Laughter influences how well a joke is perceived. Researchers from UCLA rated 40 cheesy jokes on a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being unamusing and 7 being hilarious. Then, a professional comedian recorded each joke twice: in the first recording, canned laughter followed the joke, and in the second,…
New research shows that spicy food—chili in particular—might lead to a greater risk of dementia. Participants who ate more than 50 grams of chili a day had a higher risk of experiencing cognitive decline with age. Researchers analyzed 4582 Chinese individuals over the age of 55 for 15 years: the…
People are starting to feel more comfortable opening up about their mental health problems, and in turn, crushing the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness. No one is immune to mental health disorders: for example, big name celebrities and athletes struggle too and are sharing their experiences. Mental health is…
Drinking even a small amount of alcohol, like one pint of beer, can significantly impair our driving abilities. Researchers from the University of Sussex question the current legal limit. Study participants drank a cocktail containing enough alcohol to keep them within the legal limit for driving. These doses were equivalent…
Women generally favor warmer temperatures, while men prefer it cooler. Why? A new study says it’s about more than just comfort—room temperature actually affects the two gender’s cognitive abilities differently. Researchers from the USC Marshal School of Business conducted an experiment with 542 students: 60% were male and 40% were…
New research says that there might be a link between one’s psychological health and their seasonal or perennial (nonseasonal) allergies. Study participants reported seasonal allergies like pollen, perennial allergies like house dust, and allergies to other substances like food and drugs. Additionally, they answered questions related to their psychological health,…
Exposure to traffic-related air pollution can contribute to anxiety in children. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center studied brain MRIs from 145 children with an average age of 12 years old. They looked specifically at levels of the metabolite Myo-Inositol, or MI: as increases…
Exercise improves self-esteem and mood of patients in psychiatric care facilities. This, according to researchers at the University of Vermont. Researchers built a gym in the university medical center’s inpatient psychiatry unit and introduced 60-minute exercise regimens into each patient’s treatment plan. The team surveyed patients on their mood, self-esteem,…
Music can help kids excel in complex subjects like math and physics. Many kids are intimidated by these subjects in school. But music can help them better understand difficult equations and theories, according to researchers from the Athena Research Center’s Institute for Language and Speech Processing. For example, students used…
Narcissists are self-absorbed, they believe they’re superior to others, and they can be incredibly hard to handle. A new study reveals another frustrating quality: they aren’t deterred from asking someone out even if the individual is in a relationship. This study conducted four experiments to understand “mate poaching”: the first…
Drinking 6 or more cups of coffee a day can result in heart problems. Researchers from the University of Australia analyzed data from 347,077 participants between 37 and 73 years old. They found that those who drank 6 or more cups of coffee a day had a 22% higher risk…
Listening to music and practicing mindfulness can aid stroke recovery. Researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and East Anglia recruited 72 participants who had suffered from a stroke and divided them into three groups. One group listened to music, another to audiobooks, and the final group to music as…
