For some seniors, enjoying good health during their golden years could be as simple as staying hydrated. In a January 2023 article in The Lancet, researchers followed more than 11,000 participants for 25 years and found the most hydrated were less at risk for chronic diseases and premature death.People become less hydrated as they age, and the authors concluded that having a hydration routine could help a person slow the aging process.Dementia patients, however, aren’t always able to commu ...read more

The discovery of a new dinosaur found within 10 feet of its fossilized eggs is shedding light on how early reptiles reproduced and the evolution of the egg.Qianlong shouhu, which means “Guizhou dragon guarding,” lived during the early Jurassic Period some 190 million years ago, when it was an early precursor to immense sauropod dinosaurs such as the brontosaurus. Q. shouhu, however, was not so large and weighed a mere ton and measured about 20 feet long. Also unlike brontosaurus, it walked o ...read more

The spinal cord is like a superhighway for the body’s nervous system. Partial injuries, like lane closures, let fewer brain signals through, but complete spinal cord injuries are akin to highway closures. No signals cross the injury site to the other side, paralyzing the body below the site of the injury.Today, there’s no way to restore motor function – such as the ability to walk – below the injury site. A recent study published in Science, however, shows that walking can be restored ev ...read more

You wake up one day, and your nose feels a little stuffy. You find yourself reaching for that box of Kleenex more and more, and to your dismay, the crumpled tissues are starting to pile up. Maybe there’s an ominous tickle in your throat that just won’t go away, no matter how much water you chug.It’s upsetting but not surprising: ‘Tis the season of respiratory viruses. As we anticipate the yearly uptick of flu and common cold cases, how can we distinguish those sicknesses from the still-p ...read more

Alcohol, often deployed as a social lubricant, can easily turn into a poison. It's a thin line between enjoyment and danger. Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — consequence of drinking large amounts of alcohol over a short period of time. Understanding what alcohol poising is, recognizing the symptoms, and knowing how to respond could be lifesaving. So in this article, we’ll go over the basics of alcohol poisoning. What Is Alcohol Poisoning?Alcohol poisoning occurs when ...read more

Alcohol is a ubiquitous part of many cultures and social gatherings. But it is also a substance that can profoundly impact the human body. And it stays in your system longer than you might think. Understanding the journey of alcohol through the body is crucial for understanding the impacts it can have on your health and for making informed decisions. So, let’s take a deeper dive into exactly how the human body processes and gets rid of alcohol, as well as the effects alcohol detox can have. Ho ...read more

The saccule and utricle, two chambers in the inner ear, detect the direction of gravity and help the body to balance. Without their influence, we quickly become lost and disoriented.To prevent this confusion from happening to astronauts in space, scientists at Brandeis University have proposed a new system that is surprisingly simple.It involves a series of small vibrating devices that are taped to the skin and vibrate to signal one’s position in space, a kind of mechanical inner ear. Early re ...read more

When gathering for a Thanksgiving meal, a few staples adorn the table. From roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes, these fixings will surely be part of the feast. But ever wonder why these classic foods are commonly seen every year?According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, many foods enjoyed on American tables are from Mexico and South America. Here are how these foods made it to millions across the U.S. and how they are rooted in the country's early beg ...read more

One unsuspecting February morning in 1976, a 7.5 scale earthquake shook the Central American country of Guatemala. Originating from the Motagua Fault, the meeting point of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates, the earthquake killed around 23,000 people and injured many more. The damage to buildings was also devastating, with tens of thousands of brightly painted adobe houses reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds.Ironically, one of the few places in Guatemala that wasn’t leveled ...read more

According to legend, Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be a national symbol of the fledgling United States. That actually isn’t true.However, Ben apparently did have a high opinion of the bird. According to the Franklin Institute, when comparing it to the bald eagle, Franklin considered the turkey more courageous and wrote that it was “… a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America …. “Franklin was right to admire the turkey, although even the great s ...read more