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Podcast: Research into household chores reveals fascinating home truths

The notion of ‘women’s work’ still deeply embedded in today’s society Men’s choice of housework centred around machinery and perceived physical strength Some household tasks have ‘shifted’ over the years A fascinating study by an academic at Aston University has revealed that women still do certain traditional tasks within the home. The research by Dr Emily Christopher, a lecturer in sociology and policy, found that ‘woman-type’ tasks often involve multi-tasking while men’s roles often include solo duties such as mowing the lawn. Dr Christopher, whose research focuses on the reproduction of gender inequalities in paid and unpaid work, spoke about her study in the latest episode of the 'Society matters' podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. The episode is sub-titled 'Did you iron my shirt? Why household work, and who does it, matters'. Dr Christopher explained that men are doing much more household work than they did 50 years ago, and that there was “general agreement” among the couples she interviewed that household work should be shared. The lecturer, who invited couples to assign ‘task cards’ during interviews in their homes, said past research found that women still perform the ‘lion’s share’ of household work. This, she said, followed on from the “age old idea” of women being more caring and nurturing which was “deeply embedded in the way society thinks”. While some tasks were still more likely to be done by women, some had shifted over time. Tasks still “overwhelmingly gendered” today include women remembering birthdays, organising presents, and remembering whether a child needs PE kit or money for a cake sale, all the cognitive labour of household management. She said: “The problem is it’s invisible, so it isn’t recognised as work.” Dr Christopher said that men tend to do the ironing if they find it “enjoyable”, often while listening to football or music, or if they have “particular standards”, such as creases in their sleeves. However, some women choose ironing as a “form of protest”, doing their own and their children’s clothes but refusing to iron men’s shirts. Dr Christopher pointed out that some other tasks traditionally seen as women’s, which had ‘shifted’, included cooking. She said: “Men are more likely to do this now, arguably this might be because they are less likely to be seen as less masculine for doing so, this helped by the rise of celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver.” Her research also revealed that men are more likely to wash up and stack the dishwasher but, like ironing, men doing these tasks was often driven by standards such as liking them stacked a particular way. They are also more likely to hoover than to clean, which fell mostly to women, with Dr Christopher suggesting: “I wonder whether sometimes this is something to do with the fact that hoovering involves technology and machinery, so it conceptualises more as a masculine form of housework.” Similarly, Dr Christopher said men are more likely to do outside jobs such as DIY, washing the car and mowing the lawn, with the emphasis again on physical strength. Significantly, tasks which men are more likely to be responsible for, such as DIY, are less likely to “interfere” with paid work, whereas those done by women often involve a reduction in their hours with “very wide implications” such as a gender pay gap, restrictions in career progression, and restricted access to pensions in later life. As a result, she said the state needs to do more, particularly around parental leave and the lack of affordable childcare provision. Dr Christopher said: “If you take maternity leave, it’s 12 months maximum in comparison to one or two weeks’ paternity leave, so straight away we are sending a message about who’s the natural carer. Parental leave needs to change to challenge this reinforcing of gender roles.” She added that childcare provision needs to be seen as integral to the way society and the economy works, so needs funding. Increasingly, Dr Christopher said couples are relying on their parents for help with childcare, and “interestingly, it tends to be the grandmothers who take on this work”. Individuals wanting to put a monetary value on household work can complete the Office for National Statistics’ domestic labour calculator, although she said it was a crude measure and only gives a rough idea. “Using this measure, my household work, on top of a full-time job at Aston University, is worth £18,000 a year,” she said. Listen to all episodes of the 'Society matters' podcast

Pharmacy researchers investigating drug optimisation for severe mental illness hold workshop for people with lived experience

Members of the Lived Experience Stakeholder Group meet at Aston University for the first time to give feedback on the project MEDIATE investigated how medication for severe mental illness can be optimised Research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Researchers from Aston Pharmacy School welcomed people with lived experience involved in the MEDIATE research project to campus for a one-day workshop on 17 March to enable these members of the Lived Experience Stakeholder Group - who all live with and take medication for severe mental illness (SMI) - to meet in person to give feedback and discuss their participation in the project. The group members have participated in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded project since January 2022 until its conclusion in March 2023. The MEDIATE project investigated how medication can be best optimised (safely getting the right drug at the right dose to the individual at the right time) for people living with SMI. The first part of the workshop allowed participants to discuss with the research team their involvement as people with lived experience of severe mental illness in the project. Dr Jo Howe, MEDIATE project researcher at Aston University, said: “Although this group was formed to help us as researchers, we became aware that involvement in the group has also helped group members. They enjoyed linking with their peers, despite having had different lives and journeys, they discovered shared experiences, which helped them feel less isolated. “Importantly some members said that their involvement in our research improved their self-confidence and helped them to speak about their medication concerns with their healthcare team.” The second part of the workshop bought the group together to gauge opinions on three separate research projects currently being planned by the MEDIATE research team. The group were able to give useful insights to help shape the research teams future project proposals. Max Carlish, MEDIATE group member, said: “Our participation throughout this project has really made us feel that we have been influencing the direction of the research. With our unique service user perspectives helping to make the research findings practicable and applicable to the vitally important - and often overlooked - area of medication optimisation.” Mustak Mirza, MEDIATE group member, added: “People will trust their leaders when the leaders do the thing that make them feel psychologically safe. And I believe and feel you (the MEDIATE Team) have done that. Many thanks for being so kind.” Dr Jo Howe added: “Input from the group has been invaluable for this project. Their involvement has shaped the trajectory of our research and they have been instrumental in identifying gaps in the research evidence. “It really was fantastic to meet everyone in person, I felt like we connected at a deeper level and I’m really looking forward to working with everyone again on future research.” Professor Ian Maidment, MEDIATE project lead at Aston University, said: “It is vital that the people who this research affects are actively involved in the process. We aimed to do this in MEDIATE and working with this group has really helped inform the research. For example, any guidance or outputs we produce will be centred on real world experience and are therefore much more likely to have an impact.”

Going green: Solar and wind power remain the best alternatives to fossil fuels

Find video for use here.  In the U.S., more and more individuals, and even corporations, are making it a priority to go green in an effort to reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels. Studies have proven carbon dioxide is a main contributor to human-caused climate change, so we're tapping into natural elements more often to reduce the use of fossil fuels. From solar farms to solar panels on houses and wind turbines, it’s tough not to find efforts to go green, and that’s a move in the right direction, according to Jessica Reichmuth, PhD, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science and Mathematics at Augusta University. She said we’re heading in the right direction, but more can be done. “We are taking the right steps, but I’m not sure if we will be entirely able to be green energy, but we definitely need to be more green than we are today,” said Reichmuth. “Fossil fuels will eventually run out and are a non-renewable resource.” Homeowners and municipalities are tapping into solar panels most often as a green resource. Some concerns include the costs involved and the fact that in most cases, the panels are permanently attached to a house. Reichmuth points to California as an example of a state trying to ease that burden. Some people who are moving into rental houses and know they aren’t going to be there for a long period of time can have a company attach removable panels. There are other companies jumping into the business of leasing solar panels as well. Even small panels the size of a binder located in a backyard can make a big difference in producing a noticeable amount of electricity. These are great steps, said Reichmuth, but more progress can still be made. “We are at a point within society with green technology that we know and understand how to make solar panels, the infrastructure is there to support them, we just need a movement to get them so they’re used everywhere,” Reichmuth said. Wind turbines remain a big source of discussion. Yes, they provide an alternative electric source, but at what cost? A big negative is the possibility of bird strikes. “Birds will learn to navigate around wind turbines. They are not built in a way that they are impervious to long-distance migration.” Hydroelectricity and geothermal energy are two other green sources of energy. There are not a lot of areas in the U.S. that offer geothermal resources, and as far as hydroelectricity goes, there’s still concern in Reichmuth’s eyes. “I think it would be great to see if dams are going to be used for hydroelectricity, but not as a water containment system. There are portions of the U.S., especially in the southwest, that are dealing with water issues because we have dammed them. Hydroelectricity is good if the dam is used specifically for that purpose and not water containment.” Renewable energy, cost savings and ESG are top of mind for corporations, governments and populations as we look to the future, and if you're a journalist covering this topic, then let us help. Jessica Reichmuth is available to speak with media. Simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

UC Irvine NATO expert available to discuss Finland membership

Heidi Hardt, associate professor of political science at UC Irvine, is a scholar whose expertise is in transatlantic security, US foreign policy, national security and European security and defense, including NATO, the EU and OSCE. She is the author of the book, NATO's Lessons in Crisis: Institutional Memory in International Organizations (Oxford UP, 2018). She recently completed a 2021-2022 Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars (IAF-TIRS). During the year, she worked for the US State Department (NATO Desk). Professor Hardt can be reached via email at hhardt@uci.edu.

Aston University establishes new independent investment company

Aston University is part of a group of eight universities which has established a new investment company Midlands Mindforge will accelerate the commercialisation of university research It aims to raise up to £250 million from investors. Aston University is one of eight research intensive universities in the Midlands to establish a new investment company to accelerate the commercialisation of university spinouts and early-stage IP rich businesses in the region.  Midlands Mindforge Limited has been co-founded by Aston University, University of Birmingham, Cranfield University, Keele University, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham and University of Warwick, collectively Midlands Innovation. This ambitious, patent capital investment company plans to raise up to £250 million from strategic corporate partners, institutional investors and qualifying individuals. It aims to transform ground-breaking science and technology into successful businesses with real-world impact. Midlands Mindforge will help to address the significant funding deficit for early-stage technology businesses in the region. Through the combination of additional capital and company-building skills, Midlands Mindforge will lay the foundations of a more vibrant ecosystem for emerging science-backed companies in areas such as Clean Technology, AI and Computational Science, Life Sciences and Health Tech. Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, said: "Aston University has a strong track record in bringing together industry and academia to solve real world problems and drive innovation through applied and translational research. Â Investment raised through Midlands Mindforge will enable a step change that will ensure we get the very best outcomes for our research. "The impact of increased investment in research translation will be felt widely, with Midlands Mindforge supporting the growth of high value added businesses and jobs in the region and creating the right conditions to build future global companies. This is a hugely exciting time for Aston University and the wider Midlands Innovation group of universities, and I look forward to seeing the benefits that this strategic development will bring." Collectively, the eight founding universities have the most postgraduate students, the highest levels of annual income, more research disclosures and patents generated per unit of research spend in the last three years, in comparison to any other UK university grouping. Minister of State for Science, Research & Innovation George Freeman MP said: "Commercialising UK science & technology for global industrial adoption has never been more urgent for both the UK economy and the global resource challenges facing us. The Midlands Innovation universities are driving a new era of innovation from robotics and advanced manufacturing to life science and autonomous vehicles and much more. "As we in Government increase UK public R&D to a record £20 billion a year, the key is private finance backing spinouts and scale-ups. The Midlands is rapidly becoming a world class UK cluster of excellence and Midlands Mindforge will play a key role in bringing global investors to help back world class companies." Chairman of the Midlands Engine Partnership, Sir John Peace, said: "The Midlands has always been associated with exceptional invention and creativity, but has long experienced significant underinvestment and consequently productivity levels have lagged behind the rest of the UK. "This bold and ambitious initiative led by the Midlands Innovation universities has the potential to help close the investment gap, supporting our region to reach its true potential for sustainable economic growth. Midlands Mindforge will help to further fast-track commercialisation of research ideas, creating a more resilient economy and playing an important role in levelling up the Midlands." Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "A key part of my mayoral mission is to drive our regional recovery forward and help generate the high-quality jobs of the future in order to improve quality of life for local people. This exciting new investment vehicle will very much support that mission planting the seeds for long-term sustainable economic growth here in the West Midlands. "Many brilliant ideas and top businesses have spun out from Midlands universities and this new venture will help us to advance that agenda and retain more of our innovative success stories within our region. "Together we can better nurture the enterprising talent on our doorstep and this new endeavour creates a wonderful opportunity to do just that." For more information about Midlands Mindforge visit www.midlandsmindforge.com

Ask an Expert: Is the "AI Moratorium" too far reaching?

