A recent groundbreaking study explains why hair turns gray as we age. Stem cells hold the power to regenerate tissues and maintain youthful features. But not all stem cells age equally! Melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) tend to fail earlier than others. The result? Gray hair! 😳
The ability of McSCs to move where they live inside of hair follicles is the key. When they can’t move, they can’t mature into melanocytes — meaning they can’t regenerate new hair color over growth cycles. As we age, the cells get stuck and stranded. (Like about everything else in the body we took for granted in our youth.)
All of my McSCs are clogged up and probably just hanging out together — lounging and shooting the breeze.
The pattern found by researchers…
“If we can physically move jammed cells back to their germ compartment or enhance their motility, we might prevent or reverse graying,” says Dr. Qi Sun, lead investigator of the study.
If that becomes a possibility — I wonder if reverse baldness will someday be possible too!
The advancements may unlock other solutions.
As research progresses, who knows what solutions will be unlocked for age-related conditions?! The more researchers learn and understand about aging and cellular regenerations, the more advances become available.
In the meantime, we’re stuck using AI to address aging cosmetic concerns.
Now you know: In 2015, 18-year-old Julian Hernandez learned he was listed in a database for missing children when he met with his high school guidance counselor to apply for college. This would lead to him discovering that his dad had kidnapped him from his mom when he was 5. His dad was sentenced to 4 years.
While I wish the title of today’s post referred to me, sadly, it doesn’t…
All this rain and I’m the only one who cares about the grass.
It’s rained for days and more is forecast for tomorrow. My flowers are lovely — the hostas I planted are even up. The grass; however, is about to get ahead of me. The blooms on the bushes are a memory and the hummingbirds are glad about that. When in bloom, their feeders attract yellowjackets and every other bee and bug imaginable.
Now you know: In 2016 a woman was found dead in an elevator after being trapped there for a month. Servicemen who were called to fix a broken cable had banged on the door, but heard no response so they cut off the power & told the residents to use a different lift. They returned a month later & found her body.
My favorite son was born on April 26th, so this day is not just special for him — it’s important for me as well. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he DID NOT want cake and ice-cream to celebrate. I think I might stick one candle in a packaged danish, light it, and sing to him anyway.
I’ve already given him his gift. Anything from Tommy Bahama and he’s a happy guy. It’s only fitting that I share my most recent photo of him on his birthday, right?
I don’t remember having a girl’s name even picked out!
Ben was born before the days of ultrasounds and baby reveal parties. Back then, the sex of a baby was “determined” by someone holding a string with a pencil tied on the end over a pregnant woman’s belly. Up and down is a boy, and side to side is a girl. My doctor guessed I’d deliver a girl and my nurse in the hospital said she thought I was having a boy. Neither used the pencil method and I didn’t see them flipping coins. I honestly didn’t care.
Benjamin Scott was almost Jonathan Max. Both first and middle names belonged to a relative. Jerilyn took the name Jonathan for her son 3 years later after our Grandpa McKain. No way would I have picked either Dad’s first or middle name… my brother is already Dallas Scott — and I couldn’t pin the name Maynard on my kid. That would’ve been worse than Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue.”
Happy, happy birthday to Ben — may you live many years after I’ve gone. ❤️
Now you know: The most famous people born on April 26th include William Shakespeare and Carol Burnett.
Remember last year when I said I’d been picked for jury duty… AGAIN? Welp, they got me again this year too and have me scheduled for next Monday. I’ve hit the jury lottery every year since 2022, and many, many times before that too. Federal jury duty only got me once.
Perry and Ben haven’t ever been called. When the jury pool is confronted with questions as a group to weed out the undesirables, I’m typically eliminated and sent home with an hour or so. When I hold up my hand that I know the prosecutor, usually the defense attorney and someone slated to testify — combined with the fact that I keep up on local news — they don’t want me.
That doesn’t always work though! Funny… the time I was selected to serve on a Federal jury, it involved counterfeiting (among other things including a shooting) and I worked in a bank. Can’t believe they picked me for that one!
I wonder if I can get excused when I tell them I can’t find a babysitter for my dog since he’s mean.
Hugo has separation anxiety and on a scale of 1-10, it’s an 11. I can take a bag of trash to the garage and he flips his ever lovin’ shit. Upon reentry to the house, it’s like I’ve been gone a month at least.
Dharma should be picked for jury duty instead of me.
Dharma is a great listener. She’s got her nose into everything, you guys. Not sure about her judgement — but she would at least pay attention and not cause any distractions.
Now you know: The more you hear a lie, the more you’re likely to believe it. It’s called the illusory truth effect. Some study in 1977 figured it out. Basically, if you hear something enough, your brain’s like, “Yeah, that sounds right.”
I’ve always said the Oura Ring is my favorite health tracking app. Now, it’s only my favorite sleep tracking app since they recently changed the way they count steps.
From politics to health trackers… it’s either far left or far right.
It seems like everything in today’s world is extreme. Before the recent update, Oura’s step count (in my opinion… and obviously theirs too) was too high. Previously, the ring added steps that were more or less hand movements. Compared to my Apple watch, the Oura Ring was always around 1K steps higher. Now with the update, they claim its more accurate and counts steps like a pedometer.
Why my concern? Because after walking laps with a push mower yesterday, I was awarded a meager 15 steps. Why only 15 steps? Because I held the mower handle rather than swinging my arms like I was walking. My regular 10,000 step day topped off at 3,500. There’s a reason Oura says not to compare steps from 2 separate trackers. Could it be they want you to be unaware of the discrepancy?
I’m so proud of my Momma when she tracks her steps even if she has to make them using a walker. With the Oura update, it likely won’t even recognize that she’s cranking them out.
It’s not just politics and health trackers that are far left and far right — it’s dogs too.
I have 2 dogs that LOVE to eat — and one that waits for an audience before he picks around in his food.
Wouldn’t it be great if Apple would either come out with a better app for the watch (like maybe combine the fitness, health, and heart watch apps into ONE decent one) — or Oura Ring could figure out how to make a ring accurately count exercise and steps (without requiring you to manually add an exercise they can’t count correctly)? And how amazing it would be if people from both sides of the political arena could simply work together? And finally, it sure would be great if we didn’t have dog drama here at the barndo.
Now you know: Steven Spielberg told movie stars that if they wanted to work with him, the prerequisite was that they gamble along with him by not taking any salary upfront — instead only taking backend compensation. He said “…if my film makes no money, I get no money. They should be prepared to do the same”
