Exercise for Life

Ever wonder how it is possible for that one person in your yoga class to do a perfect headstand? Or have you been curious about what your joints and muscles look like when you do a backstroke in the pool? The body is capable of some amazing agility during exercise, and the anatomical behavior in the midst of an active lifestyle is just one reason to look into the benefits of staying in shape.

Stock Images and Stock Videos of Sports Anatomy

Exercise is one of the best and simplest ways to improve your health and well-being. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and avoiding obesity can also mean reducing the risk of many common health conditions such as hypertension, heart attack, and diabetes.

Cardio is great for shedding pounds as well as boosting the health of your heart and lungs. When taking on some endurance training, your metabolism speeds up and more oxygen is able to be distributed throughout your body. This makes the heart stronger and able to distribute blood more efficiently. Blood flow thus increases, circulation benefits, and blood pressure lowers.

Lifting weights can strengthen your muscles making you more resilient to injury and disability, especially in old age. The stress that weightlifting puts on muscles creates little tears in the muscle tissue. If you use the right weightlifting methods, this is actually a healthy reaction as it forces cells to move in and help repair and re-build the tissue. These extra cells help the muscle fibers grow in number (a process called hypertrophy) therefore making the muscle bigger and stronger.

Exercise also fine-tunes mental fitness in addition to physical fitness. Multiple studies indicate that regular exercise can decrease stress, anxiety and even depression. It allows for a more regular sleep-wake cycle, and releases hormones (such as endorphins) that effect your mood in a positive way.

Put simply, the benefits of exercise are undeniable. Whether you’re a routine couch-crasher or a veteran gym-goer, get out and stay active. It’s never too late to start.

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• medlineplus.gov

• mayoclinic.org

• adaa.org

Good Ole' Summer Time Fun

Many things have changed over the past decades, but we still look forward to the joys of summer and long, warm days of fun and relaxation.

By the seaside, we still swim, build sandcastles, collect seashells, run in the sand, and sunbathe. In the woods, we enjoy a relaxing canoe paddle, a family picnic, watching butterflies, or a hike while soaking in the beauty of nature. Closer to home we do backyard cookouts, golf, ride a bike, swing on a swing, eat watermelon, play baseball or just fly a kite.

Retro Stock Images of People Enjoying Summer

With longer days and warm sunshine, we don't even mind outdoor chores such as mowing the lawn.

Being outdoors longer has added health benefits. More and more studies show that spending time outside gives us an emotional boost. Summer improves our capacity for happiness and well-being.

 

 

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bbc.com

David Scharf Scanning Electron Microscopy

In 1965, the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company made available the first commercial scanning electron microscope (SEM). Less than a decade later, David Scharf combined his SEM skills with his love of photography to develop new groundbreaking methods to capture images that few have ever seen before.

One of his major contributions was to advance a technique of photographing living plants and animals at a time when the standard practice was to kill them beforehand. Years later, Scharf would develop his own patented method of colorizing these images using his SEM Multi-Detector Synthesizer.

David Scharf Stock SEM Images

Scharf is known throughout the photographic world for his unique micrographs of living creatures, plants and microtechnology.  

Through his creative genius, we can observe spectacles of the microscopic world such as a closeup of a tick's mouth, monstrous marine worms, the multiple eyes of a spider or the common dust mite in your home.

Under his microscope, allergy-causing pollen takes on an eerie beauty. See the mystery of geranium flower pistils and the bumpy surface of a marijuana plant.

Scharf's microscopy also reveals the intimate details of the human body. Look at embryonic stem cells, dendritic cells, white and red blood cells and multiple varieties of bacteria in vivid detail.

David Scharf Website

On the pop culture side, one of Scharf's micrographs was the first SEM to appear in a major motion picture, Blade Runner. In 2001, Scharf was awarded an Emmy for his leading-edge technique of generating HDTV footage using scanning electron microscopy for a National Geographic documentary.

