Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2006

Optimism Comes with Age

People tend to see the glass half full more frequently as they age, new research indicates. Researchers showed test subjects virtual faces portraying sadness, anger, fear and happiness. They used eye-tracking technology to record which faces the subjects looked at and for how long. Test subjects age 18-21 focused on...

Mar 31, 2006

Easy Way to Cut Cancer Deaths in Half

Cancer deaths could be cut in half if people simply followed advice that's known to work, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society. None of the advice will surprise you: Don't smoke, don't be obese, improve your diet, exercise, and make use of cancer screening tests. This...

Mar 31, 2006

Cell Division Reversed in Possible Path to Cancer Treatment

One key to advanced life is cell division. Cells divide millions of times every day to sustain the life and growth of a single human. But out-of-control cell division can fuel cancer. Now scientists have for the first time reversed the process of cell division, a breakthrough that could eventually...

Mar 31, 2006

Pesticides Found in Cigarette Smoke

As if tobacco itself wasn't bad enough for people, researchers have found three pesticides in the smoke of cigarettes. The chemicals, commonly used in tobacco farming and approved for that use by the EPA, disrupt the human endocrine system, which includes the thyroid and other glands and the hormones they...

Mar 31, 2006

Bullying Creates Vicious Cycle for Overweight Kids

A new study suggests that constant bullying prevents overweight children from exercising, and all the teasing can make it harder to shed the pounds as an adult. About one out of every five children is chronically bullied. Overweight kids are targeted more frequently, and oftentimes while in gym class or...

Feb 28, 2006

Marital Spats Raise Risk of Heart Attack

Fighting with the one you love can leave you broken-hearted, a feeling that now appears to be more than just figurative. Marital spats and dominating behavior are related to hardening of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Clogged arteries raise the risk of a heart attack. A...

Feb 28, 2006

New Wisdom on Ancient Skeleton's Teeth

She's not a girl but is now a woman. No, we're not talking about Britney Spears, but the Magdalenian Girl, the skeleton of an early modern human housed at the Field Museum in Chicago since 1926. For years, these bones dating from 13,000 to 15,000 years ago were thought to...

Feb 28, 2006

Blood Cells Change Shape to Fit Through Tiny Vessels

Human red blood cells rushing through the body to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the organs are forced to squeeze through smaller and smaller blood vessels. A new study has discovered how exactly the teeny hat-shaped cells deform themselves to fit through these micro-tunnels. The research could...

Feb 28, 2006

Nanotech Restores Vision in Hamsters

Scientists partially restored the vision in blinded hamsters by plugging gaps in their injured brains with a synthetic substance that allowed brain cells to reconnect with one another, a new study reports. If it can be applied to humans, the microscopic material could one day help restore sensory and motor...

Feb 28, 2006

Genetic Basis for Increased Risk of Impulsive Violence

Scientists have identified a gene that may increase the risk for impulsivity and violence, particularly in men. The new study adds fuel to the debate over whether nature or nurture is to blame for criminal and disagreeable behavior. Researchers tested 142 healthy volunteers, free from psychiatric or neurological illnesses as...

Feb 28, 2006

New Tool to Provide Insight on Alzheimerâ€™s, Parkinsonâ€™s

A new simple model of a portion of a brain cell will provide researchers with fresh insight to the destructive processes behind neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, scientists announced today. One of the beauties of a simplified model is that it allows you to ask very simple questions,...

Feb 28, 2006

Skull of 'Missing Link' Human Ancestor Found In Ethiopia

ADDIS The Archaeologists Sileshi, The Homo The The The ...

Feb 28, 2006

Don't Laugh: Just Think About It

If you're down in the dumps, you might just think about watching a funny movie. A new study suggests that the mere expectation of laughter makes us feel good. Researchers split people into two groups. One group was told they'd be watching a funny movie, the other was not. Blood...

Jan 31, 2006

Myth Busted: Late Night Snacks Don't Add Weight

Giving in to those late-night munchies won't make you gain weight after all, according to a new study. Eating at night is no more likely to promote weight gain than eating during the day, said study co-author Judy Cameron, a researcher at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon...

Jan 31, 2006

Kids are Depressing, Study of Parents Finds

Any parent will tell you kids can be depressing at times. A new study shows that raising them is a lifelong challenge to your mental health. Not only do parents have significantly higher levels of depression than adults who do not have children, the problem gets worse when the kids...