Quote of the Day: “Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” – Edwin Markham
Photo by: Meiying Ng
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
Happy 52nd Birthday to Oscar De La Hoya, nicknamed the “Golden Boy of Boxing,” and winner of many world titles at lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight. De La Hoya had won 17 title bouts, either for claiming belts or retaining them, before he tasted the first defeat of his career, a reign of dominance that stretched from 1994 to 1999. READ more about the “Golden Boy’s” career… (1972)
A 13th-century fresco rediscovered in Ferrara, Italy, provides unique evidence of medieval churches using Islamic tents to conceal their high altars.
The 700-year-old fresco is thought to be the only surviving image of its kind, offering precious evidence of a little-known Christian practice.
The partially visible fresco, identified by Cambridge historian Dr. Federica Gigante, almost certainly depicts a real tent, now lost, which the artist may have seen in the same church.
The brightly colored original tent, covered in jewels, could have been a diplomatic gift from a Muslim leader or a trophy seized from the battlefield.
Gigante’s research, published in The Burlington Magazine, also suggests that a high-profile figure such as Pope Innocent IV—who gifted several precious textiles to the Benedictine convent church of S. Antonio in Polesine, Ferrara, where the fresco was painted—may have given such a tent.
“At first, it seemed unbelievable and just too exciting that this could be an Islamic tent,” said Dr. Gigante.
“I quickly dismissed the idea and only went back to it years later with more experience and a braver attitude to research. We probably won’t find another such surviving image. I haven’t stopped looking but my guess is that it is fairly unique.”
The fresco provides crucial evidence of a medieval church using Islamic tents in key Christian practices, including mass, the study suggests.
“Islamic textiles were associated with the Holy Land from where pilgrims and crusaders brought back the most precious such Islamic textiles,” Gigante said.
“They thought there existed artistic continuity from the time of Christ so their use in a Christian context was more than justified. Christians in medieval Europe admired Islamic art without fully realizing it.”
While it is well known that Islamic textiles were present in late medieval European churches, surviving fragments are usually found wrapped around relics or in the burials of important people.
Depictions of Islamic textiles survive, in traces, on some church walls in Italy as well as in Italian paintings of the late medieval period. But images of Islamic tents from the Western Islamic world, such as Spain, are extremely rare and this might be the only detailed, full-size depiction to be identified.
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The fresco was painted between the late 13th and early 14th centuries to represent a canopy placed over the high altar. The artist transformed the apse into a tent comprising a blue and golden drapery wrapped around the three walls and topped by a double-tier bejeweled conical canopy of the type found throughout the Islamic world.
“The artist put a lot of effort into making the textile appear life-like,” Gigante said.
The background was a blue sky covered in stars and birds, giving the impression of a tent erected out in the open.
In the early 15th century, the fresco was partly painted over with scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. This later fresco has captured the attention of art historians who have overlooked the sections of older fresco.
Gigante identified the depiction of Islamic textiles when she visited the church ten years ago but it took further research to prove that the fresco represents an Islamic tent.
Gigante argues that the fresco depicts an Islamic tent that actually existed and that at some point in the 13th century, may even have been physically present in the convent church, providing a direct reference point for the artist.
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It is already known that medieval churches used precious textile hangings to conceal the altar from view either permanently, during Mass, or for specific liturgical periods. And when studying the fresco, Gigante noticed that it depicts the corner of a veil, painted as if drawn in front of the altar. Gigante, therefore, believes that the real tent was adapted to serve as a ‘tetravela’, altar-curtains.
“If the real tent was only erected in the church on certain occasions, the fresco could have served as a visual reminder of its splendor when it was not in place,” Gigante said. “The interplay between painted and actual textiles can be found throughout Europe and the Islamic world in the late medieval period.”
Gigante’s study notes that the walls of the apse are studded with nails and brackets and that they could have served as structural supports for a hanging textile.
Gigante points to the fresco’s ‘extraordinarily precise details’ as further evidence that it depicts a real tent. The fabric shown in the fresco features blue eight-pointed star motifs inscribed in roundels, the center of which was originally picked out in gold leaf, exactly like the golden fabrics used for such precious Islamic tents.
