Harrison Ford reacts after 'terrifying' new snake is named after him
A new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford - and the actor has shared his amusing response to this news. The name of the snake species found in Peru has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi to pay tribute to the 81-year-old Hollywood legend for his environmental and conservation work. In May last year, the discovery was made of the snake which is 16 inches long and has yellow-brown colours with black spots on top and black on its stomach underneath. Ford is well-known for his starring role as archaeological professor Indiana Jones, who famously said: “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” It's not the first time Ford has had a species named after him, there is the Calponia harrisonfordi spider and the Pheidole harrisonfordi ant. Since finding out he can now add a snake species to the list, the Star Wars actor provided a hilarious reaction but also described the honour as "humbling". "These scientists keep naming critters after me, but it's always the ones that terrify children," Ford told Conservation International, a non-profit where he is vice chair. "I don't understand. I spend my free time cross-stitching. "I sing lullabies to my basil plants, so they won't fear the night." “The snake’s got eyes you can drown in, and he spends most of the day sunning himself by a pool of dirty water – we probably would’ve been friends in the early 60s,” he said. “In all seriousness,” Ford continued. “This discovery is humbling. It’s a reminder that there’s still so much to learn about our wild world – and that humans are one small part of an impossibly vast biosphere.” Neil Cox, manager of the Conservation International-IUCN Biodiversity Assessment noted how "important" snakes are within our ecosystem. “Most people likely don’t find snakes as cute as a fluffy panda cub, but their role in the world’s ecosystems is just as important,” he said. “This discovery helps us better understand how snake species exist and survive in the world, and I hope that its fun name will help draw attention to the threat of extinction facing reptiles globally.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-16 21:59
Half of anxiety and depression cases in new and expectant mums are missed: 7 signs a new mum needs help
Half of all anxiety and depression cases among new and expectant mothers are going undiagnosed, according to a new report. Although 10-20% of women develop mental health problems, which can include anxiety and depression, during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby, 50% of cases are being missed – despite contact with professionals, the report by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) found. The report suggested that mental health needs are still secondary to physical health during pregnancy, and has called for a boost in midwife numbers to help spot more cases of mental ill health. Amanda Mansfield, professional advisor to the RCM and one of the lead authors of the report, said the 20% of new or expectant mothers who have mental health issues will experience a range of symptoms. “Often the ‘baby blues’ is normalised because it’s something lots of people get, and women are told, ‘You’ll be fine’,” Mansfield told PA Media. “That can contribute to the fact that significant numbers of women downplay their symptoms – in some reports, up to 70% of women don’t feel able to disclose how they feel, they may feel judged. “Some women feel it may affect their ability to mother, or they may be concerned their baby may be taken away.” Mansfield added that some women may feel unable to share their symptoms with a health professional, because they’re worried about how they’re going to be perceived. “But it really is ok to not be ok, rather than women playing down and diluting their feelings,” she added. It’s a good idea for everyone to be aware of mental health risks during pregnancy and beyond. Here are seven signs that somebody might need mental health support, and how to talk about it… 1. DepressionPregnant women or new mums may feel low, unhappy and tearful for much or all of the time. Mansfield said: “It’s looking for the variation in normal patterns of behaviour. Family and friends should ask, in a very compassionate, non-judgmental way, how the woman’s feeling.” If friends and family don’t feel confident about having such conversations, they should encourage the woman to talk to her health professional, Mansfield added. 2. Anxiety Feelings of anxiety can manifest in many ways, and physical symptoms can include a racing pulse, breathlessness and sweating. But whether there are physical symptoms or not, it’s vital for women to talk about how they’re feeling, said Mansfield. “A woman may say she feels particularly anxious about the birth, or relatives coming over, or the in-laws, and having the space to talk about it is really important, to share the anxiety with a midwife that she has a relationship with.” If these anxious feelings don’t improve over time, Mansfield said they can be referred to a specialist midwife who’s an expert in perinatal mental health, and who may be able to offer additional interventions and support. 