As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues‚ many people are feeling overwhelmed by the daily flood of terrible information and imagery. The battle has dominated news and social media‚ causing political differences at times. The toll on mental health is evident‚ especially for those who are immediately affected‚ but even those who are not directly touched may suffer from vicarious trauma. The SAMHSA Helpline If you feel that the prolonged disagreement has had a negative impact on your mental health‚ there are resources available to help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) runs the Disaster Distress Helpline‚ which provides toll-free‚ multilingual help 24 hours a day‚ seven days a week to citizens of the United States and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress as a result of catastrophes. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to speak with a counselor immediately. If you are deaf or hard of hearing‚ then the same number can be called from a video phone‚ or you can follow this link from the government website to get on a video conference call. A global lifeline: Crisis Text Line Crisis Text Line‚ a global NGO‚ provides text-based access to a crisis counselor. The organization’s volunteers are extensively trained and supervised‚ and this service is provided in the United States‚ the United Kingdom‚ Canada‚ and Ireland. Worldwide support at your fingertips “Find A Helpline” is a fantastic search engine for mental health helplines all over the world. This tool‚ verified by mental healthcare provider ThroughLine‚ allows you to find help anywhere in the world‚ whether by country‚ area‚ or topic. Compassionate outreach at NAMI In the United States‚ the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides the HelpLine‚ which connects people with caring volunteers. Monday through Friday‚ 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time‚ you can reach them by phone‚ text‚ or online chat. Accessible mental health therapy There are resources available for folks who require more tailored and continuing mental health therapy. The American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association both include directories that might assist you locate a therapist or psychiatrist in your area. If you do not have insurance‚ the federal government recommends checking out community health clinics for low-cost mental health care. Affordable therapy options Another useful resource is the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective. This non-profit network provides therapy at a reduced cost to those who are uninsured or underinsured‚ ensuring that effective mental healthcare is available to all. Taking care of your mental health is not an option in times of crisis; it is a requirement. Remember that there are resources and caring specialists available to assist you. We can negotiate these difficult times together and emerge stronger‚ more united‚ and with a brighter future in sight.     We are highlighting this piece as part of our annual “Best Of” roundup of articles published at The Optimist Daily this year. Today’s focus is on our staff’s picks! Our favorite solutions of 2023.The post Where to go for help if the Israel-Hamas war is negatively impacting your mental health first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Using cutting-edge technology‚ recent Johns Hopkins University graduates have made a significant advancement that could safeguard more women against cervical cancer. Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is observed every January. In the United States‚ the disease kills 4‚000 people with cervixes each year. However‚ a group of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School graduates may have developed an artificial intelligence program that could help save lives and bring this number down. It’s known as the “Smart Tampon.” What is the Smart Tampon The idea behind the Smart Tampon was devised by graduate students Madeleine Howard and Hayley Hoaglund. Their design is meant to take the place of a regular pap smear‚ which checks for cancer but is typically unpleasant. Instead‚ it would use artificial intelligence to detect the ailment. “We thought this idea was maybe a little out there‚” said Howard‚ MPH/MBA‚ concept co-creator of the project‚ but the pair were determined to try to invent a device that could potentially save thousands of lives. “It’s effectively accomplishing the same goal as does a pap smear‚” Howard explained. How does the Smart Tampon work? Howard and Hoaglund created a smart tampon in their mandatory artificial intelligence course lab. The end result looks and feels like a tampon but has a highly sensitive camera on top that collects photographs of the cervix to detect cancer. “It would compare your cervix cells with abnormal cervix cells and be able to assess if you have any irregularities and prompt you to visit a doctor if needed‚” explained Hoaglund‚ MPH/MBA‚ concept co-creator. Cervical cancer is a condition that can be avoided if detected early. Doctors typically recommend pap screenings every three years‚ but many women avoid it for a number of reasons ranging from difficulties scheduling appointments because of work‚ anxiety‚ pain‚ or potential costs. “It begs the question why and is there something that we could be doing better to keep that from happening?” Howard stated. Their idea drew the attention of students and received approval from their professor. “The idea of this is if you cannot come to the screening‚ the screening can come to you‚” said Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Professor Tinglong Dai‚ Ph.D. It’s a short screening that could result in widespread healthcare access with long-term consequences. “You can really perform your own screening in the comfort of your own home. That is easily accessible and affordable‚” Hoaglund said. Howard and Hoaglund consulted pathologists while working on this project. The couple stated that their goal is to recruit investors to bring the “Smart Tampon” to market‚ put it on the shelves‚ and ensure that it is accessible and inexpensive to everyone in need of a test.     