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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

Children of parents who work weekends and night shifts ‘more likely to have behavioural problems’

Children of parents who work weekends and night shifts are more likely to have poorer language and maths skills, a study has found. And, by the time they reach their teen years, they are more likely to be depressed and to have turned to drink and drugs, it says. The study - carried out by [...]

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, [...]

Is Exercise “Useless” In Treating Depression?

The publication of a new study in the BMJ on 6 June triggered a flurry of headlines suggesting that "exercise doesn't help depression". However, reducing the study's specific, detailed findings to a media-friendly sound bite has run the risk of misleading people, because the researchers did not set out to test the effect of exercise on depression. [...]

5 insights on the “would you like to live next door to someone of a different race?” question

Here's a map of countries where people show the highest and lowest levels of racial tolerance. Reducing such a complicated, subjective phenomenon to a single metric is controversial – the frequency with which people in a certain country said they would not want neighbors of a different race – is going to produce some highly [...]

Far from being harmless, the effects of bullying last long into adulthood

It has long been acknowledged that bullying at a young age presents a problem for schools, parents and public policy makers alike. Although children spend more time with their peers than their parents, there is relatively little published research on understanding the impact of these interactions on their lives beyond school. The results of the [...]

Schadenfreude: Rejoicing In Rivals’ Misfortune May Be Biological

Why is it that misfortune that befalls certain people can make us feel empathetic and wanting to help, while misfortune that befalls others can actually make us feel happy? A new study shows that Schadenfreude might actually be biological, and that who the misfortune befalls is a critical factor in how we react. via Schadenfreude: [...]

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