David Scharf in "MIcroscopy and Analysis"

David Scharf in "Microscopy Today"

The Great Barrier Reef In Peril

Half of the Great Barrier Reef has died since 2016 and scientists say it's a direct result of climate change.

Coral lives in a symbiotic relationship with algae. Algae converts energy from the sun into food that feeds and nourishes the coral. When water temperatures rise the algae vacates, causing the coral to 'bleach' and eventually die. The results can be devastating. The bleaching spreads across miles of reef, transforming once spectacular ecosystems into barren wastelands.

See Stock Images of the Coral Reef

"People often ask me, will we have a Great Barrier Reef in 50 years or 100 years?" says Terry Hughes, the director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. "And my answer is, yes, I certainly hope so – but it's completely contingent on the near-future trajectory of greenhouse-gas emissions."

Marine Phone Case

The Paris climate agreement of 2015 set a goal to prevent the globe from warming by two degrees Celsius. Since the Industrial Revolution the global average temperature has risen one degree, causing most of the world's reefs to bleach three to four times since the 1990s.

Marine Life Phone Cases, Masks, Mugs and More

The world is currently not on track to reach the Paris agreement's goals, and the United States' recent withdrawal from the agreement marks an enormous setback.

If we're unable to stop rising sea temperatures, many of our coral reefs will be destroyed for centuries to come.

Hope lies ahead with organizations such as the Coral Reef Alliance devoted to the health and preservation of reefs. Find out how you can help below.

 

Help Save The Great Barrier Reef Today

AI – The Mind of the Future

AI, technological leap or existential threat?

From robotic telephone calls to self-driving cars, everywhere you look Artificial Intelligence is entering into our lives.

While it might unnerve some, much of this technology falls under the category of weak or narrow AI, meaning it's designed to learn and perform a single task. Specialists are more concerned with strong AI that can adapt to different situations, acquiring new skills and knowledge.

Last October, Google released a unit called Alpha Go Zero, which was able to learn the Chinese video game Go without human aid or programming. It did this simply by playing the game multiple times against itself.

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The full potential of strong AI is still unknown, making it a cause for concern for many. In a recent interview, the preeminent scientist and entrepreneur Elon Musk said:

“We have to figure out some way to ensure that the advent of digital super intelligence is one which is symbiotic with humanity…mark my words: AI is far more dangerous than nukes.”

Other scientists are less pessimistic, seeing AI as a step forward for technology and the world.

What do you think? Inspire your vision of the future with the image gallery below.

AI Stock Image Gallery

• msnbc.com

• nature.com

Mimicry in Nature

Is it a twig or an insect? A harmless moth or a scary owl? Animals have amazing tricks up their sleeves to protect themselves, take advantage of looking like another creature, or look like their environment.

Mimicry and camouflage are two separate survival tactics.

An example of mimicry is an animal appearing to be a different animal, usually a larger and stronger one, to scare off predators. The pattern on the wings of an Owl Moth (photo above) resembles the eyes and face of an owl.

Stock Images of Mimicry in Nature

The King Snake, which is non-poisonous, has a scale pattern like that of the Coral Snake, a type of venomous snake. It tricks predators into thinking they have encountered its very dangerous relative.

Camouflage, where an animal resembles its surroundings to hide from predators, is a much-studied type of mimicry.

The Dead Leaf Katydid is a beautiful example. It looks just like the dead leaves it lives on. Other animals look like rocks, thorns, twigs, flowers, and even bird droppings.

Animal mimicry is found through the animal and even the plant world. One of the most amazing examples is the octopus, which can change not only its color but also its skin texture within seconds to hide in a variety of underwater environments.

Additionally, the mimicking species may smell, sound or act like the creature or object it is copying. 

