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Articles like this frustrate me because they almost always conflate a bunch of very different things (e.g. being near trees, being away from loud noises, being

Articles like this frustrate me because they almost always conflate a bunch of very different things (e.g. being near trees, being away from loud noises, being in an environment that has no deliberate function, increased exposure to sunlight) under the umbrella of "nature", which turns out to be a largely inconsistent and culture-bound concept. There are clear hints of researchers actually wanting to understand the underlying processes or play with other manifestations of whatever "nature" might be giving us, but they're treated like footnotes to the narrative of "Hooray, we knew all along that nature is great, but now science proves it!". And then there's this: > “Imagine a therapy that had no known side effects, was readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost,” the researchers wrote in their paper. It exists, they continued, and it’s called “interacting with nature.” I can't adequately explain how deeply I loathe this kind of claim (free, no side effects, huge benefits; similar claims are often made about exercise, optimism, or just about anything else that an author thinks is wholesome and virtuous). Anything that has effects has side effects. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

drcube 11y ago
Yeah, comparing city parks to national parks is silly. A green space designed by government workers and built using modern technology is not the same as Yellowstone or Yosemite. Municipal parks, lawns, golf courses and playgrounds are not "nature" in any reasonable sense of the word except in the sense that they're not supernatural.
jarjoura 11y ago
I can't tell if this comment is meant to be trolling or not, however, I can speak to my own anecdotal experiences that exercise has had such a net-positive in my life as whole, that even if you would consider sore muscles and the occasional light injuries along the way as "side effects", the benefits have far out-weighed them. Also I find nature so full of different sensory experiences, for example the smell of wild jasmine next to a stream, or the sound of running springs at the same time the feeling of a cool breeze under a hot sunny day. Sure it's enough to get boring after some period of time, but it's such a delightful reset from the hectic city life I surround myself with daily that I always look forward to revisiting "nature" when I can. I think it's also telling that California (well most of the western United States, to be honest) made so much of the land public parks. The federal government even goes as far as to make areas safe for everyone of all ages and fitness levels. How amazing is it that someone in a wheelchair can also experience Half-dome in Yosemite?

drcube 11y ago

Yeah, comparing city parks to national parks is silly. A green space designed by government workers and built using modern technology is not the same as Yellowstone or Yosemite. Municipal parks, lawns, golf courses and playgrounds are not "nature" in any reasonable sense of the word except in the sense that they're not supernatural.

jarjoura 11y ago

I can't tell if this comment is meant to be trolling or not, however, I can speak to my own anecdotal experiences that exercise has had such a net-positive in my life as whole, that even if you would consider sore muscles and the occasional light injuries along the way as "side effects", the benefits have far out-weighed them. Also I find nature so full of different sensory experiences, for example the smell of wild jasmine next to a stream, or the sound of running springs at the same time the feeling of a cool breeze under a hot sunny day. Sure it's enough to get boring after some period of time, but it's such a delightful reset from the hectic city life I surround myself with daily that I always look forward to revisiting "nature" when I can. I think it's also telling that California (well most of the western United States, to be honest) made so much of the land public parks. The federal government even goes as far as to make areas safe for everyone of all ages and fitness levels. How amazing is it that someone in a wheelchair can also experience Half-dome in Yosemite?