Summary: Childhood attention issues, coupled with genetic predispositions, increase the likelihood of experiencing psychotic-like symptoms in adolescence. By analyzing data from 10,000 youths, researchers discovered that variability in attention spans…
Category: Life
Prenatal Cannabis Use Linked to Child Aggression and Cognitive Deficits
Summary: New research shows that prenatal exposure to cannabis can negatively impact children’s thinking and behavioral skills, including impulse control, attention, and aggression, which are key for academic and social…
A common kitchen tool could help koala conservation
Known for their fluffy ears, round faces and big black noses, koalas spend most of their time snoozing in the canopies of eucalypt forests. Their penchant for perching high up…
Viewpoint: Britain’s new Labor government signals it will move forward legislation to open the door to CRISPR and other crop gene editing innovations
There are increasingly positive signs that the newly-elected Labour administration will shortly bring forward the secondary legislation needed to implement the provisions set out in the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding)…
How Curiosity Styles Shape Wikipedia Use and Learning
Summary: A study of global Wikipedia browsing patterns reveals three curiosity styles: the focused “hunter,” the exploratory “busybody,” and the creative “dancer.” Data from 482,760 readers in 50 countries shows…
Depression Alters Brain Circuits, Heightening Negative Perception
Summary: Scientists have identified how depression alters the brain’s response to positive and negative stimuli, particularly in the amygdala, a key emotional processing center. The study found that depression reduces…
Male mosquitoes sometimes suck, too
Male mosquitoes may be nearly as bloodthirsty as females under certain conditions, new research suggests. That upends the notion that only female mosquitoes bite, drink blood and spread diseases while…
Individual Reward-Seeking Predicts Nicotine Response
Summary: A new study finds that individualistic reward-seeking behaviors in mice can predict their responses to nicotine. Conducted in a semi-natural environment called Souris-City, the research observed how male mice…
The U.S. empire was built on bird dung
In December 1855 and January 1856, a trio of vessels set sail from the United States to Jarvis and Baker islands, coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.…
Rwanda launches Gates-funded project to develop drought, virus and blight resistant crops
Farmers and agriculture sector leaders have said they expect a new five-year scheme called Rwanda Agricultural Biotechnology Program, to support improvement in crop productivity, by addressing production challenges including pests, diseases,…
