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The dead may outnumber the living on Facebook within 50 years
New analysis by academics from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), part of the University of Oxford, predicts the dead may outnumber the living on Facebook within fifty years, a trend that will have grave implications for how we treat our digital heritage in the future.
The analysis predicts that, based on 2018 user levels, at least 1.4 billion members will die before 2100. In this scenario, the dead could outnumber the living by 2070. If the world’s largest social network continues to expand at current rates, however, the number of deceased users could reach as high as 4.9 billion before the end of the century.
“These statistics give rise to new and difficult questions around who has the right to all this data, how should it be managed in the best interests of the families and friends of the deceased and its use by future historians to understand the past,” said lead author Carl Öhman, a doctoral candidate at the OII.
“On a societal level, we have just begun asking these questions and we have a long way to go. The management of our digital remains will eventually affect everyone who uses social media, since all of us will one day pass away and leave our data behind. But the totality of the deceased user profiles also amounts to something larger than the sum of its parts. It is, or will at least become, part of our global digital heritage.”
Co-author David Watson, also a DPhil student at the OII, explained: “Never before in history has such a vast archive of human behaviour and culture been assembled in one place. Controlling this archive will, in a sense, be to control our history. It is therefore important that we ensure that access to these historical data is not limited to a single for-profit firm. It is also important to make sure that future generations can use our digital heritage to understand their history.”
The analysis sets up two potential extreme scenarios, arguing that the future trend will fall somewhere in between:
- The first scenario assumes that no new users join as of 2018. Under these conditions, Asia’s share of dead users increases rapidly to account for nearly 44% of the total by the end of the century. Nearly half of those profiles come from India and Indonesia, which together account for just under 279 million Facebook mortalities by 2100.
- The second scenario assumes that Facebook continues to grow by its current rate of 13% globally, every year, until each market reaches saturation. Under these conditions, Africa will make up a growing share of dead users. Nigeria, in particular, becomes a major hub in this scenario, accounting for over 6% of the total. By contrast, Western users will account for only a minority of users, with only the US making the top 10.
“The results should be interpreted not as a prediction of the future, but as a commentary on the current development, and an opportunity to shape what future we are headed towards,” explains Öhman. “But this has no bearing on our larger point that critical discussion of online death and its macroscopic implications is urgently needed. Facebook is merely an example of what awaits any platform with similar connectivity and global reach.”
Watson added: “Facebook should invite historians, archivists, archaeologists and ethicists to participate in the process of curating the vast volume of accumulated data that we leave behind as we pass away. This is not just about finding solutions that will be sustainable for the next couple of years, but possibly for many decades ahead.”
The predictions are based on data from the United Nations, which provide the expected number of mortalities and total populations for every country in the world distributed by age, and Facebook data scraped from the company’s Audience Insights feature. While the study notes that this self-reported dataset has several limitations, this provides the most comprehensive publicly available estimate of the network’s size and distribution.
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Materials provided by University of Oxford. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Health24.com | Microbes on international space station are familiar from earth
Scientists have been cataloguing bacteria and fungi inside the International Space Station (ISS), and they say their efforts should keep astronauts safe and could also have benefits on Earth.
The team analysed samples collected from eight locations on the space station during three flights across 14 months. The samples came from the viewing window, toilet, exercise platform, dining table and sleeping quarters.
Shaped by people
Most of the microbes they found were human-associated. The most common bacteria were Staphylococcus (26%); Pantoea (23%), and Bacillus (11%).
Some of the microbes pose health risks on Earth, such as Staphylococcus aureus – often found on the skin and inside the nose – and Enterobacter, which is associated with the digestive tract.
They’re common in gyms, offices and hospitals, which suggests that the ISS is similar to other built environments where the population of microbes is shaped by people, according to the authors. Their study was published recently in the journal Microbiome.
“Specific microbes in indoor spaces on Earth have been shown to impact human health. This is even more important for astronauts during spaceflight, as they have altered immunity and do not have access to the sophisticated medical interventions available on Earth,” corresponding author Kasthuri Venkateswaran said in a journal news release.
He is senior research scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California.
Importance of further studies
“In light of possible future long-duration missions, it is important to identify the types of microorganisms that can accumulate in the unique, closed environments associated with spaceflight, how long they survive and their impact on human health and spacecraft infrastructure,” Venkateswaran explained.
The scientists noted that some of the microbes identified can cause corrosion on Earth. Whether some could sicken astronauts is unknown.
“This would depend on a number of factors, including the health status of each individual and how these organisms function while in the space environment,” said study first author Aleksandra Checinska Sielaff.
