Elegant science are not two words you hear put together very often. But for Carmel Valley resident Dr. Pamila Brar the phrase sums up her lifes career goals. Brar sees elegant science as the promise of precision medicine and works as the chief medical officer and clinical phenotyping research lead at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla. Her clinical research focuses on genomics, electronic medical records and artificial intelligence to identify various markers of health and disease.

The promise of precision medicine is intoxicating to me, Brar explains, the ability to tailor care to each individual is so very compelling and feels right in such an intuitive way. I am passionate about helping to extend the healthy human lifespan, and to help us all understand what makes us who we are as individuals.

Brar was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Clearity Foundation, which strives to improve the survival and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. Brar says she was interested in joining the foundation because it stands as a glowing example of an organization that provides the highest level of scientific knowledge to patients and their doctors, combined with truly helpful psychological support, and at no charge to patients.

Brar points out that, because ovarian cancer is such an elusive disease with no clear screening tools, it requires serious attention for us to outsmart it. It often contains multiple cell types even within a single tumor. So, in a way, it isnt just one disease. It is a valiant enemy. And to add insult to injury, it affects women in the prime of their lives.

Brar has personal experience in witnessing the devastating toll that ovarian cancer can take. During her internal-medicine residency, one of her interns was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 25. I recall her complaining of vague symptoms and all of us attributing it to the demands of medical training, she says. I remember the shock of learning she had ovarian cancer. After all, she was one of us -- a doctor. She wasnt supposed to be the patient. Tragically, she died within six months of diagnosis. Her situation hit very close to home for me, and her death left a big hole within our close-knit group.

Brar says she knew from around the age 7 or 8 that she wanted to be a doctor. She attended medical school at Louisiana State University at New Orleans and then trained at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. She worked in general practice at Scripps Clinic from 1999 to 2009. Then as we would say in my home state of Louisiana, I got a wild hair and decided that I wanted to stretch my wings and open my own private concierge medicine practice in La Jolla in 2010, she explains. During that time, she became quite intrigued with the fertile science and biotech environment San Diego has to offer.

I learned of the opportunity to participate in a new preventative precision medicine clinic at Human Longevity, Inc. founded by Craig Venter. I decided to leave my practice to participate in this new movement of genomics and precision prevention, Brar says. She served as medical director at the Health Nucleus at Human Longevity from 2015 to 2019. In that role, she led a multidisciplinary team responsible for the integration of whole genome sequencing, microbiome, metabolome and whole-body imaging, as well as the delivery of results to the participants. And she started to dream big.

My dream is that during my lifetime (I am 47), we will eradicate cancer, both through radical prevention, advanced screening and targeted and precise therapies, she says emphatically. I believe through the use of artificial intelligence, we will be able to make exponential advancements in the understanding of disease and health. We are inundated with data, and to be able to apply machine learning to these complex data sets, we can make connections faster and more profound than those that our minds can.

One challenge that still exists, Brar admits, is gender bias in research. She says statistics back this up. Even in animal studies, she explains, we have seen gender bias reproduced with more male mice in studies than female mice. Its our job as doctors, researchers and patients to close that gap. She encourages more women to participate in clinical trials and points out that awareness is key.

Despite the statistics, significant progress has been made. Women are now evenly represented in conditions such as diabetes, mental health, cancer and respiratory disease. But they still remain underrepresented in cardiology, HIV, chronic kidney disease, hepatitis and digestive disorders. We still have a long way to go, says Brar, but we are making progress.

Brar says she is very enthusiastic about the notion of understanding and realizing human potential and considers herself fortunate to be at the forefront of some of the most meaningful and potentially powerful research in the world.

The team of incredible people that I have the honor to work with at the J Craig Venter Institute, at Human Longevity, Inc. and at the Clearity Foundation truly embody the best of the scientific community working for the good of the human race. Lucky me!

For more on the Clearity Foundation, visit http://www.clearityfoundation.org.

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Carmel Valley doctor joins Clearity Foundation board in the fight against Ovarian Cancer - Del Mar Times

It's that time again when a fresh, new year awaits with so many possibilities. You want to make resolutions, but you definitely don't want to fail. We can help with that.

Here are plenty of great ideas to make this year a healthier, happier one Pick one, two or several ideas. They're not monstrously big changes but big enough that you'll feel better. And what better way to kick off a new decade?

There's a reason the gym is so packed in January. Many people make huge plans to hit the elliptical every day or attend regular aerobics classes. But when life starts to get in the way, attendance dwindles and the gym begins to look normal again.

The good news is that you don't have to do a serious workout to get the benefits of being active. Even 10 minutes of activity here and there adds up and gives you health benefits. Try pacing when you're on the phone, taking things up and down the stairs one at a time or dancing to a couple of your favorite songs. Or make a promise to walk your dog every day. You'll both love the exercise.

What if you added just an extra serving of vegetables each day? (Photo: Pinkyone/Shutterstock)

Going on a diet is another common resolution. But if you try to overhaul your diet completely, chances are you'll default to old habits quickly. You'll have much better luck if you start small.

Try making gradual diet changes like adding one more fruit or vegetable to your daily diet. Or try eating less meat and sugar. Once you conquer one small change, see if you can add another.

