While supercomputers are critical to researchers today, even they can't provide the massive computing power needed to map out the molecular structures of viruses to find cures.

When it comes to finding a vaccine that can halt and eradicate the deadly COVID-19 virus, today's supercomputers can only do so much. While supercomputers can do amazing things, they are not complex enough to find answers to nature's deepest and most complicated secrets, such as quickly and carefully mapping out the molecular structures of viruses so they can be defeated with modern medicines and treatments.

But an answer awaits perhaps five to 10 years away in the form of quantum computers, which are exponentially more powerful than traditional classic computers, according to computer scientists and other researchers.

SEE:Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs(TechRepublic Premium)

Recently a public-private partnership was formed to create a COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium, which is working to harness the power of high-performance computing resources to massively increase the speed and capacity of coronavirus research. And though that work is today welcome in the fight against COVID-19, it won't unlock all the incredibly difficult secrets that are held closely by such viruses.

For most pharmaceutical companies, supercomputers are used regularly to help research, find, and identify new drug treatments, including the identification of virus structures so cures can be found.

Yet supercomputers used today in virus and other pharmaceutical research are still based on classical computing architectures that view all data as a series of binary bits with a value of zero or one. Those machines face the limitations of modern bit-based computer architectures and power that is available today but can't theoretically or physically handle all the tremendously detailed research that is still needed.

That's where the future promise of quantum computing is expected to one day provide the vast computational power that could allow researchers to truly map out molecular structures in real time to solve medical mysteries and help quickly identify new drugs and treatments, said Chirag Dekate, a supercomputing and high-performance computing analyst with Gartner.

"If you're trying to do a quantum realistic simulation of the molecules and interactions of a virus, that is where classical computing starts falling short," Dekate said. "In classical computing, what you are able to simulate is only a fraction of what you can do with quantum computing."

The problem, though, is that true quantum computing capabilities are probably at least five to 10 years away from actual use, Dekate said.

"When two molecules or compounds interact, in order to do a quantum computing simulation, you have to be able to simulate the electrostatic forces of the interaction at the atomic level between those things," Dekate said. "This is where the computational complexity increases exponentially," requiring the power of quantum computing over traditional classical computing architecture.

SEE:Coronavirus: What business pros need to know(TechRepublic)

Quantum computers are based on qubits rather than bits, which are far more complex and allow information to be stored in new ways, giving them added dimensions of computing power. But that intense power requires many more technical requirements to make it possible, and much work is still to be done to enable the technology.

Dr. Itamar Sivan, a physicist and the founder and CEO of Quantum Machines, a quantum computing technology company, said the promise of quantum computing will someday help during times of crisis, such as today's coronavirus pandemic. Such machines are expected to be able to solve incredibly complex scientific problems in minutes in the future, compared with many years by even the most powerful supercomputers of 2020.

"Quantum computing is not a new field--it is already decades old," Sivan said. "In academia it is being investigated, and in the last five years in industry as well. The interest in quantum computing stems from a promise of immense computational power that we will never be able to achieve with classical computation."

SEE:Quantum computing: When to expect the next major leap(TechRepublic)

For researchers, quantum machines will provide power that will transform medical research and a wide range of other fields, he said. "If you would want to have an exact simulation of a molecule such as penicillin, you would never be able to do it with any classical computer because it is too complex. But quantum computers with hundreds of logical qubits will be able to do this task."

Just how much more powerful is a quantum computer compared with a classical computer?

"In order to explain the information in a quantum computer with 300 qubits you would need a classical processor which is built from more bits than there are atoms are in the universe," Sivan said. "It's one of the toughest moonshots that we face as a society, but if we can do it it's going to change the whole world."

Sivan agreed that such machines are easily a decade away before they would be able to perform the quantum simulations that are needed for virus research breakthroughs.

SEE:Quantum computing: Myths v. Realities(TechRepublic)

"For some problems, it's not about just running an algorithm faster, it's about making the impossible possible," he said. "This is why in drug discovery today, the majority of the process is done with the molecules themselves in test tubes and culture dishes, because you can't simulate them and look at their reactions and behavior using classic computers."

The challenges of achieving usable quantum computing are huge, including the extremely delicate state of quantum data when it is used. In operation, quantum data is rapidly lost in experiments being done over the last few years, preventing stable use of the machines.

"There are immense challenges all over the stack to get to the Holy Grail of quantum computing," Sivan said. "Once we solve the problem of loss of information, we will be fine."

The coronavirus has infected almost 2 million people and killed 121,000 around the world so far. While many patients with COVID-19 have mild symptoms and don't require hospitalization, with the incredibly wide scale of the pandemic, even at a 5% hospitalization rate large numbers of patients have been requiring emergency care in hospitals and other medical facilities that are struggling to keep up.

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COVID-19: Quantum computing could someday find cures for coronaviruses and other diseases - TechRepublic

Garland views Amaya as a typical Silicon Valley success story. In the world of Devs, it's the first company that manages to mass produce quantum computers, allowing them to corner that market. (Think of what happened to search engines after Google debuted.) Quantum computing has been positioned as a potentially revolutionary technology for things like healthcare and encryption, since it can tackle complex scenarios and data sets more effectively than traditional binary computers. Instead of just processing inputs one at a time, a quantum machine would theoretically be able to tackle an input in multiple states, or superpositions, at once.

By mastering this technology, Amaya unlocks a completely new view of reality: The world is a system that can be decoded and predicted. It proves to them that the world is deterministic. Our choices don't matter; we're all just moving along predetermined paths until the end of time. Garland is quick to point out that you don't need anything high-tech to start asking questions about determinism. Indeed, it's something that's been explored since Plato's allegory of the cave.

"What I did think, though, was that if a quantum computer was as good at modeling quantum reality as it might be, then it would be able to prove in a definitive way whether we lived in a deterministic state," Garland said. "[Proving that] would completely change the way we look at ourselves, the way we look at society, the way society functions, the way relationships unfold and develop. And it would change the world in some ways, but then it would restructure itself quickly."

The sheer difficulty of coming up with something -- anything -- that's truly spontaneous and isn't causally related to something else in the universe is the strongest argument in favor of determinism. And it's something Garland aligns with personally -- though that doesn't change how he perceives the world.

"Whether or not you or I have free will, both of us could identify lots of things that we care about," he said. "There are lots of things that we enjoy or don't enjoy. Or things that we're scared of, or we anticipate. And all of that remains. It's not remotely affected by whether we've got free will or not. What might be affected is, I think, our capacity to be forgiving in some respects. And so, certain kinds of anti-social or criminal behavior, you would start to think about in terms of rehabilitation, rather than punishment. Because then, in a way, there's no point punishing someone for something they didn't decide to do."

Excerpt from:

Alex Garland on 'Devs,' free will and quantum computing - Engadget

Let me welcome you the same way Stewart welcomes Forest in Episode 7 of the Hulu miniseries Devs: with a lengthy, unattributed quote.

We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at any given moment knew all of the forces that animate nature and the mutual positions of the beings that compose it, if this intellect were vast enough to submit the data to analysis, could condense into a single formula the movement of the greatest bodies of the universe and that of the lightest atom; for such an intellect nothing could be uncertain and the future, just like the past, would be present before its eyes.