A band with pseudo-Arabic inscriptions runs along the edge of both the top and bottom border. The textile also features white contours to emphasise contrasting colors reflecting a trend in 13th-century Andalusi silk design.
The structure, design, and color scheme of the tent closely resemble the few surviving depictions of Andalusi tents, including in the 13th-century manuscript, the Cantigas de Santa Maria. They also match one of the few potential surviving Andalusi tent fragments, the ‘Fermo chasuble,’ which is said to have belonged to St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Gigante also compares the jewels depicted in the fresco with a rare surviving jeweled textile made by Arab craftsmen, the mantle of the Norman King Roger II of Sicily (1095–1154), which was embroidered with gold and applied with pearls, gemstones, and cloisonné enamel.
In the 13th century, it was common for banners and other spoils of war to be displayed around church altars in Europe.
“Tents, especially Islamic royal tents were among the most prized gifts in diplomatic exchanges, the most prominent royal insignia on campsites, and the most sought-after spoils on battlefields,” Gigante said.
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“Tents made their way into Europe as booty. During anti-Muslim expeditions, it was common to pay mercenaries in textiles and a tent was the ultimate prize. The fresco matches descriptions of royal Islamic tents that were seized during the wars of Christian expansion into al-Andalus in the 13th century.”
From the 9th century, Popes often donated Tetravela (altar-curtains) to churches and papal records reveal that by 1255, Pope Innocent IV had sent ‘draperies of the finest silk and gold fabrics’ to the convent of S. Antonio in Polesine.
“We can’t be certain but it is possible that a person of high profile such as Pope Innocent IV gifted the tent,” Gigante says.
An Andalusi tent taken from the campsite of the Almohad caliph Muhammad al-Nāsir was sent to Pope Innocent III after 1212 meaning that there was an Islamic tent in St Peter’s Basilica at some point prior to the painting of the fresco.
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Gigante suggests that the tent could also have been part of a diplomatic gift made to the powerful Este family which brokered alliances between the Guelfs and Ghibellins, factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor respectively. The convent was founded in 1249 by Beatrice II d’Este.
“Many people don’t realize how extraordinarily advanced and admired Islamic culture was in the medieval period,” Gigante said.
Last year Dr. Gigante identified the Verona Astrolabe, an eleventh-century Islamic astrolabe bearing both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions.
SHARE This Fascinating Find And History Lesson With Your Friends…
Reprinted under CC 4.0. License from Cambridge University. Originally written by Tom Almeroth-Williams.
Parts of Dutch society are campaigning to bring risky playgrounds back into their cities and towns as concerns about too much time spent indoors, helicopter parenting, and childhood diabetes risk grow.
Some are merely advocating playgrounds with potentially dangerous toys, such as a merry-go-round, but others are seeking places for their children to start fires, build with hammers, and play flight with sticks.
No one wants their children to be injured of course, but the policy proposal from the D66 liberal democrats, which currently holds 7 seats in parliament, acknowledges that without spaces to explore and challenge themselves in, kids risk losing the opportunity to develop crucial skills.
“Rufty-tufty playing means that children might get a bump or a cut,” according to the policy—but it’s an acceptable risk the authors determine.
“The inspiration, and it really is a huge problem, is that children are hardly moving,” said Rob Hofland, head of the local D66 to the Guardian. “All kinds of problems stem from just sitting behind a screen.”
According to research from the Diabetes Fonds, a Dutch group trying to educate a reversal in the childhood diabetes rate in the Netherlands, which is climbing, children are on average spending twice as much time indoors today than before the pandemic lockdowns, while motor skills have declined so much that many children can no longer catch a ball.
“More and more kids are losing the ability to make social contact, to learn to deal with risks and also to be happy when the situation gets a little bit more stressful,” said Mascha van Werven from another advocacy group Jantje Beton. “If they learn to still play in those [riskier] areas, they are starting at a very young age to deal with risks, to maybe ask someone for help…”
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In Amsterdam, some parents and organizations are taking this principle to the extreme: in the form of Woeste Westen, or “Wild West.” In this radical play space, kids can go fishing, climb trees, build huts, start and cook with open fires, and play with real tools like hammers and knives—all in the name of helping them develop the mental-physical coordination that an adult relies upon to navigate potentially dangerous situations.
