Why permanent daylight saving time is the wrong move, scientists say

Plus: One of early humans’ most important inventions could have been an accident [View this email online]( [NPR Health]( March 12, 2023 by Andrea Muraskin This week: Where we came from: We think of sharp stone tools as a product of early human creativity, [but a new discovery suggests they might have been a fluke](. Where we’re going: Gene-editing technology has brought leaps forward in the treatment of some human diseases, but [should future babies have their genomes changed before they’re even born?]( How we get there: Bipartisan legislation seeks to make daylight saving time permanent -- to stop the twice yearly circadian hangover -- [but sleep scientists say we should do away with DST instead](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Changing our clocks is a health hazard. Just ask a sleep doctor]( [Even a one-hour change in the clock can disrupt the body's circadian rhythms, especially when the clock "springs forward."]( Charlie Riedel/AP Happy Sunday! Did you get enough sleep, or is that lost hour already messing with your day? Let’s say, come November, we keep the clocks where they are instead of setting them back an hour: That’d mean permanent daylight saving time. A bill now in Congress – the Sunshine Protection Act – would do just that, and it has support from such politically and latitudinally distant U.S. senators as Florida’s Marco Rubio and Massachusetts’ Edward Markey. Permanent DST would mean later sunsets in the winter months – which sounds like something everyone might enjoy. But many sleep researchers and physicians say keeping DST would be moving the clock hands in the wrong direction. One [recent study found]( an increase in hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation after the spring transition. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Medical Association argue that instead of staying on daylight saving time, we should be on standard time all the time. More sunlight later in the day may benefit the economy, but the opposite is best for the body, explains Dr. Pedram Navab, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist in Los Angeles. "The natural daily cycle of light and darkness is really the most powerful timing cue that we have to synchronize our body clock," Navab says. [Also: If daylight saving time seems tricky, try figuring out the time on the moon]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Is it OK to edit heritable human genes? Many scientists and ethicists say ‘not yet’]( KTSDesign/Science Photo Library/Getty Images For a decade now, researchers have used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to modify human DNA, leading to breakthroughs in treatment for some genetic conditions. Most notably, several dozen patients have [essentially been cured of a form of sickle cell disease](. But what if you could stop genetic diseases before they even start – by modifying genes inside of sperm, eggs or embryos? Last Wednesday in London, organizers of an international conference on gene-editing said editing heritable genes is not ethical at this time, arguing that the risk of introducing new mutations that could harm children and get passed down through generations is too great. Some critics also fear it could open a slippery slope to "designer babies" and other dystopian fears about creating a kind of super-race of humans. Some people question whether heritable gene editing will ever be ethical. Another ethical concern about any kind of gene therapy: The exorbitant cost of such treatments could push them beyond the grasp of people and nations who could most benefit. One thing the organizers of the gene summit agreed on: [The question of whether to modify human sex cells and embryos requires a broader societal debate – it shouldn’t be left just to scientists to decide.]( Got thoughts? We’d love to hear them. Email [shots@npr.org]( or just hit reply. [Plus: A gene-editing experiment let these patients with vision loss see color again]( [Stone flakes made by modern monkeys trigger big questions about early humans]( [Macaques use stones as hammers to smash open food items like shellfish and nuts.]( Lydia V. Luncz The origin of penicillin was famously an accident. British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming returned from a vacation in 1928 to discover that one of the petri dishes in his lab had a mold growing in it that wasn't supposed to be there. On closer inspection, he saw that the area around the mold was free of bacteria. A decade later, chemists at Oxford used the fungus, Penicillium notatum, to create the world's first antibiotic. A chance discovery changed history by making previously serious diseases like bacterial pneumonia easily treatable. Other accidental inventions of note include the microwave, potato chips and Coca-Cola. A recent discovery about monkey behavior has archeologists pondering whether one of the key technological innovations in human history – the making of sharp stone tools – might have been an accident as well. It has to do with the way some macaques in Thailand crack nuts for food. According to Yale paleoanthropologist Jessica Thompson, this discovery could have “ramifications that range from, ‘when did the first ever stone tools get made by early humans?’ all the way to ‘when did people begin to move into South America?’ ” [Here’s why our early ancestors may not have been as ingenious as we like to think.]( [Plus: To keep your brain young, take some tips from our earliest ancestors]( Before you go: [Protesters march in Berlin to mark International Women's Day on Wednesday.]( John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images - Listen: The value of [good teeth]( - Study: Where there's gender equality, people tend to [live longer]( - These kids raised hundreds of thousands to [make their playground accessible]( - 4 kidnapped Americans are part of a large wave of [U.S. medical tourism in Mexico]( - Moderna's COVID vaccine gambit: [Hike the price, offer free doses for uninsured]( We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism]( on Shots and follow us on Twitter at [@NPRHealth](. All the best, Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [shots@npr.org](mailto:shots@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]