Its a passage that sounds as if it could have come from Forest himself. But its not from Forest, or Katie, or evenas Katie might guess, based on her response to Stewarts Philip Larkin quoteShakespeare. Its from the French scholar and scientist Pierre-Simon Laplace, who wrote the idea down at the end of the Age of Enlightenment, in 1814. When Laplace imagined an omniscient intellectwhich has come to be called Laplaces demonhe wasnt even saying something original: Other thinkers beat him to the idea of a deterministic, perfectly predictable universe by decades and centuries (or maybe millennia).

All of which is to say that despite the futuristic setting and high-tech trappings of Devsthe eight-part Alex Garland opus that will reach its finale next weekthe series central tension is about as old as the abacus. But theres a reason the debate about determinism and free will keeps recurring: Its an existential question at the heart of human behavior. Devs doesnt answer it in a dramatically different way than the great minds of history have, but it does wrap up ancient, brain-breaking quandaries in a compelling (and occasionally kind of confusing) package. Garland has admitted as much, acknowledging, None of the ideas contained here are really my ideas, and its not that I am presenting my own insightful take. Its more Im saying some very interesting people have come up with some very interesting ideas. Here they are in the form of a story.

Devs is a watchable blend of a few engaging ingredients. Its a spy thriller that pits Russian agents against ex-CIA operatives. Its a cautionary, sci-fi polemic about a potentially limitless technology and the hubris of big tech. Like Garlands previous directorial efforts, Annihilation and Ex Machina, its also a striking aesthetic experience, a blend of brutalist compounds, sleek lines, lush nature, and an exciting, unsettling soundtrack. Most of all, though, its a meditation on age-old philosophical conundrums, served with a garnish of science. Garland has cited scientists and philosophers as inspirations for the series, so to unravel the riddles of Devs, I sought out some experts whose day jobs deal with the dilemmas Lily and Co. confront in fiction: a computer science professor who specializes in quantum computing, and several professors of philosophy.

There are many questions about Devs that we wont be able to answer. How high is Kentons health care premium? Is it distracting to work in a lab lit by a perpetually pulsing, unearthly golden glow? How do Devs programmers get any work done when they could be watching the worlds most riveting reality TV? Devs doesnt disclose all of its inner workings, but by the end of Episode 7, its pulled back the curtain almost as far as it can. The main mystery of the early episodeswhat does Devs do?is essentially solved for the viewer long before Lily learns everything via Katies parable of the pen in Episode 6. As the series proceeds, the spy stuff starts to seem incidental, and the characters motivations become clear. All that remains to be settled is the small matter of the intractable puzzles that have flummoxed philosophers for ages.

Heres what we know. Forest (Nick Offerman) is a tech genius obsessed with one goal: being reunited with his dead daughter, Amaya, who was killed in a car crash while her mother was driving and talking to Forest on the phone. (Hed probably blame himself for the accident if he believed in free will.) He doesnt disguise the fact that he hasnt moved on from Amaya emotionally: He names his company after her, uses her face for its logo, and, in case those tributes were too subtle, installs a giant statue of her at corporate HQ. (As a metaphor for the way Amaya continues to loom over his life, the statue is overly obvious, but at least it looks cool.) Together with a team of handpicked developers, Forest secretly constructs a quantum computer so powerful that, by the end of the penultimate episode, it can perfectly predict the future and reverse-project the past, allowing the denizens of Devs to tune in to any bygone event in lifelike clarity. Its Laplaces demon made real, except for the fact that its powers of perception fail past the point at which Lily is seemingly scheduled to do something that the computer cant predict.

I asked Dr. Scott Aaronson, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin (and the founding director of the schools Quantum Information Center) to assess Devs depiction of quantum computing. Aaronsons website notes that his research concentrates on the capabilities and limits of quantum computers, so hed probably be one of Forests first recruits if Amaya were an actual company. Aaronson, whom I previously consulted about the plausibility of the time travel in Avengers: Endgame, humored me again and watched Devs despite having been burned before by Hollywoods crimes against quantum mechanics. His verdict, unsurprisingly, is that the quantum computing in Devslike that of Endgame, which cites one of the same physicists (David Deutsch) that Garland said inspired himis mostly hand-wavy window dressing.

A quantum computer is a device that uses a central phenomenon of quantum mechanicsnamely, interference of amplitudesto solve certain problems with dramatically better scaling behavior than any known algorithm running on any existing computer could solve them, Aaronson says. If youre wondering what amplitudes are, you can read Aaronsons explanation in a New York Times op-ed he authored last October, shortly after Google claimed to have achieved a milestone called quantum supremacythe first use of a quantum computer to make a calculation far faster than any non-quantum computer could. According to Googles calculations, the task that its Sycamore microchip performed in a little more than three minutes would have taken 100,000 of the swiftest existing conventional computers 10,000 years to complete. Thats a pretty impressive shortcut, and were still only at the dawn of the quantum computing age.

However, that stat comes with a caveat: Quantum computers arent better across the board than conventional computers. The applications where a quantum computer dramatically outperforms classical computers are relatively few and specialized, Aaronson says. As far as we know today, theyd help a lot with prediction problems only in cases where the predictions heavily involve quantum-mechanical behavior. Potential applications of quantum computers include predicting the rate of a chemical reaction, factoring huge numbers and possibly cracking the encryption that currently protects the internet (using Shors algorithm, which is briefly mentioned on Devs), and solving optimization and machine learning problems. Notice that reconstructing what Christ looked like on the cross is not on this list, Aaronson says.

In other words, the objective that Forest is trying to achieve doesnt necessarily lie within the quantum computing wheelhouse. To whatever extent computers can help forecast plausible scenarios for the past or future at all (as we already have them do for, e.g., weather forecasting), its not at all clear to what extent a quantum computer even helpsone might simply want more powerful classical computers, Aaronson says.

Then theres the problem that goes beyond the question of quantum vs. conventional: Either kind of computer would require data on which to base its calculations, and the data set that the predictions and retrodictions in Devs would demand is inconceivably detailed. I doubt that reconstructing the remote past is really a computational problem at all, in the sense that even the most powerful science-fiction supercomputer still couldnt give you reliable answers if it lacked the appropriate input data, Aaronson says, adding, As far as we know today, the best that any computer (classical or quantum) could possibly do, even in principle, with any data we could possibly collect, is to forecast a range of possible futures, and a range of possible pasts. The data that it would need to declare one of them the real future or the real past simply wouldnt be accessible to humankind, but rather would be lost in microscopic puffs of air, radiation flying away from the earth into space, etc.

In light of the unimaginably high hurdle of gathering enough data in the present to reconstruct what someone looked or sounded like during a distant, data-free age, Forest comes out looking like a ridiculously demanding boss. We get it, dude: You miss Amaya. But how about patting your employees on the back for pulling off the impossible? The idea that chaos, the butterfly effect, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, exponential error growth, etc. mean that you run your simulation 2000 years into the past and you end up with only a blurry, staticky image of Jesus on the cross rather than a clear image, has to be, like, the wildest understatement in the history of understatements, Aaronson says. As for the future, he adds, Predicting the weather three weeks from now might be forever impossible.

The plot of this series is one that wouldve been totally, 100 percent familiar to the ancient Greeksjust swap out the quantum computer for the Delphic Oracle. Dr. Scott Aaronson, professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin

On top of all that, Aaronson says, The Devs headquarters is sure a hell of a lot fancier (and cleaner) than any quantum computing lab that Ive ever visited. (Does Kenton vacuum between torture sessions?) At least the computer more or less looks like a quantum computer.

OK, so maybe I didnt need to cajole a quantum computing savant into watching several hours of television to confirm that theres no way we can watch cavepeople paint. Garland isnt guilty of any science sins that previous storytellers havent committed many times. Whenever Aaronson has advised scriptwriters, theyve only asked him to tell them which sciencey words would make their preexisting implausible stories sound somewhat feasible. Its probably incredibly rare that writers would let the actual possibilities and limits of a technology drive their story, he says.

Although the show name-checks real interpretations of quantum mechanicsPenrose, pilot wave, many-worldsit doesnt deeply engage with them. The pilot wave interpretation holds that only one future is real, whereas many-worlds asserts that a vast number of futures are all equally real. But neither one would allow for the possibility of perfectly predicting the future, considering the difficulty of accounting for every variable. Garland is seemingly aware of how far-fetched his story is, because on multiple occasions, characters like Lily, Lyndon, and Stewart voice the audiences unspoken disbelief, stating that something or other isnt possible. Whenever they do, Katie or Forest is there to tell them that it is. Which, well, fine: Like Laplaces demon, Devs is intended as more of a thought experiment than a realistic scenario. As Katie says during her blue pill-red pill dialogue with Lily, Go with it.

We might as well go along with Garland, because any scientific liberties he takes are in service of the seriess deeper ideas. As Aaronson says, My opinion is that the show isnt really talking about quantum computing at allits just using it as a fancy-sounding buzzword. Really its talking about the far more ancient questions of determinism vs. indeterminism and predictability vs. unpredictability. He concludes, The plot of this series is one that wouldve been totally, 100 percent familiar to the ancient Greeksjust swap out the quantum computer for the Delphic Oracle. Aaronsonwho says he sort of likes Devs in spite of its quantum technobabblewould know: He wrote a book called Quantum Computing Since Democritus.

Speaking of Democritus, lets consult a few philosophers on the topic of free will. One of the most mind-bending aspects of Devs adherence to hard determinismthe theory that human behavior is wholly dictated by outside factorsis its insistence that characters cant change their behavior even if theyve seen the computers prediction of what theyre about to do. As Forest asks Katie, What if one minute into the future we see you fold your arms, and you say, Fuck the future. Im a magician. My magic breaks tram lines. Im not going to fold my arms. You put your hands in your pockets, and you keep them there until the clock runs out.

It seems as if she should be able to do what she wants with her hands, but Katie quickly shuts him down. Cause precedes effect, she says. Effect leads to cause. The future is fixed in exactly the same way as the past. The tram lines are real. Of course, Katie could be wrong: A character could defy the computers prediction in the finale. (Perhaps thats the mysterious unforeseeable event.) But weve already seen some characters fail to exit the tram. In an Episode 7 scenewhich, as Aaronson notes, is highly reminiscent of the VHS scene in Spaceballswe see multiple members of the Devs team repeat the same statements that theyve just heard the computer predict they would make a split second earlier. They cant help but make the prediction come true. Similarly, Lily ends up at Devs at the end of Episode 7, despite resolving not to.

Putting aside the implausibility of a perfect prediction existing at all, does it make sense that these characters couldnt deviate from their predicted course? Yes, according to five professors of philosophy I surveyed. Keep in mind what Garland has cited as a common criticism of his work: that the ideas I talk about are sophomoric because theyre the kinds of things that people talk about when theyre getting stoned in their dorm rooms. Were about to enter the stoned zone.

In this story, [the characters] are in a totally deterministic universe, says Ben Lennertz, an assistant professor of philosophy at Colgate University. In particular, the watching of the video of the future itself has been determined by the original state of the universe and the laws. Its not as if things were going along and the person was going to cross their arms, but then a non-deterministic miracle occurred and they were shown a video of what they were going to do. The watching of the video and the persons reaction is part of the same progression as the scene the video is of. In essence, the computer would have already predicted its own predictions, as well as every characters reaction to them. Everything that happens was always part of the plan.

Ohio Wesleyan Universitys Erin Flynn echoes that interpretation. The people in those scenes do what they do not despite being informed that they will do it, but (in part) because they have been informed that they will do it, Flynn says. (Think of Katie telling Lyndon that hes about to balance on the bridge railing.) This is not to say they will be compelled to conform, only that their knowledge presumably forms an important part of the causal conditions leading to their actions. When the computer sees the future, the computer sees that what they will do is necessitated in part by this knowledge. The computer would presumably have made different predictions had people never heard them.

Furthermore, adds David Landy of San Francisco State University, the fact that we see something happen one way doesnt mean that it couldnt have happened otherwise. Suppose we know that some guy is going to fold his arms, Landy says. Does it follow that he lacks the ability to not fold his arms? Well, no, because what we usually mean by has the ability to not fold his arms is that if things had gone differently, he wouldnt have folded his arms. But by stipulating at the start that he is going to fold his arms, we also stipulate that things arent going to go differently. But it can remain true that if they did go differently, he would not have folded his arms. So, he might have that ability, even if we know he is not going to exercise it.

We should expect weird things to happen when we are talking about a very weird situation. David Landy, San Francisco State University professor

If your head has started spinning, you can see why the Greeks didnt settle this stuff long before Garland got to it. And if it still seems strange that Forest seemingly cant put his hands in his pockets, well, what doesnt seem strange in the world of Devs? We should expect weird things to happen when we are talking about a very weird situation, Landy says. That is, we are used to people reliably doing what they want to do. But we have become used to that by making observations in a certain environment: one without time travel or omniscient computers. Introducing those things changes the environment, so we shouldnt be surprised if our usual inferences no longer hold.

Heres where we really might want to mime a marijuana hit. Neal Tognazzini of Western Washington University points out that one could conceivably appear to predict the future by tapping into a future that already exists. Many philosophers reject determinism but nevertheless accept that there are truths about what will happen in the future, because they accept a view in the philosophy of time called eternalism, which is (roughly) the block universe ideapast, present, and future are all parts of reality, Tognazzini says. This theory says that the past and the future exist some temporal distance from the presentwe just havent yet learned to travel between them. Thus, Tognazzini continues, You can accept eternalism about time without accepting determinism, because the first is just a view about whether the future is real whereas the second is a view about how the future is connected to the past (i.e., whether there are tram lines).

According to that school of thought, the future isnt what has to happen, its simply what will happen. If we somehow got a glimpse of our futures from the present, it might appear as if our paths were fixed. But those futures actually would have been shaped by our freely chosen actions in the interim. As Tognazzini says, Its a fate of our own makingwhich is just to say, no fate at all.

If we accept that the members of Devs know what theyre doing, though, then the computers predictions are deterministic, and the past does dictate the future. Thats disturbing, because it seemingly strips us of our agency. But, Tognazzini says, Even then, its still the case that what we do now helps to shape that future. We still make a difference to what the future looks like, even if its the only difference we could have made, given the tram lines we happen to be on. Determinism isnt like some force that operates independently of what we want, making us marionettes. If its true, then it would apply equally to our mental lives as well, so that the future that comes about might well be exactly the future we wanted.

