Might as well face it, you’re addicted to love. Or at least it can feel that way. On this Valentine’s Day 2021, watch a video about certain chemicals – including dopamine, oxytocin and vasopressin – responsible for making you feel good around that certain someone. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/video-the-chemistry-of-love…
Tag: rodents
‘Time Cells’ Discovered In Human Brains
Researchers have identified cells in the human brain that are responsible for episodic memories. The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. NPR reports: The cells are called time cells, and they place a sort of time stamp on memories as they are being formed. That allows us to recall sequences of events or…
A sugary diet changes gut bacteria and worsens brain function in rats
Rats fed a sugar syrup early in life develop an unusual gut microbiome that seems to worsen the rodents’ memories by changing the way their brains work Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247788-a-sugary-diet-changes-gut-bacteria-and-worsens-brain-function-in-rats/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Extinct gophers evolved horns on their noses for fighting predators
More than 5 million years ago, North America was home to the only rodents to ever have horns on their noses – and they may have evolved them to defend against predators Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2246473-extinct-gophers-evolved-horns-on-their-noses-for-fighting-predators/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
CDC Warns of Increasingly Aggressive Rodents Looking For New Food Sources
New submitter Way Smarter Than You shares a report from The Seattle Times: Humans aren’t the only ones hankering for the days they could dine out at their cities’ restaurants: Some rats that miss feasting on the scraps are becoming increasingly brazen to find new food sources, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday. Amid stay-home restrictions set across…
Potential Vaccine Generates Enough Antibodies To Fight Off Virus
Slashdot readers schwit1 and Futurepower(R) are sharing news about a potential coronavirus vaccine that has been found to produce antibodies capable of fighting off Covid-19. The Independent reports: The vaccine, which was tested on mice by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, generated the antibodies in quantities thought to be enough to “neutralize” the virus within two weeks…
Rodents and a rocket carried these researchers’ dreams to space
The human body evolved within the constant force of Earth’s gravity. To prevent bone and muscle atrophy during their stays in space, astronauts must exercise every day. For researchers studying bone or muscle loss that might be caused by diseases, aging or a sedentary lifestyle, the microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station is a unique place to perform experiments that…
For you, Valentine: 10 reasons we fall in love
On this Valentine’s Day 2020, what the world of science suggests about the mystery we call love. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/for-you-valentine-top-10-reasons-we-fall-in-love…
Nutria: The Invasive Rodents of Unusual Size
Nutria, also known as coypu or swamp rats, are large rodents that wreak havoc on their non-native ecosystems. Source: https://www.livescience.com/nutria.html
Why Your Brain Needs Exercise
Answering this question requires that we rethink our views of exercise. From a report: People often consider walking and running to be activities that the body is able to perform on autopilot. But research carried out over the past decade by us and others would indicate that this folk wisdom is wrong. Instead exercise seems to be as much a cognitive…