missing the mark too, IMO. think about thousands of pressure cookers exploding at various pressures. it's not that "it's never enough explosions to prevent big one", it's more "there's always some strong enough cooker to blow at much bigger pressure". And lubricating should work much like safety valve, lowering pressure on which blowing occurs at every single cooker.

Okay if you were a pretty smart 7-10 year old…

Humans and animals have a part of the brain called the “lateral habenula” (LHb). The LHb is really important for a lot of things, especially for helping us recognize when things are upsetting or unpleasant and for learning how to avoid those things; it’s also important for helping us recognize when good things we expected end up not happening, called “negative reward.”

In some people, their LHb has too much or majorly altered activity, which can contribute to mental health problems like addiction and depression. Lots of doctors and scientists that are familiar with the LHb think that figuring out how we can change LHb activity back to a more normal pattern might be an effective treatment for these problems, especially depression.

In order to figure out how to do this, we need a better understanding of how the brain cells in the LHb communicate with each other and with other parts of the brain. Brain cells use lots of different types of molecules to send messages, including endocannabinoids (eCBs).

eCBs are basically specialized fat molecules that have specific receptors all over the brain. Type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1) are the target of THC from marijuana, for reference. Very little research has been done on understanding eCB function in the LHb. However, one study showed that blocking CB1 receptors in the LHb could make rats behave in a way where they appeared to be less depressed and less anxious- that is super interesting because if we give rats that same drug by an injection to the whole body (instead of just the LHb), it makes them more depressed and anxious. So the effects in the LHb seem to be opposite to what would be expected from other parts of the brain!

But why? What kinds of signals are eCB molecules sending in the LHb? That was the purpose of the study - to understand how eCB signaling is regulating cellular communication within the LHb, at a cellular and molecular level. Generally, eCBs decrease neurotransmitter release.

They found that in the LHb, eCBs seem to decrease GABA release, as expected; decrease glutamate release (in some contexts), as expected; but also increase glutamate release in some other specific contexts, which is opposite from their normal predicted function. They found this unexpected increase required cannabinoid receptors on astrocytes, and hypothesize that this mechanism could potentially increase LHb excitation and explain the backwards behavioral effects of cannabinoids mentioned above. To be determined in future studies.

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In a several decade study made by Stamford I think they concluded that people who were positive about becoming old lived on average 7.8 years longer than those negative about it.

Mind over matter, its literally about perspective.

Oh boy. We’re in danger.

Nah. That’s a dull “hum” that is basically constant. Since it is constant it’s quite easy to tune out and forget it’s there. It’s the engines that break through and become distinct.

Today there’s only one place to put your trust.

In yourself

Loud motorcycles and modified exhausts still produce a ridiculously disproportionate amount of noise pollution when compared to regular traffic. I don't know why so many people are in denial about this basic fact. Regular cars will not wake you from a sound sleep like a hoon/boy racer or Harley rider will. There really is no comparison.

Why is populism bad exactly? Switzerland is populist to its core and it does very well. Why is it a good thing that our government in the US no matter what party they are in failing to do things all American want a good thing?

• ironiclishessness

I know the word is "irony" but I deliberately said "ironicness". It's a _very_ old (can't believe it is 23 years now!) reference to a Daily Show bit about a deer crashing through the window of a taxidermy place.

https://www.cc.com/video/4xo90c/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-the-deer-hunted

Ever since then I love using the word "ironicness"

Like when elderly widows blindly trust someone to manage their money and the next thing you know they’re savings are gone.

I'm not sure about wanders, it's pretty consistent in moving north and northwest. But I understand the flip better, thank you

It will never violently flip, that's just not how reversals or excursions occur. Reversals typically take anywhere between 4 and 9 thousand years to flip with the latest reversal taking 22 thousand years to reverse: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aaw4621

The magnetic pole wanders all the time. It's the intensity via gradual weakening that indicates an excursion or reversal.

You don't have to attack me first thing in the morning

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425757/

You seem nice... And I do NOT EVER spread misinformation intentionally.

So if I am, correct me, and find something more recent that has changed and makes this no longer the case.

Magnetic north has been constantly and slowly changing since forever. They repaint airport runways because of that. I was under the impression it will violently flip eventually?

???

Over what duration of time? It's currently reducing in strength which has been interpreted by some as to be a reduction in strength from an anomalous high back to a more typical strength. Meanwhile there have also been long intervals of time with no reversals. These are known as superchrons, such as the cretaceous normal superchron which was an episode of stable polarity with little or no reversals lasting upwards of 37 million years. So long as the mantle and outter core keep thermally / chemicaly convecting we should expect the Earth's geodynamo to operate. This includes the possibility of excursions and reversals.

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Title should read:

Individuals who are more likely to forgive tend to have secure emotional attachments, study finds