Longevity Expert Says 1 Fingernail Sign Shows How You're Ageing
But according to Dr David Sinclair, a Harvard-based expert in ageing and genetics who's known for his research into longevity, they can tell us how we're ageing too.
In 2022, the doctor explained on a podcast that one sign on our hands 'is a really good indicator of how you're ageing or not ageing.'
It's based, he explains, on a 1979 study.
Our nails do not grow as quickly when we're older as they did in our younger years, the doctor explained.
'Every time I have to cut my nails, I'm thinking, 'How long ago did I cut my nails?'', he commented.
He pointed to a 1979 study in which researchers attached tape to people's nails and measure how much they grew in different populations over a set period of time.
This paper, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, found that, 'The rate of linear nail growth decreases 50% over the life spans of both dogs and humans.'
As Dr Sinclair points out on the podcast, the study showed that the rate was about 0.5% each year after the participants' 30th birthday.
A 2011 study put the start point even earlier, at 25 years of age.
While the professor admits that he doesn't pay much attention to his own nail's growth, he adds: 'If you measure that, it's a really good indicator of how old you are biologically.'
According to Healthline, it may have to do with blood flow, which slows over time.
Previously, Dr Michelle Henry, founder of Skin and Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan, told HuffPost that, 'As we age, our bodies start to produce less of the natural proteins found in nails, which can lead to nails becoming more brittle, dry, and prone to breaking.'
He added: 'These keratin proteins are also found in our hair follicles, which is why we may also see a change in our hair texture as we age.'
Ageing Rapidly Increases At These 2 Ages ― Here's Why
Here's How To Tell Normal Physical Ageing From Frailty
This Walking Change May Mean You're Ageing Faster Than Usual
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Your odds of having a boy or girl might not be 50/50—here's what affects it
If you've ever joked that your family only makes boys, or been asked whether you're 'trying' for a girl, you're not alone. Many parents start to notice patterns in their children's birth sexes and wonder: Is it just chance, or something more? A massive new study from researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers surprising clarity. After analyzing data from more than 146,000 pregnancies, scientists found that birth sex may be influenced by specific factors like mom's age or the sexes of older siblings. The odds, it turns out, might not be 50/50 after all. The study focused on biological sex assigned at birth, not gender identity, which can develop differently for each person. For families raising all boys or all girls, this could finally offer an explanation. And if you're hoping your next baby brings a different dynamic, this research offers a little insight—and maybe even a little peace. What the study found The research, published in Science Advances, drew on data from the long-running Nurses' Health Study. Rather than assume each baby has an even chance of being a boy or a girl, the researchers looked for patterns across families and found a few compelling ones. Here's what they found: Family patterns matter. Families with three or more boys were more likely to have another boy. The same held true for girls. After three girls, the odds of a fourth girl were about 58%. After three boys, the odds of a fourth boy were about 61%. Maternal age may play a small role. Women who began having children after age 28 were slightly more likely to continue having children of the same sex. This may relate to hormonal changes or shifts in vaginal pH. Genetics might be involved. Two genetic markers showed potential links to sex patterns, though researchers say these findings are early and need more study. While the study doesn't offer a formula, it suggests birth sex may follow subtle biological rhythms within families. Related: Why waiting to find out your baby's sex can be (surprise!) awesome Why some families may be more likely to have boys or girls At the population level, birth sex tends to balance out, with slightly more boys born worldwide. But zoom in on individual families, and a different picture can emerge. The researchers describe it like flipping a coin that's not perfectly fair. Some families seem to have a coin that lands on 'boy' more often; others, 'girl.' That tilt, it turns out, may be more biology than luck. 'If you've had two girls or three girls and you're trying for a boy, you should know your odds are not 50-50,' The study's lead researcher Jorge Chavarro told Washington Post, 'You're more likely than not to have another girl.' The same is true for families with three boys. While the difference is subtle, the large size of the study makes these findings hard to ignore. Related: Choosing Your Baby's Sex. What doesn't make a difference Just as important, the study helped clarify what doesn't appear to influence a baby's sex. Researchers found no meaningful connection between birth sex and: Race or ethnicity Blood type Body mass index (BMI) Height Natural hair color Lifestyle habits, certain foods, or timing methods weren't included in this study and remain unproven. Since the study only included maternal data, paternal influence is still unknown. Related: Gender disappointment is real—and if you feel it, you're not alone What this means for families When you're raising three boys or three girls, people tend to notice. The questions start early—'Are you going to try again for a girl?' or 'Hoping for a boy this time?' and while often well-meaning, they can be exhausting. The truth is, many families didn't plan to end up with all boys or all girls. And according to this research, these streaks may reflect a biological pattern. That can bring a sense of relief. It shifts the narrative from personal choice or superstition to something more grounded: biology doing what it's wired to do. TikToks from #boymom and #girlmom creators show just how many families are joyfully navigating this path. And while those hashtags celebrate shared experience, it's worth remembering: every child is unique—personality isn't shaped by birth sex alone. Related: 'I dreamed of a daughter': This mom's emotional story of gender disappointment is resonating with parents Hoping for a mix? If you're hoping your next baby brings variety, you're not alone. Many parents do. This study doesn't offer a strategy, but it does offer perspective. The pattern in your family might gently continue. It's not a guarantee, but it's worth knowing. And whatever feelings come up—joy, longing, even disappointment—can all exist alongside deep love for the child you're welcoming. Related: To the mama preparing her heart for baby #2: You are ready The bottom line Science is still uncovering how families take shape. But this research offers reassurance for anyone who's noticed a pattern and wondered if it meant something more. Whether you're raising a girl gang, a pack of boys, or something in between, there's no 'right' mix. Each child brings their own kind of balance. And every family, in its own way, is already whole. Source: Science Advances. 2025. 'Is sex at birth a biological coin toss? Insights from a longitudinal and GWAS analysis' Solve the daily Crossword

Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Watch out Fitbit and Apple Watch, Amazon has entered the chat
You've seen them on wrists and fingers everywhere - at the gym, in the office, on the subway. Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become the quiet uniform of modern life. For many, they track steps. For others, they serve as sleep monitors, heart rate checkers, or reminders to stand every hour. But despite their popularity, most of these devices do the exact same thing. And frankly, they've started to Whether it's an Apple Watch, a Fitbit, or a Garmin, the core experience hasn't evolved much over the past few years. Related: Amazon's latest products go after a new type of customer Sure, there are better sensors and more polished apps. But the function is nearly identical: collecting health data and feeding it back to you in yet another dashboard you'll probably stop checking. What wearables haven't done, at least not well, is make your life easier in the moment. That may be why one small company decided to build something different. And now, a major tech giant just announced plans to acquire that company, marking a bold return to a space it once gave up on. That company is Amazon. And the startup it's buying is called Bee. Amazon confirmed this week that it will acquire Bee, a San Francisco-based startup behind a $49.99 AI-powered wristband. Bee's device is sleek and screenless, but packed with purpose. It uses onboard microphones and generative AI to listen to daily conversations - like work calls, casual chats, or even errands shouted across the room - and then distills that information into summaries, reminders, or to-do lists. Think: a wearable that doesn't just track your health, it helps you manage your life. In a LinkedIn post, Bee CEO Maria de Lourdes Zollo described the vision as "truly personal, agentic AI." Related: Apple Watch, Fitbit rival stuns with bold message "We imagined a world where your life is understood and enhanced by technology that learns with you," she wrote. Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller confirmed the acquisition but didn't share financial details. The move comes as Amazon expands its AI ambitions with projects like the shopping assistant Rufus and a revamped Alexa voice assistant. It also marks a second swing at wearables after Amazon discontinued its Halo fitness tracker in 2023. This time, though, the angle isn't frictionless productivity. Apple and Fitbit have long defined what wearables are supposed to do. Track your steps. Nudge you to stand. Alert you when your heart rate spikes. But those features haven't changed much in the past five years, and they haven't solved a bigger problem: information overload. Bee offers something different. Its core value isn't movement tracking or health metrics; it's saving time and promoting mental clarity. Instead of keeping you glued to your screen, it wants to take tasks off your mind. That kind of AI-assisted memory could appeal to students, professionals, parents, and anyone juggling a busy life. And because it's currently priced at just $49.99, it lowers the barrier to entry significantly. By comparison, the Apple Watch SE starts at $249. Fitbit's latest models range from $100 to $300. This isn't just another gadget - it's a rethink of what a wearable should be. With Amazon backing it, Bee now has the infrastructure to scale, and the resources to improve. If Apple, Google, WHOOP, and Meta weren't already watching, they are now. And with OpenAI, Humane, and others chasing similar hardware ambitions, the AI-on-your-body race is officially on. Related: Amazon's Alexa AI upgrade is even worse than expected The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.


UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
NASA seeks moon and Mars communications, navigation proposals
NASA projects the Artemis II Mission patch onto the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 3 before a manned 10-day flight around the moon. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- Planned moon and Mars missions require timely communications and navigation systems, which is prompting NASA officials to request ideas via proposals from U.S. firms. NASA on July 7 issued a request for proposals for a "high-bandwidth, high-reliability communications infrastructure" between the surfaces of the moon and Mars and respective Earth-based communications centers. "These partnerships foster important advancements in communications and navigation," said Greg Heckler, deputy program manager for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program. "It allows our astronauts, our rovers, our spacecraft - all NASA missions - to expand humanity's exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond," Heckler said. The communications and navigation infrastructure would support a marketplace for ongoing science, exploration and economic development in space by NASA and private aerospace firms. More than 100 NASA and private space missions rely on the NASA SCAN program's Near Space and Deep Space networks, according to the space agency. Such missions support astronauts on the International Space Station, future Artemis moon missions, Earth weather monitoring, lunar exploration and researching the solar system and beyond. NASA is accepting submissions through 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 13. The space agency in December awarded contracts for the Near Space Network to Intuit Machines of Houston; Norway's Kongsberg Satellite Services; SSC Space U.S. Inc. of Horsham, Pa.; and Viasat Inc. of Duluth, Ga. Such initiatives are intended to enable manned missions to Mars and support a moon-based habitat and lunar surface cargo lander. NASA also approved contracts with nine companies that paid each between $200,000 and $300,000 to conduct tests in support of future Mars missions. The tests involve commercial and exploration missions that are part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, which is slated to send missions to Mars over the next two decades.