Greeting Cards, Mugs, Masks, and Other Mimicry Custom Gifts

• allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com

• bbc.co.uk

• wikipedia.com

Alzheimer's Disease, a Tragic Future for Our Aging Population

An estimated 82 million people will have dementia by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. By 2050, the number of people with dementia in the U.S. will be double what it is today, and 80% of these individuals will have Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's is a noncurable condition that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. A person can have the beginnings of Alzheimer's for years without any visible symptoms. It progressively worsens over time and never improves.

Most people develop Alzheimer's after age 65, although some people may get Early-Onset Alzheimer's decades earlier. 

Stock Images & Stock Video About Alzheimer's Disease

The greatest factors in getting Alzheimer's is aging and having Alzheimer's in your family. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also increase the odds. Head injuries and not sleeping regularly contribute to a lesser degree as well.

At first, symptoms may not be very noticeable. Misplaced keys, a lost book, a missed appointment. After all, everyone forgets things on occasion. However, with those suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, memory loss and confusion become more frequent, eventually interfering with daily living. They will also exhibit bouts of unexplained anger, depression and mood swings. Usually, close family and friends are the first to notice that something is not right.

In the long run, a patient suffering from Alzheimer's will need care 24 hours a day. They will not recognize family, will forget basic vocabulary, and not know how to feed themselves or accomplish even the most basic day-to-day tasks without assistance.

The brain of an Alzheimer's patient deteriorates due to the development of a type of plaque in brain cells called beta-amyloid, as well as tangles in nerve cells called tau. 

Treatment is limited, as there are only 5 drugs available that slow the progression of memory loss but do not stop it. Sleep drugs, anti-depressants and other mood enhancing drugs are usually prescribed to deal with common symptoms.

We have no way to cure Alzheimer's, nor to restore parts of the brain that have been lost. 

Luckily, there are many new drugs in development. Researchers are working on drugs to slow the deterioration of brain cells. Some hope to develop drugs that may one day even prevent Alzheimer's altogether. 

If pharmaceutical companies are successful, there may be a much brighter future for the elderly and the world may never reach the 82 million patients currently expected to develop this terrible disease.

• alz,org

• webmd.com

Lower Back Pain? You're in Good Company

If you have lower back pain, you are in good company. According to researchers, more than 80% of all Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their life. One of the reasons it is so widespread is that this pain can be caused by many conditions, some not even related to your back.

The back is a complex framework of joints, bones, muscles, and ligaments that must coordinate to do their work. The lower back supports your upper body and provides sensation and power for the movement of hips, legs, and feet. Your back also houses and protects your spinal cord.

Stock Images & Video About Lower Back Pain

This complexity makes your back susceptible to injury and disease if not properly cared for. Muscles can be pulled, sprained, become inflamed or even torn. Bones can fracture or break. The nerves protected inside your spine may swell or get pinched. Numerous medical conditions may also contribute, such as arthritis, lumbar spinal stenosis, sciatica, osteoporosis, scoliosis or herniated discs. 

Your lower back may be perfectly healthy, but you may give yourself lower back pain through your actions. Take a fall, slouch, lift a heavy object, or carry too much weight and your back may be in pain.

Most frustrating is that lower back pain may be caused by something other than your back, called referred pain. Tumors, kidney infections, endometriosis, and fibromyalgia are likely medical culprits.

But do not fear; there are several things you can do to prevent or minimize the odds of suffering from lower back pain. Exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are at the top of the list. Don't smoke because it restricts blood flow to your spine. Practice proper posture when sitting, standing, and lifting.

If you do get lower back pain, it often clears up after a few days or weeks. To be on the safe side, always check with your doctor.

• Lower Back Pain, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment, spine-health.com

• Tips for Pain Relief, webmd.com

• Chronic Low Back Pain on the Rise, med.unc.edu

Feathered Dinosaurs

Could the giants of the Jurassic have sported feathered frills and colored plumage? Modern paleontology investigates this wild theory.

The evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs has been a fierce debate among scientists for generations. Thomas Huxley first suggested the species shared a common ancestry in 1856 when he compared the fossils of Compsognathus and the first bird, Archaeopteryx lithographica. In 1876, he created a feathered model of Compsognathus and presented it at a lecture in New York City. But the preeminent dinosaur expert, Richards Owen, rejected the theory, and it laid dormant for decades.

Stock Image Gallery

It was not until 1969 that John Ostrom revived the subject. His work drew new parallels between birds and dinosaurs, such as similarities in their necks, pelvises and wrists. Quill knobs (feather access points) under the forearms of some dinosaurs as well integumentary structures in the dorsal spines of reptiles and fish gave further support to the theory.

In 2016, the Museum of Natural History in New York showcased a new exhibit called Dinosaurs Among Us, which featured feathered dinosaurs beside their winged counterparts – birds.

Archeopteryx mug

As this new vision of dinosaurs emerges, artists and illustrators are quick to capture it in striking imagery. Explore more in the links below.

Dinosaur mugs, masks, phone cases and wall art

 

 

• news.nationalgeographic.com

• audubon.org

Biometrics: Never Need a Password Again

Imagine never having to remember a password or enter a PIN number again. Your phone, computer, bank account and even your own front door will all be able to recognize you through the use of biometrics. Your fingerprints, ears, voice, face, iris, retina, gait and even your distinct odor can already be used to identify you.

As convenient as it sounds - since you will always have your body with you - some are concerned about the potential for invasion of privacy and also the possibility of security breaches.

Stock Images About Biometrics

If a hacker steals your password, you can create a new one. But, if the computer storing your biometric data is hacked you cannot get a new ear, iris or voice. And since biometric security opens many doors, literally and figuratively, hackers may be able to gain much more than with a single password.

Privacy advocates warn this may be the beginning of Big Brother watching you, and not just online. Facial recognition software can pick an individual out of a football stadium full of people. Security cameras are already prevalent in public places, making it possible for you to be followed by the police, the government,  companies and hackers. This can happen as you walk down the street, shop, bike, or do anything where security cameras are located.

You may say, "I'm not going to hand over my biometric data to anyone." Well, the truth is you may already have done so.

Touch ID on cell phones and voice-controlled assistants such as Alexa or Echo collect your fingerprints and your voice print. Social media sites such as Facebook already use facial recognition software to label photos of you and your friends. Even your iris can now be scanned from up to 30 feet away without you being aware.

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In short, it looks like biometrics is here to stay as a method of identification and for use in security. One can only hope that those with the data do the best they can to keep your personal face, ear, eye, and other biometric information safe from hackers.  

• theatlantic.com

• engadget.com

• wired.com

• scientificamerican.com

Plastic: A Global Crisis

While plastic has given much to modern society, like inexpensive products and durable packaging, it's also had disastrous consequences.

A recent study from Georgia University found that 18 billion pounds of plastic are dropped into the ocean each year. This has resulted in massive islands of waste forming at sea that destroy aquatic life and poison the water. One such island in the Pacific now equals the size of Texas.

Stock Images of Our Polluted Oceans

The chemicals in plastic often enter into fish's stomachs, making them potentially harmful to the animals that eat them, including people. "I don’t think we should be waiting for a key finding of whether or not fish are hazardous to eat,” says biologist Richard Thompson. “We have enough evidence to act.”

Georgia University reports that only a fifth of all plastic is ever recycled. The problem lies mostly in developing nations but extends globally. Major cities often create landfills by waterways where plastic blows out onto the water and eventually out to sea.

See the Beauty at Stake with Ocean Wall Art

“Everyone is looking for a sexy answer," Ted Siegler, a resource economist, remarks. “The reality is, we need to just collect the trash."

Hope lies ahead, as countries develop more efficient systems of recycling, but in the meantime, Mother Nature is left paying the lofty price.

Find out how you can help at Earthday

• nationalgeographic.com

• earthday.org

Beauty From the Center of the Earth

"He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or woman can wear it with impunity." A Hindu warning claims this of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

The Delhi Purple sapphire is "accursed and is stained with the blood, and the dishonor of everyone who has ever owned it." It is kept in seven locked boxes which are surrounded by good luck charms.

