Finally, a Scientific Answer to Why Guys Love Round Butts
It's no secret that many men love a full tush—but why? It may be because women with curvy behinds made better nomadic child-bearers back in the day, according a new study from the University of Texas.
You’ve probably never thought about "lumbar curvature" or "vertebral wedging." But the study authors have. And their research shows men tend to go gaga over a woman with the type of spine curvature that makes her butt seem to pop out or protrude.
If you're like the average man, you're especially attracted to a woman with a spine that curves roughly 45 degrees above the top of her butt, the research shows. "This degree of curvature would have enabled ancestral women to shift their center of mass back over their hips during pregnancy," says study coauthor David M.G. Lewis, Ph.D
Back in hunter-gatherer times, human beings were constantly on the move. Staying still was a death sentence. So women who could keep walking long distances even while very pregnant had an advantage in terms of reproduction and survival.
Lewis says a 45-degree lumbar curvature allows a woman to carry the weight of her unborn baby in a way that makes her less vulnerable to spinal injuries than women with more or less curvature. Thousands of years ago, this would have helped her to keep moving and foraging during the later stages of pregnancy—a huge plus, says Lewis.
Apparently, modern man hasn't lost his taste for curvaceous, baby-bearing derrieres—at least according to this research.
A lung cancer therapy can more than double life expectancy in some patients, a "milestone" trial shows
Nivolumab stops cancerous cells hiding from the body's own defences, leaving the cancer vulnerable to attack.
The results from 582 people, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, were described as "giving real hope to patients".
Lung cancer is the most deadly type of cancer, killing nearly 1.6 million people every year. It is hard to treat as it is often diagnosed late and many people with smoking-related diseases are unsuitable for surgery.
Natural defences
Your immune system is trained to fight infection, but it also attacks parts of the body if they malfunction - such as in cancers.
However, tumours have a few tricks up their sleeve in order to survive. They can produce a protein called PD-L1 which switches off any part of the immune system that tries to attack them.
Nivolumab is one of a suite of drugs called "checkpoint inhibitors" being developed by pharmaceutical companies. They stop cancers turning off the immune system so the body can keep on attacking the tumour.
The trial, conducted in Europe and the US, was on patients who had advanced lung cancer and who had already tried other treatments. People on standard therapy lived for another 9.4 months at this stage, but those taking Nivolumab lived for 12.2 months on average. However, some patients did spectacularly well. Those whose tumours were producing high levels of PD-L1 lived for another 19.4 months.
'Milestone'
The data was presented by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb. Lead researcher Dr Luis Paz-Ares, from the Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre in Madrid, Spain, said: "[The results] mark a milestone in the development of new treatment options for lung cancer." "Nivolumab is the first PD-1 inhibitor to show a significant improvement in overall survival in a phase III trial in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer."
Many other companies are assessing similar drugs. Dr Martin Forster, from the University College London Cancer Institute, is trialling some of them. He told the BBC News website: "It's really exciting, I think these drugs will be a paradigm shift in how we treat lung cancer."
He said that after chemotherapy failed, current survival rates were "dire". "But in those that respond [to immunotherapy] there seems to be very prolonged disease control, I think it's a huge shift in lung cancer and for patients it's going to be dramatic," he said.
'Real hope'
Cancer Research UK said harnessing the immune system would be an "essential part" of cancer treatment.
Dr Alan Worsley, the charity's senior science information officer, told the BBC: "This trial shows that blocking lung cancer's ability to hide from immune cells may be better than current chemotherapy treatments."
"Advances like these are giving real hope for lung cancer patients, who have until now had very few options."
It is hoped these drugs will work in a range of cancers. Nivolumab has already been approved in the US for melanoma.
But there are still big questions to be answered. The long-term consequences of modifying the immune system are still unknown and the best way of figuring out who will respond to therapy is uncertain.
And these therapies are also likely to be very expensive and so will pose a challenge for health services trying to offer them.
Britain has become "internationally
renowned" for having "really lousy" teeth, according to TV doctor Chris
van Tulleken, with people not caring enough about staining and decay. Is
this label fair?
Having bad teeth is one of the stock American jokes about British people. In the world of film, spoof super-spy Austin Powers cavorts around London as a would-be sex symbol, not realising that his discoloured, crooked grin is being mocked.
In
one episode of the Simpsons, a dentist scares a young patient into
better oral hygiene by exposing him to a horrific publication called The
Big Book of British Smiles. It features mocked-up pictures of gappy,
unaligned teeth belonging, among others, to Buckingham Palace guards,
the Prince of Wales and Sherlock Holmes.
Chris van Tulleken, a British doctor and TV presenter, has joined the criticism by telling Radio Times magazine that British dental standards are globally infamous and having "brown, foul teeth doesn't really bother us".
But are British mouths really in such a state and is there such a lack of vanity?
Lance Knight, a dentist from Manchester, dismisses van Tulleken's
comments as "out-of-date". "People in the UK want their teeth to look
better," he says.
He thinks cosmetic dentistry in the US is based
on people wanting to "look the same way", with rows of perfect, shiny
white teeth, like those flashed by the Osmonds or the Kennedys.
In the UK it's more about patients going for cleaning and some straightening but maintaining a more "natural look", he adds.
While
90% of Knight's cosmetic dentistry customers want just an "improved
smile", he estimates, the rest want brilliant white teeth seen on
reality TV shows like Big Brother and The Only Way is Essex, influenced
by the more dazzling American aesthetic.
Whatever the priority, UK private spending on improving teeth has
increased sharply. It reached £1.86bn last year, according to the market
research group Mintel, up 27% since 2010.
Just 3% of people in
the UK have had teeth-whitening work, lagging behind the 14% in the US,
it says. But there's little sign of the complacency van Tulleken
describes, with three in 10 UK adults unhappy about the appearance of
their teeth, Mintel adds.
"The media are more aware now of
teeth," says London dentist Uchenna Okoye, "and beauty pages now cover
teeth and toothpastes, which years ago just didn't happen.