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Woeste Westen highlights how every time a parent says “watch out!” or “don’t do that!” the child loses one more instance where they may have better prepared themselves for adulthood.
Of course there will be scrapes, bruises, a scar or two, but who said a painless life is preferable?
SHARE This Great Parenting Trends Of Reclaiming Risky Play For Holland…
A clever veterinarian is helping address a shortage of IV fluids for animal care by accepting donations of leftover fluids from blood banks.
Though hospital regulations in Australia and likely in most countries dictate that leftover intravenous fluid, also known as saline, should be discarded for sanitary standards, its use for animals had never been explored.
ABC News AU reports that Dr. Felicity Cole donates blood often, and sees how the saline used to rehydrate and replenish blood cells in donors is often not fully used by the time the procedure is finished.
“I knew the product [saline] was being used and a large amount of it was possibly spare or being discarded,” she said.
Her clinic in Newcastle has experienced shortages of saline in treating animals. It’s often used to help pets maintain blood volume while under anesthesia or during trauma operations. In July last year, Dr. Cole wrote to the team at Australia Red Cross Lifeblood to ask if it were possible to salvage that leftover saline for her clinic.
“It was such a great idea,” Lifeblood spokesperson Jemma Falkenmire said. “But there was certainly some work to do, from our end, to get approval to donate that saline.”
Using a method called heat-sealing, bags of saline can be conserved for future use with animals, and Lifeblood has now pioneered best practices for the procedure in case any other facilities want to do the same with leftover saline.
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The first box of saline arrived in August of last year, with the average bag providing a cat with 10-20 hours of fluid depending on the procedure and the cat’s condition.
Best of all, Lifeblood has made a real effort out of Dr. Cole’s simple request, and has now donated 5,000 bags of heat-sealed IV fluids to around 100 vet clinics across the nation of Australia.
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A veterinarian at the Australia Zoo told ABC that the saline allowed them in some cases to continue delivering life-saving treatment, including for koalas, an endangered species that “rely on these lifesaving fluids.”
SHARE This Veterinarian’s Brilliant Idea And The Revolution In Pet Care It Started…
This is Ruth Slenczynska, the 100-year-old, last living pupil of Sergei Rachmaninov who still performs wearing the Fabergé egg necklace the legendary Russian musician gifted her.
Despite her age, Ruth continues to play—recently at the Chopin International Festival and Friends at the Polish embassy in New York City in 2021. During COVID-19 lockdowns, she recorded videos to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th Birthday.
Then, amazingly, she recorded and released a new album at 97 years of age.
“Whoever heard of a pianist my age making another album?” she said at the time of its release. “Music is meant to bring joy. If mine still brings joy to people, then it is doing what it is supposed to do.”
My Life in Music is an ebony and ivory journey through a distinguished career that included studying under Rachmaninov, but features primarily music from Chopin, an artist who had an extraordinary impact on her thanks to her father, Josef Slenczynski, a skilled violinist.
He would make her perform all 25 Etudes, the solo studies of Chopin, before breakfast. The album also includes works from Grieg, Debussy, and Bach.
“If you don’t know something thoroughly, you can’t do anything with it. This is something I got from Mr. Rachmaninov,” she said in a video released by Decca Classics, who signed Ruth at 97 for My Life in Music.
“I remember I played for him something and he said ‘you don’t know that well enough to play it at the tempo you’re taking it,'” she recalled. “And I said, ‘well I’ve been playing it for three weeks already.'”
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“And he said, ‘three weeks, that’s nothing! After three years, working with it slowly, fast, until it is yours, then you can present it; but that takes time.'”
Ruth even once filled in for “Mr. Rachmaniov,” according to her, after he had to withdraw from a performance date due to an injury.
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As if these weren’t enough for one lifetime, Ruth has performed for presidents Kennedy Jr., Reagan, and Carter—and alongside Truman and Empress Michiko of Japan.
Ruth Slenczynska celebrated her centennial on January 15th.
