Curiosity May 2023

E43

From Greek Goddess maia, goddess of fertility/adults | June= iuniores, young people

Month of Lily of the valley flower(Convallaria majalis). Florigraphy: Language of flowers

National Quantum Mission 6000 Crores and LIGO India 2600 Crores both approved by cabinet.

C.R. Rao wins International Prize in Statistics, Statistic’s Nobel equivalent

This month’s Discoveries

1. As a four-day work week (4x8) is trialled in countries across the globe, health researchers say they’re ‘all in’ when it comes to a long weekend, research shows that the extra time off is good for our health.
2. A myth no more: Cranberry products can prevent urinary tract infections for women, according to new global study. Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), substances that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. This may help prevent infections
3. Children exposed to indoor cats and dogs during foetal development and early infancy have fewer food allergies, according to a massive study of more than 66,000 children up to the age of three in Japan. Children exposed to cats were significantly less likely to have egg, wheat, and soybean allergies
4. Having camera on during online classes increases social appearance anxiety, which decreases learning of students
5. Parents who frequently exercise harsh discipline with young children are putting them at significantly greater risk of developing lasting mental health problems |Cambridge
6. Time outdoors reduces blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, study of nature prescriptions finds.
7. Stressed plants ‘cry’ — and some animals can probably hear them. Plants that need water or have recently had their stems cut produce up to roughly 35 sounds per hour, the authors found. But well-hydrated and uncut plants are much quieter, making only about one sound per hour| ultrasonic — about 20–100 kilohertz. That means they are so high-pitched that very few humans could hear them. Some animals, however, probably can. Bats, mice and moths could potentially live in a world filled with the sounds of plants, and previous work by the same team has found that plants respond to sounds made by animals, too.” | Nature
8. Research found people who walked briskly for 8,000 steps per day once or twice per week were 14.9% less likely to die during the course of the next 10 years compared to their peers who were more sedentary.
9. The normalization of a lack of physical activity has led to the perception that exercise is an “intervention”. However, physical activity remains the modus vivendi (=way of life) engrained in our genes.| “Wer rastet, der rostet” “He who rests, rusts,”
10. In counties with more Black doctors, Black people live longer
11. Torrents of Antarctic meltwater are slowing the currents that drive our vital ocean ‘overturning’ — and threaten its collapse by 2050| Nature
12. Driving on less than 5 hours of sleep is just as dangerous as drunk-driving, study finds. About 20% of all vehicle crashes are caused by fatigue. Over the past 20 years, the number of crashes caused by alcohol has decreased significantly.
13. New research has shown humans could in fact live several decades longer than the current record age of 122. Scientists involved in the study have said they are “not even close” to reaching their maximum potential lifespan.
14. Wearing hearing aids could help cut the risk of dementia, according to a large decade-long study. The research accounted for other factors, including loneliness, social isolation and depression, but found that untreated hearing loss still had a strong association with dementia| Lancet
15. New simulations show that the Moon may have formed within mere hours of ancient planet Theia colliding with proto-Earth|Astrophysical Journal Letters

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Observances

• 3rd May: World Press Freedom Day
• 5: Flower Moon, UN-Vesak, Full Moon
• 5: Penumbral lunar eclipse, Eta Aquaris MS
• 12: Plant Health
• 13: Migratory Bird, Moon-Saturn
• 16: Light
• 17: Road Safety
• 17: Telecom and Information Society
• 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 to ISS. Two American astronauts and two Saudi millionaire tourists, Venus
• 20 Bee
• 21: Tea
• 22: Biodiversity
• 23: Moon-Venus
• 24: Moon-Mars
• 29: Mercury
• 31: No tobacco Day
• Somewhere in May: New Zealand’s Rocket Lab, to launch Photon satellite to venus

Opportunities

• MentX Mentor call is open now. Successfully supervising four or more interns (mentees) and submitting comprehensive report by them is what is expected. After successful mentoring, mentors will be inducted in YAI as lifetime fellows.
• HFSP International Human Frontier Science Program Organization PostDoc fellowships in France. 11 May
• Indo-Israel, 2nd May
• Indo-Russian, 15th June
• India Science FAST Book fellowship, 30th May
• EMBO Global Investigator Network, 30th June
• Several JRF/Project position calls shared in facebook group

My latest book “Life Skills” is now on sale, Rs. 435 only. Order here. YAI Fb page lists more exciting curiosity-driven research news every day, do subscribe.

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