As humans get older, our brains shrink by about 15 percent, making us vulnerable to memory loss, dementia, and depression. But the brains of our closest relatives, chimpanzees, stay the same size throughout life, a new study has found. And while 50 percent of Americans over 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s, elderly chimps appear to have no similar problems. “The million […]
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A Mediterranean diet could be the answer to keeping depression at bay as well as heart disease, suggests new research. The study, which monitored over 15k people, showed that a diet filled with fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and olive oil, along with low levels of processed meats, could prevent the onset of depression. Researchers, whose findings were published in the […]
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Buried deep in the Antarctic ice, an observatory has spotted ghostly, nearly massless particles coming from inside our galaxy and points beyond the Milky Way. Finding these cosmic neutrinos not only confirms their existence but also sheds light on the origins of cosmic rays, the researchers said. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is made up of 86 shafts dug 8,000 feet […]
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A wild elephant went on a rampage in a village in India’s eastern West Bengal state on Wednesday, damaging around 100 structures, villagers said. Video taken in the village of Ektiasal showed the beast wandering around and knocking over flimsy huts. The elephant strayed into the village early in the morning and woke up villagers with its roaring. “The elephant […]
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■ Residents of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood are now paying a delivery service $100 for a single “Cronut”— a trendy new combination of a croissant and donut.The line at the bakery that makes the coveted pastries begins forming at 5 a.m., with a limit of two per customer. So Premium Cronut Delivery sends employees to stand on line.The price […]
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The VEST is the brainchild of Dr. David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He designed the device based on the principles of sensory substitution, the theory that scientists can transmit data gathered by the brain using one sense, and transfer it to another sense. In this case, the VEST translates touch into sound. […]
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There’s no question that our species has had a dramatic impact on the planet’s physical environment, particularly over the last few centuries, with the rise of modern industry, transportation, and infrastructure. But as new research shows, humans have been transforming the landscape, with lasting impacts, since long before the start of the Industrial Era. Scientists from MIT and the University […]
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It’s not easy being a kid in America: play times have gotten shorter, homework has increased dramatically, obesity rates have sky-rocketed and children are not getting the sleep they need (at least for middle and high school kids). Looking back on the history of our education system, doctors, policymakers, and the government have all attempted to fix these issues by […]
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Residents of rich countries are more likely to be affected by depression than those who live in poorer nations. That’s the startling conclusion World Health Organization researchers reached when they interviewed nearly 90,000 people in 18 countries about their mental health. France and the U.S. were the most depressed; 21 percent of French people and more than 19 percent […]
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Karachi, Pakistan Nuclear plants at risk: Pakistani activists are seeking to block the construction of two nuclear power plants in an earthquake-prone, coastal area that is vulnerable to tsunamis. The Chinese are building the two reactors—using an experimental design—less than 20 miles from the sprawling city of Karachi, where 20 million people would be at risk should a reactor meltdown […]
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