EA#4: Three Claims in Popular Media (PSY290 FA25) by Spencer Evans

Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out

umspencerevans — 2025-09-08 11:32:56 UTC

[EXAMPLE POST]. Spencer Evans. This NPR article covers a study conducted with dogs. The reseachers found that dogs seem to understand words like "play" and "outside" — even without context clues and regardless of who is speaking those words (their owner or someone else). Here's the original study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0307189 The article also mentions this dog named Bunny on TikTok who seems to communicate with her owner using a soundboard: https://www.tiktok.com/@whataboutbunny

Switching from Aspirin to Clopidogrel Reduces the Risk of Serious Cardiovascular Disease

2025-09-08 17:06:42 UTC

Nathan Barry. This Epoch Times article, titled “Researchers Say Heart Drug Is Better Than Aspirin at Preventing Heart Attacks”, talks about how Clopidogrel, a heart medication, is better at preventing serious Heart complications like heart attack and stroke compared to Aspirin. Despite being widely prescribed to individuals at risk of these conditions, researchers found in a different meta-analyses that the methodology of treating with Aspirin alone was based on older and smaller studies. Researchers concluded that “clopidogrel monotherapy is the only antiplatelet treatment that has consistently demonstrated greater efficacy than aspirin without compromising safety”, suggesting that more at-risk cardiovascular patients should switch to the underused drug (Valgimigli et al., 2025).

Original Meta-Analyses Links: https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1844#:~:text=Clopidogrel%20better%20than%20aspirin%20for,coronary%20artery%20disease%2C%20study%20finds

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01562-4/fulltext

Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents

2025-09-08 18:01:45 UTC

Brief isolation makes teens lonelier and more reward-seeking, while virtual contact softens but doesn’t erase the effect.

Study links diet soda to faster brain aging

2025-09-08 18:02:23 UTC

The New York Post article discusses a research published in the field of neurology that followed more than 12,000 adults for eight years. Researchers discovered that persons who consumed diet drinks or artificial sweeteners on a regular basis aged their brains faster—by roughly 1.6 years more than those who did not. The New York Post article contains several allegations. It includes a frequency claim (how many people were studied and which groups were most affected), an association claim (linking sweetener intake to faster brain aging), and an implied causal claim in the headline, implying that diet soda directly causes brain aging. I will go ahead and attach the link of the original study to further explain that this study cannot prove that. https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214023

Joe Rogan Misreads Earth’s Climate History

2025-09-08 18:17:29 UTC

Headline: Joe Rogan claims study shows Earth cooling – but report's authors say he's wrong

Name: Jayne Salama

Link to article: Guardian link

Claim type: Association. I know it’s an association claim because the study shows a connection between human greenhouse gas emissions and the recent rise in global temperatures.

Summary: A study published in Science looked at 485 million years of Earth’s climate and found that today’s warming is happening much faster than anything in the past. The article explains that Joe Rogan misread the data as showing the Earth is cooling, but the researchers stress that current warming is unusual and caused by people.

Original report: Mentioned in the article as a peer-reviewed Science study.

Newfound immune cell in mice may contribute to chronic inflammation associated with aging in humans

2025-09-08 18:35:33 UTC

This article explains how researchers examined a type of immune cell in fat only in older mice. This cell is thought to be a contributor to chronic inflammation in mice as well as humans. Other immune cells help to counterbalance this by keeping the inflammation at bay.

Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024

2025-09-08 20:10:26 UTC

Article link: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/

Summary (claim/findings): The Pew research center reports that nearly 2/3 U.S. teens, so around 63%, say they use TikTok with many describing it as a space for entertainment, creativity, and connecting with others. The article also goes over the data of other social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, etc., but decided to focus specifically on TikTok because if it’s recency. This is a frequency claim because it reports how often a behavior occurs within a population rather than comparing variables or suggesting causation.

Claim type: Frequency Claim

Cats track their owners’ movements, research finds

2025-09-08 20:29:03 UTC

Studies show that cats form a mental map of their owner's location based on voice cues and can become visibly surprised when owners seemingly "teleport" by suddenly appearing without sound-based clues. This supports the idea that cats retain a mental representation of their humans even when they can’t see them, indicating more advanced spatial awareness than often assumed!

'One and done' dose of LSD keeps anxiety at bay

2025-09-08 20:46:54 UTC

This study talks about a link between the use of LSD and a decrease in anxiety and depression levels. It was found that only high doses of the drug had an impact. The lower doses had the same effect as the placebo. There are other variables like the patient's mindset and the sensory environment that they were in when they took the drug that could have affected their results.

Link to original article:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2838505?guestAccessKey=f420494d-a51d-442c-9d7c-4d14dbbe1aae&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=090425

Higher BMI and high-intensity sports participation are linked to more knee damage in younger adults

ijz9 — 2025-09-08 20:50:39 UTC

Headline: Knee damage increasingly found in young adults, with expert revealing two key reasons

Name: Isabel Zaro

Link to article: https://nypost.com/2025/09/07/health/knee-pain-is-becoming-more-common-in-younger-adults-for-two-specific-reasons/

Claim type: I know that this article is association claim because the article reports that higher BMI and sports participation are linked with more knee damage, but it doesn't say they directly cause the damage.

Summary: The article highlights research from Finland's University of Oulu showing that structural knee damage is common even by age 30 often without symptoms. More than half of the study participants showed cartilage defects or bone spurs and a higher BMI was strongly associated with these changes. Experts also noted that the past high-intensity sports participation in youth contributes to the problem, which may increase future risk for osteoarthritis.

Original study link:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6837253/

The Disease Burden Associated With Overweight and Obesity

2025-09-08 21:06:43 UTC

This article discusses the association between disease prevalence and weight status in the United States. The researchers observed a consistent pattern with increasing prevalence ratio and increasing severity of obesity. One conclusion they came to is that because over half of the U.S. is obese, more preventative efforts need to take place to lower weight-related comorbidities.

Headline: "The Disease Burden Associated With Overweight and Obesity"

Link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/192030

Study links air pollution to increased dementia risk

alk214 — 2025-09-08 21:22:42 UTC

This Nature article reports that based on data from 56 million people, exposure to fine air pollution is linked to a higher risk of dementia, specifically Lewy body dementia. Follow up experiments on mice showed behavior changes in the mice that had to do with their use of spatial memory, recognition of new objects, and a buildup of αSyn in the mice's brains. Overall, the researchers found that PM led to areas of the brain related to memory being shrunk and cognition being impaired in mice. The researchers concluded that while pollution doesn't directly cause dementia, it can accelerate the progression of the disease in genetically predisposed individuals. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02844-9

Problematic Online Gaming Mediates the Association Between Hyperactivity and Mental Health Issues

2025-09-08 23:30:26 UTC

Rebekah Goldstein. This Nature article covers a study conducted with children in the Tokyo Teen Cohort. The study revealed that higher hyperactivity scores were associated with a greater degree of problematic online gaming, and a large degree of problematic online gaming regularly raised the risks of mental health issues. Consequently, there's an association between hyperactivity and an increased risk of mental health issues.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-025-00296-5

Does drinking coffee decrease depression risk in women?

2025-09-09 00:30:57 UTC

Summary: Michel Lucas and several researchers discovered that the risk of depression was 20% or lower within women that drank 4 or more cups of coffee in comparison to women that don't drink caffeine at all. They came to this conclusion by styduying 50,739 women involved in the Nurse Health study. Those who averaged an age of 63 were free of depression when the study first started in 1996. This made researchers believe that more research is needed before they can recommend women to actually drink more coffee.

Protein Bars - Popular but not digestible.

