Source: Science

Shika Andhole and Nicole Kell

The idea that electromagnetic fields cause cancer captured people’s imagination. Some studies have correlated instances of childhood Leukemia with distance from power lines, concluding that the closer families lived to power lines, the more likely their children would grow up with cancer. Currently, cell phone usage is now ubiquitous- since up to 90% of adults own a cell phone. Both cell phones and cell phone towers emit radio frequency waves that some people claim may be potential risk factor for cancer.

There are other factors that may account for the differences in cancer rates. People who lived closer to power lines live closer to large city centers where the population was mostly made up of poor and disenfranchised people. Poor and disadvantaged people are often face greater exposure to secondhand smoke, problems with water sanitation, pollution from factories, higher prevalence of obesity, and greater alcohol consumption. It is difficult to pinpoint direct causes of cancer because there are so many hereditary and environmental influences that can contribute to it.

In March of 2018, the National Toxicology Program conducted a study on the harmful effects of radiofrequency waves. This 2018 study concluded that there was no significant evidence that linked radiofrequency wave exposure to developing cancer.  The American Cancer Society says that radio frequency waves are not nearly strong enough to penetrate and damage human DNA. Due to the height at which cell phone tower antennas are placed and the distance that most of the population lives from the towers, the strength of frequency that humans are exposed to is several times smaller than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems harmful.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/tr596peerdraft.pdf

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/publiccomm/rfr_comment20180221.pdf

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/cellular-phone-towers.html

https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/technology/cell-phone-tower-threat/

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/cellphoneqa.html

https://www.zdnet.com/article/wiring-for-wireless-5g-and-the-tower-in-your-backyard/

Source: ASMR

Victor Liaw

Have you ever been on Youtube and noticed videos of people tapping and scratching ordinary objects, whispering, or even chewing? And wondered why these videos have thousands or even millions of views? People view these types of videos to experience what is labelled autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). You may have felt it before. It’s when you have  a skin tingling sensation that moves from the scalp throughout the body. It can be elicited by certain auditory or visual triggers. People may seek this out for a feeling of euphoria and calm. People find that it helps with their symptoms of depression, anxiety, or loneliness. People also use it when they have difficulty sleeping.

Studies have looked at the brain regions active on fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) during ASMR. The regions that activate are similar to those that are activated during experiencecs like social bonding and other psychophysiological phenomena like goosebumps or chills. There is no evidence that video induced ASMR is better than cognitive behavioral therapy for major depression or general anxiety disorder, but it seems worthy of testing given its popularity. For now, people with substantial psychological distress should seek professional care.    

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/maria-spends-20-minutes-folding-towels-why-millions-are-mesmerised-by-asmr-videos-7956866.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24375123

https://bi.tbzmed.ac.ir/Abstract/bi-17613

https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/asmr/

Source: Macaulay Honors College

Riya Sreenivasan and Victor Liaw

Mindfulness meditation is a mental exercise intended to improve clarity and calm that emphasizes being present in the moment, self-aware, and minimally reactive to one’s surroundings. The concept of mindfulness meditation is that concentrating on bodily sensations can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression such as racing thoughts and feelings of unease. It can be as simple as focusing on a specific object or specific types of breathing.

Jon Kabat-Zinn was the first to develop mindfulness based stress reduction therapy (MBSR) based on  Buddhist mindfulness practice, which focuses on the well-being of bodily state to allow for the apart from thoughts and emotions. His 10-week program at the University of Massachusetts invited people with persistent pain to attend meditation classes and practice at home. At the end of the study, a majority of the 51 patients reported lowered pain severity and decreased symptoms of depression, tension, anxiety, and fatigue. MBSR therapy was further popularized by writers and advocates who described success stories and cited similar types of data, and a recent review of fifteen studies of MBSR in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found that most of them addressed symptoms of depression or anxiety in individuals with a major medical condition such as persistent pain.

Despite these findings,  MBSR studies should be treated with some skepticism because many factors can account for symptom improvement over time. Symptoms can get better on their own with time, which is hard to account for in a long study period. It’s also possible that people started the study at a time of particularly high distress, but returned to a more average level of distress over time. Known as regression to the mean, these types of variations occur independently of any intervention but can appear to be related. Further, in what is known as placebo effect, simply believing that an intervention will work can lead to symptom improvement. Finally, MBSR study participants may be subject to the Hawthorne effect, meaning that the act of being observed by researchers may affect the participants and cause them to feel more obliged to show signs of improvement. Although many of these concerns can be addressed using a comparison group, most of these studies did not use one.

Understanding both the merits of MBSR therapy as well as the concerns from their study methodology will become important as meditation centers become increasingly common in Austin and other affluent, bustling cities. A further concern for this practice is that it risks commoditizing common methods of self care.  Marketing meditation as a commodity can not only make the practice appear elitist and unaffordable but can also make it appear difficult–a practice that requires another’s expertise, and for which one should pay–when in fact, it is straightforward and can be done with little guidance.

Can one learn to meditate using free advice or apps? What is the value of a paid app, book, coach, or setting? The answer to these questions may be specific to an individual’s values, personality, and experience.  Keep in mind that meditation is very simple and can benefit all of us.

https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Five-Senses.pdf

https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/6-Mindfulness-Exercises-PDF-Download-.pdf

http://sf-act.com/docs/resources_harris.pdf

http://mitpe.mit.edu/uploads/MindfulnessExercises.pdf