Although diet and exercise are two of the most popular resolutions, they aren't equal if weight loss is your goal. Moving matters, but cutting calories counts more when you want to drop pounds. Ideally, the two should go hand in hand for a well-rounded, healthier you.

If you increase only your exercise regimen without changing your eating habits, you're unlikely to lose much weight. This "exercise paradox" might be because your body adapts or you make up for your workouts by being sedentary the rest of the day.

Walking in the woods can lower stress and make you sleep better. (Photo: Skumer/Shutterstock)

Everyone knows that being in nature is good for your health. So make time to get outside. Just a simple walk in the woods boosts your well-being and has benefits from better sleep to lower stress. One study even found that walking in a park can give you the same feel-good sensations as Christmas.

If you don't have time to head to the park, try taking a walk at lunch. A lunchtime stroll can immediately improve your mood, increase relaxation and make you more enthusiastic about your work.

Stress in small doses is a normal part of everyday life. But when you're overwhelmed at work or at home, your body can suffer. Too much stress can take a toll on your heart, your brain and your weight, leading to headaches and trouble sleeping, upset stomach and chest pain, reports WebMD.

It's hard to get rid of stress completely, but there are ways to tackle it when it comes barreling your way. Try a few moments of deep breathing, yoga or meditation to calm your brain and body. One recent study found that people who learned eight happiness strategies were more easily able to conquer stress and were happier. You can choose the skills that work for you, including writing in a gratitude journal, recognizing a positive event every day and practicing a small act of kindness daily.

Spending time with pets is good for your physical and mental health. (Photo: ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock)

Dogs and cats are good for your health. If you have a pet, you know that great feeling when they crawl up in your lap or you go for a walk or play a game of fetch. Study after study shows how pets are good for everything from your heart health and longevity to your fitness and social life.

If you don't have a pet, consider getting one or at least maybe foster one or volunteer at a local shelter. If you do have a pet, dedicate yourself to spending more time with your four-legged pal.

You know you're helping others when you volunteer, but you will also reap the rewards of your kindness.

Studies have shown that people who volunteer for selfless reasons live longer than those who don't do charity work (or who do it because they have to). Other research has found that people who volunteer are less stressed and have lower blood pressure than those who don't help others in the community.

Getting a good sleep routine can mean less tossing and turning. (Photo: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock)

Just going to bed earlier or trying to sleep in longer doesn't count for getting better rest. You have to work on your sleep routine in order to wake up feeling amazing.

Make your bedroom inviting with comfortable sheets and no electronics. Have a nighttime ritual and go to bed and wake up at the same time even on weekends. Don't nap during the day and watch your caffeine. Be smart about exercise late in the day and consider whether your pet should be sharing your space.

There are so many reasons to declutter in the new year. You can get rid of things you don't need and donate them to people who can use them instead.

But having piles of paper and loads of things all around you also can lead to anxiety and stress, according to WebMD. You can feel overwhelmed and become nonproductive when you have too much stuff. It can be bad for your mental health and your physical health because of the dust and mold that can collect.

Take your cluttering a little at a time. Tackle a drawer, a shelf, a closet or a room at a time. Divide items into things you can donate, throw away or keep.

Standing at your desk can help ease some of the risks linked with too much sitting. (Photo: Juhan Sonin [CC by 2.0]/Flickr)

If you sit at a desk most of the day, it's easy to forget to get up and take a break. But sedentary behavior like sitting at a computer or watching TV for hours on end is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes, among other problems.

Just because you exercise at the beginning or end of the day, that doesn't offset sitting for nearly eight or nine hours straight. The best thing to do is take lots of breaks throughout the day or consider a standing desk.

If you didn't get your flu shot yet, you're not out of luck or out of the woods. Ideally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests everyone get the flu shot by the end of October. Flu season is October through March, but peak activity is typically in February.

While you're at it, check to see if you're up to date on other vaccines. If you're over 50, for example, you're due for a shingles shot. And when was the last time you had a tetanus booster?

Mary Jo DiLonardo writes about everything from health to parenting and anything that helps explain why her dog does what he does.

How to be a healthier, happier human in 2020

These small resolutions can make for a great start to the new year.

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How to be a healthier, happier human in 2020 - Mother Nature Network

Marking progress through a life in the arts is often measured in inches across years. Day-to-day, month-by-month, year after year after year. A show here, a break, another show. Life intervenes: relationships with artists are notoriously complicated for all involved, though not without distinct rewards. Issues of finances and longevity, ethics and the elusive nature of quality, that most subjective of measures, which moonlights under the auspices of its opposite, are daily considerations. Making art as a person of color, a woman, or an artist who is unquietly queer, femme, trans, non-binary or otherwise socially or culturally marginalized redoubles these complications and adds a few more: institutionalized racism and sexism, the demand for excellence in the face of white cis male mediocrity, a constant barrage of microaggressions, well-meaning liberalism. The list goes on and on.

And yet, against the odds, the artist rises. One of the most gratifying ascents to behold in the last few years has been that of Wardell Julius Clark. After a decade as a professional actor, Julius Clark switched his focus to directing in 2018while maintaining a foothold in the world of actingand has achieved a degree of critical and popular success the likes of which are rare for artists at any point in their career, with each new play building on the artistry of the ones before it. I spoke with Wardell via email as well as in person during this years Players photoshoot, where he was generous, thoughtful and game for anything, qualities that gracefully transpose onto his art and activism.

