April 12, 2024: Dark energy may be evolving, the benefits of pumping iron and space junk hits a home in Florida. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | A section of the largest 3-D map ever made of the universe. Claire Lamman/DESI collaboration; custom colormap package by cmastro | | | Dark energy may be weakening over time, according to the first year's data from a massive study investigating the mysterious phenomenon behind the accelerating expansion of the universe. In examining the largest 3-D map ever created of the universe, researchers noticed that galaxies closer to us in space and time seem, in fact, a bit too close, as if dark energy's repulsive force had somehow begun to fade in recent cosmic epochs.
Why this is interesting: If dark energy does evolve (rather than remain the constant force cosmologists assume) astrophysicists would be forced to reconsider their understanding of how the universe works. It also opens the door to more extreme theories about whether and how the universe may end.
What the experts say: "What dark energy is or whatever is causing the observed cosmic acceleration will ultimately determine the fate of the whole universe," says Yun Wang, a cosmologist at the California Institute of Technology, who is not involved in the new research. "So anything—any new data, any new insight on the observational side—is exciting to me." | | | A 2022 analysis of several studies found that muscle-strengthening exercises were associated with a 10 to 17 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality. Data on nearly 100,000 older Americans show that those who did both aerobic and resistance training had the lowest mortality risk in the entire group. Weight training breaks down muscle fibers, and in response those fibers adapt to the increased workload by building more fibers and growing stronger. The benefits: Resistance training slows the aging process and builds lean body mass; without it we lose 3 to 8 percent of our muscle mass every decade after the age of 30 and more after age 60. Weight training also builds better bones and increases bone density, helps control diabetes, improves circulation, and might help relieve anxiety and depression.
What the experts say: It's important to increase weight and intensity over time, a concept known as progressive resistance. "If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, no adaptations occur," says physiologist William Kraemer of the Ohio State University.
| | | • Two pounds of space junk smashed through the roof of a home in Naples, Fla. It might be trash jettisoned from the International Space Station three years ago. | 7 min read | | | • A new branch of science called "exposomics" shows how air pollution contributes to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, bipolar disorder and other brain diseases. | 14 min read | | | • People with dementia often experience paranoia and delusions as the disease progresses. Learning a new way to listen and interact with people with dementia helps the family cope with the disease, writes Steve Silberman, a journalist and author of a new book on neurodivergence. "In previous eras, disputing these delusional beliefs was considered essential to keep the patient grounded in the real world," he writes. "But the current thinking among dementia experts is that going along with relatively harmless delusions is more compassionate, a strategy known as 'therapeutic fibbing' or 'validation therapy.'" | 5 min read | | | OUR MOST-READ STORIES OF THE WEEK | | | • What Were the Red Dots around the Total Solar Eclipse? | 2 min read | • The Dunning-Kruger Effect Shows that People Don't Know What They Don't Know | 11 min read | • Renewable Energy Shatters Records in the U.S. | 4 min read | | | If I could create a separate newsletter for all the amazing eclipse photos from you, my readers, I would! Thank you again for sharing your experiences with me from this week's exciting cosmic event. Rick Klein captured stunning orange sunlight and a single solar plasma flare (called a solar prominence) in his image below, taken in Cambridge Springs, Pa. I'm still sorting through a pile of wonderful photos and I'll keep posting them here. | Have a restorative weekend and email your thoughts and feedback to: newsletters@sciam.com. See you Monday! | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor with contributions by Meghan Bartels | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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