Wellness

  • Cognitive Gains From Meditation Remain 7 Years Later

    Cognitive Gains From Meditation Remain 7 Years Later

    Cognitive gains developed through intensive meditation can last for years, a new study suggests. The study is part of the Shamatha Project, a comprehensive longitudinal study on the varied effects of meditation on human cognition, psychology and biology. The research is published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. Led by Clifford Saron, a research scientist… Read More

  • Can Exercise Make You Happier?

    Can Exercise Make You Happier?

    It is well known that physical activity can help reduce negative health conditions such as anxiety or depression, but what do we know about its effects on positive mental health? A new study by the University of Michigan shows that physical activity may result in increased levels of happiness. The researchers, Weiyun Chen, associate professor… Read More

  • Lullabies and Rock Shows: How Music Makes Us Social

    Lullabies and Rock Shows: How Music Makes Us Social

    Music, from a very young age, has an enormous impact on human emotions, development, and social interactions. The more scientists learn about the way people process music, the better they can understand perception, multisensory integration, and social coordination throughout someone’s life. Two separate studies, which were recently presented at the 25th meeting of the Cognitive… Read More

  • New Study Shows How to Overcome Embarrassment

    New Study Shows How to Overcome Embarrassment

    Mental training may be the key to overcoming embarrassment and helping people avoid humiliation or distress, a new study suggests. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that when people train their mind to be an observer, rather than an active participant, in an embarrassing situation,… Read More

  • Living Abroad Develops Clearer Sense of Self

    Living Abroad Develops Clearer Sense of Self

    Living abroad increases “self-concept clarity,” or the idea that individuals have a more clear and confidently defined idea of themselves, according to a recent study conducted by social scientists at Rice University, Columbia University and the University of North Carolina. The researchers found that this trait not only increased in people who lived abroad, but… Read More

  • Cheaper 3D-Printed Model Just As Effective at Student Training

    Cheaper 3D-Printed Model Just As Effective at Student Training

    Researchers from Stanford University have developed a way to replicate a patient’s blood vessels in a 3D-printed model, a cheaper, yet as effective, method as commercially available models for training medical students in interventional radiology vascular access. The study was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting. Interventional Radiology Compared to open… Read More

  • Subtle Blood Flow Changes Can Reveal Your Emotions

    Subtle Blood Flow Changes Can Reveal Your Emotions

    Subtle changes in blood flow color around the face reveal the mood we’re in, even before our faces move to form the expression we want, according to a groundbreaking study by The Ohio State University. This is the first study to ever document connections between blood flow color change and facial expression without facial movement.… Read More

  • Ditch Your Smartphone to Better Enjoy Time with Friends and Family

    Ditch Your Smartphone to Better Enjoy Time with Friends and Family

    In an age of constant connection and instant access to information, many of us are tied to our smartphones. It would be advisable though to stop using our smartphones every once in a while—when we’re dining out with friends and family, for example—so we can truly enjoy our time with them. In a recent study… Read More

  • Mindfulness Can Improve Problem-Solving Skills

    Mindfulness Can Improve Problem-Solving Skills

    Mindfulness can increase the capacity to solve computer-engineering problems, according to a recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Seville, Spain. The paper is published in the Journal of Systems and Software. What is Mindfulness? In the field of psychology, mindfulness is to be fully aware of the present. The… Read More

  • College Roommates’ Sensitivity to Each Other’s Distress Can Be Helpful

    College Roommates’ Sensitivity to Each Other’s Distress Can Be Helpful

    While college roommates can sense each other’s distress, a recent study by New York University psychology researchers suggests they tend to underestimate the level of distress that each experiences. Supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the study is published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Stress in College College… Read More

  • Social Media Does Not Displace Face-to-Face Social Interactions

    Social Media Does Not Displace Face-to-Face Social Interactions

    Contrary to popular belief, recent research suggests that social media is not replacing face-to-face contact with family and friends. The study is published in Information, Communication & Society. Fears of Social Displacement For many years, people have worried that social media is replacing human contact. Supporters of this belief poked at the irony: despite its… Read More

  • High Expectations Tied to Higher Test Scores

    High Expectations Tied to Higher Test Scores

    Students who expect higher scores from their exams generally achieve them, according to a recent study. The study is led by Jan Magnus, visiting professor at the Department of Econometrics and Operations Research of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Emeritus Professor at the Department of Econometrics & Operations Research in Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and Anatoly… Read More

  • Visualizing Successful Futures Can Help Students ‘Navigate Everyday Stressors’

    Visualizing Successful Futures Can Help Students ‘Navigate Everyday Stressors’

    Researchers at Northwestern University have found that identity-based motivation, or the practice of imagining a successful future for oneself, can help students get past their everyday challenges and stresses. The study was led by Mesmin Destin, associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy and the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University, and… Read More

  • Simple Test for Fluoride Can Help Prevent Crippling Bone Disease

    Simple Test for Fluoride Can Help Prevent Crippling Bone Disease

    A simple test to detect fluoride in drinking water quickly could prevent skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone disease, according to a team of researchers from the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies and the Water Innovation and Research Centre (WIRC) at the University of Bath, UK. The study is published in the journal Chemical Communications. Fluoride is… Read More

  • Scientists 3D Print Super-Soft Brain-Like Tissue

    Scientists 3D Print Super-Soft Brain-Like Tissue

    A team of researchers from Imperial College London and King’s College London has developed a new technique for creating 3D structures that can be used to replicate tissues and biological organs. The study is published in Scientific Reports. Organ printing The study of organ printing uses 3D printing techniques to produce artificially constructed device for… Read More

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