hour or more at a time: the diving reflex.

When a mammal’s face submerges in cold water and its airway snaps shut, other changes triggered in the cardiovascular system collectively help the animal make the most of the oxygen in its blood and lungs. First, the heart rate slows significantly—by roughly 90 percent in some marine mammals. In humans, the reduction is relatively paltry: a 1978 study by Dexter F. Speck, now at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and David S. Bruce of Wheaton College found that the diving reflex can lower people’s heart rates by 10 percent or more. Still, that change is enough to extend break point: the moment one feels forced to take a breath.

Second, the diving reflex makes capillaries in the skin andPainting The town With Eric Dowdle

Painting the Town of Los Angeles

Lights, camera, Los Angeles! Folk artist Eric Dowdle is painting one of the largest cities in America, where dozens of neighborhoods chase the fluctuating flavor of modern trends. Dive deep with Eric as he shapes a surfboard, grills an octopus, and flexes some creative muscle in the City of Angels.