Special Reports

Tuesday, 03 January 2017 01:30

Why cramming for exams never works

'Retrieval practice', can protect the memory against the effects of stress Study of students showed they remembered more in stressful situations Students using this method have an advantage over those who simply re-read material in order to memorize it, claims the research Every student who has panicked while reading the same page of a textbook over and over again may suspect this. But stress cramming for an exam does not work, because the facts are likely to be lost from your memory. Instead it is best to learn through practice tests to protect your brain from the effects of stress,…

Thursday, 29 December 2016 02:48

None of us are any good at deciding who is and isn't trustworthy - Shana Lebowitz

Those who seem honest aren't always. Within a second (or less) of meeting someone, we're already making judgments about their personality - whether they're nice, smart, or even adventurous. We're especially quick to discern whether that person is trustworthy. Unfortunately, we're usually wrong in that area. Fascinating new research from the University of Southern California and Temple University harnesses the power of computer science to determine what behaviors make someone seem trustworthy and what behaviors indicate that someone really is trustworthy. Spoiler alert: The two sets of behaviors don't match up. For the study, researchers had about 300 participants pair…

Wednesday, 28 December 2016 02:40

Why you should never brush arguments with family under the carpet

Study found adults who recalled incident felt better and more able to deal with it The research involved a trial with patients suffering from clinical depression This reduced symptoms of depression, outperforming the usual treatments While Christmas is a time for fun and celebration, spending so much time with relatives can also spell bitter arguments. And although it’s tempting to brush rows under the carpet and never mention them again, this isn’t the best way to ease stress, according to psychologists. Going over the details of an argument in your head and remembering exactly what happened helps to keep matters…

Monday, 26 December 2016 02:29

Why we lose our memories when we age - and what you can do to stop it

The method more likely boost memory is engaging in more physical exercise Experts say aerobic exercise is the best type of activity for boosting memory Research shows the hippocampus show increases in volume from this activity How is it that we are able to remember some events in great detail whereas other memories seem to fade away over time? Our memory changes with age, so that we may have a memory slip on a trip to fetch something from the next room, but we’re still able to recall important events from history with great detail. But why? One important aspect…

Saturday, 24 December 2016 16:26

Just half an hour a day with mum makes a child smarter

Children read to by their mothers tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities Mothers who spend time with children have offspring with better social skills Researchers at London and Essex universities used data from 8,000 children Spending just half an hour a day with their mother can make a child smarter, according to a study. Children who are read to by their mothers or are helped with their homework between the ages of three and seven tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities – and the impact lasts into adulthood. And mothers who spend time with their children doing fun…

Thursday, 22 December 2016 02:17

Experts say using painkillers all the time is pointless AND dangerous

Minutes after taking some painkillers she’d bought in the supermarket, Ginny Davis felt light-headed and noticed a ringing in her ears. ‘I then began to itch intensely on the palms of my hands and within an hour noticed a red rash spreading over my body,’ recalls the actress and writer. Ginny, 61, who lives near Stratford-upon-Avon, had taken paracetamol and ibuprofen after waking up with a sore shoulder. She had used both drugs many times before without problems. But on this occasion, two years ago, her symptoms were so concerning that she went straight to her GP. Finding her blood…

Tuesday, 20 December 2016 16:46

Laser therapy that can wipe out prostate cancer

Laser therapy could eradicate the prostate cancer tumours of thousands of men Technique could spare many patients the trauma of surgery or radiotherapy Nearly half of men with early-stage prostate cancer saw their tumour destroyed Targeting prostate cancer with bursts of light could eradicate the tumours of thousands of men, a major trial has found. The technique, in which a light-sensitive chemical is activated by a laser when it reaches cancer cells, could spare many patients the trauma of surgery or radiotherapy. Nearly half of men with early-stage prostate cancer saw their tumour completely destroyed by the highly targeted technique…