"Rightly
or wrongly, we are appearance-driven and, as teeth have become more of a
focus with makeover shows and celebrity news, people have become more
interested - and naturally the health of their teeth as well as the
appearance becomes a focus."
It's going to take some time to overcome but the UK is definitely making progress.
Statistics suggest that, taken on pure oral health rather than appearance, the UK does better than the US.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) figures,
the average number of missing or filled teeth for a 12-year-old in the
UK in 2008 (the latest figures available) was 0.7. This was the joint
best rating that year.
The last figure reported by the OECD for
the US, in 2004, was 1.3 - when the UK also got 0.7. The UK's decay and
replacement rates started falling below those of the US during the
mid-1990s. Going back to 1963, the UK rate was as high as 5.6.
Stress affects us all. You may notice symptoms of stress
when disciplining your kids, during busy times at work, when managing
your finances, or when coping with a challenging relationship. Stress is
everywhere. And while a little stress is OK -- some stress is actually
beneficial -- too much stress can wear you down and make you sick, both
mentally and physically.
The first step to controlling stress is to know
the symptoms of stress. But recognizing stress symptoms may be harder
than you think. Most of us are so used to being stressed, we often don't
know we are stressed until we are at the breaking point.
What Is Stress?
Stress is the body's reaction to harmful situations
-- whether they’re real or perceived. When you feel threatened, a
chemical reaction occurs in your body that allows you to act in a way to
prevent injury. This reaction is known as "fight-or-flight,” or the
stress response. During stress response, your heart begins to race, breathing quickens, muscles tighten, and blood pressure rises. You’ve gotten ready to act. It is how you protect yourself.
Stress means different things to different people.
What causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another.
Some people are better able to handle stress than others. And, not all
stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help you accomplish tasks and
prevent you from getting hurt. For example, stress is what gets you to
slam on the breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of you. That's a
good thing.
Our bodies are designed to handle small doses of
stress. But, we are not equipped to handle long-term, chronic stress
without ill consequences.
What Are the Symptoms of Stress?
Stress can affect all aspects of your life,
including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical
health. No part of the body is immune. But, because people handle stress
differently, symptoms of stress can vary. Symptoms can be vague and may
be the same as those caused by medical conditions. So it is important
to discuss them with your doctor. You may experience any of the
following symptoms of stress
What Are the Symptoms of Stress? continued...
Emotional symptoms of stress include:
Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control
Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed
Avoiding others
Physical symptoms of stress include:
Low energy
Headaches
Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
Aches, pains, and tense muscles
Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
Insomnia
Frequent colds and infections
Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet
Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
Cognitive symptoms of stress include:
Constant worrying
Racing thoughts
Forgetfulness and disorganization
Inability to focus
Poor judgment
Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative side
Behavioral symptoms of stress include:
Changes in appetite -- either not eating or eating too much
Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
Increased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes
Exhibiting more nervous behaviors, such as nail biting, fidgeting, and pacing
What Are the Consequences of Long-Term Stress?
A little stress every now and then is not something
to be concerned about. Ongoing, chronic stress, however, can cause or
exacerbate many serious health problems, including:
Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders
Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, and stroke
Obesity and other eating disorders
Menstrual problems
Sexual dysfunction, such as impotence and premature ejaculation in men and loss of sexual desire in both men and women
Skin and hair problems, such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and permanent hair loss
Gastrointestinal problems, such as GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable colon
Help Is Available for Stress
Stress is a part of life. What matters most is how
you handle it. The best thing you can do to prevent stress overload and
the health consequences that come with it is to know your stress
symptoms.
If you or a loved one is feeling overwhelmed by
stress, talk to your doctor. Many symptoms of stress can also be signs
of other health problems. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and
rule out other conditions. If stress is to blame, your doctor can
recommend a therapist or counselor to help you better handle your
stress.
Stress is inevitable. It walks in and out of our lives on a regular
basis. And it can easily walk all over us unless we take action.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to minimize and cope with
stress. Here are 10 ideas for handling stress without causing more
strain and hassle.
1. Figure out where the stress is coming from.
Oftentimes, when we’re stressed, it seems like a big mess with
stressors appearing from every angle. We start to feel like we’re
playing a game of dodge ball, ducking and darting so we don’t get
smacked by a barrage of balls. We take a defensive position, and not a
good one at that.
Instead of feeling like you’re flailing day to day, identify what
you’re actually stressed about. Is it a specific project at work, an
upcoming exam, a dispute with your boss, a heap of laundry, a fight with
your family?
By getting specific and pinpointing the stressors in your life, you’re one step closer to getting organized and taking action.
2. Consider what you can control—and work on that.
While you can’t control what your boss does, what your in-laws say or
the sour state of the economy, you can control how you react, how you
accomplish work, how you spend your time and what you spend your money
on.
The worst thing for stress is trying to take control over
uncontrollable things. Because when you inevitably fail — since it’s
beyond your control — you only get more stressed out and feel helpless.
So after you’ve thought through what’s stressing you out, identify the
stressors that you can control, and determine the best ways to take
action.
Take the example of a work project. If the scope is stressing you
out, talk it over with your supervisor or break the project down into
step-wise tasks and deadlines.
Stress can be paralyzing. Doing what’s within your power moves you forward and is empowering and invigorating.
3. Do what you love.
It’s so much easier to manage pockets of stress when the rest of your
life is filled with activities you love. Even if your job is stress
central, you can find one hobby or two that enrich your world. What are
you passionate about? If you’re not sure, experiment with a variety of
activities to find something that’s especially meaningful and
fulfilling.
4. Manage your time well.
One of the biggest stressors for many people is lack of time. Their
to-do list expands, while time flies. How often have you wished for more
hours in the day or heard others lament their lack of time? But you’ve
got more time than you think, as Laura Vanderkam writes in her aptly
titled book,
We all have the same 168 hours, and yet there are plenty of people
who are dedicated parents and full-time employees and who get at least
seven hours of sleep a night and lead fulfilling lives.
5. Create a toolbox of techniques.
One stress-shrinking strategy won’t work for all your problems. For
instance, while deep breathing is helpful when you’re stuck in traffic
or hanging at home, it might not rescue you during a business meeting.
Because stress is complex, “What we need is a toolbox that’s full of techniques that we can fit and choose for the stressor in the present moment,”
6. Pick off the negotiables from your plate.
Review your daily and weekly activities to see what you can pick off
your plate. As Vanderkam asks in her book: “Do your kids really love
their extracurricular activities, or are they doing them to please you?
Are you volunteering for too many causes, and so stealing time from the
ones where you could make the most impact? Does your whole department
really need to meet once per week or have that daily conference call?”
Blonna suggested asking these questions: “Do [my activities] mesh
with my goals and values? Am I doing things that give my life meaning?
Am I doing the right amount of things?”
Reducing your stack of negotiable tasks can greatly reduce your stress.
7. Are you leaving yourself extra vulnerable to stress?
Whether you perceive something as a stressor depends in part on your
current state of mind and body. That is, as Blonna said, ““Each
transaction we’re involved in takes place in a very specific context
that’s affected by our health, sleep, psychoactive substances, whether we’ve had breakfast [that day] and [whether we’re] physically fit.”
So if you’re not getting sufficient sleep or physical activity during
the week, you may be leaving yourself extra susceptible to stress. When
you’re sleep-deprived, sedentary and filled to the brim with coffee,
even the smallest stressors can have a huge impact.
8. Preserve good boundaries.
If you’re a people-pleaser like me, saying no feels like you’re
abandoning someone, have become a terrible person or are throwing all
civility out the window. But of course that couldn’t be further from the
truth. Plus, those few seconds of discomfort are well worth avoiding
the stress of taking on an extra activity or doing something that
doesn’t contribute value to your life.
One thing I’ve noticed about productive, happy people is that they’re
very protective of their time and having their boundaries crossed. But
not to worry: Building boundaries is a skill you can learn.
9. Realize there’s a difference between worrying and caring.
Sometimes, our mindset can boost stress, so a small issue mushrooms
into a pile of problems. We continue worrying, somehow thinking that
this is a productive — or at least inevitable — response to stress. But
we mistake worry for action.
Clinical psychologist Chad LeJeune, Ph.D, talks about the idea of worrying versus caring in his book,
“Worrying is an attempt to exert control over the future by thinking
about it,” whereas caring is taking action. “When we are caring for
someone or something, we do the things that support or advance the best
interests of the person or thing that we care about.”
LeJeune uses the simple example of houseplants. He writes: “If you
are away from home for a week, you can worry about your houseplants
every single day and still return home to find them brown and wilted.
Worrying is not watering.”
Similarly, fretting about your finances does nothing but get you
worked up (and likely prevent you from taking action). Caring about your
finances, however, means creating a budget, paying bills on time, using
coupons and reducing how often you dine out.
Just this small shift in mindset from worrying to caring can help you
adjust your reaction to stress. To see this distinction between
worrying and caring, LeJeune includes an activity where readers list
responses for each one. For example:
Worrying about your health involves…
Caring about your health involves…
Worrying about your career involves…
Caring about your career involves…
10. Embrace mistakes—or at least don’t drown in perfectionism.
Another mindset that can exacerbate stress is perfectionism. Trying
to be mistake-free and essentially spending your days walking on
eggshells is exhausting and anxiety-provoking. Talk about putting
pressure on yourself! And as we all know but tend to forget:
Perfectionism is impossible and not human, anyway.
Nothing good can come from perfectionism. Brown writes: “Research
shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path
to depression, anxiety, addiction and life-paralysis [‘all the
opportunities we miss because we’re too afraid to put anything out in
the world that could be imperfect’].”
Kwok Law made sure he flossed and brushed his teeth regularly after being fitted with implants
When 34-year-old Kwok Law fell off his skateboard while hurtling down a hill, he could feel his front teeth breaking as his face hit the road.
He was patched up at A&E before being referred to a dentist at King's College Hospital, who recommended dental implants.
"I hadn't heard of them. I thought I'd end up wearing dentures for the rest of my life to replace the three front teeth I'd lost."
Instead, he had two screws drilled through his gum and into the jaw bone and, several months later, three replacement porcelain teeth were attached to them.
Two years on and Kwok is very happy with his new look and confident smile. "They get better as time goes on. I can eat everything I want. They're fantastic and really sturdy."
But dental experts are warning that if implants are not looked after carefully, the story may not have such a happy ending.
Around 10,000 implant procedures are performed in the lower jaw each year in the UK, the majority in people over 65. Most procedures are carried out privately and can be expensive, costing around £1,000 per tooth.
Although implants are a growing industry, they are still far from being commonplace.
Dr Aws Alani, consultant in restorative dentistry at King's College Hospital, says implants have been a very successful innovation over the last 30 years. But he says patients are often not aware how to maintain them - and that can cause problems.
Experts are noticing more cases of peri-implantitis in patients with implants He is seeing more cases of peri-implantitis, a bacterial infection around the implant that results in inflammation of the gums and, in the worst cases, can lead to bone loss in the jaw itself.
"There is an attitude that implants are indestructible, but that's not the reality. "The majority of cases are successful as long as patients are told how to care for their new teeth. "Most importantly, we want them to quit smoking and improve their oral hygiene," Dr Alani says. And, he adds, patients should go for regular check-ups.
Those at high risk of developing gum disease are those who don't clean their teeth regularly, smokers and patients who already have gum disease.
If an infection is allowed to take hold around an implant inserted in the gum, the jaw bone around the implant can also become affected and begin to waste away.
Over time, this can reduce support for the implant.
What is a dental implant?
It is inserted through the gum and into the jaw bone to support replacement teeth. Implants are a substitute for a natural tooth root. They are made of titanium and are normally screw or cylinder-shaped.
Once in place, and after the gum has healed, an internal screw or post is placed into the implant. This allows false teeth, crowns and dentures to be fitted.
