Comments on: One Day Soon

By: Green For Purple - Asymptotia

Green For Purple - Asymptotia — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:30:38 +0000

[...] You’ve possibly read about my excitement about the long-awaited Expo line, connecting downtown to USC and the Science and Natural History Museum, and then connecting out to Culver City, and ultimately to Venice. I’ve blogged this here and here. They broke ground on the project two days ago. See here and here. Here’s a picture (yes, construction workers wear business suits in LA. They are very image-conscious here, and you never know when a casting director might be looking): [...]

By: Hubble On The Bus | Cosmic Variance

Hubble On The Bus | Cosmic Variance — Thu, 04 May 2006 18:33:11 +0000

[...] In other transport news: Recall my post on the Expo Line, which starts construction this year? If not, see this post for information, and also information on the existing public transport infrastructure (which exists, is excellent in places, but overall is not used as much as it ought to be because people conveniently cling to the myth that you can only get around by car in this city). Well, some of the neighbourhoods through which the line will run are getting excited. They are getting together and planning how things ought to look near the stations. Discussions about schools, restaurants, supermarkets, pedestrian walkways (and hopefully bikeways?) are taking place in the community. One such community meeting, arranged by the community near the La Brea station, is tonight at the Dorsey High School auditorium. Details can be found at this link if you’d like to come. There’s other related news at that site too. See also the website of the Transit Coalition for lots of information. [...]

By: Non-Minimal Weekend | Cosmic Variance

Non-Minimal Weekend | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 03:35:05 +0000

[...] I was at a particularly good dinner party on Saturday night over on the West Side. It had a little under a dozen people, from professionals in academia and surrounds (such as relativist Kip Thorne of Caltech, or Legal scholar and writer/broadcaster Jonathan Kirsch) to professionals in entertainment (such as writer/performer Julia Sweeney), and journalism (such as South African Journalist and Activist Zubeida Jaffer) and several other fields…. and a good time was had by all. I only had to explain string theory and the whole of particle physics three times (to three separate groups; and I was glad for the opportunity to do so) so I managed to get some food and wine down. I’m not sure if my biggest moment was convincing the razor-sharp Julia Sweeney that maybe she does not hate string theoy quite so much any more, or whether it was just finding ourselves enthusiastically in agreement over public transport issues in LA (i.e. it exists, if only people would use it more! Well, you’ve heard me on this topic a lot…..). We also spoke a lot about getting more science into the entertainment/media realm as well (you’ve heard me on that topic a lot too) a subject we agreed was worth pursuing… [...]

By: It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance

It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:41:38 +0000

[...] This continues to defy the lie that everybody tells about there being no public transport in Los Angeles. See my earlier remarks about that here. [...]

By: Back To The Future | Cosmic Variance

Back To The Future | Cosmic Variance — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:57:51 +0000

[...] So this I see as another possible future for cities such as Los Angeles. Imagine how transformed it will be when the various long-awaited subway and light rail projects are completed. I’ve spoken about this before….I can’t wait. I just hope someone in charge of making this sort of thing happen fast and happen right in Los Angeles gets to talk to someone who can contrast the old Taipei with the new Taipei. Eight short years was all it took. [...]

By: Commuting, I | Cosmic Variance

Commuting, I | Cosmic Variance — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:25:18 +0000

[...] So I’ve spoken here about my frustrations about the myths about Los Angeles, and the fact that so much is missed by many because they’re in their cars. In particular I’ve spoken about public transport (such as the fact that it exists but almost nobody uses it), and I’ve spoken about walking, and cycling. But it must seem all so abstract. So in a fit of frustration at not being able to bring you all along with me and just show you, I decided the day after I did this post that I’d take you with me on one of those mornings when I decide on the way to the bus stop that I’m not going to stop for the bus….. I’m going to go all the way to work on the bike. Yes….the cute little Brompton that everyone living in a city should have to displace their car activity. (I dream, I know.) (See for example here, and here.) [...]

By: Count Iblis

Count Iblis — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 19:13:24 +0000

Hi Janet,

I agree that possibly preventing a heart attack won’t motivate people to do regular exercise. Most smokers would give up smoking if that were the case.

Also it’s not clear if you are indeed going to prevent blocked arteries by exercising. What is clear is that the probability that you are going to survive an heart attack is much higher if you are fit. Also you’ll probably notice the symptoms of blocked arteries long before you get the heart attack.

By: janet

janet — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:55:08 +0000

Arrgh, sorry — left off the end of the first paragraph. Meant to say

There’s a lot more variation from person to person than is generally recognized.

By: janet

janet — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 16:53:53 +0000

Actually, the amount and intensity of exercise needed to become fit is not that cut-and-dried. In particular, the estimates of maximum heart rate and target heart rate are based on one study done in the 70’s. There’s a lot more variation

Take me as an example: one of the key indicators of heart disease risk is blood pressure. Mine consistently runs in the neighborhood of 100/60 (which is considered very good). It did even during a time in my life when I was extremely sedentary and quite a bit overweight. Pregnancy, anxiety, weight, age, nothing seems to affect it. Several years ago, when I was getting my vitals checked before I had abdominal surgery, it was 95/60. The nurse said to me “I guess nothing fazes you!” but in fact I was quite anxious and had been under severe stress for the previous five months. I chalk it up to heredity: my dad is the same way.

Exercise is definitely beneficial, but I think the best way to motivate people to exercise is to point out to people that if you’re in better shape you can do more, feel better, get tired less easily, etc. These are tangible and almost immediate effects of regular exercise. The theoretical possibility of preventing a heart attack at some unspecified date in the future just isn’t very motivating for most people.

Why am I always getting off topic?

By: Count Iblis

Count Iblis — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:06:54 +0000

Clifford,

Yes I forgot that most countries are not so flat like Holland . Still, strenuous excercise is important even for older people. My father of 70 exercises every other day on his hometrainer. He get’s his heart rate up to around 130. He had suffered a heart attack about ten years ago and had a bypass operation. He changed his habits afterwards.

I know many young people who are not as fit as my father. They say: ”well I walk every day”. Perhaps that’s enough to prevent someone from becoming a miserable wreck, but it’s not good enough to properly maintain the cardiovascular system.