We are highlighting this piece as part of our annual “Best Of” roundup of articles published at The Optimist Daily this year. Today’s focus is on our staff’s picks! Our favorite solutions of 2023.The post This “Smart Tampon” uses AI to screen for cervical cancer first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Coral reefs‚ the vibrant life-filled undersea cities‚ have long been on the front lines of climate change’s onslaught. However‚ new research from Newcastle University provides a ray of light in the middle of these struggles. The coral reefs of Palau demonstrate a capacity to adapt to rising ocean temperatures in the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean‚ perhaps minimizing the severity of future bleaching events caused by climate change. How coral reefs cope with warming temperatures Scientists at Newcastle University’s Coralassist lab discovered a hopeful phenomenon: the thermal tolerance of coral reefs in Palau has been spontaneously rising over the decades. This slow adaption‚ which has occurred at a pace of about 0.1°C every decade since the late 1980s‚ is a surprising revelation. This inherent resilience shows that coral reefs have the ability to react to increased ocean temperatures‚ which could help lessen the impact of bleaching events caused by climate change. Liam Lachs‚ the study‘s lead author‚ emphasizes the significance of this discovery: “Our study indicates the presence of ecological resilience to climate change‚ yet also highlights the need to fulfill Paris Agreement commitments to effectively preserve coral reefs.” The findings suggest a delicate balance between nature’s ability to adapt and human action to reduce carbon emissions. Climate action and coral conservation: A way to safeguard vulnerable habitats This study emphasizes the link between climate action and coral protection and the importance of reducing global carbon emissions in influencing the severity of future coral bleaching. When considering situations in which international commitments‚ such as those contained in the Paris Agreement‚ are upheld‚ an optimistic perspective emerges. In such cases‚ low-to-medium emission scenarios give the best chance of fully mitigating high-frequency bleaching. The study does‚ however‚ serve as a reminder that high-emission scenarios can result in unavoidable bleaching effects. To secure the survival of these priceless ecosystems‚ society’s reliance on fossil fuels must be significantly reduced. According to Dr. James Guest of Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences‚ “the results provide some hope that reefs can keep up with increasing temperatures‚ but only if strong action is taken on climate change.” The future of Pacific coral reefs depends on balancing resilience and diversity Coral reefs‚ vital marine habitats and biodiversity hotspots‚ are at a crossroads. The way forward must strike a balance between increasing coral community flexibility and preserving diversity and expansion. “That resilience‚ however‚ can also come at a cost‚” says Prof. Simon Donner of the University of British Columbia‘s Climate and Coastal Ecosystems Laboratory‚ “in terms of reduced reef diversity and growth.” Looking ahead‚ the narrative of Pacific coral reefs provides both inspiration and a roadmap for conservation efforts. While the findings imply that corals have the ability to improve their heat tolerance‚ the delicate interplay of adaptive processes remains a mystery. Prof. Peter Mumby‚ study co-author‚ emphasizes that future difficulties will be determining the underlying processes behind these shifts and recognizing the potential for further increases in temperature tolerance. The voyage of Pacific coral reefs‚ in essence‚ symbolizes humanity’s struggle against climate change. It serves as a reminder that resilience exists in nature and is just waiting to be discovered. The study’s findings not only remind us of the delicate balance we must maintain but also serve as a wake-up call. We can protect these aquatic beauties and assure their survival for future generations by maintaining an unshakable commitment to reducing carbon emissions and implementing sustainable practices. Source study: Nature Communications— Emergent increase in coral thermal tolerance reduces mass bleaching under climate change     We are highlighting this piece as part of our annual “Best Of” roundup of articles published at The Optimist Daily this year. Today’s focus is on our staff’s picks! Our favorite solutions of 2023.The post Pacific coral reefs may be more resilient than we think first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

