Memory Repression: A Dubious Theory That's Sticking Around

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

(Credit: Shutterstock) Compared to the other generational tragedies of the late ’80s and early ’90s, the rise of memory repression cases is hardly remembered. But nevertheless, during that time hundreds of abuse cases in the courts hinged on unproven theories of Sigmund Freud, tearing hundreds of families asunder and solidifying memory repression in clinical lore. Harvard University psychologist Richard McNally famously called repressed memories “the worst catastrophe to befa ...read more

The iceberg about to crack off Antarctica will be a million times more voluminous than the Empire State Building

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

According to a new estimate, the impending iceberg could be the size of Delaware and extend more than 60 stories beneath the surface Antarctica’s soon-to-be iceberg is visualized here in a graphic from the European Space Agency.   An ever-widening rift in an Antarctic ice shelf has grown from 70 miles long back in December 2016 to 124 miles long now. That means there’s just another three miles to go before the fissure reaches the ocean. When that happens, t ...read more

Cognitive Function and Menstruation, It's a Mythical Link

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

(Credit: agsandrew/Shutterstock) Menstruating women experience no changes in cognition, according to a new study from Swiss and German researchers. It’s a pervasive stereotype: cognitive performance is different when women are on their periods. It’s an idea that has implications for women’s professional lives, extending even to the last presidential election. However, there isn’t reliable scientific research backing this ill-informed belief up, and what little exists is ...read more

Has the Sun blown its top?

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

It sure looks that way in this animation showing the Sun up close and personal. And there are two other ‘holes’ visible as well. [embedded content] A big dark area in the north polar region makes it appear as if the Sun has blown its top. And in a way, it has. You can see what’s going on by watching the animation above. It’s based on data acquired by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft over 48 hours, starting on July 3rd and continuing into today ...read more

The Science of Yogurt

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Guest post by Earlene Mulyawan Yogurt is an ancient food that has been around for several millennia. One theory of the discovery of yogurt is that during 10,000 – 5,000 BC, when Herdsmen began the practice of milking their animals, they stored their milk in bags made of the intestinal gut of the animals. The intestines contain natural enzymes that cause the milk to curdle and sour. The herdsmen noticed that this method of storing milk extends its shelf life and preserves it. When they cons ...read more