2025-09-09 00:46:22 UTC

Published in Scientific Reports, a new study of over 1600 protein bars found that while most meet the "high protein" labeling standard, much of that protein is not actually digestible. Depending on the ingredients, only a small amount of the protein is absorbed, with bars containing collagen or lots of added fibers and fats performing worst. Animal-based proteins like milk scored better than plant-based or mixed options but still fell short compared to whole food sources. Experts recommend using bars mainly for convenience, not as a primary protein source.

Original Study:

Evaluation of protein quantity and protein nutritional quality of protein bars with different protein sources - PubMed

What happiness strategies actually work.

2025-09-09 01:19:05 UTC

This article looks into studies that have been done on happiness strategies and finds that only a few strategies actually boost happiness. The ones they found that work are expressing gratitude, being more social, mimicking genuine smiles, and spending money on others. There are others strategies that are mentioned that lack strong evidence like meditation, exercise, and time in nature.

Claim Type : Association Claim

One in three Australians throw unwanted clothes away, study finds

2025-09-09 01:40:20 UTC

A RMIT-conducted survey of 3080 Australians found that 84% of them had unused clothing in their closets and around one third of them have thrown out clothes. Researchers encourage educating people on different ways to dispose of their unwanted clothing: donating, textile recycling, etc. If people properly disposed of their clothes, it would help save about 200,000 tons of waste from landfills each year.

Human stem cells age more rapidly in space, study finds

2025-09-09 01:47:18 UTC

This article summarizes a study on stem cell development in space compared to being kept on Earth at the Kennedy Space Center. The study found that stem cells that were sent to the International Space Station showed greater DNA damage risk and decreased regenerative abilities. Although the stem cell changes were reversed upon returning to Earth, future studies can look into how to protect astronauts from molecular aging during their time in space. This is an associative claim because the article discusses scientists are still working to understand the effects space has on stem cells which means they are not making a direct casual conclusion just yet.

A study on whether how press releases word their information affects how the news reports it.

2025-09-09 02:47:51 UTC

They found in this study that when press releases are worded in a certain way, then the news coverage will report it in the way that it was during the press release. This means whether is exaggerated or tip toed around with many ifs ands & buts, then the news will report it how it was released to them.

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

2025-09-09 02:49:21 UTC

A study showing that hotter temperatures in the U.S. are linked to higher sugar consumption. People tend to eat more sugary drinks and desserts as it gets warmer.

Penny Markowski, Causal Claim Article

2025-09-09 03:22:27 UTC

This study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health was designed as an 8-week experimental intervention, in which participants were assigned to either a Pilates group, Yoga group, or control group with no exercise. All participants completed two surveys before and after the program, and researchers analyzed the differences using ANOVA, ANCOVA, and the Sheffe test. The results indicate that the pilates and yoga groups indicated a higher engagement in health-promoting behaviors than the control group after the program. Given the experimental design and comparison to a control group, this journal is making a causal claim.

What causes stuttering? It might be in your DNA

axf1789 — 2025-09-09 13:30:17 UTC

The study claims that researchers have found a link between 57 genetic regions that they believe could cause stuttering in humans. The study used data from 23andMe

Language Models Rival Humans in Emotional Intelligence Tests

2025-09-09 15:03:26 UTC

This study explores whether large language models posses emotional intelligence by testing both their ability to solve and generate performance-based emotional intelligence assessments. They explored six different models and established five tests to come to the conclusion Large language models not only outperform humans in solving emotional intelligence tasks but can also create new test items.

Physical inactivity causes 1 in 10 deaths worldwide

2025-09-09 17:09:45 UTC

Inactivity caused an increase in deaths from coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancers and caused more than 5.3 million deaths in 2008 worldwide... If physical inactivity rates were to go down by even 10% to 20% worldwide, they say, it could save between a half-million and 1.3 million lives each year.

