This story was originally published in our Sept/Oct 2023 issue as "Sherlock of Sleep." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.The elderly man woke up one night to find himself in a bed soaked with blood. His wife, lying next to him, was dead, stabbed with a letter opener.The man was charged with murder, though he claimed to have no memory of what had happened. The defense attorney was stumped, because there was no plausible motive for his client to have killed his wife.The ...read more
In the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California, at least 79,000 metric tons of plastic has coalesced to create the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The patch, kept together by ocean currents and spanning an area of roughly 1.6 million square kilometers — about twice the size of Texas — is one of the most incriminating examples of human pollution on the planet. It’s also a huge hazard for marine life, killing up to 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year via ingestion ...read more
When it comes to enjoying a glass of wine or a pint of beer, not everyone can partake without consequence. After consuming alcohol, some individuals find themselves facing sudden and often uncomfortable reactions, such as facial flushing and stuffy noses. This leads to the question: Can you be allergic to alcohol?In this article, we’ll briefly dive into the basics of alcohol intolerance, its symptoms, the diseases that may cause it, and how to test for this condition.What Is Alcohol Intoleranc ...read more
For immune health, some influencers seem to think the Goldilocks philosophy of “just right” is overrated. Why settle for less immunity when you can have more? Many social media posts push supplements and other life hacks that “boost your immune system” to keep you healthy and fend off illness.However, these claims are not based on science and what is known about immune function. Healthy immune systems don’t need to be “boosted.” Instead, the immune system works best when it is per ...read more
It’s a tired trope in movies and cartoons: The characters are wandering in the desert, desperate for water, when up ahead, they see an oasis. Water at last! (In cartoons, the water is often surrounded by swaying palm trees and deck chairs.) But alas, there is no oasis — no water at all, not even a small pool. It was just a mirage. We even use ‘mirage’ as a metaphor: I imagined us together for the rest of our lives, but that future was just a mirage. But what are mirages when you get th ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine