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| Photo by Cristian Newman. |
Napping for Life
I am not a nap-taker. I rarely am able to fall asleep during the day, and even if I am that tired, I feel so unwell after a nap that it doesn't seem worth it. It's too bad, because every once in a while a new study comes out touting the benefits of napping. This time, it's been shown that napping 1-2 times a week could help reduce your risk of a heart attack!
The Dateless Wonders Are Alright
If this study had been done twenty years ago, I could have been a participant: new research looked at teenagers who can't (or don't) get a date to see if they were more socially awkward or depressed than their peers. Turns out, they're not! Teens who don't date had equal or better social skills and mental health to those who are getting out there. That's nice.
Consequences of Policing
A new study shows that even smaller-scale interactions with the justice system can have negative effects on people's mental and physical health. This includes people who are convicted of crimes, regardless of whether they serve jail time, and even people who are arrested, even if they are not convicted.
Fit Bodies and Brains
A large study has shown that young adults who are physically fit have healthier brains, too. The brains of adults who are more physically active have more white matter (which improves nerve connections in the brain) and improved cognitive performance.
Political Correctness
This will come as no surprise to anyone who has watched current events unfold over the past four years, but a new study has shown that speakers who are politically incorrect are seen as more authentic by their audience, especially when the overall message conformed to their views. This means that (for example) liberals thought a person was being more authentic for calling someone "white trash" and conservatives were inclined to see authenticity when the speaker called someone "illegal." More evidence that we all just like people who agree with us. SIGH.
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