Good News

خلاصہ: Why spending time in nature boosts brain health, according to a neuroscientistBY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you’ve ever stepped outside for a walk and returned feeling calmer, clearer, or more like yourself, you’re not imagining things. Nature has a real, measurable effect on your brain, and a growing field of research is revealing just how powerful that effect can be. Marc Berman, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Chicago and founder of the Environmental Neuroscience Lab, is at the forefront of this research. In his book Nature and the Mind, he explores how our environments, especially natural ones, can enhance memory, focus, and emotional well-being. The takeaway? Whether you’re strolling along a beach, through a forest, or just past a city tree, even small doses of nature can make a big difference for your brain. What is environmental neuroscience? Environmental neuroscience is a term Berman coined to describe the intersection of brain science and the natural world. This area of study looks at how different environments shape mental functioning and particularly how nature can help the brain recover from mental fatigue. Berman’s early academic curiosity was shaped by his grandparents’ stories of surviving the Holocaust and a deep interest in how social environments influence human behavior. His work builds on psychologist Stephen Kaplan’s “Attention Restoration Theory,” which suggests that natural environments can gently engage the brain and allow it to recharge. Why a walk in the park really works To test Kaplan’s theory, Berman and his team conducted a study with a simple premise: Could a walk in nature improve cognitive performance? Participants first completed a mentally draining task, then were asked to take a walk either through a quiet park or along a city street. When they returned and repeated the task, those who walked in nature improved their scores by about 20 percent. The group that walked in the urban setting did not show the same gains. What’s especially striking is that even participants who didn’t enjoy their nature walk (say, those walking through a bitter Chicago winter) still showed improved mental performance. How nature restores attention To understand why nature has this effect, it helps to look at the brain’s two types of attention: directed and involuntary. Directed attention is what you use to focus on tasks like work, reading, or studying. It’s mentally taxing and, like any resource, can get depleted over time. That’s why concentration tends to fade by late afternoon or after long periods of screen time. Involuntary attention, on the other hand, is automatically captured by subtle, pleasant stimuli. Think of the sound of birds, the sight of rustling trees, or the rhythm of ocean waves. These natural elements create what scientists call soft fascination, a kind of effortless engagement that gently holds your focus while allowing your directed attention to rest and recover. More than just mental clarity The benefits of nature go beyond improving attention and memory. Berman’s research has linked green spaces to a range of mental and physical health outcomes: Better mood and cognitive gains in depression: In one study, people with clinical depression experienced even greater cognitive improvements after a walk in nature than healthy participants. “We thought ruminating in nature might worsen symptoms, but we found the opposite,” Berman noted. Faster healing: Hospital patients recovering from surgery who had views of trees required less pain medication and were discharged sooner compared to those with window views of a wall. Improved academic performance: Children living near or attending schools surrounded by more greenery performed better on attention and memory tests even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. Lower crime and aggression: In Chicago public housing, residents with a modest view of trees or grass showed reduced aggression and lived in buildings with less reported crime. Even tiny changes made a noticeable difference. In Toronto, Berman’s team found that adding just one average-sized tree per city block improved self-reported health as much as moving to a neighborhood with a ten-thousand-dollar higher median income. Easy ways to add more nature to your routine Good news: You don’t need to relocate to a forest cabin to benefit from nature. Berman recommends these accessible strategies: Aim for two hours of nature per week (or about 20 minutes a day). This is the “minimum effective dose” to see cognitive and emotional benefits. Take breaks when your attention is fading. Mid-afternoon or after intense screen time are great moments for a short nature reset. Simulate nature if needed. Looking at photos of natural scenes or listening to nature sounds for just ten minutes can offer similar (though slightly reduced) effects. Redesign your environment. Add a plant to your desk, hang photos of natural landscapes, or work near a window with a view. These subtle shifts can still support your focus. Don’t wait for sunshine. Rain or snow won’t cancel out the benefits. Nature exposure is helpful in all kinds of weather. Nature is more than a luxury—it’s a necessity Berman’s work drives home a powerful point: Nature isn’t just a pleasant backdrop. It’s essential for mental, emotional, and even physical health. From sharper focus to faster healing, better mood to improved community outcomes, natural environments have the ability to quietly transform how we think, feel, and function. “A lot of people still think of nature as an amenity,” Berman says. “But it’s a necessity.”The post Why spending time in nature boosts brain health, according to a neuroscientist first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.Source: The Optimist Daily

