Why Do I Feel Better When I Wake Myself Up Instead of an Alarm?

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

We’ve all experienced this: You’re in the middle of a lovely dream. Perhaps you’re flying. As you’re soaring through the air, you meet an eagle. The eagle looks at you, opens its beak, and – BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!Your alarm goes off. Dream over, time to get up.Many people – kids and adults alike – notice that when they wake up naturally from sleep, they feel more alert than if an alarm or another person, like a parent, wakes them up. Why is that?I’m a neurologist who studies the brain ...read more

How AI Systems Fail the Human Test

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Economists have a game that reveals how deeply individuals reason. Known as the 11-20 money request game, it is played between two players who each request an amount of money between 11 and 20 shekels, knowing that both will receive the amount they ask for. But there's a twist: if one player asks for exactly one shekel less than the other, that player earns a bonus of 20 shekels. This tests each player’s ability to think about what their opponent might do — a classic challenge of strategic r ...read more

This Dinosaur’s Cry Could Have Sounded Like a Huge Trumpet

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

When Hongjun Lin from New York University revisited the Jurassic Park films, something didn’t sound quite right. Lin, a dinosaur aficionado since his youth, was pretty sure the calls the creatures made were inaccurate. He was particularly focused on Parasaurolophus, a creature with a crest on the back of its head.“What if I told you that the sound of Parasaurolophus in the film Jurassic Park is not true?” Lin addressed a virtual press conference before presenting a research report on how t ...read more

A Six-Course Citizen Science Feast for the Holidays!

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Our master chefs in the SciStarter kitchen have been working overtime to bring you this delectable Thanksgiving menu, featuring citizen science projects guaranteed to satisfy even the most insatiable curiosity.Hors d'oeuvres: Nature's NotebookCredit: Nature's NotebookAt Nature’s Notebook, nature is always in season; currently, the program features the spicy flavors of autumn! Deepen your connection with nature by making observations as fall turns to winter. It’s a giant smorgasbord of activi ...read more

Knee Problems Tend To Flare Up As You Age

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Knee injuries are common in athletes, accounting for 41 percent of all athletic injuries. But knee injuries aren’t limited to competitive athletes. In our everyday lives, an accident or a quick movement in the wrong direction can injure the knee and require medical treatment. A quarter of the adult population worldwide experiences knee pain each yearAs a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic specialist, I help patients of all ages with knee injuries and degenerative conditions.Your ...read more

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