This is akin to the compatibilist position espoused by David Hume, which seeks to reconcile the seemingly conflicting concepts of determinism and free will. As our final philosopher, Georgetown Universitys William Blattner, says, If determinism is to be plausible, it must find a way to save the appearances, in this case, explain why we feel like were choosing, even if at some level the choice is an illusion. The compatibilist perspective concedes that there may be only one possible future, but, Flynn says, insists that there is a difference between being causally determined (necessitated) to act and being forced or compelled to act. As long as one who has seen their future does not do what has been predicted because they were forced to do it (against their will, so to speak), then they will still have done it freely.

In the finale, well find out whether the computers predictions are as flawless and inviolable as Katie claims. Well also likely learn one of Devs most closely kept secrets: What Forest intends to do with his perfect model of Amaya. The show hasnt hinted that the computer can resurrect the dead in any physical fashion, so unless Forest is content to see his simulated daughter on a screen, he may try to enter the simulation himself. In Episode 7, Devs seemed to set the stage for such a step; as Stewart said, Thats the reality right there. Its not even a clone of reality. The box contains everything.

Would a simulated Forest, united with his simulated daughter, be happier inside the simulation than he was in real life, assuming hes aware hes inside the simulation? The philosopher Robert Nozick explored a similar question with his hypothetical experience machine. The experience machine would stimulate our brains in such a way that we could supply as much pleasure as we wanted, in any form. It sounds like a nice place to visit, and yet most of us wouldnt want to live there. That reluctance to enter the experience machine permanently seems to suggest that we see some value in an authentic connection to reality, however unpleasurable. Thinking Im hanging out with my family and friends is just different from actually hanging out with my family and friends, Tognazzini says. And since I think relationships are key to happiness, Im skeptical that we could be happy in a simulation.

If reality were painful enough, though, the relief from that pain might be worth the sacrifice. Suppose, for instance, that the real world had become nearly uninhabitable or otherwise full of misery, Flynn says. It seems to me that life in a simulation might be experienced as a sanctuary. Perhaps ones experience there would be tinged with sadness for the lost world, but Im not sure knowing its a simulation would necessarily keep one from being happy in it. Forest still seems miserable about Amaya IRL, so for him, that trade-off might make sense.

Whats more, if real life is totally deterministic, then Forest may not draw a distinction between life inside and outside of his quantum computer. If freedom is a critical component of fulfillment, then its hard to see how we could be fulfilled in a simulation, Blattner says. But for Forest, freedom isnt an option anywhere. Something about the situation seems sad, maybe pathetic, maybe even tragic, Flynn says. But if the world is a true simulation in the matter described, why not just understand it as the ability to visit another real world in which his daughter exists?

Those who subscribe to the simulation hypothesis believe that what we think of as real lifeincluding my experience of writing this sentence and your experience of reading itis itself a simulation created by some higher order of being. In our world, it may seem dubious that such a sophisticated creation could exist (or that anything or anyone would care to create it). But in Forests world, a simulation just as sophisticated as real life already exists inside Devswhich means that what Forest perceives as real life could be someone elses simulation. If hes possibly stuck inside a simulation either way, he might as well choose the one with Amaya (if he has a choice at all).

Garland chose to tell this story on TV because on the big screen, he said, it would have been slightly too truncated. On the small screen, its probably slightly too long: Because weve known more than Lily all along, what shes learned in later episodes has rehashed old info for us. Then again, Devs has felt familiar from the start. If Laplace got a pass for recycling Cicero and Leibniz, well give Garland a pass for channeling Laplace. Whats one more presentation of a puzzle thats had humans flummoxed forever?

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Making Sense of the Science and Philosophy of Devs - The Ringer

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Has coronavirus sent your kids suddenly home? Are they craving something to do nearly 24/7? Most schools and daycare centers are closed, and many parents have hours and hours of unstructured time with their kiddos. Despite this being a time of crisis, parents have an opportunity to create special memories with their children.

Now is an easy time to resort to lots of screen time, but experts recommend setting healthy limits. Studies show that too much screen time can impact brain development and attention span in children and even delay expressive language development in toddlers.

One challenge is that most parents have fewer community resources available to them than usual. Many libraries, gyms, museums, programs, and even parks are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Parents and caregivers are getting more creative than ever before to keep young minds engaged and hands busy. Here are some fun ideas.

Some are calling the coronavirus quarantine an unprecedented opportunity to let children be children and to have fun. Get them outside in the yard. Now is a wonderful time for children to build forts, do art projects, and dig in the dirt for worms (if possible). Imaginative play involves powering down the devices, providing children with open-ended toys or objects, and conceding to a little bit of chaos.

If your children arent used to playing this way, you can help spark their imaginations to get them started. It might also be helpful to rotate the toy supply of younger children. This makes newly rotated items more exciting and reduces clutter in their play area.

Spring is a wonderful time to get that veggie patch going and you can get the kids involved.

Many grocery stores sell seeds, so this might not even require a special trip to the garden supply or hardware store. Some helpful ways to get children excited about gardening involve including them in planning, reading books about gardening, creating a photo journal of the garden, or starting a compost pile.

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to plant a garden with a minimal amount of work and supplies is with direct seeding. Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets, melons, beans, turnips, green onions, and squash are all great candidates. If space is limited, do you have a patio, balcony, deck, or courtyard space you can use? If so, give container gardening a try with pots and planters.

No room for a backyard garden? Try container gardening on a balcony or deck. Image by Phichit WongsunthifromPixabay

Art projects with kids are a wonderful way to engage creativity, but they often consume a lot of resources.

Raiding the recycling bin for artistic inspiration is an easy way to repurpose materials, reduce waste, and avoid trips to the store. Reuse plastic bottles, mason jars, aluminum cans, and cardboard to craft new creations. Make bird feeders out of toilet paper tubes, an egg carton dragonfly, or tin can creatures.

Despite exercise being excellent for the immune system, now is an easy time to become a couch potato.

There are so many resources available online for doing physical activity, such as learning Thai Chi or Qigong, Zumba dance, ballet, karate, yoga, and meditation. Although this does involve some screen time, the kiddos can be active at the same time.

There are many ways to engage children in caring about the planet.

Greenpeace has a Plastic-free Future Global Classroom initiative with lesson plans and games for children of all ages. There are opportunities to celebrate Earth Day remotely. You can even organize a virtual event and promote it on the Earth Day website.

Due to social distancing, many people are feeling disconnected and lonely.

Think about your friends and family that might feel most isolated right now and consider fun and creative ways to connect them with the kids. This can involve making collages out of old magazines, tin can creatures from the recycling bin, or recording songs. Some families are using video conferencing to connect in unique and fun ways, such as playing hike-and-seek or singing happy birthday.

Do you have any torn or soiled linens or clothing? If so, what creations can the kids make from them?

If you have a dog, there are many fun toys you can make, such as a braided toy from repurposed linens. If you have a young child, sewing buttons on socks is an excellent way to improve sewing skills and a good start to creating a sock puppet! Older kids may enjoy sewing a simple pillow, drawstring bag, bean bags, or stuffed creatures.

What activities are keeping your kiddos busy? Share whats working best in the Earthling Forum.

See the article here:

How to Keep Your Kiddos Busy During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Earth911.com

Study group

The study group was differentiated by several sociodemographic factors, most importantly age of the participants, as it ranged from 45 to 65years. Obviously, it was due to the inclusion criteria adopted in this study, which referred not to the chronological age, but to the time which lapsed since the last menstrual period, and also due to quite large time span (between 2 and 10years of the menopause) accepted for the study. Participants of this study went through menopause between the age of 40 and 60. This is consistent with population studies concerning Poland [26] and other highly developed countries [27, 28].

