Weird News, Santa Fe, NM

Are you one of the millions about to have cataract surgery? Here’s what ophthalmologists say you need to know

Cataract surgery removes the clouded lens of the eye and replaces it with a new, clear lens. Ivan-balvan/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Allan Steigleman, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Florida And by Elizabeth M. Hofmeister, Associate Professor of Surgery, Uniformed …

Watermelon overdose cases reveal a deadly risk to compromised kidneys

Watermelon can be dangerous for people with impaired kidney function. Depositphotos View 7 Images – By Paul McClure 2024 Apr 03 – 14% of American adults are affected by chronic kidney disease – and anyone in that category should be very careful about how …

For the Maya, solar eclipses were a sign of heavenly clashes − and their astronomers kept sophisticated records to predict them

El Castillo pyramid illuminated at night under a starry sky in Chichén Itzá, México, one of the largest Maya cities. Matteo Colombo/DigitalVision via Getty Images – By Kimberly H. Breuer, Associate Professor of Instruction, University of Texas at Arlington Published: 2024 Apr 03 …

Could sharing a bedroom with your pets be keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep?

Your dog may not be the best sleep partner. gollykim/E+ via Getty Image – By Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College Published: 2024 Apr 03 – Sleeping with your dog in the same room could be negatively affecting your sleep …

GPT-4 is 82% more persuasive than humans, and AIs can now read emotions

AIs are learning to track human emotional responses in real-time, by watching our faces and listening to the tone in our voices. Hume AI – By Loz Blain 2024 Apr 02 GPT-4 is already better at changing people’s minds than the average human is, …

Human cells enter ‘suspended animation’ using tardigrade proteins

Proteins from the microscopic tardigrade could help shield humans cells from damaging stressors. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Apr 01 – Tardigrades are famously tough little critters, and good for them – but what’s in it for us? We might now be closer …

What is dirt? There’s a whole wriggling world alive in the ground beneath our feet, as a soil scientist explains

Dig into soil and you’ll find rock dust but also thousands of living species. ChristinLola/iStock/Getty Images Plus – By Brian Darby, Associate Professor of Biology, University of North Dakota Published: 2024 Mar 25 – Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. …

DNA says you’re related to a Viking, a medieval German Jew or a 1700s enslaved African? What a genetic match really means

A genetic match to an ancient person doesn’t mean you’re more related genealogically. Mark Edward Atkinson/Tetra Images via Getty Images – By Shai Carmi, Associate Professor of Population and Statistical Genetics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem And By Harald Ringbauer, Group Leader, Department of …

The roots of the Easter story: Where did Christian beliefs about Jesus’ resurrection come from?

A mosaic of the Resurrection in the Basilica of St. Paul in Harissa, Lebanon. FredSeiller/Wikimedia Commons By Aaron Gale, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, West Virginia University Published: 2024 Mar 27 – As Easter approaches, Christians around the world begin to focus …

Now we know: Dogs can sniff trauma recollections on our breath

Dogs can already be helpful to those suffering from PTSD, and new research shows they might even be able to predict flashback events and intervene before they happen. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2024 Mar 28 – Two dogs in a small study were …