The '5-second rule' is disproved in new study
It is likely that most of us have faced this dilemma: a tasty morsel of food has fallen on the floor, but rather than discard it, the thought of picking it up quickly and eating it crosses the mind. The so-called 5-second rule suggests that eating food from the floor is safe, so long as it is picked up within 5 seconds. A new study, however, says otherwise. Researchers led by Prof. Donald...
Statins: 'Harms have been overestimated,' says review
The harms of statins have been largely overestimated due to misinterpretation of study results, and the benefits of the cholesterol-lowering drugs have been underrated. This is the conclusion of a large-scale review recently published in The Lancet. The authors of the review - including Prof. Liam Smeeth of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom - hope their...
How a Breakup Can Change You for the Better
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh Losing a significant relationship in life is never easy, especially after you and your former partner walked a journey together. The loss of a close relationship can feel like emotional amputation. You may feel sad and alone, as if you’re missing an important part of...
Are You a Good Judge of Character?
How long does it take you to decide whether or not you like someone you’ve just met? Although we’re told not to make snap judgments about other people, we do just that all the time. And what’s more, many of those quick assessments are reasonably accurate. Humans and other primates are highly social species, and over millions of years our ancestors evolved powerful intuitions for processing social...
Study: More Exercise Isn't Necessarily Better for Your Brain
In recent years, dozens of studies have reported the neuroprotective benefits of aerobic exercise. However, the dose-specific amount and intensity of physical activity necessary to safeguard cognitive function as your body and brain get older has been up for debate. Yesterday, a new longitudinal study from Finland—that followed 3050 twins for 25 years—reported that moderately-vigorous physical...
How You Can Tell You're Dealing With a Psychopath
Over the years, neurobiologists have identified several factors that are highly correlated or associated with violent behavior in people: First, the failure to develop adequate coping mechanisms in childhood is associated with violent behavior later in life. Second, neglect and/or abuse by caregivers during childhood is linked to an increased risk of adult violence. Third, substance abuse (...
Should you feed a cold and starve a fever? Study investigates
"Feed a cold, starve a fever," so the old saying goes, and according to a new study, it may hold some truth. Researchers found that mice with a bacterial infection died after being fed, while mice with a viral infection survived after eating. Senior author Ruslan Medzhitov - David W. Wallace professor of immunobiology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Yale School of Medicine...
15 signs that you're emotionally intelligent
It's all too easy to lose control of our emotions. That's why emotional intelligence, known as EI or EQ, is so important. The ability to identify emotions (in yourself and others), to understand their powerful effect, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior can greatly increase the chances of successfully achieving your goals. Like any ability, the skills of emotional...