3. Altered sleep patterns All new parents will of course find their sleep is affected, but if there is also an underlying mental health issue going on, exhausted women may find it even hard to fall or stay asleep. “Women may have significantly disrupted sleep patterns, but we often normalise that with later pregnancy and new parents having difficulty sleeping,” Mansfield pointed out. “It’s really important that if you’re having problems sleeping, and you may be unable to settle and find your mood is a lot lower, you talk to your health professional about that.” 4. Appetite changes “Some people do find their appetite is affected,” said Mansfield. This may mean women lose their appetite and forget to eat or, conversely, comfort eat and possibly put weight on. 5. Difficulty concentrating It’s common for women to describe having ‘brain fog’ when they’re pregnant or have just had a baby, but sometimes an inability to concentrate can be a sign of a deeper problem. Mansfield explained: “A woman’s ability to concentrate can be markedly affected, and we often downplay that – it can be a subtlety that we ally with having a baby or being pregnant, but these can be really important signs and symptoms to share with your health professional, as they may suggest there’s something that needs exploring further.” 6. Obsessive compulsive behaviour Starting to behave obsessively or compulsively, or symptoms of any pre-existing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) getting worse, can be linked to perinatal mental ill health too. “Some women may be excessively tidying, for example, or be fixated on something and they may become more anxious,” said Mansfield. “Very commonly, obsessive compulsive disorder may become worsened. Certainly if someone does have compulsive disorders, it’s important not to put them to one side, but share them with your midwife. Picking it up early is so important.” 7. Unusual thoughts Of course, new parents will have lots of new things to think about – but when those thoughts are perhaps a little unusual, it’s worth talking to family, friends and your midwife or health visitor about them. Mansfield said: “Women may present with different thoughts they haven’t experienced before, and often they downplay that because they’re not sure whether they’re normal or not, or they might think they’re just part of being pregnant and having a baby. “The challenge for us as midwives is when you only have 15/20 minutes antenatally to do the whole health assessment – the physical and mental health assessment. It’s about understanding the subtlety of behaviour change.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live This Morning’s Dr Zoe Williams: Why gut health could be more important than you think this summer Vitamin D intake ‘may reduce cancer mortality in the population by 15%’ – study Men who cycle, jog or swim could cut risk of nine cancers – study
2023-08-16 21:54
'I hope one day I have more to say about what will happen with it': Lana Del Rey and Jon Batiste have leftover tracks from their sessions
Lana Del Rey and Jon Batiste have some more tracks they worked on that he hopes will be released.
2023-08-16 20:25
Adele agrees to gender reveal at concert - and gets more emotional than parents
Adele appeared to break down in tears after helping a pregnant couple do their gender reveal at her Las Vegas concert. The singer revealed Chris and Shantelle Dare were having a baby boy, but appeared even more overcome with emotion than the couple. "That's so emotional, oh my God", she sobbed, before adding: "If and when I get pregnant will you do my gender reveal?" The video has been viewed more than a million times on TikTok. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-08-16 20:16
Parasitic worm seen wriggling in supermarket salmon
It is important to eat a protein rich diet, and you can achieve this if you eat a lot of fish and meat. But one women got more protein than she bargained for when she found a worm in her salmon while shopping - how gross. Posting on TikTok, Rachel Lyn said she picked up the fish in a South Carolina branch of Costco before deciding to "immediately put it back" after seeing the worm, wriggling about. "Live parasites in the salmon today at Costco," she captioned the video. @msrachellyn Live parasites in the salmon today at #costco yummmm 🤨😩 Since posting the TikTok, it has gone viral and accrued 2.5 million views. But while it may seem disgusting apparently finding an extra friend in your fish is not uncommon. These “worms” are a parasite named anisakid nematodes, sometimes referred to as herring worms or cod worms. A 2019 article from CBC alleged that “data cited by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control suggests 75 percent of wild Pacific salmon are infected with the parasite.” After reporting on the story, the Mirror contacted the supermarket for comment. Anyone else feel a bit sick now? Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-16 19:52
Tribunal says Georgia teacher who read book on gender identity to her fifth grade class should not be fired
A three-person tribunal has recommended against the firing of a Georgia teacher who is at risk of being terminated after reading a book about gender identity to her fifth grade class, according to the teacher's attorney.
2023-08-16 17:48
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2023-08-16 17:48
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'Ouch!': Nick Jonas falls into hole on stage at Jonas Brothers' Boston gig
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2023-08-16 15:25
Quantum Computing Is Years Away. This Startup Says Its Software Can Get There Faster.
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2023-08-16 12:46
Harrison Ford has a new Peruvian snake species named after him
Unlike his Indiana Jones character, Ford says he likes snakes and called the discovery "humbling".
2023-08-16 05:52
Alberta Electricity Prices More Than Double
Electricity prices in Alberta in July more than doubled from a year earlier, climbing to a record high
2023-08-16 01:50