Author: healthadmin
Placebos, or fake supplements, may have real benefits for older people, according to a new study by psychologists at Milan’s Cattolica University. After taking the placebo pills for three weeks, participants saw improvements in both their physical performance and cognitive function. Surprisingly, the effect was seen even when participants knew the pill contained no active ingredient. This study International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychologyled by Diretta Balbiani, Alessandro Antonietti and Francesco Panini. This was supported by a PNRR grant through the Age-IT project. “This study is part of a well-established series of studies analyzing the role of the mind…
Legacy systems and regulatory hurdles slow health tech, but targeted innovations in AI wearables, telemedicine, and diagnostics are paving the way for 2026.
An analysis of data from the World Values Survey of developing and developed countries found that national citizenship, national pride, and global citizenship all predict life satisfaction. Although the positive effect of national pride on well-being was weaker for individuals who strongly identified as global citizens, those high on both measures still reported the highest overall life satisfaction. The paper is scientific report. Identity is an individual’s understanding of who they are, where they belong, and how they relate to others. It is shaped by individual characteristics, values, experiences, and membership in various social groups. An important aspect of identity…
Get the health information and medications you need every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning and happy Thursday. Let’s get started. New bill aims to expand access to methadone Today, two senators will introduce legislation that would expand access to methadone treatment by allowing physicians board-certified in addiction medicine to prescribe methadone directly to patients and pick it up at pharmacies. (Currently, the treatment is only available at about 2,000 specialty clinics.) The law was first introduced in 2023, but died in the House. “For too long, we have locked up methadone, an evidence-based,…
Power companies in the Pacific Northwest are furious that customers could be forced to pay for the costs of coal-fired power plants that aren’t producing power. This nasty dispute stems from the Trump administration’s continued efforts to preserve the U.S. coal industry. The owner of a coal-fired power plant near Centralia, Washington, which appears to have burned the last of its coal in December, said it was following federal orders to keep the facility open. now, Transalta Co., Ltd. is seeking tens of millions of dollars in reimbursement for its employees and costs incurred in keeping the 55-year-old power plant…
Researchers exploring the deep waters of Fiordland have discovered a giant black coral measuring 4 meters (13 feet) high and 4.5 meters (15 feet) wide. The protected coral is estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old and is believed to be one of the largest black corals ever recorded in New Zealand’s Aotearoa waters. Professor James Bell, a marine biologist at Victoria University of Wellington’s Te Herenga Waka, said the discovery was “absolutely huge”. “This is by far the largest black coral I’ve seen in my 25 years as a marine biologist. Most black corals I encounter while…
New research published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Over the past decade, evidence suggests that earning a college degree has become increasingly associated with a liberal political identity. This study suggests that while college students tend to develop a more left-leaning identity during their education, the actual change is much smaller than the general public assumes. Public discussions often focus on the idea that higher education gives students more freedom. Commentators and politicians frequently debate whether universities are actively pushing left-leaning ideologies on young people. This perception contributes to a growing lack of trust in higher education among…
A worker collects used plastic bottles at a waste facility ahead of World Environment Day in Karachi, Pakistan, June 4. Photo courtesy of Shahzahb Akber/EPA June 25 (UPI) — As global concerns about plastic pollution grow, the problem becomes less about where waste is disposed of and more about where it begins, with the United States emerging as a major exporter of the raw materials that fuel plastic production in China and elsewhere. At the center of that change is Texas, now a major hub for petrochemical exports, shipping billions of dollars worth of ethane and plastic resins to the…
PITTSBORO, N.C. — On stage at the Chatham County Agricultural Conference Center, an 85-year-old widow stood in front of a panel of Enbridge Gas representatives. There was fire in her eyes. “I’m usually a polite person, but you bring out the worst in me,” she said. “I’m going to fight you to the death.” In mid-June, she and hundreds of other Chatham County residents attended two community meetings sponsored by Enbridge to voice their opposition to a proposed 48-mile natural gas pipeline that would stretch from Siler City to Moncure in southern Chatham County. Construction could begin as early as…
For thousands of years, the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey changed hands as the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans rose and fell. But one thing remains surprisingly stable, even as the city’s rulers change repeatedly. Since 1958, archaeologists have returned annually as part of the Harvard University Cornell Ancient Sardis Expedition, making it one of the longest-running organized excavation projects in the world. “It’s really important that there’s institutional continuity,” says Benjamin Anderson, associate professor of art history and visual studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Many of us know and have been mentored by our…