خلاصہ: Podcast Transcript August 8, 2025— Safer streets, smarter cities: protecting women, wildlife, and well-beingEpisode Description: In this week’s episode of The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up, Arielle and Karissa explore two powerful stories that spotlight how cities are becoming safer, smarter, and more inclusive for both people and animals. Arielle shares how Amsterdam is installing tiny wooden staircases along its iconic canals to help cats and wildlife escape safely; a small fix with a big heart. Karissa highlights a growing movement in German cities where subsidized night taxi vouchers are helping women get home safely after dark. Tune in for feel-good solutions that prove cities can evolve with compassion. The Optimist Daily is a project of the World Business Academy. Donate link: https://www.optimistdaily.com/donate-to-support-the-optimist-daily/?gift=Y%20http:// Transcript: Theme music Arielle Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up. I’m Arielle. Karissa And I’m Karissa, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement. Arielle Hello, hello. We are back with another episode of our pod to share the solutions from The Optimist Daily this week. As usual, we’re just letting everyone know that you can sign up for our free daily newsletter that comes with all of the solutions that we don’t get to talk about. Karissa Yeah, exactly. And you can also follow us on social channels. We are on basically everything @optimistdaily, except on X, where we are @OdeToOptimism. So you can also get your solutions over there. Arielle We would like to send out a really big thank you to all of our Emissaries, who are people who sign up on the website optimistdaily.com to financially support us—either a one-time donation or it can be monthly or annual, whatever you like. So yeah, a great big thank you to you guys. We really appreciate your support. To our non-financial supporters, you’re also extremely important because you guys share the podcast, you send stories to friends and family members, you get our message out there, and you share our social media posts. So that’s also a huge help. Gives us a lot of visibility. Karissa Yeah, absolutely. Loving all the optimism that we’re sharing—and you guys are a part of that as well. Arielle Karissa, how are you doing? Karissa This week I am doing well. I’ve just been trying to enjoy the slower days of summer and just trying to keep optimistic and a little bit grounded in the midst of everything going on. What about you, Arielle? Arielle I’m also doing really well. I don’t have an “I’m an optimist, but…” really this week. We celebrated Pride this past weekend and I’ve just been trying to keep that positivity and optimism. The only thing that I can think of that’s kind of getting me down a bit was what I learned in my Dutch class this week—which is that vet prices are getting higher and higher. Veterinarians in the Netherlands aren’t really controlled the same way as human doctors. So there are actually a lot of de-registered or unregistered vets out there that are just practicing, and that kind of saturates the market and also makes the prices go higher. As soon as our class finished, I checked whether my vet for Tinker Bell the dog is actually in the registry—and she is, which is good. But yeah, that’s the only little thing that’s been getting under my skin this week. Karissa Yeah, that is kind of concerning. I mean, I hope maybe there’s a solution for that sometime in the future because our pet friends—as we were even talking about last week, I believe—are so important. Arielle Yeah, I guess animals have been top of mind because I have yet another animal story that I’m sharing this week. Karissa Yeah, I mean, let’s hear about it. Arielle So this one actually ties in two things that I love, which are pets and the city that I live in—Amsterdam. So you know, Karissa, how Amsterdam is famous for its canals? These gorgeous waterways that wind through the city like liquid streets. Karissa Of course. I mean, they’re so beautiful from the pictures I’ve seen—and definitely on my bucket list to come visit your wonderful city, Arielle, and see all the amazing canals. Arielle Mm-hmm. Yeah, they don’t disappoint in person either. But as pretty as they are, they’re also kind of intimidating—if you’re, say, a cat. Karissa I mean, I bet. As a cat person, I know they do not love their water. Arielle Yeah, exactly. So this week I’m talking about a solution that’s happening in the city I call home, and it’s titled Amsterdam adds tiny canal staircases to save wildlife and pets. So Amsterdam’s actually had a bit of a problem lately with animals—especially cats—falling into the canals and not being able to get out. In fact, 19 cats have already drowned just this year. Karissa No! Not the cats! That’s so heartbreaking. And that’s something I didn’t even consider could be a problem. I mean, I guess with cats… don’t they swim? Arielle Yeah, they do, but according to feline experts, even good swimmers can run into trouble. Their fur gets waterlogged fast and they tire out trying to claw their way up