A case for teetotalism

Just one glass of wine per week could contribute to long-term brain damage, according to a new study. A team of researchers from the United States and England found that any level of alcohol use is associated with increased dementia risk. Their study contradicts previous ones suggesting that moderate alcohol use does not increase dementia risk, and may even protect against it.

Published Sept. 23 in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, the study included an observational analysis of nearly 560,000 adults between the ages of 56 and 72. Assessment of their drinking habits over a minimum of four years revealed a higher risk of dementia for both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers. But genetic analysis told a different story. The scientists used Mendelian randomization, a statistical method that can estimate causal effects, and genetic data from 2.4 million people to assess drinking in relation to dementia. This analysis, which considered lifetime genetically predicted risk, found that dementia risk increased linearly with greater alcohol consumption.

“Our findings challenge the common belief that low levels of alcohol are beneficial for brain health,” lead study author Dr. Anya Topiwala said in a press release. “Genetic evidence offers no support for a protective effect—in fact, it suggests the opposite.”

Not just for building play houses

Cardboard boxes could be recycled to build an actual house, not just one for kids to play in. Australian engineers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology recently developed a building material they’ve termed “cardboard-confined rammed earth” (CCRE). CCRE cylinders are made by compacting a mixture of raw soil and water into spiral wound cardboard tubes. The new material offers a greener alternative to cement and cuts down on cardboard waste.

A paper appearing in the October issue of Structures details CCRE’s structural performance, sustainability, and cost. While not as strong as cement, CCRE can hold up in standard load-bearing applications, such as low-rise buildings. The material boasts a 77.7% smaller carbon footprint and a 63.9% reduction in cost compared to concrete columns. CCRE could also eliminate some construction headaches because soil can be sourced on-site, and cardboard is lighter than cement and steel. —H.F.

Taylor Swift Kevin Mazur / TAS24 / Getty Images

Taylor Swift’s chameleon voice

Pop star Taylor Swift doesn’t just have musical eras—she has speech ones, too. In a study published Sept. 23 in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, experts found Swift’s dialect changed as she moved from country to pop. While living in Nashville and making hits like “Tim McGraw,” Swift exhibited hallmarks of a Southern twang, shortening “i” vowels to make words like “ride” sound like “rod,” and modifying “oo” sounds to make “two” sound like “tee-you.” She began lengthening her vowels with her first pop album, Red, in 2012. —H.F.