Warming minds, climate change on the brain

Hey, intrepid readers of science and environmental craziness! I’ve got a scoop that will make your brains spin faster than a blender in smoothie mode. Today, in Nature Climate Change, a group of cerebroscientists from the University of Vienna, along with a few geniuses from the universities of Geneva, New York, Chicago, Washington, Stanford, Exeter and the Max Plank Institute in Berlin, are telling us how climate change is playing hide-and-seek with our minds.

The head of the squadron, Dra. Kimberly C. Doell, tells us, “We’ve known for centuries that our environment can make our minds spin, but now we’re taking a look at how climate change, that global beast, might be throwing a crazy party in our brains. With hurricanes, heat waves and all that weather paraphernalia, plus air pollution and climate stress, it’s time we understood how all this affects our brain mass, only then can we start devising ways to keep our minds in line.”

Since the time of World War II, scientists have known, thanks to brave mice, that the environment can leave its mark on brain development, and yes, the same is true for us humans. Growing up in poverty, encountering toxins and living among uncertainty can change our brains faster than a kid changes songs on his playlist. Now, these bold scientists are asking us to investigate how extreme phenomena, such as heat waves that make you melt like ice cream in summer, droughts, hurricanes and all the paraphernalia of Mother Nature, may be reshaping our minds.

Changes in brain structure, function and health could be the new reality, and don’t think neuroscience is left out of the party. Dr. Mathew White, of the Universities of Exeter and Vienna, says: “If we understand how our brain spark works in relation to our motivations and emotions, we might be able to better predict why we sometimes do half-bizarre things to the environment. We need to start seeing climate change and our brains as friends who tell secrets, and work together to avoid the worst disasters.” So there you have it, knowledge explorers, climate change is not only affecting the weather, it’s also turning our heads! Stay informed and don’t let your brains melt like ice cream under the climate change sun!