Can we hear silence?
A team of philosophers and psychologists came together to find out if the absence of sound is something we can hear. They used auditory illusions that can make one sound seem much longer than reality. Interestingly, the researchers discovered that the same effect occurs with moments of silence. This finding suggests that people hear silence in the same way that we hear sounds. The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Can a disease protect us from dementia?
Researchers have discovered that people with a common blood condition have a substantially lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The disorder, called CHIP for short, causes blood stem cells to mutate and clone themselves. Even when accounting for other risk factors, people with CHIP were less likely to have Alzheimer’s, and those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s don’t usually have the blood condition. The study, published in Nature Medicine, is only observational, and more research is needed to find a cause and effect (Stanford Medicine).
Extreme heat isn’t the only threat this summer
As the temperature rises, the risk of being bitten by a snake also jumps up. Research published in GeoHealth, finds that the odds of a snake bite increase by 6% with each rising degree celsius. Scientists believe we need to make this research a bigger priority when discussing how climate change will impact our health (Emory University).
Leave a Reply