 Stock Images of Gemstones Created by Volcanos

Gems have entranced, mystified and terrified us through the ages. You may not realize gemstones are born from magma or molten rock, originating deep inside the earth. Gemstones are mineral crystals which are cut and polished to be worn as adornments. This includes diamonds, amethysts, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, garnets, opals plus many more.

Rare and flawless stones can fetch high prices, some in the millions of dollars per carat. Currently, the most expensive gem is the Pink Star Diamond which recently sold at an auction for $71.2 million.

Magma may be as hot as 2,400 degrees fahrenheit. It rises from the mantle which is 21 miles beneath the earth's crust, and often travels through volcanic pipes. As it nears the surface it begins to cool down. If it surfaces, it's called lava and can solidify in 15 minutes. If kept trapped within the earth's crust it cools more slowly and this is where minerals, including gems, may form. Some minerals, such as emeralds, may only take a few hundred years to form, while others may take hundreds of thousands of years. A diamond takes up to 3 billion years to form.

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The exact chemical composition of the magma determines the type of mineral, plus the amount of pressure it is kept under. Diamonds are made of carbon under extreme pressure. Emeralds are a mix of beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen.

Considering how long they take to develop it is understandable that humans place such a high monetary value on gemstones. Along with the carat size, purity, rarity, color, clarity, and even the history of a stone contribute. Gemstones also hold value to geologists and gemologists who can learn about the geology of an area based on the types of gemstones found there. 

And unlike a cut flower that wilts quickly, the beauty of a gemstone may last as long as it took to be created.

 

• How Gemstones Are Formed, gemselect.com

• Gems From Igneous Rock, Geologycafe.com

• Magma, wikipedia.com

• Minerals and Gems, nationalgeographic.co

• What's Our Obsession With Gemstones?, cnn.com

Volcanic Eruptions: Kilauea and Beyond

A wall of lava flows down Hoʻokāpu Street on Hawaii's Big Island, engulfing cars and setting trees ablaze – one of many scenes of havoc following the eruption of Kilauea in May.

Deriving their name from the Roman god of fire, Vulcan, volcanoes live up to their reputation as one of nature's most fearsome phenomena. Literally openings in the earth's surface, and volcanoes exist throughout the world, including underwater. 

Stock Images & Stock Video of Kilauea and Other Volcanos

Volcanoes usually occur where tectonic plates separate but they can also arise from hot spots in the earth's crust, such as in the Hawaiian Islands and Yellowstone National Park. When pressure builds up and travels to the earth's surface, an eruption occurs that can last between one hour and hundreds of years. The Island of Stromboli's volcano has been continuously active for over 2,000 years.

In addition to lava, ash and fire, eruptions are often accompanied by earthquakes, mudslides, and acid rain, causing massive damage to the surrounding environment. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed 200 houses, 15 miles of highway and 4 billion board feet of timber.

Volcanic eruptions are not solely destructive, however. The lava they produce can clear away brush and treat the soil, making the land highly fertile for new plants and agriculture.

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• nationalgeographic.com

• bbc.com

Life on Other Planets

For centuries people have mused about life in outer space. Novelists have explored space colonies on other planets, while tabloids have made millions on UFO sightings and abductions. Despite the demand, scientists have yet to find our neighbors in the vast backyard of outer space. 

Explore Stock Images of Life on Other Planets

Physicists identify areas of space capable of sustaining life as circumstellar habitable zones (CHZ), or Goldilocks zones. For a Goldilocks zone to exist it must have temperatures that allow for liquid water. Scientists believe that about 40 percent of red dwarf stars have Goldilocks zones, making the likelihood of extraterrestrial life extremely high. There are scientists, however, who believe other requirements exist, such as geological conditions involving surface water, as well as biochemical factors.

