​Germany will launch robots that will take care of the elderly ● What is the connection between a big brain and a long yawn ● We are losing our mountain forests, and this is not good at all

Germany is launching robots that will take care of the elderly

With the largest population in Europe, but also the largest segment of the aging population, Germany is preparing for a time when there will not be enough people to care for the elderly. And this moment is not far off, experts say. Somewhere around 2050.

In particular, there will then be at least 670,000 aged care jobs and no one to fill them. Here, experts of the Technical University of Munich say, there will be an acute need for jobs. And they are almost finished. A few tweaks and that’s it, in 2030 it could find its way into the homes of the elderly.

And what do robots do with it? In this case, the prototype developed by researchers from the aforementioned university (it was named Harmy) can serve food, open water bottles, call for help in case of anything, and most importantly, they are now working on the part where the robot will be able to diagnose the patient at home.

To avoid long commutes, queues, etc., the elderly will be diagnosed at home, and doctors will instantly receive the data obtained by the robot. It will also be configured to be used as a smartphone. It can be used for video calls to family members, acquaintances and others.

As you can see, and as the researchers involved in the project know, there are still many things such a robot cannot yet do. People will still be needed here. In addition, we will have to work on the part where elderly people can take such cars at home. But, at least to begin with, it will be an important step forward.

What is the connection between a big brain and a long yawn

Yawning is a poorly understood reflex gesture. And it is also contagious, as you well know, a fact that has not yet been fully explained. But even more interesting is that, observing about 55 species of mammals and 46 species of birds, some Dutch researchers from Utrecht University found that there is a correlation between the animal’s brain and the duration of yawning.

For example, the shortest yawn was recorded in mice (0.8 seconds), and the longest (6.5 seconds) in humans. It’s true that the study, published in the journal Communications Biology, sheds little light on these correlations between gesture duration and brain size. It also does not indicate any possible relationship with intelligence level.

Simply put, it only tells us that perhaps this gesture arose as an evolutionary mechanism for cooling and relaxing the brain. The bigger the brain and the more neurons it has, the more it needs such gestures. Simply put, it would be the thermoregulatory function of the brain, by transferring cold blood to this organ. Not 100% sure, but this is the most likely explanation.

As for it being contagious, it could be related to empathy or who knows what past gestures when animal communities synchronized their biological clocks. Obviously, this is also a hypothesis. However, until something definite is proven, you have a good explanation for your superiors if they catch you yawning during meetings or during work hours. Simply put, you worked so hard that your body felt the need to offer you a brief moment of relaxation, like a computer cooler. Therefore, do not doze off, on the contrary, prepare to become more attentive and efficient.

We are losing our mountain forests and that is not good at all

More than 85% of species of birds, mammals and amphibians that exist today live in forests. Especially the mountain ones, because today we were talking about them. And it is these forests that have suffered the most from human actions, according to a study conducted by an Anglo-Chinese group of experts, published in One Earth magazine.

Every year, the Earth loses about 78.1 million hectares of forest in mountainous areas. This area is larger than France. Moreover, the phenomenon is recorded everywhere, from Australia and Oceania to Asia, North and South America, Africa or Europe. Practically over the last 20 years, deforestation not only did not decrease, but also increased by 50%.

Forest fires in recent years, the conversion of terraces into agricultural areas (especially in Asia), etc., are added to them. Despite this, deforestation ranks first on the list of destructive factors, accounting for 42% of total losses.

Leave it to someone to come up with a flood and a mountain based on patterns that have been observed before. But all these losses also lead to a loss of biodiversity. It’s the only place that lasted. Now it’s good that we know this in theory. The protective measures that the authors of the study talk about look very good on paper. It is currently unknown when and whether drastic measures will be taken to protect forests. Also on previously seen models.

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