Recent responses to chatGPT have featured eminent technologists calling for a six-month moratorium on the development of “AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” Dr. Jeremy Kedziora, PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence at Milwaukee School of Engineering, supports a middle ground approach between unregulated development and a pause. He says, "I do not agree with a moratorium, but I would call for government action to develop regulatory guidelines for AI use, particularly for endowing AIs with actions." Dr. Kedziora is available as a subject matter expert on the recent "AI moratorium" that was issued by tech leaders. According to Dr. Kedziora: There are good reasons to call for additional oversight of AI creation: Large deep or reinforcement learning systems encode complicated relationships that are difficult for users to predict and understand. Integrating them into daily use by billions of people implies some sort of complex adaptive system in which it is even more difficult for planners to anticipate, predict, and plan. This is likely fertile ground for unintended – and bad – outcomes. Rather than outright replacement, a very real possibility is that AI-enabled workers will have sufficiently high productivity that we’ll need less workers to accomplish tasks. The implication is that there won’t be enough jobs for those who want them. This means that governments will need to seriously consider proposals for UBI and work to limit economic displacement, work which will require time and political bargaining. I do not think it is controversial that we would not want a research group at MIT or CalTech, or anywhere developing an unregulated nuclear weapon. Given the difficulty in predicting its impact, AI may well be in the same category of powerful, suggesting that its creation should be subject to the democratic process. At the same time, there are some important things to keep in mind regarding chatGPT-like AI systems that suggest there are inherent limits to their impact: Though chatGPT may appear–at times–to pass the famous Turing test, this does not imply these systems ’think,’ or are ’self-aware,’ or are ’alive.’ The Turing test aims to avoid answering these questions altogether by simply asking if a machine can be distinguished from a human by another human. At the end of the day, chatGPT is nothing more than a bunch of weights! Contemporary AIs–chatGPT included–have very limited levers to pull. They simply can’t take many actions. Indeed, chatGPT’s only action is to create text in response to a prompt. It cannot do anything independently. Its effects, for now, are limited to passing through the hands of humans and to the social changes it could thereby create. The call for a moratorium emphasizes ‘control’ over AI. It is worth asking just what this control means. Take chatGPT as an example–can its makers control responses to prompts? Probably only in a limited fashion at best, with less and less ability as more people use it. There simply aren’t resources to police its responses. Can chatGPT’s makers ‘flip the off switch?’ Absolutely – restricting access to the API would effectively turn chatGPT off. In that sense, it is certainly under the same kind of control humans subjected to government are. Keep in mind that there are coordination problems – just because there is an AI moratorium in the US does not mean that other countries–particularly US adversaries– will stop development. And as others have said: “as long as AI systems have objectives set by humans, most ethics concerns related to artificial intelligence come from the ethics of the countries wielding them.” There are definitional problems with this sort of moratorium – who would be subject to it? Industry actors? Academics? The criterion those who call for the moratorium use is “AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” What does “powerful” mean? Enforcement requires drawing boundaries around which AI development is subject to a moratorium – without those boundaries how would such a policy be enforced? It might already be too late – some already claim that they’ve recreated chatGPT. There are two major groups to think about when looking for develop regulatory solutions for AI: academia and industry. There may already be good vehicles for regulating academic research, for example oversight of grant funding. Oversight of AI development in industry is an area that requires attention and application of expertise. If you're a journalist covering Artificial Intelligence, then let us help. Dr. Kedziora is a respected expert in Data Science, Machine Learning, Statistical Modeling, Bayesian Inference, Game Theory and things AI. He's available to speak with the media - simply click on the icon now to arrange an interview today.

Aston University scientist awarded ERC Advanced Grant to explore early interventions to prevent dementia onset

