Although long life tends to run in families, genetics has far less influence on life span than previously thought, according to a new analysis of an aggregated set of family trees of more than 400 million people. The results suggest that the heritability of life span is well below past estimates, which failed to account for our tendency to select partners with similar traits to our own. The research, from Calico Life Sciences and Ancestry, was published in GENETICS, a journal of the Genetics Society of America. Continue reading “Family tree of 400 million people shows genetics has limited influence on longevity”
Social thinking in the infant brain revealed
An innovative collaboration between neuroscientists and developmental psychologists that investigated how infants’ brains process other people’s action provides the first evidence that directly links neural responses from the motor system to overt social behavior in infants. Continue reading “Social thinking in the infant brain revealed”
Risk-taking, antisocial teens 5 times more likely to die young
Adolescents with serious conduct and substance use problems are five times more likely to die prematurely than their peers, with roughly one in 20 dying by their 30s, according to new CU Boulder research. Continue reading “Risk-taking, antisocial teens 5 times more likely to die young”
Link between hunger and mood explained
University of Guelph researchers have revealed that the sudden drop in glucose we experience when we are hungry can impact our mood. Continue reading “Link between hunger and mood explained”
Infants capable of complex babble may grow into stronger readers
Infants’ early speech production may predict their later literacy, according to a study published October 10, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Kelly Farquharson from Florida State University and colleagues. Continue reading “Infants capable of complex babble may grow into stronger readers”
Electrical properties of dendrites help explain our brain’s unique computing power
Neurons in the human brain receive electrical signals from thousands of other cells, and long neural extensions called dendrites play a critical role in incorporating all of that information so the cells can respond appropriately. Continue reading “Electrical properties of dendrites help explain our brain’s unique computing power”
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