The Science of Beauty: What's Really Driving the Fuller Lip Trend?

 Posted on January 3, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  555 words  |  Trudie Dory

A quick scroll through Instagram may leave you with the impression that full lips are in style at this very moment, but a new scientific analysis of fashion models says that the trend is surprisingly absent. One explanation for the results may be that the fashion industry is no longer driving beauty trends — instead, it’s possible that celebrities may be the new driving factor instead, according to the study. [Read More]

These 7 Animals Would Absolutely Crush It at the Winter Olympics

 Posted on January 3, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  734 words  |  Patria Henriques

The Olympics are designed to test elite athleticism, at least in the human realm. But what about the animal world? How would Arctic foxes fare in the Winter Olympics, or snowy owls for that matter? These Arctic animals, and others, are fast flyers and runners, and they hunt prey with deadly accuracy. Granted, these animals might not follow all the rules (penguins, after all, slide on their bellies, not sleds), but here are seven animals that would excel at the Winter Olympics and likely win a few gold medals while they're at it. [Read More]

Coldest, Driest, Calmest Place on Earth Found

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  358 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The search for the best observatory site in the world has lead to the discovery of what is thought to be the coldest, driest, calmest place on Earth — a place where no human is thought to have ever set foot. To search for the perfect site to take pictures of the heavens, a U.S.-Australian research team combined data from satellites, ground stations and climate models in a study to assess the many factors that affect astronomy — cloud cover, temperature, sky-brightness, water vapor, wind speeds and atmospheric turbulence. [Read More]

Earth's Mantle and Crust Are in a Fiery Battle to the Death … of Supercontinents

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  834 words  |  Trudie Dory

Earth's hot, gooey center and its cold, hard outer shell are both responsible for the creeping (and sometimes catastrophic) movement of tectonic plates. But now new research reveals an intriguing balance of power — the oozing mantle creates supercontinents while the crust tears them apart.  To come to this conclusion about the process of plate tectonics, the scientists created a new computer model of Earth with the crust and mantle considered as one seamless system. [Read More]

Is the COVID-19 vaccine causing rare myocarditis cases?

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1057 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Researchers in Israel say they've found a possible link between the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and cases of heart inflammation in young men ages 16 to 30, according to a report submitted this week to the country's Ministry of Health. The report concluded that around 1 in 5,000 men who receive the vaccine may experience this side effect, known as myocarditis, which is higher than the rate seen for the whole vaccinated population during that time period, which was 1 in 50,000. [Read More]

Moms Multitask More Than Dads, Enjoy it Less

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  705 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The stereotype of the busy working mom divvying up her energy between kids, husband and housework is at least partially true, according to new research that finds that not only do mothers multitask more than fathers, they're less happy doing so. The study, published today (Dec. 1) in the journal American Sociological Review, finds that working mothers spend about 10 hours a week more multitasking than do working fathers. While dads are more engaged than ever in home life, the research reveals that moms still shoulder a heavier burden, said study researcher Barbara Schneider, a sociologist at Michigan State University. [Read More]

Mood Gene: What Makes Some People Prone to Depression

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  462 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Why do some people sail through life's difficulties, while others get mired in depression? A certain gene may explain such differences between people, a new study suggests. Among the people in the study who had experienced highly stressful life events, those who had variants of the genes for a brain chemical called galanin were more likely to develop depression than those with similar experiences and normal galanin. Galanin is a peptide widely found in the human nervous system, and is thought to be involved in regulating pain, waking and sleep, feeding, blood pressure and mood. [Read More]

More Infidelity Uncovered in King Richard III's Family Tree

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  544 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

The remains of Richard III may be locked away in a coffin to be reburied this week, but the 15th-century king's genome is still offering scientists a chance to unravel royal mysteries. After scientists uncovered evidence of infidelity in Richard's family tree last year, they announced today (March 25) they have discovered more hints of daddy drama in the historical family. "Having worked in the world of genetic genealogy for years, this is not at all surprising to me," [Read More]

Pig kidney successfully hooked up to human patient in watershed experiment

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  936 words  |  Patria Henriques

In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists hooked up a genetically modified pig kidney to a human patient and watched as the organ successfully filtered waste from the person's body. The experiment was conducted in a brain-dead patient who was a registered organ donor and whose family granted permission for the procedure to be done, The New York Times reported. During the 54-hour experiment, the kidney remained outside the patient's body where the surgeons could observe the organ and take tissue samples. [Read More]

Politics on the Brain: Scans Show Whether You Lean Left or Right

 Posted on January 2, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  460 words  |  Trudie Dory

The political differences between liberals and conservatives might run as deep as the brain, researchers suggest. Scientists had previously found that some psychological traits were associated with certain political views. For instance, studies have shown that conservatives tend to be more sensitive to threatening faces, while liberals tend to be more open to new experiences. Political ideology has even been found to leave its footprint in how we set up our bedrooms and offices, with liberals' offices judged as significantly more distinctive, comfortable, stylish and colorful than conservatives' offices. [Read More]