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The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games

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Games and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history.

In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different aspects of each game, which may constitute a vivid reflection of the cultural tendencies of each era.

Unfortunately, the attractiveness of games is tied to human psychology, and finding objective evidence in topics related to the realm of the human mind is a difficult task. Could there possibly be a way to quantify universal characteristics of games so as to put them under rigorous mathematical analysis? [Read more…] about The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games

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  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
    35
    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, human, news, life
  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
    33
    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, news, life

Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planning

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A study of Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists shows that many face moral dilemmas when dealing with issues of family planning and abortion due to their religious faith, according researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

The study, published this week in JAMA Network Open, revealed that some Catholic Ob/Gyn practitioners lean toward natural methods of birth control and do not perform abortions due to their faith, while others believe providing a full range of services to those in need is intrinsic to their religious teachings.

“The primary outcome was understanding how participants describe integration of Catholic values with family planning service provision,” the study said. [Read more…] about Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planning

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  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
    45
    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, family, study, features, life

When good governments go bad

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All good things must come to an end. Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with different degrees of severity.

In a new paper, anthropologists examined a broad, global sample of 30 pre-modern societies. They found that when “good” governments – ones that provided goods and services for their people and did not starkly concentrate wealth and power – fell apart, they broke down more intensely than collapsing despotic regimes.

The researchers found a common thread in the collapse of good governments: leaders who undermined and broke from upholding core societal principles, morals, and ideals. [Read more…] about When good governments go bad

To protect nature’s benefits, focus on people

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To calculate the true value of a forest, we need to know how people benefit from it, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability.

A healthy forest holds a treasure trove of benefits for people – it can filter water for downstream communities, supply timber for building, and provide a place for people to connect with nature.

But a forest – or any other ecosystem – won’t necessarily provide the same things to everyone. [Read more…] about To protect nature’s benefits, focus on people

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  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
    34
    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, forest, life
  • Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
    30
    Experiences of loneliness may differ by ageLoneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.   The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived…
    Tags: features, life
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
    30
    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, features, life

High intensity training best for older people

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“First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect,” says Dorthe Stensvold.

Stensvold is a professor in the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has been looking forward to sharing the results from the Generation 100 study for a while now.

Researchers, healthcare professionals and individuals around the world are eager to learn the answer to the question: Can exercise really give older people a longer and healthier life? Generation 100 is the first major study that can tell us that, and Stensvold has encouraging news. [Read more…] about High intensity training best for older people

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  • Making health care more personal
    38
    Making health care more personalThe health care system today largely focuses on helping people after they have problems. When they do receive treatment, it’s based on what has worked best on average across a huge, diverse group of patients. Now the company Health at Scale is making health care more proactive and personalized –…
    Tags: health, people
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
    33
    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, group, participants, study
  • Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not
    31
    Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe notIt's generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests…
    Tags: study, health, exercise, participants, people

Why some friends make you feel more supported than others

by Leave a Comment

It’s good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it’s even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests.

Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or family who all knew and liked each other than from an identical number of close relationships who were not linked.

The results suggest that having a network of people to lean on is only part of what makes social support so beneficial to us, said David Lee, who led the study as a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at The Ohio State University. [Read more…] about Why some friends make you feel more supported than others

Related Posts

  • Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planning
    45
    Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planningA study of Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists shows that many face moral dilemmas when dealing with issues of family planning and abortion due to their religious faith, according researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The study, published this week in JAMA Network Open, revealed that some Catholic Ob/Gyn practitioners lean…
    Tags: family, study, people, features, life
  • High intensity training best for older people
    33
    High intensity training best for older people"First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the…
    Tags: group, study, participants, people
  • Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
    31
    Experiences of loneliness may differ by ageLoneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.   The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived…
    Tags: features, life
  • To protect nature's benefits, focus on people
    30
    To protect nature's benefits, focus on peopleTo calculate the true value of a forest, we need to know how people benefit from it, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability. A healthy forest holds a treasure trove of benefits for people – it can filter water for downstream communities, supply timber for building, and provide a…
    Tags: people, features, life

The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions

by Leave a Comment

Though some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out.

The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded that human arrival in the Bahamas about 1,000 years ago was the main factor in the birds’ extinction and displacement in recent millennia, although habitat fluctuations caused by increased storm severity and sea level rise could have played a role.

Many spectacular species, such as a colorful parrot, a striking scavenger called a caracara, and a number of hawks, doves, owls, and songbirds, were still found as recently as 900 years ago, and may have overlapped with people by a century before disappearing or retreating to only one or two islands in The Bahamas. [Read more…] about The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions

Related Posts

  • The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games
    35
    The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about gamesGames and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history. In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different…
    Tags: people, human, news, life
  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
    31
    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, news, life

Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it

by Leave a Comment

Are you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago?

If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process social information, and we usually feel better when we are connected. Social media taps into this tendency.

“Human brains have essentially evolved because of sociality more than any other thing,” says Sinan Aral, an MIT professor and expert in information technology and marketing. [Read more…] about Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it

Related Posts

  • The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games
    33
    The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about gamesGames and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history. In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
    31
    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
    30
    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, life

Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests

by Leave a Comment

Global maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest.

The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent were located in tropical countries, and 71.3 percent lived in countries classified as low or middle income by the World Bank.

“There were no data at all on how many people live in and around forests globally,” says first author Peter Newton, an Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. [Read more…] about Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests

Related Posts

  • To protect nature's benefits, focus on people
    34
    To protect nature's benefits, focus on peopleTo calculate the true value of a forest, we need to know how people benefit from it, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability. A healthy forest holds a treasure trove of benefits for people – it can filter water for downstream communities, supply timber for building, and provide a…
    Tags: people, forest, life
  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
    30
    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, life

Touch-and-know: Brain activity during tactile stimuli reveals hand preferences in people

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Have you ever wondered whether the brains of right-handed people work differently from those of left-handers? Is it possible to distinguish between them by observing their brain activity in response to stimuli or tasks?

These are important questions from the perspectives of both basic sciences and application-based fields such as brain-computer interfaces, rehabilitation robotics, and augmented reality.

Since the past few years, a team of scientists at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Korea, has been actively conducting fundamental research to answer these questions. [Read more…] about Touch-and-know: Brain activity during tactile stimuli reveals hand preferences in people