The downside of romanticizing trauma

+ were dinosaurs on decline before the big asteroid hit? US Edition - Today's top story: A TikTok 'expert' says you have post-traumatic stress disorder − but do you? A trauma psychiatrist explains what PTSD really is and how to seek help [View in browser]( US Edition | 24 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( There is no question that people have a keener sense of mental health concerns than in decades past, which overall is probably a good thing. But trauma specialist and regular contributor Arash Javanbakht from Wayne State University says [portrayals of trauma and PTSD on social media]( are often oversimplified and trivializing to those who suffer. He makes the distinction between PTSD, which can cause “fight-or-flight” responses long after the actual event, and other forms of trauma where symptoms fade over time. His story is hopeful, too, as he notes that treatments are improving, and he has seen in his clinical practice traumatized people get back to normal lives after the right intervention and lifestyle changes. Over the weekend, Japan’s space agency landed a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, only the fifth country to achieve that milestone. Georgia Tech space policy expert Mariel Borowitz describes the technology used by the lander, which future missions are expected to use to land in tighter spaces on the Moon, notably the southern pole where ice deposits are. Despite a glitch that shortened the mission to only a few hours, she writes that the mission still [demonstrates that Japan is a major player]( in efforts to explore and presumably colonize the Moon. Urban agriculture has caught on in recent years and brings a number of benefits, including habitat for wildlife, community education and food grown closer to consumers. But does it lower carbon emissions compared with industrial-scale farming? A team of University of Michigan researchers dug into the issue and found that the infrastructure required for urban farming – think raised beds, sheds and concrete pathways – meant that a [number of sites in their study had higher carbon emissions](. But, they conclude, with “careful site design and improved land use policy, urban farmers and gardeners can boost their benefit both to people nearby and the planet as a whole.” Also in this week’s science news: - [New Hampshire primary robocall portends deepfake-infused future]( - [Artist uses scientific data as a creative medium]( - [Studying microplastics with high-speed videography of water-walking insects]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Some social media posts about PTSD mislead rather than inform. Tarik Vision/iStock via Getty Images Plus [A TikTok ‘expert’ says you have post-traumatic stress disorder − but do you? A trauma psychiatrist explains what PTSD really is and how to seek help]( Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University Post-traumatic stress disorder can’t be diagnosed over social media. Data from the SLIM mission projected at JAXA’s Sagamihara Campus during the craft’s landing. AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko [Japan is now the 5th country to land on the Moon – the technology used will lend itself to future lunar missions]( Mariel Borowitz, Georgia Institute of Technology Japan is one of several countries that weren’t part of the space race of the 1950s and 1960s looking toward the Moon. They’ve now become the 5th country to have landed on its surface. Recycling construction materials and water can make urban agriculture more sustainable. Lauren Moore/USDA [Urban agriculture isn’t as climate-friendly as it seems – but these best practices can transform gardens and city farms]( Jason Hawes, University of Michigan; Benjamin Goldstein, University of Michigan; Joshua Newell, University of Michigan A study of dozens of city gardens and urban farms across the US and Europe found several ways to boost their benefits, not just for their neighborhoods, but for the planet. [Face recognition technology follows a long analog history of surveillance and control based on identifying physical features]( Sharrona Pearl, Drexel University Face recognition technology follows earlier biometric surveillance techniques, including fingerprints, passport photos and iris scans. It’s the first that can be done without the subject’s knowledge. [Mac at 40: User experience was the innovation that launched a technology revolution]( Jacob O. Wobbrock, University of Washington Apple’s phenomenal success and the field of user experience design can be traced back to the launch of the Macintosh personal computer. [Alcohol and drugs rewire your brain by changing how your genes work – research is investigating how to counteract addiction’s effects]( Karla Kaun, Brown University Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of addiction can change how researchers and clinicians approach treatments. [‘Collective mind’ bridges societal divides − psychology research explores how watching the same thing can bring people together]( Garriy Shteynberg, University of Tennessee Even in a moment of extreme partisanship, ‘we’ still exist if ‘we’ can witness something together. Researchers are exploring how shared attention can build connection. - [A newly identified 'hell chicken' species suggests dinosaurs weren't sliding toward extinction before the fateful asteroid hit]( Kyle Atkins-Weltman, Oklahoma State University; Eric Snively, Oklahoma State University Rather than a juvenile of a known species, several fossilized bones represent a new species – and shed light on the question of whether dinosaurs were already in decline before disaster struck. - [Not all underwater reefs are made of coral − the US has created artificial reefs from sunken ships, radio towers, boxcars and even voting machines]( Avery Paxton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; D'amy Steward, University of Guam Artificial reefs are structures that humans put in place underwater that create habitat for sea life. A new study shows for the first time how much of the US ocean floor they cover. - [Breaking down fat byproducts could lead to healthier aging − researchers identify a key enzyme that does just that]( Eyleen Jorgelina O'Rourke, University of Virginia Although you get your fatty acid levels routinely checked at the doctor’s, rarely do clinicians and researchers consider the effects of their potentially harmful byproducts. - [Combining two types of molecular boron nitride could create a hybrid material used in faster, more powerful electronics]( Pulickel Ajayan, Rice University; Abhijit Biswas, Rice University Two forms of the same boron nitride molecules couldn’t look and act more different – but combining them could lead to applications that have the best of both worlds. - [Untrained bystanders can administer drone-delivered naloxone, potentially saving lives of opioid overdose victims]( Nicole Adams, Purdue University The study discovered that nonmedical personnel can provide the naloxone to an overdose victim in about one minute. - [Pictures have been teaching doctors medicine for centuries − a medical illustrator explains how]( - [Helium is an essential material for research and medical equipment, but it’s nonrenewable and difficult to recycle]( - [Tiny water-walking bugs provide scientists with insights on how microplastics are pushed underwater]( - [I’m an artist using scientific data as an artistic medium − here’s how I make meaning]( - [Fake Biden robocall to New Hampshire voters highlights how easy it is to make deepfakes − and how hard it is to defend against AI-generated disinformation]( - Like this newsletter? 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