Ideas Could resetting the body's clock help cure jet lag?
Dec 31, 2025
Kritika Vashishtha, a recent aerospace engineering PhD grad, introduces her groundbreaking work on optimized in-flight light schedules aimed at curing jet lag. Alongside Jean Duffy, a circadian rhythm expert from Harvard, and Rosemary Brown, a biomarker researcher, they dive into the science of light as a dominant cue for resetting our internal clocks. The trio explores fascinating insights on how personalized light strategies can enhance space travel and improve sleep quality, while discussing the implications for shift workers and astronauts adapting to new time zones.
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Use Light First To Reset Rhythm
- Use light as a non-invasive zeitgeber because it is one of the strongest synchronizers for circadian rhythms.
- Prefer controlling light over forcing behaviors like eating or exercise for flight-based interventions.
Smart Windows Control Sunlight
- Kritika demonstrated dynamic window transmittance that can block up to 99% of sunlight.
- She cautions against abrupt changes to avoid visual discomfort during flights.
Balance Shift With Comfort
- High-intensity light yields diminishing returns because extreme lux is uncomfortable for long flights.
- Kritika frames the problem as a multi-objective optimization balancing circadian shift and visual comfort.