Draegon Ismael, 40, originally from Tennessee, knows how it feels to have peri-implantitis. He had implants inserted in 2007 in the US, several years after a serious car accident knocked out a number of his upper and lower teeth.
Now living in London, he has serious problems with his implants which he puts down to the fact that too many of his own teeth were removed at the time.
He also admits to not paying enough attention to the cleanliness of his teeth.
"They didn't tell me the best way to take care of them. I didn't know I had to go for cleanings. "I thought implants were going to be a fix-all but they filed down too much bone and now the implants are starting to show through.
"Sooner or later they are going to fall out."
He regularly gets painful infections in his gums and he says his teeth have begun to separate. Draegon was seen at King's College Hospital because of the acute nature of his problem, but his long-term treatment will need to be managed by a private dentist.
This is true for any patient who has had implants fitted abroad. His options are limited because of the amount of jaw bone he has lost and this has left him feeling very stressed.
"I am a positive person, but at the moment, I wish I'd never gone ahead with the treatment," he says.
"People need to do a lot more research about them, and understand the risks. That includes knowing that, however good implants are, they are likely to fail at some point."
The message, according to Philip Friel, from the Association of Dental Implantology, is very simple.
Kwok says he was given strict instructions on how to look after his dental implants Implants are no different from natural teeth and roots. They must be kept clean and maintained regularly.
"If you see any inflammation of the gums or any deterioration of the implant, then tell your dentist.
"It can be resolved, but if it isn't identified, it can progress and lead to bone loss - and that's permanent."
Kwok Law knows exactly what he needs to do to make sure his implants last a long time.
He was told to brush his teeth at least twice a day, floss regularly and use mouthwash - something he has adhered to.
"When brushing, you're only cleaning the surface of the teeth, but the problems come around the gums." "Gum disease is the worst thing that could happen for me now."
A boom in cheap package holidays in the 1960s is partly behind the "worrying rise" in skin cancers in pensioners, Cancer Research UK suggests.
The charity says that although all ages are at risk, many older people would not have been aware of how to protect themselves four decades ago.
Figures show that 5,700 over-65s are diagnosed with the condition each year, compared to just 600 in the mid-1970s.
The condition can often be prevented by covering up and avoiding sunburn.
Around 13,300 people are diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the most serious form of skin cancer - each year in the UK. And 2,100 lives are lost to the disease annually.
Numbers are increasing across all age groups but the steepest rise is seen in over-65s. The charity said all ages are benefitting from public health messages explaining the dangers of holiday sun.
Sue Deans, a 69-year old mother of three, was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2000 and again in 2007. She said: "I was part of the generation when package holidays became affordable and you could go abroad nearly every year.
"I don't think there was much understanding at the time about the impact that too much sun can have on your risk of getting skin cancer. "And I loved the sun but suffered quite a bit of sunburn over the years." She spotted signs of her cancer early on and has had successful surgery, but remains vigilant for anything that might need further checks.
Professor Richard Marais of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), said: "It is worrying to see melanoma rates increasing at such a fast pace, and across all age groups.
"It is important people keep an eye on their skin and seek medical opinion if they see any changes to their moles or even to normal areas of skin. "Melanoma is often detected on men's backs and women's legs but can appear on any part of the body."
Research suggests that getting sunburnt just once every two years can increase the odds of developing malignant melanoma.
Dr Julie Sharp, head of health information at CRUK, said: "You can burn at home just as easily as you can on holiday, so remember to spend time in the shade, wear a T-shirt and a hat to protect your skin and regularly apply sunscreen that is at least factor 15 and has four stars."
Johnathon Major, from the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "The increasing incidence of skin cancer within the UK is alarming.
"As people are living longer, more people are reaching an age where they are at a higher risk. "Interest in package holidays and in fashion tanning are among the reasons that more people are developing skin cancer.
"But it's crucial to remember that you don't have to go on holiday or use a sun bed to heighten your risk. Skin cancers can develop as a result of both short-term and long-term overexposure to the sun's rays within the UK."
The world's first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa.
The 21-year-old recipient, whose identify is being protected, lost his penis in a botched circumcision.
Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy.
The team said there was extensive discussion about whether the operation, which is not life-saving in the same way as a heart transplant, was ethical.
There have been attempts before, including one in China. Accounts suggested the operation went fine, but the penis was later rejected.
Penis replacement The man was 18 and already sexually active when he had the circumcision.
The procedure is part of the transition from boyhood to adulthood in parts of South Africa.
These boys are undergoing a circumcision ceremony in South Africa
The boy was left with just 1cm of his original penis.
Doctors say South Africa has some of the greatest need for penis transplants anywhere in the world. Dozens, although some say hundreds, of boys are maimed or die each year during traditional initiation ceremonies. Long Surgeons at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital performed a nine-hour operation to attach a donated penis.
One of the surgeons, Andre Van der Merwe, who normally performs kidney transplants, told the BBC News website: "This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5 mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1 cm."
The team used some of the techniques that had been developed to perform the first face transplants in order to connect the tiny blood vessels and nerves.
The operation took place on 11 December last year. Three months later doctors say the recovery has been rapid.
Full sensation has not returned and doctors suggest this could take two years. However, the man is able to pass urine, have an erection, orgasm and ejaculate. Preparation The procedure required a lot of preparation.
The team needed to be sure the patient was aware of the risks of a life-time of immunosuppressant drugs.
Also some patients cannot cope with a transplant if they fail to recognise it as part of their body. "Psychologically, we knew it would have a massive effect on the ego," said Dr Van der Merwe.
It took "a hell of a lot of time" to get ethical approval, he added.
One of the concerns is a heart transplant balances the risk of the operation against a certain death, but a penis transplant would not extend life span.
Dr Van der Merwe told the BBC: "You may say it doesn't save their life, but many of these young men when they have penile amputations are ostracised, stigmatised and take their own life.
"If you don't have a penis you are essentially dead, if you give a penis back you can bring them back to life." Further attempts on other patients are expected to take place in three months time.
Wander the city in 2015 and all you’ll see is people staring at screens or talking on handsets. Is it changing who we are? Tom Chatfield weighs up the arguments.
