The body is remarkably good at healing. However, some parts of it are more adept than others. One example is cartilage in the knee. It has no direct blood supply, making it harder to mend, and some tears can’t recover without surgery. Now, surgery can stimulate repair or replace cartilage in the knee from another...
The night sky is due for a wondrous display: the Lyrid meteors. Meteors are also known as shooting stars (despite not being stars) and they create bright, colorful streaks of light as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere. On a regular, clear night, sky watchers can see up to 10 meteors an hour. But during a...
The Chatsworth crash was the deadliest Metrolink tragedy in history. It took place on September 12, 2008, at 4:22 PM, involving a freight train with three crew members and a commuter train with 225 passengers. The collision left 135 people injured and 25 dead, one of which was 49-year-old Charles E. Peck. His body was...
There’s a common myth saying people only use 10% of their brains. This idea has been turned into films and the basis of self-help programs that promise to “unlock” your full potential. Neuroscientists have since debunked this myth, and PET scans show activity in the entire brain in real time. However, one French man is...
If you have any level of health anxiety, you’ll know three things for certain. One, every symptom means cancer. Two, stabbing pains in your chest means an imminent heart attack. Three, Dr. Google diagnoses everything as cancer or heart disease. More often than not, it’s something much less serious, especially if it’s one symptom on...
When it comes to animals in pop culture, sharks are seen as evil and dolphins are seen as friendly. Visually, this is understandable. Dolphins look like they’re smiling and playing. Meanwhile, sharks hunt with rows of jagged teeth and a nose for blood. However, appearances can be deceiving, especially in nature. So as marine experts...
In the summer of 2023, George was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare and aggressive type of cancer. He was jaundiced with an obstruction in his bile duct and liver. He was only two years old. After the biopsy, the parents received the diagnosis and their son underwent three rounds of chemotherapy. After that, he...
Ordinarily, the immune system protects the body from foreign, illness-causing cells. However, autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s defense system begins mistakenly attacking healthy cells instead. There are over 80 types of known autoimmune diseases, and they can appear in almost every part of the body. Therefore, each disease comes with its own unique symptoms,...
The term “narcissist” is commonly used to insult self-serving and malicious people. But in psychological terms, the official diagnosis of a narcissist is more neutral. People with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) may behave selfishly and cruelly to hide shame and extremely low self-esteem. When they endure a blow, like a rejection or humiliation, they may...
Mexico City passed legislation that bans violent bullfighting, a spectacle with a long history and controversy. The vote passed by a margin of 61-1. As animal rights activists celebrate, bullfighting supporters protest the local Congress. Many are frustrated by the sudden loss of national identity, and livelihood. They waved signs that read “Being a fan...
Sharks are popular animals. Which other creatures are featured for a week annually on the Discovery Channel? They are utterly fascinating to many people, whether they admire them or live in terror of them, or both. Shark tourism is a global industry as people hope to view these vertebrates in aquariums or from boats. Or...
Tooth discoloration is common but widely unwanted. Sparkling white teeth are the current beauty standard, and they are indicators of good oral health — but not always. Sometimes teeth are discolored but still healthy. For example, people’s teeth can look naturally yellow, or turn darker as they age. However, certain brushing techniques can also cause...
