Science & Research

Fearful Memories Passed Down to Mouse Descendants

Certain fears can be inherited through the generations, a provocative study of mice reports. The authors suggest that a similar phenomenon could influence anxiety and addiction in humans. But some researchers are sceptical of the findings because a biological mechanism that explains the phenomenon has not been identified. Yet some studies have hinted that environmental [...]

By |2013-12-15T12:06:00+11:00December 15th, 2013|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Chemical in fries, chips and coffee prompts FDA advice

For more than a decade, scientists have known that acrylamide forms when potatoes, cereal grains and some other plant foods are browned through frying, baking or roasting. That means it shows up in fries, chips, breakfast cereals, toasted bread, cookies, crackers and even coffee. Studies show the chemical can cause cancer in rodents at high [...]

By |2013-12-15T11:36:28+11:00December 15th, 2013|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Dyslexia may be due to faulty brain wiring, study says

A roadblock in the brain makes reading difficult for people with dyslexia, a new study suggested Thursday, contradicting long-held opinion. The findings in the US journal Science add to an ongoing debate over whether the inherited neurological disorder is caused by faulty brain wiring or the brain's inability to understand the interaction of sounds and [...]

Study reveals striking differences in brain connectivity between men and women

A new brain connectivity study from Penn Medicine published today in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences found striking differences in the neural wiring of men and women that's lending credence to some commonly-held beliefs about their behavior. In one of the largest studies looking at the "connectomes" of the sexes, Ragini Verma, PhD, [...]

What it’s like to suffer from body dysmorphic disorder

Sufferers become obsessed by perceived - but in reality almost non-existent - flaws in their appearance. A specific area usually becomes the target - their nose, hair, or weight. Dieting, weight lifting, excessive exercise, tanning, measuring, camouflaging techniques, and agoraphobia are just some of the cruel behaviours associated with the disorder as sufferers try to [...]

Immune system may play crucial role in mental health

A growing body of research on conditions from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia to depression is starting to suggest a tighter link than was previously realized between ailments of the mind and body. Activation of the immune system seems to play a crucial role in both."We just didn't understand how much of a role the immune [...]

Researchers find being exposed to fast food symbols makes it harder to appreciate everyday joys

Success, in the Western world, means “gaining time,” according to French philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard. The faster we do things — work, eat, sleep, read — the more time we “gain.” But this focus on time efficiency could be making the small things in life harder to enjoy. A trio of Canadian researchers have discovered that [...]

Iodine, NAPLAN and the national IQ

Surprise and disappointment accompanied the recent publication of country by country test results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study when Australian children unexpectedly performed poorly. In the reading literacy test our children rated 27 out of the 49 countries tested and in the maths [...]

The gene machine

Scientists have discovered that the human body contains more than 25,000 genes, but what they do remains mostly a mystery. "We don't know the function of the vast majority of genes," says Nevan Krogan, PhD, director of the UC San Francisco branch of the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. via The gene machine.

By |2013-11-25T01:04:40+11:00November 25th, 2013|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

During sleep, connections in children’s brains strengthen

While young children sleep, connections between the left and the right hemispheres of their brain strengthen, which may help brain functions mature, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder. The research team - led by Salome Kurth, a postdoctoral researcher, and Monique LeBourgeois, assistant professor in integrative physiology - used electroencephalograms, [...]

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