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The Psychology Behind Why Music Helps You Work Out
We know that music helps a lot of us through a workout, but the the psychology behind when music works and when it doesn’t is still being investigated. The BBC Future has a few ideas about what’s going on in your brain.
Ten Serious Medical Problems With Not So Serious Names
When naming serious diseases, or medical conditions, people try to give them a sense of gravitas. Even neutral names acquire a serious ring to them. But every now and again, otherwise sober medical professionals get cute. Here are a list of serious medical conditions that have freakishly silly names.
Ask Your Doctor? No. Ask the Crowd?
Crowdsoucing has become more popular than ever. The wisdom of crowds was also incredibly prominent during the aftermath of the Boston bombing, with people from around the world looking over photos from the event in an attempt to track down the bombers.
Wonderful though these things are, would you really want to trust the crowd with your health? A new start up CrowdMed aims to find out.
You Willpower is Finite
Can you turn over a new leaf, go on a diet, learn a new language, and get up every morning at dawn to meditate and clean your house? The idea of ego depletion says, “no.” And it has physical evidence to back that up.
New Human Body Part Discovered
The newest addition to human anatomy is just 15 microns thick, but its discovery will make eye surgery safer and simpler. Harminder Dua, a professor at the University of Nottingham, recently found a new layer in the human cornea, and he’s calling it (can you guess?) Dua’s layer.
Could I Be Allergic to Water?
Yes, yes you can! Think you have it tough? At least when you’re feeling miserable you can cry. Some people break out in hives when they cry, because they’re allergic to the water in their own tears.
Sometimes when it rains, I enjoy going for walks outside. I can tuck away my umbrella and pretend I’m Eponine in Les Miserables, and that cheers me up. Not even that basic comfort is denied people who suffer from aquageic urticaria. Also known asaquagenic pruritis — water itch — it’s an allergy to water. Some comparatively lucky souls only run into trouble when the water is cold, but for many it’s any type of water at all.
22 Medical Facts That Will Scare The S#*t Out of You
The world is a frightening place.
But you already knew that; you read it in the paper, hear about it from friends, see it with your own eyes every time you turn on the TV to watch bad singers or dancers subject themselves to abuse from judges with no more talent than the contestants, or see a YouTube video of a teenager shooting a bottle rocket from his ass for amusement, or get plowed from behind in your car by another driver who was texting “LMAO” to his friends instead of noticing that the light had turned red and you had stopped. If random violence doesn’t get you, cancer will. If cancer doesn’t, global warming will. If global warming doesn’t, bullet ants will. Or botflies. Or lightning. Or tsunamis. Or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Or Fijian headhunters. Or just normal everyday activities like drinking water, eating an orange, breathing the air, or chasing after a goat. Yes, we are in deep doo-doo. You should be scared to death, right? Wrong. Okay, sure, this is a blog post of scary facts, and the more you read, the more afraid you are likely to be. But if forewarned is forearmed, then the more you know, the safer you’ll feel, even if it’s a false sense of security since you can’t do a thing about most of what you read here.
The Incredibly Amazing Story of a Face Transplant
The world’s first face transplant took place eight years ago, and while it remains a highly experimental operation, the procedure has been advancing in leaps and bounds ever since.
In February of this year, Carmen Tarleton underwent one of the most successful face transplants yet. Today at The Verge, Katie Drummond has penned a must-read feature on the story behind Tarleton’s facial transformation, complete with photo, video, infographics and diagrams.
This disease’s deadliest weapon is the fact you’ve never heard of it..
A deadly fungal infection has been spreading across western North America. The number of human and animal cases has grown rapidly in recent years, to the extent that government agencies in US and Canada have labelled the infection an outbreak.
The infection, cryptococcosis, affects the lungs first, because it is acquired by inhaling fungal spores. In the absence of therapy and sometimes despite it, the infection quickly spreads to the brain and other organs, with often fatal consequences. During this outbreak in the US, about a third of those who catch the disease succumb to it. Those infected with the disease have to undergo antifungal drug therapy that can last months. But those drugs often fail to curtail the disease, forcing many to opt for surgery.
Chagas Disease is the ‘new AIDS of the Americas’
A little-known life-threatening illness caused by blood sucking insects has been labelled the ‘new AIDS of the Americas’ by experts. The parasitic illness called Chagas Disease has similarities to the early spread of HIV, according to a new study.