“Regardless, the detection of possible disease-causing organisms highlights the importance of further studies to examine how these ISS microbes function in space,” said Checinska Sielaff, who’s from the laboratory’s biotechnology and planetary protection group.
The research could “also have significant impact on our understanding of other confined built environments on the Earth such as clean rooms used in the pharmaceutical and medical industries,” Venkateswaran said.
Image credit: iStock
Health24.com | Sugaring is the new waxing alternative that you need in your life
Before you book your next waxing appointment, consider this: There’s a natural, less painful, healthier alternative that’s popping up all over – sugaring.
What is sugaring?
Sugaring is a hair-removal technique that relies on a paste traditionally made from lemon, sugar, and water, though some spas add honey and essential oils as well. “Patients are increasingly attracted to clean beauty and clean skincare routines, so it’s a great option for those seeking more natural products,” says Dr Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City. Typical wax formulas have resins and often preservatives, which, though not labelled unsafe, can irritate those with sensitive skin (and not be great for the environment).
But what makes sugaring stand out even more is the fact that it’s significantly gentler on skin. “Regular wax needs to be very hot to stick to hair, then dries into a solid when it cools,” says Bowe. You have the risk of a thermal burn – a pretty common side effect, especially with less-than-stellar aestheticians.
While thermal burns are usually just a temporary problem (red and hot, like a sunburn), the heat can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, which could leave you with scarring or discolouration.
Sugar wax, on the other hand, is more like a dough. All the mixture needs is a little warmth to make it pliable, but no heat, since its stickiness isn’t temperature-dependent. That means no risk of a thermal burn.
Plus, “typical wax attaches very aggressively to the top layers of skin, so when it pulls out hair, it can pull out living layers of skin too,” says Bowe. Sugaring supposedly adheres only to the dead layer of skin cells and the hair shaft, reducing the ouch factor even more. Your waxer may have to go over the same area a few times, but because it’s so much gentler, it shouldn’t hurt or cause irritation.
Read more: 9 things your waxer wants you to know, but will never tell you
So…are there any risks at all?
When skin is involved, there’s always reason to be cautious. “You could still contract an infection by bacterial contamination,” says Bowe, “so always make sure your aesthetician prepares a new paste for you.”
Also keep in mind that lemon juice, one of the paste’s main ingredients, is extremely acidic, and if used in an improper ratio, it could potentially cause a chemical burn. That’s rather unlikely, but still, the acid can be damaging to the skin barrier, so consider skipping it for your Brazilian. Added essential oils can also be irritating to some, so “ask the salon for a sample so you can test a patch at home”, Bowe suggests.
And don’t forget: You’re still ripping out hair, so make sure you have at least rice-length growth, don’t exfoliate beforehand (no retinols), and wear loose-fitting clothing after your wax so your skin can breathe.
Ready to get sugared?
Go for it! Find a salon via a quick Google – reviews are your best friend when it comes to the beauty trend. Prepare to actually be excited about waxing.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za
Image credit: iStock
Health24.com | Rekindling your sex life after a heart attack
Having sex after a heart attack is a concern not only for men, but for many women, too. Because of fear and a lack of information, many may think it’s no longer possible to enjoy a sex life. Fortunately, that’s rarely the case.
However, while many women do resume their sex lives within months after having a heart attack, they often do so fearing how sex could affect their hearts.
Doctors don’t mention the issue
There are also other factors that affect a woman’s feelings toward sex, which go beyond the purely physical. Many people become depressed after a heart attack and that can affect their desire for sexual activity. Needed medications can cause sexual dysfunction.
Also troubling, many heart attack sufferers’ concerns about sex often remain hidden from their doctors. In fact, many women who’ve had a heart attack never talk to their doctors about resuming their sex life or their fears of doing so.
Too often, doctors fail to bring up the issue themselves. For the women who do have this conversation, it’s usually they – not their doctors – who broach the subject. Doctors are often unsure exactly what advice to give even though experts say that, for most people, sex after a heart attack is a low-risk activity.
Bottom line: Many women and men have questions about their sexuality after a heart attack. It’s important to voice them to your doctor and bring pleasure back into your life.
Image credit: iStock
A Disorder Caused This Woman’s Leg to Be Continuously Swollen. But She Still Completed a Triathlon
In 2004, 17-year-old Alison Mahoney was diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in one or both of arms or legs. There isn’t a cure for the condition, and Mahoney has used a compression garment to treat it. This treatment involves squeezing her entire swollen left leg into a wrap of sorts.
