Abrasions, shoulder sprains and ankle and foot injuries are everyday battle scars that kids rack up as they pursue a multitude of sports. But who knew they could be an occupational hazard of virtual athletics too?
4 Reasons Binge Drinking Is a Public Health Problem
One out of 3 adults and 2 out of 3 high school students who drink alcohol binge drink, according to recent government surveys. Startlingly, the data suggest that 90% of the alcohol consumed by high-school kids and more than half …
The Marijuana Number That Was Too Good to Check
Over the last few years, supporters and opponents of marijuana legalization have both cited the same statistic to back their cause: 60% of the profits made by violent Mexican drug lords come from marijuana. But now, it seems, …
Study: Why Deafness May Improve Vision
Scientists have long known that deaf or blind people have heightened senses outside of their impairment. But what hasn’t been clear is how the mechanics of a compensating sense work.
Bowl Half Empty? How to Tell If Your Dog Is a Pessimist
The only time my dog’s tail stops wagging is when she’s asleep. She’s a really happy pup, in other words — or at least I thought she was. The lead author of a new study in the journal Current Biology suggests she may have a …
How Retail Therapy Works: Spending Money for Social Acceptance
It was a pattern that Nicole Mead had seen over and over. Her friends would break up with their romantic partners and then go on a shopping spree to compensate: break up and buy, break up and buy, break up and buy. As a marketing …
Why Spamming Your Friends With Cute Kitties Is Good Karma
Oh, hai! I’ll admit it upfront: I’m a sucker for cat pictures and videos. When the latest kitteh goes viral, you can bet it will turn up on my screen. But I’m hardly alone. These silly videos of cats, kittens and other things …
Not Just Your Imagination: Kids Really Are More Allergic
These days, any parent worth her salt knows to inquire about food allergies before a playdate begins. Allergies are everywhere, to all sorts of nuts, or eggs, or dairy. Rustling up a snack has never been more complicated, as …
Could Late-Night Exposure to Light Be Making You Fat?
If you stay up late watching TV or bathed in the glow of a computer screen, you probably aren’t doing your waistline any favors. A new study finds that exposure to light at night may contribute to weight gain, independent of diet …
I Don’t Actually Hate Myself: Why Harvard Is Wrong About Bias
My colleague Maia Szalavitz wrote a great piece we posted Monday on how an online test developed at Harvard can help uncover hidden biases in how you treat people.
Bionic Legs Allow Paraplegics to Get Up and Walk
A robotic exoskeleton called eLEGS enables people who have been paralyzed below the waist to walk again. The technology, developed by Berkeley Bionics, is geared toward consumers — the 6 million Americans who are paralyzed, …
Study: More Screen Time May Cause Social Problems for Kids
Children who spend more than two hours in front of a television or computer screen were more likely to report behavioral and social problems than kids who watched less, according to a University of Bristol study that will be …
Born Lucky? 10 Babies to Watch
Being born on Oct. 10, 2010 — 10/10/10 — is allegedly very lucky. And being born at 10:10 on 10/10/10 is supposedly so lucky that women in many countries scheduled their Cesarean sections for that moment. But is it really?