Technology May Slow Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Many studies have been done on the possible negative effects of technology use among people of different ages.

One concern is what has been called "digital dementia" — the idea that using too much technology could, over time, cause memory problems and cognitive decline.

But a new study challenges that idea, finding that older people who use smartphones and other devices show lower rates of cognitive decline.

Researchers in the US looked at 57 published studies, which included data from over 411,000 adults. Each study looked at the use of digital technology, and included cognitive tests or diagnoses.

Technology use in the studies included things like smartphones, computers, social media, internet and email. The participants' average age was 68 at the beginning of the studies.

And the results showed that greater technology use among older adults was associated with a 42% lower risk of cognitive decline.

There could be different reasons for this, the researchers said — for example, using technology could help keep the brain active. Another reason could be that technology helps older adults stay connected with other people — and many studies have shown that loneliness affects cognition later in life.

However, some say more research is needed, because the studies didn't look at how each person was using technology or how long they used it for.

The researchers also noted that people in this age group started using technology later in life, when their brains were already fully formed, so it's not clear if the same effect would be seen among people who have used this technology for most of their lives.

Still, it's a good starting point for better understanding ways to stop or slow cognitive decline — especially in a world that has nearly 10 million new cases of dementia a year, according to the World Health Organization.

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AI Generated Audio

#Expressions
#phrases

⚜To stop someone in their tracks


🔅Definition :
🔘The phrase "stop someone in their tracks" means to interrupt or halt someone's progress, often suddenly or unexpectedly. It can refer to stopping someone physically, but it is often used metaphorically to describe stopping someone in the middle of an action .


🔅Examples:
▪️ "The loud noise from the construction site stopped me in my tracks as I was walking
   ▪️ "The sudden appearance of the wild animal stopped the hikers in their tracks, leaving them frozen in awe."

🔅This phrase conveys a sense of surprise or the need to reconsider one's actions or thoughts due to an unexpected event or revelation.

#phrases

⚜Prepositional phrase

🔅Until all hours

▪️(informal) Until very late; until the small hours.

▪️I used to stay up until all hours watching television.

#Vocabulary

💢 Eschew (v.)

🌀 to shun; to avoid

⚜ Ex:- Gandhiji exhorted people to eschew violence.

#Vocabulary

💢 Exhume (v.)

🌀 to unearth; to reveal

⚜ Ex:- The scientists exhumed the body from the grave to test the body’s DNA.

#Vocabulary

💢 Exonerate (v.)

🌀 to declare or prove blameless

⚜ Ex:- Hopefully, the judge will exonerate you of any wrongdoing.

Walking Faster May Reduce Heart Rhythm Problems

Walking at a faster pace could reduce the risk of developing heart rhythm problems, according to a new study.

Heart rhythm problems, known as arrhythmia, come in many forms: a heartbeat can be too slow, too fast or just irregular. Although some forms of arrhythmia can be harmless, others can increase the risk of having heart disease or a stroke.

The new research, published in the journal Heart, looked at data from over 420,000 people in the UK who had self-reported their own walking pace. Of those, almost 82,000 also provided carefully measured data on their time spent walking at different paces over a seven-day period.

The study defined three different walking paces: slow, average and brisk. A slow pace was defined as under 5 kilometers per hour; average was between 5 and 6 kilometers per hour; and brisk was over 6 kilometers per hour.

Nearly 7% of participants said they had a slow pace; almost 53% said they had an average pace; and just under 41% said they had a brisk pace.

Over a period of nearly 14 years, 36,574 participants — about 9% — developed some form of arrhythmia.

The researchers found that an average walking pace was associated with a 35% lower risk of developing arrhythmia, while a brisk pace was associated with a 43% lower risk.

The data from people who had carefully measured their walking pace also indicated that walking at an average pace for between five minutes and 15 minutes a day would be enough to reduce the risk of developing arrhythmia.

Jill Pell, one of the authors of the study, told CNN, "The great thing about walking is that it is accessible to everyone. You don't need to spend money going to a gym or buying equipment. You can just walk out of your front door and keep going."

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AI Generated Audio

#Common_Expressions
#Idioms

🔹hell-on-wheels صعب المزاج
▪️She is hell-on-wheels in the morning so you should be careful of her.

🔹helter-skelter. في حالة فوضى
▪️When we arrived at work we found all of the files scattered helter-skelter over the floor.



🔹hem and haw. يراوغ في الإجابة
▪️He hemmed and hawed when I asked him if he knew where the missing money was.

