Science

Science suggests that economic stress ages the heart

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For decades, cardiovascular medicine has operated under an almost immovable dogma: If you want to protect your heart you have to watch your dietexercise and control blood pressure. However, science has begun to see that there are other social factors that can also be very important, such as the status of personal bank accounts. The study. In order to reach this conclusion that aims to drastically change an authentic dogma of medicine, the Mayo Clinic has analyzed more than 280,000 patients thanks to the artificial intelligence application. To do this, the AI ​​has analyzed the patients’ conventional medical tests and their history. In this way, researchers have discovered that the factors that accelerate the biological clock the most of the heart is not always in the medical history, but in the bank account and in the shopping basket. The ‘invisible’ age. The technological core of this discovery is found in an AI algorithm applied to electrocardiograms. In this way, unlike the analysis carried out by a cardiologist who looks for arrhythmias or abnormalities in the conduction of the heart, this learning model analyzes changes in the electrocardiogram that are very subtle in the electrical signals that can go unnoticed by the human eye. In this way, the algorithm can estimate something that science calls “heart age.” From here, when the researchers compared the figure with the patient’s actual age, a cardiac age gap emerged. That is, there were people with a heart that looked older than it should, which is a much more accurate predictor of mortality than some traditional markers. The social impact. Now the question that science asks is why. The results of the study published in Mayo Clinic Procedures, place financial stress and food insecurity as the most aggressive social determinants of health (SDH). In this way, what the study demonstrates is that constant worry about payment, rent, mortgage or the increase in the cost of basic foods generates a state of physiological wear and tear that AI detects as premature aging of cardiovascular tissue. The reasons. At a biological level, this phenomenon is explained through the chronic stress response. Economic uncertainty keeps the body in a state of permanent “alert”, triggering levels of cortisol and adrenaline. This prolonged hormonal overexposure damages the vascular endothelium and alters heart rate variability, effects that the Mayo Clinic algorithm identifies as signs of an aging heart. Surprisingly, the study indicates that the impact of this precariousness can equal or even exceed the risk posed by physical inactivity or chronic diseases such as diabetes in terms of accelerated mortality. From loneliness to inflation. This work is not an isolated event, but the culmination of a line of research that the Mayo Clinic has reinforced in recent years. In 2024, the same team used AI to show that social isolation acts in the opposite way: having strong support networks and community ties works as a biological “brake” that slows down the aging of the heart. However, the new 2025 study is the first to prioritize economic factors over clinical ones. Change the rules of the game. This finding reminds us of the importance that in clinical practice, beyond seeing results of tests or electrocardiograms, we must also know that in front of the doctor there is a human patient. And not only is the high cholesterol in the analysis important, but there are also many social problems behind him that can interfere with his pathology and that doctors should be aware of. The relevance of this work lies in its ability to prioritize. While other previous studies already talked about social stress, this is the first to use AI models to quantify exactly how economic precariousness “rusts” the heart muscle compared to traditional medical factors. Images | Robina Weermeijer Christian Erfurt In Xataka | Half of employees say they work under constant stress: they would give up 21% of their salary to avoid it

If the question is why today’s songs are so simple, science has the answer: because we are.

