All posts tagged: uncover

Scientists uncover the neurological mechanisms behind cannabis-induced “munchies”

Scientists uncover the neurological mechanisms behind cannabis-induced “munchies”

Published by José Betancourt

A recent study provides evidence that the intense hunger following cannabis use is a neurological response that increases the motivation to eat, regardless of a body’s actual need for calories. These findings suggest that cannabis could serve as a medical tool to stimulate appetite in individuals experiencing weight loss from chronic illnesses. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Cannabis is a plant that contains psychoactive compounds, most notably tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. When a person inhales or ingests cannabis, THC interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex network of receptors that helps regulate mood, memory, pain, and appetite. While pop culture frequently references the intense food cravings that follow cannabis use, the exact biological and behavioral mechanics of this phenomenon remain surprisingly understudied. “While in pop culture it seems widely accepted that consumption of cannabis increases food intake, also known as ‘the munchies,’ there is a surprising lack of empirical research that has examined the parameters of the munchies following inhalation of cannabis vapor. This study used both …

Archaeologists Uncover a 2,000-Year-Old Hillfort in Estonia

Archaeologists Uncover a 2,000-Year-Old Hillfort in Estonia

Published by José Betancourt

A long-lost Estonian Iron-Age fortification has been found, according to Arkeonews. While 19th-century written accounts and oral traditions had long hinted at its existence, the 2000-year-old hillfort was identified this month by archaeologists at the University of Tartu using high-resolution terrain mapping tools. The find, located at Köstrimägi in Tartu County, provides insight into early settlements in the Balkan region. Apparently occupied for only a short period of time, it appears to have been built during a turbulent period era in the region’s history. Related Articles The fort’s archictecture is unusual. Covering approximately 16,000 square feet, it is larger than most early hillforts in southern Estonia. It is also remarkable for its stepped rampart system, with shallow ditches between the ramparts. The ramparts are also low; in their original form, they may not have exceeded three feet in height, making them easy to scale. According to Professor Heiki Valk, a professor at the University of Tartu, “These layered defensive structures are highly unusual for Estonian hillforts. They suggest either external influence or a purpose beyond …

Scientists tracked a two-word phrase across millions of books to uncover a major difference in sexual psychology

Scientists tracked a two-word phrase across millions of books to uncover a major difference in sexual psychology

Published by José Betancourt

A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that the phrase “feeling sexy” is overwhelmingly used to describe women rather than men in published books. This provides evidence that women’s sexual experiences are frequently tied to the perception of being desired by others. The findings indicate that our everyday language rapidly evolves to reflect our underlying sexual interests and social roles. The authors behind the new research sought to better understand a psychological concept known as “object of desire self-consciousness.” This term describes the experience of perceiving oneself as romantically or sexually desirable in another person’s eyes. According to existing psychological models, this specific perception often acts as a powerful trigger for sexual arousal. The researchers wanted to know if language reflecting this concept tends to be heavily gendered. They focused on how these feelings fit into people’s sexual scripts. A sexual script is essentially a mental outline or set of internal expectations about how romantic or sexual events are supposed to unfold in a given culture. The research team suspected that …

Slow Horses star: “More to uncover” about Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb

Slow Horses star: “More to uncover” about Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb

Published by Daniella Wilson

The fifth season of Slow Horses ended on a dramatic, poignant note for Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, as more of his was revealed to the audience. Earlier in the season, Lamb had told a story about an an agent who had withstood brutal torture, alongside his pregnant lover, for information he ultimately never knew in the first place. In the final moments of the finale, it was revealed that Lamb was, in fact, that agent. Given this, and the fact that previous seasons have also dropped hints about Lamb’s past, it seems there is still plenty more to learn about the enigmatic character – and that’s something Roddy Ho star Christopher Chung has affirmed. Chung was in attendance at the Radio Times Covers Party 2026, when he was asked about what was in store for Oldman’s character in the upcoming season 6. While Chung admitted that it had been a long time since he filmed it, as production on season 7 is now underway, he did tease: “I think what’s really great about the show …

Winter storms uncover 19th-century shipwreck on New Jersey beach

Winter storms uncover 19th-century shipwreck on New Jersey beach

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. New Jersey beachgoers could be forgiven for mistaking a pile of recently spotted debris for washed up driftwood, but the staff at Island Beach State Park say the find is much more notable. According to park officials, erosion caused by weeks of high winds and intense surf has revealed a portion of a nearly 140-year-old shipwreck. The wreck of the Lawrence N. McKenzie On March 21, 1890, a ship named the Lawrence N. McKenzie was nearing the end of an over 1,600 mile journey. The 98-foot-long schooner’s eight crewmembers expected to soon reach New York City with a cargo full of oranges, but they never reached their destination.  Contemporary accounts reported the ship soon became stranded in a heavy fog near Barnegat, New Jersey. Although rescuers successfully saved the entire crew and their captain (who shared the schooner’s name), the vessel wasn’t so lucky. It had already taken on at least six feet of water by the time it …

Archeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Basilica Designed by Vitruvius

Archeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Basilica Designed by Vitruvius

Published by Jenni Sidey

Italian officials unveiled the discovery of a 2,000-year-old basilica that archeologists have attributed to Vitruvius, the ancient Roman architect, at a press conference on Monday, according to a report in Reuters. The ancient basilica, which would have been used as a public building in ancient Rome, was built at Fanum Fortunae and completed in 19 BCE. It is the only known building by Vitruvius and is referenced in De architectura, the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity. Vitruvius would later be immortalized in Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man drawing, which mapped the architect’s ideals of portion onto the human body. Related Articles Despite the basilica’s fame, the structure’s exact location was eventually lost to time. Andrea Pessina, who is the superintendent of archaeology and fine arts for the Pesaro and Urbino province, described the discovery as an “absolute match” to Vitruvius’s descriptions of the building. When the team unearthed the four columns of the rectangular building’s shorter side, they used those descriptions to calculate where the top-right column of the longer side should …

Scientists Uncover Secret Landscape Hiding Miles Below Antarctica’s Ice

Scientists Uncover Secret Landscape Hiding Miles Below Antarctica’s Ice

Published by José Betancourt

Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images By creating a new map of Antarctica’s subterranean landscape, researchers have uncovered a vast topography of previously hidden hills, ridges, and even entire mountain ranges lurking miles beneath its frozen exterior. The findings, detailed in a new study published in the journal Science, could represent a novel method of probing the Antarctic ice that could be instrumental in predicting the frigid continent’s fate amid rapid climate change. “It’s like before you had a grainy pixel film camera, and now you’ve got a properly zoomed-in digital image of what’s really going on,” lead author Helen Ockenden, a researcher at the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France, told the BBC. Previous approaches have relied on on-the-ground and aerial missions to use radar to sound out the continent’s subsurface features. But the barren landscape is intimidatingly vast, and these missions can be separated by dozens of miles, leaving scientists with an incomplete picture, which itself can only really guess at what’s trapped below all those miles of ice. According to …

Archeologists Uncover New Frescoes at Villa di Poppea Outside Naples

Archeologists Uncover New Frescoes at Villa di Poppea Outside Naples

Published by Jenni Sidey

Archeologists have begun to uncover frescoes in the Hall of the Mask and the Peacock at the Villa di Poppaea at Oplontis, near Torre Annunziata, just outside Naples. Their discovery is part of an ongoing excavation and renovation project that began nearly a year ago, according to a release by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. These recently recovered frescoes, done in the Second Style, reveal the Hall’s “true dimensions and decorative richness” and give the “first glimpses of exquisite frescoes, including vibrant peacocks and masks,” per the release. Related Articles Built during the middle of the first century BCE, the villa is believed to have been the residence Poppaea Sabina, Nero’s second wife. It was known for its high level of decoration, as confirmed by these recovered frescoes, and for its views of the Bay of Naples. The villa was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. The newly discovered imagery includes “a complete figure of a peahen, mirroring the male specimen found on the southern portion of the same wall, and several fragments depicting a stage …

Researchers uncover different hierarchies of moral concern among liberals and conservatives

Researchers uncover different hierarchies of moral concern among liberals and conservatives

Published by José Betancourt

New research conducted in Portugal offers insight into the psychological roots of political ideology. The findings suggest that the difference between liberals and conservatives is not just about which values they hold, but how they prioritize them when conflicting demands arise. The study was published in the Journal of Individual Differences. Psychologists aim to understand why people adopt specific political beliefs. One dominant framework for explaining this is Moral Foundations Theory. This theory proposes that human morality rests on five innate psychological pillars. These pillars are care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity. Care involves protecting others from harm. Fairness focuses on justice and reciprocity. Loyalty pertains to devotion to one’s group. Authority relates to respect for hierarchy and tradition. Purity concerns the sanctity of the body and spirit. Past studies typically measured these foundations by asking people how much they value each one in isolation. This method often indicated that liberals rely mostly on care and fairness. It also suggested that conservatives rely moderately on all five foundations. However, this approach has a blind spot. …