00:00Guess what, your hair might be able to time-travel.
00:03Now let me explain.
00:04It's not going to use a time machine and go back to the 1800s to speak with your great-grandparents.
00:10But do you know that moment when you spot a strand of gray hair and think, I'm getting
00:15older?
00:16Well, scientists have some exciting news!
00:19They might've found a way to turn things around and bring some color back into your
00:23luscious locks, at least for a while.
00:25A study from the 70s talked about a man who had three hair strands that were lighter at
00:30the tips but darker near the scalp.
00:33This might mean that the typical process of hair turning gray, which starts at the roots,
00:38might've done a U-turn.
00:41Now a new piece of research has found even stronger evidence that this can happen.
00:47Specialists looked at hair from a bunch of people of different ages and backgrounds.
00:51What they discovered might sound a bit surprising.
00:53It seems that our graying might be linked to our stress levels.
00:57How we feel inside might be showing up on our heads.
01:01This new approach suggests that there could be a time frame during which our hair turning
01:06gray might be more switchable than we once believed.
01:11Some years back, an expert from Columbia University was wondering about the whole aging process.
01:17He thought that, just like some parts of our body age before others, the hair on our heads
01:22doesn't go all gray at once.
01:24Maybe the hairs that turn white first are like the weak links in the chain.
01:29While chatting with his partner, he had this eureka moment.
01:32If they could find a hair that's half gray and figure out how quickly it was growing,
01:37they might find out when it started to lose color.
01:39Luckily, his partner found such hair on her head, and their project began.
01:45They soon found around 14 people, from youngsters to grandparents, with such two-toned strands
01:50of hair.
01:51They even developed a method to see the tiny color changes in these hair strands.
01:56And the results were astounding.
01:58Some grays turned back to their original colors, and not just on the head, but all over the
02:03body.
02:06Most of us notice gray hair creeping in during our 30s.
02:10These scientists believe that's the best time to hope for a reversal.
02:14And even if your head's full of grays, some of those might still be open to change.
02:19You see, even other types of experts find this study promising.
02:23They believe it might show how age-related changes in our bodies might be flipped around.
02:28Sure, we're only looking at hair for now, but who knows?
02:32One day, perhaps, we'll be able to reverse signs of aging in our skin or muscles too.
02:37There's more to this research than just hair color.
02:40These scientists wanted to see if stress could play a role in hair graying.
02:44Everyone's heard stories about people's hair turning white overnight when facing stressful
02:50events.
02:51The researchers asked participants to share their most stressful moments over a period
02:54of a year.
02:56By matching these events to when hair color changed, they found that big stress or relaxation
03:01moments aligned with hair color shifts.
03:04Like one guy's hair started to revert during his relaxing vacation, and another woman had
03:09a patch of gray that matched a super challenging period in her life.
03:15Sure, while scientists admire the research, they still feel the need to remind us that
03:20this project is still in the early days.
03:23More work needs to be done so we can totally rely on these findings.
03:27So what's next?
03:28The researchers are now diving deeper into the link between stress and gray hair.
03:33They're hoping to track people over time to see how their hair and stress levels change.
03:38In the future, some say our hair could be a window into our past experiences.
03:43Just like trees have rings that show their age, our hair might hold secrets about our
03:48life events.
03:50Stress or no stress, what's the process behind hair turning gray?
03:55First off, let's tackle a common myth.
03:57It turns out that hair doesn't really switch to gray.
04:00It switches to not having any color at all.
04:03Once your hair sprouts with a certain color, be it brown, black, blonde, or even fiery
04:09red, it sticks to that shade for life.
04:12Well, unless you decide to give it a colorful makeover with some dye.
04:16As we grow older, our hair gets a little forgetful and produces less color.
04:20So after celebrating a certain number of birthdays, when old hairs fall out and new ones pop up,
04:26there's a higher chance of them being gray.
04:29If you're wondering when you'll see your first gray hair, browse through your family
04:33albums.
04:34The genes passed down from your ancestors usually decide when it's time.
04:40Also, why do we have more hair on our heads compared to the rest of our bodies, anyway?
04:46We first must figure out why most animals have fur.
04:50It turns out that animals wear their coats because it keeps them snug when the temperatures
04:54drop, and it shields them from the harsh sun.
04:57In that case, why did our ancestors decide to let go of most of their fur?
05:03Because they got creative.
05:05They figured out new ways to stay warm and protected using fire, building shelters, and
05:09dressing up.
05:11However, just because they could survive without a fur coat doesn't mean they just magically
05:16lost all their hair.
05:18There must've been a good reason to go hairless.
05:20There are many theories on this subject, too.
05:23One suggests that it might've gotten too hot for us at some point.
05:27Another one indicates some of our ancestors might've spent a considerable amount of time
05:31in the water.
05:32Having that much hair over their bodies could've weighed them down.
05:36Obviously, scientists have yet to pinpoint the exact reason.
05:42What about the hair on our heads?
05:44Why is it still here?
05:46The explanation is quite simple.
05:48Humans evolved to walk on our two feet.
05:50This means our heads became like these sunflower tops, always facing up.
05:55And we know how the sun can be super intense, especially in some regions of our planet.
06:00So our head hair acts like a built-in cap.
06:04There's more to the subject.
06:05Our heads, though not that big compared with the rest of our bodies, are busy.
06:10Since they're always active, they create warmth.
06:13Our head hair keeps that warmth from escaping, like a natural built-in beanie.
06:18Gray or not, our strands of hair might become more useful in the future.
06:22Every time you get a haircut, ever wonder where all that hair goes?
06:26For now, it's thrown away.
06:28Thankfully, some ingenious minds from Queensland had an amazing idea.
06:33Instead of just seeing leftover hair as trash, they saw potential energy.
06:38They gently burned the hair and extracted carbon, turning it into these teeny tiny dots.
06:44Think high-fluid pixie dust.
06:46Now here's where the magic happens.
06:48They sprinkled these nanodots onto solar panels.
06:52What this did is it made the solar panels work better, and they were more stable.
06:59Your hair also has this pigment called melanin.
07:02I'll spare you the complicated details, but this chemical is sensitive to light.
07:07A Nepali teenager found out about this and thought, why not use hair instead of expensive
07:12silicon in solar panels?
07:14Imagine replacing pricey silicon with affordable hair, giving loads of people a chance to use
07:20cheaper energy.
07:21This might just be the next important thing in making solar energy more accessible and
07:26affordable.
07:28Next up, imagine this.
07:29You're munching on your delicious lunch salad.
07:32Ever thought hair could help grow that?
07:35Thanks to scientists at the University in Singapore, this might soon become a reality.
07:39They've developed a way to grow crops, especially in cities, using a method called hydroponics.
07:46No soil required.
07:49Instead, they use a special mix made from hair.
07:52Let's break down the process.
07:55The researchers collected hair from places like hair salons.
07:58And from this hair, they extracted something called keratin.
08:02They mixed this keratin with cellulose fibers, making it stronger.
08:06When dried, it turned into a squishy base that's perfect for growing things.
08:10They chose to experiment with microgreens and even delicious veggies like bok choy
08:15and arugula.
08:16Okay, that's enough.
08:17I'm heading for the salad bar.
08:20That's it for today!
08:21So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:25friends!
08:26Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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