Ideas Could resetting the body's clock help cure jet lag?
Dec 31, 2025
Kritika Vashishtha, a recent aerospace engineering PhD grad, introduces her groundbreaking work on optimized in-flight light schedules aimed at curing jet lag. Alongside Jean Duffy, a circadian rhythm expert from Harvard, and Rosemary Brown, a biomarker researcher, they dive into the science of light as a dominant cue for resetting our internal clocks. The trio explores fascinating insights on how personalized light strategies can enhance space travel and improve sleep quality, while discussing the implications for shift workers and astronauts adapting to new time zones.
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Airplane Cabin Lab And Barbara
- Kritika Vashishtha showed producers a repurposed airplane cabin used as her light laboratory.
- She uses a mannequin named Barbara to measure eye-level light and simulate passenger exposure.
Timed Cabin Light Can Shift Clocks
- Kritika developed an optimized light exposure schedule to shift circadian rhythm during flights.
- The schedule varies intensity and timing so passengers land partially entrained to the destination time zone.
Use Light First To Reset Rhythm
- Use light as a non-invasive zeitgeber because it is one of the strongest synchronizers for circadian rhythms.
- Prefer controlling light over forcing behaviors like eating or exercise for flight-based interventions.