your science briefing for 01.16.2025
Trying to beat death with hubris and hype, a new insight into how and why we sleep, how hackers can turn adult toys into weapons, and more...
Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson is known for his obsession with the idea that he can become immortal by following every “de-aging” fad out there. And after many years of these regiments at 46 years old, he looks like a… well, 46 year old who goes to the gym on a regular basis, had some botox, and a fancy skincare routine. Worse yet, he had to stop taking one of his supplements, rapamycin, as it seemed to be making him age just a little faster, maybe, in yet another example in many that jumping on a much hyped pre-clinical study has its risks… (Gizmodo)
By now, it’s pretty well understood that one of the reasons we sleep is to help wash out potentially deleterious stray proteins of out of our brains. We don’t know if it’s the primary reason, but it does seem to play an important part. And now, we finally have a pretty good idea how the process actually works; by strategically pulsing your blood vessels on hormonal cues. This knowledge can lead to better sleep aids and ways to alleviate cognitive fog for those suffering from sleep disorders… (Science)
You’ve probably been hearing an awful lot about microplastics lately, and for a very good reason. As more and more research comes in, it seems that plastic waste may be just as dangerous as lead and asbestos over the long term. Exposure to particles of plastics under a thousand nanometers may even disrupt social adaptation, with a deleterious affect on mental health… (PsyPost)
Thirty years ago, famous astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan warned us about a world that becomes so complicated, fragmented, and overwhelming, that humanity starts to turn to backwards ideas, superstition, and malignant nostalgia. And unfortunately, he’s being proven more and more prescient every day, as anti-science influencers see a flood of attention and admiration headed their way… (The Atlantic)
Look, the Internet of Things was a nice idea on paper and in utopian sci-fi franchises, but not so much in the real world where hackers and other bad actors exist. Which is exactly what the entirety of the cyberpunk genre warns us about. And, the same kind of caution should extend to your sex toys because if they’re connected to wi-fi, they can pose a very serious risk to your bits… (Thar Tribune)