Educational Science

Liberal and Conservative States Equally Clueless About Abortions

Americans living in politically liberal states and those living in conservative states have an equally low understanding of abortion's health effects and the laws regarding the procedure, a new national survey finds. Just 74 out of the 569 people who took the survey answered at least four of the five...

Here's How a Nap Could Change Your Afternoon

WASHINGTON — Taking an afternoon nap can improve short-term memory in younger adults, but perhaps not in older adults, according to a new study. However, a little daytime shut-eye has other health benefits for the elderly. In the study, participants took afternoon naps in a lab. Researchers gave the subjects...

Some snakes seem to be little scaredy-cats, as new research finds when climbing trees, they hold on for dear life. The study researchers found snakes use a much greater force to grip tree trunks and other surfaces they're climbing than is necessary. The finding suggests the reptiles prefer to play...

Leafy Bloodhounds: Plants Might Find Land Mines

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Wars may end, but land mines last for decades. These deadly explosives can be cleared, but the task is often dangerous and time-consuming. Someday, there may be an easier way: Plants could indicate where mines lay hidden underground, according to researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in...

Drone Pilots Suffer PTSD Just Like Those in Combat

Although drone operators may be far from the battlefield, they can still develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study shows. About 1,000 United States Air Force drone operators took part in the study, and researchers found that 4.3 percent of them experienced moderate to severe PTSD. In...

Faraway Earthquake Triggered Antarctica Icequakes

Antarctica's ice snapped and popped because of a major earthquake in Maule, Chile, halfway around the world, a new study reports. Antarctica has been touched by great earthquakes before. In March 2011, Japan's Tohoku tsunami tore off two Manhattan-size icebergs from the Sulzberger Ice Shelf, more than 8,000 miles (13,000...

Sodium Guidelines 'Need to Be Rethought,' Experts Say

People whose diets contain moderate levels of sodium may have healthier hearts and live longer than those who consume too much or too little of the mineral, new research suggests. In a large international study, researchers found that men and women who ate between 3,000 and 6,000 milligrams of sodium...

Paid Editors on Wikipedia — Should You Be Worried? (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Whether you trust it or ignore it, Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites in the world and accessed by millions of people every day. So would you...