Facundo Macchi

1 month ago | english.elpais.com | Facundo Macchi |Adrián Cordellat |Manuel Ansede

There are figures that leave no room for doubt, and this is one of them: over 600 million people worldwide suffer from low back pain. And the situation is only going to worsen. It is estimated that by 2030, the prevalence of lower back problems will surpass 800 million people, or 10% of the global population. Treatments aimed at addressing this pain — the leading cause of disability worldwide — are numerous.

1 month ago | english.elpais.com | Facundo Macchi |Jessica Mouzo

The study of dreams is often an imprecise and unpredictable field. What lies within the realm of dreams is deeply personal and difficult to verify scientifically. Compounding this is the fact that dream memory is fragmented, incomplete, and often shaped by emotions, recent experiences, health, and even stress levels. The question of where consciousness travels during sleep and what happens to it remains, for now, a mystery.

1 month ago | english.elpais.com | Facundo Macchi |Manuel Ansede |Ana Pantaleoni

Paz Rey Duarte hasn’t been able to get the message out of her head for 24 hours: “possible risk detected.” Although she hasn’t been formally diagnosed by a doctor, the 73-year-old woman with impeccable grey hair is now convinced that she has Alzheimer’s. “For some time now, I’ve noticed that I forget the simplest things,” she says, adjusting a cotton shawl she wears around her neck to combat the Atlantic coastal chill in her home town of Vigo, in the northwestern region of Galicia in Spain.

Jan 21, 2025 | english.elpais.com | Facundo Macchi |Miguel Ángel Criado

Mencius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, wrote centuries ago that “friendship is one mind in two bodies.” Modern science might add another layer: friendship is also one microbiota in two bodies. A recent study has found that the more people interact, the more similar the composition of the microorganisms in their guts becomes, even if they do not live in the same household.

Jan 10, 2025 | english.elpais.com | Facundo Macchi |Javier Yanes |Jessica Mouzo

We are constantly encouraged to drink more water. The advice comes from doctors and is sold to us by influential celebrities, who appear on social networks with their colorful metal bottles that have become fashion accessories. Water consumption is no longer just about survival, it’s about smoother skin, a better digestion and more supple joints. In parallel to the advice to drink more water come the warnings against plastic consumption for the health of the planet.