🧬 The Distilled Download - June 2

Greetings, fellow science nerds! 🤓 Here’s your latest installment of The Distilled Download.

These last few weeks I’ve gone down the rabbit hole researching the interactions between sounds, sleep, and ADHD. I’ve already put out a handful of TikTok/Instagram videos on the topics, but they really only scratch the surface, so stay tuned for a longer article / YouTube video coming soon! Let me know by responding to this email if there are any particular topics in the space you want me to cover.

In other news, I recently decided to take up volleyball again… which made me briefly happy, but my back and knees had very different feelings. I have joint hypermobility, which makes all of my connective tissue a lot more susceptible to injury, and I’ve been slacking on my various joint-support protocols. Which of course, means that, as I restart them, I’ll be sharing the various tips and techniques with you guys!

The Download

😴 Sleep Gadget I’m Testing:  
The Rhinomed Nasal Dilator. It’s a little piece of plastic that goes in your nose and expands your nostrils, and they claim it improves airflow 38% more than the sticky nasal strips that go on the outside of the nose. I’ve got pretty narrow nasal passages so I’ve always had nasal breathing issues, especially when sleeping on my side, and this helps to keep the nostril open while in that position. I just started with it but so far so good!

📚 New Study: Better Alzheimer’s blood test on the horizon?
A groundbreaking study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine might hold the key to identifying those most at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The research showed that a blood test indicating both amyloid buildup in the brain and abnormal activation of star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes could predict the progression of the neurodegenerative condition.

The Pittsburgh team's finding of a potential early diagnostic tool could significantly impact future clinical trials and drug development strategies for Alzheimer's disease. With the inclusion of astrocyte reactivity markers in tests, scientists could more accurately select patients who are likely to progress to later stages of Alzheimer's. This early diagnosis could enable interventions to be targeted at pre-symptomatic stages, potentially halting the progression of the disease and improving the quality of life for those at risk.

⚔️ Book I’m Enjoying:
The Pariah, by Anthony Ryan. It’s the first of a brand-new series and already off to a strong start. If you’re a fantasy fan who hasn’t checked out any of his works, Blood Song is the beautifully written novel that first got me started with his stuff.

🤖 ChatGPT Prompt of the Week
ChatGPT has become my go-to personal assistant for all sorts of practical tasks, and it’s all about giving it the right prompting. Here’s a great sequence that I learned recently:

Part 1: I have a problem related to [describe your problem area]. Could you brainstorm three distinct solutions? Please consider a variety of factors such as [Your perfect factors]

Part 2: For each of the three proposed solutions, evaluate their potential. Consider their pros and cons, the initial effort needed, implementation difficulty, potential challenges, and the expected outcomes. Assign a probability of success and a confidence level to each option based on these factors

Part 3: For each solution, deepen the thought process. Generate potential scenarios, strategies for implementation, any necessary partnerships or resources, and how potential obstacles might be overcome. Also, consider any potential unexpected outcomes and how they might be handled.

Part 4: Based on the evaluations and scenarios, rank the solutions in order of promise. Provide a justification for each ranking and offer any final thoughts or considerations for each solution.

Thanks for reading! I love to hear feedback, so feel free to respond to this email or tag me on Twitter (which I’ll start using seriously one of these days 🙊