Standing in Solidarity with Ukraine & Petitioning to Dismantle DST

The past couple weeks have been filled with turmoil, as a humanitarian ceasefire intended to allow Ukranian civilians to evacuate Mariupol and Volnovakha was unfortunately violated after just three hours. The steadfast resolve of President Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to stand beside their people and refuse asylum speaks volumes.

In Man’s Search for Meaning, Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl stressed that when we’re faced with a situation we can’t change, our only choice is to change our response to it. We can’t afford to maintain neutrality in times of moral crisis. Human rights and democracy are at stake. Galvanizing support is now more important than ever.

The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference.

— Elie Wiesel, writer, professor, political activist, Holocaust survivor (1928–2016)

On Being Bound

We are all inextricably bound by our common humanity, our journeys irrevocably intertwined. In the poem “Any Human to Another,” the poetess Countee Cullen wrote:

Your grief and mine
Must intertwine
Like sea and river
Be fused and mingle
Diverse yet single
Forever and forever

Cullen emphasizes that we each have a responsibility to extend our hands in friendship, carry one another’s burdens, and share in each other’s pains and sorrows. Carl Sagan conveyed a similar message in his prominent “Pale Blue Dot” speech:

There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.

On Standing in Solidarity & Providing Refuge

The fortitude of the international community at large is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and the global outpouring of support for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine has been nothing short of inspiring.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me

— “The New Colossus,” Emma Lazarus, inscribed beneath the Statue of Liberty

Poles have opened up their homes to their brethren, academicians across the globe have offered lab positions to Ukrainian students, and Americans have booked Airbnb stays at Kiev residences as a way to offer direct aid. Regarding the latter, you can find hosts who are likely of limited means by looking for those who rent out shared rooms or live in smaller towns.

The government of Ukraine has been accepting cryptocurrency donations of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. A number of nonprofits such as UNICEF, UNHCR, GlobalGiving, Choose Love, Project HOPE, Save the Children, and the International Medical Corps are all using donations to provide humanitarian aid in the region.

And of course, we can’t forget organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Central Kitchen that provide crucial first aid services and meals to refugees fleeing their homes.

On Sharing Information Responsibly

Parents provides an explainer for those with kids on how to talk to children about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. MIT Technology Review shares tips on how to responsibly share information as events unfold.

Fact-checking information with multiple sources and following verified journalist accounts can help prevent the spread of misformation. Mike Caulfield, a digital literacy expert, advocates for the SIFT method:

• Stop (pause before you react to or share what you’re seeing)
• Investigate the source
• Find better coverage
• Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context

The Worst Weekend of the Year

We’re just a few days away from the dreaded second Sunday in March — the annual “spring forward” that begins daylight saving time (DST). Clocks are pushed an hour ahead, and we lose an hour of sleep. But this lost hour can have devastating health consequences. Following the time shift, people are at a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, and depressive symptoms. Fatal traffic accidents significantly increase the Monday afterwards.

The circadian disruption that DST causes has cumulative effects that extend beyond temporary adjustments. Our central and peripheral circadian clocks help maintain healthy physiological processes. The central circadian clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain, is responsive to light/dark cycles while peripheral clocks found in your gut, liver, muscle, and pancreas respond to feeding/fasting patterns.

Synchronizing these clocks is associated with various health benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity, better sleep quality, and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. But the changes in sleep patterns caused by DST alter epigenetic expression of circadian clock genes by eliminating the bright morning light that normally synchronizes biologic clocks.

DST serves no identifiable purpose and only increases health risks. That’s why researchers like Dr. Samer Hattar of the National Institute of Mental Health advocate for its end. A couple years ago, sleep experts at Vanderbuilt University Medical Center published a JAMA opinion in which they summarized epidemiological studies to advocate for a permanent return to standard time.

A change.org petition has 46,000 signatures and counting. Daylight hours are already naturally lengthened during the summer, and DST inappropriately advances our sleep cycle even further. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate the harmful effects:

• Start to gradually push back your meals and bedtime in 15-minute increments the week before DST begins
• Try to get at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight exposure first thing in the morning, and avoid artificial lighting at least 30 minutes before bed
• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends
• Limit caffeine and alcohol intake in the late afternoon
• Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex

As always, thanks for reading. If you ever have any questions, suggestions, or just want to say hello — my inbox is always open! Stay curious, be courteous! 🌱