We talked a little over a year ago but it seems like a lifetime at the clip youve been working at. Catch us up on what youve been up to and whats coming next.

I went back on the other side of the table to act in Flyin West at American Blues Theater, then directed two staged readings at TimeLine Theatre. I worked with Make Believe Productions, recording an audio drama written by Nate Marshall, Bruh Rabbit, in front of a live studio audience. I opened the critically acclaimed Dutch Masters at Jackalope Theatre, The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 at Chicago Childrens Theatre, His Shadow at 16th Street Theater, and Hoodoo Love at Raven Theatre. I workshopped and did a stage reading of a brand new Calamity West play, Christmas at Home, with Sideshow Theatre this summer, as well as finally joining the ensemble of The Fly Honey Show for their tenth anniversary. Coming up, the Chicago premiere of Sheepdog opens at Shattered Globe, followed by the Chicago premiere of James Ijames Kill Move Paradise at TimeLine Theatre Company. After that, I head to Steppenwolf as associate director on the world premiere of the new Rajiv Joseph play King James with Anna D. Shapiro, which will move to the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles later in the summer.

What are the most significant things youve learned along the way about yourself as an artist and particularly as a director?

What I know for sure is that I am walking in my calling, living in my purpose and growing as a human being through my art. My ideologies have morphed and changed greatly over the past years, especially the last five. I have found a specific mission, one that is about illuminating, celebrating and relishing black life onstage, as a means to seek liberation for my people through the art we create. I have also learned that it is okay to not have all the answers. The best thing a director can do is surround themselves with a fierce, diverse team of individuals who share a common goal for the work, with a myriad of ideas about how to achieve our collective goal. Ive learned that my connection to any play is directly tied to how effective and powerful I think a story can be for the audience.

Because I spent ten years as a professional actor before adding director to my resume, it is less about learning new things and more about sharpening instincts that are already there. Ive learned that if I cannot figure out the big moment in the play before I accept the job, then I cant do the play. I have to have an instinctual, mental and visual understanding of how that works in the storytelling. Ive learned that taking something as small as three lines of stage direction can spark an entire theatrical moment in my mind, unrealized to the playwright and fully in service of the story.

Every storefront show you directed last year sold out. What is it about the work that you and your collaborators are doing that draws such enthusiastic crowds?

To me, theater is church. A sacred place to tell truths, to be a conduit and a reflection. Lifes mirror. I often talk about the distinction between concept and intention. What I mean by that is, every director has a concept for how they choose to interpret the text of a play. However, there are many productions that do not fully connect the concept to what the intention of the audiences emotion should be. From initial design meetings throughout preproduction and first rehearsal and the entire rehearsal process, I am continually reminding myself and all collaborators what the intention of our concept is. That idea fuels the theatrical relationship between production and audience. Audiences have to know that a Wardell Julius Clark production will be a full-bodied, visceral, emotional journey. That is because in every area of the production my collaborators and I intentionally seek to be as effective as possible in creating a world that not only the actors can live inside of but the audience as well. Chicago audiences have always known and continually crave this unabashed in-your-face experience from their storefront theater. Theater is both entertainment and education, even in the darkest moments onstage I want the audiences to be fully enthralled. The collective experience of the audience by nature makes people want to share it with each other. I like to build early word of mouth, buzz and excitement around the shows that I do. That, coupled with social media marketing and a lot of self-promotion [laughs] makes the whole thing work.

Critics like to note, or perhaps project patterns onto an artists output. What connections do you see between the plays youve directed?

All of the plays that I have directed so far deal with some aspect of the black experience juxtaposed against a past, present and future society seeking to invalidate our existence. I am drawn to work that illuminates black folks in our current condition while always striving for a more equitable existence in the world. A lot of my work has social justice themes. Growing up in Fairfield, Alabama and being steeped in the history of Birmingham, I have always thought of myself as an activist. A lot of the work that I have donefrom my first play Insurrection: Holding History at Stage Leftto the upcoming Kill Move Paradise at Timeline Theatreis steeped in various forms of liberation of black people. I am drawn to plays that have large theatrical moments or plays absent of blocking on the page. I said in our previous interview, and I still believe, what we do with our art is our revolution. I seek to do work that leads audiences on a revelatory journey, that can also act as a conduit for a better society.

Take us inside your directorial process. Where do you begin? Whats it like in the room? Are you nervous when a new show opens or are you already thinking about the next?

I begin with the images in my minds eye on my first read of the text. There are usually moments that I see from the page that are in the final form of the production. My conversations with designers during preproduction are less instructive and more free-form exploration of ideas. I always have a very clear understanding of how the world of the play should function and seek to collaborate with designers to bring their instincts to my vision. On the first day of rehearsal I always begin with a James Baldwin quote. Baldwin for me articulates the vast dexterity of black life. It sets the tone for how we will work over the next several weeks in rehearsal. My rehearsal room is very fun, I like to think. When the play is hard, the work shouldnt be.

I am always nervous when a new show opens, in that I hope the work resonates with audiences. I am also always thinking about the next show, usually based on necessity. Because of the freelance lifestyle, and scheduling, it has become a regular occurrence for me to be in preproduction while in rehearsals for another show. For example, my first week of rehearsals for Kill Move Paradise overlaps with tech and previews for Sheepdog.

You dont show much sign of slowing down but lets talk about self-care. What does a day off look like for you? Do you have a go-to getaway spot?

A day off? Whats that? Ha. Yes. My best friend Sydney Charles often jokes that I need a hobby. If I am gifted with a day off, I prefer to stay in bed. Self-care for me comes in very simple forms. Catching up on television shows, books that Ive been meaning to read, and checking in on pop culture. If I am treating myself, there are specific foods and beverages that I will indulge in. A Popeyes chicken sandwich and a Kentucky mule can do wonders. Dance for me is the loftiest of art forms and through daily practice and the occasional patronage I use dance as a form of rejuvenation and healing.

Who or what is currently inspiring you?

I am inspired by the artists in my inner circle. As a person who is constantly on the hunt for inspiration, surrounding myself with a small group of humans who share similar values and passion for life is my inspiration. My partner, Regina Victor, a person who embodies what I personally feel are the best qualities of the human spirit, is a daily inspiration in the way they pursue life. That daily interaction alone facilitates an energy in me that allows me to continue on my hardest days. I am inspired by the everyman in America who, in spite of everything, not only survives but thrives in their own world. My mothers joy inspires me. My brother Phillip James Brannon, who Ive long considered one of the greatest young actors in the American theater and now a rising TV and film star, has maintained his unique sense of self while continually growing and pursuing the very heights of our industry. There are also visual artists who greatly inspire me: Kara Walker, Hebru Brantley, Kerry James Marshall and Erin Mitchell.

Anything else you want our readers to know?

Yes. We are at a vital point in the American society and the human condition. As we have been before and more than likely will be again. It is more imperative than ever that we as people acknowledge the humanity in one another, and seek to find a more united understanding of how we can all exist together. That is what I search for in my work and that is the social media gospel I preach. The fundamental understanding that there are more things that connect us than separate us is the key to whatever comes next.

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Player of the Moment: Wardell Julius Clark - Newcity Stage

Humans are incredible living machines, with legs strong enough to run marathons and brains smart enough to know that invisible dark matter exists. Our bodies make sure we hear the correct frequencies, send the right immune cells to a paper cut and know when to stop drinking water. But there's still much to untangle about our human bodies, so all the time, we are discovering new organs and new secrets about how all of our nooks and crannies keep us going. This past year, new discoveries revealed an invisible network of immune cells, a "Jell-O" violin in our ears and how the oldest people in this world survived to such extreme ages.

Humans might hear so well because of a tiny "Jell-O" violin that sits inside the ears. The thin, blob of tissue, otherwise known as the tectorial membrane, is made up of 97% water. This tissue helps to bring sound waves from the ear to nerve receptors, which then translate that vibration into an electrical signal the brain can read. New research conducted on mice has found that this ear Jell-O helps the cochlea a cavity in the inner ear that contains these nerve receptors separate high frequencies from low frequencies. It does so by changing its stiffness, based on water flow that runs through its tiny pores, similar to what happens when you tune a violin or guitar. [Read more about the 'Jell-O' Violin]

Our bones might be full of a previously unknown network of microscopic tunnels. These pathways might be vital for transporting immune cells made in bones out to the blood for circulation. A group of researchers discovered hundreds of these tiny blood vessels, or capillaries, in the leg bones of mice. But finding something in mice doesn't necessarily translate to humans, so one of the researchers decided to stick his own leg into an MRI machine. The scans of the researcher's leg showed that there were holes in the bone tissue that could indicate that these capillaries also exist in humans. [Read more about these microscopic tunnels]

The brain makes sure that we don't drink too much or too little water, using a prediction mechanism in the gut, according to new research. The group figured this out by implanting optical fibers and lenses in mice near the hypothalamus a brain region that regulates blood pressure and other bodily processes and is home to "thirst cells." A few seconds after drinking something, the mouth and throat begin firing signals to the brain. These signals tell the brain that you feel less thirsty so you stop drinking. That way, you don't keep drinking for the 10 minutes to an hour it takes for that liquid to actually enter the bloodstream and circulate to cells in the body.

But your mouth and throat would tell your brain to quench your thirst, irrespective of the type of liquid you're drinking, if it weren't for another mysterious signal. This one comes from the gut, and it makes sure the brain knows that the water reaching it is salty which can dehydrate the body or nonsalty, ensuring that the brain quenches thirst only when the mice drank fresh water. [Read more about how the body knows when to stop]

This year, scientists discovered a previously unknown organ that sits right under the skin, and it may help you feel the pain of a pinprick. It was previously thought that needle pricks were sensed by nerve endings that sit below the outer layer of the skin. But a new study conducted on mice (but which is also thought to apply to humans) found that nerves tangled up in special cells are what help us feel this sensation. This mesh of branched cells called "Schwann cells" and nerves together makes up a new "sensory organ" because it responds to external pressure signals (pricks or jabs) and relays that information to the brain. [Read more about this new organ]

Human embryos grow extra, lizardlike muscles in their hands and feet that disappear before birth, scientists found. By looking at 3D images from an embryonic image database, a group found that at about week seven of gestation, human fetuses had hands and feet that contained about 30 muscles each. Six weeks later, they contained only 20. Before the baby is born, those extra muscles either meld into other muscles or shrink away, but it's unclear why or how.

