Mini-brains attach to spinal cord and twitch muscles

A new method of growing mini-brains produces some startling results.

(Lancaster, et al)
  • Researchers find a new and inexpensive way to keep organoids growing for a year.
  • Axons from the study's organoids attached themselves to embryonic mouse spinal cord cells.
  • The mini-brains took control of muscles connected to the spinal cords.
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A pleasure to burn: Why do people like spicy foods?

Spicy foods are enjoyed the world over, but scientists don't know why people partake in culinary masochism.

Image source: Pixabay
  • Humans are the only animals known to willingly eat foods that cause irritation, discomfort, and even pain.
  • Theories for why range from thrill-seeking behavior to an evolutionary adaptation for seeking foods that reduce pathogens.
  • Taste results from an interplay of genes, culture, memory, and personality, a complex design that scientists are only now beginning to understand.
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human body nature world culture bacteria biomechanics birds evolution evolutionary psychology microbes psychology food

How to use tea to biohack your mood, stress, and productivity

Ancient beverages such as tea and chamomile can heighten your modern-day performance.

Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash
  • Tea was cultivated in China nearly 5,000 years ago.
  • Its molecular makeup makes it the perfect biohack for regulating mood, alertness, and concentration throughout the day.
  • Tea may not be a panacea, but studies suggest promising long-term health benefits.
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Cushioned shoes aren't good for your feet

More and more research points to a serious mistake we made in how biomechanics works.

Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
  • A new study from Helsinki found that the more you cushion your feet, the more likely you'll get injured.
  • This follows previous studies showing that cushioned shoes leave you more susceptible to pain and injury.
  • A few million years of evolutionary design has been usurped by shoe marketing campaigns.
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health human body marketing anthropology biology biomechanics

The next amazing trick we can learn from geckos

Run across water? Sure. No problem.

(Pauline Jennings, PolyPEDAL Lab, UC Berkeley)
  • Scientists analyze how geckos do something they shouldn't be able to do... walk (well, run like heck) across water.
  • They can race over water nearly as fast as on land.
  • Their method may look crazy... but it works. And humans could potentially do the same.
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biomimicry animals evolution water physiology biology biomechanics