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2012/07/18/health/physical-inactivity-deaths

Astronomers spotlight distant planet in hunt for extraterrestrial life

ljs299 — 2025-09-09 18:24:08 UTC

Astronomers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope report that TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized exoplanet about 40 light-years away, could host a nitrogen-rich atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water, making it a strong candidate in the search for habitable worlds—though the possibility remains that it is simply a bare rock.

Association Between Consumption of Low- and No-Calorie Artificial Sweeteners and Cognitive Decline

2025-09-09 18:37:20 UTC

A recent study was published which found that high consumption of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and erythritol was linked to increased cognitive decline. Almost 62% faster, which is equivalent to 1.6 more years of aging, affecting people especially under 60. This would be considered a causal claim since it suggests that sweetener consumption affects cognitive decline directly, and not simply that they are associated.

Original Report: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214023?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility

2025-09-09 19:30:01 UTC

A recent study published in Nature Communications looked into how marijuana’s psychoactive chemical, THC, might affect women’s fertility. Researchers examined over 1,000 women undergoing IVF and found THC in the follicular fluid of 62 patients. Interestingly, these women had more mature eggs, which suggests that THC may speed up the maturation process. However, lab experiments showed that eggs directly exposed to THC often developed chromosomal abnormalities. These mistakes in chromosome number can prevent fertilization, hinder embryo development, or lead to pregnancy loss. This creates a troubling paradox: THC may increase the number of mature eggs but could compromise egg quality. Since the findings are preliminary and based on limited samples, the study highlights the need for larger research to determine if marijuana use really affects conception and pregnancy outcomes.

Social Media Influencers Are Fearmongering to Promote Health Tests with Limited Evidence

2025-09-09 20:07:49 UTC

Link-

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/27/social-media-influencers-are-fearmongering-to-promote-health-tests-with-limited-evidence-study-finds?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Summary-

This study found that social media influencers often use emotional and fear-based language to promote medical tests such as full body MRIs, genetic cancer screens, testosterone level checks, egg-timer fertility tests, and gut microbiome analyses, even though most healthy people do not benefit from them. About 87 percent of posts emphasized benefits while only 6 percent mentioned risks, raising concerns about misleading health information and the need for stronger regulation.

Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds

jif49 — 2025-09-09 20:17:41 UTC

This ABC News article covers a study published in IScience which reveals that the number of Americans who read for pleasure has significantly declined over the past two decades. In 2003, about 28% of Americans reported reading for daily enjoyment. However, by 2023, that number has dropped to 16%, which is a 40% decline.

Starry Skies May Guide Bogong Moths Home

2025-09-09 20:36:50 UTC

A recent study confirms that Australian Bogong moths navigate their long migrations using the stars, making them the first known invertebrates to employ celestial navigation. By flying in a simulated night sky (while magnetic cues were blocked), the moths flew in seasonally appropriate directions. When the star pattern was scrambled, they became disoriented.

Caffeine Enhances Memory Performance in Young Adults during Their Non-optimal Time of Day

2025-09-09 20:43:31 UTC

Researchers wanted to see if coffee or exercise could help students do better on morning exams. In the first test, caffeine provided students with a significant boost in explicit memory during the morning, but it didn’t improve implicit memory and had no effect later in the day. In the second test, exercise got people’s bodies moving, but it didn’t actually improve memory compared to just stretching. In the end, caffeine seems to be the real winner for helping memory when students are stuck taking tests early in the morning.