Mahoney's diagnosis and treatment took a toll on her confidence, making her self-conscious about her appearance. But she eventually learned to embrace her body after her diagnosis and has accomplished much since she first learned she had lymphedema. The Daily Mail reports that Mahoney has participated in half marathons, an Olympic distance triathlon, and a sprint triathlon—all while wearing her compression wrap.
Mahoney’s story highlights the fact that a highly active lifestyle is still possible after a lymphedema diagnosis. Around 180 to 250 million people worldwide have the condition, according to the Alberta Lymphedema Network (ALNET). “However, prevalence is often underestimated due to inconsistent clinical detection and definition, as well as inadequate disease tracking,” a statement from ALNET says.
RELATED: What Are Lymph Nodes?
So how does the condition occur? It can be caused by damage to or the removal of your lymph nodes, the Mayo Clinic says. “It results from a blockage in your lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. The blockage prevents lymph fluid from draining well, and the fluid buildup leads to swelling.” Lymphedema is a common side effect of cancer treatment.
Early diagnosis of the condition as well as careful management of the affected limb or limbs can help patients control the condition, for which there is no cure.
The use of a compression garment is one of a number of available treatment options. Another option is massage. “A special massage technique called manual lymph drainage may encourage the flow of the lymph fluid out of your arm or leg,” the Mayo Clinic explains. However, that treatment won’t work for everyone, and patients with blood clots or a skin infection should avoid it.
A different treatment option is called pneumatic compression. The Mayo Clinic describes the way it works: “A sleeve worn over your affected arm or leg connects to a pump that intermittently inflates the sleeve, putting pressure on your limb and moving lymph fluid away from your fingers or toes.”
RELATED: A Woman’s Swollen Pinky Finger Turned Out to Be a Rare Deadly Infection
Another treatment, which Mahoney is certainly familiar with, is exercise. “Light exercises in which you move your affected limb may encourage lymph fluid drainage and help prepare you for everyday tasks, such as carrying groceries. Exercises shouldn’t be strenuous or tire you out but should focus on gentle contraction of the muscles in your arm or leg,” Mayo Clinic says.
Mahoney told the Daily Mail that exercising has helped her tremendously. “Fitness and working out has helped build my confidence,” she told the outlet.
“I love how I feel after I work out. Basically, I think, ‘OK, so you have something wrong, but it’s not like you can’t move.’ Plus, exercise helps move lymphatic fluid and keeps me healthy, so that is a win-win,” she added.
In addition to marathons, Mahoney has gotten into bodybuilding. “Doing the bodybuilding competition really helped me out of my shell and got me to really open up and hold my head high regardless of my disease. The bodybuilding community was also very supportive and encouraging. The day of the competition everyone was so kind. I never felt judged or looked down on for having lymphedema.”
Mahoney, now 32, has perfected a message of true body positivity while taking control of her wellbeing: “Everyone has something wrong with them. Get help, learn to manage it, and, then, get on with your life.”
RELATED: 13 Reasons Your Feet Are Swollen
How much exercise do you need?
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Cosmetic procedures: Firms warned over ‘duty of care’
Too many providers are “operating as a law unto themselves”, England’s top doctor says.
No safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, suggest researchers
An international group of researchers has taken one of the first major steps in finding the biological changes in the brain that drive fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). New work using chaos theory to analyze brain signals, discussed this month in the journal Chaos, from AIP Publishing, shows the long-term effects.
Researchers found that teenagers who were exposed to alcohol while in the womb showed altered brain connections that were consistent with impaired cognitive performance. Their findings were reached by measuring the responses from a brain imaging technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG) and then analyzing them with tools developed using chaos theory.
FASD is one of the leading causes of intellectual disability worldwide and is linked to a wide array of neurological issues, including ADHD. While the prevailing theory links expectant mothers’ alcohol consumption to cognitive impairments for children, questions about the extent of this effect remain. Despite the known link, researchers are uncertain about the precise mechanism by which alcohol alters the developing brain.
The group’s efforts mark one of the first times researchers have been able to quantify the effects of alcohol exposure on the developing brain.
“The paper provides important integrative results for the field of FASD,” said Julia Stephen, an author on the paper. “These results may then indicate that simple sensory measures may provide sensitivity for brain deficits that affect the broader cognitive domain.”
Previous attempts to study the brain circuitry in affected individuals have been hampered by the difficulty of drawing conclusions from complicated MEG data.
To get to the heart of the problem, members of the team developed a sophisticated computer technique called Cortical Start Spatio-Temporal multidipole analysis that could identify which areas of the brain were active when research subjects were in the MEG machine.
After data from 19 FASD patients and 21 subjects without FASD was collected, the computational approach revealed several areas of the brain that showed impaired connectivity among the FASD group.
