Scientists are a mostly conservative bunch, shunning anything theatrical. But Professor Giovanna Mallucci made an exception on a cold October morning when she stood in front of an audience of swimmers and shivering BBC reporters at an unheated, open air pool in London. She chose this particular venue for a good reason. It was to [...]
For years, a few brain researchers have been looking into a non-invasive method to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms begin. They’re focused on the only part of the brain that’s visible without using complicated imaging techniques like X-rays or drilling open the skull. They’re looking at the retina, located at the back of the eye. [...]
If you want to boost your ability to learn new things and remember important information, studies show there’s one quick and easy way to do that. Researchers have found that if we take notes by hand, writing them out the old fashioned way, we can learn more effectively than when we tap our notes into [...]
All of us have experienced foggy thinking from a bad night’s sleep. But for some, chronic poor sleep can be a brain health disaster. What’s more, neuroscientists recently confirmed that millions of poor sleepers suffer from a common and often undiagnosed condition that dramatically increases your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. I’m talking about sleep apnea. [...]
More than a quarter of Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and over two-thirds struggle with sleep at least once a week. For these people, listening to white noise can help. However, a different device has arrived on the scene that may be even more effective than white noise devices. Not only does [...]
Car sickness and other forms of motion sickness are surprisingly common, with up to one in three people highly susceptible to the condition. Being a driver rather than a passenger is protective. But with driverless cars coming to our roads in the near future, drivers will become passengers, and many will want to use their [...]
There’s an old adage that “a rolling stone gathers no moss.” Stones might not be gathering moss, but traditional healers think you should if you want to maintain good health. Over the last 2,000 years, traditional healers have used moss medicinally to cope with a variety of ills. In China, moss has long been used [...]
We all get the weight-gain angle. It’s pretty obvious that eating a lot of processed foods like chips, sweet snacks, fast food, sweetened drinks and other types of "junk" food can expand your waistline. But did you know that, at the same time, those processed foods can also shrink your mental abilities? Well, I’ve got [...]
It’s a vibrant green, culinary herb with a flavor all its own and a long history dating back thousands of years. The herb cilantro was grown by the ancient Egyptians and even placed inside the tomb of their boy king, Tutankhamen. In modern times, cilantro is among the most popular culinary herbs providing a distinct [...]
When our environment darkens, the pupils open up to let in more light. Pupils also dilate when you’re feeling scared or threatened, or when you’re looking at someone you’re physically attracted to. The use of certain medications or recreational drugs can dilate your pupils as well. But there's another reason your eyes dilate, and it's [...]
