Latest Stories from Jessica
Is social media causing us to self-diagnose?
A recent poll conducted by the tech-driven healthcare company Tebra has found that 30 percent of Gen Z participants had diagnosed themselves with a mental health problem based on information they’d gathered on social media. Although silly Vine-like videos still pop up on Instagram Reels and TikTok feeds from time to time, the growing conversation about mental health and a wider interest in overall well-being has ushered a new genre...
The psychological importance of being bored
Being bored is a horrible feeling, but psychologists are starting to believe that it is a necessary part of the human experience that drives us to expand our own creativity, improve self-awareness, problem-solve, and take on new challenges. When was the last time you were truly bored? Most of us remember having a prolonged experience of it during the lockdowns of recent years. But I’d argue that those born before...
4ocean cleans up record-breaking 30 million pounds of ocean plastic
4ocean has set the world record for most trash collected from our oceans by a single organisation – a whopping 30 million pounds and counting. To celebrate this achievement, let’s take a detailed look at the organisation's journey. You’d be hard pressed to find a beach that doesn’t have various sized pieces of plastic littering its shorelines these days, but one amazing organisation is on a mission to make...
Study finds living near green spaces reduces biological age
People living near green spaces are 2.5 years biologically younger than those who do not, according to new research conducted by a Spanish and American research team. We all have our reservations about ageing, but new research is showing that the secret to staying young might not be purchasing expensive skincare treatments and products. In fact, maintaining health may be as simple as living nearby to a large green space. To test...
Why lab-grown diamonds are booming in popularity
The world has woken up to the socially and environmentally destructive practices of the natural diamond industry. Thanks to science, many customers are opting for lab-grown diamonds which offer the same product, minus the eco and ethical price tag. Diamonds are forever, so they say. But so are the scars left behind on the planet and people involved in the very process of unearthing them. The diamond industry has long...
Why aren’t cities just planting more trees?
We are all obsessed with plants and for good reason. They are proven to improve our mood, purify our air, and even keep cities dramatically cooler on hot days. So with mental health struggles, air pollution, and deadly heatwaves on the rise – why are governments so slow to plant more of them? When pondering simple and effective ways to halt the global climate catastrophe we’re currently spiralling towards, one...
Egg whites could be the solution to clean water in the future
Microplastic pollution and increased scarcity are the two largest threats to freshwater sources globally. A team of researchers at Princeton University have found a solution to both of these problems in an unsuspecting candidate – egg whites. Not to freak anyone out, but recent studies are finding that humans accidentally consume around 5 grams of microplastics per week. It’s both worrying and sad, but it’s true. Most of these particles...
Evidence of diverse organic material has been found on Mars
NASA has announced it has discovered evidence of ‘diverse organic matter’ in the Jezero Crater on planet Mars. This area is believed to be the site of an ancient lake, which may have been vital to supporting previous life on the planet. Ah, the age-old question: is there – or was there ever – life on other planets? At some point or another, each of us will find ourselves experiencing an...
Underground climate change is every major city’s ‘silent hazard’
As global temperatures increase, above-ground heatwaves shouldn’t be our only concern. Researchers are uncovering that urban cities are experiencing rising temperatures underground – and that’s a major long-term problem. By now, we’re all well aware that atmospheric climate change and global warming are causing major issues for natural environments, wild animal species, and the safety of humanity itself. But research conducted in Chicago has revealed that the ground beneath major...
LVMH sets ambitious water reduction targets for 2030
As part of its Life 360 program, the French multinational holding company LVMH has set new and ambitious targets to reduce its global water usage by 30 percent before the end of the decade. Despite the fact that over 70 percent of our planet is covered in water, only three percent of it is fresh water. The situation seems disastrous enough from the start, but in a world experiencing rapid climate...
