Daily Aspirin Is Most Beneficial in Your 50s, Panel Says

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  761 words  |  Fernande Dalal

People in their 50s or 60s may benefit from taking aspirin daily, but those who start during their 50s get the most benefit from its use in preventing a heart attack, stroke and colon cancer, according to new recommendations from a government-appointed panel of independent experts.  Daily aspirin is also beneficial for men and women who start taking it in their 60s, but its overall benefits are smaller than those for people who start taking it in their 50s, according to the new advice from the U. [Read More]

GPS Uncovers Possible Southwest Quake Risk

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  503 words  |  Trudie Dory

The U.S. Southwest isn't particularly known for its seismic activity, but the Rio Grande Rift, a series of faults and basins that runs from central Colorado south through New Mexico, is alive and stretching, new research shows. Scientists had suspected the rift might be dead, but measurements of its movement varied widely and were riddled with uncertainties. Now, thanks to state-of-the-art GPS technology, geophysicists have found the rift is indeed extending — just very slowly. [Read More]

Humans Might Have Wiped Out Wild Horses

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  390 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Already charged with eradicating mammoths, the first North Americans might also have wiped out wild horses in Alaska, a new study suggests. The end of the Pleistocene era, around 12,000 years ago, was coupled with a global cooling event and the extinction of many large mammals, particularly in North America. This was also when humans first made their way into Alaska from Asia, leading some researchers to believe that extensive over-hunting helped drive the extinction of the massive beasts. [Read More]

Infant Born in Water Dies of Legionella Infection

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  556 words  |  Trudie Dory

An infant in Texas died from Legionnaires' disease few weeks after being born in a heated birthing pool at home, according to a new report from investigators at the Texas Department of State Health Services. Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia and is caused by Legionella bacteria, which live in warm water and can be commonly found in hot tubs and plumbing systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Read More]

Lemur-Like Toes Complicate Human Lineage

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  588 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

A 47-million-year-old primate may have been a fashionista of sorts, as new analysis of the fossil suggests it sported grooming claws. Besides helping the primate rake through its fur, particularly in hard-to-reach spots, the grooming claw presents a puzzle of sorts for scientists studying the relationship between a group that includes humans, apes and monkeys, and the family that includes lemurs. That's because the primate is the first extinct North American primate with a toe bone showing features associated with the presence of both nails and a grooming claw. [Read More]

Man v. Snake: 26-Foot-Long Python Loses Epic Battle

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  428 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

A village in Indonesia enjoyed a snake-meat feast this weekend after a resident wrestled and killed a 26-foot-long (7.8 meters) python. The python was of the species Malopython reticulatus, said Donal Boyer, the curator of herpetology at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Also known as the reticulated python, the snake is found all over Southeast Asia and has been reported to grow up to 30 feet (9.1 m) long, though snakes of that size are " [Read More]

Marijuana Use Linked to Two Deaths

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  903 words  |  Patria Henriques

Although marijuana may have a reputation as a relatively harmless drug, a new case report links it to the deaths of two young men in Germany. Toxicological examinations concluded that the men were under the influence of cannabis before they died, and traces of THC — the main active ingredient in marijuana — were found in the men's blood and brain tissue, the researchers wrote in the report. In both cases, the deaths were related to cardiovascular complications. [Read More]

Nevado Coropuna: Tallest Mountain in Peru

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  389 words  |  Trudie Dory

The tallest volcanic peak in Peru is aptly named Nevado (the Spanish word for "snowy") Coropuna (the Quechua term for roughly "shrine on the plateau"), as the volcano is tipped with ice deposits and has long been considered a sacred mountain by locals. Nevado Coropuna is not a typical stratovolcano. The mountain comprises multiple summit cones, six in total, which makes Coropuna one of the largest volcanoes in the Americas. The entire structure covers an area of 93 square miles (240 square kilometers). [Read More]

Rare Disorder That Made Patient 'Feel Unreal' Linked to Grim Daydreams

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  556 words  |  Patria Henriques

Sleep problems and gloomy daydreams may worsen the symptoms of a rare psychiatric disorder that causes people to feel as though they are "unreal," a new report of one man's case suggests. In the report, researchers in the United Kingdom looked at sleep problems and daydreaming habits in a man with a disorder called depersonalization-derealization disorder, which makes the person feel disconnected from the real world. It turned out that, the worse he slept on a given night, the more severe his symptoms were the following day. [Read More]

Spider Personalities Shine Among Friends

 Posted on May 9, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  676 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Novelty is no good if you're an arachnid. Spiders get a personality boost from hanging out with the same group day in and day out, new research finds. The study examined a bizarre species of social spiders that build communal nests as big as cars. Results showed that social interactions can shape an animal's personality, said study leader Andreas Modlmeier, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. "If you live in the same group for a long time, with the same individuals, you are able to specialize in your own niche, and therefore avoid conflict with other group members," [Read More]