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Category: Science

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Experts Say Deforestation Increases Risks of Future Pandemics

Deforestation doesn’t just jeopardize the environment and the animals we cohabitate this planet with; it also increases the risk of humans contracting zoonotic diseases, which have been at the heat at recent pandemics.

Zoonotic diseases are those that spread from animals to humans – salmonellosis, West Nile virus, rabies, Lyme disease, and coronaviruses being among the “top zoonotic diseases of most concern in the US,” according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

“Sixty percent of novel infectious diseases originate in animals and can be highly contagious and dangerous,” says a recent article by Sustainable Brands. “Despite advancements in medical technology that improve disease treatment outcomes, the incidence of zoonotic emerging infectious diseases and their potential for pandemic have increased.”

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#EarthDayAtHome – Celebrating Our Home Without Leaving the House

Earth is about 4.54 billion years old (give or take 50 years or so), and yet it took until 1970 for humans to dedicate an official holiday honoring this big, blue marble that we call home.

And now, for Earth Day’s big 5-0, the entire world has found itself on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

So, how is one to celebrate the environment while stuck at home? Don’t fret, there’s plenty you can do to subtly say, “I love you” to this breathtaking, selfless space rock.

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Why Take an At-Home DNA Test? Most Say ‘Curiosity’

Whether you’ve heard of them through an ad on TV, or a loved one gushing about how they didn’t know they have a sliver of DNA from another part of the world, more than 26 million individuals have taken an at-home DNA test as of last year.

At-home DNA tests can reveal information about your lineage, potential health risks, and serve as an interesting gift for a family member, but there have been recent concerns over the privacy and accuracy of these tests.

Notwithstanding these caveats, a recent Your DNA study reveals most individuals had positive experiences taking an at-home DNA test, and many of them went on to make beneficial lifestyle changes because of their results.

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How Animals Perceive Time

Ah, time. It’s a not-so-universal measurement that seems so innate to us humans that we structure our entire lives around it with alarm clocks, planners, shared digital calendars.

Although the importance we place on time is a very manmade construct – leaving some to questions whether it’s even real all together – the passage of time still remains a fact of life: the sun rises, the sunsets; we are born, we grow, we eventually die.

So, without a watch or a notification to ping them before important events, how do animals perceive time?

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How Psychedelics Impact Personality and Creativity

It only takes a few milligrams of a naturally occurring compound – or even a just few micrograms on a sliver of paper – to open your mind to a vibrant swirl of creativity and long-lasting personality changes.

While psychedelics have shown efficacy in treating various mental health conditions including anxiety, treatment-resistant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, they also carry the potential to help researchers further understand the interplay between various brain networks, says a 2018 Medical Hypothesis study.

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