Better Buildings For Humans podcast

We’ve Engineered Nature Out of Our Buildings — And Our Bodies Are Paying the Price – Episode 152 with Lynne Peeples

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This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with science journalist and author Lynne Peeples for a fascinating exploration of our internal clocks—and the profound role that light and the built environment play in human health. Drawing from her book The Inner Clock, Lynne explains how circadian rhythms coordinate nearly every system in the body, why our biology depends on the natural cycle of bright days and dark nights, and what can happen when modern life pulls us out of sync.

The conversation explores what happens when we spend the vast majority of our lives indoors, often disconnected from the natural light cues our bodies evolved to expect. Joe and Lynne dig into circadian disruption, sleep, cognitive performance, metabolic and cardiovascular health, shift work, and the concept of "light justice"—including the daylight and darkness deserts that disproportionately affect people living, working, learning, or healing in spaces with inadequate access to natural light. They also examine the importance of daylight in schools, hospitals, NICUs, and assisted living facilities, and why building design needs to consider biological health alongside energy efficiency and visual comfort.

Joe and Lynne also venture into the emerging science surrounding full-spectrum light, including red and near-infrared wavelengths, mitochondria, and the potential relationship between indoor environments and rising rates of myopia. Along the way, Lynne shares simple ways we can better support our circadian health—from getting outside first thing in the morning and taking "circadian snacks" throughout the day to creating greater contrast between bright days and dark nights. Ultimately, the conversation makes a compelling case for buildings that reconnect us with the dynamic natural environment our bodies were designed for—through daylight, fresh air, movement, changing temperatures, and connection with other people.


More About Lynn Peeples

Lynne Peeples is an author, keynote speaker, and journalist covering science, health, and the environment. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Nature, and other publications. Peeples herself has appeared on various podcasts, television, and radio shows including NPR’s Fresh Air, MSNBC, and BBC News. She previously covered environmental health for The Huffington Post and began her career as a biostatistician for HIV clinical trials and environmental health studies. Peeples is a recipient of an MIT Knight Science Journalism fellowship and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation book grant. She holds master’s degrees in biostatistics from the Harvard School of Public Health and in science journalism from New York University. She lives in Seattle.


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