Even Georgia O’Keeffe noticed the pin-sized blisters bubbling on the surface of her paintings. For decades, conservationists and scholars assumed these tiny protrusions were grains of sand, kicked up from the New Mexico desert where O’Keeffe lived and worked. But as the protrusions began to grow, spread and eventually flake off, people shifted from curious...
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How Your Smartphone Is Affecting Your Relationship
Smartphones have become a constant companion for many of us. In a recent study by the Pew Research Center, nearly 50 percent of adults reported they “couldn’t live without” their phones. Whether at the supermarket, in the doctor’s office, or in bed at night, it can be tempting to pick up the device and start...
Oral Contraceptives Could Impair Women’s Recognition of Complex Emotions
The pill could be blurring your social judgement – but perhaps not enough so you’d notice. By challenging women to identify complex emotional expressions like pride or contempt, rather than basic ones like happiness or fear, scientists have revealed subtle changes in emotion recognition associated with oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience,...
Do Cold Temperatures Result in Heat-Of-The-Moment Purchases?
In 2005, the New York Times reported that high end retailer Bergdorf Goodman kept its stores chilled to 68.3 degrees, whereas Old Navy’s was kept at a balmy 80.3. Meanwhile, the swanky IFC mall in Hong Kong is kept at a frigid 59 degrees Fahrenheit. There may be a reason why luxury retailers keep their...
Rutgers Researcher Discovers Black Seed Oil Compound May Improve Skin Care
A Rutgers researcher has found that thymoquinone, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound of black seed oil, can effectively be delivered to the skin, which may offer a new option for skin care. Natural skin care products with botanical ingredients are a popular part of people’s daily skin regimen, providing relief for skin redness or irritation...
Research Pulls Back the Veil on Historical Portrayal of ‘Downton Abbey’
Ask any “Downton Abbey” fan about the wildly popular historical television drama and they will wistfully reminisce about being whisked away to a more gentile and elegant time in post-Edwardian England. With a majestic castle as the backdrop and actors adorned in lavish costumes, audiences were immersed into life as it was in the early...
Johns Hopkins Faculty Data Highlight How Gender Disparities in Salary Add Up Over a Lifetime
Around the country, women physician researchers make 7 to 8 percent less per year than men. At the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, efforts to eliminate such a gender disparity have cut the difference in salaries from 2.6 percent in 2005 to a statistically insignificant 1.9 percent in 2016. But even with that improvement...
R-E-S-P-E-C-T? LGBT Views on Police Legitimacy and Authority
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals have a long history of discrimination in the United States. Studies show that they continue to be discriminated in employment, housing, and places of public accommodation, among others. Due to lack of comprehensive state and federal laws, it continues to be legal to fire gay, lesbian, and bisexual...
Predicting Gentrification in Order to Prevent It
A new research model allows urban planners, policymakers and community leaders to better focus resources to limit gentrification in vulnerable neighborhoods throughout the U.S. By examining the “people, place and policy” factors that determine whether a neighborhood will gentrify or not, the model offers a better understanding of what fosters gentrification and what limits it....
Computer Analysis Shows That Popular Music Lyrics Become Angrier and Sadder Over Time
Popular music has changed over the years, and the music of 2019 is noticeably different from the music of the 1960s or 1970s. But it is not just the music that changed, but also the lyrics. Data scientists at Lawrence Technological University in Michigan used quantitative analytics to study the change in lyrics of popular...