Human Quirks: Living Well

August 5, 2025

Top Headlines

Walk Faster, Live Longer: How Just 15 Minutes a Day Can Boost Lifespan

July 29, 2025 — Fast walking, even just 15 minutes a day, can dramatically reduce the risk of death, especially from heart disease, according to a large study involving nearly 80,000 low-income and predominantly Black Americans in the South. The findings not only ...

This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% of IBS-D Cases—and Lead to a Cure

July 29, 2025 — A mysterious gut hormone may be behind many cases of chronic diarrhea, especially in people with undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption, a condition often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers from the University of Cambridge identified ...

Walk Faster, Age Slower: The 14-Step Boost That Builds Strength

July 28, 2025 — Walking just a bit faster could be the key to aging well. Researchers found that older adults who upped their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute significantly improved their physical abilities—even those who were already frail. A new, ...

Eggs Are Off the Hook—study Reveals Bacon’s the Real Heart Risk

July 28, 2025 — Eggs are finally being vindicated after decades of cholesterol-related blame. New research from the University of South Australia reveals that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, aren't the dietary villains they've long been made out to be. ...

Science Tested 64 Natural Remedies for Depression—only a Few Actually Work

July 28, 2025 — Over-the-counter (OTC) products like St John’s Wort and omega-3s have long been touted for helping with depression, but new research reveals that 64 different OTC products have been tested in ...

Even Without Catching COVID, the Pandemic May Have Quietly Aged Your Brain

July 24, 2025 — Even people who never caught Covid-19 may have aged mentally faster during the pandemic, according to new brain scan research. This large UK study shows how the stress, isolation, and upheaval of lockdowns may have aged our brains, especially in ...

Magic Mushrooms Rewind Aging in Mice—could They Do the Same for Humans?

July 22, 2025 — A surprising discovery from Emory University shows that psilocin, the active metabolite of psychedelic mushrooms, can delay cellular aging and extend lifespan. Human cells lived over 50% longer, and mice treated with psilocybin not only lived 30% ...

Tai Chi, Yoga, and Jogging Rival Pills for Beating Insomnia

July 17, 2025 — Yoga, Tai Chi, walking, and jogging may be some of the best natural remedies for improving sleep and tackling insomnia, according to a large analysis comparing various treatments. While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) remains effective, ...

Matching Your Workouts to Your Personality Could Make Exercising More Enjoyable and Give You Better Results

July 9, 2025 — Less than a quarter of us hit WHO activity targets, but a new UCL study suggests the trick may be matching workouts to our personalities: extroverts thrive in high-energy group sports, neurotics ...

Hate Exercise? Neuroscience Maps the Routine Your Personality Will Love

July 8, 2025 — A new UCL study reveals that aligning workouts with personality boosts fitness and slashes stress—extroverts thrive on HIIT, neurotics favor short, private bursts, and everyone benefits when enjoyment leads the ...

New Research Shows Monday Stress Is Etched Into Your Biology

July 7, 2025 — Feeling jittery as the week kicks off isn’t just a mood—it leaves a biochemical footprint. Researchers tracked thousands of older adults and found those who dread Mondays carry elevated cortisol in their hair for months, a stress echo that may ...

Multisensory VR Forest Reboots Your Brain and Lifts Mood—study Confirms

July 6, 2025 — Immersing stressed volunteers in a 360° virtual Douglas-fir forest complete with sights, sounds and scents boosted their mood, sharpened short-term memory and deepened their feeling of nature-connectedness—especially when all three senses were ...

Latest Headlines

updated 1:39pm EDT

Optimists Think Alike—and Brain Scans Just Proved It

July 23, 2025 — When imagining the future, optimists' brains tend to look remarkably alike, while pessimists show more varied neural activity. This neurological alignment could explain why optimists are often more ...

Lemurs Age Without Inflammation—and It Could Change Human Health Forever

July 10, 2025 — What if humans didn’t have to suffer the slow-burning fire of chronic inflammation as we age? A surprising study on two types of lemurs found no evidence of "inflammaging," a phenomenon long ...

Why Anger Cools After 50: Surprising Findings from a New Menopause Study

July 3, 2025 — Anger isn’t just a fleeting emotion—it plays a deeper role in women’s mental and physical health during midlife. A groundbreaking study tracking over 500 women aged 35 to 55 reveals that anger ...

Deafness Reversed: Single Injection Brings Hearing Back Within Weeks

July 3, 2025 — A cutting-edge gene therapy has significantly restored hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness, showing dramatic results just one month after a single injection. Researchers used a ...

Why Do Killer Whales Keep Handing Us Fish? Scientists Unpack the Mystery

July 2, 2025 — Wild orcas across four continents have repeatedly floated fish and other prey to astonished swimmers and boaters, hinting that the ocean’s top predator likes to make friends. Researchers cataloged ...

The Pandemic Pet Boom Was Real. The Happiness Boost Wasn’t

July 2, 2025 — Locked-down Hungarians who gained or lost pets saw almost no lasting shift in mood or loneliness, and new dog owners actually felt less calm and satisfied over time—hinting that the storied “pet ...

The Gene That Hijacks Fear: How PTEN Rewires the Brain’s Anxiety Circuit

June 29, 2025 — Deleting a gene called PTEN in certain brain cells disrupts the brain’s fear circuitry and triggers anxiety-like behavior in mice — key traits seen in autism. Researchers mapped how this genetic ...

