science
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Why Some People Sleep Through Anything (And Others Wake Up at a Whisper)
New study found considerable variation between people in how strongly sleep attenuates sounds, which may explain why people differ in their sensitivity to nighttime noises. Because sound continues to be processed to some level during sleep, maintaining a quiet sleeping environment is a good idea. Ever shared a bed with someone who could snooze through Continue reading
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This New Plastic Disappears in the Ocean—And That’s a Big Deal
A new eco-friendly plastic called LAHB has shown it can biodegrade even in the extreme environment of the deep ocean, unlike conventional plastics that persist for decades You know how plastic trash just… never goes away? Bottles, bags, and wrappers stick around for centuries, piling up in landfills and floating in the ocean. It’s depressing. Continue reading
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Beetroot Juice Might Be the Secret to Lower Blood Pressure (And It’s All About Your Mouth)
Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in older people by changing oral microbiome. New study shows that nitrate-rich foods alter the oral microbiome in a way that could result in less inflammation, as well as a lowering of blood pressure in older people. I’ll be honest—I’ve never been a huge fan of beetroot juice. It tastes Continue reading
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Neanderthals were not ‘hypercarnivores’ and feasted on maggots
Neanderthals Ate What? The Surprising Truth About Their Diet Turns out, Neanderthals weren’t just hulking meat-lovers who spent all day hunting mammoths. New research suggests their menu was way more varied—and, frankly, a little gross by modern standards. We’re talking mushrooms, nuts, and yes, even maggots. For years, scientists assumed Neanderthals were “hypercarnivores,” relying almost Continue reading
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A new study suggests that when Americans learn about members of Congress profiting from stock trading, their trust in Congress falls—and so does their willingness to comply with the laws that Congress passes.
When Politicians Profit From Stocks, We All Lose Trust (And Maybe Even Follow the Law Less) Let’s be honest: most of us already don’t trust Congress much. But here’s something that might make you trust them even less—and maybe even feel a little less motivated to follow the rules they set. A new study found Continue reading
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Freshwater is vanishing at an alarming pace, a new global study reveals. Since 2002, Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented losses of freshwater, driven by climate change, unsustainable groundwater extraction and extreme droughts — which are now contributing to sea level rise.
The World’s Freshwater Is Disappearing – Here’s What That Means for You I turned on the tap this morning to brush my teeth, and water came out like it always does. It’s easy to take that for granted. But what if one day, it didn’t? A new global study just dropped some alarming news: Freshwater Continue reading