Surfing is a sport that is all about getting close to and appreciating nature. Unfortunately‚ conventional surfboards tend to contribute to environmental degradation. Steve Davies‚ a 23-year-old board designer from Porthcawl‚ Wales‚ is working on a surfboard built of mycelia‚ the root-like structures of mushrooms and other fungi to turn this trend around. According to Davies’s BBC interview‚ this “sounds a little bit crazy‚” but using natural materials like mycelia is a means to get away from polystyrene‚ polyurethane‚ and resin boards‚ which can remain in trash for hundreds to thousands of years without decomposing. Making surfing sustainable According to Davies‚ around 400‚000 boards are manufactured each year. Following a 2022 analysis‚ the global surfboard industry reached $2.2 billion in 2020 and is predicted to reach $3.2 billion by 2027. However‚ around 80 percent of boards are not created in a sustainable manner‚ which will become more of a concern as the industry expands. Many boards are constructed of plastic‚ which might take hundreds of years to degrade. Nevertheless‚ “even when it does break down‚ it can go into fish’s ecosystem and bio-accumulate‚ so it ends up that human beings will end up eating this polystyrene plastic‚” Davies said. Davies created his first surfboard in 2020‚ but the experience taught him how many toxic chemicals are used in the manufacturing process. During his final year at Cardiff Metropolitan University‚ he began researching mycelia and ways to make his favorite sport more sustainable. How Davies’ sustainable surfboards got started Since Davies’ family owns a farm with horses‚ he had easy access to the substrate material he needed to produce the mycelium in the form of horse bedding and straw. “This sparked an idea to start a business/surfboard manufacturer from an agricultural point of view — growing surfboards on a farm near the beach whilst using waste materials from that very same farm‚ reducing the transport of materials‚ and therefore reducing carbon released into the environment.” The mycelium connects a natural board skeleton formed in a mold and then coated with a waterproof substance. According to the BBC‚ Davies examined numerous compounds for the coating‚ including beeswax and linseed oil. Davies aims to someday scale up to a commercial level‚ but in order to compete with traditionally manufactured surfboards‚ the boards must be robust‚ high-performance‚ and quick to produce. “In the right conditions‚ we will grow a mycelium board in around 21 days‚” Davies told BBC. “The dream would be to make it the new norm. Connecting with nature would be the new design rules and a lot of things like that would be really cool. We’re using the sea‚ we should give back to the sea and it should be a circular model.” Davies is not the first person to try to make surfboards out of mycelium. Mycelium has also been used to make surfboards by companies such as ENV Boards and Ecovative. While working with organic materials has a unique set of obstacles when manufacturing items like surfboards‚ mycelium is a strong‚ naturally biodegradable material that has the potential to minimize the quantity of plastic in the industry.     We are highlighting this piece as part of our annual “Best Of” roundup of articles published at The Optimist Daily this year. Today’s focus is on our staff’s picks! Our favorite solutions of 2023.The post 23-year-old strives to make surfing sustainable with mushroom surf boards first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