A group of people wait by a monument, unaware of each other’s existence. A woman strides open-mouthed down a busy street, holding one hand across her heart. Two young men – brothers? – stand behind a white fence, both their heads bowed at the same angle.
These are some of the moments captured in photographer Josh Pulman’s ongoing series called Somewhere Else, which documents people using mobile phones in public places (see pictures). Almost every street in every city across the world is packed with people doing this – something that didn’t exist a few decades ago. We have grown accustomed to the fact that shared physical space no longer means shared experience. Everywhere we go, we carry with us options far more enticing than the place and moment we happen to be standing within: access to friends, family, news, views, scandals, celebrity, work, leisure, information, rumour.
I’m pouring my hours not simply into a screen, but the most comprehensive network of human minds ever — So why do we feel the urge to 'detox'?
Little wonder that we are transfixed; that the faces in Pulman’s images ripple with such emotion. We are free, if “free” is the right word, to beam stimulation or distraction into our brains at any moment. Via the screens we carry – and will soon be wearing – it has never been easier to summon those we love, need, care about or rely upon.
Yet, as Pulman himself asks, “If two people are walking down the street together both on the phone to someone else, are they really together? And what is the effect on the rest of us of such public displays of emotion, whether it’s anxiety, rage or joy?” To be human is to crave connection. But can our talent betray us? Is it possible to be “overconnected” – and, if so, what does it mean for our future?
Life down a line Telephones have been both an engine of social disruption and a focus for technological anxiety ever since their invention. Imagine the scene through 19th Century eyes, when the infrastructure of the first telephone networks began to be laid out: mile upon mile of wires hung along the side of public roads, piercing every house in turn. Walls were being breached: the sanctum of the home plugged into a new species of human interaction.
The electric telegraph had already given the world something miraculous: messaging at the speed of electricity. Telephones, though, bore not the business-like dots and dashes or Morse code, but the human voice, whispering out of the ether into any willing listener’s ear. “We shall soon be nothing but transparent heaps of jelly to each other," lamented a British writer in 1897, fearing privacy’s replacement by the promiscuity of a new media age: one in which there was nowhere for the unmediated self to hide. Doom-laden warnings over new technology are nothing new, as I described recently in a programme for BBC Radio 4. Here’s a clip, pointing out why the practice goes back at least to the Ancient Greeks: Hear the full BBC Radio 4 programme: Has technology rewired our brains?
Still, while early fears about the telephone may have been exaggerated, they were also prophetic. If one great technological drive of the late 19th and 20th Centuries was to plug every place of work and leisure into networks of power, transport and communications, then the emerging story of the 21st Century is the interconnection of our own minds into a similarly networked state. We’re no longer drilling holes in the walls of our houses for telephone wires. It’s ourselves we’re plugging in; and we’re starting to feel the strain.
Always on Like its 19th Century ancestors, the mobile phone began as a status symbol for the busy and affluent: a weighty hunk of the cutting edge, to be bellowed into as publicly as possible. Over time, the luxury became universal, the symbol splintered into countless social circumstances. We began to weave constant availability into our conception of public and private space; into our body language and everyday etiquette (“I’ll get there for midday and give you a ring”). Being uncontactable has become exceptional, outlandish, a brand of luxury and distinction – or, depending on your perspective, a source of escalating anxiety in itself.
And, like history repeating itself, warnings of the ill effects of mobile communication are once again rising – a focus for angst in an age where our ambivalence about constant connection conceals the more pressing question of what, precisely, we’re connecting to.
Consider the ease with which a news story spread recently about a 31-year-old-man treated for “internet addiction disorder,” related to his excessive use of Google Glass (a technology since shelved in the name of redevelopment). In many ways, using Google Glass is like strapping a smartphone to your face. A wearable device boasting built-in camera, microphone, tiny screen and internet connectivity, it’s activated either via voice or by a gentle tap of the fingers. Doctors noted that the subject compulsively mimicked this movement, moving his right hand up to his temple and tapping his skull even when he was not wearing Glass. He had been using it for up to 18 hours a day, and at night dreamed that he was looking at the world through the device.
This is a scare story tailor-made for our times. A troubled life (the man in question had a history of mood disorder and alcohol misuse) meets a seduction too great to resist and sinks into addiction. For some readers, though, I suspect it also raises nervous questions. How often do your own hands twitch involuntarily towards your phone, or the spot where you normally keep it? How does the buzz of each arriving message make you feel – or its absence when there’s no network? How far does the prison of an addict’s life echo your own relationships with technology?
The problem is, these aren’t questions with definitive answers. Drawing a line between habit and pathology means deciding what we mean by normal, healthy and acceptable behaviour. And if technology excels at one thing, it’s at shifting old norms faster than even the nimblest neophyte can handle. I’ve spent years trying to evaluate our relationships with technology, and still find myself pulled in two different directions.
On the one hand, as the philosopher Julian Baggini once put it to me, “human beings may be
changing but in many ways we remain very much the same”. I can still read translations of ancient Roman or Greek literature and know exactly what their authors mean when they talk about anger, passion, patriotism, trust, betrayal. On the other hand, digital technologies mean my relationships with others and the world are extended and amplified beyond anything even my grandparents knew. I outsource memories, routines, habits and responsibilities to ubiquitous hardware; I gratefully automate everything from route-finding and research to recommending movies. As philosophers like Andy Clark and David J Chalmers have argued, my mind is a kind of collaboration between the brain in my head and tools like the phone in my hand: “I” am a complex system that encompasses both. And why shouldn’t I simply celebrate this ease, much as I do the freedoms that come with owning a car or a dishwasher, or wearing glasses to correct my sight?
One objection is that, even if you don’t buy into the hypothesis that my phone is effectively a handheld piece of my mind, it’s hard to ignore the mounting evidence around human cognition’s vulnerabilities. We are not only creatures of habit; we are also creatures of limited and easily exhausted conscious scrutiny. Distract or tire someone – give them a few mental arithmetic problems to solve, flash adverts at the corners of their vision – and their willpower is depleted. “Nudging” our every decision is now a science fed by billions of bits of data. And what better mechanism for tiring even the sharpest thinker than the tireless buzz of hardware in our pockets and software in its encircling cloud?