those steep canal walls. So it’s basically a losing battle. Karissa I guess that makes sense. OK, so what is Amsterdam doing about it then? Arielle It’s a very Dutch solution—and as the title states—they’re just tiny wooden staircases. Amsterdam just approved a plan to install hundreds of small escape steps along its canals so that animals, and potentially even some very unlucky humans, can climb out more easily. Karissa Well, I’m loving the image of tiny little staircases, because that’s really adorable—and sounds like a brilliant plan. Arielle Right. It’s based on a project from another Dutch city—Amersfoort. Back in June, they installed 300 small ladders along their canals specifically designed for animals. Totally unobtrusive, but super effective. Karissa Cool. So I’m guessing Amsterdam saw it working and decided to jump on board. Arielle Yeah, more or less. The Party for the Animals—which is a real political party in the Netherlands, by the way—proposed bringing the idea to Amsterdam. And here’s the thing: the city already had €100,000 in its budget earmarked for wildlife exit points. The money just hadn’t...

خلاصہ: New York becomes first state to mandate all-electric new buildingsBY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM New York has officially become the first state in the U.S. to require most new buildings to be constructed without fossil fuels. On July 25, the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council finalized regulations that mandate all-electric systems for most new construction, marking a major milestone in the state’s climate and public health agenda. “I’m excited that we are finally tackling, statewide, our largest source of fossil-fuel emissions,” said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, who sponsored the 2023 All-Electric Buildings Act. Buildings currently account for 31 percent of New York’s greenhouse gas emissions. What the new rules require Starting December 31, 2025, new buildings up to seven stories tall or up to 100,000 square feet for commercial and industrial projects, must be built without gas or other fossil-fuel systems. Larger buildings will need to comply starting in 2029. The code promotes the installation of heat pumps and heat-pump water heaters, which are known for their energy efficiency and long-term cost savings. While the council included exemptions for facilities like laboratories, crematoriums, and certain restaurants, experts say the exceptions won’t weaken the policy’s overall impact. “I’m relieved,” said Gallagher, noting that fossil-fuel interests had mounted a major opposition campaign. Advocacy group Rewiring America agreed, with policy director Michael Hernandez stating that the rule “sets the stage for scalable electrification.” Legal hurdles and a win for the state The policy survived a recent legal challenge. On July 23, a federal court upheld New York’s authority to implement the All-Electric Buildings Act, rejecting arguments from groups including the National Propane Gas Association and the National Association of Home Builders. The plaintiffs had cited the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the same law used to overturn a similar gas ban in Berkeley, California. The judge dismissed their arguments, calling the Berkeley ruling “not persuasive” and based on flawed interpretations of key terms like “energy use.” Still, pushback continues. An industry coalition recently petitioned the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene, but as of now, the code remains on track to take effect. Economic and environmental payoffs According to a report commissioned by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the rule may slightly increase upfront construction costs but will ultimately save money. The average household could see $5,000 in savings over 30 years, thanks to a 17 percent drop in energy use and lower utility bills. In fact, all-electric construction is often less expensive overall. A 2022 analysis by the New Buildings Institute found that building an all-electric single-family home in New York costs about $8,000 less than one with gas infrastructure. Jay Best, CEO of Green Team Long Island, said the new standard will also boost the adoption of efficient appliances in existing homes. “We’re always telling people about heat pumps… solutions that are going to save them money and make their homes more comfortable,” he said. “But people are apprehensive because it’s something they’re not used to.” Best believes the policy will normalize electric technology: “The code … sets a bar. This is the minimum that the state says is legal to build. That changes people’s view of the technology.” Better air, healthier homes Beyond emissions, the new rules are expected to significantly improve indoor air quality. By phasing out fossil-fuel appliances like gas stoves and furnaces, New York aims to reduce exposure to pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, and particulate matter. In 2017 alone, fossil-fuel use in buildings contributed to nearly 2,000 premature deaths and caused $21.7 billion in health damages across the state. Gas stoves, in particular, have been linked to elevated asthma rates in children. A 2022 study found that nearly one in five childhood asthma cases in New York could be traced to indoor gas stove pollution. “Places like the Bronx have the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. “We know this is a life-and-death situation.” Lonnie