Giving up a kidney to a stranger requires a certain sense of selflessness, what’s come to be known in social science as extraordinary altruism. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz wanted to understand the connection between this trait and empathy, specifically empathy for distress emotions. Continue reading “For the first time, a neural link between altruism and empathy toward strangers”
Mobile phone radiation may affect memory performance in adolescents, study finds
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields may have adverse effects on the development of memory performance of specific brain regions exposed during mobile phone use. These are the findings of a study involving nearly 700 adolescents in Switzerland. The investigation, led by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), will be published on Monday, 23 July 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Continue reading “Mobile phone radiation may affect memory performance in adolescents, study finds”
Twin study highlights importance of both genetics and environment on gene activity
New research highlights the extent to which epigenetic variation is influenced by both inherited and environmental factors. Continue reading “Twin study highlights importance of both genetics and environment on gene activity”
‘Mindful people’ feel less pain; MRI imaging pinpoints supporting brain activity
Ever wonder why some people seem to feel less pain than others? A study conducted at Wake Forest School of Medicine may have found one of the answers — mindfulness. “Mindfulness is related to being aware of the present moment without too much emotional reaction or judgment,” said the study’s lead author, Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the medical school, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “We now know that some people are more mindful than others, and those people seemingly feel less pain.” Continue reading “‘Mindful people’ feel less pain; MRI imaging pinpoints supporting brain activity”
Bravery cells found in the hippocampus
Why do some people comfortably walk between skyscrapers on a high-wire or raft the Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel whereas others freeze on the mere thought of climbing off escalators in a shopping mall? In a new study, scientists have found that a certain type of cells in the hippocampus play a key role. Continue reading “Bravery cells found in the hippocampus”
What catches our eye
We are almost constantly surrounded by a variety of visual objects, all of which could, theoretically, be important for us. But only a very small area on our retinas, the fovea in the macula lutea, has high visual acuity; a large portion of our field of vision has only a low resolution. Therefore, our gaze must be directed toward a specific target in order to precisely identify the object. Continue reading “What catches our eye”
Novo Scriptorium 