The world was an unrecognizable place more than 2.45 billion years ago. But for most of the tiny organisms that lived on the planet at the time, things were just fine; at least, until the cyanobacteria started to proliferate. As a result, these photosynthetic bacteria began to produce oxygen — so much of it that the tiny microbes sparked the "Great Oxidation Event" that infused the gas into our atmosphere. “You could argue that that’s the biggest poisoning event of Earth’s history, ...read more
On Sunday, February 12, the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix, AZ! Below, find ways to learn about eagles (and other birds) from almost anywhere; and discover where to check out a free kit from libraries in Missouri (Kansas City is in Missouri after all) to help measure light pollution. Leading up to the Super Bowl, the Science Cheerleaders, who were recently featured on the cover of Diversity in STEAM Magazine, will be busy with events in Phoen ...read more
Physiologically, human adolescents are late bloomers on many fronts: learning to walk, securing and preparing their own food, and reproducing sexually. And that’s especially true for the development process inside our heads. Even after a young adult has finished growing, perhaps married or claimed independence by most social standards, their brain typically continues developing — until they reach their mid- to late 20s. Adolescence, in fact, spans from the age of 10 until at least age 24, ...read more
Our favorite TV characters might be a work of fiction, but our feelings for them are real. So when a character dies, or a beloved couple breaks up, viewers can also experience emotions of grief and sadness. Researchers have found that because humans are social animals, these feelings are to be expected and, in most instances, can be beneficial. The term “parasocial relationship”(or PSR) describes the emotions viewers develop as they watch TV characters week after week. Viewers become acquain ...read more
In recent years, psychedelic research has gone through a renaissance. Experiments on substances like LSD, ecstasy and psilocybin — one of the primary psychoactive ingredients in psychedelic mushrooms — have shown promising results for treating mental health disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and even end-of-life anxiety for cancer patients. This year, Oregon became the first state to widely legalize psilocybin and more states are considering legislation that would fol ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine