Photo: Naypong/Depositphotos

Showers are a staple of our daily routines, but the specifics about them are up to each person. Particularly, the best time to take one has long been a contentious debate. But what's actually the best time to shower? Some swear by showering in the morning and others like to bathe at night. To settle the debate, Dr. Jason Singh has chimed in, revealing one option is indeed better than the other.

Singh begins by explaining the benefits of showering at night. “When you have night warm showers, it releases melatonin which is good for your sleep. When you’re out of the shower and towel out, your body is back to normal temperature. These two combined transition into better sleep,” he explains.

The doctor also points out that night showers wash away all the grime that accumulates throughout the day, whether it's environmental pollutants or simply your body at work. On top of that, night showers are better for those with dry and sensitive skin, as they are better at hydrating your skin right before you go to bed.

Meanwhile, Singh pointed out that morning showers get rid of bacteria and secretions that build up, bringing the skin to a “more hygienic baseline.” This leads to the doctor's verdict: “Overall, a nighttime shower has more benefits to it, but a morning shower has really only one benefit.”

Ultimately, Singh's take has more to do with making the most out of the added benefits of a night shower and less with its effectiveness at keeping you squeaky clean. After all, a better sleep and healthier skin are part of good hygiene, and getting a little help just by jumping in the shower is unbeatable.

To stay up to date with the doctor's clever advice, you can follow Dr. Singh on TikTok.

What's the best time to shower? To settle the debate, Dr. Jason Singh has chimed in, revealing one option is indeed better than the other.

Photo: isaac1112/Depositphotos

He explains that warm nighttime showers help you sleep better and are better for people with sensitive and dry skin. This is in addition to the shower removing the dirt that accumulates during the day.

Photo: Boytaro1428/Depositphotos

On the other hand, morning showers bring the skin to a “more hygienic baseline.”

Photo: IgorVetushko/Depositphotos

The verdict? Nighttime showers have more benefits, making them better per the doctor. Watch his take in the video below.

@drjaysonisfreshMore debatable than pineapple on pizza♬ original sound – Dr. Jason Singh

Dr. Jason Singh: TikTok
h/t: [Good]

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Photo: ArturVerkhovetskiy/Depositphotos

Arts and crafts like painting, pottery, and weaving have been around for centuries, and there’s just something about making things with your hands that people can’t get enough of. Today, there’s a growing number of individuals embracing these timeless skills. Even celebrities, known primarily for their achievements in acting or sports, are channeling their talents into the world of crafts.

Olympian Tom Daley, for example, has become famous for his knitting, and Seth Rogen has discovered a real passion for pottery. However, learning a craft is about more than creating beautiful objects. Researchers are now saying that creative endeavors can actually improve your happiness and wellbeing.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, looked at data from a random sample of 7,182 people aged 16 and over. The information came from the UK Department for Culture, Media, and Sport’s Taking Part Survey, which conducted home visits between April 2019 and March 2020.

Participants were asked to evaluate various aspects of their well-being, using 10-point scales and provide information about any art-related activities they were involved in. About 37.4% reported taking part in at least one art or craft activity in the past 12 months, including painting, drawing, pottery, textile crafts, and photography. These individuals also reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction compared to those who didn't have a creative outlet.

The link between creativity and well-being held true even when considering other factors like age, gender, income level, health, and job status. The researchers also found that life satisfaction tends to grow with age, and that engaging in arts and crafts contributes to a higher a sense of well-being compared to traditional employment.

Dr. Helen Keyes, a co-author of the research says, “That was probably our most interesting finding, because you would certainly think you get a lot of your sense of worth from being in employment.” This finding suggests that even if someone’s day-to-day job isn’t fulfilling, engaging in creative activities can help offset that lack of satisfaction.

On average, people who engaged in arts and crafts saw a 2% increase in well-being. While this might seem like a small boost, it’s quite meaningful when considered across the entire population.