Subjects who were exposed to alcohol in the womb were more likely to have issues with connections through their corpus callosum, the band of brain tissue that connects the left and right halves of the brain. Deficits in this area have been reported in people with schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, autism, depression and abnormalities in sensation.
“This work presents major evidence that children exposed to alcohol prenatally are at risk of suffering from impaired cognitive abilities and other secondary factors,” said Lin Gao, an author on the paper. “Our study … shows that there is no safe amount or safe stages during pregnancy for alcohol consumption.”
The authors hope their work inspires other groups to conduct similarly collaborative research on diseases like FASD that benefit from drawing together medical and computational fields.
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Materials provided by American Institute of Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
New fallout from ‘the collision that changed the world’
When the landmass that is now the Indian subcontinent slammed into Asia about 50 million years ago, the collision changed the configuration of the continents, the landscape, global climate and more. Now a team of Princeton University scientists has identified one more effect: the oxygen in the world’s oceans increased, altering the conditions for life.
“These results are different from anything people have previously seen,” said Emma Kast, a graduate student in geosciences and the lead author on a paper coming out in Science on April 26. “The magnitude of the reconstructed change took us by surprise.”
Kast used microscopic seashells to create a record of ocean nitrogen over a period from 70 million years ago — shortly before the extinction of the dinosaurs — until 30 million years ago. This record is an enormous contribution to the field of global climate studies, said John Higgins, an associate professor of geosciences at Princeton and a co-author on the paper.
“In our field, there are records that you look at as fundamental, that need to be explained by any sort of hypothesis that wants to make biogeochemical connections,” Higgins said. “Those are few and far between, in part because it’s very hard to create records that go far back in time. Fifty-million-year-old rocks don’t willingly give up their secrets. I would certainly consider Emma’s record to be one of those fundamental records. From now on, people who want to engage with how the Earth has changed over the last 70 million years will have to engage with Emma’s data.”
In addition to being the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, nitrogen is key to all life on Earth. “I study nitrogen so that I can study the global environment,” said Daniel Sigman, Princeton’s Dusenbury Professor of Geological and Geophysical Sciences and the senior author on the paper. Sigman initiated this project with Higgins and then-Princeton postdoctoral researcher Daniel Stolper, who is now an assistant professor of Earth and planetary science at the University of California-Berkeley.
Every organism on Earth requires “fixed” nitrogen — sometimes called “biologically available nitrogen.” Nitrogen makes up 78% of our planet’s atmosphere, but few organisms can “fix” it by converting the gas into a biologically useful form. In the oceans, cyanobacteria in surface waters fix nitrogen for all other ocean life. As the cyanobacteria and other creatures die and sink downward, they decompose.
Nitrogen has two stable isotopes, 15N and 14N. In oxygen-poor waters, decomposition uses up “fixed” nitrogen. This occurs with a slight preference for the lighter nitrogen isotope, 14N, so the ocean’s 15N-to-14N ratio reflects its oxygen levels.
That ratio is incorporated into tiny sea creatures called foraminifera during their lives, and then preserved in their shells when they die. By analyzing their fossils — collected by the Ocean Drilling Program from the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and South Atlantic — Kast and her colleagues were able to reconstruct the 15N-to-14N ratio of the ancient ocean, and therefore identify past changes in oxygen levels.
Oxygen controls the distribution of marine organisms, with oxygen-poor waters being bad for most ocean life. Many past climate warming events caused decreases in ocean oxygen that limited the habitats of sea creatures, from microscopic plankton to the fish and whales that feed on them. Scientists trying to predict the impact of current and future global warming have warned that low levels of ocean oxygen could decimate marine ecosystems, including important fish populations.
When the researchers assembled their unprecedented geologic record of ocean nitrogen, they found that in the 10 million years after dinosaurs went extinct, the 15N-to-14N ratio was high, suggesting that ocean oxygen levels were low. They first thought that the warm climate of the time was responsible, as oxygen is less soluble in warmer water. But the timing told another story: the change to higher ocean oxygen occurred around 55 million years ago, during a time of continuously warm climate.
“Contrary to our first expectations, global climate was not the primary cause of this change in ocean oxygen and nitrogen cycling,” Kast said. The more likely culprit? Plate tectonics. The collision of India with Asia — dubbed “the collision that changed the world” by legendary geoscientist Wally Broecker, a founder of modern climate research — closed off an ancient sea called the Tethys, disturbing the continental shelves and their connections with the open ocean.
“Over millions of years, tectonic changes have the potential to have massive effects on ocean circulation,” said Sigman. But that doesn’t mean climate change can be discounted, he added. “On timescales of years to millenia, climate has the upper hand.”