It’s this exponential impact of information technology that poses the greatest problem for everything we used to think about as normal, balanced, self-knowing and self-regulating. We live in an age of suffusion, and our pathologies are those of excess. Junk food, engineered to a tastiness we cannot stop cramming into our mouths. Junk media, junk information, junk time – attention-seeking algorithmic twitches seeking to become part of the patterns of our minds.
Time off Do we need to diet, to detox? Whether it’s physical or mental health you’re talking about, neither works for most people – or begins to address the causes of excess. What’s the point of unplugging if the only reason for doing so is to plug yourself still more eagerly back in at a later date? Better to face facts, and to begin with the extraordinary intimacy of a relationship that is only going to get closer: between the brains in our bodies and the glistening webs of automation we’re weaving between them.
After all, I’m pouring my hours and minutes not simply into a screen, but into the most comprehensive networking of human minds ever achieved, each one more powerful than the fastest computer. If I’m so often enthralled, appalled, over-engaged, distracted and delighted, it’s because there are others out there sifting and refracting this world of information right back at me. And if I’m going to change this, it’s only going to happen if I can find others with whom I can build new habits, patterns and modes of practice.
To quote my exchange with Julian Baggini once again, there’s a paradox underpinning the power of even the most intricate technological manipulations: that “the methods used to manipulate us are more sophisticated than ever, but precisely because knowledge of how to do this has grown, we are more able to defend ourselves”. For instance, I don’t need to know everything there is to know about privacy, hacking and encryption to protect myself against government snooping. If I can find expert, reliable advice on protecting myself, I can at least begin the journey towards greater control and engagement.
In this sense, machines themselves are a misleading target for anxiety. Toxic offline communities and systems abound; technology, as it has always done, facilitates interactions at each extreme of the human spectrum. It may be hard to disconnect, but we can seek better to control who we connect with and what we ask of each other.
My favourite photograph in Josh Pulman’s series “Somewhere Else”, the eighth, is unusual because the woman in it is smiling (see image, above). I have no idea why she’s smiling, but I suspect it’s in response to the voice crackling into her ear; good news, relief, a joke. Everyone else caught on their phones seems anxious, alarmed, unhappily torn between worlds. But she is glad to be elsewhere, and I assume her partner in conversation is too. The pattern is rich enough not to be a prison; two minds are delightedly spanning the earth.
A good bedside manner can help heal the body, but if doctors don’t choose their words carefully, they can also make you unwell.
Have you ever visited a doctor, and come away feeling they weren’t much help? Listen to the following audio clip, and you might start to understand why.
During a role-play for BBC World Service’s Discovery programme, presenter Geoff Watts talks to Dr Mark Porter about problems with his knees. Throughout the interview, Porter’s words subtly create a negative impression for the patient. He says he has some “bad news” and the knees are “worn out” due to osteoarthritis; the drugs “help a bit” – but they may damage the lining of the stomach, he says.
As Watts goes on to discover, those subtle cues might actually exacerbate the physical symptoms. “The problem with the way I sold it, was that it validated your concerns that your knee’s falling apart, it’s crumbling, you’re doomed,” says Porter. “And the side effects I mentioned – I put them out of all proportion.”
Experiments have shown that simply warning people about certain side-effects can actually make them more likely to experience the nausea, fatigue, headaches or diarrhoea – even when they have been assigned innocuous pills rather than an active drug.
Healing words Medicine has long known about the placebo effect – the healing power of good expectations. But the nocebo effect, as its evil twin is known, may be more powerful. “It’s easier to do harm than good,” explains Watts. “And this is worrisome, because nocebo’s negative influence can be found lurking in almost every aspect of medical life and beyond.”
The good news is that, through the same power of the mind-body connection, a good bedside manner may do wonders for treatment. One study found that depressed patients given placebo pills by an empathetic doctor ended up with better results than those taking an active drug from a psychiatrist who seemed less concerned about their welfare. Some scientists have even hypothesised that doctors could try to make use of the placebo effect to reduce the dose given to patients – by using the power of their mind to make up the difference. “Healing is a real phenomenon. We all have the ability to self-heal in many conditions and that can be activated by our interactions with other people,” says Paul Dieppe at Exeter Medical School.
Doctors should avoid over-emphasising side-effects
Simple measures might include taking an empathetic and caring attitude during diagnosis, that considers the patient’s concerns and fears, however unlikely, says Porter. And when prescribing treatments, the doctor should emphasise the positive effects of the medicine, while framing the negative side-effects so they seem less frightening, and being careful not to over-emphasise their risks.
“Every word counts, every glance counts,” says Ted Kaptchuk of Harvard University. And it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a burden for physicians or nurses. I think it’s going to be a way of making them feel a part of the treatment – that’s an awareness that’s just beginning in healthcare.”
It’s so satisfying, but is it dangerous? Greg Foot explains.
If you ‘“crack” the joints of your hand regularly, you may wonder if it’s doing any damage. Some would have it that “you’ll get arthritis” in the long-term, but is there any truth to this?
To find out, Greg Foot and the BritLab team investigated the science.
In the video above, discover why it happens, what exactly is making the noise, and why you can’t crack your knuckles twice. And as a bonus, learn what happened to the dedicated scientist who cracked the knuckles of only one of his hands once a day for more than 60 years to see if it would be harmful.
World's widest hips: The women with EIGHT FOOT waists who 'couldn't be happier'
Curvaceous Mikel Ruffinelli, who currently holds the world record, is forced to side-shuffle around her house to avoid getting stuck
Four women have been crowned winners of the world's widest hips - with a combined circumference of a whopping 27ft. Voluptuous ladies Mikel, Denise, Marlena and Claudia, say they couldn’t be happier with their sizeable saddlebags, despite their daily struggles to get about. Curvesome Mikel Ruffinelli, 42, who currently holds the world record for the biggest hips, measures in at a well-rounded eight foot.
