Here my compilation of the 10 most interesting Science news articles that I have read today. Enjoy!
1. Pathological Gaming
Pathological gaming may be a symptom of bigger problems, rather than a unique mental disease, suggests new Korean study. Those who felt they had overprotective parents and less parent communication had higher academic stress, which predicted lack of self-control and an increase daily gaming hours.
2. The Bacteria in Our Gut
The bacteria in our gut, the human microbiome, churns out tens of thousands of tiny novel proteins so small (< 50 amino acids) they’ve gone unnoticed until now, explains new study. They belong to over 4,000 new biological families, and may explain how the microbiome affects human health, paving the way for new drugs.
3. Maltreatment in Childhood
The child of an individual who was maltreated during childhood is also more likely to be maltreated, suggests new study. The study also suggests that borderline personality disorder is a risk factor associated with the transmission of childhood maltreatment.
4. US Agriculture Poisoning Bees
US agricultural landscape is now 48 times more toxic to honeybees, and likely other insects, than it was 25 years ago, almost entirely due to widespread use of so-called neonicotinoid pesticides, according to a new study, which may explain the “insect apocalypse” as well as decline in birds.
5. Academic Success
Boosting academic success does not have to derive from new teachers or curriculum; it can also come from changing students’ attitudes by teaching them a growth mindset, the belief that intellectual abilities are not fixed but can be developed, suggests a new study.
6. Dick Pictures
The first empirical study on dick pics found that 48% of men have sent unsolicited pictures; Unsolicited senders are also bigger narcissists and more sexist than their counterparts.
7. Who As A Murder
The FBI and CDC datasets agree: Who has guns — not which guns — linked to murder rates.
8. Seagull Strange Behavior
Staring down seagulls can stop them stealing your chips, suggests a new study. Seagulls are sensitive to human gaze and change behaviour when being watched, suggesting that they have theory of mind, the capacity to infer the mental states of others, or associate being watched with being chased away.
9. AI Weakness
Researchers reveal AI weaknesses by developing more than 1,200 questions that, while easy for people to answer, stump the best computer answering systems today. The system that learns to master these questions will have a better understanding of language than any system currently in existence.
10. Tinder And Highly Educated Women
Men on Tinder do not appear to be intimidated by highly educated women, suggests new study, which found no evidence that men have an aversion to a highly educated romantic partner. Both men and women on Tinder tended to prefer better educated partners, though women were far more selective.
