Spotting a gray whale in San Francisco Bay can be thrilling, but researchers now know it can be bad news for the marine mammals. Nearly 1 in 5 gray whales…
Category: Life
Estrogen Levels at the Moment of Trauma Predict PTSD
Summary: Why do two people experience the same traumatic event, yet only one develops PTSD? A new study suggests the answer lies in the brain’s “biological state” at the exact…
Brain’s Endurance Program: Hypothalamus Remembers Exercise
Summary: We usually think of fitness as something that happens in the muscles, lungs, and heart. However, a new study co-led reveals that the brain actually “programs” our physical endurance.…
How the Brain Replays Sight to Create Mental Images
Summary: Have you ever wondered why a memory can feel as vivid as a photograph? A groundbreaking study has finally cracked the “neural code” behind visual imagination. By recording the…
How Trauma Changes a Child’s Sense of Touch and Sound
Summary: For young survivors of the October 7, 2023, attacks, the trauma of war has moved beyond the mind and into the nervous system. A new study reveals that nearly…
Elizabeth Telford | What 10,000 Nodules Taught Me About Savanna Trees…. and Myself – Functional Ecologists
In this Behind the Paper blog post, author Elizabeth Telford – a postdoc at the the University of Sheffield – explores her research article N2 fixation is linked to the…
Double Shifts Wreck the Body’s Stress Rhythm
Summary: For most people, the “stress hormone” cortisol hits its lowest point at midnight, allowing the body to recover and rest. However, new research reveals that for nurses working double…
Glass Half Full: Optimism Lowers Your Dementia Risk
Summary: Can your outlook on life actually protect your brain? A massive new study suggests that optimism is a powerful “psychosocial asset” for healthy aging. Researchers analyzed data from over…
Mummified reptile hints at the origins of how we breathe
The mummified remains of of a land-dwelling vertebrate are helping to reveal how early ancient reptiles began to take a breath with their whole chests — the breathing style used…
