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May 30, 2025—State laws can have a national impact. Plus, Starbase is already annoying its neighbors, and even healthy people need vaccines. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | SpaceX rockets stand near the end of a neighborhood street in the company's Starbase launch complex in this photograph from October 2021. Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | In 1986 California passed Proposition 65, requiring companies to display warnings on products with unsafe levels of toxic chemicals. A recent study found that, rather than adding warnings to their labels, many companies reformulated their products, from cleaning products to tech items, to lower the levels of toxic chemicals or replace them entirely. What they found: The study examined the concentration of 37 chemicals in the blood and urine of Californians and non-Californians. For most of the chemicals, levels in people's bodies decreased after they were included in the 1986 law—both in California residents and across the nation. Why this happened: In interviews conducted with dozens of companies, researchers discovered that manufacturers opted to reduce, remove or replace toxic chemicals, in many cases to avoid litigation. The study results suggest the state law compelled manufacturers to reformulate their products nationally. | | Ripley Cleghorn; Source: "Trends in NHANES Biomonitored Exposures in California and the United States following Enactment of California's Proposition 65," by Kristin E. Knox et al., in Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 132, No. 10; October 2024 (data) | | | | |
- If you read Scientific American this week you should do pretty well on the science quiz. Also check out today's Spellements puzzle. This week, reader Eleni M. spotted that the word actin was missing from Spellements this week. Actin is a protein in cells that helps with cell movement and muscle contraction. Great word, Eleni!
| | - Vaccines are the cornerstone of a healthy immune system and a healthy life, write Aimee Pugh Bernard and David Higgins, an immunologist and preventive medicine physician, respectively. "Vaccines are one of the most tested and proven ways to stay healthy," they say. "Of all the tips available to improve your health, one recommendation is clear: Even healthy, fit people need recommended vaccines to stay healthy and live well." | 3 min read
| | MOST POPULAR STORIES OF THE WEEK | | - YouTube Science Star Derek Muller Confronts PFAS "Forever Chemicals"—In His Own Blood | 10 min read
- SpaceX's Ninth Starship Test Flight Delivers Mixed Results | 4 min read
- Hypervelocity Stars Hint at a Supermassive Black Hole Right Next Door | 5 min read
| | I do recommend you listen to the fascinating conversation that Science, Quickly host Rachel Feltman has with Victor Counted, an associate professor of psychology at Regent University in Virginia and part of the team behind the Global Flourishing Study. One of the big takeaways from their survey of more than 200,000 people from more than 22 countries is that "flourishing is a lifespan thing," as Counted puts it. Our earliest experiences of family, health and struggle seem to create the framework for whether we flourish or not throughout our lives. Making more money as an adult is not the key to really thriving.
| | In what ways are you flourishing in your life? Send any thoughts or ideas to: newsletters@sciam.com. Have a great weekend. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | | |
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