These temporary muscles might be leftovers from our ancestors and may have vanished from adult humans over 250 million years ago, when mammals first began evolving from mammal-like reptiles, the researchers suggest. But because the study was small, it needs to be replicated with a much larger group before researchers can say for certain that these appearing and disappearing muscles exist in all fetuses. [Read more about these minimuscles]

Supercentenarians, or people who are 110 years of age or older, might have a secret. A study published this year found that supercentenarians have higher-than-average concentrations of an immune cell called a "T helper cell" that may protect them from viruses and tumors. To figure this out, researchers drew blood from seven supercentenarians and five control participants, who ranged in age from those in their 50s to those in their 80s. They then isolated the immune cells and figured out what they were doing by measuring the messenger RNA that is produced by the genes in the cells.Messenger RNA translates genetic instructions from DNA and brings it to the nucleus of the cell, so that specific proteins can be produced.

The supercentenarians had a type of T helper cell called CD4 CTLs that had the capability to attack and kill other cells. Of course, it's not clear if supercentenarians owe their longevity to these immune cells, but previously, such cells have been shown to attack tumor cells and protect against viruses in mice. [Read more about the world's oldest people]

There might be a reason why some people are really good at trivia and seem to "know everything": very efficiently wired brains. A group of researchers in Germany analyzed the brains of 324 people who had varying degrees of general knowledge or semantic memory (the type of information that would come up in a game of trivia), based on questions given to them concerning various fields such as art, architecture and science.

Brain scans of the participants showed that those people who had retained and could recall more general knowledge had more efficient brain connections stronger and shorter connections between brain cells. This makes sense, because imagine answering the question, "What year did the moon landing happen?"

We might have the word "moon" stored in one area of the brain, but the "moon landing" in another, and knowledge of the year it happened in yet another. People with an efficient brain can better connect those various items together to quickly answer the question. (But, the researchers didn't find any link between more general knowledge and more brain cells.) [Read more about how trivia masters do it]

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown type of cell in the human body called the "immune cell X," and it could act as two other immune cell types, playing a role in triggering type 1 diabetes, new research suggests. There is likely not a lot of these cells in the human body maybe less than 7 out of every 10,000 white blood cells, but they might be powerful players in driving autoimmunity when the body mistakes its own cells for something foreign and attacks them.

These X cells resemble both B cells and T cells, two cell types that are important for fighting infections (but are also responsible for autoimmune diseases). The X cell makes antibodies like B cells that activate T cells, which then go on to attack anything it deems foreign. In the case of type 1 diabetes, immune cells mistakenly destroy healthy beta cells in the pancreas that make the hormone insulin. The researchers found evidence that these X cells exist in those with type 1 diabetes, but not in healthy controls. Even so, it's not clear if there are one or multiple cells responsible for the disease. [Read more about these rogue cells]

In other news, the cells in your tongues have the ability to smell. Researchers discovered this after growing human taste cells in the lab. They found that those cells contained a couple of molecules found in olfactory cells, the cells found in the nose that are responsible for, well, smelling. When they exposed taste cells to odor molecules, the cells responded just like the olfactory cells do. But this isn't uncommon olfactory cells have also previously been found in the gut, in sperm cells and even in hair. Though we knew that taste and smell were greatly intertwined (which becomes apparent when a blocked-up nose makes food taste more bland), this study suggests human taste cells might be much more complicated than previously thought. [Read more about your tongue's strange ability]

It turns out, humans, even endurance athletes, have limited energy. Scientists calculated the limit of human endurance to be around 2.5 times the body's resting metabolic rate (the number of calories the body burns for basic physiological needs such as maintaining body temperature or breathing), or 4,000 calories per day for an average person. They calculated this by analyzing data from some of the most extreme endurance events that take place on our planet, such as the Race Across the USA, and by comparing that data to other endurance events.

They found that the longer the event, the more difficult it became to burn calories. But athletes don't fall to the ground when they reach this 2.5-times threshold. They can keep going, but they can't maintain a balance of the number of calories consumed and the amount burned, so they begin to lose weight, which isn't sustainable in the long term. What's more, researchers found that pregnant women operated at around 2.2 times their resting metabolic rate, just by growing a baby. So no matter the activity, growing a baby, cycling or running across the U.S., the body seems to have a limit to the amount of energy it can give you in the long term. [Read more about this ultimate limit]

Originally published on Live Science.

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10 Things We Learned About Humans in 2019 - Livescience.com

January 1 1990, Mr Bean debuted on ITV to an audience of 13.45 million. The brainchild of Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the pilot episode marked the birth of a major comedy character.

Bean has become so familiar, so comfortably part of our pop-culture tapestry, that its easy to miss how striking a creation he is.

At the time, the talented Atkinson was best known for his four incarnations of Blackadder.