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I belong to a generation that screamed singing Queen songsLast in line or Extrememoduro that they sounded on a cassette. Therefore, it has not gone unnoticed by me that, in the last five decades, music has changed. The letters they have become simplermore repetitive and loaded with negative emotions or stress. This shows it a data analysis about more than 20,000 songs that occupied the Billboard Hot 100 between 1973 and 2023 published in the magazine Scientific Reports. This phenomenon does not just happen. In reality, it is our own reflection, and the result of profound social transformations, of how we feel, consume and live our lives. A study that traces an underlying trend. He study Conducted by researchers at the University of Vienna, it has analyzed the lyrics of popular American songs over a period of five decades, measuring three key variables: presence of stress-related vocabulary, general emotional tone (positivity or negativity) and lyrical complexity based on repetition metrics and word variety. The result has led researchers to be able to affirm that, from the seventies to today, the use of words associated with stress has increased, the proportion of positive expressions has fallen and the structures of the letters have been simplified. What does it mean that they are “simpler”? According what was published by Forbesthis pattern is also seen in other investigations that compare songs from different genres over the years and their conclusions are the same: the lyrics of current songs tend to repeat more simple phrases, express intense emotions (such as anger or sadness) directly, and use fewer metaphors or complex images than in the past. Saying that the songs are simpler does not only mean that they are easy to remember, but that their lexicon and structure have been losing richness and complexity. Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 “for having created new poetic expressions within the great tradition of American song.” With all the respects to Bad Bunnybut I don’t see him as a candidate for the 2026 Nobel Prize due to the depth of his lyrics. The algorithm enjoys it. In technical terms, letters that are repeated frequently and use less distinctive vocabulary are more “comprehensible” for algorithms that measure textual complexity. Not only does this make it easier for them to stick in the listener’s head (raise your hand if you’ve never woken up with a catchy song in your head), but it also responds to how we consume music today. In times of streaming and algorithmic listscatchy and repetitive themes compete better for attention. The change in music has occurred in parallel with the rise of rapid consumption platforms and more fragmented forms of listening. The artists they don’t even play it anymore releasing a good album. Not even with a single, but they compete in a context where the first chorus decides whether the listener continues or skips to the next song. That competition for attention It explains the rise of simple structures and quick hooks, but it also influences the type of emotions that predominate in the lyrics. A mirror of our collective anxiety. According to the conclusions of the University of Vienna study, the greater presence of terms associated with stress, anxiety or conflict is correlated with emotional state of society. As diagnoses of anxiety and depression increased in the population, an increase in negative language in cultural works has also been detected. This does not mean that music causes these states, but rather that it turns them into a space of expression. As and as I emphasized Patricia L. Sabbatella, professor of music at the University of Cádiz, “Music is part of everyday life, fulfilling different uses and functions ranging from entertainment, social cohesion, communication, emotional expression and regulation to learning, relaxation or entertainment.” Therefore, this transformation responds to the function of music as a barometer and emotional regulator of society. It is his reflection and at the same time his therapy.. “Surprisingly, social shocks like COVID-19 coincided with attenuations rather than amplifications of these trends, indicating a preference for emotion-incongruent music,” the researchers noted. What music tells us about ourselves. Although the average negativity and stress has increased, it does not mean that all music is gloomy or empty of meaning. There are artists and songs that challenge these trends. What the study indicates is the dominant pattern, not that all music is like this. One of the conclusions of the study is that if popular songs are now, in general, simpler, negative and stressful, it is because this phenomenon appears as a reflection of societies with accelerated rhythms, high levels of anxiety and a relationship with digital culture that favors the immediate and emotionally intense. Music is not the cause, but it is a sensitive mirror of how we feel and how we communicate. In that sense, understanding these changes not only helps explain why a hit from the seventies sounds different from the current onebut also what kind of roles music plays today. In Xataka | Angie Corine has made a name for herself in the Spanish rap scene with an unexpected commercial twist: she is right-wing Image | Unsplash (Eric Nopanen)

2,000 years ago, Seneca said that “it is not that we have little time to live, but that we keep wasting it.” Science agrees

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20 centuries ago, a man from Cordoba who had been quaestor, praetor, senator and consul of Rome and tutor to Emperors sat down to write a small treatise on the brevity of life. That was where he wrote that “it is not that we have little time to live, but that we waste a lot.” That phrase has spanned decades and decades, sticking in the minds of thousands of people and illuminating their lives. Or, simply, filling out internet pages that we have learned to consume as if it were any other entertainment product. A very popular one, by the way. In recent months, the Internet has been filled with Seneca quotes. The head of this report is one of them, but not the only one (“If you want to find true happiness, do not look for it in the great or the new, but in the serenity that simplicity brings.“, “there is no favorable wind for those who do not know where they are going“, “It is not that we have little time to live, but that we waste a lot“, etc, etc. ). And it’s curious… Does it make sense to go back to types from 2,000 years ago to solve our modern-day problems? And surprisingly it may be so. That’s what Philosophy professor Christopher Gill asked himself a few years ago.What if all that philosophical gossip goes further? “To what extent can we moderns recognize in these essays a plausible response to mental illness?” he asked. His answer, after studying Stoics and Aristotelians, is that Seneca’s texts; but, in general, these “philosophical essays were designed to function as a psychological analogue of the ancient medical regime.” What we would call today “lifestyle management” or “preventive medicine.” And, therefore, beyond the ‘pop philosophy’ of recent years, it is possible to find something of value in all those classic texts. Some of value, but not everything. In 1965, when she entered the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicine, chemist Tu Youyou entered into a very long race to analyze each and every one of the remedies that the ancient Chinese civilization had been selecting. Most of them were pure pseudoscience, of course. A mixture of superstition, credulity and placebo. However, hidden among the trickery, there were real gems. The best example is the artemisinina revolutionary treatment against malaria. A treatment that earned him the Nobel Prize in 2015. It was sold like a Nobel Prize for traditional medicine, yes; but in reality, it was a Nobel for the slow work of screening, testing and discarding by the Ningbo scientist. That is what should be done with the practical philosophy of the Greeks and Romans. And, in this case, it seems that Seneca was right. First of all, because we have systematic biases that they push us to postpone and waste time. Secondly, because much of the “lost time” is not even conscious: it is pure “cognitive friction” (interruptions, multitasking, attention waste, etc.). And finally, because, according to available evidencewhen we reduce the lack of time, well-being increases. That is to say, it is not so much that we lack time as that we do not have a “well-lived” life. How do we fit all this together? Well, very good. Because “all this”, moreover, fits into the general idea not only of Seneca’s pamphlet in which it appears; but in the general outline of Stoic philosophy. And it is worth remembering that under all the naturalistic scaffolding of the philosophy of the old Stoics there was, above all, an ethical question: an imperative to live in accordance with nature (a, by the way, very rationalist vision of nature). In this sense, the Stoics they used to pay attention to what the human being could or could not do: since you have limited control over the length of your life, you must focus on how you live it; They told us while they invited us to order our behavior through moral criteria by dint of attention and peace of mind. Image | Fabio Comperelli | Prado Museum In Xataka | What is Stoicism, the Greek philosophy from 2,000 years ago that has become fashionable again today

