What Causes the 'Pins and Needles' Sensation?
Posted on April 29, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 313 words
| Trudie Dory
Ever smack your elbow and feel that crawling, tingly numbness that quickly spreads down your arm and a few fingers? What causes those "pins and needles"?
The medical term for the sensation is paresthesia, a word with Greek roots meaning "disordered perception." One of the more common ways to temporarily experience paresthesia is to hit your "funny bone," which really isn't a bone at all but the ulnar nerve that runs along your elbow.
[Read More]Your Low Carb Diet Won't Kill You, But It's Probably Not a Good Idea
Posted on April 29, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 591 words
| Patria Henriques
Could cutting carbs cut your life short? A new, preliminary study suggests that there may be a link between a low-carb diet and an increased risk of early death, but more research is needed before doctors will advise loading up on bread and pasta.
The findings were presented today (Aug. 28) at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Vienna. The study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
[Read More]Bright Lights in the Summer Sky: A Stargazer's Planet Feast
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 6 minutes
| 1264 words
| Trudie Dory
Backyard astronomers, rejoice. There's a celestial party in the sky this summer, and you won't want to miss the season's dazzling sights, as five planets shine so bright you'll be able to pick them out with the naked eye.
Throughout July, Venus and Jupiter will steal the show, as the two most luminous planets blaze brightly in the early predawn sky. Next month, in August, the cosmic trio of Saturn, Mars and the bright star Spica will put on a heavenly dance for observers shortly after sunset.
[Read More]Deepwater Horizon: Images of an Impact
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 575 words
| Fernande Dalal
Alvin Explores the GulfThe Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin is shown working at the coral site found to be impacted by the oil spill from the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. Compelling evidence of the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea corals will be published online in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week beginning March 26, 2012.
[Read More]Flip-Flops Bad For Feet
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 774 words
| Fernande Dalal
Flip-flops are named for the sound they make when you walk — flip, flop, flip, flop — but they could have been called ouch-umphs, the sound you'll make after wearing them all the time.
Researchers at Auburn University have found that wearing flip-flops alters the way one walks, changing the gait in subtle ways that can lead to serious sole, heel and ankle problems. They presented these findings earlier this month at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis.
[Read More]Giant sequoia tree still smoldering 9 months after devastating California wildfires
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 279 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
A giant sequoia tree in California's Sequoia National Park is still smoldering months after devastating wildfires hit the region last summer.
Scientists recently found the tree while surveying the park to determine the effects of the 2020 Castle Fire, according to a statement from the National Park Service. The tree, which is located in Board Camp Grove and has no direct trail access, was observed "still smoldering and smoking," most likely from the 2020 fires, the statement said.
[Read More]Hairy-Legged 'Chewbacca Beetle' Discovered in New Guinea
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 549 words
| Trudie Dory
The towering and shaggy Wookiee character Chewbacca from the "Star Wars" movies has a new namesake — a tiny weevil recently discovered in New Guinea.
Though the insect is significantly smaller and much less hairy than everyone's favorite "walking carpet," dense scales on the weevil's legs and head reminded the scientists of Chewbacca's fur, prompting their name choice.
Trigonopterus chewbacca is one of four new weevil species identified on the island of New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago in New Guinea.
[Read More]How the Universe Stopped Making Sense
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 8 minutes
| 1500 words
| Trudie Dory
We're getting something wrong about the universe.
It might be something small: a measurement issue that makes certain stars looks closer or farther away than they are, something astrophysicists could fix with a few tweaks to how they measure distances across space. It might be something big: an error — or series of errors — in cosmology, or our understanding of the universe's origin and evolution. If that's the case, our entire history of space and time may be messed up.
[Read More]Lonely Cows Are Slow Learners
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 457 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Immediately after birth on many dairy farms, baby cows are separated from their mothers and housed in their own pens to protect them from getting sick. Two months later, they join the herd.
But early-life isolation may be depriving baby cows of the opportunity to reach their full potential, found a new study. Compared to calves raised in pairs, isolated calves were much slower to learn new things and had a harder time adapting to changes in their environment.
[Read More]Low Testosterone May Be to Blame for Men Who Struggle with Emotions
Posted on April 28, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 409 words
| Trudie Dory
If you're a guy who finds it hard to talk about your feelings, the problem might lie with your testosterone levels, a recent study suggests.
A psychological condition called alexithymia is found in people who have an extraordinarily difficult time conveying emotions to others and interpreting others' feelings. Past studies have shown that alexithymia and depression are closely related, and the condition has long been associated with aging.
Depression, low testosterone and erectile dysfunction are all known to become more common in men as they age.
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