Long-term marijuana use on the brain A study published in The Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences last week has found that chronic—defined as three times per day over 10 years—marijuana users have a lower IQ score and smaller gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) region of[Read More…]
Research Briefs
Research Briefs—Nov. 11, 2014
Neuroscience of choking under pressure The experience of choking under pressure—in an exam, at the free-throw line, or in a presentation—is a familiar one. This week a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience attempted to explain what goes on in the brain when the stakes are raised. While monitoring their[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Oct. 28, 2014
Physicists transport marbles with optical tractor beam The tractor beam—a long-distance invisible attraction beam—is a legendary staple in science fiction. In real life, moving objects using only light seems absurd, if not impossible. However, in a paper published in Nature Photonics, a team of Australian and American physicists successfully transferred[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Oct. 21, 2014
Breakthrough in nuclear fission Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC), one of the world’s largest defence contractors—in 2009 it received 7.1 per cent of the Pentagon’s total funds—has had a major breakthrough in the study on the viability of shifting to nuclear energy. Led by Tom McGuire, the team demonstrated the feasibility of[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Oct. 15
Seeing is believing In a preliminary UCLA study led by eye specialist Steven Schwartz, 18 legally blind patients were given embryonic stem cells; 10 showed substantial improvements in their vision. Although the research is in its initial steps, Schwartz and other scientists believe that the embryonic stem cell treatment shows[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Oct. 6, 2014
Graphene sensor tracks down cancer biomarkers Graphene, a six-ringed carbon, has become the centrepiece for new technologies.
Research Briefs — Sept. 30
Face the truth: Mites found on human skin Microscopic eight-legged creatures make their homes in the faces of all people, a study recently published in PLOS ONE has shown. The Demodex mites are a group of hair follicle and sweat gland-dwelling species. Two different species of these mites reside on[Read More…]
Research Briefs
Fear not: The Dreadnoughtus The dreadnought was a type of battleship developed in the 20th century that was known for its size and speed.
Research Briefs — Mar. 25
Drugs and Down syndrome For the past 25 years, Roger Reeves, a professor and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, has been growing brains—in particular, the cerebellum. By targeting this area of the nervous system, Reeves hopes to develop a treatment for Down syndrome, a condition caused by inheriting a third[Read More…]
Research Briefs
Sea turtles “lost years” uncovered When sea turtles hatch, the first few hours of their lives unfold as a desperate obstacle course as they attempt to reach the ocean. Dodging sea gulls, footprints, and crabs, many of these scampering hatchlings—little over an inch in diameter—do not survive the trek from[Read More…]