There is an obsession with protein to gain more and more muscle. Science has more and more doubts that it works

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Until not so long ago, protein was a technical term, linked to clinical nutrition and sports. Today it has become a cultural symbol. Under what some have called the era of Protein Chicprotein is no longer just a nutrient, but a promise: for health, body control and active aging. Eating well has come to mean, almost automatically, eating “with protein.” The market pushes. This change has consolidated an idea that is as simple as it is deceptive: that if protein is good, the more it is, the better. However, while the market push this logic Without nuances, the human body continues to function with very specific limits. And there arises the question that rarely accompanies packaging and slogans: how much protein do we really need to age well, and at what point does it stop adding up? What does science really say? This is where the noise of marketing collides with the evidence. In an extensive report published by The Washington PostProfessor Stuart Phillips, leading researcher in protein metabolism, muscle health and aging at McMaster University (Canada), issues a clear warning: “Consuming more and more protein is not necessarily better. There are no infinite benefits associated with higher intake.” Phillips is not a marginal voice in this debate. He has been studying for decades how nutrition and exercise interact to slow age-related loss of muscle mass —sarcopenia—and he is one of the scientists most cited in this field. His message dismantles much of the dominant narrative. So, let’s get to the data. The classic recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight —the well-known recommended daily intake (RDA)— is usually interpreted as an objective to achieve. In reality, it is designed as a minimum to avoid malnutrition. According to Stuart Phillipswhen the focus is on aging healthily and preserving muscle mass, the evidence points to somewhat higher ranges, always combined with strength training. This approach fits with what was published by harvard and Mayo Clinicpoint out that exceeding intakes close to 2 grams per kilo of body weight rarely provides clear advantages to the general population. Instead, they insist on the need to adapt the amount of protein to age, physical activity and health status. Protein: necessary, but not miraculous. It is worth remembering something basic that is often lost in public conversation: the body does not store protein. Once the needs are met, the excess is used as energy or transformed into fat. Eating more protein, by itself, does not build muscle. As they remember from Mayo Clinic: “Muscle is built by strength training, not by shaking.” From 40 or 50 years old, the equation changes slightly. The progressive loss of muscle mass begins and here protein takes on a strategic role, but always in combination with resistance exercise. Spreading the protein throughout the day (between 15 and 30 grams per meal) and not concentrating it only at dinner seems more effective in stimulating muscle synthesis, a point that also underlines the McMaster University researcher. The word of the year: protein. At least in the nutritional field, because – for those who want to know – the word of the year has been “tariff”, and no wonder. But getting back to the topic at hand, protein has sneaked in on social networks, in cafes and in viral morning routines. And going further, the new ritual of well-being involves coffees protein, clear protein, functional supplements and smoothies that promise sculpted bodies. This obsession coexists with other contemporary phenomena: the fear of aging, the cult of the “perfect” body and the popularization of weight loss drugs like Ozempic. In this context, protein is sold almost as a talisman: it satisfies, slims, tones and protects against aging. Nutritionists, however, are more cautious. Many agree that we are paying a premium for ultra-processed products that do not provide more benefits than the real food that we already have at home: eggs, legumes, fish or natural yogurt. The origin of the protein. Another important turn in this debate. We come to a meta-analysis that shows that following patterns like the Planetary Health Dietrich in plant proteins, is associated with both lower mortality and a lower climate footprint. It is not about eliminating animal protein, but about moving it from the center of the plate and prioritizing legumes, nuts and whole grains. The experts introduce a key concept here, widely cited by Harvard: he protein package. It’s not just the protein that matters, but what comes with it. It is not the same to obtain it from an ultra-processed “high in protein” food than from a dish of lentils with fiber, minerals and antioxidants. The nutritional context matters as much as the isolated macronutrient. So who really needs more protein? Protein deficiencies are not common in the general population. They appear especially in older people, patients with illnesses, very restrictive diets or chewing problems. In these cases, supplements can be a useful tool, never a universal shortcut. Alma Palau, dietician-nutritionist and manager of the General Council of Official Colleges of Dietitians-Nutritionists, warned in an interview in CuídatePlus that excess protein is not harmless. “Proteins that the body does not need are metabolized and eliminated, but this process involves making organs such as the kidney or liver work unnecessarily,” he explained. Palau insists that consuming more protein than necessary does not translate into more muscle or more health if it is not accompanied by sufficient carbohydrates, a varied diet and physical activity. In other words: without context, the protein loses its meaning. Along the same lines, Carlos Andrés Zapata, nutritionist interviewed by La Vanguardiawarns that protein has been overstated in current discourse and remembers that it is not more important than other macronutrients such as carbohydrates or fats, nor does it replace a balanced diet or strength training. Less obsession, more balance. Protein matters, a lot. It is essential to maintain muscle, autonomy and quality of life with age. But science does not support the idea that it is infinite or magical. … Read more

