January 31, 2024: Atrial fibrillation is on the rise, why we're not made of antimatter and the first Neuralink device is implanted in a human. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | The occurrence of atrial fibrillation quadrupled over the past 50 years, according to recent studies. A-fib occurs when electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart—the atria—misfire, causing an irregular heartbeat. People with the condition experience shortness of breath and tiredness. It can result in strokes if left untreated. But up to a quarter of cases go undiagnosed, according to recent research.
Cause and effect: Doctors are more on the lookout for the condition, which is partially responsible for the rising rates. Also people are living longer, and longer life comes with more health complications like heart disease and cancer. Last November leading medical groups issued new guidelines for preventing and treating A-fib, calling on doctors to encourage heart-healthy habits and early, more aggressive efforts to control heart rhythms.
What the experts say: Some groups, including women and those in underserved communities, can go undiagnosed. "It's a disease that requires monitoring and detection," says cardiologist Jared Magnani of the University of Pittsburgh. "And then it requires access to medical care, with a partner in making decisions about things like [medication], and finally more advanced therapies and treatment." | | | Scientists are trying to figure out why there is more regular matter than antimatter in the universe. Antimatter is a mirror version of our normal array of particles, except with an opposite electrical charge. When the universe began at the big bang, equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created, but that's not what astronomers observe in today's universe. In a new experiment, researchers searched for a minuscule property of electrons–the electric dipole moment (eEDM)--in hopes of finding evidence for extra particles or fields in the universe that could explain the antimatter mystery.
What they found: The physicists achieved the most precise measurement of the eEDM to date, and they found no evidence that this property exists for electrons. This means that if new fields explaining the matter-antimatter imbalance exist, their contribution to the eEDM may be indirect or occur at slightly higher energies than scientists thought. Future experiments could detect such fields and help physicists figure out the antimatter problem.
What the experts say: "We know there must be some reason out there for the universe of matter we live in to be the way it is—the question is how long it will take us to discover it," writes Luke Caldwell, physicist at the University College London. | | | • From meditation to smiling, researchers take a second look at studies claiming to reveal what really makes us happy. | 5 min read | | | • A new study on more than 100 types of beads, made of shells, ivory and other materials, determined that there were at least nine distinct cultural groups living in Europe between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago. | 4 min read | | | Credit: Petra Richi/Getty Images | | | • Tackling a new goal or hobby can be daunting, especially if it requires a large time commitment. To accomplish big things this year, try breaking the goal into subgoals that can be finished in shorter stretches of time, write academics Aneesh Rai, Marissa Sharif, Edward Chang, Katy Milkman and Angela Duckworth. Their research shows that smaller goals amount to less of a mental barrier. "So don't plan to run 365 miles this year; aim for seven miles a week," they say. | 4 min read | | | • An international emergency responder reports on conditions inside hospitals in Gaza. | The New Yorker | | | • These tech billionaires are trying to cheat death--and keep their money forever. | Mother Jones | | | • Crews are removing three dams on the Klamath River, which flows more than 250 miles from Oregon through far Northern California. | NPR | | | I found myself a little defensive reading the article above that lists which scientific studies on happiness stand up to scrutiny. The researchers did not include hundreds of studies on meditation in their results, namely because the authors of those studies did not "preregister" which effects they were looking for before they began their research. All of the meditation research drew conclusions after-the-fact. And many studies on meditation have shown its promise in reducing depression, anxiety and stress, which are likely still valid. As irked as I felt about this, the scientific method demands reproducibility. Strong science demands tough scrutiny and a high caliber of precision. And of all that I approve. So the jury must remain out on meditation's benefit to happiness until more preregistered studies are done. | I for one will keep up a small meditation practice, knowing it helps me to clear my mind and let go of unhelpful thoughts. Send me your thoughts and feedback on this newsletter anytime: newsletters@sciam.com.
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