The diversity concerning the place of living provides, according to some authors, the possibility of identifying beneficial as well as adverse aspects of living in urban and rural areas [29, 30]. It is worth emphasizing that the differences between these areas are becoming less and less noticeable. In this study the number rural residents was significant (40.4%). The vast majority of the respondents (75.5%) declared to have completed secondary education. Study groups in similar studies conducted by other authors also comprised women with similar educational background [31], however some other authors noted a higher percentage of participants with basic vocational education [32]. According to broad population studies, middle aged women are characterized by a lower level of education than the study group in the presented material [33].

Hormone replacement therapy was used by 10.6% of respondents at the time of the study. In the light of reports from literature, this percentage should be considered as relatively low, because, as some authors claim, climacteric syndrome symptoms appear in 75% of perimenopausal women, and 25% of them require treatment [34]. Hormone replacement therapy is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms, i.e. hot flushes, night sweats, dyspareunia, sexual dysfunction and insomnia, as well as in the prevention of osteoporosis [34, 35]. However, there are some contraindications to the use of this therapy [36].

In the presented material, an attempt was made to define the concept of being healthy as understood by the postmenopausal women. The obtained results proved that the respondents perceived health primarily as a feature (to have all parts of the body functioning well and not to feel any physical discomfort) and/or condition (to experience happiness most of the time). These results are similar to the results obtained in other studies which were carried out on groups of elderly people [37, 38]. There are also studies showing that health is perceived as a feature also by younger people, i.e. over 40years of age [39], and by chronic patients [40].

The analysis of the presented results showed that the definition of health was related to the self-assessment of health. The study proved that women with low self-assessment of their health more frequently understood health instrumentally. Interestingly, these participants selected the statements which defined health as a feature of a body (to take medications only occasionally, not be sick or only suffer from flu, cold or indigestion, not need to make appointments with a doctor and/or hardly ever go to the doctor). On the other hand, those who assessed their own health better were more likely to choose claims that corresponded to the definition values of the result (to eat properly) or purpose (to accept oneself, to know your capabilities and deficiencies). In his study, Juczyski noted that low self-assessment of health was associated with attaching greater importance to the physical criteria of health [25]. Moreover, there are differences in the way health is understood in the case of loss of health or the occurrence of chronic illness [3]. Thus, health self-assessment is gaining popularity in the field of epidemiological research where is employed to assess the health condition of entire populations [41]. Additionally, some authors notice a correlation between health self-assessment and the results of laboratory tests and the prevalence of various civilization diseases [42]. In this study self-assessment of health proved to be surprisingly high. It was rated as good by more than half of the respondents, even though they were undergoingcontinuous treatment for various chronic diseases. The literature review shows that hypertension, coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis are the main medical problems in the postmenopausal period [43, 44].

The overall rate of health behaviours of the women in the studied group was average (M=86.18, SD=13.08). The results proved to be comparable with the normalized results of Juczyski (M=85.98, SD=12.70) who observed that the postmenopausal women exhibit more behaviours that have a positive effect on health than younger women. Juczyski claims that the only exception to this observation are the younger women who are affected by some chronic diseases [25]. Recent years indicate a fairly constant tendency among older women to improve their health behaviours. According to some authors, seniors may even show above-average results [45]. However, the study by Kurowska and Kierzenkowska [32] shows the opposite trend women over 60 have worse results in the area of pro-health behaviours. The results of the present study indicate that prevailing pro-health activities encompass prophylactic behaviours. Postmenopausal women should be under a regular care of a gynaecological clinic, just like younger women, and the frequency and type of appointments should be agreed individually, depending on the needs [46]. Nevertheless, gynaecological check-ups should take place at least once a year [14].

Our study revealed that slightly more than a half of the respondents regularly had a prophylactic gynaecological examination, and only 32.0% of them did so in line with the above-mentioned recommendations. In addition, the study confirmed that some women (11.7%) had never had a prophylactic gynaecological examination performed. It is probable they would never see a doctor without a serious reason, which could be considered a risky behaviour once they reached the postmenopausal period. According to literature, the frequency of women reporting for gynaecological examinations decreases with age, and women between 41 and 60 report to the gynaecologist less frequently than every 20months [47]. This situation should be considered as both worrying and requiring improvement. This study shows that in many cases (37.3%) the only reason for making an appointment with a gynaecologist was the appearance of disturbing symptoms. Such appointments do not have a prophylactic character. Some authors claim that such appointments are perceived by many women as a compulsion or an indispensable duty. They feel exempt from this duty if there are no disturbing symptoms [14]. Sometimes even when symptoms do show up (including the climacteric syndrome), it does not increase the regularity of gynaecological check-ups [48]. Breast self-examination is the first step in the secondary prophylactics of breast cancer. It is a simple, inexpensive, fast and non-invasive examination and all women should be encouraged to be more actively responsible for their own health [49]. It is the self-examination of breast that increases the number of early detections of breast cancers and therefore women should be encouraged to perform this self-check on a regular basis [14]. Our study indicated that 72.4% of women perform breast self-examination, although only a few (13.8%) did it regularly on a monthly basis. Similar trend was observed by other researchers [50]. One of the possible manifestations of womens concerns for their own health is taking advantage of free prophylactic examinations. According to the National Health Fund (NFZ), in 2015 only one in five women took part in the Population-Based Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, and in 2018 nearly two times more women participated. The Population-Based Cervical Cancer Screening Program attracted even fewer women-9.34 and 17.89%, respectively [51]. Our study indicated that 72.4% of the respondents declared undergoing regular mammography examinations and 69.4% confirmed they undergo regular smear tests of the cervix. However, it is not known to what extent this was a participation in a population-based screening programme. Perhaps some of them decided to undergo these examinations on their own initiative, i.e. without an invitation. What is more, some women sign up for test in private clinics. Anyway, the attendance rate is still unsatisfactory [52]. The reasons for such low attendance rate may be numerous and include a lack of faith in their effectiveness, ignoring the problem of cancer, the fear of pain and nudity associated with the examination, as well as fear of detecting the disease [53].

As regards health behaviours concerning positive mental attitude (PMA), the following categories were taken into account: avoidance of upsetting and depressing situations, avoidance of excessive emotions and tensions, and social life. The analysed material showed quite high psychometric properties of this factor (M=3.60; SD=0.70), which can be considered beneficial for the mental health of postmenopausal women. This is good news, as in this age group the incidence of various mental disorders, especially depression and anxiety, is generally on the increase [9]. These women, when compared to younger women, feel more negative emotions, such as anxiety, sadness and exhaustion [49].

Proper eating habits (PEH) are the third important health criterion and a number of factors were taken into account including the frequency of consumption of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain bread, and decrease in the consumption of animal fats, sugar, salt and heavily salted foods. The literature emphasizes the importance of following the principles of healthy nutrition and proper diet in the prophylaxis of diseases typical for the postmenopausal period (metabolic syndrome, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, malignant tumors, osteoporosis and depressive disorders) [14, 54].

It is worth noting that Juczyski [25] presented an identical distribution of results for all categories of health behaviours in his study. It is undeniable, however, that the results obtained by the authors of this study as well as the results obtained by other authors show that women are not sufficiently concerned about their own health. The average results which were obtained in reference to health-related behaviours cannot be considered satisfactory, due to the fact that women in this period are more susceptible to various psychophysical disorders [9, 14, 55, 56].

