December 23, 2024: Science for the holidays. Plus, a close-up view of our sun and a mysterious mathematical constant. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Iuliia Bondar/Getty Images | | | • A class of chemicals called terpenes gives Christmas trees their beloved smell. Here's how. | 3 min read | | | Iryna Khabliuk/Alamy Stock Photo | | | This past Saturday we officially passed the shortest day of the year. The months-long dimming of daily sunlight has finally turned the corner and we're heading back to brighter days. The lack of light has a noticeable affect on the human body: Circadian rhythms are disrupted, making it harder to wake up and more difficult to concentrate throughout the day. Many people feel blue or depressed because of so much darkness. Without enough light the body stops making T cells and macrophages--crucial cells that help the immune system fight off infections. What can be done: The end of the year rush is exciting, sparkly and fun, yes. But it's also common for people to experience sadness and depression. I've rounded up some science to help you survive the holiday (and darkest) season. You can find all the below articles in our latest special edition Science for a Better, Healthier Life, on newsstands and available for download.
Get outside: It may be cold and bleak where you live, but even two hours in nature a week can have drastic positive effects on mental health and your sense of well-being.
Find a quiet place: Persistent exposure to loud ambient noise is linked to several health conditions. One study found that a 5-decibal reduction in average noise exposure could cut the prevalence of high blood pressure by 1.5 percent and heart disease by 1.8 percent. If you live on a noisy street, consider buying noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to give your brain a daily rest. | | | Anand Purohit/Getty Images |
Take a walk: Movement is linked to better mental health and stronger muscles and bones. But exercise also benefits the brain by encouraging the birth of neurons, and we can enhance this effect by adding cognitive challenges to our workout routines. Try to solve a riddle in your mind while you walk up that hill! | | | If you have some time off during the holidays challenge yourself with our latest Sudoku puzzle, find all the words in Spellements, test your number skills with our math quiz, or go back and test your science knowledge in our weekly science quizzes. | | | Revisiting the editors' favorite science stories from 2024. | | | Courtesy of EduceLab/University of Kentucky | | | Three undergraduate students used AI tools to decipher 2,000 characters of an ancient papyrus that had been scorched and buried by pyroclastic flow from the nearby eruption of Mount Vesuvius in C.E. 79. Experts believe the author of the scroll found in Herculaneum could be Philodemus, an Epicurean philosopher and poet who lived from approximately 110 B.C. to 35 B.C. The characters on the scroll read: "As, too, in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant." | 17 min read | | | It's been a wonderful year of discovery and awe. I hope you've enjoyed the surprising finds, informative data and occasional laugh. Today in Science will return in 2025. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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