“If you’re a national health service, or you’re a government,” Keyes explains, “seeing a 2% increase in the overall wellbeing of your population is going to be really significant at that kind of national level.” Plus, many arts and crafts are affordable and accessible, making taking up a creative hobby a no-brainer.

Check out the researchers’ full report to learn more.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, have recently found that engaging in arts and crafts can lead to greater life satisfaction than traditional employment.

Photo: chika_milan/Depositphotos

The link between creativity and well-being held true even when considering other factors like age, gender, income level, health, and job status.

Photo: silverkblack/Depositphotos

h/t: [The Guardian]

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READ: New Research Suggests That Doing Arts and Crafts Can Improve Your Mental Health

Senior research nurse Keenjee Nama with trial participant Janusz Racz (Photo: Aaron Chown/PA)

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, taking 1.8 million lives annually. Traditionally combated using surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, survival rates have improved. But now, a new vaccine is looking to stop the cancer by harnessing the body's immune system. Trials for the world's first lung cancer vaccine have started in 34 research centers across seven countries.

The groundbreaking vaccine uses mRNA technology to combat the most common form of lung cancer—non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Most of the world became familiar with mRNA vaccines during COVID-19, the first time mRNA vaccines were commercially developed. Now, there's great hope that mRNA cancer vaccines could provide an alternate treatment to eradicate cancer cells and keep them away for good.

The BNT116 vaccine, made by BioTech, works by injecting the body with messenger RNA that carries NSCLC tumor markers. This primes the immune system to view a particular protein expressed by NSCLC cancer cells as foreign so that the body attacks it from within the moment the protein is detected. This method is particularly favorable because it should also strengthen the patient's immune system.

“It’s simple to deliver, and you can select specific antigens in the cancer cell, and then you target them,” Professor Siow Ming Lee, a consultant medical oncologist at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), told The Guardian. “This technology is the next big phase of cancer treatment.”

The trials, which involve about 130 cancer patients, are taking place in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, and Spain. BNT116 is one of about 60 mRNA cancer vaccines currently in trial, as the success of COVID-19 vaccines has brought a lot of attention and funding to this type of treatment.

In London, 67-year-old scientist Janusz Racz was the first person in the UK to receive the vaccine. According to The Guardian, he received six consecutive injections, five minutes apart over 30 minutes, that contained different RNA strands. He'll receive injections every week for six weeks and then every three weeks for 54 weeks. Racz, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in May, remains hopeful about the treatment.

“I thought it over and … decided to take part because I hope it will provide a defense against cancer cells,” he shares. “But I also thought that my participation in this research could help other people in the future and help this therapy become more widely available.

“As a scientist myself, I know that science can only advance if people agree to participate in programs like this.”

Lung cancer has long been a heartbreaking disease that has taken many lives, but now there's new hope.

UCLH consultant medical oncologists Prof Siow-Ming Lee and Dr Sarah Benafif with trial participant Janusz Racz (Photo: Aaron Chown/PA)

Lung cancer vaccine trials have begun in seven countries.

h/t: [The Guardian]

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Photo: riosihombing@gmail.com/Depositphotos

In elementary school, children learn about the water cycle. From evaporation to condensation into clouds to precipitation as rain, water cycles between land and sky. But when did this process begin? Earth itself is 4.5 billion years old, but freshwater was not immediately present. However, a new paper published in Nature Geoscience suggests Earth experienced its first rain earlier than previously thought. In fact, by examining the isotopes within some of Earth's oldest minerals, the researchers believe the hydrological cycle began 4 billion years ago.

The researchers examined Hadean zircon crystals from the Jack Hills in Australia. This remote dry region boasts these crystals, the oldest terrestrial bits of our planet. Zircons are minerals, inside which lurk isotopes that the team examined through secondary-ion mass spectrometry. They discovered traces of contact with water four billion years ago.

“We were able to date the origins of the hydrological cycle, which is the continuous process through which water moves around Earth and is crucial for sustaining ecosystems and supporting life on our planet,” shares lead author Dr. Hamed Gamaleldien. “By examining the age and oxygen isotopes in tiny crystals of the mineral zircon, we found unusually light isotopic signatures as far back as four billion years ago.

