Innehållsförteckning för Spring 2021 från Popular Science

THE DAY I SAT DOWN TO START WRITING this letter, March 10, 2021, marked one year since I first took the Big Chair here at PopSci. March 11 was the anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, and March 13 meant a full 365 days since the staff collaborated in an office together. Editor-in-chief-ness aside, this is an extremely common tale: fractured workplaces, isolated families, a full trip around the sun filled with dread, uncertainty, and, eventually (mercifully), some hope. We’ve all done what we can to cope with the strain of pandemic life—as weeks turned into months, then into a year plus. The plus is the real kick in the teeth. Even with vaccines rapidly going into arms across the US, we don’t yet have a…

PEOPLE TEND TO THINK of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone as a nuclear wasteland. But 35 years after a reactor meltdown drove 350,000 people from the region (an area half the size of Delaware), flora and fauna thrive. Some believe the region’s biodiversity has actually increased with no one around. As a coniferous forest reclaims the city of Pripyat in Ukraine, hundreds of species, from butterflies to bison, roam crumbling streets and abandoned buildings. Here’s what four of them tell us about how nature adapts once we’re gone. 1/ Wild horses The Przewalski’s horse lived only in captivity until researchers turned 36 loose in the territory between 1998 and 2004. The herd has more than doubled and shows no sign of mutation, which could mean the site is a good place to…

CHARLOTTE FIGI WAS five when she made history in 2011 as the youngest patient in Colorado to receive cannabidiol treatment. Doctors prescribed the substance, known as CBD, to soothe her violent seizures, and within two years she was walking, talking, and eating on her own. Encouraged by Figi’s case, in 2018 the Food and Drug Administration approved the first US medication made with CBD, a compound that’s less psychoactive and habit-forming than others in cannabis. Supplement makers hawk it as a cure-all in everything from pain-relief patches to pet treats. CBD does indeed show promise in treating childhood epilepsy, schizophrenia, sleep deprivation, and anxiety disorders. But for now, that’s where any hard data on its usefulness ends. “There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, quality, and physiological effects,”…

PRETEND YOU’RE A GROUNDHOG and winter is coming. Food is getting scarce, the days are growing colder, and you can’t migrate anywhere warmer. Your best bet is to hibernate until spring. Animals around the world, ranging from bees to bears, instinctively hunker down for days, weeks, or even months to survive frigid weather or droughts. But they don’t actually sleep the whole time: They rest in a state called metabolic depression. Their breathing and heart rates slow, and their bodies cool, often to near-freezing temperatures. Living in slow motion conserves energy until the good times return. Humans can learn a lot from these dormant critters. Studying gray mouse lemurs, for example, could lead to breakthroughs in using suspended animation for long voyages through space. The big difference is that they’d…

IN THE FACE OF grueling stress, it’s easy to romanticize the body’s commitment to balance. A dark and lovely liver serenely regulates its life-sustaining chores like some kind of untrammeled deity. Nearby, plump kidneys churn out requests for water and salt—twin cherubs of the torso. Even Claude Bernard, the 19th-century French physiologist credited with devising the concept of such internal give-and-take, spoke of his theory with beauty and grace, saying “a free and independent existence is possible only because of the stability of the internal milieu.” (Bernard also vivisected the family dog, so the romance only gets you so far.) We call this balancing act homeostasis. Walter Bradford Cannon coined the term in 1926, but study of it took off in the 1960s, when scientists applied control theory—a branch of…

Despite our near-constant worrying over restlessness, Americans log about the same amount of sleep today as they did 50 years ago. But that doesn’t mean we’re snoozing enough. Approximately one in three US adults isn’t getting the seven or more daily hours of shut-eye recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a 2020 poll from the National Sleep Foundation. And even among those who log good rest at least six nights a week, one-quarter say drowsiness still regularly interferes with daily life. That’s a lot of time lost to lethargy, but the consequences of chronic sleeplessness can be even more serious. Those who average less than six hours an evening have an increased risk of accidents, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Yet our quest for slumber meets…

