There is a high rate of adverse physical effects and challenging psychological effects from using the plant-based psychoactive ayahuasca, though they are generally not severe, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Global Public Health by Daniel Perkins of University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues. Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive brewed drink...
“Buy Now Pay Later” platforms, such as Afterpay and Affirm, offer consumers almost instant access to credit for retail purchases without a hard credit check. While BNPL spending is projected to reach $1 trillion globally by 2025, little is known about its effects. BNPL, which typically appears as an option during checkout on a retailer’s website, most...
The number of U.S. adult handgun owners carrying a loaded handgun on their person doubled from 2015 to 2019, according to new research led by the University of Washington (UW). Data come from the 2019 National Firearms Survey (NFS), an online survey of U.S. adults living in households with firearms, including nearly 2,400 handgun owners....
Virtual 3D tours on real estate websites, such as Zillow and Redfin, allow viewers to explore homes without leaving the comfort of their couch. Sometimes the homes in these tours are staged, but other times they contain evidence of current residents’ lives. University of Washington (UW) researchers were curious about whether personal belongings visible in...
Donald Trump announced his 2024 run for the presidency on Nov. 15. In his address he railed against what he perceived as the “persecution” of himself and his family, but made scant mention of his legal woes. Confirmation of Trump’s White House bid comes at a curious time – a week after a lackluster Republican...
Teachers experienced significantly more anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic than healthcare, office, and other workers, according to new research released today. Those teaching remotely reported substantially higher rates of depression and feelings of isolation than those teaching in person. The study, published in Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association, was conducted by Joseph M....
During 2020, the use of terms like the “China virus” by public officials and in the media negatively connected COVID-19 to China, where the virus originated, causing a detrimental impact. New research from scholars of the hospitality industry at Penn State and the University of Houston found that this type of virus naming contributed to...
To reduce racial inequality in the U.S. criminal justice system, local, state, and federal government should explore ways to reduce police stops and searches, jail detention, prison admission, and long sentences, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report recommends governments explore coordinated policy reforms across each stage of the...
Not everyone’s holiday plans resemble a Hallmark card. If the “most wonderful time of the year” isn’t your reality, you’re not alone. You might have an idea of a festive picture-perfect holiday season, but what actually transpires doesn’t always measure up. And that’s where loneliness comes from, says King’s College London graduate student Samia Akhter-Khan, first...
Gratitude has been a trendy sentiment in recent years – sparking an industry of journals, knickknacks and T-shirts touting thankfulness as a positive force in individuals’ lives. New research suggests that gratitude from one’s partner may be a powerful tool for couples as well, increasing relationship satisfaction and commitment while protecting couples from the corrosive...