November’s night sky brings us a number of aquatic constellations, Uranus at its closest and brightest, meteor showers, and a special moment Smithsonian Magazine listed as one of its top celestial events of 2022: a total lunar eclipse that happens to accompany this month’s full moon! Read on for more details on all that and […]
Self-regulation — the capacity to manage and moderate one’s emotions and actions — can be challenging for plenty of adults. And if you have a young person in your life, you’ll likely agree that of all the gifts that come with youth, impulse control is not necessarily one of the most prominent. But a new
Communication is a fundamental building block for living creatures to form connections within their communities, and some of that communication is obvious: dogs bark, birds chirp, lions roar, and humans speak. Some animals, however, including turtles, have long been assumed to be silent — until now. A recent study authored by Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen at the
Can a smile a day keep bad feelings at bay? A global collaborative study led by Stanford University research scientist Nicholas Coles has provided more evidence for the “facial feedback hypothesis,” which theorizes that a smile can indeed improve your mood — even when you’re not feeling so cheery. The facial feedback hypothesis has been
How Simply Smiling Can Boost Your Happiness, According to Science Continue Reading »
The human brain is considered by many to be the most complicated thing yet discovered in the universe — so it stands to reason that brain surgery would be one of the most complicated medical procedures. On October 10 in Italy, a patient turned that procedure into an even more impressive showcase of human capability:
Man Played His Saxophone While Undergoing Nine-Hour Brain Surgery Continue Reading »
Constellations, planets, and other celestial events aren’t the only exciting things happening in the world of astronomy this month. A new study is heralding an exciting development in space sciences: a method by which a supernova — the massive explosion marking a star’s death — can be observed as it transpires in real-time. Lead researcher
Though normal aging is associated with gradual memory loss, some sharp seniors can recollect events with startling clarity well into their sunset years. Northwestern University researchers have dubbed these people “SuperAgers” — individuals at least 80 years old with the memory retention of those up to three decades younger. A new study now suggests that
In a first-of-its-kind “atlas,” researchers identified and described the links between 35 different types of cancer and their associated fungi. Though the findings, published in the science journal Cell last month, do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between the two, they could help scientists discover more about the role fungal microorganisms play in the disease.
It’s difficult to determine the world’s most expensive microscope — one powerful electron microscope cost $27 million to get up and running back in 2009 — but it may be easier to call out the cheapest. The Foldscope is made of paper and costs $1.75 to produce. Don’t let the low price point fool you,
The Award-Winning Paper Microscope That Costs Less Than $2 to Produce Continue Reading »
Archeologists are making headway in the study of ancient toys, a long overlooked focus in the field — one that has them asking deeper questions about children’s play in early civilizations. Archaeologists have long studied ancient artifacts, religious motifs, and burial grounds to better understand history, and have made immense progress in the last century