We have been believing for decades that wet hair makes us sick in winter. Science knows perfectly well that it is a lie

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“Don’t go out with wet hair or you’ll catch pneumonia” or “put on your coat or you’ll catch a cold” are very grandmotherly phrases that almost all of us have been told in our childhood and that have been burned into our brains. But the question we can ask ourselves: is this true? The reality is that not directly. The culprit. May we have a cold or flu It doesn’t exactly depend on the cold. The culprit in this case are infectious agents such as viruses, the most common being rhinovirus. The fact that this microscopic germ accesses our body and overcomes our defense barriers causes it to begin to replicate and generate its effect that In the long run it’s really annoying when accompanied by fever, cough and a host of other symptoms. In this way, the equation is quite simple: if there is no exposure to the virus, the external temperature is irrelevant. To understand it, if we put ourselves in the situation of going out to Antarctica with our hair soaked and naked, we would surely die of hypothermia, but we wouldn’t catch a cold unless a penguin sneezed rhinovirus on us. The same thing happens if we are in an environment completely isolated from viruses and at a very low temperature: no infection would occur. The experts. Just as it isExperts from the Mayo Clinic explain and disseminating pharmacistscold alone does not have the ability to spontaneously generate a pathogen. Cold is a physical condition, not a biological agent. And science has been trying to explain this for decades. One of the most cited and relevant studies is the one carried out by the University of Rochester where they separated volunteers into two groups. One of them was exposed to low temperature and cold conditions; the other was kept in a warm and comfortable environment. Subsequently, they were exposed to rhinovirus that causes colds. The result. In this way, it was seen that between the two groups there was no significant difference in the contagion of the virus or in the symptoms they presented. The group subjected to the cold did not have a harsher cold, so the factor in getting sick was solely and exclusively the virus. Getting sick in winter. It is a reality that when winter arrives the rates of people with colds or flu increase greatly, as we are seeing in Spain these days. This makes us think that the relationship really exists, whatever science says. And this is where we give a little point to ‘grandmother’s advice’. Science suggests that rhinoviruses they replicate better at the temperatures we usually have in our noseswhich ranges from 33 to 35 °C. But in addition, the cold temperature also causes our defenses to lower, so it is much easier for the virus to access our body and begin to spread in a much simpler way. And that’s why winter is where we see a higher rate of colds. Other factors. But he is not the only one. The social factor is also a big culprit, because when it is cold the truth is that it is better to be locked up at home with Netflix. But in these cases we would be in an interior space with little ventilation (because it is cold) and very close to other people. In this way, if a person has the virus, the probability of contagion skyrockets in a heated indoor place much more than in an open-air park at 5°C. Another point is the dry environment that exists at this time due to the cold outside and the indoor heating. This causes the nasal mucous membranes to dry out, which is a serious problem for the mucus, which is our first line of defense at the entrance to viruses and bacteria. If the mucosa is dry, its effectiveness decreases and facilitates the entry of pathogens. Wet hair. A special distinction must be made for this myth since today there is no evidence to justify a relationship between wet hair and an increase in viral infections. Going out with wet hair causes a great loss of body heat (since the head has a lot of vascularized surface), which generates notable thermal discomfort. This translates into a feeling of very cold, feeling cold and perhaps accompanied by a headache due to muscle tension derived from the cold, but the humidity on the scalp does not attract germs or facilitate infection. Images | Dmitriy Kievskiy Brittany Colette In Xataka | H5N1 bird flu unleashes a massacre in Antarctica: half of the female seals have already disappeared

science points to other ways to help

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When a couple is expecting a child, before the birth a complex decision is made and one that is increasingly publicized: what to do with umbilical cord blood. And there is a fairly deep debate here: clinics sell it as “biological insurance” for the future, while the scientific community prefers talk about altruism and collective utility. Its biological importance. To understand this debate, you first have to know why The blood in an umbilical cord is so coveted. And it is actually very valuable, since it has blood cells that are essential for treat serious diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma. Situations in which a donor as similar as possible to the donor is required to renew their blood cells, and what better than one’s own blood to do so. The cells in the cord can regenerate blood cells, including those of the immune system itself, giving a patient who does not have a donor a great chance of survival. Although sometimes a cord is not enough to renew the entire reserve of blood cells. The reality of probabilities. As we say, the main argument of private banks is the immediate availability of stem cells for the child himself with an autotransplant. But the different European guides provide figures that invite reflection, such as that the possibility of using this blood for an autologous transplant is estimated. between 0.0005 and 0.000004%. In this way, it is calculated that there is a probability of using this blood less than 0.04% over a 20-year horizon. And there are even situations in which when a child presents leukemia, the clinic advises against the use of the child’s own blood in his cord because you could have some genetic alteration that has led to leukemia at a young age. Public banks. In the current paradigm, there are different banks where blood can be stored. On the one hand, we have the public option where any family can donate cord blood so that it is stored, but The use will be intended for anyone in the world that needs it and is compatible. That is, it will not be exclusive to the family that donated it, having to wait for a donation from this bank if they need it. But this means that this blood has many possibilities of being used in someone around the planet to resolve a serious illness such as leukemia. This is something possible in Spain be integrated into the REDMO network which is used to register bone marrow donors. What is clear is that Spain is an international benchmark in this field. With tens of thousands of units stored on its public network, there have already been nearly 2,000 successful transplantsdemonstrating that the true utility today lies in the altruistic model. The private bank. If you want exclusivity on umbilical cord blood, this is logically the most recommended option. But it must also be taken into account that the price that must be paid is quite high, since the maintenance of blood storage is not free, and requires periodic payments. Even science suggests that it is not the most advisable, except in very specific situations. The drawback here is that you may never have to use this blood because you do not contract a disease that is not common, and also because there are situations where it is not possible to do so. Regenerative medicine. Looking to the future It is not well known what can be done with these umbilical cord cells. Science is now exploring the possibility of treating type 1 diabetes with these cells by regenerating the function of the pancreas, or there are even studies focused on cerebral palsy. But nothing advanced. And while there is potential on paper, medical societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)Warn to store cord blood for uncertain future use In regenerative medicine it is, today, a practice without consolidated scientific justification. What should be done. The majority recommendation from health authorities is clear: public donation is the most solid option. By donating to the public bank, the unit enters an international registry where it can save the life of a child or adult anywhere in the world. Although logically the decision always lies with the parents who have the freedom to take the path they want. However, even if you choose a private bank, you must keep in mind that it must have the necessary certifications so that when the blood is needed it is in optimal conditions to be processed. Images | Eduardo Barrios In Xataka | They have created an artificial blood factory that “breathes”: it is essential to give us the key to leukemia

We have been lowering the toilet lid all our lives for hygiene. Science has bad news: it is not enough

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Every time we flush the toilet, a small invisible “rash” occurs in the bathroom. It is not a literary exaggeration: science calls it ‘toilet plume’, or toilet plume: a phenomenon by which a Water discharge launches thousands of microscopic particles into the air loaded with everything you just deposited in the cup. A piece of advice. For years, it’s been pretty simple: lower the lid before pressing the toilet button. However, recent research suggests that this gesture, although useful, is not the definitive shield we thought. A microscopic volcano. When the water enters the cup with force to clean the residue that we have deposited, the impact generates bioaerosols. These droplets are so light that they can remain suspended in the air for minutes or even hours, something that can be quite dangerous for those people who have low defenses. A biological cocktail. According to the scientific reviews that have been done on the matter, the invisible clouds we are talking about are real cocktails with numerous biological agents. For example, bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Clostridium. This is something that is magnified when we say that in a single gram of feces there can be up to 1,000,000,000,000 viral particles. And this is something that is magnified in public bathrooms, as scientific studies have shown that bacteria are not only found near the toilet, but also on the floors and sinks, confirming that pollution does not remain stagnant in the air. The myth of the cover. A priori, lowering the lid should be a clear solution to prevent bacteria from escaping, and although it helps a little, the reality is that it is not perfect. According to science, Lowering the lid reduces the dispersion of visible droplets by 30 to 60%being a substantial improvement to prevent heavier particles from landing even on the toothbrush. However, there is a design problem: the gap between the cup and the seat. The finest aerosols (particles less than 1 µm) are expelled under pressure through these slots. In experiments with viruses such as MS2, it has been proven that up to 57% of aerosols manage to escape even with the lid closed. And once outside, their size allows them to avoid many conventional air filters. It’s not just disgust. As microbiologist Raúl Rivas explainsthis is not just a debate about aesthetic hygiene. Flushing the toilet without lowering the lid releases many viruses and bacteria that may even be resistant to antibiotics. But this is something that is greatly amplified in public bathroomswhere ventilation is poor and where there are a large number of people per day. Here there is a high concentration of particles that, due to their small size, can be inhaled or deposited on the surfaces we touch such as the doorknob or the paper dispenser. What should be done. Science doesn’t say to stop lowering the cap, as it’s still best for larger droplets, but it suggests it’s not enough. That is why the tips that we can apply especially in the domestic sphere are the following: The summary is quite clear: the toilet is a very efficient microbicidal aerosol generator, and lowering the lid is the first step although it does not replace good hygiene and ventilation. Images | Giorgio Trovato CDC In Xataka | We have been believing that bacteria are a weapon against tumors for 150 years. And finally we have discovered how

They found a cube-shaped skull in Tamaulipas and thought it was a migrant. Science has turned history upside down

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Modern archeology has just thrown us one of those pieces of the puzzle that forces us to rewrite, in part, what we knew about different ancient cultures of northern Mesoamerica. Something obligatory, since a team from the National Institute of Anthropology and History has identified a find in Tamaulipas that is as unusual as it is fascinating: a skull with an intentional deformation in the shape of a “cube”. “Parallelepiped” deformation. The discovery took place in the archaeological zone of Balcón de Montezuma, in the Sierra Madre Oriental. As detailed in the official INAH bulletinthe remains belong to an adult man over forty years old who lived during the Classic period between 400 and 900 AD Although the most surprising thing may seem given the curious deformation of the skull, for anthropologists the real news was in a modification of the “erect tabular” type. in its “parallelepiped” variant. How did it come to this? To have a skull with this peculiar shape, it is suggested that the ancient settlers of that area had to use wood compression devices such as slats. These would be applied to the back of the head (the occipital bone) and the forehead to restrict the natural growth of bones from childhood. Because it is precisely when they are malleable to adjust them to what you were looking for. Who was it? This is where hypotheses begin to emerge. Anthropologists point out that this type of deformation is more typical of the Mesoamerican southeast. But these bones have been found in the northern area. So the question was clear: Was this man a foreigner who came to the north? The answer, thanks to the analyzes of strontium isotopesit’s a resounding no. The conclusion that has been reached is that the bones belonged to a local man who was born and raised in the Sierra Madre Occidental area. And this is something that changes the narrative completely: we are not facing a migrant, but rather evidence of cultural adoption. Because. The fact that a local inhabitant decided (or his parents decided for him when they were very young) that the skull had to be modified with a technique that involved two splints makes sense. The hypotheses initially point to the membership in a local eliteand this modification could be a distinctive sign to indicate that they were in a higher stratum than the rest of the inhabitants. But it is also something that can suggest a cultural connection, since there was a great flow of ideas and aesthetic fashions that was much more fluid than previously thought between different cities in the area. That is why it may be that having a skull like this was an indication of beauty or it was simply ‘viral’ at that time. Its importance. Until now, archeology had recorded cranial deformations in the area, but they were generally more inclined backwards. The appearance of this more elongated upward shape is something that had not been recorded before in this area. This is something that a priori will help discard the old idea that the northern areas were culturally isolated. On the contrary, this “cubic skull” is physical proof that the northern border of Mesoamerica was fully integrated into the ritual and aesthetic dynamics of the rest of the subcontinent. Images | Chelms Varthoumlien In Xataka | If Spain believes it has a problem with droughts, it is because it does not know what led the Mayans to collapse: 150 extreme years

Dogs are getting uglier and uglier. And science has several reasons to explain why we love that.

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In 1989, journalist Margo Kaufman reported in the Los Angeles Times how a stranger shouted “Hey, ugly!” upon seeing his two pugs walking down the street. It was not an isolated case, in his chronicle he commented that the derogatory comments accumulated day after day. At the time, these dogs were seen as comical anomalies, far removed from the prestige enjoyed by the German Shepherd or the Labrador. Three decades later, the world has turned upside down. What used to provoke ridicule today generates fascination. The networks have been filled with hairless Chihuahuas, toothless Chinese Cresteds, bulldogs that snort like locomotives and identical Brussels Griffons still Ewok. The phenomenon is as visible as it is undeniable: we are falling in love with ugly dogs. The rise of ugly dogs. The most compelling data It is contributed by The Wall Street Journal: As of 2022, the French bulldog is the most registered breed in the United States, displacing the Labrador retriever after 31 years of absolute reign. And it is not an isolated case: pugs, Brussels griffons, Chinese crested dogs and peculiar chihuahuas accumulate searches, followers and adoptions. Although Spain does not have a record as exhaustive as the United States, the trends point in the same direction. Industry platforms place the French bulldog, Chihuahua and other small and striking breeds among the most in demand in big cities, a symptom that aesthetics ugly-cute It is also gaining ground here. As explained by Elias Weiss Friedmancreator of The Dogist account, people look for dogs that stand out, animals whose appearance attracts attention and says something about the owner. Social networks as an amplifier. The aesthetics ugly-cute (translated as cute, but ugly or funny) is a fashion promoted by influencers and celebrities, who boast on Instagram of their pugs (either pugs) either french bulldog (either frenchies), contributing to normalize—and popularize—its extreme appearance. And contests also help: in 2025, the winner of the historic World’s Ugliest Dog Contest It was Petunia, a hairless French bulldog, rescued in Oregon. The contest may sound ridiculous, but its function is to make dogs from shelters and illegal breeders visible and facilitate their adoption. Ugly sells and moves. However, this trend is not sustained by virality alone. There are deep psychological mechanisms. But why? The general health psychologist Alejandra de Pedro González explains to Xataka that the fascination with the “rarest” dogs responds to a very human instinct: taking care of the vulnerable. “We associate certain traits—lameness, hairlessness, deformities—with a need for protection. That activates our most basic prosocial instinct,” he points out. This impulse is not exclusive to our species. Scientist Konrad Lorenz defined in 1943 the baby schema: a set of childhood traits (big eyes, round face, small nose) that trigger caring behaviors. Many “ugly animals” share these exaggerated traits: bulldogs and pugs with flattened snouts, Chinese crested dogs with prominent eyes, chihuahuas with disproportionate heads. The researcher Marta Borgi, in a study published by the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychologyexplains that these traits increase the willingness to protect and reduce aggressiveness towards the individual. Beyond tenderness. According to De Pedro, unusual dogs allow you to project an almost human personality: “With a strange dog you can almost invent a personality,” he details. This fits with what picks up The Wall Street Journal: owners who describe their dogs as elves, babies, literary characters, or even tragic souls. Crooked faces, prominent eyes or disproportionate bodies become emotional canvases. In addition, these breeds require special care—fold cleaning, respiratory medication, constant checkups—which strengthens the bond. For the psychologist, this emotional investment is a form of parentification: “In an individualistic society, people look for someone to take care of. An ugly dog ​​is the ultimate expression of unconditional love, it doesn’t even have to be cute for you to love it.” The dark side of the trend. Brachycephalic breeds—pugs, French and English bulldogs, Boston terriers—suffer from severe respiratory problems, difficulties regulating temperature, eye diseases, and infected skin folds. Veterinarians cited by The Wall Street Journal They describe these extreme cases as “medical nightmares.” Countries clike Holland and Norway have banned the breeding of some breeds for violating the animal welfare law, by perpetuating characteristics that condemn the dog to a life of pain. In fact, studies from the Royal Veterinary College show that English bulldogs are more than twice as likely to suffer from diseases compared to other breeds and have a drastically shorter life expectancy. Even so, owners and breeders resist changes: some people They think it’s “funny” the snoring or noisy breathing of pugs, without understanding that they are clinical signs of suffering. The (im)perfect beauty. Petunia, the hairless bulldog crowned in California, doesn’t know that she has been on the front page of newspapers. Nor has it fueled a global debate on aesthetics, vulnerability or animal welfare. He only wags his tail when someone approaches him. And perhaps therein lies the true explanation of this contemporary obsession. In a time that demands perfection —symmetrical faces, ordered lives, polished bodies—, ugly dogs offer us the opposite: unconditional tenderness. It doesn’t matter if they have a crooked tusk, a milky eye or a snorting snout. His way of loving does not change. Perhaps that is why we look so much for these unlikely animals: because, when we look at them, we recognize that tenderness remains a basic human need that does not understand symmetries. Image | freepik and freepik Xataka | For the first time in thousands of years, we are seeing the domestication process of a species live and direct: that of raccoons.

If you want your body to be biologically eight years younger, science has a recipe for you: vegan diet

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We humans have many desire to appear as young as possiblealways seeking eternal youth. This has meant that its search has ceased to be the exclusive terrain of the alchemy to become one of the hottest fields in biotechnology, with many treatments that seek to literally make us younger or even extend our lives. Now, the vegan diet It is at the center of supposed iron health, and science has wanted to verify whether consuming it leads to an increase in the years of life. The twin experiment. Traditionally, doing research on how a person ages has been a problem because of genetics. And comparing two therapies between two people to see if they age more or less quickly makes us wonder if the result is due to the treatment or diet or because one of the members has very good genetics. To eliminate this variable from genetics, science has found the best way to work: use identical twins. In this way, their genetics will be exactly the same and the effect of the intervention we perform will be directly related. The study. They recruited a total of 21 pairs of healthy adult identical twins. One of each pair was assigned a healthy omnivorous diet; on the other, a strict vegan diet. In total, for eight weeks the impact was measured using epigenetic clocks with algorithmic tools that estimate biological age based on in DNA methylation. Methylation is the process by which small chemical groups called methyls are added to certain parts of DNA with the aim of being able to ‘turn genes on or off’, causing some instructions to be read and others not. Something that is related to agingsince it changes over time. The results. In this case, what the researchers saw was very interesting, because despite the short time the diet was maintained, it was found that the vegan group showed significant reductions in estimated biological age. This is something that was seen in decreased DNA methylation in pathways related to inflammation and metabolism. All of this adds up to improvements in fasting insulin and a reduction in LDL cholesterol, leading to better old age. But although everything seems very good, caution was already requested with these results. Because. It’s okay that the vegan diet seems to offer good results, but the big question is why this happens. And the summary tells us that it was not just because they left meat aside, but because they stopped eating in general. This is the most important point, because the vegan group consumed fewer calories simply because the calorie density, and therefore the calorie restriction in the end It is one of the few methods which has been proven to extend life in animal models. This also adds up to weight loss, as the vegan participants lost more weight than their omnivorous counterparts. Critics point out that rapid weight loss can alter epigenetic markers on its own, regardless of the food source. The problem. Although the fact of being on this diet for such a short time and under the study means that longitudinal research is still needed to know if this translates into years of real life gained. And although the biological clock slowed down in this case, researchers warn about the long-term risks of having a poorly planned vegan diet. One of the consequences is the vitamin B12 deficiencyalthough today the supplementation that is done in foods makes this a minor problem. Added sugar. The other culprit of aging and to which we pay less attention. A study published in 2024 I was quite clear about the consequences of its consumption, in some cases without knowing it because we did not read the labels of the foods we consumed. In this case, a study with 242 middle-aged women used epigenetic clocks to measure cellular damage to correlate it with their consumption. The results in this case were quite clear: each extra gram of sugar added was associated with an increase in epigenetic age. However, there is a brake that we find in our Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. That is why eliminating up to 10 grams of added sugar per day could reverse the biological clock in approximately 2.4 months. The lesson. Scientific literature points out in this case that what matters in food is quality, not just the label. This is why a varied diet with fruits, vegetables or legumes is directly associated with lower mortality and a decrease in chronic diseases. On the contrary, a vegan diet that is based on ultra-processed foods (even if it has very little meat) can be really harmful in the end. Images | Anna Pelzer In Xataka | The truth about intermittent fasting to lose weight: deciding whether its benefits have a scientific basis or are pure hype

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