Picture an amphibian over 6 feet long, with a suction-cup mouth containing 4-inch fangs in a 2-foot-long skull that holds a ring of smaller, but equally sharp teeth. Such a creature dominated the waters 40 million years before dinosaurs usurped it as a top predator and comes from a lineage once thought to be extinct millions of years before its aquatic reign. This creature, Gaiasia jennyae — which could aptly be named “salamander from hell” — is described in a new report in Nature.“Gai ...read more
Electroencephalography, or EEG, was invented 100 years ago. In the years since the invention of this device to monitor brain electricity, it has had an incredible impact on how scientists study the human brain.Since its first use, the EEG has shaped researchers’ understanding of cognition, from perception to memory. It has also been important for diagnosing and guiding treatment of multiple brain disorders, including epilepsy.I am a cognitive neuroscientist who uses EEG to study how people rem ...read more
Personality is a fascinating and complex aspect of human nature. It's what makes each of us unique, influencing how we think, feel, and interact with the world around us. But have you ever wondered why sometimes you enjoy being the life of the party, and other times you crave solitude? If so, you might be tapping into both introverted and extroverted traits, making you an ambivert.In this article, we’ll briefly explore what it means to be an ambivert, as well as how to recognize if you possess ...read more
Since the dawn of time, humans have depended on the light of day and the darkness of night to regulate sleep cycles and keep our circadian rhythms in check. But now with the advent of electrical lighting as well as screen time, we have to tend to unnatural lighting and the impact it has on our sleep cycles.Humans have robust rhythms that regulate nearly every aspect of our lives, from our cognition to memory to things like liver function and how the pancreas secretes insulin in response to a mea ...read more
Every season has its own unique sights, sounds and other sensations. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we look at fireflies, listen to cicadas, feel the ocean waves and extend our senses beyond the bounds of our planet.Sensations of Summer Audio PodcastSensations of Summer Video PodcastPodcast TranscriptSciStarter S5E6 Sensations of SummerBob Hirshon Welcome to Citizen Science: Stories of Science We Can Do Together, also known as the SciStarter podcast. In this episode a summer sensory ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine