• ‘It’s less intimidating, less vulnerable’: why cooking in company helps us to talk

    ‘It’s less intimidating, less vulnerable’: why cooking in company helps us to talk
    The pressure’s off when we’re not staring at each other, we can relax and have a nice chatOn the day after Boxing Day last year, my dad and I went to buy some cabbage. My aunt and cousins were joining us for dinner that evening and we had a meal to prepare. The local supermarket was closed and the cabbage, sourced from an Italian deli around the corner, was obscenely overpriced. In a bind, we bought some anyway and headed back home to begin cooking. Standing around the kitchen island
  • The truth about stress: from the benefits of the ‘good kind’ to the exercise that only makes it worse

    The authors of a new book explain why understanding the science of stress can help us manage it betterTrue (up to a point)
    The way stress manifests is very much bodily, centred around hormones such as cortisol and their effect on us. But this process is triggered by the brain (notably the amygdala and the hypothalamus) and the way our brains react to stress is often set in early childhood, even in the womb. Pregnant women who experience extreme stress can give birth to infants who react more str
  • The sinister psychology at the heart of populism | Letters

    The sinister psychology at the heart of populism | Letters
    Readers respond to George Monbiot’s piece on how economic inequality fosters resentment, exclusion and nostalgiaGeorge Monbiot (Rightwing populists will keep winning until we grasp this truth about human nature, 13 April) makes some very important points about the psychology of those who follow demagogues and rightwing populist leaders. But this knowledge is not new. After the horrors of the rise of the Nazis and the persecution by them of Jews and other minority groups before and during t
  • U.S. Government Sues Maine Over Refusing to Ban Transgender Athletes

    Source: BBC News - AmericasThe Trump administration is suing the state of Maine for refusing to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. The move is an escalation in the public battle between the state's governor and Donald Trump that has included threats from the president to cut all federal funding to Maine. In response, Maine's Governor, Janet Mills, said the issue has "never been about school sports of the protection of women and girls."
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  • U.K. Supreme Court Issues Key Ruling on Gender Definition

    Source: CBS News - World NewsIn a potential landmark decision, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that in a 2010 civil rights law called the Equality Act, the word "woman" refers to someone's biological sex. The five judges stressed that their ruling was limited to the 2010 law as it pertains to women, and that "it is not the role of the court to adjudicate on the arguments in the public domain on the meaning of gender or sex, nor is it to define the meaning of the word...
  • Trump Administration Declares Killings in Sudan Genocide

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsAs the death toll mounts in Sudan, the Trump administration on Wednesday for the first time characterized the atrocities in that North African country as genocide, reaffirming a designation made by the former Biden administration in January. "They have murdered men and boys, and even infants on an ethnic basis, targeted fleeing civilians, and committed acts of brutal sexual violence against women and girls," a State Department spokesperson said...
  • Obama and Yale Faculty Back Harvard As Trump Cuts $2 Billion

    Source: Google News - HealthBarack Obama has come out in support of Harvard after the Trump administration elected to cut $2 billion of its federal grants after the Ivy League school rejected what it said was an attempt at "government regulation" of the university. Meanwhile, faculty at Yale University—another prominent Ivy League institution—has asked its leadership "to resist and legally challenge any unlawful demands that threaten academic freedom and… self-governance."
  • Hungary Amends Constitution, Banning Public LGBTQ+ Gatherings

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsHungary's parliament amended its constitution Monday to ban public LGBTQ+ gatherings, as it declared children's rights to "moral, physical and spiritual development supersede any right other than the right to life." The amendment, which passed by a vote of 140 to 21, will allow the Hungarian government to temporarily suspend the citizenship of any dual nationals who are determined to be a threat to the country's security. It also mandates two...
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  • Musk's DOGE Abruptly Cut a Program for Disabled Teens

    Source: Google News - HealthElon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to have cut more than 7,000 federal contracts. Besides the savings from each cut, little detail is available, but it's clear that for some families, the loss has been devastating. One such cut cancelled a program called "Charting My Path for Future Success"—a research-based effort to help disabled students make the transition from high school to college or the world of work and...
  • Delusions Often Appear Before Hallucinations in Early Psychosis

    Source: Google News - HealthA new study has found that delusions typically emerge before hallucinations in people at high risk for psychosis, overturning a longstanding belief that hallucinations drive delusional thinking. By analyzing symptom progression across three large cohorts, Yale University researchers consistently observed that delusions were the earliest symptom, reappearing even before hallucinations during relapses. The results suggest new strategies for...
  • AI Tool to Better Assess Parkinson's Disease, Other Movement Disorders

    Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA groundbreaking open-source computer program uses artificial intelligence to analyze videos of patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. The tool, called VisionMD, helps doctors more accurately monitor subtle motor changes—whether the videos are recorded on a smartphone, laptop, or over Zoom—by extracting precise motion metrics. The software also runs entirely on local computers, thereby ensuring data privacy.
  • Caliper Wellness Launches ExoMind Therapy in Pasco County - Offering Breakthrough Relief for Anxiety, Depression, Brain Fog, and More

    Caliper Wellness Launches ExoMind Therapy in Pasco County - Offering Breakthrough Relief for Anxiety, Depression, Brain Fog, and More
    Caliper Wellness is proud to announce the launch of ExoMind Therapy, a revolutionary, non-invasive brain stimulation treatment now available for the first time in Pasco County. Designed to target specific symptoms like anxiety, depression, PTSD, cognitive fog, and sleep disturbances, ExoMind delivers scientifically backed relief without the use of medication.ExoMind uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to gently [PR.com]
  • Nick Heather obituary

    My father, Nick Heather, who has died aged 86, was a clinical psychologist with an international reputation in alcohol and addiction research, and published more than 500 articles and more than 20 books. He was tireless and uncompromising in his efforts to advance the understanding and treatment of alcohol problems, especially in challenging the disease model of addiction.Perhaps his most significant contribution was pioneering “brief interventions” (short counselling sessions), now
  • I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings | Ask Philippa

    I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings | Ask Philippa
    It’s deeply human to seek approval and recognition from a parent, even when we are fully grownThe question I’m a man in my late 50s. My parents were teenagers when I was born. They married so I wouldn’t be illegitimate, it was the 1960s. My parents divorced. My mum and stepdad moved up north, my father remarried and stayed down south.My father and his wife have three children, now in their 40s. My stepdad killed himself when I was in my early 20s, but I’ve come to realise
  • I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings

    I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings
    It’s deeply human to seek approval and recognition from a parent, even when we are fully grownThe question I’m a man in my late 50s. My parents were teenagers when I was born. They married so I wouldn’t be illegitimate, it was the 1960s. My parents divorced. My mum and stepdad moved up north, my father remarried and stayed down south.My father and his wife have three children, now in their 40s. My stepdad killed himself when I was in my early 20s, but I’ve come to realise
  • What happens when love tips over into the infatuated state of ‘limerence’?

    What happens when love tips over into the infatuated state of ‘limerence’?
    A neuroscientist decided to study the addiction-like obsession of limerence, while overcoming it himselfI never really gave much thought to the nature of love until it became a problem.Throughout adolescence I suffered through a series of intense, mostly unrequited crushes, but just assumed this was the exquisite agony of desire that poets and lyricists work so hard to capture in words. Continue reading...
  • Elton John and Madonna have made up, but why do famous people publicly go to war?

    Elton John and Madonna have made up, but why do famous people publicly go to war?
    Sorry seems to be the hardest word – and there is a public appetite for watching high-profile feudsMadonna and Elton John have kissed and made up. After decades of high-octane feuding (more of which anon), Madonna recently turned up impromptu backstage when John was appearing on late-night television sketch show, Saturday Night Live in New York to “confront” him. Her ensuing Instagram post, liked 420,605 times and counting, said: “Over the decades it hurt me to know that
  • How to raise kind children: lead by example, talk it over … and get a dog

    How to raise kind children: lead by example, talk it over … and get a dog
    It is a simple and powerful way to help them feel calmer and happier, say the experts. So how do you teach kindness to kids?In a hostile world, many parents might be anxious about how to raise a kinder generation – and if so, science backs you. Children who are more empathetic “tend to have more positive interactions and more satisfying relationships with friends and family,” says Jessica Rolph, co-founder of early childhood development company Lovevery. Studies show that kids
  • Red Cross Chief Says Gaza Is "Hell on Earth" As Israeli Assault Continues

    Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesThe head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, has told the BBC that Gaza has become "hell on earth" and has warned of an "extreme hollowing out" of international law as Israel's military assault there continues. The ICRC is the guardian of the Geneva Conventions—internationally agreed rules of conduct in war—and normally only speaks confidentially to warring parties when it thinks violations are taking place.
  • Trump Administration Ordered to Unfreeze Funds in Dispute with Maine

    Source: Google News - HealthA federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program that were suspended amid a disagreement over President Trump's ban on transgender athletes participating in female sports. After the President warned the governor of Maine, Janet Mills, that she better comply with his order or he would cut off all federal funding to Maine, Mills had replied, "See you in court."
  • Heavy Drinking Linked to Brain Lesions and Cognitive Decline

    Source: Google News - HealthConsuming eight or more alcoholic drinks per week is tied to brain lesions that can impair memory and thinking. The lesions are signs of damaged blood vessels that gradually harm brain tissue. Researchers also found that heavy and former heavy drinkers had higher odds of a biomarker linked to Alzheimer's disease. Former drinkers showed reduced brain mass and worse cognitive performance, and heavy drinkers died, on average, 13 years earlier than...
  • FDA to Replace Animal Testing with AI-Based Studies and Other Methods

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration is replacing animal testing with human-relevant methods, including artificial intelligence, when developing monoclonal antibody therapies and other drugs. The regulatory change is intended to improve drug safety and accelerate the evaluation process while reducing animal experimentation, lowering research and development costs, and cutting drug prices, the FDA announced Thursday.
  • Sudan Accuses UAE of "Complicity in Genocide" at World Court

    Source: BBC News - AfricaIn a case being heard by the International Court of Justice, Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of being "complicit in the genocide" during the current civil war. The two-year conflict, which has pitted Sudan's army against a paramilitary group, has led to tens of thousands of deaths and forced more than 12 million people from their homes. Sudan alleges that the UAE has been arming the group in order to wipe out non-Arab Massalit...
  • Stroke Deaths and Associated Racial Disparities Rising in the U.S.

    Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyOver the last two decades, ischemic stroke mortality rates in the U.S. have grown, with almost 3 in 10 deaths occurring at home, and increases have been particularly high among racial minorities and rural residents. These growing disparities were among the findings of a new study published April 9, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS. The study analyzed 237,617 ischemic stroke deaths recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • U.S. Monitoring Immigrants' Social Media for Antisemitism

    Source: Google News - HealthU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced it will begin screening immigrants' social media for evidence of antisemitic activity as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests. The screenings will affect people applying for permanent residence status as well as foreigners affiliated with educational institutions. The move comes after highly publicized arrests and detentions of pro-Palestinian student activists such as Mahmoud...
  • Shingles Vaccine Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

    Source: Google News - HealthGetting vaccinated against shingles may reduce the risk of developing dementia by 20% over seven years. This conclusion comes from a natural experiment in Wales, where vaccine eligibility was determined by birthdate. Researchers used rigorous statistical methods to separate the effect of the shingles vaccine from other factors. Their findings suggest that routine immunization could play an unexpected role in protecting brain health as we age.
  • Is Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Playing Fair?

    Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyAs the use of artificial intelligence grows in health care, a new study reveals that generative AI models may recommend different treatments for the same medical condition based solely on a patient's socioeconomic and demographic background. The study, published in Nature Medicine, tested nine AI models on 1,000 emergency cases, each replicated with 32 different patient backgrounds, generating more than 1.7 million AI-generated treatment...
  • LGBTQ+ Mental Healthcare Program Opens in San Diego

    LGBTQ+ Mental Healthcare Program Opens in San Diego
    A new era of healing and self-discovery begins with the launch of Element Q Healing Center, a transformative program dedicated to holistic wellness, trauma healing, and mental health treatment. Brought to you by the team at Monima Behavioral Health, Element Q is a mental health PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) and IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) serving the LGBTQ+ communities of San Diego and beyond. [PR.com]
  • Most Books Targeted for Censorship in U.S. Involve LGBTQ, Race Topics

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsThere were over 800 attempts in 2024 to censor library books in the U.S., most of which concerned LGBTQ and race issues—the third-highest number of challenges to books ever recorded by the American Library Association. The ALA released a report with these numbers after President Donald Trump took steps to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, created by Congress as a federal funding stream dedicated to public libraries.
  • Exposure to Wildfire Smoke Linked to Mental Health Hospital Visits

    Source: Science Daily - Top HealthWhen people inhale fine particles in the air—for example, from smog—these particles can reach the brain, potentially causing inflammation and vascular damage. In a new study, Harvard researchers found that exposure to fine particles from California wildfire smoke was associated with increased hospital emergency department visits for depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems—hitting female, young, Black, and Hispanic individuals...
  • Treating Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

    Source: APA MonitorBorderline personality disorder is the most commonly diagnosed personality disorder in clinical populations, marked by extreme emotions, thinking, and behavior, unstable relationships, and insecurity. People with the disorder may see themselves as bad or worthless, and their evaluations of others can change rapidly—from idealizing to devaluing. Although it's unclear what causes BPD, evidence suggests that it can be effectively treated through...
  • White House Cuts More Than $125M in LGBTQ Health Research

    Source: APA PsycPORT™: Psychology NewswireLGBTQ research in the United States is collapsing. In recent weeks, academics who focus on improving the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans have been subjected to waves of grant cancellations from the National Institutes of Health. More than 270 grants totaling at least $125 million of unspent funds have been eliminated, though the true sum is likely much greater, researchers told NBC News.
  • New York Schools Refuses to Comply With Trump DEI Order

    Source: Google NewsNew York state officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with demands to end diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in public schools, despite the administration's threats to terminate education funding. Daniel Morton-Bentley, counsel and deputy commissioner of the state's department of education, said in a letter dated Friday that state officials do not believe the administration has authority to make such...
  • EcoCooks: Teaching Kids About Food and Climate at the Same Time

    Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsA unique program called EcoCooks has been providing Canadian children with hands-on lessons about food—cooked or grown by students themselves—and mixing in environmental education, which educators say has been a recipe for success. The nonprofit after-school club program teaches young people about the link between food and climate change, while also building their cooking skills and empowering them to take action.
  • U.S. Weather Service Pauses Severe Weather Alerts in Spanish

    Source: PBS ScienceThe National Weather Service has paused automated services that provide severe weather alerts in in Spanish and other languages besides English after the government contract for those services expired, the agency confirmed to PBS News. The contract for artificial intelligence modeling that previously sent emergency alerts in different languages is among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contracts that lapsed this week.
  • Cognitive Decline Often Comes Sooner for People with Heart Failure

    Source: Science Daily - Top HealthThere are over six million Americans with heart failure who are at greater risk of losing their cognitive abilities earlier in life, suggests a new study published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure. The study found that global cognition and executive functioning declined more rapidly over the years after heart failure diagnosis, as people with the condition mentally aged the equivalent of 10 years within just seven years of a heart...
  • 2 U.S. Agencies Unite to Enforce Trump Bans on Transgender Activities

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsA new Title IX Special Investigations team will focus on enforcing President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender women from competing on female sports teams and using restrooms designated for women. The U.S. Justice Department and the Department of Education will work together "to apply a rapid resolution investigation process to the increasing volume of Title IX cases," according to a joint news release Friday.
  • Realising we’re all made-up characters in a story world helps me understand people

    Realising we’re all made-up characters in a story world helps me understand people
    Considering everyone is a protagonist in their own narrative brought clarity for Will StorrFor nearly 20 years, I’ve been researching and writing about the human brain as a storyteller. My work has unalterably changed the way I see the human world in general, and myself in particular. It has helped me understand everything from political hatred and religions to cults to the nature of identity and suicidal thought. It has even made sense of my own lifelong struggle with making friends.Our e
  • Intrusive thoughts have convinced me I’m repulsive to look at | Ask Philippa

    This inner critic isn’t you, it’s just a voice that has been given far too much authorityThe question I am struggling with intrusive and increasingly critical self-talk around my appearance. So much so that some days I struggle to look in the mirror. I’ve recently had a baby and assumed that my long history of feeling ugly, lesser and fundamentally inadequate would be surpassed by being a mother and having an external concern other than myself but, if anything, it’s worse
  • Forgiveness is not beneficial for everyone | Letters

    Forgiveness is not beneficial for everyone | Letters
    While the act may help some, it can harm others, says Amanda Ann GregoryWhile I deeply respect the work of Fred Luskin and Robert Enright, psychologists should be careful not to suggest that forgiveness is beneficial for everyone (Leave the hurt behind! How to let go of a grudge, 26 March). It isn’t. There is no one-size-fits-all solution in mental health. While forgiveness may help some, it can harm others.Trauma survivors are often encouraged to forgive their abusers, with the promi
  • Trump administration axes more than $125M in LGBTQ health funding, upending research field

    The administration’s cancellation of hundreds of grants is dismantling the LGBTQ-focused research field, built out of nothing over a quarter-century.
  • U.S. Government May Pull $9 Billion From Harvard Over Anti-Semitism

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe U.S. Department of Education announced the Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is investigating alleged anti-Semitism on Harvard's campus. The Department announced Monday that will review the $255.6 million in federal contracts and $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments awarded to Harvard and its affiliates. In response, Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledged Monday that the university still has "much...
  • Trump Administration Freezes Dozens of Research Grants to Princeton

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe Trump administration suspended dozens of research grants to Princeton University on Tuesday, making it the latest Ivy League school to lose federal funding over allegations of anti-Semitism. "We will cooperate with the government in combating anti-Semitism," wrote Princeton president Christopher Eisgruber in a letter to students and faculty, adding that "Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of...
  • New Blood Test Can Diagnose and Track Progression of Alzheimer's

    Source: Google News - HealthA new blood test could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's. In addition to detecting the disease, the test helps determine the stage of its progression. This work, published in the journal Nature Medicine, may fundamentally change how doctors manage Alzheimer's care. "We're about to enter the era of personalized medicine for Alzheimer's disease," said Kanta Horie, research associate professor of neurology and lead author of...
  • Less Deep Sleep Linked to Brain Shrinkage, Alzheimer's Risk

    Source: Google NewsNew research shows that reduced time in slow wave and REM sleep is related to smaller brain volumes in regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. Using sleep studies and brain imaging data from 270 participants, the study found that poor sleep architecture was linked to brain atrophy. These links held even after controlling for factors like age, heart health, and lifestyle, suggesting that disrupted sleep may be a modifiable risk factor for...
  • The big idea: should you trust your gut?

    The big idea: should you trust your gut?
    ‘Follow your instincts’ has become a modern mantra. But what if they lead you astray? ‘What should I do?” Whether openly stated or implicit, this is the question a new client usually raises in their first therapy session. People come to see me for many reasons: relationship problems, addiction and mental health difficulties, such as anxiety. Increasingly, I have found that beneath all of these disparate problems lies a common theme: indecision, the sense of feeling stuck,
  • Osaka High Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Ban "Unconstitutional"

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsJapan's Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that the country's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The court's ruling is the fifth decision to call Japan's same-sex marriage ban a violation of the country's constitution, following similar rulings in the high courts of Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Nagoya. Japan is currently the only International Group of Seven country that does not recognize same-sex marriage.
  • Judge Blocks Texas A&M's Drag Show Ban

    Source: United Press International - Health NewsA federal judge has blocked the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a drag show ban, handing a victory to an LGBTQ+ student group. The lawsuit was filed by the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council after the university system's Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows because they "likely create or contribute to a hostile environment for women... as these events often involve unwelcome and objectively offensive conduct based on sex."
  • Germany Decides to Leave History in the Past and Prepare for War

    Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesGermany's military, the Bundeswehr, recently got the all-clear for a massive increase in investment after parliament voted to exempt defense spending from strict rules on debt. The country's top general has told the BBC that cash is urgently needed because Russian aggression won't stop at Ukraine. "We are threatened by Putin," General Carsten Breuer says. He warns that NATO should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years.
  • AI Models Miss Disease in Black and Female Patients

    Source: ScienceFrom programs designed to detect irregular heartbeats in electrocardiograms to software that tracks eye movements to diagnose autism, artificial intelligence is helping physicians fine-tune the care they provide patients. But for all the technology's potential for automating tasks, a growing body of evidence also shows that AI can be prone to bias that disadvantages already vulnerable patients. A new study, published in Science Advances, adds to...

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