After a slapsticky first iteration, Blackadder traded heavily on acidic and acerbic dialogue and Atkinsons knack for delivering it. Even the most lethargic line delivery (To you Baldrick, the Renaissance was just something that happened to other people.) dripped with disdain and venomous wit.

In sharp contrast, Bean was a largely silent character arguably the last great predominantly silent comic creation, extending a genealogy including Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harpo Marx and Jacques Tati.

While not to all tastes, Bean is widely recognised and beloved. The absence of dialogue helped the show become a global hit, transcending language and cultural differences to screen in almost 250 countries.

So what is it that makes Mr Bean such an adored creation?

Think of the most iconic images of silent comedy: Lloyd hanging from a clock tower, Keaton commandeering trains for the Confederacy, Chaplin body surfing through a network of oversized mechanical gears.

Now think of the most iconic Mr Bean vignettes: Bean at the swimming pool, in the dentists chair, entertaining a sick child on a plane, eating lunch at the park. All exquisite comedic scenes, shot on unflattering videotape in familiar environments.

The smaller sketches hold up stronger on repeat viewing, while more elaborate high jinks Bean playing mini-golf across a whole county, Bean looking after a lost infant at a carnival have not aged as well and tend to pale in charm and dilute the purity of the concept.

Bean is best when he works on a small scale.

Mr Bean has a child-like nature. Silent comedy stars typically played moderately functional adults. Even Harpo Marx, the most overtly childlike of them, had a predatory edge.

In contrast, Bean is, as Atkinson notes, a child in a grown mans body.

The series opening credits, in which Bean falls to the ground with a splat from a spaceship, conjure other possible backstories. Is Bean an abductee returned to Earth minus some crucial grey matter? Or an alien attempting (poorly) to pass for human?

Most of the characteristics that made Bean an indelible creation were introduced in the very first episode.

As he sits for an exam, reads the wrong test paper and attempts to cheat his way through it in the first sketch, we see his idiot savant status (he does know trigonometry), his competitiveness and compulsive one-upmanship, and his cruel sense of humour.

In the next sketch, Bean goes to the beach and changes into his bathers in the most complicated way possible.

The sketch introduces Beans imbecilic ingenuity finding inordinately convoluted solutions for basic predicaments as well as his tendency to generate his own complications and desperation to avoid social humiliation (it is British comedy, after all).

In the third and best sketch a tour de force showcasing Atkinsons rubbery complexion and virtuoso gangly physicality Bean attends a church service, where he struggles to stay awake and clandestinely eat some candy under the admirably straight and puritanical eye of Richard Briers.

The sketch introduces the motif of Bean attempting to imitate human behaviour and everyday rituals and failing, earning the ire of others in the process.

Bean headlined 14 television episodes from 19901995, two feature films and an animated series, and appeared in various shorts, sketches and the 2012 Olympics.

The films and cartoon somewhat diluted the brand, and the character has endured the wear and tear that comes with longevity and cultural omnipresence: parents getting sick of their children watching Bean, adolescents thinking theyre too cool for Bean.

However, Mr Beans worldwide audience speaks loudly to the genius of the character and Atkinsons performance. By returning to this first episode, 30 years on, we can re-experience the birth of this remarkable comic creation.

A line delivered by Groucho Marx in Duck Soup nicely encapsulates the simple core of Beans widespread appeal. He may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but dont let that fool you: he really is an idiot.

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Happy birthday, Mr Bean! Celebrating 30 years of a major comedy character - The Conversation AU

Ring Fit Adventure gaming thats good for you (pic: Nintendo)

A reader suggests playing games like Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure can help keep you fit and help recover from a gluttonous Christmas.

Its resolution season, and once again, for as long as I can remember, Ive pledged to become a smarter, fitter, leaner, stronger, wealthier, funnier, and an all-round more appealing/dashingly handsome human being. While I have achieved some success, I have significantly more failures.

Through active video games (AVGs) like Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure I would like you, dear readers, to learn from my successes and failures in the getting fitter, leaner, and stronger aspect of my resolution history.

AVGs offer an incredible, almost utopian promise: you can get fit and play video games at the same time. This is the dream for me, an ideal bridging of two of my favourite aspects of modern culture. Sadly, this logic is not shared across society, something I call the Active Video Game Paradox: I can play games and get fit, two things I love/want/need, but dont, for some reason

I wondered why this paradox existed. Ultimately, I think it boils down to the positioning of AVGs, which is as much a curse as it is a gift. You see, in my head, Im thinking two things:

1. Are AVGs equally/more effective at health promotion and fitness development than sport/exercise?

2. Are AVGs equally/more entertaining, immersive, relaxing, and awesome (plus many, many more adjectives) than traditional, non-active video games?

The answer really needs to be a resounding yes for both, for a rational person to commit lots of time to AVGs. I call this positioning problem The Battle for Attention.

For health and fitness: AVGs like Pokmon Go are an engaging way to increase/maintain a healthy step count. Walking may be great at achieving cardio targets at an introductory fitness level, but there will come a time (a great time of developed fitness) when walking is not enough, although still useful, and different methods will be needed to achieve further progress/benefits. A good step count alone is not all it takes to achieve thriving health and fitness.

Another side of health and fitness, coming recommended at two times a week by the Chief Medical Officer, is muscle-strengthening exercise. This is important for developing muscle strength and bone density, which is awesome for quality of life, health, and longevity. This is where Pokmon Go fails and Ring Fit Adventure steps in with colourful visuals, a classically Nintendo storyline, and social hilarity to boot.

This game is your crash course to the main movement patterns that are useful for everyday living. As before, this is useful up to the point of adaptation, where it stops becoming muscle-strengthening exercise and starts becoming movement maintenance/energy burning. Useful, but eventually not enough to keep you moving forward on your journey to excellent health and fitness.

For AVG engagement there are some standout performers: Just Dance, Beat Saber (deep love), Pokmon Go, and Ring Fit Adventure. All exceptions to the rule, outliers. Ultimately though, non-active games have, on average, more fans/players, less risk attached to investors, bigger budgets, better community infrastructures, and, personally, significantly more engagement across the board.

I remain optimistic that a new experience will be built (maybe even by me) that has the incredibly gratifying benefits of games and fitness, without compromising on the overall experience of either. Until then, if youre new to fitness this year, let AVGs such as Pokmon Go and Ring Fit Adventure be your spirit guide, preparing you for an incredibly gratifying existence as a long term benefactor of sport and exercise. When youre ready.

By reader Sam Peter Kirk

The readers feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk and follow us on Twitter.

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Active Video Games are the secret weapon for New Years Resolutions - Metro.co.uk

Some foods are just plain lucky to eat on New Years Eve. What associates these dishes with good fortune, exactly? Thats tough to pinpoint, but much of the answer has to do with symbolism and superstition.

It also has to do with a human tradition of eating something special, like a birthday cake, to mark the passage of time. So what will people be biting into at the top of 2020 to set them up for success? We talked to food historians Megan Elias, food writer and director of the gastronomy program at Boston University, and Linda Pelaccio,who hosts culinary radio showA Taste of the Past, about some of the lucky foods youll find on global New Years menus.

Spaniards eat 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.(Photo: JAIME REINA, AFP/Getty Images)

As the tradition goes, believers eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. According to one story, the ritual started in Spain around 1900, when a grape grower had a bumper crop, says Pelaccio, and was creative about giving away the surplus.But that history is fuzzy at best, she says.

Regardless, stuffing a dozen grapes into ones mouth is a tradition that has spread to citizens of many Latin American countries. As Elias says, people annually eat the grapes as fast as physically possible without puking.

Peas and lentils are round and coin-like, and so they are considered a harbinger of prosperity.(Photo: SASCHA STEINBACH, EPA-EFE)

Round foods resemble coins and money, Pelaccio says. Eat these symbolic foods, many believe, for a financially successful new year. On the contrary: Dont eat the round foods and you could have a year of bad luck!

If you eat peaswith greensand cornbread, thenthat's even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread calling to mind gold.

Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional Southern U.S. dish called Hoppin John for New Years Eve.Or, the peas can be part of a soup.In Italy, lentils mix with pork for a lucky dish.

Since pigs root forward, eating pork at the start of a new year symbolizes moving ahead.(Photo: FRANK AUGSTEIN, Associated Press)

Speaking of pork,pigs have long been considered lucky.

Pigs can be rich and fat, which is what you want in a meal promoting prosperity. And, says Pelaccio, "Pigs take their snout and root forward, as opposed to digging backwards." Forward momentum; good. "Whereas, its not good to eat lobsters, because they walk backwards."

A popular lucky New Year's Day dish in Germany is pork and sauerkraut, promising as much luck as the many strands in the cabbage.

In Japan, it is customary to eat soba noodles on New Year's Eve (and on many other days) for good luck.(Photo: JOHN SAMORA, GANNETT)

Noodles are long, and that length is thought to symbolizelong life and, yes, luck, Elias says.

In Japan, soba noodles are served on New Years.In China, during the Chinese New Year (or the Lunar New Year), which falls on Jan. 25 next year, people inhale so-called longevity noodles.Its OK to slurp.

In Prairie du Chien, Wis., "Droppin' of the Carp" is a New Year's Eve tradition. A fish like this one (named Lucky) is lowered by a crane into a wooden cradle on St. Feriole Island, where hundreds line up to kiss her frozen lips for good luck.(Photo: John Hart, AP)

Eating a whole fish has become another Dec. 31 tradition across the globe. Why? Perhaps because in lean times people saved anything they could including fish to eat on a special occasion. Herring is a fish of choice in Eastern European countries. In Germany, those looking to obtain all lucky advantages in the new year do more than just eat an entire carp: They save fish scales in their wallets for extra good fortune.

Pomegranate seeds are symbols of abundance. It is a Greek New Year's custom to break seeds on the door's threshold for good luck.(Photo: kostman, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Seeds are round and coinlike, which makes themautomatically lucky by the rules we have already set forth. Pomegranates, which come from the Middle East, also make sense to eat on New Years because they happen to be ripe that time of year.

Elias adds that pomegranates have symbolic power because they come from a land where so many religions come from. Plus, seeds are associated with life and fertility. Another promising food, indeed.

