Mental Health
Traces of Genetic Trauma Can Be Tweaked
Trauma can be passed down to offspring due to epigenetic changes in DNA. But positive experiences seem able to correct that. Erika Beras reports.
Stories by Erika Beras
Behavior
Partnered-Up Men More Attractive to Women
Women rate a man they see with an attractive woman as more desirable than an unattached man. Erika Beras reports.
Medicine
Breast-Feeding Benefits Babies with Genetic Asthma Risk
Infants carrying genes that put them at increased risk for asthma had a 27 percent decrease in developing respiratory symptoms while being breast-fed. Erika Beras reports.
Automobiles
Self-Driving Cars Probably Won't Boost Commuter Productivity
Sixty-two percent of survey respondents said self-driving cars would not make them more productive. Another 36 percent said they’d be too concerned to do anything but watch the road...
Behavior
Police Body Cameras Appear to Moderate Interactions with Civilians
A study of seven jurisdictions found that when cops wear body cameras, complaints against them by civilians fall precipitously.
Behavior
Bookish Mobsters Made Better Bookies
Just as with honest jobs, mobsters with a more advanced education made more money than their less educated counterparts. Erika Beras reports.
Cognition
Clark Kent's Glasses Aided His Anonymity
Slightly altering one’s appearance—even with glasses—can indeed hinder facial recognition by others. Erika Beras reports.
Public Health
Great Migration Left Genetic Legacy
Reseachers have started to examine the genetic traces of the movement of some six million African-Americans from the south to the north and west between 1910 and 1970.
Environment
Birch Trees Droop at Night with No Rays in Sight
The branches of birch trees in Europe sagged by as much as four inches at night compared with daytime.
Behavior
This Algorithm Can Predict Relationship Trouble
By analyzing the vocal patterns of couples in therapy, an algorithm was able to predict whether a relationship would get worse or improve. Erika Beras reports.
Fitness
Married Couples Pack On More Pounds
A study links single living to a thinner waistline and lower BMI, compared with co-habitating couples. Erika Beras reports.
Mind & Brain
Race-Based Brand Preferences Found for Underage Drinkers
Twelve alcohol brands among the top 25 preferred brands for teen black drinkers don’t appear at all on the top 25 for young white drinkers
Health
Text Reminders Cut Binge Drinking in At-Risk Recipients
Heavy drinkers age 18 to 25 who got texts before and after each weekend about their weekend drinking plans cut their alcohol intake compared with those who got no texts or more perfunctory texts ...
Behavior
Teachers' Racial Biases Have Different Effects for High Versus Low Performers
In a study of first graders, teachers rated low-performing minority students more positively than low-performing white students, but they ranked high-performing minority students lower than white students at the same level...
Behavior
Race Colors New Residents' Views of Local Businesses
Gentrifying residents in two Brooklyn neighborhoods view their new surroundings differently, depending on the race of those who traditionally live there. Erika Beras reports
Mind & Brain
People Pick Familiar Foods Over Favorites
A study found that the stronger a subject's memory of a particular food, the more likely they were to choose it again, even over foods they professed to enjoy more
Mind & Brain
Women Candidates Face Implicit Bias Hurdle
Volunteers taking an "implicit bias" test who were unlikely to associate images of women with leadership titles like executive or president were far less likely to vote for a woman in a race against a man of equal qualification ...
Mind & Brain
Brain Responds to Driving Routes Repeatedly
Learning detailed navigation information causes the hippocampus to interact with other regions of the brain involved in location
Mind & Brain
TV Crime Shows Influence Sex Consent Views
College students who watched episodes of the various Law & Order episodes had a better understanding of sexual consent issues than those who watched two other crime procedural franchises ...
Mind & Brain
Babies Just Want to Be Smiled at
By studying the interactions of babies and their mothers, researchers determined that babies smile in hopes others will smile at them. Erika Beras reports
