Does practicing gratitude make you more generous?
It’s long been theorised that giving thanks can cultivate a stronger desire to be giving. Now, there’s neuroscience to back this up, with recent research revealing a link between a grateful brain and an altruistic one. If you’re into mindfulness, then you’ll know how transformative it can be to practice...
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Home-based brain simulation therapy improves depression symptoms
Recent advancements in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offer new, accessible at-home options and change the course for depression treatments. Depression affects individuals uniquely, with symptoms and underlying causes that vary widely. For some, depression may stem from biochemical imbalances, while for others, it could be linked to traumatic experiences, environmental...
Space travel might be worse for human health than scientists thought
New research by a British non-profit suggests that the health consequences of being in space may be more serious than originally believed. As far as suitable environments go, space in pretty uninhabitable. Not only does it lack oxygen, but the atmosphere is either far too hot or far too cold for...
Scientists finally understand why people with schizophrenia hear voices
According to new research – which represents a ‘paradigm shift’ for mental health disorders – the way people experience auditory verbal hallucinations isn’t that different from the way humans hear external sounds. For decades, scientists have been endeavouring to understand why people with schizophrenia (which affects
Does the moon actually influence human health?
Researchers have long dismissed such claims but surprising new evidence suggests that the lunar cycle does in fact subtly affect sleep, menstruation, and certain mental illnesses. In astrology, the moon represents the inner world – namely our emotions. Understanding how to work with its 29.5-day cycle has always been the aim...
Complex life on Earth may be 1.5 billion years older than thought
Previous studies suggest animal life did not emerge on Earth until around 635 million years ago. New research claims to have found new evidence deep within rocks showing environmental conditions for animal life 2.1 billion years ago. As it currently stands, animals first showed up on Earth around 635 million...
Immunosuppressant drug show promise of prolonging women’s fertility
Rapamycin, a drug commonly used to prevent organ transplant rejection, appears to lessen the number of egg follicles released during women’s menstrual cycles with no adverse side effects. Scientists say this could extend female fertility by up to five years. Though couples are waiting longer on average to have children, reasons for doing so are often varied. Some are worried about the cost of having kids, while others want to travel...
The ‘Internet of Animals’ is about to change our understanding of nature
A globally accessible database that documents the lives of animals and geographical structures could go live as early as next year. The collection of real-time data will inform experts on species’ behavioural changes and environmental shifts. Biologists, ecologists, and conservationists alike are concerned with the health of our planet and all life within it. So why doesn’t a comprehensive, living database exist to assist their work? One might argue that previously...
Study says the moon is slowly drifting further from Earth
Scientists say the moon is gradually moving further from Earth and that the process will eventually elongate our day cycle to 25 hours. How fast is the moon drifting? Will the Earth lose its natural satellite? Will I be forced to work overtime? So many questions. Scientists say the moon is gradually moving away from Earth in increments of around 3.82 centimetres annually. In some 200 million years, it’s predicted that...
Noise-cancelling headphones are good for our ears
As it turns out, while many of us are steadily destroying our hearing with unsafe listening practices, noise-cancellation might actually be our one saving grace, protecting us from the incessant din of the outside world and the neglected effects of this on our health. I wear noise-cancelling headphones every single day, often for hours at a time. As someone who’s prone to sensory overload, they’ve changed my life, making commuting to...
