Retired naval officer Joseph Dituri embarked on an extraordinary mission, staying underwater for over three months as part of a groundbreaking scientific study. Researchers sought to understand the effects of living in a pressurized underwater environment on the human body. The results were astonishing: Dituri appeared to have “reversed” his aging by ten years when he resurfaced after more than three months in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Medical assessments revealed remarkable changes in Dituri’s body. His telomeres, the DNA caps at the ends of chromosomes that usually shorten with age, had grown 20 percent longer. Additionally, his stem cell count increased, and his overall health saw a significant boost. Dituri reported notable improvements in his metabolism as well.

Glass might soon face competition from an unlikely contender: bamboo. Scientists in China have transformed regular bamboo into a transparent material that is also resistant to fire and water and suppresses smoke.

Traditionally, silica glass, made from sand, is the preferred building material for applications requiring transparency and strength, such as windows. However, it is not particularly sustainable and can be heavy and brittle. Transparent wood has emerged as a viable alternative in recent years. By chemically removing lignin from wood fibers and treating the remaining material with plexiglass or epoxy, researchers have created a transparent, renewable material that rivals or exceeds the strength of glass while being lighter and a better thermal insulator.