Imagine a single switch determining whether puberty begins at age 13 or 20 in humans. A study carried out at the University of Helsinki shows how a single gene in Atlantic salmon can dramatically influence the timing of puberty - a key factor for salmon life cycle and survival.
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/evolution/salmon-genes-unlock-secrets-puberty-and-evolution
https://redd.it/1hg9ks8
@r_science
White men who were drafted for the Vietnam War subsequently expressed less negative attitudes toward Black people and toward policies designed to help them. This suggests that interracial contact during military service led to attitude change.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/vietnam-draft-lottery-and-whites-racial-attitudes-evidence-from-the-general-social-survey/0E87B538B39CD973FDAC9FE3689933CC
https://redd.it/1hg9nsn
@r_science
Diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and infections like TB cause damage to cell structures. A study shows that "stress granules" can plug these leaks, potentially slowing disease progression.
https://idmxs.org/blog/stress-granules-the-unsung-heroes-of-lysosome-membrane-repair/
https://redd.it/1hg4vk0
@r_science
A new psychological study has shown that when people know they are under surveillance it generates an automatic response of heightened awareness of being watched, with implications for public mental health.
https://www.uts.edu.au/news/health-science/psychological-implications-big-brothers-gaze
https://redd.it/1hg3rq9
@r_science
The increasing prevalence of IBS is causing billions of dollars to get flushed down the toilet
https://sherwood.news/business/the-increasing-prevalence-of-ibs-is-causing-billions-of-dollars-to-get/
https://redd.it/1hg0y3x
@r_science
Research finds 15 million U.S. adults are at elevated risk for heart failure, 4.3 million more than previously identified
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1067748
https://redd.it/1hfvolr
@r_science
Middle Schoolers Discover New Cancer-Fighting Compound in Goose Poop
https://insidenewshub.com/middle-schoolers-discover-new-cancer-fighting-compound-in-goose-poop/
https://redd.it/1hft02s
@r_science
People who walk more each day are less likely to have depression - the new study found that the higher a person's step count, the less likely they were to have depression, with reaching 5000 and 7500 steps a day both associated with lower risks.
https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/people-who-walk-more-each-day-are-less-likely-to-have-depression
https://redd.it/1hfr8bf
@r_science
People overwhelmingly choose “natural” products, from chocolate to drugs. This bias extends beyond words, influencing actual decisions—even when those decisions involve potential risks, like taking a drug or eating food that might cause discomfort.
https://www.psypost.org/people-overwhelmingly-choose-natural-products-from-chocolate-to-drugs/
https://redd.it/1hfma6n
@r_science
Recent study suggests that 6.2 trillions of tons of hydrogen gas could be buried beneath the Earth’s surface in rocks and underground reservoirs | Researchers claimed that just a fraction of this massive amount of hydrogen gas could reduce humans’ dependency on fossil fuels for almost 20 decades.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ado0955
https://redd.it/1hfikol
@r_science
People who started playing video games at an early school age developed problematic gaming more quickly compared to those who started playing a few years later. Results are in line with research suggesting that an early gaming debut is a risk factor for developing a more severe gaming disorder
https://www.gu.se/en/news/problems-developed-faster-among-gamers-who-started-early
https://redd.it/1hfhrvb
@r_science
A new study of plant-based drinks reveals they are lacking in proteins and essential amino acids compared to cow’s milk. The explanation lies in their extensive processing, causing chemical reactions that degrade protein quality in the product and, in some cases, produce new substances of concern.
https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2024/12/how-chemical-reactions-deplete-nutrients-in-plant-based-drinks/
https://redd.it/1hfgejv
@r_science
Butchered bones suggest violent ‘othering’ of enemies in Bronze Age Britain | Analysis of the remains of at least 37 individuals from Early Bronze Age England finds they were killed, butchered, and probably consumed before being thrown down a 15m-deep shaft.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1067568
https://redd.it/1hf9jma
@r_science
Plants living on trees, like Spanish moss and lichens, help reduce rainfall runoff and help cool forests. New study from Georgia (US) shows they stay saturated ~35% of the time, contributing significantly to evaporation and condensation
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386341808_Evaporation_and_condensation_dynamics_within_saturated_epiphyte_communities_in_a_Quercus_virginiana_forest_coastal_Georgia_USA
https://redd.it/1hf5dd3
@r_science
Ditch TV and read a book: Best moves to reduce dementia risk, suggests study. Some sedentary (or sitting) behaviours are better for cognitive function than others, social or mentally stimulating activities like reading, listening to music, praying, crafting, playing musical instrument, or chatting.
