‘Recovering’ QAnon Members Seek Help from Therapists, Subreddits, and On Telegram

“More than at any point since the QAnon conspiracy began, there is a tremendous opportunity to pull disaffected followers out of the conspiracy,” writes FiveThirtyEight. And while it’s just one of three possible scenarios, online posts suggest at least some members are abandoning the group, “but they will need support to really sever their connection.” ABC News reports that some QAnon…

Extroverts have more success training their dogs than introverts

Dogs with certain kinds of behavioural problems are more likely to show improvement during behaviour modification therapy if their owners are extroverts and open-minded Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265607-extroverts-have-more-success-training-their-dogs-than-introverts/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Drug Reverses Age-Related Mental Decline Within Days

The University of California San Francisco issued this glowing announcement of some new research: Just a few doses of an experimental drug can reverse age-related declines in memory and mental flexibility in mice, according to a new study by UC San Francisco scientists. The drug, called ISRIB, has already been shown in laboratory studies to restore memory function months after traumatic…

Gene therapy injected in one eye can travel to the other eye

In one form of gene therapy to treat loss of sight, a virus containing genetic material injected in one eye has now been shown to travel into the untreated eye Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2262327-gene-therapy-injected-in-one-eye-can-travel-to-the-other-eye/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

New Research Shows What We Can Accomplish by Manipulating Biology

Long-time Slashdot reader sixoh1 shares “an interesting spin on biotechnology tools that we’ve been seeing explode lately like Crisper-CAS and mRNA.” Ars Technica writes: This is in no way a route to a practical therapy, but it does provide a fantastic window into what we can accomplish by manipulating biology. The whole effort described in the new paper is focused on…

Therapy Patients Blackmailed For Cash After Clinic Data Breach

“Many patients of a large psychotherapy clinic in Finland have been contacted individually by a blackmailer, after their data was stolen,” reports the BBC: The data appears to have included personal identification records and notes about what was discussed in therapy sessions. Vastaamo is a nationwide practice with about 20 branches and thousands of patients. The clinic has advised those affected…

Covid-19 news: Blood plasma therapy has limited effect, study finds

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-blood-plasma-therapy-has-limited-effect-study-finds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

What if a Medical Treatment Could Change Your Political Or Religious Beliefs?

A research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities writes in Scientific American: How would you feel about a new therapy for your chronic pain, which — although far more effective than any available alternative — might also change your religious beliefs? Or a treatment for lymphoma that brings one in three patients into remission, but…

Hydroxychloroquine Advocate Angry Donald Trump Took ‘Experimental Antibody Stupidness’

“A doctor notorious for claiming hydroxychloroquine is a ‘cure’ for COVID-19 has denounced White House doctors for not giving President Donald Trump the drug to treat his infection…” reports Newsweek. “Other unsubstantiated claims from Immanuel include declarations that fasting can cure those affected by ‘witchcraft,’ that having sex with demons while dreaming can cause gynecological problems and that certain medications contain…