7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 5 minutes
| 1009 words
| Patria Henriques
Lots of changesThe poster child of aging seems to be a wrinkly-faced, forgetful, grumpy old man. But science is painting another, more in-depth picture of aging Americans. The elderly tend to become more happy, liberal and in many cases remain pretty darn sharp. Here are 7 ways we change as we get older.
Lean liberalAs wrinkles set in, so do a person's rigid beliefs, many people have long assumed. Not true, according to a survey of more than 46,000 Americans between 1972 and 2004.
[Read More]Body Clock of Arctic Reindeer Ticks Differently
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 526 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Arctic reindeer live in the near perpetual night and then endless daytime that seasonally occur at the top of the world. These extreme conditions seem to have led the reindeer to abandon the internal clocks that drive the daily biological rhythms of mammals at lower latitudes, a new study finds.
In mammals, including humans, some hormone levels rise and ebb on a rhythmic daily cycle. This circadian rhythm influences various processes in the body, from the sleep/wake cycle to reproduction.
[Read More]Evolution, Climate and Vaccines: Why Americans Deny Science
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 6 minutes
| 1157 words
| Fernande Dalal
The U.S. has a science problem. Around half of the country's citizens reject the facts of evolution; fewer than a third agree there is a scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, and the number who accept the importance of vaccines is ticking downward.
Those numbers, all gleaned from recent Pew and Gallup research polls, might suggest that Americans are an anti-science bunch. But yet, Americans love science. Even as many in the U.
[Read More]Heavy Metals May Pose Another Health Risk: Heart Disease
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 725 words
| Patria Henriques
Heavy metals like arsenic and lead are known to be toxic in high doses, and some of these metals increase the risk of cancer. But now, a new meta-analysis draws attention to an underappreciated risk of heavy metal exposure: heart disease.
The meta-analysis found that exposure to arsenic, lead, copper or cadmium — even at low levels — was tied to an increased risk of heart disease.
These findings highlight the need to tackle the problem of heavy metal exposure, which can occur through the environment or in certain jobs.
[Read More]King Tut's Grandmom? Huge Alabaster Statue Unearthed Along Nile
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 435 words
| Trudie Dory
A "unique" carved alabaster statue that may represent King Tut's grandmother ― Queen Tiye ― has been unearthed on the west bank of Luxor along the Nile River, archaeologists with Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities announced yesterday (March 23).
The statue, which looks to be life-size in images released by the ministry, was found accidentally when workers lifted the lower part of the colossal statue of King Amenhotep III, the ninth ruler of ancient Egypt's 18th Dynasty, who lived from about 1390 to 1352 B.
[Read More]Robotic Arm Turns Your Digital Doodles into Good Old-Fashioned Sketches
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 3 minutes
| 474 words
| Fernande Dalal
A small robotic arm can bring your digital sketches to life, by re-creating your on-screen drawings with a pen and paper.
The robotic drawing arm was designed by a team of researchers, who combined their knowledge of kinetic art, drawing machines and internet-connected microprocessor chips to develop the idea. The arm, dubbed Line-us, mimics the user's drawing motions to re-create a digital sketch with pen and paper, by connecting to an app via Wi-Fi.
[Read More]Scientists Prove It: Nobody Likes a Freeloader
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 2 minutes
| 298 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Nobody likes a freeloader. Social parasites live off the work of others, and a society infested with too many of them falls apart.
Given the chance, most people will punish moochers with "freeloader fines," even if it means taking a financial hit themselves, a new study finds.
Researchers at the University of Erfurt in Germany recruited 84 students to play a game in which they were given the choice of joining a group that punished freeloaders or one that didn’t.
[Read More]Shark Attacks Most Likely on Sunday in 6 Feet of Water
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 816 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Shark attacks are most likely to occur on Sunday in less than 6 feet of water during a new moon, a new study finds. And there's good reason: That's when a lot of surfers are in the water. Not coincidentally, surfers wearing black-and-white suits are most likely to be attacked.
Saturdays come in second place, and Fridays make a pretty good showing too, "reflective of people skipping work and taking three-day weekends,"
[Read More]The Autism-Epilepsy Connection (Op-Ed)
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 641 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Dr. Megdad Zaatreh is a board-certified neurologist with expertise in epilepsy who serves as medical director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, N.J. Zaatreh has published several research articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Neurology and Epilepsia. He contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
Studies estimate that nearly one-third of people with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy. However, until recently, there was only limited clinical research on the connection between these two neurological conditions.
[Read More]This Is the Age Where Life Has the Most Meaning
Posted on October 24, 2022
| 4 minutes
| 641 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Wondering what the meaning of life is? Good news — you'll probably feel like you know when you're around age 60.
That's the age when people report feeling that there's the most meaning in their lives, and they have the least need to search for meaning, according to new research published in the January-February 2020 issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
The research also found that as people's sense of meaning in life rises, so does their well-being.
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