5 Keys to Happiness
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 740 words
| Patria Henriques
If you're not happy and you know it read along.
You've watched "Seinfeld" re-runs, splurged on yourself and downed pints of Ben and Jerry's. Nothing's helping. Maybe you're one of the 20 million Americans diagnosed with depression, you're bottoming out or you just want something to improve your day.
Here are five ways — some admittedly challenging — to help you get that much-needed mood boost:
1. Pick good parents
[Read More]Can Humans Cause Earthquakes?
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 460 words
| Trudie Dory
This past weekend in Seattle, rumblings that registered as magnitude 1 or 2 marked the first time on record that football fans have triggered seismic activity .
Tremors also can be spurred by drilling for oil , United States Geological Survey seismologists told Life's Little Mysteries last year, by causing rocks to shift into voids left behind by the extracted fluid.
Minor vibrations aside, the question remains: Can humans cause full-blown earthquakes?
[Read More]Deadly Tuberculosis Bacteria Seen Up-Close (Photo)
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 1 minutes
| 128 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Janice Carr at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention snapped this colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) photo of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes Tuberculosis.
The bacteria attack the body, begin to multiply and destroy tissue. They typically attack the lungs and can actually create a hole in the lung tissue.
The bacteria are typically spread through the air, and so can be spread from one person to another when an infected individual coughs, sneezes or otherwise releases the bacteria into the air.
[Read More]Does Alcohol Really 'Clean' the Brain?
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 908 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Just in time for that after-work cold one, a bevy of headlines are promising that a little bit of booze won't kill you; in fact, it might "cleanse" your brain and reduce your risk of dementia.
So, what's the science behind this eyebrow-raising claim? Well, it's not necessarily as out-there as it sounds, but don't go on a liquor binge just yet. The research was done on mice, which metabolize alcohol differently than humans, and it shouldn't be taken as prescriptive, wrote the authors Friday (Feb.
[Read More]Hidden Cameras Capture Remote Jaguars
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 489 words
| Trudie Dory
Wild jaguars in the Amazon are nearly five times more abundant in a remote region compared with a heavily hunted site of Ecuador, new images reveal.
This may come as no big surprise, but it's useful data to have in hand for conservation efforts.
Researchers set up camera traps that remotely snap photographs when an animal trips a heat-detecting sensor. So far, the remote photo shoot has generated 75 images of jaguars, along with images showing jaguar prey species, such as white-lipped peccaries, and other rarely seen species, including two pictures of a short-eared dog, a relative of foxes and wolves.
[Read More]High-Tech Toothbrush Corrects Common Brushing Errors
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 469 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
There are few things more routine than brushing your teeth: At least twice a day, every day, you stand in front of the mirror and go through the motions. So it might come as a surprise to learn that most people are probably doing it wrong. Now, a uniquely designed toothbrush aims to guarantee that brushers get it right.
Most people have heard that they should brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day.
[Read More]Hubble Scientists Just Released the Most Detailed Picture of the Universe Ever
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 362 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Scientists have created a new family photo of the universe. Not unlike the photos in your family album, this panorama of galactic history contains old galaxies and infants, well-established worlds and — unavoidably — an occasional train wreck.
The new image, released May 2, is known as the "Hubble Legacy Field." The image represents the most comprehensive view of the universe to date, stitching together more than 7,500 Hubble Space Telescope observations taken over 16 years.
[Read More]Massive, 5,655-Carat 'Lion Emerald' Unearthed in Africa
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 418 words
| Fernande Dalal
Miners in Zambia, in Africa, have discovered an emerald so large that the Queen of England herself would probably think, "That's a bit much."
The massive crystal is 5,655 carats and weighs about 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) — about the mass of an adult human brain. The emerald will be auctioned off in Singapore later this month, according to a statement from Gemfields — the British mining company that owns 75 percent of the mine where the emerald was unearthed.
[Read More]Men Show Off to Impress Women Even in Virtual Setting
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 801 words
| Trudie Dory
Even in virtual-reality settings, men will take risks to impress the opposite sex.
Past research found that males take more risks when someone is watching. However, it was uncertain whether this showing off was aimed more at other males or females. For instance, male pedestrians are more likely to cross busy roads if females are watching, but male drivers are less likely to wear seatbelts if male passengers are present.
[Read More]Positive Thoughts May Help Treat Depression
Posted on January 4, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 604 words
| Fernande Dalal
Gratitude and optimism may be a key to managing depression, a new review of relevant research finds.
Called positive activity interventions (PAIs), the treatment involves intentional positive behaviors and thoughts, such as performing acts of kindness, expressing gratitude, meditating on positive feelings toward others and using one's signature strengths.
"Although positive psychology is still a developing field, the relatively small but growing number of studies on PAIs are beginning to identify important mechanisms underlying the benefits of such interventions,"
[Read More]