Getting out in nature is good medicine for our minds and bodies — but why is that? Marc Berman, a University of Chicago professor, has devoted decades as an environmental neuroscientist finding answers, some of which may surprise you.
Berman is one of the four authors that the National Writers Series hosts this month, and each one of their books will guide you toward new ways of living and looking at life.
In his book, “Nature and the Mind,” Berman explores why nature has the power to help with depression, attention deficit disorder, PTSD, stress and anxiety.
Even a hospital window that provides a glimpse of nature helps surgery patients heal, Berman says, citing the work of Roger Ulrich. He is the researcher who examined the medical records of surgical patients at a suburban Philadelphia hospital from 1971 to 1982 and compared patients who could look at a small stand of leafy trees to those with a view of brick walls. Remarkably, those with the nature view recovered a day earlier and required less pain and less potent medication.
Berman’s book doesn’t say nature completely heals depression, stress or trauma, but it helps. Short nature walks improve attention by almost 20 percent. Green space around schools translates into less crime, better memory and academic performance. Eleven more trees on a street leads to a reduction in strokes, diabetes and heart disease.
He writes that mental health is better achieved when people take the time to sort out their thoughts and worries, and that’s easier to do when surrounded by, say, swaying palm trees and the sound of an ocean as opposed to a boring room. There are other reasons, too, for the mental refresh. When viewing an ancient tree, you can put your immediate problems in better perspective. There’s also evidence that humans prefer curves over rigid straight lines.
Berman will talk at Milliken Auditorium on Aug. 2 with guest host Terrie Taylor, a physician, member of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy Board, and a Michigan State University clinical researcher of cerebral malaria.
Our next two events — a gala on Aug. 7 and a City Opera House event on Aug. 9 — focus on the polar opposite of nature: artificial intelligence.
Bestselling author Gregory Stock will talk about his new book: “Generation AI and the Transformation of Human Being.” Offering a comprehensive analysis of how AI will reshape not just our world but the very nature of what we will become, it promises to be one of the most robust intellectual discussions in NWS’s 16-year history.
“For this audience, it will be interesting to grapple with a post-literate world where people are not reading and how it will change our minds,” said Stock, a renowned futurist, scientist-philosopher and entrepreneur. “This is an audience who loves reading and loves books. I am struggling with these ideas myself and how it all fits in with the discussions of huge data centers and the idea of moving them off the planet.”
Jordan Lindberg, a former philosophy professor and entrepreneur, said he first became a fan of Stock’s in his late teens when he and his friends would ask each other questions from Stock’s first mega-bestselling “The Book of Questions.”
“I think asking questions is very much a part of his life. He has a fascination with the evolving relationships that exist between humanity and technology, and he’s also absolutely fascinated with the kind of questions that AI doesn’t do as good a job of answering–questions that ask us to express and justify our answers in terms of our instincts, emotions, preferences and core values. They are fundamentally questions that require us to think about what kind of world we want to inhabit. What matters most about our humanity? What do we owe each other?”
Examples, he said, might include a young child who depends on AI as a friend and for life advice. Or a depressed or anxious person who chooses AI as their therapist. Or an elderly woman using an AI device to keep her company 24/7 because her adult children live too far away. But even if society may deem these untoward solutions or inauthentic relationships, is there harm when they make life less lonely, safer, or more pleasurable?
Data centers are also hitting headlines as a public health menace. Tens of thousands are losing jobs to AI and teachers are struggling with all kinds of issues. Politicians are grappling with how to regulate industrial noise, pulsating vibrations, and damage to streams and water bodies. Some have proposed banning data centers in their districts or states. Lindberg said that with AI companies racing to out-compete each other and new developments hitting the headlines almost daily, regulatory action isn’t keeping up. The most public case is Anthropic scraping seven million books stored in pirated libraries for training AI.
“Every transformative technology has imposed costs alongside its benefits. The rise of automobile manufacturing in the early twentieth century—and the rapid spread of cars that followed—had profound consequences for the environment and public safety. Yet society accepted those costs, and continues to do so, because individuals derive enormous benefits from convenient personal transportation.”
Yet when people are stung by the harm of AI, they might not be as accepting of the consequences in terms of the price that must be paid in order to get the benefits it has to offer, he said.
Our last two events will take place in the Open Space in partnership with Traverse City Food and Wine. On Aug. 20, we are honored to host the legendary Ruth Reichl, recognized as one of the most discerning voices in the food world as a bestselling author, revered restaurant critic, and culinary industry influencer. Her icon status stems from her groundbreaking roles in food journalism as the lead restaurant critic at the New York Times and editor-in-chief at Gourmet magazine.
Reichl will be joined in conversation with returning guest host Matt Rodbard to talk about her life of food writing–most recently a novel, The Paris Novel, a coming-of-age story.
Next up on Aug. 21 is Martin Sorge, who was crowned the winner of “The Great American Baking Show” by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
Few would have guessed that his baking journey began with him setting the microwave on fire, trying to make a biscuit. But after years spent in the kitchen, he had become a full-fledged “baking nerd next door.” In his new book, “Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest,” he explains simply how to adjust a recipe for rye flour or to perfect your pavlova without bogging you down with too many details. A Suttons Bay part-time resident, he’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet!
Come join our busy August and be inspired!