Scientists Turn Beer Yeast Into Mini Factories for Smart Drugs

June 28, 2025 — A team of researchers has turned ordinary yeast into tiny, glowing drug factories, creating and testing billions of peptide-based compounds in record time. This green-tech breakthrough could ...

Hot Tubs Outperform Saunas in Boosting Blood Flow and Immune Power

June 26, 2025 — Hot tubs don't just feel great, they may actually outperform saunas when it comes to health perks. A study found that soaking in hot water raises core body temperature more than dry or infrared ...

Scientists Reveal Your Morning Coffee Flips an Ancient Longevity Switch

June 25, 2025 — Caffeine appears to do more than perk you up—it activates AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor that helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages. This could explain why coffee is linked to better ...

Vitamin C Flips Your Skin’s “youth Genes,” Reversing Age-Related Thinning

June 25, 2025 — Japanese researchers have found that vitamin C can thicken skin by switching on genes that boost skin cell growth, helping reverse age-related thinning. It works by reactivating DNA through a process ...

The Pleasure Prescription: Why More Sex Means Less Menopause Pain

June 25, 2025 — Keeping sex on the schedule may be its own menopause medicine: among 900 women aged 40-79, those active in the last three months reported far less dryness, pain, and irritation, while orgasm and ...

1. 7 Million Patients Reveal Stunning Link Between Semaglutide and Lower Dementia Risk

June 25, 2025 — A blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug might be doing more than controlling blood sugar—it could also be protecting the brain. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that people ...

USC's New AI Implant Promises Drug-Free Relief for Chronic Pain

June 24, 2025 — A groundbreaking wireless implant promises real-time, personalized pain relief using AI and ultrasound power no batteries, no wires, and no opioids. Designed by USC and UCLA engineers, it reads brain ...

Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Hurting workers—It Might Be Helping

June 23, 2025 — Despite widespread fears, early research suggests AI might actually be improving some aspects of work life. A major new study examining 20 years of worker data in Germany found no signs that AI ...

Zapping Aging Cells: The Fast, Label-Free Test That Could Transform Research

June 21, 2025 — Scientists in Tokyo have developed a groundbreaking, label-free method to identify aging human cells using electric fields. This new technique avoids the downsides of chemical tagging, which can ...

Half of Today’s Jobs Could vanish—Here’s How Smart Countries Are Future-Proofing Workers

June 22, 2025 — AI is revolutionizing the job landscape, prompting nations worldwide to prepare their workforces for dramatic changes. A University of Georgia study evaluated 50 countries’ national AI strategies ...

Scientists Create Living Building Material That Captures CO₂ from the Air

June 20, 2025 — Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an astonishing new material: a printable gel that’s alive. Infused with ancient cyanobacteria, this "photosynthetic living material" not only ...

Self-Esteem Skyrockets 131% After Weight-Loss Surgery, Study Reveals

June 20, 2025 — Self-esteem scores jumped a remarkable 131% within just one year of bariatric surgery, according to a large study presented at ASMBS 2025. Tracking nearly 5,800 patients, researchers found a direct ...

Dancing Brainwaves: How Sound Reshapes Your Brain Networks in Real Time

June 2, 2025 — Listening to sound doesn t just trigger brain activity it reshapes your brain s internal networks in real time. Scientists have unveiled a powerful new imaging method, FREQ-NESS, that traces how ...

Why After 2000 Years We Still Don't Know How Tickling Works

May 27, 2025 — How come you can't tickle yourself? And why can some people handle tickling perfectly fine while others scream their heads off? Neuroscientists argue that we should take tickle research more ...

Scientists Track Down Mutation That Makes Orange Cats Orange

May 15, 2025 — Many an orange cat-affiliated human will vouch for their cat's, let's say, specialness. But now scientists have confirmed that there is, in fact, something unique about ginger-hued domestic ...

Your Fingers Wrinkle in the Same Pattern Every Time You're in the Water for Too Long

May 12, 2025 — Your fingers wrinkle in the same pattern every time you're in the water for too long, according to new ...

Amuse, a Songwriting AI-Collaborator to Help Create Music

May 9, 2025 — Researchers have developed AI technology similar to a fellow songwriter who helps create ...

Is AI Truly Creative? Turns out Creativity Is in the Eye of the Beholder

May 8, 2025 — What makes people think an AI system is creative? New research shows that it depends on how much they see of the creative act. The findings have implications for how we research and design creative ...

Non-Inherited Genes Affect Children's Development

May 7, 2025 — Parents' genes -- even when not directly inherited by a child -- may play a role in their educational and mental health outcomes, finds a new ...

Is Virtual-Only Couture the New Clothing Craze?

May 7, 2025 — As fast fashion continues to fill wardrobes and landfills at a staggering pace, new research suggests that the future of fashion might lie not in fabric, but in ...

Study Suggests We Don't Just Hear Music, but 'Become It'

May 6, 2025 — Your brain and body literally “sync” with music, according to new research. Instead of just understanding rhythm, our neural circuits physically resonate with it—shaping how we feel and move to ...

Gender Characteristics of Service Robots Can Influence Customer Decisions

May 6, 2025 — While service robots with male characteristics can be more persuasive when interacting with some women who have a low sense of decision-making power, 'cute' design features -- such as big ...

Children as Young as Five Can Navigate a 'Tiny Town'

May 5, 2025 — Neuroscientists are developing methods to map the brain systems that allow us to recognize and get around our ...