Monkeys do as the Romans do
It is advice that all good travellers will know: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Scientists, however, have found that humans are not the only species to adapt to different cultures and food in an attempt to fit in — monkeys also copy new hosts by switching to the local cuisine. The finding is a rare example of a phenomenon called “cultural transmission” in animals. It could also help to explain the origins of our own desire to seek out the local knowledge and culture when we are visiting new places. Professor Andrew Whiten, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of St Andrews who led the study, which is published in the journal Science, said: “Our findings suggest that a willingness to conform to what all those around you are doing when you visit a different culture is a disposition shared with other primates.” Professor Whiten and his colleagues studied wild vervet monkeys living in South Africa.
Fb can make you mentally ill
Facebook and other social networking sites may affect your mental health by causing psychotic episodes and delusions, researchers warn. As Internet access becomes increasingly widespread, so do related psychopathologies such as Internet addiction and delusions related to the technology and to virtual relationships, according to the study. Computer communications such as Facebook and chat groups are an important part of this story, said Dr Uri Nitzan of Tel Aviv University. In the study, a connection was found between the gradual development and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, including delusions, anxiety, confusion, and intensified use of computer communications.
Grey hair is now a thing of the past
Scientists found people who are going grey build up hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out. However this could be reversed by “an antioxidant” cocktail that allows “re-pigmentation” of the hair. The discovery of what makes hair grey was actually made whilst investigating the skin disease vitiligo. The condition, which Michael Jackson claimed to suffer from, causes loss of inherited skin and hair colour. The team, which included experts from Bradford University’s School of life Sciences, blamed “massive epidermal oxidative stress” that leads to the build up of hydrogen peroxide. For the study, the research team analysed an international group of 2,411 patients with vitiligo. The patients were treated with a drug known as pseudocatalase activated via sunlight. Researchers noticed that the pigment of the skin and eyelashes returned. The same treatment could be developed to allow “repigmentation” of grey hair — or to stop it going grey in the first place.