Science Update
Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS
THE BRAIN, MOOD & BEHAVIOR - Could dreaming help heal emotional wounds? The relationship between the placebo effect and chronic pain. New research into the genetics of empathy. Also: a computer program to help prevent depression in girls, and exploring sex differences in mood disorders.
The incidence of nearsightedness has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Researchers think a lack of outdoor activity could be partially responsible.
Contrary to expectations, some teenagers' IQ scores changed significantly over a four-year period.
THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT & VISION - A pacemaker that restarts the heart with light, and a secret code made from fluorescent bacteria. And, could a lack of outdoor activity be making kids more nearsighted? Also: new research suggests that IQ might not be as stable as once thought.
HORMONES & BEHAVIOR - Testosterone and fatherhood, the genetics of oxytocin and depression, gender and spatial reasoning revisited, where taste is found in the brain, and more.
More time spent playing outside could help decrease symptoms in children with ADHD.
Men's testosterone levels drop significantly when they become fathers.
Misinformation about vaccine safety may be contributing to a surge in measles infections.
Gender differences in spatial reasoning abilities may be strongly influenced by culture.
New research suggests that different vowel sounds cue babies in to the size of objects.
Differences in a gene influence how much time we spend looking at happy faces.
THE SCIENCE OF FACES: when pigeons look at us, and the genes behind how we look at faces. Also: what causes hot flashes, determining your age from your DNA, and the hormone behind stress eating.
A new study suggests that babies exposed to pets in the home are less likely to develop allergies to them.
The genes behind unfaithful finches, mapping the diversity of bird plumage colors, what feathers can tell us about pollution, and what baby birds drink. Also: could living with a dog or cat decrease a child's risk of developing allergies?
Dead skin flakes in dust help remove ozone from indoor air.
Children’s books are dominated by male characters.
Why sleep deprivation clouds thinking, what the brainwaves of sleeping teenagers reveal, and how a video game helps sick kids strengthen their lungs. Also, why a team of epidemiological sleuths invaded school graduations across Maryland last year. And, new study reveals extreme gender bias in children’s books.
New research sheds light on what’s going on in the brains of sleeping teenagers.
Kids with cystic fibrosis are trying a video game-based breathing therapy.
Autistic people use their brains differently than non-autistics when processing visual information.
Justice and lunch breaks, autism and visual processing, a case of beat deafness, and the hormone of smell.
A new study finds a relationship between the timing of unexpected home team losses and domestic violence.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be linked to creativity.
The causes of cleft palate and lip are complex.
