new year + new trends

Tiny fish on ketamine may show how drug eases depression – npr

Scientists are investigating why ketamine is so good at offering relief from depression. In tests on tiny zebrafish, researchers have noticed the drug causing long-term changes to a brain circuit involved in “giving up” which allows the fish to persevere in the face of adversity instead of becoming passive. They’re not exactly sure how this change occurs, but it appears to be linked to brain cells called astrocytes.

The Japanese micro-forest method is changing cities – euronews
Since 1990, more than 420 million hectares of forest have been lost globally. With 85 percent the world’s population living in cities, implementing micro-forests in urban areas could help us cool our cities, boost biodiversity, and combat deforestation. A unique reforesting technique developed by a Japanese ecologist Akira Miyawaki during the 1970s could be the foolproof answer to better, bushier, and bustling-with-nature cities in the future.

💬 Politics

Explaining Mozambique’s post-election crisis – thred.
Mozambique’s election result has been much disputed, as the Frelimo party’s Daniel Chapo emerged as the apparent winner over the expected appointment of the Podemos party’s Venancio Mondlane. Political unrest immediately erupted across the country, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing thousands of people to neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Eswatini. The violence is disproportionately affecting Mozambique’s youth, who make up close to 80% of the population.

Meta ends third-party fact-checking scheme as it prepares for Trump return – ft
The tech giant has announced plans to follow Elon Musk’s lead. Rather than continuing with its third-party fact checking program, Meta will now rely on community notes from active users – similar to what we see on X. The company says this is a move will ‘lift restrictions on some topics that are part of mainstream discourse’ so that it can focus its enforcement on illegal and more severe violations. It added that the platform will be taking ‘a more personalised approach to political content.’ Hm…

📺 Recommendation

I did read that the History’s Channel similar show Alone is even better, but I will have to check that out in the near future.

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Until next time,