5 Things We Can Learn From Alaska

Science probably isn’t the first thing that pops into your head when you think about Alaska, but it has a lot to offer when it comes to learning about the world, from cold corals to our behavior.

Hosted by: Stefan Chin

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Sources:

Drew EM, Hanson BL, Huo K. Seasonal affective disorder and engagement in physical activities among adults in Alaska. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2021;80(1):1906058. doi:10.1080/22423982.2021.1906058
Booker JM, Hellekson CJ. Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Alaska. Am J Psychiatry. 1992;149(9):1176-1182. doi:10.1176/ajp.149.9.1176
Lynn Alkhalil, Maria E. St. Pierre, Walter J. Sowden & Amy B. Adler (2019) Stationed in Alaska: Subjective Winter Stress and Mental Health, Military Behavioral Health, 7:2, 218-227, DOI: 10.1080/21635781.2018.1526145

Images:

[nanmagrath]

I work in a psych hospital in Anchorage, and the dark months are not the most problematic. March and April - when the light is increasing fast - means a big increase in mania and psychosis. Especially if there is late snow. Late April has a lot of sun and it is light till 10 pm or so, so to add bright white snow makes a big difference. Thanks for the cool video.

[beyerdr]

As someone in Fairbanks Alaska, during the long cold dark winter months the gym is a life saver. Weight lifting leaves me feeling alert and refreshed and gets me through to our outstanding summer months

[evilsharkey]

Alaska has another feature that could be contributing to sweeter vegetables: the cold temperatures. Plants produce sugars to protect themselves from the frost, so the tail end of of them growing season could be forcing them to sweeten up. Brassicas, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, lose a lot of their bitterness if they’re harvested after the frost.

[calvinwade]

SAD is just a part of the Alaskan experience, depression in the winter, not realizing its 9pm in the summer. Its a perfect balance

[akeleven]

As a former resident of Alaska I am so happy to see that once in awhile people remember it exists. Everybody forgets that it's there. Unless a volcano goes off or something. So I wish that you could put on a series about science Alaska. Your thumbnails were just teasers.
SAD is much more complicated than this brief description. Until it is experienced you will not understand the stress of going from 20 hours of light a day (mowing the lawn at midnight) to barely five in just 4 months.
Also about those big vegetables in Matanuska - in reality there is no dark in the summer because the few hours of "night" are so bright. There is enough light to read a newspaper until the sun clears the horizon again.

[jimnorthland]

SAD is a real problem here in Alaska. So is drinking.
They work best to drag you down if you combine them.

[IQzminus]

As a Swede there is a reason why we focus and spend so much money on our houses, if the sun just start to raise at 9 in the morning, and is fully set and pitch dark by 2 in the afternoon. You have to make things cozy. Winter is the time of year to focus on your close relationships. Have a dinner and board game night with your close friends.
There is reason why Norweigans made Hygge a thing.

But the summers are great! Summer parties where you have hour and hour long sunsets, that go directly into hour and hour long sunrise. So you basically get a never-ending sunset all night. Summers are quite magical here.
It never gets to dark to see or walk home, just a bit dusky.


Autumn and early spring suck. Just wet and cold, and everything is brown, gray, and depressing.
Winter has snow that reflect light even if it's just moonlight, and is quite beautiful. And I will take dry cold over wet cold any day of the week.

[Narwaffles]

It’s nice to see some Alaska representation!! As an Alaskan myself.

[Grom]

I grew up in Fairbanks and spent a lot of time at UAF. I found out that the Tannana Valley is one of the largest Valley's in the world which brings Climatologists from around the world to study it. One affect of it is are the temperature inversions.that happen in winter causing 45° F temperatures when it would normally be -20° F or colder.

[hunterhicks]

I just got back from Alaska today. Insanely beautiful state.

[cindystrachan]

My aunt lived in Fairbanks and used to send us pictures of her cabbages that were big enough to hide behind and tomatoes the size of basketballs. The soil is crazy rich there.

[macbuff]

For years, I have been suffering from severe depression. Now, I've spent a long time trying to figure out the causes for it. In my case, it's likely partially genetic with a large heap of quite traumatic experiences that I've been subject to both a child and young adult. What I can definitely say is that dark dreary and cold days definitely do not help and tend to be a trigger for depressive episodes. That's why I love warm and sunny days which don't take away depression, but at least tend to make it easier to have positive moments

Depression is insidious. It affects how you perceive the world and while you want to feel happy, it often makes that quite impossible making you feel even more left out and lonely. It has cost me more than one romantic relationship and has dragged me down when it comes to career. I hate it and while I'm in therapy, the depression seems to find ways to eventually evade whatever I can use to fight back at it. I hate it

[Rensaic]

My favorite part of scishow is they give you a couple of ways the information is utilized in greater concepts. It's hard to figure that out as a pleb in a vacuum, but at least now I can grasp some of the importance of what seems like obscure sciences. Thanks scishow!

[ronkirk]

I lived in the Great Land for a year in the early 70's with 6 months traveling the state and 3 months each in Anchorage and Juneau. Later I canoed the length of the Yukon R. and made two kayak tours on the Inside Passage from Seattle to Skagway. It is an awesome state and for anyone who wants to experience a wilderness environment with minimum human impact Alaska is the place.

[akpsyche]

As an Alaskan myself, I've never been so quick to click on a video in my notifications.

[matthewb]

Helsinki, Finland is at the same latitude as Anchorage. Finnish strawberries are sugar bombs of delight, so I wonder how good Alaska's berries are.

[thelegalsystem]

Shoutout to the UAF and UAA!
Also I loved seeing the giant veggies at the State Fair when I was a kid, biggest in the world!

[ivanljujic]

SAD... whoever named it that did a great job and they knew what they were doing, lol

[jessicastevens]

I have the other type of SAD, where I dread the coming of both light and heat. not much research into it and fewer treatments

[yukonbikerguy]

Talking about Alaskan permafrost and sinking buildings, you were actually showing a picture of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada... where there are many historical buildings sinking into the ground like this, including the ones pictured.