Daily Dose - 12/11/19
Giving you a rundown of science news from across disciplines
Hey y’all and welcome to the Daily Dose! Sorry for the late, short roundup today. It was a crazy busy day in all the best ways! (More on that tba). But enjoy this quick little itty bitty bite of today’s news!
In today’s news: food impulsivity brain circuits and indigenous knowledge
Researchers Discover Brain Circuit Linked To Food Impulsivity
In a study out today in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Georgia found that specific circuits that elevate MCH levels in the brain can affect impulsive eating. While it has previously been known that increased MCH levels alter food intake, this study specifically attributes these alterations to hypothalamus-hippocampus circuitry in mice that made them less capable of consequence-based behaviors in relation to food. The team hopes to continue this research to understand its clinical implications in treating eating disorders in humans.
Indigenous Knowledge Shown To Be As Accurate As Scientific Monitoring
A new multi-organizational study announced today by the British Ecological Society has found that local indigenous knowledge is as affective as 10 years of scientific transect monitoring when it comes to studying animal abundance in the Amazon. The study tested the traditional ecological knowledge of local hunters for 97 species across 16 sites against 10 years worth of transect monitoring data, and found that species abundance estimates for both held the same level of confidence.
Though the respect for both indigenous communities and indigenous knowledge have historically, and in some cases presently, been severely lacking in how we’ve conducted science (sometimes to fatal effect), thankfully there has been a significant push in recent years to remedy these deeply problematic practices.
For related reading, Braiding Sweetgrass by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer is a fantastic book that I recommend enthusiastically and often.
And for today’s personal news!
I have long been an opponent of savory oatmeals. For me, oatmeal is sweet. Oatdessert, you could say. But the other day I tried this recipe (yes it’s from Goop, leave me alone), and it is with a heavy heart that I announce that I am a convert. It’s delicious. It’s like risotto, but with oats, so I don’t feel bad for eating it for breakfast (I would still eat risotto for breakfast, mind you, but I’d feel slightly bad about it). Anyways, it’s amazing and you should try it and as a note: make sure you include the dashi and soft-boiled eggs because they really take it to the next level.
Well that’s all you lovely beautiful nerds. Til tomorrow! xoxo love ya