Professor of neurology and pediatrics, Beth Malow, looks into the truth behind the health claims related to daylight savings clock changes. Sadly, the evidence holds up; whilst “falling back” does not have serious consequences, the movement of the clocks forward packs a heavier punch. Likely due to the reduced exposure to sunlight, the knock-on effects of the shift forward include “chronic sleep deprivation” and “circadian misalignment”, both acting as precursors to a range of more serious health issues. Interestingly, 63% of Americans say they want to eliminate the time changes. Read full article here
Research
Researcher uses AI to make texts that are thousands of years old readable
The Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest work of world literature, has been brought back to life by LMU researchers in the Electronic Babylonian Literature project. Using their new Fragmentarium tool, they have discovered hundreds of manuscripts, including the most recent tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic which dates from 130 BC – thousands of years after the earliest known version. This shows how highly valued the Epic was, even at a late period. With the public release of the Fragmentarium, anyone can now explore the thousands of cuneiform fragments and explore the ancient Babylonian literature. Read full article here