WATCH and LISTEN to Ruth Do her stuff…
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Quote of the Day: “We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours.” – Dag Hammarskjöld
Photo by: Dariusz Sankowski
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
107 years ago today, the Twin Peaks Tunnel, connecting the neighborhoods of Castro to West Portal underneath two of the three highest points in San Francisco was opened. When service began it was the world’s longest underground automobile tunnel at 11,920 feet (3,630 meters). It cost around $100 million in today’s money, and boring was completed 3 months ahead of schedule. READ more… (1918)
A 23-year-old DJ taught his parents the ropes of using his music decks, and now they’re hosting spontaneous raves in their kitchen.
The full-time DJ, Phillip Yacovelli, saw that his parents had some spare time since they’d recently retired—and says Dominic and Janine took to it straight away.
Now, the family in Atlantic City, New Jersey, turn up the volume on the beats in their kitchen at any time of day.
Phillip says the idea came from nowhere, but was a triumph (as you can see by the video and photos below).
“I graduated college and was still living at home with my parents. I was DJing all the time, and I suggested my parents hop on and play.
“They thought it was funny—and said ‘why not?’. Now they play once a week, maybe more.
“They’re not that good, but when they have free time they like to play around. I give them tips when they’re playing, telling them what the different buttons do.
“They definitely bring a lot of energy when they’re on the board.”
“They’ve never produced their own music but if I could get them into that it would be pretty fun…Maybe one day!”
WATCH the videos below from SWNS and the New York Post on Facebook…
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The birth of 33 frogs at the London Zoo has been hailed as a “landmark moment” in the ongoing battle to save an endangered species that was first described by Charles Darwin during his epic voyage on HMS Beagle in the early 1800s.
A deadly fungus was threatening to wipe out the Southern Darwin frog in its native Chile following the introduction of the chytrid fungus to their native habitat.
The tiny frogs (Rhinoderma darwinii), which are particularly susceptible to the fungus, needed a refuge until conservationists figured out how to make their forest home safe once again.
So, conservationists embarked on an urgent 7000-mile rescue mission last October to a remote island off the coast of Chile that retrieved healthy frogs for safeguarding at the London Zoo.
The expedition was documented by wildlife filmmaker Paul Glynn, and his new film, A Leap of Hope, is due to premiere tomorrow, Monday, Feb 3, on YouTube. (Watch below…)
After 52 frogs were collected and declared chytrid-free, they travelled in specially designed, climate-controlled boxes on a six-hour boat ride, then a 15-hour drive to the capital Santiago, and a final flight to Heathrow airport and their new home in London.
“This is a landmark moment in our work to protect the Darwin’s frog from the devastating impact of chytrid fungus,” said Ben Tapley, Curator of Amphibians at London Zoo.
“The successful parent-rearing of these froglets is a powerful symbol of hope for the species, and highlights what can be achieved when conservationists work together.
“We knew we were embarking on something special. The clock was ticking, and we needed to act quickly if we were going to save these frogs—and capturing this work on film has really cemented just how vital our work is.”
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Southern Darwin’s frogs in the Parque Tantauco forests of southern Chile faced devastation in 2023, when surveys confirmed the arrival of the chytrid fungus.
That led to a “catastrophic” 90% decline in monitored populations within a year, due to amphibian chytridiomycosis – a disease which has now affected at least 500 amphibian species, making it the most devastating infectious disease recognized by science.
Andres Valenzuela-Sanchez of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), an Institute of Zoology research fellow, explained, “By working with partners in Chile, we’re able to safeguard these frogs in their new home at London Zoo, ensuring that this unique species has a fighting chance of recovery.
“These frogs are not only vital for the future of their species but also help us better understand how we can combat chytrid fungus and safeguard other amphibians globally.”
The 33 froglets were carried and brooded by 11 of the male frogs rescued. This male brooding makes Darwin’s frog distinct from any other frog species—except for R. rufum, which may be extinct.
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The frogs use a unique strategy to protect and rear their tiny tadpoles, carrying them inside their vocal sacs. After the females lay eggs, which develop into tadpoles, the male Darwin’s frog moves them into his vocal sac so they can mature in safety.
After traveling by boat, plane, and car to London, the fathers – each fully grown yet weighing less than two grams and measuring a little over one inch (3cm) – continued to carry the tiny tadpoles until they metamorphosed into the next generation of the extraordinary species.