It's possible that lifeforms could exist in areas of space uninhabitable to human beings. Tardigrades, or water bears, are known to withstand harsh physical conditions, such as high pressure levels and extreme temperatures above and below freezing. Some scientists have suggested that creatures like water bears might live in the oceans of other planets and moons and that one such ocean might lie beneath the icy shell of Jupiter's moon, Europa.

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As scientists continue their search for life on other planets, aliens remain confined to the realm of science fiction. But for how long, who can say?

• abc.net

 

Invincible Water Bears

Although they can survive unprotected in outer space, these resilient creatures are terrestrial living beings, not aliens as some have claimed. They are found on every continent on planet Earth and they love the water, yet can be found in the desert as well.

First discovered by pastor and zoologist Johann Goeze in 1773 and later named Tardigrada (Italian for "slow stepper"), these creatures still fascinate scientists today.

Stock Images & Stock Video of Tardigrades

It's unlikely that Goeze knew how amazing tardigrades (also called water bears) really are. They can withstand a high temperature of 300 degrees and a low of -458 degrees F. They have also survived outer space, radiation, and six times the pressure of the deep sea.

How do they do this? When faced with adverse conditions they can desiccate - dry up - themselves. When in this state they are referred to as 'tuns' and resemble a little ball. It is a death-like state called cryptobiosis. Water bears usually only live a few weeks or months but can be revived from a state of cryptobiosis after 30 years.

Water bears need at least a small film of water to be in their normal mobile state. They suck water from the moss and plant matter they usually live in. They prefer living in the moist sediment in the bottom of lakes but have been found in arid regions as well. As long as there is just a little water, they can thrive.

Cute Water Bear Throw Pillows

Even though human beings might not survive a catastrophe such as a supernova or asteroids, it seems that water bears will be around many millennia after we are gone.

Alina Bradford, Tardigrade Facts, livescience.com
William Herkewitz,  Secrets of the Water Bear,  popularmechanics.com
wikipedia.com

Hepatitis C and The Miracle of Modern Medicine

Only a few years ago hepatitis C was a dreaded incurable disease whose victims led long-suffering lives until they died. They often succumbed to liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and were in the need of a liver transplant. Successful drug trials were run in 2013 and today there are several drug cures on the market.

In the past, the drugs one needed to stay alive had unpleasant side effects that made daily life miserable. Now a common cure takes as little as 8 - 12 weeks and is successful in 90% - 100% of cases.

Stock Images About Hepatitis C

These new drugs are direct-acting antivirals, called DDAs. They target hepatitis C, which is spread through blood to blood contact. A number of DDAs have been approved by the FDA and a few of them fight all six genotypes of hepatitis C which simplifies treatment.

A person with hepatitis C will have few symptoms at first, but if untreated, may develop swollen legs and abdomen, internal bleeding, gallstones, enlarged spleen, type 2 diabetes, kidney failure and lung failure. They may also struggle to fight off infections with a compromised immune system.

Hepatitis Mugs to Help You Visualize

Hepatitis C is contracted through blood to blood contact. Today up to 80% of hepatitis C infections will be caused by the sharing of hypodermic needles. Before 1990, hepatitis C was mostly transferred via a blood transfusion. As of 1990, a screening test for blood went into effect.

Less common ways to contract the infection is to work around blood or needles. Doctors, nurses and laboratory workers must exercise caution. Improperly cleaned medical equipment can also cause contractions in patients such as those receiving dialysis.

Additionally, individuals with a risky sex life may also get infected. Those who get body piercings, tattoos or even a manicure or pedicure should ensure that tools are sterile.

As usual, the downside of any miracle in modern medicine is the cost. Since there are a variety of cure regimens, some may cost almost $100,000. Yet, many people are willing to pay any amount to regain their quality of life or even just to remain alive.

 

• The Latest in Hepatitis C Treatments, webmd,com

• Regine Boyle Wheeler, Can Hp C BE Cured?, webmd.com