Brain: "City bad, nature good"

A nifty article in the Boston Globe called "How the city hurts your brain" says:

"'The mind is a limited machine,' says Marc Berman, a psychologist at the University of Michigan and lead author of a new study that measured the cognitive deficits caused by a short urban walk. 'And we're beginning to understand the different ways that a city can exceed those limitations.'

One of the main forces at work is a stark lack of nature, which is surprisingly beneficial for the brain. Studies have demonstrated, for instance, that hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows, and that women living in public housing are better able to focus when their apartment overlooks a grassy courtyard. Even these fleeting glimpses of nature improve brain performance, it seems, because they provide a mental break from the urban roil.'...

"This research is also leading some scientists to dabble in urban design, as they look for ways to make the metropolis less damaging to the brain. The good news is that even slight alterations, such as planting more trees in greater variety of plants, can significantly reduce the negative side effects of city life. The mind needs nature, and even a little bit can be a big help."



I'm a city girl and I can attest that hustle and bustle, and expanses of concrete can be tiring. Maybe that's why moving to a city pumped up my love of green growing things.

Article found on Neatorama Pictures found in the Austin Street Art Pool on Flickr

Goats

I was reading Ramshackle Solid and I found out that the city of LA is using goats to trim weeds downtown. Link. How awesome is this? My sister had horses when we were young. One of the places where we boarded them had a goat named Abraham who was a mean cuss and would butt you in a heartbeat if you turned your back on him. However just a few years ago I knew some kids (ha ha! Ok, children) who kept goats for milk. These were some of the sweetest little critters. The day after one gave birth I was over to see the baby. Soooooo cute! And sweet tempered. Since I've gotten into knitting I've found there are some goats that produce excellent fiber for spinning such as mohair from an angora goat and the luxurious cashmere goat. My whole attitude towards these critters has changed.

Abraham is long gone by now and the future is wide open. Maybe one day S and I will have a goat or two? After all they are house trainable. Then again who wants a pet who can eat your socks, literally.