Viewpoint: Is the predicted ‘Silent Earth insect armageddon’ the inevitable result of using farm chemicals — or is it alarmist activist propaganda? Insect scientists challenge the doomsayers

For years, journalists and environmental bloggers have been churning out story after story claiming that insects are vanishing, in the United States and globally. There is no question that insects…

Jiving into Joy: Dance Sessions Elevate Health and Well-being in 85+ Age Group

Summary: Regular dance sessions can significantly benefit individuals over 85 years old, enhancing their physical activity, social interactions, and personal sense of youth. The “Dance On” project engaged 685 participants…

Childhood IQ and Wealth: Uncovering Diverse Financial Paths in Adulthood

Summary: Cognitive ability in childhood correlates differently with various aspects of financial wellbeing in adulthood. Researchers analyzed data from 5,858 individuals, considering their cognitive skills at age 10 and their…

RNA editing helps octopuses cope with the cold

The ocean can be a cold place to call home. Mammals like seals stay warm by enveloping themselves in a layer of thick fur and blubber. Cephalopods — the group…

50 years ago, flesh-eating screwworms pushed scientists to mass produce flies

Fly factory planned for Mexico — Science News, June 2, 1973 A ‘fly factory’ whose product is living flies — 300 million of them every week — is to be…

Unveiling the Complexity of Musical Taste: Subgenres and Preferences Explored

Summary: Researchers report personal musical preferences aren’t just about genre, but also about sub-genres within those categories. Surveying over 2,000 individuals, they discovered that fans within the same genre can…

Alexithymia & Childhood Trauma: Unraveling The Mysterious Connection

Summary: Researchers reveal an alarming correlation between alexithymia (difficulty in identifying and describing emotions) and various forms of child maltreatment. Analyzing a staggering 78 sources involving 36,141 participants, the research…

When and why did masturbation evolve in primates? A new study provides clues

Though masturbation is common across the animal kingdom, it seems, at its face, to be an evolutionary paradox: Why would an animal waste time, energy and reproductive resources on self-pleasure…

Dopamine Plays Double Duty in Learning and Motivation

Summary: A novel study suggests that dopamine, a neurotransmitter, plays dual roles in learning and motivation. In the study, male rats underwent Pavlovian or operant conditioning while their dopamine release…

A gene therapy shot might keep cats from getting pregnant without being spayed

Invasive surgeries to spay cats could one day be a thing of the past, replaced instead with a single shot.   An injected gene therapy given to female cats prevented…