Monday, 19 December 2016 02:20

We're entering an era of internet warfare, experts warn

Since the presidential election result was announced last month, America has become an embittered battlefield. Few issues are causing fiercer controversy than the role of Russia in securing Donald Trump’s victory. The CIA last week asserted ‘with high confidence’ that Kremlin-directed hackers were responsible for the revelation through Wikileaks of thousands of Democratic Party emails, derailing the Hillary Clinton campaign wagon just at a crucial moment during the election when Trump was in trouble over his appalling treatment of women. Then, in a sensational development reported yesterday, intelligence officials said that Russia’s President Putin was personally involved in the hacking…

Sunday, 18 December 2016 02:57

Corruption: How ICPC is making the difference - Folu Olamiti

The current prosecution of some judges for alleged corrupt practices and the ongoing trial of some politicians and public functionaries in the immediate past administration on allegations of diverting funds meant for arms procurement have left Nigerians and the world in no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption war is on course. Many Nigerians are pleased by these actions especially the one which touches a section of the public service hitherto thought to be shielded by the system from external scrutiny. Coming on the heels of this development was the disclosure by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences…

Saturday, 17 December 2016 02:17

Why being single really could KILL you

A quarter of stroke sufferers die within a year, according to scientific research Half are left with a lasting disability, which can include speech problems The extent to which they recover is hugely dependent on having good care Experts say married people do better because someone looks after them Being in a stable marriage means people are more likely to survive a stroke, experts have found. Having a spouse to care for someone 'in sickness and in health' improves survival chances by up to 71 per cent, according to a study. An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke each year…

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Friday, 16 December 2016 02:30

What personality type are YOU? Researchers say 90% of people can be classified within just four groups

Researchers analyzed behaviors of 541 people in 'social dilemma' games Then, they developed algorithm to classify them based on the responses This revealed 4 types: envious, trusting, pessimistic, and optimistic Envious was found to be the most common, making up 30% of the group Most of the population can be categorized within four basic personality types, according to a new study. Researchers in Spain analyzed the responses of hundreds of volunteers to various social dilemmas, and developed an algorithm to classify their behaviour. The algorithm determined that 90 percent of people can be considered either optimistic, pessimistic, trusting, or envious…

Thursday, 15 December 2016 14:36

Life after the caliphate: Boko Haram's Nigerian former stronghold now a safe haven

In the northern Nigerian town of Bama the streets are eerily quiet. Houses lie empty, riddled with bullet holes, and symbols of the jihadist group Boko Haram are painted on the walls. Bama, once the militants' stronghold, was liberated from the Islamist fighters by the Nigerian army in March 2015, but is only reached safely by helicopter - the roads still too dangerous because of the risk of ambush by the insurgents. Despite its ghostly atmosphere and violent history, the town is now a safe haven for around 10,000 people, among more than two million in Nigeria who have fled…

Tuesday, 13 December 2016 07:07

Money really doesn't make you happy

Study by London School of Economics shows money is not key to happiness Eliminating poverty would only 'reduce misery in UK' by five per cent. But tackling depression and anxiety would bring misery down by 20 per cent It recommends more lessons in schools focusing on emotional wellbeing Money really can’t buy happiness, according to an extensive research project into Britain’s well-being. The cheapest way and most effective way to make Britain feel happier and to reduce misery levels is by improving mental health treatment. A study by Lord Richard Layard and others at the London School of Economics found…

Sunday, 11 December 2016 18:31

How to choose happiness - Marie Kondo

The Japanese word “tokimeku” means “to spark joy.” Someone who is adopting my method of tidying must take a possession of hers and ask: “Does this spark joy for me?” This question is the sole basis for choosing what things to keep in one’s home and what to discard. But can we apply this notion of sparking joy on a larger scale? We live in a disorganized and chaotic world, much of it outside our control. I read recently that more than 80 billion articles of clothing are produced each year, but only a negligible few are recycled. As people’s…

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