Portis of WE ACT for Environmental Justice added that the law marks a turning point. “Numerous studies … show that both air pollution and climate change disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color,” he said. “This is a significant step forward for environmental and climate justice.” A win against powerful opposition The path to this policy wasn’t easy. “Fossil-fuel companies, plus the gas utilities, plus big real estate” all fought to block the legislation, said Alex Beauchamp of Food & Water Watch. But grassroots support won out. “When New Yorkers come together … we can win even in the face of opponents with an almost-limitless budget,” Beauchamp said. “That is how we won this bill. It’s also how we are going to continue the fight to get fossil fuels out of all the existing buildings in the state.”The post New York becomes first state to mandate all-electric new buildings first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.Source: The Optimist Daily

خلاصہ: Just looking at someone sick may prime your immune system, study findsBY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM We’ve all instinctively recoiled from the person sneezing on a train or the child with a chickenpox rash at the playground. But what if your immune system is reacting too, before you ever come into physical contact with a virus? A new study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests exactly that: the sight of someone who looks infectious may be enough to trigger a subtle immune response in your body. Using virtual reality (VR), brain scans, and blood tests, scientists have uncovered a fascinating connection between perceived contagion and biological readiness. “Although surprising, our finding that immune responses can be triggered by simulated infections presented in VR is consistent with the principle of the smoke detector in biological systems,” write the authors, who emphasize just how sensitive the human body is to environmental cues. The experiment: avatars, reactions, and brain scans Researchers fitted 248 healthy participants with VR headsets and conducted five separate experiments. Participants viewed three same-sex faces with neutral expressions repeatedly approaching them in VR. Then, the groups were shown the same avatars, some now displaying signs of viral illness like facial rashes. In certain trials, other participants viewed the faces with fearful expressions instead. To assess behavioral and physiological reactions, participants completed a series of tests. In one, they pressed a button as quickly as possible after a mild touch to the face while an avatar approached. When the avatars showed signs of infection, participants responded faster even when the avatars appeared farther away. This suggests an increased state of alertness or perceived threat. EEG results confirmed that the brain’s peripersonal space system, which governs the area immediately surrounding our bodies, lit up differently when participants saw sick-looking avatars compared to neutral or fearful ones. The changes weren’t just in the brain. Functional MRI scans revealed increased communication between the brain’s threat-detection network and the hypothalamus, which regulates many core body functions, including aspects of immune response. Immune system shifts in the blood Most remarkably, the team identified measurable changes in participants’ blood after exposure to the avatars. They found increased activity in a family of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are known to be early responders in the immune system. “, we saw mainly that there is an activation of an immune cell family called the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that early responders in immunity to basically alarm other immune cells,” explained Professor Camilla Jandus of the University of Geneva, a co-author of the study. Interestingly, similar patterns of ILC activation were seen in individuals who had received an influenza vaccine, suggesting that this kind of immune priming may mirror early-stage responses seen after actual exposure. What it all means Experts not involved in the study offered both praise and caution. Dr. Esther Diekhof of the University of Hamburg said the findings align with other research into preemptive immune responses. “The study provides yet another good example for the existence of a mechanism that responds to potential contagion threats even before the immune system has come into contact with pathogens,” she noted. However, Professor Benedict Seddon of University College London emphasized that more questions remain. Notably, whether this early immune activation actually improves the body’s ability to fend off an infection is still unclear. “When we get infected, by Sars-CoV for instance, it can take a day or two for the infection to establish and for the immune system to become aware of it and respond,” he said. “ a long time after the initial encounter that stimulated this short-lived mobilisation.” A deeper look at the brain-body connection This research underscores how the immune system and the brain communicate in complex and subtle ways. The idea that we might begin mounting a biological defense just by seeing signs of illness in others reveals how deeply attuned we are to our environment. It also opens new questions for science: Could these findings inform how we design spaces during flu season? Could we better understand social behavior around disease? While the practical applications are still emerging, one thing is clear: your brain and immune system are working together long before you reach for the hand sanitizer. Source study: Nature Neuroscience— Neural anticipation of virtual infection triggers an immune responseThe post Just looking at someone sick may prime your immune system, study finds first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.Source: The Optimist Daily