Such light oxygen isotopes are typically the result of hot, fresh water altering rocks several kilometers below Earth’s surface. Evidence of fresh water this deep inside Earth challenges the existing theory that Earth was completely covered by ocean four billion years ago.”

The presence of light oxygen isotopes is crucial, as these can only be found when the water is meteoric—meaning it fell from the sky. In the end, these oxygen isotopes change the known timeline of Earth's formation.

“This discovery not only sheds light on Earth’s early history but also suggests landmasses and fresh water set the stage for life to flourish within a relatively short time frame—less than 600 million years after the planet formed,” notes co-author Dr. Hugo Olierook of Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

“The findings mark a significant step forward in our understanding of Earth’s early history and open doors for further exploration into the origins of life.”

It demonstrates that very shortly (in the span of millions of years), Earth was cool enough to support liquid water despite its hot beginnings. Rainy days, it turns out, have been around for four billion years.

Scientists have discovered evidence of Earth's earliest rains in Hadean zircon crystals, suggesting liquid water fell from the sky four billion years ago.

This 4.4 billion-year-old zircon crystal is re-writing Earth's history. (Photo: John Valley)

h/t: [Science Alert]

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Photo: IMTMPHOTO/Depositphotos

Aging is difficult, both emotionally and physically. Knuckles may develop arthritis in the joints, while hair turns grays and wrinkles crowd the corners of our eyes. Eventually, cognitive function may slow as the body, too, is no longer able to do what was once easy. Everyone deals with aging in different ways, sometimes accepting and sometimes fighting the tides of time. But scientists are still learning a lot about the process of human aging which can help improve health outcomes at all phases of life. A new study, published in Nature Aging, has recently revealed that the process of aging is not linear but rather has powerful accelerated periods around certain ages, particularly 44 and 60 years old.

Most would assume that each year older would equate to our bodies aging and changing one year's-worth more. However, certain periods bring on dramatic changes. The study followed 108 volunteers who every few months for months or years let researchers analyze the products of their body. Stool, blood, nasal, skin, and oral samples were taken. The researchers then assessed these samples for 135,000 types of molecules and microbes contained within or on the samples. Changes in the levels of a molecule like RNA or the presence of a bacteria can tell them about how our bodies react to aging.

Large shifts in the molecules and microbes studied indicated periods of more intense aging change. The first occurred around age 44, the second at about 60. As the study only examined ages 25 to 75, the period after 75 remains less certain, but prior studies have suggested 78 may also be an intense age. Initially, the researchers thought the dramatic changes around 44 were perimenopausal and that women accounted for this data. However, men show significant shifts as well.

While there may be other factors such as changing behaviors in middle age which affect the data, it clearly is a time of intense aging. Similarly, after 60, risk greatly rises for certain conditions such as cardiovascular conditions. The body after 44 is less able to process alcohol. And after 60, metabolism drops significantly.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes,” paper author Michael Snyder of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University said. “It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s—and that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”

A recent study took a look at how the human body ages and found that rather than linearly, it seems we age in bursts.

Photo: ALEBLOSHKA/Depositphotos

From 25 to 75, our major aging events occur around 44 and 60 years of age.

Photo: TAWNG/Depositphotos

h/t: [The Guardian]

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READ: New Study Finds That Humans Age in Bursts, Particularly During These Two Ages

 

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Skin cancer ranks among the most prevalent cancers worldwide, with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. However, a potentially revolutionary solution may soon be within reach thanks to the innovative work of a young scientist named Heman Bekele. This impressive 15-year-old from Annandale, Virginia, developed a bar of soap infused with immunotherapy drugs to help fight the disease. And his incredible work just earned him the title of TIME’s Kid of the Year for 2024.

Before moving to the U.S., Bekele spent the first four years of his life in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There, he observed local laborers working long hours under the scorching sun and learned from his parents about the importance of protecting skin from harmful UV radiation.

“When I came to America, I realized how big of a problem the sun and UV radiation is when you’re exposed to it for really long periods of time,” Bekele recalls. “That’s what inspired me to go towards [developing treatment for] skin cancer, because right now there are no affordable and accessible alternatives to the really pricey treatment on the market.”

Bekele has had a love for science ever since he was 4 years old, when he began conducting his own experiments with common household chemicals like dish soap and laundry detergent. He reveals, “Long before I was mixing ingredients for soap, I would just mix together ‘potions’ looking for reactions.” Fortunately, his parents fostered his curiosity and encouraged him to pursue his passion.

A few years ago, Bekele came across imiquimod, a drug known for treating certain skin cancers. Typically used in a cream as part of larger treatment plans, he started thinking about how to make it more accessible for those in the early stages of the disease. He envisioned a bar of soap as a simple and affordable way to deliver this crucial medication, potentially reducing the high costs associated with skin cancer treatment. However, Bekele still needed to ensure that imiquimod would remain on the skin even after the soap is rinsed off.  He solved this by mixing it with a lipid-based nanoparticle, which helps the drug cling to the skin at a molecular level.

In October 2023, Bekele applied for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge with his cancer-treating soap and earned the title of America’s Top Young Scientist, as well as a cash prize of $25,000. This amazing achievement also helped Bekele find new opportunities and support within the scientific community. The young scientist is now supported by Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, who has become both his sponsor and lab partner.

In addition to thoroughly testing the soap, Bekele needs to secure a patent and obtain FDA certification, which could take some time. However, he hopes to have his Skin Cancer Treating Soap on the market by 2028. Priced at just $8.50 per bar, it promises to make skin cancer treatment affordable and accessible to as many people as possible.

“A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do,” Bekele told TIME. “To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”

15-year-old Heman Bekele was named TIME’s Kid of the Year for 2024 for his innovative cancer-curing soap.

Heman Bekele: Website | Instagram
TIME: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
h/t: [TIME]

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Photo: Rodrigoanfor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Since mid-July, Antarctica has experienced a near record-breaking heat wave, its second in the past two years. Despite Antarctica being in the middle of its winter, when the continent is typically the coldest and darkest, certain regions are experiencing temperatures up to 50°F above average.

Eastern Antarctica, where the heat wave is hitting the hardest, has seen temperatures alarmingly rise to -22°F and even -13°F. Usually, at this time of year, the temperature ranges from -58°F to -76°F.

While researchers are still investigating why this phenomenon is occurring, they suspect that the rare disruption of the southern polar vortex has to do with it.

The southern polar vortex consists of solid winds and low-pressure systems circulating 10 to 30 miles above the surface. Essentially, it exists to keep cold air trapped over Antarctica. When the wind pattern is disrupted, it causes cold air to escape and warmer air from the upper atmosphere to take its place, increasing the temperature.

The heat wave’s notable duration and severity can be attributed to the repeated waves of warm air coming from the southwestern Indian Ocean. The surges occurred frequently, one after the other, resulting in nearly continuous warming.

Amy Butler, a research physicist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told The Washington Post that the vortex, which is typically stable during winter, was likely disturbed by atmospheric waves.

“The main reason it is notable is because it is usually a relatively quiet time of year for the Southern Hemisphere polar vortex,” Butler explained.

This phenomenon is so rare that it only occurs once every 20 years. According to Butler, heat waves are far less common in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere, as they are disturbed less frequently.

The previous heat wave in March 2022 was the worst warming event ever recorded in Antarctica, with temperatures in certain regions rising up to 70°F above average. However, in comparison, the current heatwave has lasted longer and spread further.

Researchers continuously raise concern over the rapid glacier melting in Antarctica and Greenland. Scientists worry that the continent could experience more frequent heat waves as summer approaches in Antarctica. Such events could accelerate ice melt and alter ocean currents, both of which could lead to a climate disaster.

