Growing up in poverty physically changes the brain… which makes it much more likely poor kids have cognitive and behavioral difficulties later. A brain imaging study in the journal Biological Psychiatry followed children for 17 years starting around age three. Researchers say the scans show that preschoolers in poverty tend to have a number of areas in the brain that are smaller… and they grow less rapidly than in their more well-off peers. Because of their poor start, those kids are likely to have worse outcomes in adulthood even if their fortunes change along the way.
A lot of common plastic household items are made of potentially dangerous chemicals. A study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology shows that almost a quarter of all substances used to make plastic either cause cancer, damage organs, or are toxic to the environment. However, researchers say one of the most concerning findings is that they don’t have enough information about many of the chemicals to know if they’re dangerous or not.
And finally…it’s no secret that people who are good looking are more likely to get hired and be paid more than the rest of us. But a new study in the journal Personnel Psychology finds that it’s not just that they’re better looking than us. Apparently, they also act differently than others in response to the admiration they receive, with a greater sense of power and better non-verbal communication. Scientists say less attractive people can gain the same advantage by adopting a more powerful posture—feet shoulder width apart, chest out, and chin up.
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