Glitter could stop sea creatures forming shells
Glitter may seem like a nuisance to parents after a child's birthday party, but its effect on sea life can be far worse.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin found that glitter, which is made of plastic and aluminium, alters the chemistry of seawater — potentially interfering with the growth of coral, molluscs and sea urchins and other marine life.
The affected species build their bodies out of calcium crystals in the water. However, researchers found that when glitter is submerged in seawater, calcium crystals begin to form upon it within minutes, far faster and in different shapes than they would form in unpolluted water.
The scientists fear creatures struggle to build shells with these sorts of crystals, which form on specks of glitter after they
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Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Study pinpoints exact number of coffees per day that can cut the risk of sudden cardiac death
A coffee a day might be enough to keep the doctor away. For US researchers have found coffee lovers tend to have healthier hearts, putting them at lower risk of cardiac death. And the benefits can be achieved by drinking just one cup a day, they claimed—but only if they drink it black. Those who drank between two to three cups, however, saw the most benefits, slashing their risk by almost a fifth. The findings, from the study of more than 46,000 people, add to the growing body of evidence highlighting the drink's health benefits. Professor Fang Fang Zhang, a nutrition expert at Tufts University in Boston, said: 'Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it's important for us to know what it might mean for health.' Some research has already linked coffee to reducing the risk of heart disease, heart failure and strokes, while other studies report it prolongs life. But medics remain divided, warning that excessive amounts of coffee—packed full of caffeine—can actually damage the heart. The new study, in The Journal of Nutrition, tracked the daily coffee consumption of 46,332 people over the age of 20. Over a follow up of 11 years, they found black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat—like milk or cream—had a 14 per cent lower risk of death compared to no coffee consumption. But one cup of black coffee a day, specifically, slashed the risk of death including cardiovascular death, by 16 per cent. Those who drank between two and three a day saw the risk lowered by 17 per cent. However, researchers noted that the benefits peaked at three cups a day. They also found that those who added high amounts of sweeteners and dairy to their coffee did not experience the same benefits. Researchers acknowledged, however, that the coffee consumption was self-reported by volunteers, so may have been underreported, limiting the findings. It was also assessed without detailing the roast used and preparation methods. NHS data shows a rise in the number of younger adults suffering from heart attacks over the past decade. The biggest increase (95 per cent) was recorded in the 25-29 year-old demographic, though as numbers of patients are low even small spikes can look dramatic Under NHS guidance, consuming more than four cups a day can increase blood pressure. Around 2million people in the UK are diagnosed with some form of heart disease, according to Government figures. But charities estimate that a further six million have undiagnosed high blood pressure—one of the leading risk factors for stroke and heart attack. Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. It's often caused by fatty deposits in the arteries that can make it harder for blood and oxygen to flow properly through the vessels and to and from the heart. This increases the risk of a blockage, and therefore stroke or heart attack. Last year, alarming data revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, had hit their highest level in more than a decade. MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people, under 40, in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is on the rise. Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among the under-75s has tumbled since the 1960s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins. But now, rising obesity rates, and its catalogue of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are thought to be one of the major contributing factors.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- The Guardian
Do electric vehicles make people more carsick?
With electric cars skyrocketing in popularity around the world – in 2024, 22% of new car sales worldwide were electric vehicles, compared with 18% in 2023 – a growing body of studies and an increasing number of people have found that they feel more motion sick riding in EVs than in traditional petrol or diesel cars. Anecdotes of feeling sick in the passenger or back seat of electric cars litter social media, as do questions from wary prospective buyers. There is a scientific explanation behind why a person might feel more sick in an EV, though, according to multiple academic studies. 'Greater sickness in EVs can be attributed to a lack of previous experience, as both a driver and as a passenger, where the brain lacks accuracy in estimating the motion forces because it relies on previous experience in other types of cars,' said William Emond, a PhD student researching car sickness at the Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard in France. Though EVs are becoming more popular, combustion cars still dominate. Riders have a longer history with gas cars and so have had more time to adapt to their specific cues. If a person has spent most of their life driving a combustion engine car, their brain anticipates acceleration after the rev of the engine, a warning that they are about to experience a change in speed. In a battery-powered car, the electric motor makes no such noises. In addition to general unfamiliarity, research has found links between specific features common to electric vehicles and motion sickness. One 2024 study concluded that there were strong correlations between motion sickness severity and the seat vibrations of electric vehicles, while a 2020 study found that the lack of engine sound in an EV might be a major contributing factor to increased feelings of carsickness. 'If we are accustomed to traveling in non-EVs, we are used to understanding the car's motion based on signals such as engine revs, engine vibrations, torque, etc. Yet, traveling in an EV for the first time is a new motion environment for the brain, which needs adaptation,' Emond explains. Additionally, the regenerative braking technology used in EVs – where the motor converts the slowing car's kinetic energy into electricity that then is stored in the battery – results in low-frequency deceleration, meaning that the vehicle slows down gradually and steadily, over a relatively longer period, rather than rapidly or in quick pulses. Such low-frequency deceleration tends to be associated with higher levels of motion sickness. A 2024 study suggested the feature acted as one of the main triggers of motion sickness in electric vehicles. The study's authors wrote: 'Our results confirmed that higher levels of RB [regenerative braking] can induce MS [motion sickness].' Motion sickness is thought to be caused by a mismatch between various sensory signals the brain simultaneously receives about the body's movement. Specifically, it happens when the inner ear, which helps control balance, the eyes, and the body send conflicting information to the brain. 'Better knowledge on self-motion allows us to anticipate motion forces, which is crucial for motion sickness. Yet, when the motion forces as estimated or anticipated by the brain differ from what actually is experienced, then the brain interprets this 'neural mismatch' as a situation of conflict,' Emond said. 'If this conflict persists over time, it may surpass a threshold for triggering autonomic reactions of the body such as symptoms apparent to 'motion sickness'.' Being able to anticipate the movement of a vehicle appears to be integral to the experience of motion sickness, which is why people who are driving a car don't tend to experience symptoms. They know what is coming. The interplay between anticipation of motion and actual motion experienced may be why EVs are associated with worse motion sickness, as these vehicles provide fewer clues regarding upcoming movements. 'When discovering a new motion environment, the brain needs to habituate because there is no knowledge of previous experience in such a context. This is, for example, why almost everyone becomes sick in zero-gravity environments,' Emond says. As EV ownership continues to increase, some researchers are already looking into a solution for the cars' specific type of nausea. Several research papers have suggested that motion sickness in autonomous EVs could be treated by using visual signals, such as interactive screens and ambient lighting, or vibrational cues to allow a passenger's brain to anticipate motion changes, alleviating the lurching feeling in the back of an electric taxi.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- The Independent
Weight loss in your 40s and 50s can help slash your chronic disease risk, researchers say
Working to lose weight in your 40s and 50s may help to reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease, a new study reveals. Researchers based in the U.K. and Finland say they found health benefits in people who lost an average of 6.5 percent of their body weight in early middle age and maintained that weight loss throughout a period of 12 to 35 years. Those benefits especially include a lessened risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as an overall lower risk of death from chronic disease. 'The benefits of lifestyle-based weight management are widely discussed even though studies have found it surprisingly difficult to demonstrate health benefits beyond the prevention of diabetes,' University of Helsinki professor Dr. Timo Strandberg said in a statement. Strandberg was the lead author of the study which was published recently in the journal JAMA Network Open, the open-access journal of the American Medical Association. To reach these conclusions, the study tracked and analyzed the health of 23,000 white Europeans who were between the ages of 30 and 50 years old using data from three studies, conducted from 1985 to 1988, from 1964 to 1973, and between 2000 and 2013. They sorted the participants into four groups: people with persistent healthy weight, people who were overweight but became a healthy weight, people who were healthy and became overweight, and people who were overweight the entire time. 'Measurement of weight and height was conducted at a time when surgical and pharmacological weight-loss interventions were nearly nonexistent,' the authors noted. The cause of weight loss was not assessed, but given the age of the participants and lack of diagnosed disease, it was more likely intentional than caused by severe chronic conditions or frailty.' In one study, a reduction in body mass from overweight to normal weight over six years in mid-life was tied to a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. There was also a 48 percent lower risk for chronic illness compared to those who remained overweight, which largely held even after excluding participants who developed diabetes during follow-up. Another study showed a 57 percent risk for chronic illness. A third study, with the longest follow-up period, showed that weight loss in mid-life was associated with a 19 percent reduction in overall mortality. 'I'm certain that overall prevention of overweight and obesity starting in early life is absolutely the best thing to do,' Stranberg told The Independent. 'Our study indirectly proves this by showing that persistent healthy weight over the life-course is best.' He said that he hopes the findings will inspire people to see that lifestyle changes can lead to a longer life. 'This is particularly important today as more people are overweight than when the collection of our research data began 35 years ago,' he said in the statement.
