Astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days in space, has some advice for those who are experiencing loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I think the biggest lesson I learned is that even though you're isolated, you don't have to be alone," Kelly told Cheddar. "There are things that you can do, actions you can take to connect with people, because social isolation, especially for older adults, can lead to loneliness and depression, which is a public health threat."
Kelly is partnering with the AARP Foundation to promote this message in the coming month. The interest group dedicated to helping Americans over 50 is compiling resources on connect2affect.org, including articles, surveys, and a search function for local services, that aim to help older adults combat social isolation.
Behind this effort is a new study from the foundation showing that two-thirds of adults reported experiencing social isolation and high levels of anxiety during the pandemic, which is now well-understood to potentially cause harm to physical and mental health.
"One thing that NASA has learned by having people in space for a long time for many, many years is that being isolated can not only affect your mental health but also your physical health," he said. "Particularly your immune system can be affected by being isolated, by not getting outside, not getting enough sunlight, not getting out in nature, being disconnected from your friends and family."
Helping people overcome the stigma of seeking treatment for mental health issues is another aspect of the partnership. Kelly explained that he was required to speak with a psychologist every two weeks while living in space, whether he felt he needed it at the time or not.
Kelly also commented on another earthbound matter. His brother, fellow astronaut Mark Kelly, is currently running for Senate in Arizona on the Democratic ticket. If he wins, it could have significant consequences regarding, for instance, the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee like Amy Coney Barrett.
"Well I'm his brother, so of course I'm a big supporter of his," he said. "I think people mostly need to understand that even though it's not a requirement in our country to vote, that I think it's a civic responsibility, and as we get closer to the election, everyone should have a plan to vote."
Amazon is betting that ammonia could be the fuel of the future, participating in a Series A round for the Brooklyn-based company Amogy in December. Amogy aims to de-carbonize transportation with a clean energy system that uses ammonia as a renewable fuel. Amogy is partnering with Amazon on its first commercial product - an ammonia-powered cargo-shipping vessel. Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Cryptocurrency is expected to become a part of our daily lives — but what sort of environmental impact does it have? As the U.S. becomes the crypto mining capital of the world, climate advocates are worried about mining companies reopening old coal plants, using massive amounts of energy, wasteful hardware, and more. Congressional Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren are demanding answers from mining firms about their electricity use and waste levels. John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Computing, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the congressional letters, how crypto mining can become a green industry, and more.
Driver assistance monitoring systems are meant to keep the driver's eyes on the road, but according to a report from AAA, different ways of monitoring provide significantly different results. The study found that direct camera-based systems that scanned the driver's eye movements were faster and more reliable than those indirect systems that looked at steering-wheel input. Megan McKernan, the manager of automotive services for the Automobile Club of Southern California, joined Cheddar to discuss the findings. "Triple-A is recommending that automakers include both direct and indirect systems just to really prevent consumers from trying to misuse these systems," she said, noting that neither system on its own is not foolproof.
Wave Neuroscience is a neurological health tech company that specializes in clinical and at-home personalized brain stimulation technology. Erik Won, president and chief medical officer and Fred Walke, CEO, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss their company's hopes for allowing patients to identify and treat unique brain disorders while empowering them to understand their unique neurological makeups — including for the high-stress positions of professional athletes. "We have a mobile device that provides a very light stimulation that gives them a therapy that gives them confidence so there's a just knowing that they're doing something for it," said Walke. "But it also helps them get back into a rhythm. It helps their brain synchronize around certain frequencies that that we target, and it helps them really understand that they've done everything they can to get to their highest level of success."
Democratic lawmakers are now calling on Bitcoin mining companies in the U.S. to assess how much electricity they use and how it could all potentially impact residents and the environment in the near future. Since its conception, crypto mining has been at the center of a debate. The question is: Is crypto mining playing a key role in renewable energy or could it totally derail U.S. climate goals? Host of The Wendy O show Wendy O, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A powerful winter storm hit the Northeast over the weekend leaving 100,000 New Yorkers in the dark as well as snowfall up to 30.9 inches in parts of Massachusetts. The nor'easter hit with blizzard conditions of wind speed and poor visibility.
