Scicurious

A peek behind the science curtain

  1. Science & Society

    Spiny media battle highlights importance of scientific credit

    Media coverage of research on invasive lionfish tolerating brackish water brought up issues of attribution and recognition in science.

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  2. Neuroscience

    For rats, a break from stress isn’t worth the relief

    An unplanned vacation from stress might seem like a good idea, but a new study in rats shows that unpredictable escapes from pressure produce more strain on the first day back.

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  3. Psychology

    To do your best, find a rival

    There are rivals in every walk of life. A new study shows that for runners, a rival might help them do their best.

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  4. Neuroscience

    In female flies, sex is more complex than yes or no

    A female fruit fly’s role in mating has appeared to be a simple yes or no. But now three new papers show the behavior is far more subtle, and intricate, than first thought.

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  5. Science & Society

    Main result of Facebook emotion study: less trust in Facebook

    Facebook’s controversial manipulation of emotional posts raises key questions about how to study online behavior.

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  6. Neuroscience

    A mutated bacterial enzyme gobbles up cocaine

    Cocaine is highly addictive, and those attempting to quit often relapse. Modifications to an enzyme that breaks down cocaine could help prevent abstinence setbacks.

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  7. Neuroscience

    The simplest form of learning is really quite complex

    Habituation, the ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli, is the simplest form of learning but may require a whole neural network.

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  8. Neuroscience

    Neurons pull together as a brain learns

    Learning and memory in rats is linked with increases in cortical oscillations, or brain cells firing off in groups, a new study shows.

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  9. Humans

    There’s more to acing interviews than holding the vocal fry

    A new study of vocal fry, a low razz in human speech, suggests job interviewees might want to hold the fry. But there's more to a job interview than a little vocal sizzle.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Stress and the susceptible brain

    Some of us bounce back from stress, while others never really recover. A new study shows that different brain activity patterns could make the difference.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    Separating wheat from chaff in gluten sensitivity

    Some people who think they are sensitive to gluten might not be after all: Fermentable short chain carbohydrates, or FODMAPs, may be to blame in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

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  12. Life

    A slow heartbeat in athletes is not so funny

    Endurance athletes often experience sinus bradycardia, a slow heartbeat. A new paper shows this effect may be due to changes in the “funny channel” of the sinoatrial node.

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