Black holes are absolutely silent, as they are creatures of pure gravity. But while black holes produce no sound of their own, they can generate sound waves in their environment. A Simple Black Hole Black holes are surprisingly simple objects. In the general theory of relativity, which is the framework we use to understand all things gravity, you only need three numbers to completely and totally describe a black hole: its mass, its spin and its charge. Seriously, that’s it. If you encounter an ...read more
Everyone — myself included — wants their cat to live forever. But it’s important to remember that as the years pile up, so does the likelihood of your feline friend developing age-related health issues. Among the most perplexing of these issues is cat dementia, also called feline cognitive dysfunction. Can Cats Get Dementia? Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviorist based in Ontario, has seen his fair share of it over the past few decades. He describes it as a progressive neurodegenerative ...read more
It is no secret that exercise can do wonders for our health. Exercise is good for losing weight, preventing illnesses, improving heart health and boosting well-being. Also, let’s be honest – if you are a workout buff, you know how good exercising feels. There is plenty of research to support these claims. Still, the benefits of exercising go beyond the physiological effects. Not surprisingly, it also impacts our neurobiology. As a machine working around the clock, the brain bears the brunt ...read more
With nothing more than an internet connection, you can improve your sleep, reduce anxiety, and … supposedly "enter the fourth dimension" (according to this video). Such are the bold promises of binaural beats, a kind of auditory illusion or digital drug that, some advocates say, can produce psychoactive effects resembling everything from ayahuasca to cocaine. While watching the above video, one commenter reported visiting a world “with trees that had crystals and seashells for leaves.” To ...read more
Smartphones are in pockets, purses and, for some people, under their pillows at night. Most Americans have a smartphone. About 95 percent of teenagers and people under 50 say they have one. For many people, smartphones are a convenience. But for phone addicts, they can feel like an obsession. There are apps to look at, games to play and websites to browse. One in five U.S. teens, for example, say they use YouTube “almost constantly,” and more than half say it would be difficult to stop ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine