Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2005

Is Your Earwax Wet or Dry?

Do you have dry, flaky earwax or the gooey, stinky type? The answer is partly in your heritage. A new study reveals that the gene responsible for the drier type originated in an ancient northeastern Asian population. Today, 80 to 95 percent of East Asians have dry earwax, whereas the...

Nov 30, 2007

Why Time Seems to Slow Down in Emergencies

In The Matrix, the hero Neo could dodge bullets because time moved in slow motion for him during battles. Indeed, in the real world, people in danger often feel as if time slowed down for them. This warping of time apparently does not result from the brain speeding up from...

Nov 30, 2007

Child Care in First Two Years Greatly Affects IQ

How well children are cared for in their first two years directly affects brain development and IQ later in life, a new study finds. Researchers studied abandoned young children in Romanian orphanages over time and found that those placed in foster care at younger ages had significantly higher IQ's than...

Oct 31, 2007

Old Folks Focus Just Fine, Thanks

Old folks can focus their attention on sights and sounds just as well as any young whippersnapper. Previous research has indicated that elderly adults might be more distracted by sights or sounds that interfere with their focus, so a new study conducted by scientists at the Wake Forest University Baptist...

Oct 31, 2007

Report: Ban Cloning or Prepare for Consequences

Human cloning should be outlawed or else the world community needs to prepare to protect clones from potential abuse and discrimination, according to a new policy analysis by the United Nations University. A legally-binding global ban on work to create a human clone , coupled with freedom for nations to...

Oct 31, 2007

The Dawn of Chocolate Discovered

Long before the Aztecs and other early Americans introduced chocolate to the world, ancient civilizations used cacao, the source of chocolate, to make a completely different tasty treat. In fact, new evidence from pottery shards shows that cacao was in use much longer than previously thought. Cacao beans, which come...

Oct 31, 2007

What's in Your Genes? Ancient Parasites

You may not know it, but you're part virus. At least, some of your genes come from viruses that slipped their DNA into the genes of our primate ancestors millions of years ago. The DNA remnants of these ancient retroviruses, distant relatives of today's HIV, account for an estimated 8...

Oct 31, 2007

The Big Holiday Depression Myth

At some point during this holiday season—maybe as you're rushing to the corner store for more turkey stuffing, or while at a Christmas Eve sale wrestling the last Xbox 360 away from a middle-aged mom—you will be tired, stressed and depressed. Most people have heard the bit of folk wisdom...

Oct 31, 2007

Couples Emphasize Career of Man over Woman

When working couples move, the husband's career often gets a boost and the wife's career suffers. A new study suggests what's behind that typical outcome. Couples tend to put more emphasis on the man's career, even if the wife works full-time and is college-educated. This is bad news for people...

Sep 30, 2007

Incan Kids Fattened Before Sacrifice

Incan children as young as 6 were “fattened up” prior to their sacrificial deaths, a new study shows. Researchers made the startling discovery by sampling the hair of frozen child mummies found high in the Andes mountains, near the summit of Mount Llullaillaco—a 22,100-foot (6,739-meter) active volcano on the border...

Sep 30, 2007

Computerized Pillow Reduces Snoring

A computerized pillow reduces snoring according to German scientist Daryoush Bazargani. The pillow is attached to a computer, which is the size of a book, rests on a bedside table, and analyzes snoring noises, said Bazargani. The computer then reduces or enlarges air compartments within the pillow to facilitate nasal...

Sep 30, 2007

Abused Workers Fight Back by Slacking Off

Employees toiling under an abusive supervisor often rebel quietly and indirectly by slacking off on the job and handing in sloppy work. Researchers at Florida State University surveyed more than 180 employees from a wide variety of professions, asking whether they had endured a history of abuse from their bosses,...

Sep 30, 2007

Brain Fast to Recognize Fearful Faces

People recognize a fearful expression faster than any other, a new study finds. Researchers at Vanderbilt University set out to test how quickly people become aware of fearful, neutral and happy expressions. Because human brains can process facial expressions with astonishing speed—in fewer than 40 milliseconds—the psychologists devised a way...

Sep 30, 2007

Scientist: Blood Helps Us Think

As it is pumped through blood vessels and delivers oxygen to brain cells, blood may actually help us think. Research done by scientists at MIT suggests that in addition to providing nutrients and oxygen to the body's cells, blood may affect the activity of neurons in the brain as it...

Sep 30, 2007

Study Reveals Why Flu Thrives in Winter

For the first time, scientists have solid evidence of why the flu is so common in winter. A new animal study suggests that the influenza virus' success hinges on low relative humidity and cold temperatures. Such conditions keep the virus more stable and in the air longer than warm, humid...