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With the rearing of 33 froglets and more soon to follow, London Zoo hopes that its population of Southern Darwin’s frogs will grow from strength to strength, eventually supporting reintroduction efforts in Chile. (Watch the ZSL film which premieres at 1:00pm (EST) on Monday…)
MULTIPLY THE GOOD By Leaping This News to Frog-Lovers On Social Media…
A life coach and former nurse Christina Russell has shared her top ten strategies for overcoming self-doubt, including adopting a “power pose,” which is proven to help boost confidence.
There are ups and downs in every personal-growth journey, says the Florida coach. But self-doubt is “a pervasive issue” for many.
Here are ten actionable strategies to help you prioritize yourself and identify your boundaries, dreams, and aspirations:
1. Create a ‘WINS’ Journal: Write down daily accomplishments, no matter how small. Sometimes simply acknowledging regular wins helps reinforce what you’re capable of. It shifts the focus to your strengths rather than your failures.
2. Rewire Your Inner Critic: Instead of succumbing to negative self-talk, treat yourself with the same respect you’d show a friend. Replace ‘I’m not good enough’ with ‘I’m still learning, and this is part of the process’.
You can even try “positive punishments” like doing 50 sit-ups whenever you backslide. This can help build consistency—and a good habit.
3. Visualize Your Future Self: Emphasize the power of imagining yourself as the person you aspire to become. Step into this mindset either right before bedtime or early in the morning. It can be an incredible confidence booster.
4. Adopt a Beginner’s Mindset: Give yourself permission to not have all the answers. Challenges are opportunities for growth, not failures.
5. Surround Yourself with Growth-Minded People: Positive energy is contagious. Be around people with goals who support one another.
6. Take Tiny Steps: Breaking down goals into small, manageable actions is a cornerstone of a positive philosophy. Momentum will build your confidence.
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7. Practice a Power Pose: Try posing in confidence-boosting postures for two minutes before tackling a challenging task. It’s proven to reduce stress and increase self-assurance.
8. Learn to Celebrate Failure: View setbacks as feedback. List alternative solutions and view the problem as an objective outsider—instead of taking it so personally.
9. Ask for Feedback: Honest feedback from a friend or professional can help you identify blind spots—or strengths—that you may be overlooking.
10. Create a Personal Affirmation Ritual: Writing affirmations that resonate with your values and goals can help instill them into your consciousness. Say them aloud each morning—and tape them to your mirror—to set a positive tone for the day.
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Christina Russell Coaching, based in Ocala, Florida, helps clients overcome self-doubt and build strategies for flourishing.
SHARE THE TIPS With Doubting Friends On Social Media Today…
Cats are wearing hats for science—as researchers use brain scans to understand pain in arthritic felines, and find a way to soothe it.
It’s a world first for veterinary scientists at the University of Montreal (UdeM): they found a way to scan the brains of cats while they’re still awake, using electrodes concealed under specially-knitted wool caps.
Chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis affects over 25 % of the adult feline population and this incidence increases with age.
Seeking to understand how cats experience the chronic pain, the researchers wanted to create a non-invasive method to study their brains.
In previous studies, the cat subjects would shake off and chew the wires of traditional electrodes. The answer was to incorporate the sensors into comfy crocheted beanies.
“We had the idea of the little knitted hat that would keep the electrodes in place,” said Aude Castel, Assistant Professor at UdeM Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences.
The team wanted to use sensory stimulation to try to reduce the aches, exposing the cats to soothing stimuli such as colored lights and comforting smells, as a way to ease their suffering.
“With some treats and positive reinforcement, the cats tolerated the hat very well and allowed us to record their brain activity while awake and being exposed to different types of sensory stimuli: citrus smell, different light colors.
In all, they studied 11 adult cats with osteoarthritis, assessing their stress and pain using the electrodes that produced electroencephalograms (EEGs).
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“The reasoning behind exposing them to different stimulations is that we wanted to see if, just like in people, we could modulate their brain activity and, by the same token their pain perception, with sensory stimulation.”
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods, found that the hat method is feasible, and spectral analysis are efficient methods to characterize the response to a given sensory stimulation.
“This opens new avenues for investigating chronic pain mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic strategies,” the report concluded.
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“We now plan to obtain NSERC funding [Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada], in partnership with private companies, to enable us to establish a genuine EEG signature for chronic pain, and many other applications that will enable us to automate chronic pain detection in the future,” said Éric Troncy, who co-led the study.
PUT ON YOUR NEWS HAT By Sharing the Development For Cats On Social Media…
Quote of the Day: “Happy are those who dare courageously to defend what they love.” – Ovid
Photo by: ©GNN
With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?
54 years ago today, The Ramsar Convention on the Sustainable Use of Wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran. When stopping to think about it, it pre-dates many of the landmark international agreements of the original Environmentalism Movement by some margin, such as the Convention on Biodiversity (1994), the Convention on Migratory Species (1979), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1975), and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1985). READ about the success of the Ramsar treaty below… (1971)
A survey of 2,000 single Americans revealed that 56% of respondents agreed it’s important that their partners have the same career values that they do.
In terms of ambition, 44% would prefer someone whose career ambitions were the same as their own, while 34% are looking for someone who is even more ambitious.
Regarding salary, 39% of all respondents—which were equally divided between men and women—said they would prefer to be an equal “breadwinner” with their partners. Unsurprisingly, this was much more common for women, with 45% of females preferring salaries to be equal, compared to 33% of men.
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of the dating app The League, the survey also looked at the most desirable careers for 2025.
29% of men and women agreed that those in the health care field make the best partners, while careers in education ranked as the second most attractive for the men surveyed (28%).
21% of women are interested in dating an entrepreneur, 19% were interested in an educator, while finance guys and artists were desirable for 18%.
Also ranking in the top most dateable jobs for both genders are lawyers (24%), scientists (16%), and careers in tech, like web or software developers (14%).
The poll also explored the ideal time to have “the career conversation” with potential partners. Nearly a quarter of respondents (22%) said that, ideally, they’ll have a conversation about goals and aspirations before going on a first date—but most will bring up the conversation by the end of their first date.
“Transparency is more attractive than ever,” said Rachel DeAlto, a dating expert at The League. “While there may be no perfect time to talk about careers and ambitions, bringing it up in conversation sooner than later in the dating process allows singles to determine if they share similar values and life goals from the start.”
Despite many respondents being eager to speak with potential partners about their career, that doesn’t mean single Americans are “all work and no play.” 40% of singles surveyed want their potential partners to have a passion for what they’re doing but also prioritize a work/life balance.
Additionally, over one in five respondents are looking for partners who have a desire to leave a positive impact on society or other people.
64% are willing to date someone in graduate school, further demonstrating the appeal of having drive and goals, no matter where your career is at the moment.
“When partners share similar aspirations and value the same things in life, they’re better equipped to support and understand each other. The key is to stay open to finding that alignment,” said DeAlto.
On the flip side, constant burn-out (32%), long overtime hours (29%) and switching jobs every year (25%) are some of the top career “red flags.” Interestingly, being an “influencer” was also a “red flag” for more than one in five respondents (22%).
WHAT CAREER VALUES ARE IMPORTANT IN A POTENTIAL NEW PARTNER?
Visiting friends, going to parties, and attending church or community bingo games may help keep your brain healthy, according to research conducted at Rush University that shows frequent social activity may help prevent or delay dementia in old age.
“In this study, we show that the least socially active older adults developed dementia an average of five years before the most socially active,” said Bryan James, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at Rush.
Social activity can strengthen neural circuits in the brain, making them more resistant to the buildup of pathology that occurs with age. Social behavior activates the same areas of the brain involved in thinking and memory.
The findings, published online in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, suggest that more frequent social activity points to a 38% reduction in dementia risk and a 21% reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk, compared to the least socially active.
In addition, a five-year delay in dementia onset has been estimated to yield an additional three years of life and an economic benefit of reducing dementia costs by 40% in the next 30 years, potentially $500,000 in lifetime health care savings for each person who would eventually develop dementia.
Authors note that the findings highlight the value of social activity as a possible community-level intervention for reducing dementia.
The study included 1,923 dementia-free older adults with a mean age of about 80 who are participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of common chronic conditions of aging.
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A total of 545 participants developed dementia, and 695 developed mild cognitive impairment. They each underwent yearly evaluations that included a medical history and neuropsychological tests.
Social activity was measured based on a questionnaire that asked participants whether, and how often, in the previous year they had engaged in six common social activities that involve social interaction — for example, whether they went to restaurants or sporting events, played bingo, took day or overnight trips, did volunteer work or visited relatives or friends.
Cognitive function was assessed using 21 tests for various types of memory as well as perceptual speed and visuospatial ability.
At the start of the investigation, all participants were free of any signs of cognitive impairment. Over an average of five years, however, those who were more socially active showed reduced rates of dementia. Other variables that might have accounted for the increase in cognitive decline — such as age, physical exercise and health—were all adjusted for in the analysis.
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Why social activity plays a role in the development of cognitive problems is not clear. One possibility is that “social activity challenges older adults to participate in complex interpersonal exchanges, which could promote or maintain efficient neural networks in a case of ‘use it or lose it,’” James said in Rush News.
The study is a follow up on previous papers from the Rush group showing that social activity is related to less cognitive decline—even mild cognitive impairment.
HELP PREVENT DEMENTIA By Sharing the Tips On Social Media…
Feel this guy’s joy as he experiences snow for the first time, having lived in Florida all his life.
Jakeem Johnson was overjoyed when he woke to a rare snowfall that blanketed the southern state in January, with some areas getting up to ten inches.
The 39 year-old dashed outside in his sweatpants to soak in the experience.
“My wife woke me up early and told me it was snowing and I was like, ‘What? No way!’,” said the Tampa resident known as BigCheese. “It felt surreal.”
“I am born and raised in Florida, so to see 8-10 inches of snow in Tampa was mind-blowing.
“I always said if I ever saw snow, I’d do a snow angel—and I was a man of my word.
“I forgot one of my gloves, but it didn’t matter. It was a joyful, wonderful experience.”
The once-in-a-lifetime experience left Jakeem dreaming of more snowy adventures.
“Next time, I’ll get a sled and find a hill.
“It makes me feel like you’re never too old to try new things.”
HILARIOUS: See the Crazy Winners of a Hair-Freezing Contest at Canadian Spa
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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)
Here is your weekly horoscope…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of February 1, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
As I envision your life in the coming weeks, I am moved to compare you to certain birds. First, there will be similarities between you and the many species that can literally perceive Earth’s magnetic fields, seeing them as patterns of shadow and light overlaid on their regular vision. You, too, will have an uncanny multi-dimensional awareness that helps guide your travels. Secondly, Aquarius, you will be like the migrating songbirds that recalibrate their internal compass every day when the sun sets. In other words, you will make steady efforts to ensure that your magical ways of knowing are grounded in earthy rhythms.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In some Polynesian cultures, there is a belief that one’s mistakes, including excessive anger, can cause physical sickness. Hawaiians traditionally have employed a ritual remedy for such ills called ho’oponopono. It includes acts of atonement, forgiveness, and correction. It may even involve a prayer conference where all the people involved talk about their mutual problems with respect and compassion, seeking solutions and restitution. The coming weeks will be a fantastically favorable time for you to carry out your own version of ho’oponopono, Pisces.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In medieval Europe, beekeepers made formal reports to their hives of significant events in the human world, like births, deaths, marriages, and departures. They believed the bees needed to be continually informed so as to ensure robust honey production. The practice was called “telling the bees.” Let’s make this an inspiring story for you in the coming weeks, Aries. I invite you to keep your community fully apprised of what’s happening in your life. Proceed on the assumption that sharing your plans and changes with others will generate harmony and support. Like the beekeepers, you may discover that keeping your community in the loop will strengthen your bonds and sweeten your endeavors.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
A regular guy named Jesse Ronnebaum bought an old painting at a yard sale for 50 cents. For the next ten years, it hung on the wall in his living room. Then he noticed a dim inscription on the painting that suggested maybe it was more valuable than he realized. Consulting an art dealer, he discovered it was an unusual composition that featured the work of seven prominent artists—and was worth a lot of money. Ronnebaum said, “Years of struggling, barely making bills, and the whole time there’s $50,000 hanging over my head, literally.” I am predicting metaphorically comparable events unfolding in your life during the coming months, Taurus. Hidden value will no longer be hidden. You will potentize neglected sources of wealth and finally recognize subtle treasures.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In Namibia’s arid grasslands, ‘fairy circles’ periodically emerge—highly regular rings of bare land surrounded by vegetation. What causes them? Supernatural entities—as believed by the local people—or, termites or hydrogen-loving microbes, according to scientists? I love mysteries that thwart attempts at rational explanation. In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to specialize in tantalizing and unsolvable enigmas in the coming weeks. Your soul needs rich doses of provocative riddles, mysterious truths, and fun puzzles. Exult in the liberating declaration, “I don’t know!”
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Wherever you wander, be alert for signals that remind you of who you used to be. This will stimulate your creative speculation about who you want to evolve into during the next few years. As you ruminate about your history, you will get inspirations about who you want to become. The past will speak vividly, in ways that hint at your best possible future. So welcome clues from people who are no longer alive. Be receptive to old allies and influences that are no longer a central part of your world.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
“Crown shyness” is a phenomenon seen among some trees like lodgepole pines. In forests, they grow big and strong and tall, yet avoid touching each other at their tops. This creates canopies full of pronounced gaps. What causes this curious phenomenon? First, if branches don’t brush up against each other, harmful insects find it harder to spread from tree to tree. Second, when winds blow, branches are less likely to collide with each other and cause damage. There’s a third benefit: More sunlight penetrates to the forest floor, nourishing animals and other plants. I propose that you adopt crown shyness as a metaphor for your use, Leo. Express your beauty to the max—be bold and vivid and radiant—but also provide plenty of space for your allies to shine. Be your authentically amazing self, but create boundaries that allow others to be their amazing selves.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Some astrologers assert that you Virgos suffer from an ambition deficit. They authoritatively assert that a fiery aspiration to achieve greatness never burns hot within you. But in the coming months, I will work to show you a different perspective. Let’s start now: Many of you Virgos are highly skilled at being self-sufficient. But sometimes this natural strength warps into a hesitancy to ask for help and support. And that can diminish your ability to fulfill your ambitions. My goal will be to celebrate and nurture your self-sufficiency even as I coach you to be dynamic about gathering all the assistance you can.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Life is not fair. In the coming days, you will be odd proof of this fact. That’s because you are likely to be the beneficiary of uncommon luck. The only kind of karma that will be operating in your vicinity will be good karma. X-factors and wild cards will be more available to you than usual. Your timing will be impeccable, and your intuition will be extra incisive. You may even be tempted to theorize that life is conspiring to bring you an extra supply of meaningful experiences. Here’s the clincher: If anyone in your sphere is prone to feeling envy because you’re flourishing, your charm will defuse it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Here are three questions to ruminate on: 1. What resources are you afraid you will run out of or squander? 2. What if your fear of running out or squandering these resources obstructs your ability to understand what you need to know and do so that you won’t run out or squander them? 3. How can you dissolve the fear and feel confident that the necessary resources will keep steadily flowing in, and you will use them well?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Most stars have at least one companion star, sometimes two. Our sun, which is all alone, is in the minority. Astronomers have found evidence that our home star once had a companion but lost it. Is there any chance of this situation changing in the future? Might our sun eventually link up with a new compatriot? It’s not likely. But in contrast to our sun’s fate, I suspect that 2025 will offer you a significant diminishment in your personal loneliness quotient. If you crave more camaraderie and togetherness, the coming months will be a favorable time to seek them out. Your meditation question: What’s the opposite of loneliness?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
In the coming weeks, your authenticity will be your greatest strength. The more genuine and honest you are, the more life will reward you. Be alert for situations that may seem to demand camouflage when in fact they will ultimately reward your complete transparency. You will be most powerful and attractive as you allow yourself to be fully seen. You can even use your vulnerability to your advantage. Be openly, clearly, unabashedly yourself.
WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com
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Quote of the Day: “Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Photo by: Priscilla Du Preez
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61 years ago today, the British Invasion arrived in the US after The Beatles reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with I Want to Hold Your Hand, before eventually being replaced by their previous #1 single, She Loves You. The little 32-bar diddy in G-major was written by John and Paul, as the former described it “eyeball to eyeball; into each other’s noses” and was recorded on a 4-track. READ what happened next… (1964)
