What's Happening

Health

Research Shows Humans Experience Two Dramatic Aging Bursts

What's going on: You’ve probably heard the lore that the body’s cells regenerate every seven years (a simplification, at best), but a new study suggests that, actually, our bodies are more likely to transform on a molecular level around two certain periods of our lives. While many of our cells are metaphorically hitting the “refresh” button as we age, generally, our mid-40s and early 60s can bring especially rapid changes. Scientists tracked 108 men and women, specifically looking at 135,000 kinds of molecules and microbes (an extra thank you to the test subjects who gave stool samples every few months, along with blood draws). During these “clustered” periods, the researchers noticed changes in metabolism, immune regulation, and kidney function. For instance, people in their mid-40s had a harder time metabolizing alcohol and coffee (guess that’s why those hangovers feel worse and the coffee hits differently).

What it means: More research is needed to understand exactly why these big changes seem to occur at these specific times in our lives — and whether aging alone is the cause. For instance, researchers specifically noted menopause or perimenopause could be a factor, but it wasn’t the only link because men experienced changes at the same time. What the researchers did say was clear? This is a wake-up call to take better care of ourselves in our mid-40s and 60s (and, ideally, at all ages). That means staying active if we can and not putting off check-ups at the doctor…again.

Related: How Long Can (And Should) We Live (NYT Gift Link)

Politics

As Women Lawmakers Face Online Hate, Instagram Does…Almost Nothing

What's going on: Women lawmakers across the political spectrum are getting hate in the comments section — and Instagram doesn’t seem to be doing much about it. That’s according to a new study from The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). The organization looked at the IGs of 10 women politicians — including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The researchers filtered for “gendered” or “toxic” comments that were likely to violate the app’s policies and flagged 1,000 abusive comments to Instagram. But after the center let a week go by, the platform still had 926 of those comments up. In response, Meta said it would review the examples in the study to determine if removal is necessary — their guidelines specifically allow “stronger conversation” around public figures.

What it means: The center’s CEO noted in the report that much of this online abuse happens along gender lines to try to push “women out of political life.” You don’t have to look far for examples: When VP Kamala Harris entered the race, she almost immediately became the target of sexist and racist comments. The overwhelming amount of misogyny and chauvinism could impact women’s decision to even run for office at all. Fewer women are running for Congress this year than in 2022. That’s as the gender gap is alive and well: Women represent less than a third of the House of Representatives and just a quarter of the Senate. Yup, it’s 2024.

Related: RFK Jr. Wanted To Meet With Harris To Ask for a Cabinet Job (CNN)

US News

Forget the Alarm Clock, These Self-Driving Cars Have Been Waking Up Their Neighbors

What's going on: In a San Francisco parking lot, just below an apartment building, Waymo’s driverless taxis have been honking in the wee hours of the morning, with some residents placing “peak honk” around 4 am. Not very demure or mindful. When the cars aren’t driving passengers around town, they idle in the lot Waymo rented, which wouldn’t be an issue if the taxis did not rob neighbors of their beauty sleep. Naturally, the sleepless residents were quick to record and post the fiasco as well as livestream it, complete with lo-fi hip hop.

Tell me more: It turns out the honking isn’t a prelude to some sort of Transformers action. Instead, it’s just the result of a sensitive tech feature meant to avoid fender benders. The driverless taxis are designed to honk when cars get too close to them on the road....or, in this case, the crowded parking lot. Waymo heard the complaints loud and clear and said it updated its software to keep things quieter. Here’s hoping that Phoenix and Los Angeles (the two other cities where Waymo’s taxis are driving) haven’t had the same issues.

Related: 8 Alarm Clocks for Every Kind of Morning Routine (theSkimm)