COVID-19 taught most people that the line between tolerable and toxic stress – defined as persistent demands that lead to disease – varies widely. But some people will age faster and die younger from toxic stressors than others.So how much stress is too much, and what can you do about it?I’m a psychiatrist specializing in psychosomatic medicine, which is the study and treatment of people who have physical and mental illnesses. My research is focused on people who have psychological conditi ...read more
It's hard to keep up with the latest fads and wellness crazes. But a new online trend —mewing — is sweeping social media and attracting a lot of attention. More than just a new slang term, "mewing" describes a quick-fix method for facial reconstruction, meant to make an individual's jawline look tighter and more sculpted, among other benefits. The phenomenon has surged on social media platforms like TikTok, where influencers post how-to videos that attract hundreds of millions of views. Yet ...read more
Light sensitive pixels and the cameras they make possible have transformed modern life. Cameras are pervasive. Smartphones often have several, streets, shops and businesses — even our homes--bristle with them. Humans have become used to the idea that they are constantly recorded by these devices every time they leave their house and often while they are within it. But the ubiquity of cameras has limits and one of them is eye tracking. The ability to track the position and angle of the eyeball ...read more
On March 10, Godzilla Minus One won an Oscar for visual effects. The titan reptile has demolished Tokyo and other major cities worldwide several times in movies and has inspired generations of filmmakers and paleontologists—so much so that there are fossils named in homage to Godzilla. The fictional radioactive reptile is also the subject of fun discussion among paleontologists on what type of dinosaur it would fall under.Although Godzilla is a product and a metaphor for the atomic bombings of ...read more
If you suffer from chronic sinusitis — a condition that affects more than 10 percent of the U.S. population — a stuffy nose and postnasal drip may be the least of your worries. Research has uncovered a link between chronic sinusitis and cognitive deficits — or, as most people who have this problem call it, “brain fog.”What Is Brain Fog? Brain fog is not a clinical term but a colloquial one, explains Aria Jafari, a surgeon and an assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology ...read more