A roundup of new and noteworthy insights from the week’s most talked-about studies:
1 CAMPING MAY HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
A small study published in Current Biology found that people’s internal clocks shifted earlier to align with daylight after just a weekend of camping, which could be beneficial, since having delayed or inconsistent sleep cycles can lead to health problems.
2 FAST-FOOD WRAPPERS COULD BE TOXIC
A report in Environmental Science & Technology Letters found that about half of roughly 400 wrappers from 27 fast-food chains tested contained fluorine, a marker for the grease-resistant PFAS chemicals. Previous studies have linked PFAS exposure to thyroid issues, fertility problems, increased risk of cancer, developmental delays and other health issues.
3 SPACE TRAVEL MAY CHANGE GENETIC MAKEUP
Preliminary results from the NASA study on twins Mark and Scott Kelly show that spending a year in space altered Scott’s gene expression and his levels of DNA methylation. Further analysis is needed to fully understand the effects.
–J.Z.
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Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com