It’s interesting and fun to think about what the apostles from the New Testament would tweet in our modern culture. They used letters and other forms of communication in their day‚ so they would likely use social media‚ as well.

Do you ever start January with resolutions all shiny and bright? Do you think‚ “This is the year I’m going to get it all together?” And some of us work those goals like a bread maker kneading dough. But others‚ like myself‚ find those shiny resolutions dulling after a few days.

Do you ever start January with resolutions all shiny and bright? Do you think‚ “This is the year I’m going to get it all together?” And some of us work those goals like a bread maker kneading dough. But others‚ like myself‚ find those shiny resolutions dulling after a few days.

Whether because of health concerns or simply out of preference for watching online in their pajamas‚ 30- to 49-year-old churchgoers now attend church far less often than before COVID. For some‚ gathering in person can feel risky or inconvenient. No doubt online services can serve beloved homebound saints and sick members. There are valid reasons to miss church. And yet God’s Word insists individual Christians need congregational worship. When the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost in Acts 2‚ the church sprang up and gathered regularly. By Acts 20:7‚ Christians were gathering each Sunday. Moreover‚ Hebrews 10:25 warns Christians not to neglect meeting together. So‚ “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.” Right? True‚ but the Scriptures offer additional benefits for showing up in person. Here are five incentives God gives every Christian to wake up and go worship with your local church. 1. Show up to stir up. Just before encouraging Christians to gather‚ Hebrews 10:24 says‚ “Let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works.” This need to show up to stir up reminds me of a trip I took with my wife. We joined a night kayaking tour to see bioluminescence produced by rare microorganisms—found only in 12 places on the planet—that glow when stirred up in the water. We marveled as the light intensified when we stirred them with our paddles. Interestingly‚ though‚ they don’t light up unless stirred. Hebrews 10 says Christians work like that. But again‚ you need to show up to stir up. Watching online simply can’t do that with the same force. God’s people need you to stir them up‚ and you need them to stir you up. 2. Gather to make it to the last day. The author of Hebrews summons us to gather “all the more as [we] see the Day drawing near” (10:25). History runs toward a great future day when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead. In the meantime‚ we’re told to do two things: gather faithfully as that day draws near and view corporate worship as a means of grace to help believers persevere to the end. Leverage the Lord’s Day to anticipate the last day. We’re obviously closer to that “day” than when Hebrews was written. So should we gather more or less? All the more! Leverage the Lord’s Day to anticipate the last day. 3. Gather to evangelize the lost. “A new commandment I give to you‚” Jesus said‚ “that you love one another: just as I have loved you‚ you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples‚ if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). Do you see what he’s envisioning? Christians gathering together—visibly and regularly‚ at the same place and time—so those on the outside identify them as a distinct group. Self-giving love binds them into a unified body. Such a gathering displays God’s glory to the nations. As Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry observe‚ “The church isn’t just meant to be a new community (there are plenty of those constantly springing up). It’s meant to be a new kind of community.” Indeed‚ the local church is God’s chief evangelistic strategy for a lost and dying world. 4. Gather to display God’s glory to the universe. The book of Ephesians opens with awe-inspiring theology regarding our salvation. Paul then shows how the gospel that reconciles us to God also reconciles Jewish and Gentile believers into a brand-new people. Such unity displays the gospel’s power so profoundly that even “rulers and authorities in heavenly places” look on the church with spellbound wonder (Eph. 3:10). Divine glory on display in an ordinary church captivates even angels and demons. The local church is God’s chief evangelistic strategy for a lost and dying world. Think of a healthy church as like an episode of Planet Earth featuring stunning images of creation. A closer look at your TV screen reveals thousands of smaller dots of light. But though an individual dot isn’t that impressive‚ thousands of points working in concert form a brilliant display. Likewise‚ when individual believers gather to glorify Christ‚ even cosmic forces in unseen realms tune in. But his glory in our gatherings doesn’t just reach to the heavens—it touches down on earth. 5. Gather to declare Christ and equip his people. Jonathan Leeman calls the local church an embassy of the High King. This means the Sunday gathering is an outpost of heaven. Gathering in Christ’s name declares his authority over heaven and earth (Matt. 18:20; 28:19). We testify of the King of kings as we gather and declare all he’s commanded. Word-centered gatherings steadily transform us into the image of Christ so we increasingly resemble citizens of heaven. The Sunday gathering is an outpost of heaven. Long View Gathering with others can be risky and inconvenient‚ but I hope you see that not meeting with God’s people comes with greater risks. Who will stir you up to love and good deeds or help you persevere to the end? Where else can you gather with others to display the glorious power of grace to human beings and cosmic powers? And who wants to miss out on being a colony of heaven on earth? If you’ve grown sluggish in your commitment to Christ’s body‚ attend a gospel-preaching church this Sunday—and every Sunday thereafter. You’ll be eternally grateful you did.

In his message at TGC Netherlands 2023‚ Michael Keller explores the concept of “othering‚” using the Pharisee from a Gospel of Luke parable as an example of self-centeredness and superiority. Othering is a universal issue and affects relationships when people overly focus on themselves. Keller urges the importance of introspection and a shift toward more compassion and understanding to overcome the destructive nature of othering. Keller’s message concludes by urging the audience to embrace their identity as beloved by God‚ transcending other labels‚ and embracing the transformative power of God’s love to end the practice of othering.

'Some issues are pretty fundamental'