Credit: iStock/Wirestock October has taken the stage. The leaves blush red, pumpkins smile from porches and classic films retell the Slavic folklore of the night: vampires! Vampires may not be real, but their origins are linked to bats—one of the ecosystem’s most fascinating and spooky mammals. Bats are nocturnal mammals that evolved with powered flight … Continue reading Nature’s Vampires: The Flying and Feeding of Bats
Halloween
Cell Monsters: Understanding Cancer at the Cellular Level
Credit: iStock/Mariia Guseva It’s Halloween, and while ghosts and goblins may haunt the night, there’s something scarier that could be lurking inside our bodies: cancer cells! Like creatures from a horror movie, these cells can turn into rogue invaders, causing chaos. But don’t worry—scientists are on the hunt to stop them! What Makes a Monster? … Continue reading Cell Monsters: Understanding Cancer at the Cellular Level
The Haunted House of Microbes: Exploring the ‘Eerie’ Microbiome System
Credit: iStock It’s Halloween! This time of year many of us revel in all things spooky, huddle by a cozy fire and share chilling tales of our favorite monsters. Embracing the eerie ambiance of the season and the looming specter of fearsome creatures, I’ve embarked on a journey to delve into the enigmatic world of … Continue reading The Haunted House of Microbes: Exploring the ‘Eerie’ Microbiome System
Watching Scary Movies Can Help Reduce Your Stress (Really!)
Credit: iStock If you’re a fan of scary movies, you might notice that intense scenes may make you a little fidgety. As a scare pops up suddenly, you may unconsciously clench your fists or grip the arms of the couch, your heart rate quickens, goosebumps start to prickle your skin and sweat beads out of … Continue reading Watching Scary Movies Can Help Reduce Your Stress (Really!)
Halloween, Physiology Style
Credit: iStock As soon as the calendar turns over to October (and sometimes even before!) retail and media outlets remind us Halloween is coming. Wherever we look, it seems to be costumes, candy and scary movies abound. But did you know that many of the things that come to mind when we think of Halloween … Continue reading Halloween, Physiology Style
Can Exercise Combat Your Sweet Tooth?
Credit: iStock Having a sweet tooth is nothing to be ashamed of. But 39% of people in the U.S. are obese, and 10% have diabetes. That means public health efforts to reduce sugar consumption could benefit millions of people. Eating too much processed sugar isn’t just bad for our teeth. Sugar can cause insulin resistance, … Continue reading Can Exercise Combat Your Sweet Tooth?
Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
Credit: iStock Does being in the dark ever send a shiver up your spine? Have you ever hurried down a hallway after turning out the light? You may get spooked by suspicious shadows in a dark room only to turn on the light and realize it is just an innocent chair. Then, you might wonder … Continue reading Why Are We Afraid of Shadows in the Night? Because of Our Brains.
This Halloween, Celebrate the Creepy-crawlies that Keep Us Safe
Credit: iStock Each Halloween season, we celebrate all those spooky critters that give us the heebie-jeebies. But there might be more to cheer for than you realize. Scientists who study these creepy-crawlies are learning ways they may improve human health. Gila Monster In 1992, John Eng, MD, an endocrinologist working at the Veterans Affairs Medical … Continue reading This Halloween, Celebrate the Creepy-crawlies that Keep Us Safe
Horror-ibly Wrong Physiology in Scary Movies
Filmmakers have a history of making a few common mistakes in horror movie physiology. Credit: iStock Horror movies have been thrilling fans since the late 1800s, and research has shown that people who watched a horror film had a spike in white blood cells—a basic and important part of the immune system—in response to the … Continue reading Horror-ibly Wrong Physiology in Scary Movies
Halloween Musings on Mutations
The word “mutation” may conjure up images of fictional monsters, Marvel X-Men and creatures with non-human characteristics. It’s true that mutations are often associated with disease: something that has gone wrong in the body to produce an oddly shaped body part or sometimes cancer. However, mutations can’t be categorized as “good” or “bad” so easily. … Continue reading Halloween Musings on Mutations