A number of studies have shown that political and personal beliefs can be related to health behaviors. For example, political orientation may be affected by a person’s beliefs about community, self-reliance, and morality, and these same beliefs may influence that person’s likelihood of seeking treatment for a potentially stigmatizing condition, such as a mental or a sexual health issue. A recent article … Read More → "Strong sense of tradition may be influenced by risk of parasite infections"

Also dictated through a ouija board was Hope Trueblood, just one of many works of fiction purportedly penned by the spirit Patience Worth in 1918. Arguably one of the most famous of spirit authors, Worth communicated through Pearl Curran, a housewife who lived in St. Louis. From 1913 through 1937, Curran dutifully recorded books, plays, poems, and short stories, at times receiving and scribbling … Read More → "Books supposedly written by ghosts"

A damning myth about the origins of HIV in North America spun out of a single “ambiguous oval,” according to the authors of a new genetic study on the virus.

The study, published today in Nature, uses reconstructed genetic sequences to show that the virus landed on the continent around 1971, … Read More → "A typo skewed the history of HIV in the US and vilified “Patient Zero”"

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with calendar options as the new year approaches, consider a simpler choice for 2017. The DodeCal, recently featured by WIRED, fits all 365 days of the year into a wooden package.

The finished product may look simplistic, but the work required to make it a reality was anything but. Ric Bell, designer … Read More → "12-sided calendar fits the whole year onto a simple desk ornament"

It starts with a little lie—that haircut is perfect for you!—but before you know it, you’re bragging about your Olympic gold medal in curling. Now scientists at University College London and Duke University say they’ve figured out why we so naturally progress from little white lies to whoppers. They published their findings in the journal Nature Neuroscience…</ … Read More → "Scientists may have figured out why our lies escalate"

The first time a witch rode a broom in popular culture could have been in the illustrations of a book published in 1451. French poet Martin Le Franc’s Le Champion des Dames (The Defender of Ladies) shows two women flying with sticks between their legs, although only one is clearly a broom. At least, that is the oldest evidence we have of the legend of witches flying … Read More → "The first known depiction of a witch on a broomstick"

Just in time for Halloween and the presidential election, MIT scientists have created an AI that makes images spooky. Think of it like filter app Prisma, but with a more sinister spin.

A three-person team created an algorithm called Nightmare Machine that generates Halloween-inspired images … Read More → "MIT scientists are training AI to scare people"

Microphysiological systems, or organs-on-chips, are emerging as a way for scientists to study the effect that drugs, cosmetics and diseases may have on the human body, without needing to test on animals. The problem is, manufacturing and retrieving data from them can be a costly and time-consuming process. Now researchers at Harvard have developed new materials to enable them to 3D print the devices, including the integrated sensors to easily … Read More → "Harvard researchers 3D print a heart-on-a-chip"

Though only in their experimental, early stages, flexible electronics are starting to show some real promise for things like LED-laden clothes, medical sensors and fitness trackers. But powering these things is a huge challenge in itself, with rigid lithium-ion batteries unable to bend in-tune with devices without breaking, failing and possibly leaking out toxic and flammable materials. Researchers have developed a battery claimed to mitigate these risks, with the ability to “ … Read More → "Self-healing battery withstands the rigors of wearable computing"

IBM’s Watson has upended any romantic notions of songwriting by making it a precise formula of inspiration, emotion, musical theory and trends. The AI system’s new music algorithm, called “Beat,” helped producer Alex da Kid create his first solo EP of four songs, the first of which, Not Easy (feat. X Ambassadors, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa), dropped on Friday. To be clear, IBM’s bot … Read More → "IBM Watson collaborates on EP with Grammy-winning producer"