• Leading scientist wins €2.2 million ERC Advanced Grant • The five-year project will explore early dementia interventions through understanding how an aquaporin water channel regulates glymphatic clearance • ERC Advanced Grant funding is amongst the most prestigious and competitive of the EU funding schemes. A world leading scientist in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University has been awarded a €2.2 million ERC Advanced Grant to understand how the movement of a protein known as aquaporin-4 in the brain can help slow cognitive decline. The FORTIFY project, which will run for five years, is led by Professor Roslyn Bill in the School of Biosciences. She will apply her discovery of the movement of aquaporin-4 to understand how the cleaning mechanism in the brain works during sleep. The research will focus on how aquaporin-4 controls the glymphatic system, which is the mechanism that allows us to clear waste products from our brains while we sleep. Her hypothesis is that the movement of aquaporin-4 in the brain changes the effectiveness of this cleansing mechanism - which lessens as people age. A greater understanding of this process could lead to an early intervention treatment that could slow the onset of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. ERC Advanced Grant funding is amongst the most prestigious and competitive of the EU funding schemes, providing researchers with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. Professor Bill said: “Every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia and there is no cure. I want to stop that from happening. By understanding the molecular mechanisms of brain waste clearance, we have an opportunity to develop medicines that can slow the onset of dementia, very much in the same way that statins are prescribed to control heart disease”. Roslyn Bill discovered that the water channel protein aquaporin-4 increases the permeability of brain cells to water after a brain or spinal cord injury. Around 60 million people a year suffer such injuries following falls or accidents. For example, after a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013, Michael Schumacher suffered a severe head injury. He was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent several surgeries to treat his injuries. Until now doctors have only been able to manage the symptoms of brain injury (swelling on the brain) through interventions that may require surgery. Professor Bill and her team are due to start clinical trials in summer 2023, to test a method to stop the swelling from happening in its tracks, building on her discoveries. Roslyn’s new ERC-funded project, FORTIFY, will focus on how aquaporin-4 controls fluid flow in the healthy, uninjured brain. In this round of Advanced Grants, the European Research Council (ERC) is awarding €544 million to 218 outstanding research leaders across Europe, as part of the Horizon Europe programme. The grants will support cutting edge research in a wide range of fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities. The grant is awarded to established, leading researchers with a proven track-record of significant research achievements over the past decade. The funding will enable the researchers to explore their most innovative and ambitious ideas. Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “ERC grants are a top recognition and a significant commitment from our best researchers. The €544 million funding puts our 218 research leaders, together with their teams of postdoctoral fellows, PhD students and research staff, in pole position to push back the boundaries of our knowledge, break new ground and build foundations for future growth and prosperity in Europe” Maria Leptin, ERC President, added: "These new ERC Advanced Grantees are a testament to the outstanding quality of research carried out across Europe. I am especially pleased to see such a high number of female researchers in this competition and that they are increasingly successful in securing funding. “We look forward to seeing the results of the new projects in the years to come, with many likely to lead to breakthroughs and new advances.”

Why I Begin My Day with AICloudQA?

What benefits would make you want to start every day with a certain piece of software? Learn what makes Dr. Karen Finlay and the team at Hamilton Health Sciences and Hamilton St. Joseph’s want to start their day with AICloudQA and how it contributes to the working environment for radiologists. Learn more here: https://realtimemedical.com/software-solutions/ #radiology #teleradiology #diagnosticimaging

What You Need To Know About Cybersecurity From the Director of the Rensselaer Future of Computing Institute

Cyber threats have become one of the leading issues for corporations, governments, and public institutions across America. With ransomware attacks, hackers, and other nefarious threats, the issue is becoming a daily occurrence and leading news story. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s James Hendler, director of the Future of Computing Institute, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web, and Cognitive Sciences, and director of the RPI-IBM Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration, weighs in on what we should all know about cybersecurity. Overview Think about cybersecurity the way you think about home security – the more valuables you have, the more security you need. A normal user needs the equivalent of a lock on the door, which most of our computers provide out of the box. However, a user with a fair amount of personal information, who keeps financial records or runs a small business, probably wants a firewall or other additional protection. We used to tell people to protect their computers with firewalls, malware detectors, and the like, but now it is much more important to protect your web access, be wary of external sites, and keep your passwords secure and not easily guessed. Use of a password manager program can be really helpful for people who use a lot of different accounts. Threats The biggest threat facing individuals is identity theft caused by someone getting into an account that you don’t control. Most malware or password stealing comes via a phishing attack (a fake email that convinces you to click a bad link), so if you see an offer that looks too good to be true, don’t believe it. Never give out a password or personal information without confirming that it is legitimate. We also recommend not using major accounts (like Google, Facebook, etc.) to log in to new apps where you aren’t completely sure of the reliability – you’re safer if you use a separate password. It’s also worth noting that these kinds of attacks are now happening on cell phones – if you get a text saying your Amazon, Netflix, or other services have been shut off, be very careful. These companies almost never send out such messages, and if they do, they come via email, not text. For businesses, ransomware is becoming an increasing challenge. Frequent backups and dual authentication are absolute musts for small businesses. Large businesses, and especially those with cyber-physical connections such as a manufacturing device, must have someone on the team who understands internet technology. Outside audits done annually, at least, are also highly recommended. The biggest danger in cybersecurity is that people, especially in businesses, think that the software industry will fix things and that they don’t have to worry. That’s like expecting auto manufacturers to stop car theft, or the government to prevent all crime – these organizations certainly need to help, but they cannot be perfect. So while there definitely needs to be a role for manufacturers and government, people need to understand that the threats are now coming from social interactions such as phishing, or serious criminal enterprises such as ransomware attackers, and not just maladjusted teenagers. They must be ready to pay for some security if they have things on their network that need protection. The Cloud Cloud-based services are a major boon to cybersecurity for individuals and small businesses if, and only if, people protect their access. If a breach is reported to you by a company, don’t ignore it, change your password, and, whenever possible, use dual authentication. The cloud companies can afford to spend more on security than you can and thus your information stored in these services tends to be quite secure. However, people need to be careful in using the cloud. Just as you may trust a bank with your money, you want to be sure not to be robbed on your way there. Future Computing Systems and Cybersecurity New technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are arising all the time in today’s fast-moving cyber world. As these technologies arise, they can create new opportunities for cybersecurity, but can also create new challenges. Cybercrime will never disappear, and each new capability comes with a price. Increased education and awareness of emerging computing technologies (blockchain, quantum, etc.) are important not just for the expert, but also for the general public. It is important to stay informed and pay attention to what is being reported. Just as buying a new appliance can be a great advantage at home (I love my new air-fryer), you also have to be sure to be using it appropriately (used wrong, it can cause fires). Looking to learn more or connect with an expert for your questions and coverage? James Hendler is the director of the Rensselaer Future of Computing Institute, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web, and Cognitive Sciences, and director of the RPI-IBM Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration. Hendler has authored over 400 books, technical papers, and articles in the areas of Semantic Web, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and high-performance processing. Hendler is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Expert Q&A: The Summer of Sargassum?

