Scientists at the University of Nottingham removed the effect of Earth's magnetic field from two groups of fruit flies and observed clear changes in lifespan and movement. The results, published in the journal Aging, suggest the geomagnetic field influences cellular energy production and aging, though the mechanisms are not yet understood.
The effects were not uniform. Healthy "wild-type" flies lived shorter lives but climbed better, while flies carrying a Pink1 mutation—linked to Parkinson's disease and mitochondrial dysfunction—lived about 20% longer but lost mobility. The researchers said they were surprised by the split and had to double-check their data.
The team used a benchtop shield to block the magnetic field and monitored mitochondrial activity with quantum diamond sensors. They emphasize the work is early but reproducible, and that understanding how the absence of the field affects physiology could matter for long-duration space travel, where astronauts leave Earth's protective magnetic bubble.