 |
| |
|
|
|
The recent essay ‘Modernity has made us allergic’ by the wonderful Noema Magazine provides a fascinating crash course in current theories for what causes allergies. They are ‘theories’ because the exact reasons for immune system overreactions – which is what allergies are – are complex and in many ways still unclear.
The only consensus seems to be that the bacteria and chemicals we are and are not exposed to every day, impact our nose, gut and skin microbiomes, leading to changes in our body’s immune system.
The so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ is probably the most widely known theory, positing that people who are ‘too clean’ – i.e. are missing exposure to certain bacteria – develop allergies. There is a substantial amount of evidence that this could indeed be a big part of the puzzle.
The first 1000 days of a child’s life seem to be especially important – even how a child was born, whether it was breastfed, and whether it received antibiotics at an early age. Too many bacteria-killing cleaning products used in our homes or on our skin can have long-lasting adverse effects: “Infants less than four months old living in a home where household cleaning products were used more frequently were more likely to develop wheezing and asthma by age three.” Even something as simple as changing our bed sheets too frequently, can affect the health of our nasal and airway microbiomes.
Interestingly, our pets could be proof that our modern environments are a main culprit: “The most compelling evidence that our 21st-century lifestyles and man-made environmental changes have spurred our allergies is this: Our companion species of thousands of years – dogs, cats, birds and horses – all get allergies regularly. Other species – those that do not live in our homes or alongside us – do not.”
There is some evidence that living more densely, in larger families and having more exposure to the ‘dirty’ outdoors and to livestock from early childhood lowers the risk of developing allergic conditions later in life. Some researchers even suggest that today’s lack of sun exposure changes our skin microbiome. In other words, our indoor-prone lifestyles contribute to the rise in allergies.
Food allergies are one of the fastest growing types of allergies and, here too, relatively recent changes in how our food is made and in our diets are interfering with the microbiomes of our gut. “We eat highly processed food that’s low in fibre, with added sugars and fats. That means that the food we’re introducing into our guts is different from what our ancestors ate for millennia. That, of course, affects the types of bacteria that can flourish inside us.”
One of the main questions that researchers can’t definitively answer is why the rate of people with allergies has grown so quickly in recent decades. A lot of evidence points to societal changes in the last century that have vastly altered how and what we eat, how we clean our homes and ourselves, and how we coexist with or without other humans and non-humans. It’s a fascinating research area that seems to highlight the many ways in which our modern lives have detached us from the natural biological process of dealing with environmental changes.
– Kai
|
| |
|
Become a Friend of DD today →
With a modest yearly contribution you’re not only helping keep Dense Discovery going, you also receive special discounts, get access to the DD Index (a searchable catalogue of past issues) and a range of other benefits. Plus, it removes this message.
You receive this email because you subscribed to Dense Discovery, a weekly newsletter at the intersection of design, technology, sustainability and culture. Writing to you from Melbourne is Kai Brach. Do you have a product or service to promote in DD? Find out more about advertising in DD.
|
| |
Make a Difference With Your CareerSPONSOR
|
Find a fulfilling career that does good
A nonprofit that aims to help you find a career that helps tackle one of the world’s most pressing problems. Their career guide draws on over ten years of research alongside academics at Oxford into how to have an impactful career, and everything they provide is free, forever.
|
|
| |
Apps & Sites
|
Secure, open-source Notion alternative
|
|
Using local storage and peer-to-peer syncing, Anytype looks like a privacy and security-focused, open-source alternative to Notion and other ‘modular document’ apps like it. The tool relies on desktop and mobile apps (Mac, Windows & Linux) where all of your data is sharded, E2E encrypted, stored on-device, and synced in your local network or via Anytype nodes.
|
|
|
Based on the screenshots on their website, Modify is aiming to be a web-based alternative to Photoshop with simplified, smarter controls that make creative editing easier. Let algorithms do some of the hard work: image diffusion, background removal, depth mapping, in- and out-painting, upscaling, powerful shaders, and more. Multiple people can work together in real time.
|
|
Social network for musicians
|
|
More of this please: a niche social network for people who make music. Create your personal profile, then search for other musicians in your area based on the instruments they play or their musical styles.
|
|
|
Explore hundreds of high resolution photos and video of the most scenic locations around the world in 360° pannable goodness.
|
|
| |
Worthy Five: Manasvi Madan
|
A video worth watching:
Choose One of Five by Andrew Scott is a matter-of-fact inquiry about where you’ve been and where you’re headed in life. I’ve met a few people who embody choice #5. It’s no surprise to see what an enriching life they lead.
An Instagram account worth following:
Tatsuya Tanaka brings perspective-altering and delightful visuals from everyday life with the most imaginative materials.
A concept worth understanding:
Pronoia, the belief that the universe is conspiring in your favour – the opposite of paranoia. We can all do with an anchoring belief in the eye of the storm that helps us sail through the chaotic life challenges that come our way.
A book worth reading:
Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist trilogy which includes How to be Creative, Show your Work and Keep Going. The compiled audio book is fantastic, but these books can also be read independently. Kleon’s writing is a godsend for anyone who is stuck in the perfectionist trap or is worried about not being creative enough to make something.
A piece of advice worth passing on:
“Clear is kind, unclear is unkind.” by Brené Brown. We are not wired to understand the undertones, subtexts and sly connotations in every conversation. The guessing and assumption game takes away from the possibility of building real connections. Say what you mean, as clearly as you can.
