A-fib—a Rapid, Irregular Heartbeat—Can Kill You, but New Tech Can Spot It
A fluttering heartbeat called A-fib can lead to stroke, but smartwatches can detect it, and there are good treatments
Stories by Lydia Denworth
Lydia Denworth is an award-winning science journalist and contributing editor for Scientific American. She is author of Friendship (W. W. Norton, 2020).
Now There Are Better Ways Than BMI Charts to Assess Health Risks
The body mass index is flawed, and medicine now has better options to measure obesity
Short Naps Have Major Benefits for Your Mind
A light midday snooze boosts memory and other types of cognition—and your mood
Quick Naps Are Good for Your Brain
Daytime naps of about 30 minutes really improve your thinking and may spark creativity.
Ways to Extend Your Healthy Years, Not Just Your Life
The biology of aging shows ways to lengthen your healthspan, years free of serious disease
How to Figure Out if Moderate Drinking Is Too Risky for You
New research shows any alcohol can harm your body, but the increased risk may not be huge
Hearing Aids May Lower Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia
As few as 15 percent of people who would benefit from hearing aids use them
Brain Waves Synchronize when People Interact
The minds of social species are strikingly resonant
Adjusting Your Body Clock May Stave Off Cancer
Research shows that disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm raises cancer risk, and resetting it may bring that risk down
Too Much ‘Good’ Cholesterol Can Harm the Heart
HDL cholesterol raises disease risk at levels above 80 milligrams per deciliter
You Don’t Really Need 10,000 Daily Steps to Stay Healthy
New research points to different step counts based on age and fitness level
Telehealth Is Proving to be a Boon to Cancer and Diabetes Care
Virtual visits surged in the pandemic, and studies show they maintain high-quality medicine
People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties
A growing mortality gap between Republican and Democratic areas may largely stem from policy choices
A Single, Quick ‘Mindset’ Exercise Protects against Adolescent Stress
Reframing erroneous beliefs alleviates the emotional upheavals that beset young people on the cusp of adulthood
U.S. Kids Are Falling behind Global Competition, but Brain Science Shows How to Catch Up
Paid parental leave and high-quality child care improve children’s brain development and prospects for a better future
How To Treat COVID at Home
Some over-the-counter medications can help symptoms, and there are ways to ease isolation
Can’t Buy Me Luck: The Role of Serendipity in the Beatles’ Success
The right combination of variables is needed to achieve a blazing success—one explanation for why there was never a “Kinksmania”
Epstein-Barr Virus Found to Trigger Multiple Sclerosis
The research could mark a turning point in the fight against MS
How Pandemic Life Mimicked Pioneer Times
Sourdough, seeds, shovels and other basic survival needs made a comeback
Making Eye Contact Signals a New Turn in a Conversation
Neuroscientists have uncovered an intriguing subtlety in how we communicate—that is, when we’re not on Zoom
Stuttering Stems from Problems in Brain Wiring, Not Personalities
Poor neural connections among areas that control movement and speech may be responsible and could be driven by genes
Adolescent Brains Are Wired to Want Status and Respect: That’s an Opportunity for Teachers and Parents
Advances in neuroscience and psychology could lead to real-world benefits in education and mental health
What Monkeys Can Teach Humans about Resilience after Disaster
Following Hurricane Maria, a Puerto Rican colony of rhesus macaques broadened their social networks. Could humans do the same post-COVID?
Conservative and Liberal Brains Might Have Some Real Differences
Scanners try to watch the red-blue divide play out underneath the skull