خلاصہ: Drones reveal record-breaking turtle nesting site in the AmazonBY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the heart of the Amazon Basin, along the Guaporé River where Brazil meets Bolivia, a remarkable discovery has been made. Scientists identified the largest known nesting site of the endangered giant South American river turtle, with more than 41,000 individuals recorded thanks to a cutting-edge drone study. Conducted by researchers from the University of Florida and the Wildlife Conservation Society, the study combined drone imagery with advanced statistical modeling to achieve a milestone in wildlife monitoring. Published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the research not only sets a record for turtle nesting but also introduces a more efficient, non-invasive method of counting animals in the wild. “We describe a novel way to more efficiently monitor animal populations,” says lead author Ismael Brack. “And although the method is used to count turtles, it could also be applied to other species.” Meet the Arrau: social, sizable, and at risk The stars of this story are giant South American river turtles, also known as Arrau turtles (Podocnemis expansa). These gentle giants are among the world’s largest freshwater turtles, growing up to 90 centimeters long and weighing as much as 80 kilograms. They range in color from olive green to dark gray and are famous for their collective nesting behavior. Each year during the dry season, which typically spans July and August, female turtles gather by the thousands on sandy riverbanks to lay their eggs. It’s a spectacular sight, but one under threat. Despite legal protections, Arrau turtles face ongoing dangers from poaching and habitat degradation. Understanding whether their populations are stable, declining, or recovering is crucial. But accurately counting turtles has always been a tricky task. A smarter way to count wildlife Traditional ground surveys can be invasive and inconsistent, and even drone imagery has its challenges. Animals move. Observers miss things. Double counts happen. These discrepancies can skew data and complicate conservation efforts. To improve accuracy, Brack and his team designed an innovative survey system. Over 12 days, drones flew four times daily over a nesting site along the Guaporé River. The team marked 1,187 turtles with white paint and tracked their activity through 1,500 high-resolution images captured per flight. These images were stitched into detailed orthomosaics, allowing researchers to note which turtles were nesting, moving, or resting. Using probability models, the team reconciled the differences between traditional counts and raw drone images. While ground surveys counted around 16,000 turtles and unadjusted drone footage suggested nearly 79,000, the new method produced what scientists believe is the most accurate estimate: just over 41,000 turtles. “These numbers vary greatly, and that’s a problem for conservationists,” Brack explains. “If scientists are unable to establish an accurate count… how will they know if the population is in decline or whether efforts to protect it are successful?” Why it matters for the Amazon The Arrau turtle is not just a biological curiosity. It plays a vital role in the Amazonian ecosystem. These turtles act as seed dispersers and are a key food source for predators. Their nesting grounds support biodiversity and help maintain ecological balance along river systems. Accurate population data enables more targeted conservation, from protecting crucial nesting beaches to allocating resources where they are needed most. And this drone-driven method could benefit more than turtles. The researchers believe it could be adapted for use with other species like seals, mountain goats, or elk; basically anytime movement or visibility makes population counts difficult. Looking ahead, the team hopes to apply their refined methodology across other parts of the Amazon, including Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. “By combining information from multiple surveys, we can detect population trends,” Brack notes. “And the Wildlife Conservation Society will know where to invest in conservation actions.” Awe in the data This study captures more than numbers; it captures the awe of nature’s scale and resilience. To witness tens of thousands of endangered turtles congregating in a single place is to be reminded of what’s still thriving, even as threats loom. Thanks to drones, algorithms, and the passion of conservation scientists, we now have a clearer picture of one of the Amazon’s most extraordinary phenomena. And perhaps, a clearer path forward in protecting it. Source study: Journal of Applied Ecology— Estimating abundance of aggregated populations with drones while accounting for multiple sources of errors: A case study on the mass nesting of Giant South American River TurtlesThe post Drones reveal record-breaking turtle nesting site in the Amazon first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.Source: The Optimist Daily