THE SCIENCE OF My LIFE
By duskdiver | Figuring out Life through Psychology, Science, VR, Technology, DIY Lifehacks, Learning and Autism studies
Psychology Around the Net: July 21, 2018
Whether you read this with your Saturday morning coffee or while winding down after a busy weekend, you definitely want to make some time to catch up …
Mental HealthResearchers prove the arrow of time is irrelevant to quantum computers
An international team of scientists recently published groundbreaking research indicating quantum computers aren’t handicapped by a classical view of time. Grab a cup of coffee, we’ll explain.<p>The researchers set out to determine if quantum computers could be used to overcome one of classical …
PhysicsMouse Study: Mom's Gut Microbiome May Impact Kids' Autism Risk
The health of a mother’s microbiome during pregnancy may have a significant impact on her offspring’s risk for autism, according to a new mouse study …
AutismNew forensic tests suggest Shroud of Turin is fake
ROME (Reuters) - A new high-tech forensic study of the blood flows on the Shroud of Turin, the mysterious linen some Christians believe is Jesus’ burial cloth, is the latest analysis to suggest that it is most likely a mediaeval fake.<p>The results of the investigation, in which scientists used a …
Pope Francis"Pickle Rick" Dramatizes Why We Need to Pay More Attention to Mental Health
The smartest 'Rick and Morty' episode might be its most important.<p>People fucking <i>love</i> “Pickle Rick,” but it often feels like it’s for all the wrong …
Mental HealthWe May Have Been Wrong About The Inner Workings of The Minds of Narcissists
Do they hate themselves or not?<p>Narcissists aren't hard to spot. You can tell them from the way they act, how they're raised, or where they live. …
PsychologyHere’s everything you can do to stop robocalls
Answering a phone call only to have some random stranger yelling and threatening you because you supposedly owe the IRS money is confusing and frustrating. Robocalls aren't only annoying, but they ultimately scam people who don't know any better out of money.<p>While it's not possible to entirely end …
Identity TheftNew virtual reality game can tell when you're not scared enough - and turn up the terror
You're the sole survivor of a horrible subway crash, trying to find your way out through the dark tunnels.<p>But somehow, the shadows are coming …
Virtual RealityThis little robot moves in and out of the sun to care for a plant that lives on its back
Tianqi Sun, CEO of robotics firm Vincross, has created a delightful mod of his robot Hexa which cares for a houseplant when the owner is too forgetful to water it.<p>Hexa is a small crab-like looking robot, which is available to buy for $949 and is designed to give people the chance to experiment with …
RoboticsThe Game Boy Sewing Machine Is Still Very Cool
There have been a lot of peripherals in the history of video games. Light guns, fishing rods, and that giant <i>Steel Battalion</i> control board have graced …
SewingPsychology Around the Net: July 14, 2018
Are you ready for this week’s Psychology Around the Net? We’ve got some pretty interesting updates in the mental health world for you this week!<p>Keep …
Mental HealthVideo games and mental health: 'Nobody's properly talking'
<b>We've all heard the headlines: Video games cause addiction, violence, and distress.</b><p>Ludectrophobia (a fear of video games - but we all knew that) has evolved since the 1980s as each decade brought new concerns.<p>"Gaming disorder" is now even an official medical condition.<p>But there's another side to …
Mental HealthVitamin D offers no protection against Alzheimer's
There is no solid evidence that vitamin D protects against Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative diseases.<p>This …
Medical ResearchThe real reason the sound of your own voice makes you cringe
Most of us have shuddered on hearing the sound of our own voice. In fact, not liking the sound of your own voice is so common that there’s a term for it: voice confrontation.<p>But why is voice confrontation so frequent, while barely a thought is given to the voices of others?<p>A common explanation …
Mickey MouseAutism spectrum disorder linked to shape of brain's cerebellum
Structural differences in the cerebellum may be linked to some aspects of autism spectrum disorder, according to a neuroimaging study from Columbia …
AutismVirtual Reality Isn't Just For Gamers Anymore; It Will Change Your Health
I’ve got one big idea that can change your health. But first some history.<p>Heart transplants were once rare.<p>When I was training to be a heart transplant surgeon at Stanford, at every opportunity I would go to the operating room to observe and study my mentor (and the “father of heart …
Virtual RealityTo Make Sense of the Present, Brains May Predict the Future
A controversial theory suggests that perception, motor control, memory and other brain functions all depend on comparisons between ongoing actual …
Machine LearningBrains of Children with Autism Show Unusual Folding Patterns
The brains of children with autism fold differently than those of their typical peers. Whether they are unusually smooth or convoluted depends on …
AutismWe May Have Been Wrong About Autism And Empathy
People with autism make moral decisions in a similar manner to those without the condition, according to a new study.<p>ChristianNasca via Getty …
AutismCommon cause of dementia may be treatable
A new study — led by the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom — has now uncovered how a disease that affects the brain's small blood vessels …
Medical ResearchThis is how to overcome social anxiety: 5 powerful tips backed by research
Your mind races. Your palms sweat. The words don’t come out of your mouth right, if they come at all. We’ve all been there at one time or another. …
Self-helpPsychology Around the Net: July 7, 2018
Happy Saturday, sweet readers!<p>I hope all my fellow Americans had an amazing Fourth of July last week. I don’t know who Independence Day thinks it is, …
Mental HealthNeuroscientists Have Found New Brain Clues For What Really Causes Psychopathy
These people are "wildly misunderstood".<p>Psychopathy typically hovers on the border somewhere between a mental disorder and a moral judgement.<p>A new …
NeurologyThe mind-bendy weirdness of the number zero, explained
We explain nothing.<p>The computer you’re reading this article on right now runs on a binary — strings of zeros and ones. Without zero, modern electronics wouldn’t exist. Without zero, there’s no calculus, which means no modern engineering or automation. Without zero, much of our modern world …
MathematicsWe Just Found Out Spiders Can Use Electricity to Fly Through The Air
OMG.<p>Sometimes, when it rains or when they feel the urge to migrate, spiders get out their little silk knapsacks, and balloon away.<p>This ballooning …
SpidersAmericans Have High Collective Narcissism, Two New Studies Suggest. But Not as High as Russians
Well, that's awkward.<p>Is America a narcissistic country?<p>On a day when America gathers together to celebrate itself, this seems a fair question. The …
Psychology‘Beautiful’ embryos created from near-extinct rhinoceros sperm
A 28-year-old rhinoceros named Najin and her daughter, Fatu, are the only northern white rhinos on the planet. They live at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya under constant armed guard. Both animals are infertile. In March, veterinarians euthanized Sudan, Najin’s father and the last male rhino of …
San Diego ZooQuit Trying to 'Find Your Passion', Psychologists Say, And Do This Instead
You've been lied to.<p>Find your passion, they say. As if it were easy. As if, just by looking around the place, you might stumble into what you love – …
PsychologyRevolutionary Addiction Medicine VR App Launches Kickstarter Campaign
LAS VEGAS, July 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with great pleasure that Order 66 Labs announces the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for their first virtual reality addiction product, Interventionville. Interventionville is created for use in hospitals and clinics to allow users to experience three …
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