During its winter, Eastern Antarctica is experiencing a near record-breaking heat wave, with temperatures up to 50°F above average due to a rare disruption in the southern polar vortex.

Photo: GRID-Arendal via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

This event allows warmer air to replace the typically trapped cold air, raising temperatures due to continuous warm air surges from the southwestern Indian Ocean.

Photo: Pedro Szekely via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Researchers are concerned that more frequent heat waves could accelerate ice melt, disrupt ocean currents, and cause a climate disaster.

Photo: NASA via Rawpixel (Public Domain)

h/t: [CNN]

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A Greenland shark photographed in 2007 at Admiralty Inlet, Nunavut. (Photo: Hemming1952 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Aging is a process all living beings seem to go through, but certainly not in the same ways. Currently, the oldest living person is 117, while the oldest living dog and cat are 24 years and 28, respectively. Some animals, like parrots and tortoises, can clock many decades, with species such as the Galapagos tortoise easily outstripping human lifetimes. But no animal has mastered longevity with the finesse of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), also known as the gurry or grey shark. These large, slow-moving Arctic recluses can live up to 500 years. Scientists are still hoping to learn the secrets of this long life to better understand both the species and biological aging processes.

The Greenland shark is a variety of sleeper shark and one of the largest shark species. It stretches an impressive length of up to 23 feet and weighs in at about 1.5 tons. It typically inhabits the chilly, deep waters of the Arctic, although it can migrate to other regions. Despite being a fierce predator, it is quite slow-moving and enjoys a lazy scavenge. The massive beasts are listed as vulnerable. Their incredibly slow gestation period of about eight to eighteen years does not inspire confidence in their rebound ability, nor does the fact that they only reach sexual maturity around age 150.

How does all this reproducing take so long? Well, the extended timeframe is possible due to the record-setting life span of the Greenland shark, the longest-living vertebrate. While scientists continue to investigate just how long this species can persist, testing of one individual's eyes with radiocarbon technology produced a range of possible birthdates between 1504 and 1744. This shark may have swum at the same time Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I lived, and he certainly predated the American Revolution.

Scientists are still working on the answer as to why these sharks have such longevity, but it is possible that metabolism may play a role. Recent work has revealed the sharks' metabolism does not seem to slow in the same way as aging humans. Enzyme activity preservers, suggesting they may be able to resist the slowing of aging.

“My best guess would be that the deep waters of the Arctic can be a challenging environment to live in, where an animal such as the Greenland shark may not have consistent access to plenty of food, and they may not frequently be in contact with other Greenland sharks,”  shared biologist Ewan Camplisson, a doctoral student at the University of Manchester. “Therefore, as a species with low natural mortality rates, their optimal life strategy would be one of a slow growth and building reserves of energy, so that when they do interact with the opposite sex they are in a suitable condition to reproduce.

I believe that if we can work out how the Greenland shark lives so long and how they seem to be so resilient to age-related diseases (such as cardiac disease), we may be able to improve the quality of life within the elderly human population.”

Greenland sharks are an ancient species, living deep within cold ocean waters where they can reach incredible ages of up to 500 years old.

h/t: [Science Alert, Yahoo]

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Photo: ChinaImages/Depositphotos

Stargazers, rejoice! A rare supermoon will appear in the night sky in a matter of days. Scientists forecast that this will the brightest and biggest of 2024 so far. And as if that wasn't enough, the upcoming August full moon is also a blue moon—creating the extraordinary combo of a supermoon blue moon.

But what does a supermoon blue moon mean exactly? Well, “supermoon” is a term that was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, and it means “either a new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth.” Given that we can't really see new moons, the ones that get us gawking at the sky are the supermoons that take place when the Moon is full. The upcoming August full moon will appear 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual, although light pollution can steal a bit of the Moon's gleam.

And it being a blue moon doesn't mean that it will appear blue. It's actually just the name for the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. This is the definition that applies to the August full moon, but the term has also been used since the 1940s to refer to the second full moon in a month that has two full moons.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the August full moon, also known as the Sturgeon moon, make sure to look up on the upcoming nights. The Moon will reach its zenith at 2:26 p.m. ET on Monday, August 19, 2024. While it will be on the other side of the world from the U.S. when that happens, the Moon will appear full and bright for three days, from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning.

