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cover of episode Must Be Microplastics on the Brain

Must Be Microplastics on the Brain

2025/3/5
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Science Quickly

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Megha Satyanarayana
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Megha Satyanarayana: 我是《科学美国人》的首席观点编辑,我们致力于发表来自各领域专家的观点文章,涵盖科学、社会以及两者之间的交叉议题。我们既发表专家观点,也发表内部撰写的文章,例如我撰写的《十字路口》专栏和Dan Vergano撰写的《探险家》专栏。我之前是一名科学家,后来转向新闻和编辑工作,因为我认为观点在新闻和信息传播中至关重要。观点文章能够整合不同信息,并解释其重要性,从而改变人们的看法。 最近,一项关于人体大脑中发现微塑料的研究促使我撰写了一篇文章。大脑是一个受保护的空间,物质通常无法轻易进入,因此这一发现令人担忧。我注意到公众对大脑中微塑料的担忧程度不如以前对其他塑料污染问题的担忧。微塑料进入大脑令人担忧,因为大脑是一个高度保护的区域,药物都很难进入。 我试图将微塑料问题与塑料的石油来源、污染以及气候变化联系起来。塑料是石油产品,其生产过程会造成污染。我们正处于气候危机之中,而气候危机很大程度上与我们如何使用化石燃料有关。我想提醒人们塑料难以回收,并且会长期存在环境中,这与气候变化和能源使用密切相关。我认为我们应该将化学知识用于善,而不是恶,塑料问题是一个需要关注的大问题。 我还关注生命科学、健康、公共卫生和环境等议题,这些议题相互交织。我写过关于禽流感、微塑料、精神健康药物以及麻疹的文章。我认为麻疹的卷土重来反映了人们对疫苗的看法和对科学的信任度下降。 我认为观点文章可以帮助对抗错误信息,并重建人们对科学的信任。观点文章帮助人们理解不同观点背后的原因,促进讨论和对话。我经常被朋友问及应该关注哪些问题,我认为观点文章可以帮助人们更好地理解世界正在发生的事情。我们正处于一个证据不再重要的时期,观点文章可以帮助人们以不同的方式看待风险与收益分析。 我认为人们应该担心大脑中的塑料,这反映了我们社会中便利性和一次性用品的问题。观点文章并非要告诉人们应该相信什么,而是提供一种看待重要社会问题的视角。观点文章能够整合来自不同来源的信息,提供一种看待世界的方式。 Rachel Feltman: (访谈内容主要围绕Megha Satyanarayana的观点展开,没有形成独立的论点。)

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter discusses a recent study on microplastics found in human brains. The discovery is concerning because the brain is a protected environment, and the presence of microplastics raises questions about their potential impact on brain health and the broader implications of plastic pollution.
  • Microplastics found in human brains
  • Brain is a protected space, making the discovery concerning
  • Lack of widespread concern compared to previous plastic pollution issues
  • Difficulty of getting substances into the brain highlights the significance of the finding

Shownotes Transcript

Not much passes into our brain from the rest of our body, to the chagrin of drug makers everywhere. So it should be cause for concern when a study found that microplastics were somehow ending up in our brain, says chief opinion editor Megha Satyanarayana. She takes a step back and brings us into the wider world of plastics and the way petroleum chemicals can become pollutants far beyond the factories where they are made. Plus, Satyanarayana discusses the Scientific American opinion section and her column Cross Currents, which aims to decode the science from the headlines.

Recommended reading:

Why Aren’t We Losing Our Minds over the Plastic in Our Brains?

Subscribe) to receive weekly emails alerts for Satyanarayana’s column Cross Currents: 

E-mail us at [email protected]) if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!

Discover something new every day: subscribe) to Scientific American and sign up) for Today in Science, our daily newsletter.

Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was hosted by Rachel Feltman with guest Megha Satyanarayana. Our show is edited by Alex Sugiura with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck.  The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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