Psychopathology and personality are separate areas of psychology, but they aren’t as separate as previously thought. In fact, a new study suggests that the two spheres are closely tied, with around a fourth of people’s risk of mental health conditions, including their risk of depression, anxiety, and phobias, being attributable to their personality traits. Published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, the study suggests that personality traits can serve as predictors of c ...read more

Thanks to hundreds of self-inflicted snake bites, a Wisconsin man has been able to donate his antibodies to science, leading to the “most broadly effective antivenom to date,” according to a press release. New research published in Cell discusses the first use of human antibodies to help create an antivenom that can be effective against multiple species of venomous snakes, including black mamba, king cobra, and tiger snakes. Combined with a small molecule inhibitor, this could help create a ...read more

People have been searching for the key to happiness at least as long as recorded history. Now, researchers have found that their is no single, uniform solution. A study in the journal Nature Human Behavior shows that happiness can come from either external or internal sources and that its roots vary from person to person and society to society.Happiness From External or Internal SourcesExternal influences include things like careers, health, relationships, and wealth. Inner ones can come from pr ...read more

We typically associate mummies with ancient Egypt — or sometimes cheesy old horror movies. Now a newly described mummy from an unexpected place — Austria — details in the journal Frontiers in Medicine a previously unknown embalming technique.Although mummification is firmly linked to the Age of the Pharaohs, other cultures have employed various embalming techniques resembling that process. It is often used for religious reasons and the methods vary by time and place.Unusual Embalming Techn ...read more

Have you ever hesitated to treat yourself to a tuna steak or a colorful sushi plate because of concerns about mercury and other heavy metals? You’re not alone — and your caution is justified. Considered one of the top ten chemicals of public health concern by the World Health Organization, mercury can cause serious medical issues, distinctly for developing fetuses during pregnancy.While eating fish regularly is encouraged for its nutritional benefits — especially during pregnancy — globa ...read more

Do nonhuman animals live in a kind of eternal present, or are they aware of the passage of time? That question has been debated by scientists for decades. Most experts agree that animals have some way of measuring time, but how their brains process time has long been a mystery. We may never know what the passage of time feels like to other animals, but researchers are beginning to discover what’s going on in the brain when animals process time.How Animals Process TimeDaniel Dombeck, a neurosc ...read more

That scratch on your arm, that scrape on your knee — they’re taking their sweet time to heal, and it’s likely the fault of your fur, or, really, your lack thereof. Testing the speed of skin healing in an assortment of animals, a team of researchers has found that skin takes a lot longer to heal in humans than it does in other primates and mammals. Publishing their results in a study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the researchers say that the reason may be b ...read more

Every spring, Earth passes through a cosmic trail left behind by one of the most famous visitors from the outer solar system: Halley's Comet. The result is the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, a dazzling display of shooting stars that’s set to peak this year during the night of May 5, 2025 into the early hours of May 6, 2025.If you’re hoping to catch one of the best celestial shows of the season, here’s everything you need to know about the Eta Aquarids — including what causes them, where the ...read more

For some technological speculators, the universe could be considered a gold mine. But in terms of literally yielding precious metals, a more accurate description might be a factory — albeit one that operates intermittently and under both rare and extreme circumstances.Astronomers now have a much better understanding of the cosmic conditions that create gold, platinum, and other heavy elements. They’ve identified and characterized a giant flare from a supermagnetized star that may have genera ...read more

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that some of the largest flying animals to ever exist, known as pterosaurs, were not just rulers of the skies. They also adapted to life on land and did so much more easily than previously thought.The study, published in Current Biology, used fossilized footprints over 160 million years old to trace when these ancient reptiles began walking on solid ground. The findings provide a new understanding of how and when pterosaurs became agile ground-dwellers who ...read more