https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/ditch-tv-and-read-a-book-unisa-research-delivers-best-moves-to-reduce-dementia-risk
https://redd.it/1hf1f3a
@r_science
'Dog-Like' Fossil Discovery May Be Oldest Known Saber-Toothed Animal | 270-million-year-old saber-toothed predator on the island of Mallorca is a new species of gorgonopsian.
https://www.newsweek.com/dog-fossil-discovery-oldest-known-saber-toothed-animal-2001685
https://redd.it/1hgaae1
@r_science
Researchers have modified the peptides from the Brazilian tarantula and the Japanese horseshoe crab and found they can kill samples of melanoma cells derived from a cancer model in mice that are resistant to other cancer therapies.
https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/nature-may-provide-the-key-to-beating-drug-resistant-melanoma
https://redd.it/1hg6tvy
@r_science
Systematic review and network meta-analysis finds psychedelics, especially psilocybin and LSD, showed promising effects on depression and anxiety in people with terminal illnesses.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811241303594
https://redd.it/1hg1omc
@r_science
Study reveals corals must be within only a few metres of each other to successfully reproduce, leaving them vulnerable in a warming world: Corals need to be within 10 metres of one another, and preferably closer than that for fertilisation to take place
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068467
https://redd.it/1hg2273
@r_science
Study finds lower rates of death from Alzheimer’s disease among taxi and ambulance drivers: In a national study of more than 400 occupations, jobs that require frequent navigational and spatial processing tasks had the lowest proportions of deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068144
https://redd.it/1hfysxp
@r_science
New study shows reusable modular buildings could solve housing shortages
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/news-from-2024/12/new-study-shows-reusable-modular-buildings-could-s
https://redd.it/1hfq5ng
@r_science
Review of research from past 15 years found ketamine and psychedelic drugs can enhance neuroplasticity by triggering the growth of dendritic spines in cortical pyramidal neurons
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-024-00876-0
https://redd.it/1hfpnus
@r_science
Study in animals suggests that targeting antidepressant medications to cells in the gut could not only be an effective treatment of mood disorders like depression and anxiety but may also cause fewer cognitive, gastrointestinal, and behavioral side effects for patients
https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/antidepressants-may-act-gut-reduce-depression-and-anxiety
https://redd.it/1hfn7ck
@r_science
“How a simple math error sparked a panic about black plastic" The risk would not be enough to discard them, but science should find a way to keep flame retardants out of such items. Researcher finds out they were off by a factor of 10, responds: "this does not impact our results and recommendations"
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/are-black-plastic-spatulas-and-serving-spoons-safe-use
https://redd.it/1hfjq1n
@r_science
Human civilization at a critical junction between authoritarian collapse and superabundance | Systems theorist who foresaw 2008 financial crash, and Brexit say we're on the brink of the next ‘giant leap’ in evolution to ‘networked superabundance’. But nationalist populism could stop this
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068196
https://redd.it/1hfiv48
@r_science
DNA Analysis Reveals 7,000 Years of Human-Neanderthal Relations
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/dna-analysis-reveals-7-000-years-of-human-neanderthal-relations
https://redd.it/1hffhl6
@r_science
Taking acetaminophen/ paracetamol, a common painkiller for a prolonged period, increases the risk of serious complications in older people, such as increased risk of lower gut bleeding (36%), peptic ulcer bleeding (24%), chronic kidney failure (19%), heart failure (9%), and high blood pressure (7%).
https://newatlas.com/chronic-pain/paracetamol-acetaminophen-prolonged-older/
https://redd.it/1hff6ch
@r_science
Medical visits for heart and lung problems rose by nearly 20 percent during six days in June, 2023, when smoke from Western Canadian wildfires drifted 2000 miles across the country, leading to very poor air quality days in Baltimore in the US and the surrounding region.
https://m.umaryland.edu/student/news/detail?feed=news_content_t4&id=2ff80eaf-f18c-57bc-bb75-b2fec1d9f8db
https://redd.it/1hf3qrw
@r_science
Agrivoltaics shows promise for sustainable food, energy and water management in East Africa | Combining solar power production with agriculture can significantly boost crop yields, conserve water and generate low-carbon electricity for areas particularly vulnerable to climate change
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/harvesting-sun-twice-agrivoltaics-shows-promise-sustainable-food-energy-and-water-management-east
https://redd.it/1hexs7m
@r_science
Genes that determine tooth shape identified: scientists found substantial tooth differences between ethnicities, potentially due in part to a gene inherited from Neanderthals that was only found in study participants of European origin
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/dec/genes-determine-tooth-shape-identified
https://redd.it/1heuesb
@r_science