🔹here and now حالاً
▪️I want you to do that work right here and now.

🔹hide one’s head in the sand يتجنّب مواجهة المواقف الصعبة
▪️He hates to talk about important matters and hides his head in the sand when I try to talk to him

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-Andrew Kennison was taken from the safe house.
-By Reddington?
-Who else?
-Jeez Louise! So much for witness protection.

✴️So much for something
💢This phrase is used to say that a particular action, idea, statement etc was not useful or did not produce the result that was hoped for.


🔰Examples:
■I spent hours preparing for the presentation, but the client canceled at the last minute. So much for all my hard work.
■I thought the movie would be really good based on the reviews, but it was terrible. So much for trusting critics.
■I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend at the beach, but it rained the entire time. So much for my plans.


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#Common_Phrases
T.me/Learn_English_from_Zero_to_Hero

Invaluable Vocabulary: What Are Phantonyms?

You probably already know that a synonym is a word that means the same as another, and that antonyms are opposites. But have you ever come across a word that seems to mean one thing, but actually means something else? These words are sometimes referred to as "phantonyms."

A great example is "noisome," which looks like it should mean "noisy." However, the word is used to describe something that smells bad or strong, or that is generally unpleasant to the senses. In fact, "noisome" is related to the word "annoy" rather than "noise."

"Suffrage" might look like the noun form of the verb "suffer," but it actually refers to the right to vote. If you're interested in history, you may have seen the word "suffragette," which was the name given to women who fought for the right to vote.

In English, the prefix "in" is often used to make words negative, like for example, "correct" and "incorrect," or "expensive" and "inexpensive." But something that's "invaluable," is actually very valuable or useful — so much so that it's hard to say just how valuable it is!

And here's an invaluable warning: "inflammable" doesn't mean that something can't be set on fire, but that it can very easily be set on fire.

There are also examples of the similarity between words causing their meaning to change over time. For example, the original meaning of "enormity" is "an immoral or illegal act." But because it looks and sounds like "enormous," over time it became common to use it to talk about size. Today, most dictionaries include both the original and newer meaning of "enormity."

#Reading
#Vocabulary
#Confusing_Words

AI Generated Audio

Young and Old Turn to AI Chatbots for Companionship

In the 2013 movie (Her), a lonely man going through a difficult divorce finds himself falling in love with an artificial intelligence (AI) companion.

When that movie came out, AI wasn't developed enough to provide people with companionship. But today, over 100 million people around the world are using AI chatbot companions that can provide friendship, advice — and even romantic relationships.

Many people use AI companions because, just like in the movie Her, they feel lonely.

However, a 2023 study found that AI companions could be addictive, and some experts warn that they could be used to manipulate people or collect their personal data.

There are also concerns that young people using AI companions won't learn how to have relationships with real people — who, unlike chatbots, don't agree with you all the time.

However, it's not just young people who are using AI companions.

Alex Cardinell, CEO of the AI companionship app Nomi, told NBC News that his app has attracted users of all ages and genders — and a large percentage of them are older users.

"There's a big elder loneliness epidemic going on right now," Cardinell said.

And for some people, an AI companion can offer useful tips on managing relationships in the real world.

Travis Peacock, who has autism and ADHD, told The Guardian that he had trouble managing romantic and professional relationships until he trained ChatGPT to offer him advice on how to manage social interactions.

One year later, Peacock says he now has a network of friends, a healthy long-term romantic relationship, and has enjoyed "one of the most productive years of my life."

Others, though, may turn to AI companions out of disappointment with real relationships.

One user called Sakura told NBC News that although a lot of people think she uses AI because she is lonely, "It's like, no, no, you're going to an AI because people are jerks."

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AI Generated Audio

-Technically, an agent named Nixon is in charge, but it's all hands on deck.
- Whose head is on the block?
- All of ours. Or just yours.

✴️All hands on deck
💢This is an informal expression that is used to say that everyone is needed to help, typically during a critical situation or emergency; a situation requiring the full cooperation and effort of all members of a team or group.

🔰Examples:

■We're behind schedule on this project, so it's all hands on deck to get it finished on time.
■The restaurant was unexpectedly busy, so it was all hands on deck to serve all the customers.

○
●
○
●
○

✴️When someone’s head is on the block, it means they are at serious risk of being blamed, punished, or losing their position due to a decision or failure, often in a professional or leadership setting.

🔰Examples:

■ If this project fails, the manager’s head is on the block.
■ He knew his head was on the block when the client rejected the proposal.


#Common_Phrases