National Geographic – The Science Of Addiction. Inglés 09/17

National Geographic – The Science of Addiction – 09/17

In this Issue:

• CHALLENGES TYPICAL CONVICTIONS: Scientists are challenging the view that
addiction is a moral failing and are researching treatments that could offer an exit from the
cycle of desire, bingeing and withdrawal that traps tens of millions of people.
• THE LATEST RESEARCH: Advances in neuroscience are allowing scientists to develop a
detailed picture of how addiction disrupts pathways and processes that underlie desire, habit
formation, pleasure, learning, emotional regulation and cognition in the brain.

A Tiny Country Feeds the World
• SMALL BUT MIGHTY: The Dutch, the second-largest global exporter of food by dollar value after the U.S., have become world leaders
in agricultural innovation, pioneering new paths to fight hunger and changing the way we farm, with only a fraction of the land available to
other countries.
• SILICON VALLEY OF THE FOOD SYSTEM: Firms in Holland are using the world’s most efficient agricultural innovations on a large scale
and developing technology to maximize production, including climate-controlled farms, greenhouses that yield much more produce than
outdoor acres and with much less chemicals, hydroponic farming, utilizing drones to assess crop conditions, and more.

The Gorillas Dian Fossey Saved
• A COMPLEX PAST: To some in Rwanda, the American zoologist and primatologist was a menacing intruder, but Fossey’s work kept
mountain gorillas from being wiped out .
• LEGACY UNDER THREAT: Today the great apes face new challenges, including the risk of infection from humans or livestock and other
human activities.

Stewards of the Sea
• A SERIOUS THREAT: Ocean conservationists often call the Gulf of Mexico the “aquarium
of the world,” but overfishing has threatened the diversity and quantity of its sea life.
• NOTABLE CASE STUDY: As fish populations crash elsewhere, local communities in
Mexico’s Baja California, in partnership with nonprofits and the Mexican government, are
limiting catches to keep harvests bountiful, boost tourism and preserve a way of life.