#160 Vagus Nerve Stimulators, Cosy Gaming & Are we turning ourselves into lab rats?

First up, we start with the worrying news that people in the UK are sending thousands of unregulated substances that claim to support weight-loss and wellness to laboratories for testing, as experts say the underground market for injectable peptides has exploded. With the relative ease that people are able to get subscriptions, via online pharmacies, or other means, it seems like this worrying rise of unregulated substances being normalised isn’t going anywhere for now.

Next up, we look at the latest tech trend, as in 2026, the stress-lowering, sleep-boosting hack to know is activating your vagus nerve – not via meditation or yin yoga, but by outsourcing the task to an electrical Vagus Nerve Stimulation device. Put simply, the vagus nerve is the body’s internal superhighway, sending messages between your brain and organs and facilitating the shift into ‘rest mode’. There are lots of products out there in the market, from chairs to headbands, so what do the team think?

And in trending Adrienne looks at the rise of cosy gaming, which is a genre of video games and a cultural movement focused on relaxation, comfort, and low-stress play.

A message from Sammi:

I’m taking part in a fundraising challenge next month for CALM (suicide prevention), in memory of our friend Dan who passed away in 2019.

6 of us (friends of over 30 years) are attempting to cross every vehicle chain ferry in the UK - in an electric car - in under 24 hours.

It came from a line in Dan’s eulogy about a conversation on the Cowes chain ferry. Felt like something he would have loved.

The BBC are filming it and the Royal Navy are getting involved so it’s turning into a big one.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 and young people aged 15–39 in the UK, so it’s a cause that really matters.

If you’re up for supporting, here’s the link: https://www.chainferrychallenge.com/donate-to-calm-and-win

(You can also guess our finishing time + win a piece of art)

You can check out everything about the challenge here:

https://www.chainferrychallenge.com/home

Thank you 🙏

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