Why Dungeons and Dragons Is Good for Your Brain Researchers and therapists explore the mental health benefits of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. By Rachel Feltman & Kelso Harper On supporting science journalism If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to…
Streptococcus bacteria are responsible for vaginal and urinary tract infections and newborn infections CAVALLINI JAMES/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images A type of sugar in human milk could help treat a common strain of Streptococcus bacteria, which can complicate pregnancies when it infects the vagina. Human milk remains understudied. “This is the second most important…
When a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck offshore of the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia on July 29, tsunami warnings quickly followed. The quake is tied with two other historic temblors to be the sixth largest ever recorded, sparking fears of devastating waves like the ones that followed the 2011 Tohoku temblor in Japan and the…
Heatstroke and Extreme Heat can Hurt Health in the Long-Term, Too The immediate harms of extreme heat are well documented, but a growing body of research suggests that heatstroke may have long-term health effects throughout the body By Nora Bradford edited by Lauren J. Young Heatstroke can sneak up on anyone, especially when exercising outside….
The graveyard shift is aptly named. People who work at night have an elevated risk of health problems including heart attacks, type 2 diabetes and depression. So greatly increased is their chance of getting cancer that the World Health Organization has declared shift work a probable carcinogen. Toiling while the rest of us slumber, these…
A small molecule left over after gut microbes finish digesting your meal may one day provide a new angle for managing cardiovascular disease. Certain gut microbes break down the amino acid histidine, one of the building blocks of proteins, into a small molecule called imidazole propionate, or ImP. In a new study published July 16…
Why the Russian Earthquake Didn’t Cause a Huge Tsunami Russia’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake spawned serious tsunami warnings, but waves have been moderate so far. Here’s the geological reason why By Robin George Andrews edited by Dean Visser An aerial view of the city of Severo-Kurilsk flooded due to a tsunami triggered by the 8.8 magnitude…
An ancient Greek bronze jar on display at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford that was found to contain honey American Chemical Society The contents of an ancient Greek pot found in a shrine near Pompeii are testament to the longevity of a jar of honey. In 1954, a Greek burial shrine dating to around 520…
Quantum computers in space could be useful for communications networks or for testing fundamental physics.
I’d done everything you’re supposed to do to avoid a tick bite: Tucked permethrin-impregnated pants into permethrin-impregnated socks. Sprayed picaridin on my boots. Once indoors, I removed my outdoor clothing in the garage and immediately took a shower. Did a full-body tick check before going to bed. I’d taken all these precautions just to prune…
