IS IT SAFER TO STAY HOME OR GO ON A TRIP?

My first posting on Monday said:

Here it is, Monday morning, when I review what happened over the weekend and what is to come this week, and there is almost emptiness.

I then went on to write about a non-news item.  Well, I was right.  Nothing much happened this week.

Before going on to my topic of this Saturday, I can report that this will be the longest summer ever.  How?  What?

• Monday, May 25 is Memorial day, which has become the unofficial beginning of summer.
• Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer will come on September 7.
• 
  This 105-day period is the longest summer you will ever experience in your life.
• Of course, if you're old enough, you saw a 105-day summer in 2015.
• And this happened 17 times more since 1900.

• 
  Ethel Caterham from the UK is 116 years old. If she is still alive on Memorial Day, this will be her 17th longest summer.  Well, 16th until Labor Day this year.

• 
  This matter of official summer length is, actually, quite complicated.
• The astronomical summer is a good example.
• Has a duration of approximately 93.6 days in the Northern Hemisphere. defined by the Summer Solstice from June 20 to 22, ending on the September Equinox, around September 22. 
• 
  In the Southern Hemisphere, summer only lasts about 89 days.
• This 4.5 day difference occurs because the Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse, not a circle.  That can further be explained by the speed of the Earth, which is slowest when furthest from the Sun.  It gets more abstruse as you investigate further.
• The meteorological summer is always 92 days, the months of June, July and August.
• 
  The actual season from the summer solstice on June 20 (which is the longest day of the year this year, and can also occur on June 21 and 22, depending on the year) through August 31 is 93.6 days long.  But you ask, why is August 31 the official end of summer?  Only because the meteorological summer is always a three-month period starting from June 1 and ending on August 31.

Enough of that.  For the topic of the day, I asked Google AI:  Is it safer to stay at home or go on a trip.  The response, and a surprise to me was:

Research demonstrates that going on a trip is generally safer and healthier for your long-term well-being than staying home. While specific accidents can happen on the road, staying home constantly carries severe mental and physical health risks. [1, 2, 3]

The Numbers and Science

1. The Health Benefits of Travel

• 
  Lower Mortality: Studies reveal that people who skip vacations face up to a 30% higher risk of heart attacks. Regular travelers boast a roughly 20% lower overall risk of death.
• Increased Vitality: Research by UCL found that people who regularly travel beyond 15 miles of their home are more likely to report being in good general health, driven by increased social interactions and activity. [1, 2, 3, 4]

2. The Hidden Risks of Staying Home

• Sedentary Lifestyles: Remaining at home often leads to prolonged inactivity, poor sleep, and higher rates of depression.
• The "Confinement" Effect: Psychological studies (including research analyzed during global lockdowns) highlight that prolonged isolation spikes rates of anxiety, loneliness, and sleep disturbances.[1, 2]

The Bottom Line

Statistically, everyday life carries a wide array of accepted risks that we unthinkingly tolerate. While traveling requires managing specific variables (e.g., transit risks, exposure to unfamiliar environments), the medical consensus is clear: taking short trips and unplugging from routine reduces stress hormones, fights burnout, and promotes cognitive health. [1, 2, 3]

If you travel, how should you do so?  Again from Google AI.

A breakdown of fatality rates per 100 million passenger miles illustrates this contrast:

Transportation Safety (per 100 million passenger miles)

• Commercial Airlines: \(0.003\) deaths
• Cruise Ships: \(0.08\) deaths
• Trains (Rail): \(0.43\) deaths
• Cars/Trucks (Vehicles): \(0.53\) to \(0.54\) deaths [1, 2, 3, 4]

Key Takeaway: Passenger vehicles have a death rate over \(170\) times higher than commercial airlines. [1, 2]

So it seems clear, travel, and live longer.  Says Google AI.

While travel-related deaths are rare, comparative data shows that the leading cause of non-natural traveler death is motor vehicle crashes (25–30%), followed by drowning and homicide. By contrast, infectious diseases cause a very small fraction of tourist fatalities, despite frequently generating the most media attention. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

I'll close with Stephen Colbert's finale Thursday night.

• A particular star was a green blob, explained by Neil deGrasse Tyson as an interdimensional wormhole, or an Einstein-Rosen Bridge.

• 
  A particular fitting appearance was by all the current prominent late night hosts.
• Paul McCartney was prominent, for he was part of the Beatles when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1962, 64 years ago, in this Ed Sullivan Theater.  Which means Paul must be very old.  Yes, 83 years old, and he looked terrific.  Led the finalé songfest with Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste, Louis Cato and Stephen Colbert.

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