Prooud: Marlena Plummer pole dancing at the Shimmy Shimmy Dance Studio in Long Island, New York The mum-of-four, from Los Angeles, loves her womanly shape and husband Reggie worships her statuesque form. Proud Mikel said: “I’m extreme, I have an extreme physique. I love my curves, I love my hips and I love my assets.”
Bigger is better: 'Sweet Cheeks' wearing a balloon bikini in Las Vegas, Nevada But with the visual perks come the physical drawbacks and Mikel is forced to side-shuffle around her house to avoid getting stuck in corridors and even struggles to fit in the shower.
World's biggest hips: Mikel Ruffinelli, 39, who holds the world record, has curves measuring eight feet She is forced to drive a wide truck which she accesses using a step ladder as she doesn’t fit into a standard size car. Grandmother Denise Souder, or ‘Sweet Cheeks’ as she is known, is a 56-year-old Las Vegas stripper whose record-breaking hips measure just over 6ft (74 inches) – twice the size of the average woman.
Flaunting their curves: Marlena Plummer showing off her big hips in Ronkonkoma Lake, Long Island, New York Sassy Denise sells scantily clad clips of her hips online and even ropes her ‘weight gainer’ daughter Rachel, 23, in for the saucy shows. She said: “God gave it to me, why not love it and use it?
Voluptuous: 'Sweet Cheeks' measuring her hips in Las Vegas, Nevada “I do like to get up and walk from my seat to the bathroom and just kind of take a glance at who’s looking.” Denise’s partner Steve is a self-confessed 'chubby chaser' who admits that his lover would become significantly less attractive to him if she lost her hips.
Curvaceous: 'Sweet Cheeks' and Lil' Cheeks posing for a fetish video in Las Vegas The pair met when Steve posted an ad in the local paper looking for a woman over 21 stone and the pair went on to marry. But twelve years ago Steve left Denise for a bigger woman.
Record-breaking curves: Claudia Floraunce on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California Steve broke up with his new love when she decided to have weight loss surgery, and a year ago, he rekindled his relationship with Denise. And whilst Steve is happy to fatten up Denise further, he admits her suffering health makes him feel guilty.
Winners: Watch World's Biggest Hips on Wednesday February 18th, 9pm, Channel 5 Denise suffers from arthritis in her hips and knees, which affects her mobility and can be painful. Steve said: “I want her to be as fat as she can be but not be unhealthily fat and there’s a fine line there. “As you get older it can become more problematic so there’s part of me that feels guilty that I like it so much. “It’s something that as she gets older I struggle with because I feel bad about it but I also like it.
Together: Mikel Ruffinelli from Los Angeles, California, with her family “I feel conflicted sometimes especially if she’s in a lot of pain or having a particularly hard day.” Marlena Plummer, 35, is a hip-heavy singleton from New York whose hips span an impressive 7ft (83 inches). But far from letting her hefty hips hold her back, active Marlena partakes in swimming and even pole dancing in her spare time and now she is on the lookout for love. She said: “I believe there’s somebody out there who’s going to love me for me. “I always had hips even as an infant. I have a small appetite and it’s a mystery why my hips are the way they are but I love my hips, I love my shape and I love me.”
Daily struggles: Mikel Ruffinelli, 39, is forced to side-shuffle around her house Aspiring actress and plus size model Claudia Floraunce, 40, moved to Hollywood from Austria with dreams of making it big. She believes her 64inch hips hold the key to potential stardom and has amassed a legion of fans on YouTube where she posts videos about her love handles. Claudia said: “I find my hips very sexy, in fact I find my whole body very sexy. “I think people like looking at me because I’m a very unique size. I’m very large but I carry myself with a lot of confidence. “I get a minimum 27 marriage proposals every day. To have curves is in and I’m in – finally.”
Breast Cancer Is No Longer the Top Cancer Killer of Women
Here's another reason to put down that cigarette: Lung cancer now kills more women every year than any other type of cancer, according to new research. And yes, that includes breast cancer.
To recognize World Cancer Day, the American Cancer Society released a new report that crunched the numbers about the disease around the world. And they found that among women in developed countries, lung cancer was the deadliest for the first time ever. It killed 209,000 such women in 2012, compared to 197,000 who died from breast cancer.
Though breast cancer used to be the deadliest cancer for women, lung cancer has long been the number-one killer of men. Researchers say this new change is because women finally caught up to men when it comes to smoking. Smoking is on the decline nowadays, but lung cancer cases tend to pop up among people who caused the damage decades ago.
On a more positive note, researchers say the change also comes from better early detection of breast cancer. Detecting breast cancer early drastically reduces mortality, and saves thousands of lives every year. But keep in mind the number-one killer of women isn't cancer at all. It's heart disease, according to the CDC. To curb your chances of either condition, both the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association both recommend the same thing: Stop smoking, start exercising, and eat healthy. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but it's still advice to live by.
Here’s a radical proposal: Start your new meditation habit at work.
Have you read the latest study about meditation? Probably not, because even as you read this sentence another has likely come out. There is a steady stream of new research and news stories about the benefits of meditation and other mindful breathing practices. As they report, meditation boosts energy, helps with focus, reduces stress and anxiety, increases resilience and possibly, subtly, changes your life and your brain for the better
Of course, not everyone believes in the power of meditation, but once converted, the big hurdle is making meditation fit into your schedule. Just the thought of cramming another thing into your day is stress-inducing. Here’s a radical proposal: Start your new meditation habit at work. Yup, that work. The office. Busy, stressful, un-meditation-friendly work.
It turns out, the office is actually an ideal place to meditate specifically because of those reasons. To quote one of my favourite films, The Razor’s Edge, in which Bill Murray’s character searches for the meaning of life, “It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain.” It’s harder, but more rewarding, to be one in the office.
Not only is work likely one of the major causes of your stress, but it is also a victim of it. A stressed out, unhappy employee is not a productive one. You can counterbalance the negative and even make your office a more peaceful, creative and industrious place with the effect and influence of your meditation practice alone.