Choosing pro-health behaviours is usually characteristic of people who are satisfied with their health [57]. In the presented material higher self-assessment of health was significantly associated with a higher general indicator of health-related behaviours. In addition, in both age groups women who regularly performed prophylactic gynaecological examinations obtained higher score of the general indicator of health-related behaviours, proper eating habits (PEH), prophylactic behaviours (PBs) and health activities (HA). Moreover, women over 55years of age, who achieved higher scores in prophylactic behaviours (PBs) had mammography screening and preformed self-examination of breasts more regularly.

The obtained results concerning the concept of health, health self-assessment and the type of health behaviours undertaken by postmenopausal women may be further used in broadly defined health promotion programs, including new prophylactic programs. Most of these programs are aimed at convincing women that the proposed health-related behaviours will not only improve their lives but also they will be beneficial for their families and society. However, the programs need to be constantly improved and adapted to changing needs.

This study has several important limitations that may affect the obtained results. First and foremost, the selection of the study sample using convenience sampling methodology. Next, the broad age range of women included in the study. Therefore, for the purpose of statistical analysis, the study group was divided into two age groups. This way it was possible to show in more detail any possible differences in health behaviours and in the undertaken prophylactic activities. Another limitation is connected with the inclusion of women who had reported that they were undergoing continuous treatment for chronic diseases at the time of the study, which could have modified their health behaviours. However, due to the age of the participants, it is difficult, if at all possible, to include only women without any ongoing health problems. Therefore, to minimize this limitation, a statistical analysis was performed to check any potential differences in health behaviours presented by women in these two groups (with and without chronic diseases). The analysis showed that there is no statistically significant difference between these women in terms of health behaviours. It has to be noted that the claim of an undergoing treatment for a chronic disease was made subjectively by the participants. Their health history was not examined to objectify the results, neither were their former health behaviours investigated. Therefore, it was impossible to compare and analyse any changes, which could have occurred in this regard. It would be advisable to carry out such analyses in the future using a mix-method methodology, supplementing the collected material with qualitative research, which would allow for a more in-depth analysis of the issue.

Originally posted here:
Perception of health, health behaviours and the use of prophylactic examinations in postmenopausal women - BMC Blogs Network

Editors note: Alina Hernandez is the co-founder of the First 1,000 Days of Wellness and vice chair of the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute. She considers herself a peaceful Wellness warrior and is passionate about supporting people to live their best lives. She has lived internationally for half of her life and happily now calls Houston home.

Here, she writes about wellness in the time of a pandemic, from an insiders perspective for PaperCity.

We are, undoubtedly, at Houstons best time of the year spring. The months of April and May are just beautiful in our green city, but Spring 2020 is not like any other spring in post-modern memory.

Normally this time of year sees us gearing up for Round Top, hosting friends, or simply out and about before the unbearable summer heat sets in. But this spring has us staying in and not doing much socializing at all.

Besieged daily by news cycles of our world in tumult and uncertainty, people everywhere are finding common ground in an experience that has many of us wondering whats next and when well get our lives back. Its the presence of a common foe a pathogen invisible to the eye that has brought our lives to a halt and shaken us to our core.

Everywhere we turn, we read and hear words like quarantine, isolation, infection, fatality, fear and crisis. These messages and other constant statistics on the virus lead to great uncertainty and stress, highlighting things that are out of our control.

One thing that does remain within our control is our ability to respond and one area where we can control is how we care for ourselves and those we love during this time. Its time to focus on our wellness, on what we can manage and change.

One of our most important reframes has to do with our wellness and self-care physically, mentally, and spiritually all part of a strategy or daily practice to maintain our health and our well-being as we navigate through Quarantine 2020 and beyond.

According to Dr. Gerry Bodeker (renowned Harvard/Oxford-trained clinical psychologist, epidemiologist and chair of the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute): Regular daily wellness practices ensure that this becomes a state of being rather than a rescue strategy, and this in turn becomes a new way of living in the post-COVID era a true opportunity and benefit from crisis.

After thinking about all the recommendations I could make, following on Dr. Bodekers wise words, here are a curated four that I believe are worth noting. Try these on for size:

1). Choose a Positive attitude instead of ruminating on everything thats wrong. Refocus on things that are positive, and practice gratitude for what we do have. Science tells us that people who are grateful are in better mental and physical health.

Take needed breaks from constant news and social media negativity and connect with your family and the people with whom youre at home. This is an opportunity to get to know each other better.

One of the added benefits of having to stay in place is that it has slowed us down, providing time for reflection and perhaps for the re-evaluation of our priorities.

Our new situation is an opportunity to build stronger bonds, create new traditions, and rejoice in our daily grounding rituals. Check out the Global Wellness Institutes PositivelyWellcampaign for a great source of learning why this is so important.

2). Think physical distancing instead of social distancing. Connection and our ability for connectivity is a basic human need and a source of happiness for most of us. People are wired to be social creatures, and we thrive on connectedness the pleasure of sharing our lives with family, friends, co-workers, and our communities at large.

Social life is central to who we are, and normally we organize our lives accordingly just like the seasons. Although we need to physically distance, our technology provides us with the ability to be more connected than ever before.

Rethink what being social means now and what it requires. If we cant be there physically, lets be there virtually.

Think virtual dinner party with friends. Organize a dance session with your besties, or simply enjoy a conversation with a family member or friend. Being in touch can make a big difference to your day and someone elses.

3). Think Green. Nature is one of our greatest sources for healing and one of the most important resources we have to build a strong immune system.

Biophilia, a fancy term that pacts a lot of punch, refers to the idea that humans possess an innate biological tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.

One of the latest wellness trends, something called forest bathing, is part of this phenomenon.

Scientists have found that plants and trees emit phytoncides, the airborne chemicals that plants produce into the environment and which seem to benefit humans. What is most interesting is that our human scale is designed to easily access these beneficial chemicals, as plants and trees are all around us.

The science tells us that nature offers one of the most reliable boosts to our mental and physical well-being, improving memory, mood, ADHD symptoms, and relief from inflammation and stress.

We are privileged to live in a city filled with green spaces, and many Houston neighborhoods are filled with tree-lined streets that provide us with shade, beauty and natures own medicine.

We can combine these benefits with a brisk walk for fitness (while we practice safe distancing) or a leisurely one to calm the mind and move our bodies. For those of us who have gardens, there has never been a better time to just sit and enjoy the relaxing splendor and healing qualities of what is just outside our door.

4). Get serious about your mental wellness while focusing on your physical, nutritional and spiritual health. Mental wellness is the foundation of all health and wellness. Engaging in self-care practices to boost your immune system, elevate your mood, and create resiliency is especially important now.

Dr. Bodeker further comments: Keeping inner balance and perspective is our best way to navigate through these difficult time, and pathways such as meditation, yoga and yoga breathing, music, and dancing all can help. . . The idea is to find a settled place within and stay there for a while. Mood, emotions, the chemistry of well-being all readjust. From there, we can come out with perspective and clarity and calm.

While most of us are familiar with the basics, the following are worth noting as foundational elements to optimize our mental health and well-being:

Movement that includes daily activities such as walking, biking, yoga and dancing. Movement and exercise are powerful medicine for many commonmental healthchallenges.

Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD and more.It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood.

