Futurity.org » University of Kansas

To get creative, shed brain’s thought filter

Evan Lerner-Pennsylvania — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:13:56 +0000

U. PENNSYLVANIA (US) — Blocking the brain’s prefrontal cortex—the part that works as a kind of filter to keep out irrelevant thoughts—can improve performance when completing creative tasks, new research shows.

Previous studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex—in particular, the left prefrontal cortex—is one important area of the brain that supports cognitive control.

Bigger babies when moms take omega-3

Karen Henry-Kansas — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:02:32 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — Infants of mothers who took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy weighed more at birth and were less likely to be born before 34 weeks gestation, a new study finds.

The results—which greatly strengthen the case for using the dietary supplement during pregnancy—are from the first five years of a 10-year, double-blind randomized controlled trial published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Higher odds of obesity in rural US

Cori Ast-Kansas — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:09:16 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — People who live in rural areas of the US are more likely than city dwellers to be obese, according to a new study.

Published in the fall 2012 issue of Journal of Rural Health, the study indicates that residential location may play an important role in the obesity epidemic.

How grandparents pitch in to care for kids

William Harms-Chicago — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:13:55 +0000

U. CHICAGO (US) — Grandparents in the US are taking on increased childcare duties—and those with more income and education are most likely to babysit.

The new study, based on a National Institute on Aging survey, shows that 60 percent of grandparents provided some care for their grandchildren during a 10-year period, and 70 percent of those who did provided care for two years or more.

Neandertal’s brawny arm hints at language

Brendan Lynch-KU — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:05:16 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — Research confirming that a Neandertal was right-handed could suggest a capacity for language, a new study shows.

There are precious few Neandertal skeletons available to science. One of the more complete was discovered in 1957 in France, roughly 900 yards away from the famous Lascaux Cave. Then, about two decades ago, researchers examined the arm bones of the skeleton—dubbed “Regourdou”— and theorized that he had been right-handed.

Belief in hell may cut crime

Jim Barlow-Oregon — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:33:10 +0000

U. OREGON (US) — Religion may serve as a bulwark against unethical behavior, but when it comes to predicting criminal behavior, specific religious beliefs may be the determining factor.

Criminal activity is lower in societies where people’s religious beliefs contain a strong punitive component than in places where religious beliefs are more benevolent, new research published in the journal PLoS One shows. A country where many more people believe in heaven than in hell, for example, is likely to have a much higher crime rate than one where these beliefs are about equal.

Exclusion keeps suburban schools on top

Jill Jess-Kansas — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:16:01 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — By hoarding opportunity and keeping a tight grip on gained advantages, suburban schools have remained superior—at the expense of their urban counterparts, according to a new study.

“Basically, it’s rules of exclusion,” says John Rury, professor of education leadership and policy studies at the University of Kansas.

“Many suburbs are almost a textbook case of people doing that. They are often marketed as ‘exclusive neighborhoods’.”

Tour de France: 2,100 miles of pain

Brendan Lynch-KU — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:16:21 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — The psychological ability of cyclists in the Tour de France to deal with extreme physical and mental pain for 21 days is what will determine the outcome of the world’s best known bicycle race.

“These guys have been training their entire lives,” says Phil Gallagher, associate professor at the University of Kansas and director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory.

Is being bilingual a no-brainer?

Jill Jess-Kansas — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:35:16 +0000

U. KANSAS (US) — There may be a simple explanation for how the brain processes two or more languages, according to psycholinguist Mike Vitevitch.

“The inherent characteristics of the words—how they sound—provide enough information to distinguish which language a word belongs to,” he says. “You don’t need to do anything else.”

Aging musicians have sharp brains

Kathi Baker-Emory — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:10:16 +0000

EMORY (US) — Playing a musical instrument throughout life may help fight cognitive decline as we age.

Older musicians perform better on cognitive tests than individuals who did not play an instrument, according to a new study published in the April issue of Neuropsychology.