06.02.26
Pope Leo XIV stan
Did you know that ⅔ of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women? In a recent study, Northwestern Medicine explored why women are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s than men. They found that the combination of being of female sex, aging, and estrogen loss all contribute to the higher number of women with the condition. Next step, more research for treatments.
Pope Leo XIV has only been in the papacy for a year, but he is already making an impact. Following his recent decry regarding AI, he made a (belated) historic apology for the Vatican’s role in legitimizing slavery. Pope Leo XIII (the current pontiff’s namesake) was the first to condemn slavery back in 1888.
Are you comfortable with silence? If so, you’re a dying breed. A recent survey revealed that Americans listen to almost four hours of audio each day, and that’s not even including audiobooks, YouTube white noise, and other background options. While it hasn’t been studied in the same way as screens, it’s as addictive and habit-forming. Listening to a podcast makes chores and tasks more enjoyable, but we’re limiting our mental quiet (and processing) time.
The brain might not be a muscle, but you can still train it like one. Exercising can help grow new cells in the memory section of the brain, increase blood flow, and help reduce symptoms related to depression and anxiety. But that’s not the only way to “train:” other ways to mobilize your brain can look like getting a good night’s rest, brain challenges like puzzles and mahjong, and getting enough protein.
Last year, I noted that it was possible we could eventually lose a second in time. Now, researchers are saying that days are actually getting longer, by milliseconds. Rising temperatures are melting ice, which increases the sea levels and directly impacts the speed at which the Earth rotates. Scientists confirm there will be days longer than 24 hours, but not in our lifetime (think millions of years), and the worst part is that this is irreversible.