A 5,000-mile-wide mass of sargassum seaweed is drifting toward Florida's beaches. It could arrive, with its brown, slick leaves and rotten eggs smell, around July as the state's Atlantic beaches are filled with locals and tourists.   Florida Tech oceanographer Kevin Johnson offered his insights into this looming arrival. Is it dangerous? Will it spoil the beaches? Here are his answers to some key questions. QUESTION: Is this situation really a big deal? Kevin Johnson: I wouldn’t say it is being overhyped, but it is yet to be determined whether this year will have greater amounts of sargassum in the Atlantic offshore, (visible by satellite) or coming ashore and covering the beaches, a connected but separate phenomenon requiring the cooperation of onshore winds. 2018 was a record-setting year, and this year could exceed what was seen in both locations in 2018. If the winds contribute strongly to sargassum coming ashore, it could make it smelly and hard to find an area of clean sand to set up on the beaches. QUESTION: Is there a health risk if we head to a beach where sargassum is present? Kevin Johnson: Sargassum doesn’t produce aerosolized organic toxins, but as it rots on the beach, it will smell and give off hydrogen sulfide gas, or H2S. That's the stuff that smells like rotten eggs. When concentrated in enclosed areas, this gas is toxic and can be harmful. However, in the open air, diluted on an exposed beach, it is more of a smelly nuisance than a genuine health hazard for most people. But there could be a minor irritation, like itching, after coming into contact with sargassum. There are symbiotic species living in and amongst this seaweed when it is healthy and floating at sea. (These intricate relationships are part of what makes sargassum ecologically significant as a food source, nursery and habitat for many populations.) One of the symbionts is a tiny branching colonial hydroid, related to corals. it grows on sargassum fronds. Hydroid colonies have a sting like corals and jellyfish, but it is generally not severe. Some people may experience itching around their feet or ankles (or any body part that contacts the sargassum hydroids) if they brush up against sargassum in waves or swash, or step on freshly deposited sargassum on the sand. Many people will not be bothered or only mildly troubled by this, but some people may be more sensitive to the hydroids. QUESTION: I was planning to visit the beach. Should I reconsider now?  Kevin Johnson: If the winds collude with the large bloom already underway to deliver huge mats to the beach, it could be hard for beachgoers to find a place to sit on the sand, and the smells could make the beach untenable. I emphasize “could” with the hydrogen sulfide smell because it depends on how the sargassum is deposited and how wet it is as it breaks down. In some cases, beached Sargassum can be very dry and in such cases it may not smell too bad. People who are more sensitive to the hydrogen sulfide or to the hydroids on the fresh sargassum may find the experience even more unpleasant. Westerly winds would be helpful from the perspective of keeping sargassum away from beaches, but unfortunately easterlies are pretty common this time of year. If you're a reporter looking to know more about this topic, let us help with your coverage. Dr. Johnson can be available for phone, Zoom or, depending on scheduling, in-person interviews.