The internet is rife with funny cat videos showing their reactions to a plant commonly known as “catnip.” What is catnip, does it affect all felines, is it safe for cats, and should humans use it? This Special Feature investigates these questions and more. Nepeta cataria, or “catnip,” is an…
Rising US temperatures may cause over 2,000 fatal injuries annually
A team of researchers has found that temperature increases of 1.5°C and 2°C in the United States would result in 1,600 and 2,100 additional deaths from injury, respectively. These deaths would mostly affect men between the ages of 15 and 34 years. They would primarily result from transport accidents, suicides,…
What Do Musical Experiences Have in Common Across Cultures?
Music is a vital part of cultures around the world, and the idea that it has some universal features is not new. But a paper recently published in the journal Science analyzes these characteristics systematically—finding evidence of both variation and common threads running through the world’s songs and song-related behaviors. “Music perception and music production…
One Course, Two Courses, Three Courses, More? Providing Career Support Throughout The Undergraduate Curriculum
Scenario One When Shannon asked for a letter of recommendation from the department chair to support her applications for graduate school, the chair asked why she was applying to clinical programs. Shannon said she did not know what else she could do with her bachelor’s degree. Scenario Two Rafael took…
“Marshmallow Test” Redux: New Research Reveals Children Show Better Self-Control When They Depend on Each Other
Children are more likely to control their immediate impulses when they and a peer rely on each other to get a reward than when they’re left to their own willpower, new research indicates. The findings appear in Psychological Science. The researchers say their experiments are the first to show that children are…