Truth Relativism and its Ties to Conspiracy Theory Beliefs

Summary: Researchers explored the link between the belief that truth is relative and susceptibility to conspiracy theories. Two studies, involving Swedes and Brits, evaluated participants’ perspectives on truth and their…

Jersey Numbers and Perception: How Numbers Impact Our View of Athlete Physique

Summary: A new study confirms that football wide receivers wearing jersey numbers between 10 and 19 are perceived as slimmer than those wearing 80-89, even with identical body sizes. This…

Memory in Touch: Fingertips Recall Past Forces

Summary: Researchers have explored how a fingertip’s mechanical memory of prior forces influences tactile neuron activity. The study unveils the importance of fingertip viscoelasticity, where deformations last longer than the…

Toddlers Use Logic Before Language

Summary: Toddlers as young as 19 months old exhibit natural logical thinking, independent of language knowledge. This ability, manifesting as exclusion by elimination, allows toddlers to make conclusions about unknown…

Adolescent BMI Link: Rising Weights, Rising Depression Risks

Summary: New research identifies a strong correlation between higher BMI in children aged 12-16 and increased risks of depression symptoms. The association weakens for the age bracket 16-21, suggesting an…

The Paradox of Progress: Why More Freedom Isn’t Making Women Happier

Summary: Despite gains in freedom and employment opportunities, research indicates women are experiencing higher levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep issues than before. A survey suggests that dissatisfaction with societal…

Dark Traits, Broken Sleep: How Machiavellianism and Psychopathy Impact Rest

Summary: A recent study delves into the link between the Dark Triad personality traits—Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism—and sleep quality, particularly in individuals with affective disorders (AD). Using data from 657…

Feeling sexy? Scientists find where lust lives—in mice

by Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The source of desire has long been elusive, the stuff of poets and musicians. Now, Stanford University researchers have…

Gene Mutation Sheds Light on Schizophrenia Mysteries

Summary: Scientists developed a mouse model that carries a genetic mutation linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia. By studying the Grin2a gene, they found significant changes in gene expression,…

Schizophrenia gene mutation causes many changes in the mouse brain, new study shows

Researchers studied the effects of a schizophrenia gene mutation in different regions of the mouse brain. Credit: Susanna Hamilton, Broad Communications Researchers have identified common and rare gene mutations that…