Touch, our most complex sense, is a landscape of cellular sensors–Quanta Every soft caress of wind, searing burn and seismic rumble is detected by our skin’s complex tangle of touch sensors. David Ginty, head of the neurobiology department at Harvard Medical School, has spent his career cataloging the neurons beneath everyday sensations. His work has given him a deeper appreciation of this sense we so…

Cold Plunges Produce Cellular Changes, Improving Autophagic Function Linked to Longevity
Cold Plunges Produce Cellular Changes, Improving Autophagic Function Linked to Longevity A small 2024 study from the University of Ottawa (ten young males) closely examined how seven days of one-hour cold plunges affected cells at the molecular level, looking at its impact on autophagy (the body’s cleaning out of damaged components) and apoptosis (programmed cell death). They found that repeated cold exposure significantly enhanced autophagic…

The Silver Tsunami Making Healthy Aging an Economic Imperative
The Silver Tsunami Making Healthy Aging an Economic Imperative By Thierry Malleret, economist The world is aging at an historic rate: By 2050, there’ll be more than twice as many people aged 65-plus as children under five and seniors will represent 16% of the global population, up from 10% in 2022. With aging, of course, comes disabilities and chronic disease. The only way to prevent…

Wellness Policies Can Help More of Us Experience Nature’s Benefits
Wellness Policies Can Help More of Us Experience Nature’s Benefits By Tonia Callender, GWI research fellow Earth Day on April 22 was an opportunity for people around the globe to reflect on our planet and the joy of spending time in nature. Nature benefits our health in a variety of ways. Empirical evidence indicates that experiencing nature not only keeps us physically active, but it…

Must-reads of the wellness worlds (March 26th, 2025)
Obesity rates are soaring globally in ‘monumental social failure’, study says–Reuters Rates of obesity and overweight are spiraling, with more than half of adults and almost a third of children/young people set to be affected by 2050, according to a new study published in The Lancet that used data from more than 204 countries. That represents more than 3.8 billion adults and 746 million children…

The Case for Kicking the Stone
The Case for Kicking the Stone Philip Ball finds Nicholas Carr’s “Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart” disturbingly compelling. Read the article on LA Review of Books > Read More Must-reads from the Wellness World