Plus, if you’re like me, it’s hard to fit in meditation or anything else in the busy hum of home, especially with a spouse and children and fewer waking hours to spend with them or on other interests. The solution for me was to practice at work: the place I’m already going five days a week and where meditation is needed most. It doesn’t need to be a big time commitment — 10 to 15 minutes each day is plenty — and even a couple of minutes can be useful. The key is to commit to doing something, otherwise it’s not effective. When I lived in San Francisco I lived a few blocks from the city’s famous Zen Center and I would wake most mornings for the pre-dawn sittings. It was formal, strictly following the Buddhist tradition, right down to which foot you used to enter the room. I loved it and miss it, but never picked it back up because it always seemed too hard to replicate on my own. So that was my challenge — to get back into practice without it being a burden or competing with other priorities.
Find a space The first person I told of my intention to start meditating at work was the office manager. “This may be an unusual request,” I emailed him, “but I could use your help. I’m looking to find a room in our office without glass, to book for 15 minutes a day, every day. The purpose is to meditate.” Professional but perhaps a bit puzzled, he walked me through a few options in our open-plan office and its meeting rooms with see-through glass walls. We settled on a seldom-used “green room” for talent when the office does studio production. It was perfect: Small, quiet, two chairs, no phone. If it’s booked, my back-ups include a meeting room with glass just on one side (passers-by see only my back) and a nearby anonymising city park. And if I’m really desperate, I always have that last refuge of privacy: the porcelain sanctuary.
Schedule some time I book 30 minutes every day though I never use the whole time. Sometimes I’m a little late; I always finish early. Sometimes I need to reschedule for later in the day. But if I can make it, I do. Whatever I’m working on can wait another 10 to 15 minutes without dire consequences. Unless you’re an emergency room doctor or caring for young children, the same is probably true at your job. Even if I’m feeling stressed about something I need to get done right away, I always feel better (that is, less stressed) after I breathe. Now meditate!
Keep it simple and easy. Earlier this year, I attended a SXSW talk by Chade-Meng Tan, who teaches mindfulness techniques at Google. He recommended giving yourself a goal of “just one good breath” a day. The idea is that even doing a little bit makes a difference. If you love it, you will naturally and happily increase your practice to as many minutes as you can comfortably sustain.
Whether you have never meditated before, need a refresher or are just getting started there is no shortage of books, articles and free videos and podcasts available. So start there. Those meditators are practically giving it away! I re-booted my practice by trying out the following in the green room:
Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan. In his book on mindfulness and happiness, Meng offers meditation techniques he introduced at Google that range from basic to one (my personal favourite) that asks you to visualise yourself as a force multiplier for goodness, as if you are (my words) some kind of Buddhist superhero.
Stop, Breathe & Think.This app has a growing library of meditations. These all start the same, which is repetitive, and the narrator’s voice so soothing it threatened to put me to sleep. But guided meditations can be useful for beginners and the app tracks your progress, as if you were going to a transcendental gym.
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn. The renowned pacifist Buddhist monk has written many volumes, but this classic has a whole chapter of meditations, some as little as 10 breaths long. The narration contains others, so it’s worth reading the entire short book.
One Moment Meditation by Martin Boroson. This guide starts with the premise that all you need is one minute. Short chapters help you optimise that minute and learn to take it with you wherever you go. And when you get good at that, it reduces that power minute to a power moment.
Changes in air pressure and humidity on an aircraft do not have a harmful effect on pregnancy, the RCOG says
The safest time to fly during pregnancy is before 37 weeks or, if carrying twins, before 32 weeks, new advice says.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says flying is not harmful during a low-risk pregnancy, but there may be side-effects. If more than 28 weeks pregnant, a woman should take her medical notes and a GP's letter. Many airlines have their own rules on when pregnant women can fly.
It is important to discuss any health issues or pregnancy complications with your midwife or doctor before you fly”
Philippa Marsden RCOG chair
Although everyone who flies is exposed to a slight increase in radiation, there is no evidence that flying causes miscarriage, early labour or a woman's waters to break.
Not harmful The changes in air pressure and the decrease in humidity on an aircraft have not been shown to have a harmful effect on pregnancy either.
If the pregnancy is straightforward, flying is not harmful to the woman or her baby, the RCOG leaflet says. Previously, the advice for women with multiple pregnancies was that the safest time to fly was before 34 weeks, but this has been changed to 32 weeks to tie in with International Air Transport Association (IATA) recommendations.
After 37 weeks, a woman may go into labour at any time. The leaflet gives advice on the side-effects of flying when pregnant.
These include swelling of the legs due to a build-up of fluid, nose and ear problems caused by changes in air pressure and motion sickness making any pregnancy nausea a little bit worse.
Having regular drinks of water can help prevent against deep vein thrombosis
Long-haul flights of four hours or more can increase the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), when a blood clot forms in the leg or pelvis, and pregnancy increases this risk even more.
The leaflet recommends that women wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes, take regular walks around the plane and do exercises in their seat every 30 minutes.
Cutting down on drinks containing alcohol or caffeine and wearing elastic compression stockings can also help. No-fly zone In some circumstances, however, it is better to take the decision not to fly when pregnant. For example, if a woman has an increased risk of going into labour before her due date, has severe anaemia, sickle cell disease, has recently had significant vaginal bleeding or has a serious heart or lung condition. Philippa Marsden, chairwoman of the RCOG's patient information committee, said the information was relevant for pregnant women travelling both short and long-haul.
"To help decide whether or not to fly, women should think about how many weeks pregnant they will be, what facilities are available at their destination and whether it will increase their risk of medical problems. "It is important to discuss any health issues or pregnancy complications with your midwife or doctor before you fly."
Cath Broderick, chairwoman of the RCOG women's network, said the guidance offered sensible recommendations.
"There is new advice around what to take on board the flight such as your pregnancy notes, documents confirming your due dates, a European Health Insurance card and any medication you are taking."