(Did you know? Friends of DD can respond to and engage with guest contributors like Manasvi Madan in one click.)
|
|
| |
Books & Accessories
|
How ‘competing truths’ shape our world
Our understanding of ‘the truth’ changes based on our opinions, beliefs and behaviours. Understanding this process can make us better consumers and producers of information. In Truth the author Hector Macdonald explains “how these so-called ‘competing truths’ are used both constructively and misleadingly by businesses, media, politicians, advertisers, and even regular people having regular conversations. He shows how understanding competing truths makes us better at navigating the world and more influential within it.”
|
|
The power of language in design
This new title from A Book Apart highlights the importance of words and shared language in the design process. “Drawing from her experience on the forefront of web, mobile, and product design, Elizabeth McGuane shows us how to harness the potency of words and language to uplift and illuminate rather than encumber. Learn how to effectively apply semantic concepts, use language to frame design problems clearly, and integrate elements of style such as metaphor and nomenclature, to strengthen your design process.” Friends of DD enjoy a 15% discount.
Become a Friend to access specials like this.
|
|
| |
Overheard on Twitter
|
|
A good day to remember that the rules of the Earth system are determined by physics and biology, and the rules of the economy are made up by a small group of self-interested people and could change.
|
| |
Food for Thought
|
|
Science still has a lot of gaps to fill when it comes to understanding the causes of allergies. This piece offers a fascinating overview of the latest research, showing just how complex the development of our immune and microbiome systems are and how they relate to allergic reactions. “What everyone agrees on is that the environment’s influence on our genes, or epigenetics, has played a large role in the rise of allergies, as does the makeup of our nose, gut and skin microbiomes. In the end, it appears, we are at least partially doing this to ourselves. Modern living is likely at the root of the recent rise in allergies.”
|
|
|
A DD reader sent me this article in response to my intro about needing a new model for masculinity (DD249). The author Duncan Meisel argues that being strong – traditionally a trait assigned to men – can also mean being connected and committed to caring for others. He uses a scene from The Terminator to highlight the value of strength without implying domination or ownership. “I think ‘strength’ is one of the basic building blocks of maleness – to people who are men, to the people in relationships with them, both – but it’s one of the most dangerous as well. It’s a defining feature of male heroes, and of many of the most visible male public figures, but also the worst examples of male violence.”
|
|
|
Has our throw-away culture caused people to view their relationships as disposable, too? The authors of this essay are making that case, suggesting that disposability leads to the breakdown of communication, commitment and our connection to nature. “Life is fast and fickle. We aren’t encouraged by the mainstream to tend, mend, or to move slowly. Rather, we are trained by social and digital algorithms to end and move on, quickly. Toss, swipe, scroll, ghost. Get what’s new. Be what’s new. If you don’t like this feeling or this friend, change the channel. Find a new distraction.”
|
|
| |
Aesthetically Pleasing
|
|
How adorable is this uniquely whimsical and warm illustration style by Felicia Chiao? (via)
|
|
|
Photographer and artist Ken Hermann is passionate about individuals and their unique histories. His work explores the fragile balance between people and their environment, between tradition and modernity.
|
|
|
New Farmer is a satirical, semi-ficticious retelling of the history of the green agricultural revolution of the 1950s, when crop scientists developed new super-productive varieties and paved the way for industrial agriculture (which requires large inputs of fertiliser, pesticides and water and has led to environmental degradation and a massive loss of genetic plant diversity). The author Bruce Eesly puts generative AI to good use to create a publication in the style of a pamphlet published by an agribusiness in the 1960s.
|
|
|
The wonderful variable (and free!) font Bricolage Grotesque is “a blend of historical sources, technical decisions and personal feelings”.
|
|
| |
Notable Numbers
|
|
The average weight of a new vehicle sold in the US last year was a whopping 4,329 pounds (1,963.6 kg). That’s over 1,000 pounds (453.59 kg) higher than the average in 1980, and up about 175 pounds (79.38 kg) in just the last three years. Essentially, more than a third of the average American car has been added in the past 40 years, a trend now exacerbated by the switch to electric models.
|
|
|
More than 50% of all species live in the soil, according to a study that has found it is the single most species-rich habitat on Earth. Soil was known to hold a wealth of life, but this new figure doubles what scientists estimated in 2006.
|
|
|
Researchers believe that the central district of Sydney, Australia is close to becoming the first locality in the world to reach the UN’s target for ending transmission of HIV. Specifically, new infections among gay men have fallen by 88% between 2010 and 2022. In fact, there were only 11 new HIV cases recorded in central Sydney last year.
|
|
| |
Classifieds
|
|
There are so many podcasts out there. How do you choose? EarBuds brings you 5 podcast episodes on a theme, each week curated by a different person. Subscribe and start listening!
Just because most of your friends are also low-level tired, busy, and a little dissatisfied, doesn’t mean that’s ok. This newsletter has practical ideas for what to do instead.
Nervous System Mastery is a five-week bootcamp that will equip you with evidence-backed protocols to cultivate greater calm and agency over your internal state.
Kill all unnecessary back and forth nonsense. Save your team, designers, devs and students many wasted hours. Try Instacap’s screen capture and collaboration tool for free!
|
|
Classifieds are paid ads that support DD and are seen by our 43,000 subscribers each week.
Book yours →
|
|
| |
The Week in a GIF
|
|
Reply or tweet at DD with your favourite GIF and it might get featured here in a future issue.
|
|
| |
| |
|
