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Scare Easily? You May Be a Conservative

Study suggests political leanings could be hard-wired

(Newser) - People who startle more easily at loud noises or frightening images may be more prone to taking conservative political stances, reports the Washington Post. A new study suggests that there may be a biological basis for people's stands on contentious issues, with those who react less strongly to perceived threats...

Gaming Teens Make Good Citizens

Video play brings kids together, instills community values

(Newser) - The stereotype of the isolated video gamer is as antiquated as Pong—teens, at least, see gaming as a social activity, new research shows. A clear link exists between gaming, in which virtually all teens participate, and civic engagement, MSNBC reports. That doesn’t mean every Grand Theft Auto expert...

Heart Disease, Diabetes Linked to Everyday BPA

Chemical common in plastic containers used by US adults, children

(Newser) - A chemical found in many containers commonly used by Americans is linked to heart disease and diabetes in a new study, the Chicago Tribune reports. The first large-scale human study of Bisphenol A follows a government advisory on using the chemical near food, and a report connecting it to ill...

Americans Seek Immune Genes in Mates: Study

Nigerians don't marry for DNA diversity, but may not need to

(Newser) - Americans pick mates with different immune genes while Africans prefer the genes they already have, New Scientist reports. A study of 60 couples from Utah and Nigeria showed that the Americans hitched up with partners whose genes recognized pathogens that theirs couldn't. The African marriages, however, appeared to be genetically...

Early Drug Regimen Helps Diabetics Later: Study

Study shows long-term benefits for rigorous initial treatment

(Newser) - A new study pushes for early, rigorous drug treatment of diabetes, even in people diagnosed with reversible type 2, Reuters reports. Diabetics given an intense drug regimen soon after diagnosis reduce their risk of heart attacks and reap long-term benefits from that medical attention, even if they become less mindful...

Low B12 Levels Tied to Brain Shrinkage, Memory Loss

Many adults deficient in crucial nutrient

(Newser) - Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory loss, particularly in the elderly, reports the BBC. People short on the nutrient were 6 times more likely than individuals with normal levels to experience brain shrinkage, which is strongly linked to dementia, a new study shows. Forty percent of people are believed to...

Brain Doesn't Remember Events—It Relives Them

Study records evidence supporting long-suspected memory pathway

(Newser) - Scientists for the first time have observed how brain cells drum up a memory, and the findings buttress the notion that our minds don't so much remember events as relive them. When recalling short film clips they had seen, patients' brains repeated the same pattern of neuron activity they experienced...

Lawmakers Get Most Funding From Outside Districts
Lawmakers Get Most Funding From Outside Districts
glossies
Aug 30, 2008 8:53 AM CDT

Lawmakers Get Most Funding From Outside Districts

'Nonresident contributors donate for expressive purposes,' study shows

(Newser) - Candidates running for Congress are increasingly using affluent ZIP codes outside their own districts as "political ATM machines" to fund their campaigns, a new study finds. In the majority of House races in 2004, almost three-quarters of contributions came from donors outside a lawmaker's district—often from Hollywood, Manhattan's...

Yoga Blunts Menopause: Study
 Yoga Blunts Menopause: Study 
Aug 23, 2008 8:37 AM CDT

Yoga Blunts Menopause: Study

(Newser) - Menopausal women who do yoga experience fewer hot flashes and have greater mental acuity than their non-practicing counterparts, suggests a new study conducted by a yoga university in India. The research compared results from a control group against women who did yoga or stretches five days a week for 2...

Octopus Has How Many Legs? Guess Again

New research shows denizens of the deep show specialization, and handedness

(Newser) - Octopuses may not be eight-legged creatures after all, new research suggests. They do indeed have eight limbs, but some function more like arms, AFP reports. It breaks down like this: the front two are the most nimble and armlike, and are used for exploration; the back two are used mostly...

CDC Sharply Raises Estimate of HIV Cases in US

New test indicates 40% more infected in US each year than reported

(Newser) - A lot more people in the US have HIV than previously thought. A new CDC study suggests that the US has undercounted by about 15,000 cases a year for 15 years or so, the New York Times reports. That would add 225,000 cases to the current estimate of...

6 Degrees of Separation? New Study Says 6.6

Microsoft researcher seems to confirm that the world is a pretty small place

(Newser) - A huge Microsoft study of its Messenger records bolsters the oft-quoted, but never proven, theory of “six degrees of separation"—almost. The study puts the figure at 6.6, but that's still a pretty small world. A Microsoft researcher analyzed 30 billion messages sent among 180 million users...

Don't Talk Down to Alzheimer's Patients: Docs

Trouble communicating leads to frustration, uncooperative behavior

(Newser) - Even after they lose the ability to communicate easily, Alzheimer’s disease patients remain aware of the world around them and know when they're being talked down to, a study shows. Video evidence suggests patients are twice as likely to accept help from caregivers, and to not shut down or...

Girls=Boys in Math, Says Study
 Girls=Boys in Math, Says Study
Jul 24, 2008 6:00 PM CDT

Girls=Boys in Math, Says Study

Gender gap discovered in the 1970s has been closed, researchers say

(Newser) - Girls are just as good as boys at math, says an exhaustive study of 7 million test scores from elementary through high school students, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The findings, to be published tomorrow in Science, are at odds with 30-year-old studies—and a view entrenched in our...

Big Differences Found in Male, Female Brains

They're apparently based on different genetic blueprints, studies find

(Newser) - The brains of men and women are so physically different they amount to different organs and may have developed from distinct genetic blueprints, new research shows. Distinct anatomical differences between male and female brains likely explain many well-established differences of perception and behavior between the sexes, from problem-solving strategies to...

Study Yields More Clues About Autism

Scientists find genes needed for learning stuck in the off position

(Newser) - Scientists have found six new genes linked to autism, inching closer to a fuller understanding of the disorder and how to treat it, the AP reports. The genes in question are necessary for learning but are essentially stuck in the "off" position. The finding lends credence to the philosophy...

Brains Get Noisier as They Age
Brains Get
Noisier as
They Age
Jul 10, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Brains Get Noisier as They Age

Study finds neural complexity generates more cranial static

(Newser) - Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean your brain isn't making noise. It is, and scientists using high-tech gear to record it have now discovered that it increases as you mature, reports LiveScience. A comparison of noise generated by groups of children and young adults indicates that brain noise,...

Frozen Embryos Make Bigger Babies

Study finds no negative effects compared with fresh

(Newser) - When it comes to in vitro fertilization, frozen might be better than fresh, a new study shows. Infants born after being implanted in mothers' wombs as frozen embryos were no more likely than those from fresh stock to be born with congenital defects, the BBC reports; but they were also...

How Do They Do It? It's Not Pretty

Want a permanently elastic, balloon-like stomach? Try competitive eating

(Newser) - For every time you watched a scrawny guy chow dozens of hot dogs in 12 minutes and wondered where, exactly, he puts it, scientists may have your answer. As compared with us mere mortals, the Wall Street Journal reports, a professional’s stomach appears as a “giant balloon that...

Low 'Good' Cholesterol Hurts Memory

Study links low HDL to brain's decline—and possibly dementia

(Newser) - Low levels of high-density lipoprotein—so-called "good" cholesterol—lead to memory failure and perhaps dementia, a study finds. Researchers followed subjects aged 55-61, and found that patients with low HDL levels were 53% more likely to experience memory loss. "We looked at cognitive decline in midlife, but it...

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