Take the question of whether we are the only species to care about the well-being of others. It is well known that apes in the wild offer spontaneous assistance to each other, defending against leopards, say, or consoling distressed companions with tender embraces. But for decades, these observations were ignored, and more attention was paid [...]
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Neanderthal : Picture for the inside
We three groups were all enough alike that some of our ancestors could interbreed and produce fertile offspring. But the differences in the genomes of Denisovans, Neanderthals, and modern humans are also revealing the genetic traits that set us apart from them—the traits that made us human. “I’ve been comparing it to the pictures of [...]
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Dans les pensées de nos mères. Littéralement.
Recent findings showed that during pregnancy, mothers and fetuses often exchange cells that can apparently survive in bodies for years, a phenomenon known as microchimerism. Scientists had found that in mice, fetal cells could even migrate into the brains of mothers. Now researchers have the first evidence fetal cells do so in humans as well. [...]
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ASMR : Massages for your brain
ASMR : Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a physical sensation characterized by a pleasurable tingling that typically begins in the head and scalp, and often moves down the spine and through the limbs. Also known as : AIHO (Attention induced head orgasm), AIE (Attention induced euphoria), or simply “head orgasms”/”head tingles”. — ASMR : Massages [...]
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Bath Salts, la dangereuse insaisissable
The last four decades have seen plenty of whipped-up hysteria about various fad intoxicants of the moment. But the fear generated by bath salts seems well earned. Dr. Mark Ryan, director at the Louisiana Poison Center, called bath salts “the worst drug” he has seen in his 20 years there. “With LSD, you might see [...]
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La science du Gaydar
Should you trust your gaydar in everyday life? Probably not. In our experiments, average gaydar judgment accuracy was only in the 60 percent range. This demonstrates gaydar ability — which is far from judgment proficiency. But is gaydar real? Absolutely. — The Science of ‘Gaydar’, SundayReview, The New York Times.
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Apocalypse Zombie, phase 1
— Un cannibale abattu à Miami. — New Jersey Man Throws Intestines at Cops. — A Montauban, un homme ivre mange l’oreille d’un autre. Ça commence. Je ne regrette pas d’avoir pris le temps, avec mes amis du club Apocalypse, d’établir un plan d’urgence, et d’acheter un Leatherman. L’opération NPSM (Ne partez pas sans moi) est en [...]
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The Boundary Effect
“I know I came in here for something, but I can’t remember what it is …†If you’ve ever said something like this, you’ve probably experienced an “event boundary.†Many, if not all, of us have had the experience of walking into a room and forgetting exactly what it is we came in there to [...]
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Qu’est-ce qui nous différencie des grands singes?
Essentially what that says, is, take a chimp brain foetally, and let it go two or three more rounds of divisions and you get a humain brain instead. And outcomes symphonies, and ideologies, and hopscotch there. What that tells you is, with enough quantity, you invent quality. — Robert Sapolsky, février 2011. Réponse à la [...]
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Venus, Jupiter et Paris
Photo: Serge Brunier (TWAN), depuis la Tour Montparnasse. — Astronomy Picture of the Day. On les voyait clairement depuis ma terrasse avec Max, en attendant le début de Top Chef, je me demandais ce que c’était (Max penchait pour une planète Melancolia-style), jusqu’à ce que sa proprio nous éclaire quelques jours après. — Best Venus-Jupiter conjunction in [...]