University College London

11 Stories

Want to Live Longer? Go to a Concert or Art Gallery
New Proof of 'How
Powerful the Arts Are'
NEW STUDY
Dec 24, 2019 10:25 AM CST

New Proof of 'How Powerful the Arts Are'

Researchers say engaging in art, music, theater can lower risk of dying early

(Newser) - It doesn't seem like a stretch to say most people feel pretty good after a stimulating afternoon at the museum or rousing Broadway production. Now, research out of University College London suggests that exposing oneself to the arts—be it going to museums, art galleries, concerts, the opera, or...

With Each Hiccup, Your Baby Is Learning
This Is Why We Hiccup
NEW STUDY
Nov 13, 2019 11:25 AM CST

This Is Why We Hiccup

Involuntary movement may help infants learn to breathe: researchers

(Newser) - There's no known advantage to an adult hiccup. An infant one, however, could play a key role in brain development. That's according to University College London researchers who previously conjectured that a baby discovers its body via kicks in the womb. In this study, they used electrodes on...

'Cheddar Man's' DNA Reveals Surprise About Early Brits
'Cheddar Man's'
DNA Reveals
Surprise About
Early Brits
In Case You Missed It
Feb 10, 2018 6:09 PM CST

'Cheddar Man's' DNA Reveals Surprise About Early Brits

The earliest modern Brits had 'dark to black' skin

(Newser) - Think of a stereotypical Brit and you may imagine a pale cast member from Downton Abbey. A new study, however, shows early modern Brits from 10,000 years ago, who migrated from Europe over a land bridge into England, may not have been quite as pale as many of their...

Knowing a Suicide Victim Raises Your Own Risk

1 in 10 people who've lost someone to suicide may be at risk for it themselves

(Newser) - Dealing with death is difficult enough, but when a loved one takes his or her own life, it becomes even more complex—and it may up the risk of suicide for those left behind, a new study finds. In their findings published in the BMJ Open journal, researchers from University...

Nobel Scientist Who Made Sexist Comments Resigns

Dr. Tim Hunt has stepped down as honorary professor at University College London

(Newser) - Tim Hunt may not be crying like a woman in a science lab over the hubbub he's caused, but he's now resigned from his University College London role because of it. The BBC reports that the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist and Royal Society fellow— under fire this week for...

Foiled Bomber Turned Radical at UK College

Abdulmutallab helped organize 'War on Terror' conference in London

(Newser) - The suspect in the foiled Christmas airliner bombing found radical Islam while in college in London, becoming president of the school’s Islamic society. Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab helped organize “War on Terror Week,” the Times reports, bringing in human-rights lawyers and former Guantanamo Bay detainees as speakers...

Stone Age Humans Found Wisdom in Crowds: Study

(Newser) - The jump in human ingenuity during the Stone Age could have resulted not from a biological change but from closer, more populous communities, NPR reports. “Anything that we teach is going to be susceptible to loss, or to decay,” said the British scientist who cooked up the theory....

Gene Raises AIDS Risk in Africa
 Gene Raises AIDS Risk in Africa 
Jul 16, 2008 10:14 PM CDT

Gene Raises AIDS Risk in Africa

Africans 40% more likely to contract HIV

(Newser) - A gene extremely common among Africans but almost unknown other ethnic groups may be rendering people of sub-Saharan Africa more susceptible to HIV and AIDS, the Times of London reports. The gene variant—common because it provides malaria protection—makes carriers 40% more likely to contract HIV and could be...

Architects Vie for Best Wobble
Architects Vie for Best Wobble
Jun 7, 2008 5:28 AM CDT

Architects Vie for Best Wobble

Abandoning profession's firm foundations, designers cook up gelatin gems

(Newser) - Don’t accuse them of playing with their food; the finalists in the 2008 London Festival of Architecture’s Jelly Design Contest aren’t fooling around. Using what Americans would call gelatin, “a vast range of architectural motifs and techniques have been used to spectacular effect,” an event...

China May Drop 1-Baby Law
China May Drop 1-Baby Law
Feb 29, 2008 7:32 AM CST

China May Drop 1-Baby Law

Officials want more girls, but fear triggering baby boom

(Newser) - China, faced with an aging population and too few women, may end its controversial one- child-per-family policy. The law that allowed urban couples only one child and rural families two is credited with preventing 400 million births over three decades. But cultural preferences for males has also created a troubling...

Study Shows Your Office Job Could Kill You

Stressed desk jockeys 68% more likely to suffer heart disease

(Newser) - Researchers at University College London have found that stressful working conditions interfere with the body's ability to deal with high-pressure situations, the Daily Telegraph reports. Company cogs under 50 with high workloads and little control over their situations had a 68% greater chance of succumbing to heart disease than more-relaxed...

11 Stories