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Eating for luck on New Year's: Why foods from grapes to peas promise prosperity - USA TODAY

Some foods are just plain lucky to eat on New Years Eve. What associates these dishes with good fortune, exactly? Thats tough to pinpoint, but much of the answer has to do with symbolism and superstition.

It also has to do with a human tradition of eating something special, like a birthday cake, to mark the passage of time. So what will people be biting into at the top of 2020 to set them up for success? We talked to food historians Megan Elias, food writer and director of the gastronomy program at Boston University, and Linda Pelaccio, who hosts culinary radio show A Taste of the Past about some of the lucky foods youll find on global New Years menus.

As the tradition goes, believers eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. According to one story, the ritual started in Spain around 1900, when a grape grower had a bumper crop, says Pelaccio, and was creative about giving away the surplus. But that history is fuzzy at best, she says.

Regardless, stuffing a dozen grapes into ones mouth is a tradition that has spread to citizens of many Latin American countries. As Elias says, people annually eat the grapes as fast as physically possible without puking.

Round foods resemble coins and money, Pelaccio says. Eat these symbolic foods, many believe, for a financially successful new year. On the contrary: Dont eat the round foods and you could have a year of bad luck!

If you eat peas with greens and cornbread, then thats even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread calling to mind gold.

Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional Southern U.S. dish called Hoppin John for New Years Eve. Or, the peas can be part of a soup. In Italy, lentils mix with pork for a lucky dish.

Speaking of pork, pigs have long been considered lucky.

Pigs can be rich and fat, which is what you want in a meal promoting prosperity. And, says Pelaccio, Pigs take their snout and root forward, as opposed to digging backwards. Forward momentum; good. Whereas, its not good to eat lobsters, because they walk backwards.

A popular lucky New Years Day dish in Germany is pork and sauerkraut, promising as much luck as the many strands in the cabbage.

Noodles are long, and that length is thought to symbolize long life and, yes, luck, Elias says.

In Japan, soba noodles are served on New Years. In China, during the Chinese New Year (or the Lunar New Year), which falls on Jan. 25 next year, people inhale so-called longevity noodles. Its OK to slurp.

Eating a whole fish has become another Dec. 31 tradition across the globe. Why? Perhaps because in lean times people saved anything they could including fish to eat on a special occasion. Herring is a fish of choice in Eastern European countries. In Germany, those looking to obtain all lucky advantages in the new year do more than just eat an entire carp: They save fish scales in their wallets for extra good fortune.

Seeds are round and coinlike, which makes them automatically lucky by the rules we have already set forth. Pomegranates, which come from the Middle East, also make sense to eat on New Years because they happen to be ripe that time of year.

Elias adds that pomegranates have symbolic power because they come from a land where so many religions come from. Plus, seeds are associated with life and fertility. Another promising food, indeed.

Read more at usatoday.com.

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New Years Eve good luck foods: Grapes, black-eyes peas and more - Chicago Sun-Times

For many, the birth of a new year is a time for reflection and optimism, an occasion for hopeful resolution and personal reset. But these are not normal times. Seemingly endless political conflicts have created a climate of anger, anxiety and agitation in many quarters, leading to a heightened pessimism about the future.

But while our disputes have indeed become more vitriolic and divisive, its important to take a more complete and thoughtful inventory of the times. For as we start 2020, the nation and the entire world has many reasons to celebrate.

Just about every measure of human welfare is improving except one: hope, John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister noted in an op-ed in Saturdays Wall Street Journal.

This disconnect, they believe, stems from the fact that people tend to emphasize the bad over the good. Our minds and lives are skewed by a fundamental imbalance that is just now becoming clear to scientists: the negativity effect, the authors write, adding, We focus so much on bad news, especially in a digital world that magnifies its power, that we dont realize how much better life is becoming for people around the world.

Over the past 25 years, for instance, the number of people living in extreme poverty as defined by the World Bank has dropped by a remarkable 75 percent.

In his book Fewer, Richer, Greener, Laurence Siegel of the CFA Institute argues that markets and democratic institutions have led to dramatic improvements in living standards. As the world becomes richer, he forecasts, population growth will slow and cause less stress on the ecosystem.

Mr. Siegel provides reams of solid data for similarly heartening global trends, writes Ronald Bailey of Reason magazine. Crop productivity, food availability, life expectancy and education are increasing; violence is in decline. As for the pessimists, Mr. Siegel has a message: Let us not teach our children that apocalyptic thinking is right thinking. (It) has always been wrong as a forecast, and it will continue to be wrong. Life has improved tremendously in the past 250 years (and) it will continue to improve in almost every dimension; health, wealth, longevity, nutrition, literacy, peace, freedom and so forth.

Despite the turmoil in Washington, the United States remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for the world. The Constitution will continue to withstand the stress tests of Beltway hyperpartisanship.

By rationally looking at the long-term trends instead of viscerally reacting to the horror story of the day, youll see theres much more to celebrate than to mourn, write Mr. Tierney and Mr. Baumeister. No matter who wins the presidential election, the average person in America and the rest of the world will in all likelihood become healthier and wealthier.

And thats a reason to toast 2020 rather than to fear it.

Go here to read the rest:

EDITORIAL: Theres much to celebrate at the onset of a new decade - Las Vegas Review-Journal