Global pandemics aside, this morning it is quite clear that just living appears to be quite dangerous...

Here we see a scan of a healthy brain, taken as if through the roof of the mouth. All the images on this page have come from a SPECT scanner, which shows brain activity by detecting blood flow (unlike other types of scanner, which show the actual structure of the brain). The largely smooth surface shows that blood flow to this brain is good

The brain of this heavy caffeine and cigarette user looks in an even worse state than the drug users and heavy drinkers. Caffeine and cigarettes are stimulants in the short term, but in the long term they can narrow the blood vessels in your brain. This reduces brain activity, especially in the vital pre-frontal cortex and temporal lobes. The two large black holes at the top of the brain are in the prefrontal cortex - just under the forehead - which is the brain’s boardroom. This is where you learn from your mistakes; damage here makes you vulnerable to depression. The distorted temporal lobes (the large gaps in the middle) are linked to poor memory.

So thats what a couple of packs & few cups of coffee do to you? No wonder this blog is such a mess. Still on the upside, at least I dont have to worry about that underfunded pension scheme.