Nutritional practices which include reducing the consumption of processed foods, especially in times of acute and chronic stress are very important. Eating a balanced, colorful diet rich in lean proteins, healthy fats (omega-3s/DHA), complex carbs and vegetables is a must, as the key nutrients present in these foods are essential to support our health.

Stress response is critical to feeling better and being resilient. While we could name many stress relief techniques, the following are impactful yet easy to practice at home:

Good sleep hygiene: This means going to sleep at a regular time nightly, in darkness, with electronic devices at least five feet away, for an uninterrupted seven to eight hours of sleep. This is especially important during stressful times. Sleep is anti-inflammatory and calms the nervous system and mind. Keeping a regular sleep cycle and exposing yourself to natural light in the morning keeps your natural daily rhythms strong and is greatly beneficial to a balanced mind and vitality, which strengthens the immune system function.

Meditation: While meditation might seem difficult at first, there are many user-friendly apps and techniques available, and you dont have to be a yogi to reap the benefits from this great wellness modality. This practice can reverse yourstress response, thereby shielding you from the effects of chronicstress. Studies have shown that heart rate and breathing slow down and blood pressure normalizes, while oxygen is used more efficiently by the body.

Dancing: While we may not be able to go out dancing, dancing in your living room or kitchen will do.

Research showsthat dancing can improve your mental health by boosting your overall happiness and its also a great cardio workout. It can improve cardiovascular health, increase stamina, strengthen bones and muscles, and stave off illnesses.

Music: Humans arehardwiredfor music. We carry this in our ancestral DNA in the form of vibration; no other stimulus positively activates so many brain regions; and indisputable research shows its dramatic positive impact on mood, anxiety and pain. For more information on this, click here.

Enjoy the visual world around us: The visual and performing arts are uplifting and bring us happiness and joy. With galleries and our performing arts venues closed to the public during this time, consider experiencing them through the many online portals set up and/or making an online art acquisition to support Texas artists and their galleries.

As we move into nearly three weeks of this unprecedented time, with indications that we will be in it for months to come, we in the international wellness community have held many global conversations with hundreds of people from all over the world. It has given me cause to pause and reflect, and perhaps it will do the same for you. T

he word crisis points to a deeper meaning of opportunity and comes from the Greek to separate, to sift, which means to pass judgment, to keep only what is worthwhile. Theres an opportunity in every crisis, and the deeper the crisis, the better the opportunity can be.

Perhaps the experience of Quarantine 2020, will bring us to a new way of thinking about our health and well-being and a new state of being.

One that is not just about avoiding a pathogen, but about making important changes that will improve the quality of our lives and help us be more resilient and thrive beyond our limitations. A new wellness.

Were all in this together, and each of us has a response-ability to ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities to be in our best health and well-being. This is our unique opportunity.

For more on wellness in the weeks and months ahead, come back to PaperCitys new Wellness section

More here:
Wellness in Coronavirus Times Real Strategies and Mental Health Best Practices for Coping With the World in Duress - PaperCity Magazine

Its been a full week since the hammer came down on the spring sports season, and to many athletes, coaches, parents and fans, it may have seemed like months.

For sports reporters, its the same way.

But while we wont be able to bring you game coverage of your favorite sports and teams this spring, we have you covered in a little different sort of way.

In January, The Republic published its All-Decade Boys and Girls Basketball teams from the 2010s. On Wednesday, we began a series of 18 more All-Decade teams in the other 18 IHSAA sports when we ran our All-Decade Wrestling team.

Over the next three weeks, well have the rest of the winter sports girls and boys swimming and gymnastics. Then in May, its on to the spring sports, and this summer, well bring you the All-Decade teams for fall sports.

That will lead into what most of us hope will be the return of high school sports action in August.

But thats not all. Beginning next week, well be spotlighting some of the top seniors from Columbus East, Columbus North and Hauser whose final sports seasons were wiped out because of the coronavirus pandemic. Since those seniors wont have a senior night, well give you sort of a senior night feel to these features.

We hope that along with our coverage of other interesting people and news will help get you through these days of uncertainty.

Barker named North MVP

Junior Blake Barker, who led Columbus North to an 18-6 record, has been selected MVP of the Bull Dogs boys basketball team.

Junior Reese Harmon won the Bull Dog Award. Senior Nick Schiavello won the John Carmichael Memorial Award, senior Casper Clark received the Behrman Big Dog Scholarship, senior Will King won the McDonald Mental Attitude Award and senior Cam Wischmeyer won the teams Scholar-Athlete Award.

Stogsdill headed to Hanover

Brown County senior Allison Stogsdill has decided to continue her basketball career at Hanover College.

Stogsdill led the Eagles with 16.3 points and added 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals a game this season in earning honorable mention All-State honors by The Associated Press. She also was an Academic All-State selection by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

More here:
No spring sports; we've still got you covered - The Republic

ITHACA, N.Y. With thousands of Ithaca residents joining millions of Americans in self-quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic, national, state and local mental health professionals are asking everyone to be aware of the potential negative impact of self-quarantine and social distancing can have on mental health.

To help people cope and better handle the struggle of being stuck mostly indoors during a viral pandemic that has killed thousands in New York State alone, Governor Andrew Cuomo has established a mental health hotline free and available to anyone in the state.

Social isolation contributes to depression, and hotlines can be a good first defense for dealing with any negative thoughts that are coming about as a result of the current situation, said Kevin Field, a clinical psychologist who practices in the Ithaca area.

Social isolation is often a clear indication that a person is suffering from depression, that is not the case anymore so during current times you have to go with more obvious things like losing pleasure in things you previously enjoyed doing, thats an early sign. Other signs include insomnia or irregular sleep and active suicidal thoughts, Field said.

Field added it is important for people to realize that clinically there is a difference between active and passive suicidal thoughts.

Thoughts like, I dont want to be here anymore, are passive, active suicidal thoughts involve thinking about the means and fantasizing enacting it, Field said.

If you or someone in your household are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, it is incredibly important to remove access to means of suicide, especially firearms,particularly for rural communities there tends to be access to firearms in households, said Field.

Field added that, despite the fact that many of the young-adults in Ithaca tend to be college-educated, that age group is still prone to rash decision making.

"A lot of attempts, especially for younger men between the ages of 18 and 25, tend to be impulsive acts where they arent depressed but instead just upset. But the most lethal demographic is men over 65, so really self-restricting access to firearms is very important, Field said.

Many therapists and mental health professionals are also staging sessions on the phone or using programs such as Facetime or Zoom. Field added that insurance companies and many therapists are in the process of figuring out the logistics, but it is always good for clients to ask if that option is available.

As it stands, all New Yorkers can call (844) 863-9314 to schedule a free mental health appointment with a certified mental health professional volunteering their time. According to Cuomo, over 6,000 mental health professionals across the state have volunteered to man the lines and help New Yorkers get through the pandemic.

Cuomo, who has frequently drawn attention to the hotline during his daily press briefings, has also announced that New York State has partnered with the company Headspace to offer free mediation and mindfulness content for both children and adults.

People are struggling with the emotions as much as they are struggling with the economics, said Cuomo during a previous press conference.

Along with the increased possibility for depression during social isolation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that stress caused due to the pandemic and self-isolation can also create increased reliance on drugs such as alcohol, nicotine and marijuana.

Along with using the resources that are being made available, such as Headspace, Field said that there are things people can do to try to maintain a healthy mindset during the pandemic.

