News and Prophecy Staff

Globally, about 4.4 percent of the population suffers from depression, and in the United States that number is nearly double, at 8 percent (Big Think, March 22, 2021). Due at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral impact over the last year, depression is rising around the globe.

It was once thought that one or two genes controlled eye color—with brown being genetically dominant. Earlier science, based on a rudimentary understanding of the human genome, resulted in a very simplistic view of the genetics of the eye. Fast-forward several decades to more recent times, and we find that scientists are discovering how wrong they were.

The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—which have been bound together for centuries. However, in recent years, voices have been raised in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to break up the UK, become independent, and possibly rejoin the European Union (The Economist, April 17, 2021). Brexit has put pressure on the seams of the UK, increasing the risk of splits in the ancient union.

Researchers and physicians have long understood the connection between stress and environmental noise, and recent studies continue to demonstrate that relationship. Traffic and aircraft noise has now been linked to a number of cardiovascular risks, including heart attack and stroke (BBC, March 15, 2021). Scientists are also beginning to understand why these risks exist, and it relates to chemicals produced when the body is under a great deal of stress.

Based on a recent, sobering report from the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Deutsche Welle reports, “Acute hunger will increase in over 20 countries if the global community does not take action soon” (March 23, 2021).