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
You may have heard that no two fingerprints are alike, even if left behind by identical twins. This is because the characteristic ridges found on our fingers and toes are the result of both nature and nurture, so to speak. The intrauterine environment is to blame for the more than 100 teeny-tiny variations that can be found in a fingerprint. These so-called minutiae include the bridges between ridges, or the abrupt ending of one, and are influenced by things like the density of the amniotic flui ...read more
Fossilized dinosaur bones are still a somewhat common find, mainly because of how long dinosaurs roamed the Earth. What’s far more unheard of, however, is fossilized dinosaur skin. In 2011, archaeologists unearthed a near-complete Borealopelta markmitchelli, a type of four-legged ankylosaur fossil. The fossil preserved some of its spikes, armor, stomach contents and most importantly, the skin on its face. Now, multiple studies have examined the fossil, revealing new details about the dinosaur ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine