Inverse - 🧠 Does mindfulness change the brain?

Wednesday

Oct 12 2022

If there is one wellness trend that has managed to transcend instagram influencer status and become entrenched in conventional health care, it is mindfulness. Mindfulness supposedly boosts your mental well-being and physical condition, but it is an open question as to how or why mindfulness seems to work well for most people. Some scientists think it may be that mindfulness alters the structure of the brain, or that it rewires neural networks in some beneficial way. But other research calls the structure hypothesis into question.

Whatever mindfulness practice does to the brain, the benefits still stand — and you can reap them, too. Read on to discover how in today's top story, and keep scrolling for more incredible articles about underwater Mayan ruins, asteroids swooshing by Earth, and Midnight Club. We're glad you're here with us.

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Mind and Body

Does mindfulness change the brain? Research fractures structural hypothesis

Mindfulness, that age-old practice of becoming more at home in our heads, isn’t always easy. But the science is clear. Mindfulness can change your life, curb anxiety and depression, and boost focus. As little as 12 minutes a day makes a measurable difference in well-being and quality of life.

Beyond these feel-good and performance effects, one question remains: How does mindfulness training influence the brain?

Some research suggests practicing mindfulness for as little as two months can change brain structure, increase gray matter volume, and may induce neuroplasticity — the ability of neurons and their networks to reorganize throughout life.

However, in the largest and most rigorously controlled study on the topic to date, researchers threw cold water on this structural hypothesis.

Using MRI technology to analyze the brains of over 200 healthy participants, scientists found zero evidence of structural brain changes with a short-term mindfulness training program lasting eight weeks. The team published their results in the journal Science Advances.

Inverse Interview

Netflix

Mike Flanagan reveals his personal connection to The Midnight Club

It’s no secret that Mike Flanagan loves horror literature. In fact, most of the projects he’s released have been adaptations of one classic horror book or another, be it Stephen King or Henry James. His latest project, Netflix’s new horror series The Midnight Club, is no exception. But the show’s origins may come as a surprise to even the most diehard Flanagan fans.

Based on the 1994 novel by Christopher Pike, Midnight Club’s road to production was a lot bumpier than you may expect. In fact, it began with a lost script — and the threat of legal action.

At a press event Inverse attended, Flanagan explained his long history with horror books.

BIRTHDAY BABY

Gear

Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 doubles down on bright colors and custom silicon

Microsoft is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Surface Pro by launching the Surface Pro 9, a modest upgrade to the design of the landmark 2-in-1 with some important changes inside.

Besides coming in a slew of new colors (with keyboard covers to match) the Surface Pro 9’s biggest feature might be the fact that it can ship with either a 12th Gen Intel chip or Microsoft’s SQ 3 processor “powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon,” an Arm chip that promises 5G connectivity and dramatically longer battery life.

Alongside the new colors, Microsoft is also debuting a special edition Surface Pro 9 designed by Liberty, a London design house. The Liberty Surface Pro 9 includes a custom floral blue keyboard cover, and a specially etched Surface inspired by the Windows 11 Bloom wallpaper. The look is definitely an acquired taste, but its at least more fun than the usual Surface options.

Learn more

Ancient History

Science

Underwater Mayan ruins reveal secrets of an ancient salt trade

Let’s talk about salt. It’s a staple in our diets, an age-old preservative, and an additive in countless household products.

For some ancient Mayans, salt production was a way of life. On the shores of modern-day Belize, Mayans worked at extensive settlements dedicated to extracting salt from brine.

The largest known site of Mayan salt production in Belize, called Ta’ab Nuk Na, is now completely submerged in a lagoon.

Writing last week in the journal Antiquity, researchers mapped out the settlement and recovered select artifacts that help piece together the lives of Mayan salt producers.

Take a closer look

Close call

Space

An airplane-sized asteroid will swoop near Earth this week

On October 10, 2020, a near-Earth asteroid was spotted for the first time. Now, two years later, the airplane-sized object is returning for a visit that will bring it within 400,000 miles of Earth.

2020 TO2 is a NEO, or near-Earth object. NEOs cross into Earth’s orbital path around the Sun. Many times these objects such as 2020 TO2, come a bit close for comfort. But there’s no need for alarm, as like most asteroids, this one is only passing by.

On Saturday, October 15, it will safely pass by Earth at 6:03 p.m. Eastern. Here is the Inverse Guide to our latest cosmic visitor.

Learn more

Meanwhile...

The bloodiest sci-fi movie on Netflix reveals a scary truth about viruses

This color-changing mouthguard lets people remotely control computers via bite

'House of the Dragon' is about to steal 'Game of Thrones' best trick

'Star Wars' just quietly fixed the most unrealistic thing in Phantom Menace

Today in history: The first Oktoberfest was celebrated in Munich October 12, 1810.e

Song of the day: "Halloween Lofi"

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one classic horror book shortterm mindfulness training program Underwater Mayan ruins ancient salt trade one wellness trend instagram influencer status conventional health care gray matter volume BIRTHDAY BABY Gear new horror series The Midnight Club diehard Flanagan fans Inverse Interview Netflix structural brain changes

Inverse - 🧠 Does mindfulness change the brain?

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