A common belief in cardiology is that blood pressure (BP) increases with age, although studies find little evidence of that among non-Western adults in isolated communities. But does the association between age and BP differ in two isolated communities with different levels of Westernization? In this study, researchers examined the association between age and BP …
Three factors drive the formation of social and political groups according to the research: social pressure to have stronger opinions, the relationship of an individual’s opinions to those of their social neighbors, and the benefits of having social connections. A key idea studied in the paper is that people choose their opinions and their connections …
In the world of game theory, indirect reciprocity is played out using two randomly selected individuals in a population: one donor, one recipient. The donor then needs to decide whether or not to help the recipient based on their social norms. The donor’s decision may depend on the reputations of the two individuals, and on …
While earlier trials have examined whether fish oil or other supplements may prevent heart attack or stroke in patients with a history of heart disease or at very high risk of such disease, VITAL is the first large trial of omega-3 fatty acids for primary prevention – that is, preventing the first occurrence – of …
A stressed-out and traumatized father can leave scars in his children. New research suggests this happens because sperm “learn” paternal experiences via a mysterious mode of intercellular communication in which small blebs break off one cell and fuse with another. Carrying proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, these particles ejected from a cell act like a …
For the study, researchers set up an experiment that involved sending more than 800 applications from two fictitious applicants who differed in their cities of origin, a typical French town (Brives-la-Gaillarde) or Marrakesh, Morocco. This information is available only on their Facebook profiles, not on the resumes or the cover letters sent to recruiters. The …
Although long life tends to run in families, genetics has far less influence on life span than previously thought, according to a new analysis of more than 400 million people. The results suggest that the heritability of life span is well below past estimates, which failed to account for our tendency to select partners with …
Is mindset all there is? I recently attended a gathering of senior executives seeking to drive change in their organizations and was struck by how much mindset dominated the conversation. It was all about the assumptions and beliefs of the people in their organizations. They wanted to know what kind of evidence and reasoning would …
Neuroscientists are developing a clearer picture than ever before of how the animal brain processes social information, from status and competitive advantage in a group to the calls and vocalizations of peers. New studies in mice and marmosets help us understand a range of disorders defined by deficits in social function and identify mechanisms that …
To learn more about protein intake and disability in older adults, the research team used data from the Newcastle 85+ Study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK). This study’s researchers approached all people turning 85 in 2006 in two cities in the UK for participation. At the beginning of the study in 2006-2007, there were …