Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 28, 2021

Why did this man have copper-colored rings in his eyes?

Copper-colored rings inside a man's eyes proved key to diagnosing a rare disease, according to a new report. The 47-year-old man, who lives in India, went to the doctor after he experienced abdominal swelling for two months, according to the report, published Saturday (Sept. 25) in The New England Journal...

Oct 9, 2021

Why does water squirt out of your eye if you blow your nose really hard?

The human body is full of quirks. For example, some people can squirt water (or even smoke or milk) from their eyes. But how can some people spurt unusual fluids from their eyes, and is it dangerous to their health? It turns out that when someone squirts water out of...

Oct 23, 2021

Why do men's eyebrows get bushier with age?

Some older men's enormous eyebrows, extensive ear hair and substantial sniffer strands seem like they never stop growing. While many men lose the hair atop their heads, others' eyebrow, ear and nose hairs may look as if they've been dipped in a magical growing elixir. In contrast, women's hair, including...

Dec 9, 2021

We finally know why the brain uses so much energy

Your brain may be leaking … energy, according to a new study that may explain why your noggin consumes 20% of the energy needed to keep your body running. The study researchers found that tiny sacs called vesicles that hold messages being transmitted between brain cells may be constantly oozing...

Jan 21, 2022

Your eyes may reveal your true biological age

By examining tiny vessels inside a person’s eyes, doctors might one day be able to predict that person's risk of early death, according to a new study. Though the risk of illness and early death generally increases with chronological age, that risk can vary quite a bit among individuals of...

Feb 9, 2022

Fight or flight: The sympathetic nervous system

When faced with imminent physical danger, the human body’s sympathetic nervous system triggers our fight-or-flight response. The sympathetic nervous system is a normally harmonized network of brain structures, nerves and hormones that, if thrown off balance, can result in serious complications. What is a sympathetic nervous system? The sympathetic nervous...

Feb 26, 2022

First-ever scan of a dying human brain reveals life may actually 'flash before your eyes'

After an elderly patient died suddenly during a routine test, scientists accidentally captured unique data on the activity in his brain at the very end of his life: During the 30 seconds before and after the man's heart stopped, his brain waves were remarkably similar to those seen during dreaming,...

Mar 12, 2022

Glaucoma: Cause, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness. Though the cause is not entirely known, many people with glaucoma have high eye pressure. Excess fluid builds up inside the eye, and the pressure eventually damages the optic nerve, the nerve at the back of...

Mar 28, 2022

This brain structure may grow too fast in babies who develop autism

A brain structure called the amygdala grows too fast in babies who are diagnosed with autism by age 2, a new study suggests. The study researchers found that this overgrowth occurs between 6 and 12 months of age, before children are typically diagnosed with autism. The findings, published Friday (March...

Mar 30, 2022

Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia: The science behind the disorder

Actor Bruce Willis, whose one-liners are a mainstay of blockbuster action movies, is stepping away from his career due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a neurological disorder that impacts language and speech, according to news reports. Willis' family said on social media that the actor was having cognitive issues due...

Apr 9, 2022

A dozen squirming fly larvae cause man's 'itchy eye'

A man's itchy eye was due to more than a dozen fly larvae that were squirming around inside his peeper, according to a new report. The 53-year-old man, who lives in France, went to the emergency room after he developed an itching sensation in his right eye that had lasted...

Apr 12, 2022

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died: What is myotonic dystrophy type II?

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, known for his distinctive voice, has died at age 67, his family announced Tuesday (April 12) on social media. Gottfried’s family did not specify the cause of his death, noting only that he died after a long illness. However, in a separate statement, Gottfried's friend and publicist...

May 2, 2022

Epilepsy: Causes, symptoms & treatments

Epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent seizures that can range from brief lapses of attention or muscle jerks to severe and prolonged convulsions. More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and 80% of those people live in developing regions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)The Centers...

May 28, 2022

What happens in our brains when we 'hear' our own thoughts?

If you've ever had an imaginary argument in your head, you may have heard two voices at once. Your own inner voice and that of the other person in the quarrel. You may even hear the other person's accent, or the timbre of their voice. So what's happening in the...

Jun 2, 2022

How this trippy illusion will make you see an 'expanding black hole'

A brand new optical illusion tricks the majority of people into thinking that a dark black hole region at the center of a stationary image is rapidly expanding, as if the observer were moving toward it. Researchers now suspect that the image literally tricks the brain into thinking that the...