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I wonder what this looked like from below? It must have been quite the sight.

Innovation

A Floating Seat

An Austrian chef who lost nearly all use of his legs is back in the kitchen thanks to an innovative device created by a friend.

The device, a C-shaped metal hook suspended from ceiling rails, allows Chef Peter Lammer to move freely around the kitchen while keeping his hands free for cooking tasks.

Ten years ago, Lammer, from Salzburg, was in a motorcycle accident that left him 80% disabled, despite extensive physical therapy.

The accident brought severe pain, mental strain, and a bleak financial outlook. However, Lammer’s friend, Bernhard Tichy, who ran a local zip line course, was inspired by Lammer’s passion for cooking and family. Together, they designed a device called Standing Ovation. It lets disabled users sit on a bicycle seat attached to a hook, which is connected to a ceiling rail. This setup allows them to slide along the workspace, with the device bearing their torso weight, leaving their hands free for work. When lifting, a spring system absorbs additional weight, reducing strain on the legs.

With Standing Ovation, Lammer can pull a pot off the stove and glide to the prep station with just a small push.

“All the experts said I would never be able to do a standing job again,” Lammer told Reuters from the kitchen of his Salzburg restaurant, Johanneskeller.

Health Sciences

Classical Music ‘Synchronizing’ our Brain

Classical music by composers like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart is known to impact mood. Scientists are now using brainwave measurements and neural imaging to understand how Western classical music affects the brain positively.

This research could lead to new treatments for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Professor Bomin Sun from Shanghai Jiao Tong University hopes to apply these findings in clinical practice to develop effective music therapy tools.

The study involved 13 patients with treatment-resistant depression who had electrodes implanted in their brains for deep-brain stimulation. These implants are placed in a circuit connecting the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc).

The researchers discovered that music has antidepressant effects by synchronizing neural activity between the auditory cortex and the rewards circuit. This synchronization involves the BNST-NAc circuit, which is closely related to the amygdala, a key structure in emotional processing.

Patients were divided into two groups based on their music appreciation: high or low. Those who appreciated music more showed greater neural synchronization and better antidepressant effects. Conversely, those with lower music appreciation showed less improvement.

The researchers used unfamiliar Western classical music to avoid bias from prior experience. They found that enhancing BNST-NAc oscillatory coupling with theta frequency noise increased music enjoyment in patients with low appreciation.

The next steps include studying how music interacts with deep brain structures in depressive disorders and exploring combined sensory stimuli, like visual images, for potential therapeutic effects. The team plans to develop digital health products, such as smartphone apps and wearable devices, based on their music therapy research.

Good News

The Happiness Experiment

Since 2019, Gary King has been placing metal "Happiness" signs around St. Petersburg, Florida, as part of The Happiness Experiment, a project aimed at subtly influencing his hometown through subliminal advertising.

King uses six established sociological effects in his approach, the most significant of which is similar to what advertising companies have used for decades: pervasive placement to keep something at the forefront of people’s minds. Instead of promoting products, his goal is to make people smile.

Despite the cheerful appearance he maintains while driving his F150 and wearing The Happiness Experiment merchandise, King’s motivation stems from personal tragedy. In 2012, his son Brian’s suicide plunged King into deep despair, pushing him to the brink. The Happiness Experiment began as a way for King to address his own struggles and spread positivity.

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Mind Stretchers

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