Gitanjali Rao: Finding solutions to real problems
Source: The Kid Should See This
Seventh-grader Gitanjali Rao created a lead-in-water detection tool in response to the Flint water crisis. Watch the videos to learn more about her invention.
Health & Medicine
Could AI help to create a meat-free world?
Source: BBC
Reducing or eliminating meat consumption reduces our toll on Earth’s resources. Read about how people are searching for meat-free and sustainable food options.
The Complicated Psychology of Revenge
Source: Observer
Revenge is sweet, the saying goes. But in fact, research shows that seeking revenge is likely only to make things worse.
This Is Your Brain on Shakespeare
Source: Big Think
Shakespeare’s writing style can be challenging to read. Not only did he write four centuries ago, but he also played with language, coining new words, rearranging syntax, and using words as different parts of speech. Now, researchers have discovered that this last feature—using a noun like child as a verb instead, for example—excites the human brain because it is so unexpected.
Overexposed? Camera Phones Could Be Washing Out Our Memories
Source: National Public Radio
If you really want to remember something, you take a picture of it. But a new study reveals that using that strategy may actually work against you: people remember more details about something if they don’t take a picture of it. NPR digs into the details and the implications.
Factoring Fear: What Scares Us and Why
Source: Scientific American
Fear is a basic human response, but scientists still don’t completely understand it. Read about their efforts, using scans of blood flow in the brain, to further comprehend this complex reaction.
Migraines
Source: CNN
Migraine headaches can be frightening as well as painful. While there is no cure for them, scientists are finding new ways to manage them.
Why Bilinguals Are Smarter
Source: The New York Times
Most people would agree that learning another language has benefits. But this article highlights why people who are bilingual are more cognitively advantaged than those who speak just one language.
Can You Think Your Way To That Hole-In-One?
Source: National Public Radio
In her experiment, psychologist Jessica Witt uses a visual trick to make golfers more successful. What else might we be able to improve by using these visual tricks?
Artists Who Lose Their Vision, Then See Clearly
Source: The New York Times
Read this article to learn about several visual artists who continue to create works of art after suffering vision loss.