FEW THINGS CAN crush a productive morning or relaxing evening faster than a tension headache. Any number of factors can trigger one, from stress to poor posture, but it always feels like a band of pressure across the scalp that then tightens the neck and even the shoulders. The good news is, a little kneading on the noggin and the muscles holding it up can decrease the frequency of these skull-crushers by up to 60 percent. To start, sit or stand with a straight back, relaxed arms, and closed eyes. Breathe deeply as you perform each step for 30 to 60 seconds, repeating those that bring relief. Go slowly and be gentle. Remember, the point is to ease the strain on your braincase, not inflict more pain. STEP…

I knit. It’s the perfect activity to shut down my brain and keep me entertained. Sometimes I’m at it into the wee hours of the morning.Sandra Gutierrez G., assistant editor, DIY When I’m stressed out, I immerse myself in a video game. Fighting, building, and exploring always seem to leave me feeling better than when I started.John Kennedy, DIY editor I typically load a roll of film into one of my old cameras and go for a drive or walk and snap photos. I really enjoy how methodical the process is.Stan Horaczek, technology editor I run, but not too fast. Finding that Zen pace—where you feel like you can seemingly go on effortlessly forever—is hard but more than worth the effort.Claire Maldarelli, science editor My best friend and I “rage…

FEW PEOPLE WATCHING The Joy of Painting have an interest in learning the craft. They just want to chill, and Bob Ross, who hosted the program until his death in 1995, is a sure path to serenity. His subdued baritone and the gentle sound of a brush on canvas made him an ASMR artist for the analog age. You can almost feel stress evaporate watching the dabs and strokes coalesce into a beautiful nature scene. Here’s a look at how Ross elevated relaxation to an art form. Soothing scenes Calming colors Ross favored bright hues and earth tones. You’ll often see white, red, and brown on his palette alongside smatterings of yellow, blue, and green. Researchers aren’t sure why, but cool colors promote serenity (seeing blue can reduce your heart rate),…

THE PAST YEAR has provided no end of things to flip out about. The pandemic. The economy. The cabin fever from spending months indoors. Couldn’t you just scream? Go ahead (but try not to scare the neighbors). Turns out shouting from the rooftops—or into your pillow—offers huge relief in the short term, especially when you don’t know what else to do. Just like a good cry or deep laugh can calm you in moments of sadness or joy, getting loud is a proven way of releasing tension—like lifting the lid off a pot before it boils over. “I think every emotion that we feel has a kind of correlating action that goes along with it,” says Avi Klein, a psychotherapist in New York. “It feels really good or even healthy to…

GRAY DAYS CAN MAKE anyone feel blah, but they’re downright depressing for 1 in 20 Americans. Doctors call the response seasonal affective disorder and suspect it’s caused by disruptions to the circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep, appetite, and hormone production. The solution? A little faux sun from a happy lamp. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. 1/ A light beams out at a brightness of 10,000 lux over a flat surface like a table. That’s at least 20 times stronger than most household bulbs, and comparable to the shine of solar rays hitting the ground. 2/ The lamp helps reset the hypothalamus, the brain region that maintains a person’s internal clock. One study from 2012 found this kind of therapy can be as powerful as antidepressants when done daily. 3/ A person…

WALK THE PATH at the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Milan, and you’ll come upon a tree that has thrived for more than 1,000 years. This 10-foot millennial, flanked by manicured plants that have also lived for centuries, soaks up the Italian sun beneath a glass pagoda while expert groomers tend to its needs. Long-time bonsai practitioners like them can find the process more relaxing than fussy, and home versions of the specimens offer beginners a simple, satisfying route to chill. Bonsai loosely translates to “tray grown,” a reference to the Japanese practice of cultivating plants in pots that dates to the sixth century or earlier. The method works with a wide assortment of flora, from those perfectly content living inside, like petite tea trees (Carmona microphylla), to outdoor-loving varieties, like…

LIFE IS RARELY WORRY-FREE, but unprecedented angst has become a constant. Beyond the regular challenges of everyday existence—chaotic households, traffic jams, overbearing bosses—the looming presence of a deadly virus has made even mundane decisions feel fraught. As a result, people are losing sleep, gaining weight, and drinking more. Any number of things can spark stress, but they all share a common origin. “It’s when the demands on somebody outstrip the resources they have,” says Lynn Bufka, a senior director at the American Psychological Association (APA). The results of that are rarely good. Face a difficult situation, unrealistic expectation, or sudden conflict without the right skills or tools, and you risk melting down or freezing up. That danger increases when you are pressed for time or cannot influence a challenging variable.…

During New York City’s first COVID-19 surge, an oasis beckoned stressed and exhausted Mount Sinai Hospital physicians, nurses, and other frontliners. During breaks or between shifts, they could sink into high-backed chairs beneath a canopy of silk trees, breathe in calming scents of lavender and chamomile, and, in the dimmed light, lose themselves. Floor-to-ceiling nature videos whisked them away to mountain lakes, lush forests, or oceanfront beaches. The enclave—a converted triage tent with an arched roof just steps from the pandemic’s front line—offered a healing all its own to a burned-out crew. “The trauma of seeing death after death during the peak was very difficult for all,” recalls Dahlia Rizk, an internal medicine physician who works with severely ill patients and leads a 30-person hospital team at Mount Sinai, which,…

WHAT DO YOU REACH FOR when you need some soothing? A cozy blanket, a cup of tea, or maybe even your smartphone? That stiff hunk of hardware doesn’t exactly scream comfort, but if you look past its glassy exterior, you’ll find that it lets you relax in its own way. TIGHTEN UP YOUR SETTINGS Boundaries are key to any healthy, happy relationship, including the one you have with your phone. Android and iOS have the built-in tools Wind Down and Downtime, respectively, which can help silence notifications as you approach bedtime to put a stop to the constant buzz of the world for the evening. ENLIST A GADGET Use your device to control other de-stressing gizmos at home. Set the mood by dimming the smart lights in your living room…

THE EXTRA POUNDS in a weighted blanket feel like a hug, stimulating the release of serotonin and dopamine, chemicals that encourage a good night’s rest. But if you’re aiming for a top-notch snooze, sew your own to boost this bulky duvet’s calming qualities. Choose a fuzzy fleece for softness or a heavy corduroy for some added squeeze; match the heft to be one-tenth of your body weight, or even stitch pockets for aromatherapy sachets. Herbs like lavender or bergamot will push you even deeper into Morpheus’ arms. Time: 6–8 hours Cost: $70–$100 Difficulty: Moderate Materials: 4 yards muslin or other inexpensive cotton 1–1½ pounds polyester stuffing 15 pounds glass beads 2¼ yards fleece 50 inches wide 2¼ yards cotton batting 2¼ yards cotton (or fabric of choice) 50 inches wide…

IT TAKES MANY FORMS. Bells or clicks that chase away sleep, crashing ocean waves that break focus, a low ringing frequent enough that it derails lives, relationships, and careers. The perception of sound in the absence of external noise—a condition known as tinnitus—plagues an estimated 10 to 25 percent of American adults. It’s especially common among the nation’s veterans, at least 1.5 million of whom currently receive disability benefits to help manage the affliction. Yet despite its prevalence, few have studied the condition, which means a cure remains elusive. In this vacuum of answers, audiologist and hearing scientist Sarah Theodoroff guides patients on their quest for calm. She splits her time between treating vets and studying new techniques to quiet their inner clamor. Theodoroff got her earliest glimpse inside the human…

EVERYONE HAS their preferred way to unwind at the end of a long day. Some people zone out in front of the TV or dive into video games. Others cue up a playlist or get cozy with a good book. Beyond distracting us from the stresses of daily life, these activities have numerous physiological benefits. We asked four experts to explain how screens, tunes, and stories help us bounce back. → Music tends to be immersive because it feels like it’s inside our heads. It can take us out of an unpleasant moment and place and activate the brain’s default mode network—a restorative system that facilitates daydreaming. Audio with a slow tempo can also decrease our heart rates slightly, as some neurons synchronize with the beat. —Daniel J. Levitin, neuroscientist at…

ON A CHILLY EVENING in Berlin, Suk-Jun Kim’s research has him eavesdropping in a stranger’s bedroom. Four family members are gathered around the bed, swapping nostalgic stories. Kim gently asks them to hum together. Their voices start off flat and hesitant, but after a few seconds, they fall into the same key and rhythm. The group erupts in laughter. Kim has made the same suggestion in town halls, homes, and refugee camps dozens of times while studying how simple tones evoke deep emotions like hope. But no matter where Kim, a senior lecturer of music composition at the University of Aberdeen, records the thrum, he finds that it releases tension. “You feel a sense of calmness,” he says. “It means the atmosphere is settling.” Kim isn’t a psychologist or neurologist,…