Magnesium often flies under the radar, even though it quietly supports over 300 chemical reactions in our bodies (like energy metabolism, muscle and nerve function, and even DNA replication). With such wide-reaching impacts, it’s surprising how easy it can be to fall below recommended levels without realizing it. Why magnesium matters—for you and nature Magnesium isn’t only something our bodies need—it’s something plants need, too. In fact, without magnesium, they can’t make chlorophyll, which is what helps them soak up sunlight and grow. If you've ever had a houseplant with yellowing leaves, low magnesium might’ve been the culprit. Out in the fields, it’s the same story. If the soil doesn’t have enough magnesium, crops don’t grow as well. And if crops aren’t healthy, they’re not as nutritious for us when we eat them. So really, magnesium connects us—from the soil, to the plants, to our plates. How much do we actually need? The U.S. Institute of Medicine sets daily targets for ad...
Back in the 1960s, many scientists and policymakers feared the world was heading for disaster—not because of climate change or artificial intelligence, but because of too many people. Paul Ehrlich’s 1968 bestseller The Population Bomb warned of mass starvation and ecological collapse if human numbers weren’t brought under control. These fears shaped national policies, global aid, and even coercive sterilization programs in some countries. And the numbers did seem alarming. The global population rose from 3 billion in 1960 to 5 billion by 1987, then to 6 billion by 1999, and 8 billion by 2022. Since the mid‑1970s, we’ve been adding about 1 billion people every 12 years. The animated map below, created by VividMaps.com using World Bank data, shows how population changed in each country from 1960 to 2022: The map makes it clear: Asia has long led the world in population size, growing from about 1.7 billion in 1960 to 4.7 billion by 2022. Africa’s population grew even faster—up nearly six...