Long Periods of Time in Space Can Lead to Declining Mental Health
“The most marked alterations were observed for positive emotions such that we saw continuous declines from the start to the end of the mission, without evidence of a ‘bounce-back effect’ as participants were preparing to return home…” via Study Finds Org Houston — Long-term space travel could lead to a spiral into mental health problems for astronauts mired in loneliness, … Continue reading
One Key Hormone Might Have Set Us Apart From Apes
It’s not just about brain size. Even though you might not believe it on a crowded subway train, humans have a unique set of social skills that set us apart from other animals. And new research says it could be down to all the extra dopamine we have in our brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter – a chemical messenger in the brain … Continue reading
How Do Tiny Little Bee Brains Do So Much?
Recently, researchers at Queen Mary University of London trained a group of buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to get little balls into goals — in a soccer-like game — in exchange for sweet treats. It’s not the first time bees have flexed their mental muscle in the lab. In addition to learning games, bees can also recognize human faces in photographs, … Continue reading
The Bigger The Yawn The Bigger the Brain, Say Scientists
You’re not just lazy. Researchers have found evidence that the length of a yawn can indicate how big your brain is, and how many neurons you have, which could explain why humans yawn longer than other mammals. The discovery is based on the fact that animals, such as gorillas, hippos, and elephants – which are bigger than us but have … Continue reading
Dolphins Recorded Having a Conversation ‘Just Like Two People’ For First Time
Two dolphins have been recorded having a conversation for the first time after scientists developed an underwater microphone which could distinguish the animals’ different “voices”. Researchers have known for decades that the mammals had an advanced form of communication, using distinctive clicks and whistles to show they are excited, happy, stressed or separated from the group. But scientists have now … Continue reading
Are We All Living in a ‘Conceptual Prison’ ?
How much of reality are we actually capable of perceiving ? Our brains may actually perceive only a fraction of reality to help ensure the survival of our species. It might be difficult to imagine experiencing the world around us with a greater degree of perception than what we are accustomed to, especially given that we ourselves tend to assume … Continue reading
