Forever Chemicals, Binge Watching, and Chocolate

Forever chemicals are commonly used heat-resistant, stain-resistant, and oil-resistant substances that are so durable at the molecular level that they can take centuries to break down in the environment. Research suggests that humans are exposed to these chemicals in numerous ways, including through our water, food, soil, air, and consumer products ranging from frying pans to skincare.

> Industry and consumer products with forever chemicals include food packaging, nonstick pans, and dental floss. (More)
> A 2022 expert report stated that forever chemicals are so ubiquitous that it's uncertain whether limiting consumer uses would truly meaningfully reduce exposures. (More)

Formally known as "PFAS," which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, this group of more than 14,000 chemicals can accumulate in the human body over time, and their presence has been linked to numerous health conditions, including decreased fertility, developmental delays in children, elevated cancer and obesity risks, and interference with the body's natural hormones.

> Nine out of 10 Americans still have perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, in their bodies—even though that forever chemical was phased out of consumer products in 2015. (More)

> Wherever researchers search for forever chemicals, they turn out to be present, including in freshwater fish. (More)

> Teflon, used on nonstick pans, was an accidental discovery. (More)

Invented around the time of World War II, the substances were first used in industrial seals and other military applications but were eventually integrated into products including stain-resistant clothing, fire retardants, carpets, and even dental floss.

> Explore this interactive map, which shows forever chemical testing results for public water systems. (More)

> PFAS may be accumulating on a remote Scottish island thanks to sea spray. (More)

Discover more: 

> Yes, "Last Week Tonight" tackled forever chemicals. (More, w/video)

> There was a decadeslong corporate cover-up about forever chemicals, revealed by investigative reporting and later portrayed in a movie starring Mark Ruffalo. (More)

> PFAS accumulate up the food web, harming apex predators. (More)
>... explore everything we've learned about Forever Chemicals.

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind recent intriguing stories:

California is phasing out its use of a controversial herbicide called paraquat over the next two years. (More)

> Listen to this in-depth podcast on the links between Parkinson's disease and paraquat.

A pancreatic cancer pill that nearly doubled survival in clinical trials is now available to some patients. (More)

> When a researcher announced the novel drug's success rates at a 2026 cancer conference, it fueled a standing ovation. 

> Pancreatic cancer's greatest risks are the combined effects of smoking, diabetes, and poor diet.

Global rollout of a twice-yearly HIV preventive drug is getting mixed reviews. (More)

> HIV sidelines your immune system by destroying T cells.

 Medical Developments Spotlight 

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

Alzheimer's risk may be 35% lower for women on estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy compared with no HRT. 

MedPage Today| Judy George. Menopausal hormone replacement therapy usually involves progesterone and estrogen to help avoid dangerous thickening of the uterine lining that can elevate cancer risk, so the new findings, based on analysis of autopsied brains, are most applicable to women who have undergone a hysterectomy and thus may be prescribed estrogen-only hormone therapy. (More, free w/email)

> Explore our 1440 deep dive on Hormone Replacement Therapy. 
> FDA removed its black box warning about HRTs in 2025.

A common arthritis drug is showing promise for treating hair loss in late-stage clinical trials.

Newsweek | Melissa Fleur Afshar. In two large randomized clinical trials the drug upadacitinib helped roughly half of study participants regrow at least some of their hair—with some patients reporting complete scalp regrowth. The patients were suffering from a severe form of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the hair follicle. Alopecia areata is the second-most common form of hair loss after male and female pattern baldness. It affects roughly 7 million Americans. (More)

> Humans may have as many as 100,000—or more—individual hairs on our heads.

Frequent TV watching linked with smaller brain volumes in areas associated with language and cognitive reasoning in an observational study.

CNN | Katia Hetter. Self-reported frequent TV watchers in a long-running study involving more than 1,700 participants had these visible changes on their brain scans in midlife, decades after their TV use, yet the researchers didn't find similar brain patterns among other sedentary participants who were looking at their screens for work. The study was observational, so it can't explain the differences, but one interpretation is that cognitive engagement—such as in a work setting—may help preserve or enhance brain health. (More, paywall may apply)

> Neurodegeneration underlies dementia, but its causes are still under investigation.

 Etcetera 

> Our love of chocolate has a lot to do with its fermentation.

> Why do taxi and ambulance drivers appear to have the lowest risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease out of 443 occupations?

> Brain death is a uniquely modern problem stemming from modern ventilators.

> See how humans process the sensation of touch.

> When the brain amplifies remaining sounds after hearing damage, it may result in tinnitus. 

> Male-pattern baldness isn't just from your maternal side.

> Humans have taste receptors in our lungs and even in our testes.

> There are really two causes of strokes.

> Jaundice is a buildup of waste products from when old red blood cells break down.

> FDA-approved gene therapies now include offerings for inherited conditions as well as some forms of cancer.