Articles from Contributor
Want to Eat Less? Imagine Eating More
Imagine you could eat less, simply by thinking about eating! A new study published in Science finds just that: people who imagined themselves repeatedly indulging in sweet or salty treats ended up eating less of the actual foods …
Putting to Rest Fears that IVF May Be Linked to Cancer
In the wake of Elizabeth Edwards’ death, many women are wondering whether the fertility treatments the former Senator’s wife underwent to bear children late in life — she leaves behind two young children, ages 10 and 12 — …
Does Suffering From Withdrawal Really Mean You’re Addicted?
The number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers has risen dramatically in the U.S. over the last several decades — nearly doubling for teens and young adults between 1994 and 2007 — and concerns about the abuse of these …
Q&A: How Humans — and Some Animals — Develop a Sense of Self
Neuroscientist Dr. Antonio Damasio has taken on the big questions — of consciousness, of self and of the nature of the mind — both in experiments and in bold, unifying scientific theories.
Could Lack of ‘Tummy Time’ in Babies Hurt School Performance in Teens?
The national Back to Sleep campaign prompted parents to put infants to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or “crib death,” and it successfully cut the rate of SIDS deaths by 50%, …
Study: Older Antidepressants, But Not SSRIs, Linked with Heart Disease
Depression may literally break your heart. Research has long connected the disorder with increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and similar concerns have been raised about medications to treat depression.
New Version of an Old Drug Could Treat Autism (and Addiction Too)
One night in 2006, Kathy Roberts rushed her autistic daughter, Jenny, to the hospital. Nothing had been able to stop the young woman, then in her mid-20s, from vomiting. Jenny had recently suffered several major seizures and her …
Don’t Feel Like Calling Dad? You May Be Ovulating
Here’s a curious data point for those who are obsessed with plotting their fertility: at their most fertile times of the month, women are half as likely to call their fathers, according to a new study published in the prestigious …
‘Love Hormone’ Oxytocin Enhances Men’s Memories of Mom — Good or Bad
Oxytocin has been called the “cuddle chemical” and the “love hormone” — the glue that bonds parents to children and lovers to each other.
Do Dental Scans Put Your Child at Risk of Cancer?
In case you missed it, the New York Times ran this week a stunning expose of the overuse of new X-ray technology in children’s dentistry. The article was part of the paper’s ongoing investigation into problems with the use of …
Like Some Arsenic With That Bird? You Got It.
When sitting down to for your Thanksgiving feast Thursday evening, you probably don’t expect to eat some arsenic — unless perhaps you are a member of the Borgia family.
The Rich Are Different: More Money, Less Empathy
Looking for empathy and support? You’re more likely to get it from a poor person than you are from a rich one, according to new research published in Psychological Science.