New Scientist Podcasts
Weekly: Does loneliness really cause ill health?; A time-travelling photon; The supermassive mystery of early black holes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Recent research indicates that loneliness may more accurately signal health risks rather than serving as a direct cause for illnesses like diabetes and cancers.
- The formation of supermassive black holes could be facilitated by dark matter assisting in the direct collapse of massive gas clouds in the early universe.
Deep dives
The Complex Link Between Loneliness and Health
Recent research has revealed a nuanced relationship between loneliness and various health issues, suggesting that loneliness may serve more as an indicator of health risks than a direct cause. While previous studies have linked loneliness to conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, an array of cancers, and even premature death, new findings challenge the idea that loneliness is always causative. A significant study involving data from over 75,000 individuals examined genetic factors associated with loneliness and found that for most health conditions, no direct causal relationship exists. Instead, the remaining conditions where loneliness is a potential cause, such as depression and sleep apnea, indicate a need for more investigation into the underlying biological mechanisms.
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