You’ve heard of armchair travel, right? Well this is armchair travel with a twist. Cultures from around the world have cultivated well-being in many fascinating ways—and science agrees that they’re effective! Better yet? They won’t cost you a thing. Self-care goes global! Spanish siesta Let’s start with a bit of winter warmth. In Spain and […]
Scientists have studied gossip for decades. That’s not surprising given how ‘normal’ it is in any social group, big or small. It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of people in workplaces in Western Europe and North Americaindulge in such banter—defined as talking about someone not present. People in modern societies spend about an hour […]
We’ve known for decades that the placebo effect is very real. This is seen in real-life observations and the best double-blinded randomised clinical trials researchers have devised for many diseases and conditions, especially pain. And yet, how and why the placebo effect occurs has remained a mystery. Now, neuroscientists have discovered a key piece of […]
It is the human experience, in the face of pain, to want to feel better. As a result – and in conjunction with millennia of evolution – our brains can search for ways to help us feel better. It releases chemicals, which can be measured. Positive thinking and even prayer have been shown to benefit […]
Teenagers have a reputation for smelling, well, just a bit ‘strong’. According to the latest research, that stereotype might be more than standard adult bias against teenagers in general—it could actually be rooted in solid science. In a study published on 21st March in the journal Communications Chemistry, researchers characterised the chemical makeup of ‘Essence […]
Near-death experiences (NDE) have been long reported across time and cultures. An astounding 5 to 10 percent of the general population is estimated to have memories of an NDE, including somewhere between 10 and 23 percent of heart attack survivors. A growing number of scholars now accept NDEs as a unique mental state that can […]
In an increasingly competitive world, time is of the essence. Notions of productivity and timeliness have accelerated contemporary lifestyles to a dizzying, sometimes overwhelming pace, and our dependence on technology is doing little to help. As the clock grows to dominate the tempo of life, time itself seems to be increasingly fleeting. This is particularly […]
Handwriting notes in class might seem unnecessary as smartphones and other digital technology take over every aspect of learning across schools and universities. But a steady stream of research continues to suggest that taking notes the traditional way—with pen and paper or even stylus and tablet—is still the best way to learn, especially for young […]
If you’ve ever (even for a short while) lost your sense of smell – it may have been with early covid, but it could have been due to a heavy cold – then you’ll understand how disorienting it can be. We know that smell is deeply embedded in our brains and linked inextricably to memory. […]
The holiday season is upon us, and with it, opportunities to indulge in festive treats. The proverbial saying “you eat with your eyes first” seems particularly relevant at this time of year. The science behind eating behaviour, however, reveals that the process of deciding what, when and how much to eat is far more complex […]
When the alarm goes off in the early morning, it’s tempting to hit the snooze button and curl back under the warm covers for a few more minutes of slumber. This repeated postponing of the buzzer is often thought of as a bad habit—one that creates not only a lazy start to a day but […]
When I was doing my neuroscience degree, I always found it astonishing that, given the option, most rats will choose sugar instead of cocaine. Their lust for sugar is so intense that they will go as far as to self-administer electric shocks in their desperation to consume it. Rats aren’t alone in this drive. Humans, it […]