In case you miss this supermoon, you'll get three more chances before the year ends. The next scheduled supermoons will take place on September 18, October 17, and November 15. For the best experience, make sure to look up shortly after moonrise and before moonset, as this is when the Moon is closest to the horizon, which makes it appear bigger. It's not that its size changes—the human brain “sees” it that way when it compares it to trees, buildings, and other objects in our field of view. Still, it's sure to take your breath away.

A rare supermoon blue moon will appear in the night sky in a matter of days.

Photo: mandritoiu/Depositphotos

The upcoming August full moon will appear 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual, although light pollution can steal a bit of the moon's gleam.

Photo: mathiaspabst/Depositphotos

The Moon will reach its zenith at 2:26 p.m. ET on Monday, August 19, but it will appear full and bright for three days, from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning.

Photo: PhotographyTTL/Depositphotos

h/t: [NASA]

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Photo: Tatomm/Depositphotos

It's hard—if not nearly impossible—to truly measure intelligence. And while there are plenty of tests out there, many don't account for things such as perspective and observation, which can say more about a person than their abilities to quickly solve a math problem, for example.

Drawing from this, Yale University Professor Shane Frederick created the “Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT),” considered the “world’s shortest IQ test” as it is made up of only three questions. (Scroll down for the CRT and the correct answers and solutions to these three problems.)

This cognitive test was conceived to measure a person’s cognitive ability through their psychometric scores, which measure individuals' mental capabilities and behavioral style.

Frederick published a report about his test in the Journal of Economic Perspectives in 2005. The researcher shares that one of his peers, named Daniel Kahneman, classified the psychology behind people’s responses into two categories: “System 1” and “System 2.” In the System 1 process, the quiz takers answered quickly and mindlessly, while those under System 2 executed their mental operations requiring effort, motivation, concentration, as well as experience of learned roles. In most of these questions, the impulsive (System 1) answers turned out to be incorrect.

Beyond the explanation of what people’s responses to the three-item CRT revealed, Frederick shared that he aimed for his test to help determine certain abilities that often go unnoticed and not measured, and how people with high cognitive abilities usually live longer, earn more, have larger working memories, and have faster reaction times.

The researcher says, “Despite the diversity of phenomena related to IQ, few have attempted to understand—or even describe—its influences on judgment and decision making.”

Cognitive Reflection Test

The questions are as follows:

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
2. If it takes five machines five minutes to make five widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?

CRT Answers and Solutions

The correct answers for the questions are “5 cents,” “five minutes,” and “47 days,” respectively, but there's much more to each of them. Dr. Lyndon Walker, a former statistics and finance lecturer, explained each one in a video.

Solution 1

For the first question, a quick response might be “10 cents” if one were to simply subtract 10 cents from $1.10. However, the number 10 refers to cents while the number 1.10 refers to dollars. Instead, if it is assumed the ball’s cost is x dollars, the bat’s cost would be (x+1) dollars, hence the equation: x + (x + 1) = 1.10. Working through the equation, you’d wind up with x=0.05, which equates to 5 cents.

Solution 2

In the second problem, given that five machines take five minutes to build five widgets, the quick response may be 100 machines build 100 widgets in 100 minutes. But in reality, if five machines take five minutes to build five widgets, it means that if there are 100 machines, then in every five minutes, each set of five machines will make five widgets, which would offer a total 100 widgets. Thus, the correct answer is five minutes.

Solution 3

In the third one, things get even trickier. If the patch doubles in size every day, and if it takes 48 days to cover the entire lake, the professor suggests to assume the lake's size is 2x. Given the size on the last day was double the size of the previous day, the previous day’s patch size was x. So, it took 48 minus one, that is 47 days to cover x, which is half the lake.

h/t: [Good]

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