All Stories by Eric Jaffe
- Health & Medicine
Obesity correlates with psychiatric disorders
Obese adults are 25 percent more likely than normal-weight adults to develop one of four mood or anxiety disorders.
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Deadly Disorder: Imagined-ugliness illness yields high suicide rate
The suicide rate among people with a psychiatric disorder that causes them to perceive themselves as ugly is higher than that among people with major depression.
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Why people punish
When punishing criminals, people tend to seek retribution, not deterrence.
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Smoke Screen: Light cigarettes reduce odds of quitting
People who smoke light cigarettes are much less likely to quit smoking than people who smoke regulars.
- Paleontology
Sight for ‘Saur Eyes: T. rex vision was among nature’s best
A study of dinosaur eyes finds that Tyrannosaurus rex had very sophisticated vision that may have helped its predatory abilities.
- Astronomy
Magnetic Thrust: Fields force matter into black holes
New observations confirm that magnetic fields provide matter with the last push to plunge into a black hole.
- Earth
Mineral Deposit: Asbestos linked to lupus, arthritis
Already known to cause lung cancer, asbestos has now been associated with three autoimmune diseases.
- Animals
Walking on Water: Tree frog’s foot uses dual method to stick
The tree frog can cling to both wet and dry terrains, despite its permanently lubricated foot.
- Health & Medicine
For women, weight gain spells heartburn
A study of more than 10,000 women suggests that weight gain is associated with heartburn.
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Chimps lead way to HIV birthplace
A viral analysis confirms that the global AIDS epidemic originated in chimpanzees living in southeastern Cameroon.