Regular exercise is very important and can go a long way in helping you keep a positive attitude. Another idea is using social media to replace the social interactions lost during the pandemic.

Generally speaking we want kids off social media as there have been studies showing a correlation between increased screen time and depression. But right now we want people, especially the elderly on it. For elderly people it seems that they benefit from increased screen time, Field said.

Along with the New York State mental health hotline at (844) 863-9314, the CDCs disaster distress helpline can be reached at 1-800-985-5990. Instances of domestic violence can also increase during times of self isolation. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1800-799-7233 or TTY 1800-787-3224. New York State has also set up a domestic violence hotline that can be reached at (800) 942-6906.

Programs available through Headspace can be accessed through http://www.headspace.com/ny.

Featured image Courtesy of Jacob Mroczek

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How to avoid the mental health impacts of social distancing - The Ithaca Voice

Now more than ever, mental health is extremely important. Weve all got a combination of cabin fever, a fear of the outside world and how its affecting our friends and family, and much more. On top of staying physically fit to ensure our mental health stays intact, weve been doing a deep dive into the world of meditation. Having a calming practice like this is key for staying sane in a time like this. Adding meditation into your routine brings you so much mindfulness. For this reason, we interviewed Luke McLeod, founder of Soul Alive, a company dedicated to teaching the wonders of adding mindfulness into your routine. He gave us tips for beginners and busted some myths about meditation for us. Keep reading below for more! 1) What are some of the reasons why people need to start adding some more calming practices into their routines?

Well, right now almost every human life has been affected in some way due to the COVID-19 virus and although we might now know what we need to do to stop the spreading of it, what we need to start focusing on is the ripple effect it is having on our mental health.Introducing easy & quick exercises to your daily routine will do a long way to helping you maintain a clean and healthy mindset throughout this difficult time.

Im constantly researching for new exercises I can implement into my daily schedule. But what I really try to look for is how easy and quick can it be implemented, yet also have the most impact.The following would be my top suggestions that can be done at any time from anywhere and truly do have a strong positive impact on ones mental state:

Keeping a gratitude journal

Sending a text each day to a loved one/friend

15 20 minutes of meditation

Small breaks in nature

Image: Luke McLeod

Meditation opens the door to the present moment and this is where calmness resides. Because when we are truly present we realize that everything isnt so bad. Were still breathing, the sun is still shinning. The simple realization that is true and happening right now. Not the fictional stories that are playing out in your head.Even just small amounts of meditation can do a lot. 5-10 minutes a day can calm your mind and pull you into a clear state of mind to take-on those challenges/work that lay before you.

I think the big one would be letting go of what youre wanting meditation to do for you. Meditation almost works best if you can approach it in the complete opposite way we approach most things in our life. What I mean by that is that we when often go into learning a new skill or exercise, we put objectives/goals around it. This works great for achieving things in work, fitness and even other mental exercises. But progression with meditation comes the more willing you are to surrender and just let yourself open up. Dropping the expectations of what you are wanting it to do for you and simply trusting the process.

Another common misunderstanding with meditation is when you catch yourself wandering off, most people think at that point theyre doing it wrong. Which then snowballs and leads them to feel quite frustrated. Whereas that moment when you catch your mind drifting off is actually an essential part of meditation. Thats you becoming more self-aware and something to be celebrated. So when this happens, and it certainly will, its just a process of simply acknowledging it and bringing your focus back to whatever you were concentrating on.

A myth I often hear is that meditation is about getting your mind to switch-off. Ive never understood that because if the mind switched off you wouldnt be around for much longer. Its just like if the heart stopped beating. Its a major organ of the body and thats its job. Instead, I like to see mediation as a way of switching on your mind. This simple shift in perspective about it can really help, particularly for those people that say I could never meditate because I wouldnt be able to get my mind to switch off.

The last myth worth addressing is around the typical meditation position. You certainly dont have to sit in the lotus position with hands resting on your knees, thumbs touching your index fingers. This most important factor when it comes to your meditation position is that youre comfortable. For me, this is simply sitting in a chair with my feet flat on the ground and hands resting in my lap.

I originally found meditation about 10 years ago as a tool to help me with my work as I remember reading an article that one of the most common habits of successful people was that they all meditated. Since then it has evolved enormously for me and now filters into every area of my life.

Ive experienced so many ah-ha moments with meditation and still continue to do so. But one of the biggest ones was when I almost gave it up because I felt like it wasnt progressing with it. I decided to give it one last chance and went into it with this almost care-free attitude and thats when I realized a big secret that meditation works the best when you drop all the expectations of what you want it to do for you. The more willing you are to surrender to it, the more it will work its magic.

Image: Luke McLeod

Read the rest here:
Why Mental Health And Meditation Are Important Now More Than Ever - Sporteluxe

All lifes niceties seem to have been taken away. Things we took for grantedgoing out to dinner, meeting friends for drinks, going to the theatreall gone. Gone, it seems, like that old axiom, in the blink of an eye.

And were stressed and frustrated thats for sure.

Whats happening to us in this pandemic is nothing that people in the past havent experienced in one way or the other. For some of us its a comfort knowing that those people made it through dark times. For others its a that was then, this is now way of thinking.

Were just frustrated that our lives have been upended so swiftly and stressed that we cant get back to the way we were just a few short weeks ago. How do we deal?

Having a coping mechanism helps say mental health experts. Thats an activity we do to seek and apply solutions to stressful situations. Some people learned coping skills as a child from their parents. They saw how a stressful situation was dealt with by the adults in their lives and they carried that into their own adulthood. That can be cooking, puzzle solving, board games, etc.

There are those who use music to deal with a stressor. Listening to music, singing along to itall are proven to lower stress. The cadence of the sounds seems to calm and soothe brain waves improving your mood. So sing along loudly to your favorite music and enjoy your performance!

One of the best ways to cope with stress is movementnamely exercise. Im an avid tennis player and dancer but, truthfully, I hadnt felt much like moving when it hit week four of social distancing.

Tennis was outeven outdoor courts were closed. Dancing? Nope. Classes canceled until further notice. So I didnt move at all, choosing instead to watch movies or binge series shows for most of eight hours a day. Not a good thing and my body felt it.

Grudgingly I forced myself to get up and do some barre exercises, go for a walk, run in placeanything just to move. My muscles hurt as they went from complete couch queen mode to moving again. I hated it! But

As much as I hated it at first, I noticed that my body was actually feeling better. I didnt wince when my back hurt as I got up from a chair or curse the tired feeling in my legs going downstairs to the laundry room to wash clothes. It was a good way of coping with physical stress brought on by an objectmy bodyat way too much rest. My body in motion felt so much better.

Endorphins, your brains feel-good neurotransmitters, are released when you do a physical activity. They trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine but without a chemical addiction. That alone should make us want to do some form of physical activity in this stressful time.

Basically, any form of exercise or movement can decrease your stress. You dont have to suddenly become a marathon runner to gain the mental benefits of moving your body. The most important thing is to pick an activity that you can do at home and one that you enjoy.

No one likes uncertainty or living with anxiety. Its not healthy. Do something good and positive for your body and mental attitude. Include as little as fifteen minutes of movement a day into your life. It will make a huge difference in your life.

We all need this right now.

Read the original here:
How to Deal with Stress and Frustration? Move! - Thrive Global