stories that caught our eye
Cause of Depression; So, what is it? As for most mental infirmities, opinion is divided. It would be nice to know, because its effect can ravage the lives of sufferers and their families. The neurotransmitter serotonin has always been in with a shout, and new study, her reported in The Guardian, gives credence to this conjecture:
Help with depression Ever since the publication of Aldous Huxley‘s The Doors of Perception, the role of psychoactive substances in mental health has intrigued some medical researchers. So, can psilocybin help sufferers. Here’s the Guardian again
Global Warning COP27 is on us again, and even the British Prime Minister has noticed. But what can we expect? Nature Briefings has it all in this extract and link!
It’s been a year since global leaders renewed their climate pledges at COP26, the landmark United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, UK. On Monday, global leaders will convene in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, during COP27 to carry on negotiations aimed at reining in global warming. The short-term outlook is daunting: global energy prices are spiking, spurring fresh investments in harmful fossil fuels. The good news: renewable-energy installations continue to rise globally, and many countries have made new climate commitments this year.
What to look out for:
- A key issue at COP27 is ‘loss and damage’ finance — how to pay for the mounting impact of climate change on the countries that did the least to cause it and can least afford the destruction it brings.
- Much of the focus will be on evaluation, assessment and accountability. “We can’t just move on to new commitments without getting a grip on whether the current commitments are being carried out,” says climate-policy analyst David Waskow.
Unpleasant Pleasures The subject of drugs comes up again in this rather unpleasant Cautionary Tale from The Conversation, starring the popular actor Matthew Perry (who he?-ed) We say: don’t take ’em, unless your Doctor tells you to.
Weaponising Rape The Russians have a bit of form here (see Germany 1945) so it’s no surprise to see that once again they are using mass rape as an instrument of war. Perhaps if Mr Putin reads this, he might think “Oh gosh, I’ve got this all wrong, I’ll put a stop to it right away!” And then again, perhaps he won’t. CNN has the details
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/02/europe/russia-ukraine-kherson-sexual-violence-intl/index.html
This week’s song The Commitments Survivors of the 1990s will recall that feel good film, rich in music and social texture So we’ll close by offering you this jolly video showing the band at its exciting best
Learning, Science and Society 