Are Shrooms the Answer to Addiction? Study finds success rates with new psychedelic component. https://time.com/3399433/quit-smoking-psychedelic-drugs-acid-test/

2025-09-09 21:01:06 UTC

The article titled “Want to Quit Smoking? Eat a Magic Mushroom, New Study Says,” explained the results from a John’s Hopkins research study on longtime smokers struggling to quit. Psilocybin, a psychedelic found in mushrooms, was found to help heavy smokers quit. In the study, after three psychedelic sessions the six month abstinence success rate was 80%, much higher than the drug currently considered the most effective treatment of tobacco addiction. Frequency was measured in this experiment, but ultimately this article claims that psilocybin from mushrooms may be therapeutically effective for treating tobacco addiction, making this a causal claim. Original study: https://hub.jhu.edu/2014/09/11/magic-mushrooms-smoking/

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Social Media Exposure to Upward Comparison Targets on Self-Evaluations and Emotions

2025-09-09 21:37:04 UTC

This study examines the impact of social media exposure on self-evaluation and emotions through a comprehensive meta-analysis. Drawing on data from 48 studies involving a total of 7,679 participants, the analysis reveals a consistent negative effect of upward social comparisons—when individuals compare themselves to those they perceive as better off—on users’ self-perceptions and emotional well-being. These effects were stronger compared to downward comparisons and control conditions.

Joe Rogan claims study shows Earth cooling – but report’s authors say he’s wrong

2025-09-09 22:10:54 UTC

Joe Rogan has repeatedly claimed that a recent scientific study shows the Earth is cooling. However, the study—authored by paleoclimatologist Jessica Tierney—actually demonstrates a sharp rise in global temperatures over recent history due to human activities; Rogan is misreading a long-term temperature graph in a way that invalidates the authors’ clear findings. Scientists emphasize that current warming is unprecedented in speed, even compared to major geological events.

Falling asleep to your favorite show doesn’t have to ruin your sleep, experts say.

2025-09-09 22:13:32 UTC

This CNN article focuses on how you can fall asleep to shows or any type of media that can contribute to helping you sleep. When trying to fall asleep to media, it is best to find ones that don't alert you, rather help you ease down. It can also help with insomnia and the use of cognitive shuffling. One of the original studies is: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0897189718300387?via%3Dihub

Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/health/sleep-listening-music-podcasts-shows-wellness#openweb-convo

Sleep and teen athletes

ivansweeney5 — 2025-09-09 22:29:08 UTC

In this article, research shows that student athletes who get less than 8 hours of sleep are more likely to perform poorly in games and are at higher risk of injury compared tho those who do get 8 or more hours of rest. In the article, it states how sleep can improve reaction time, accuracy, and recovery, which plays an important factor in sports performance.,

Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health

2025-09-09 23:54:54 UTC

This article explains how regular physical activity can improve brain health by boosting memory, problem solving, and emotional balance while reducing risks of anxiety, depression, and dementia. The piece highlights that consistent exercise can strengthen brain function and protect against cognitive decline.

This is a causal claim because it suggests that engaging in physical activity directly causes improvements in brain health and reduces risks of mental decline, not just that they are associated.

“NASA satellites show Antarctica has gained ice despite rising global temperatures. How is that possible?” — Live Science (by Patrick Pester, May 2025).

2025-09-10 00:39:58 UTC

Summary:

A new study using NASA satellites found that Antarctica actually gained ice from 2021 to 2023, even though the continent has mostly been losing ice for the past 20 years. The extra ice came from heavy snowfall caused by a warmer atmosphere holding more moisture. Scientists say this is only temporary because many glaciers are still melting into the ocean, therefore it does not debunk climate change or global warming.

Claim type: Association, showing a link between increased snowfall and ice formation

Originally published in: Science China Earth Sciences, using GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite measurements to document Antarctic mass changes.

Spatiotemporal mass change rate analysis from 2002 to 2023 over the Antarctic Ice Sheet and four glacier basins in Wilkes-Queen Mary Land | Science China Earth Sciences

Why Are More Older People Dying After Falls?

2025-09-10 00:46:02 UTC

Within this article, Span discusses the steep increase in elderly deaths due to falls in the U.S. The statistics in the article display that the rate of fatal falls amongst older populations in the U.S. has more than tripled in the last 30 years. There are claims that the main reason for this is the increased use of prescription drugs that make people more susceptible to falls: FRIDs (fall risk increasing drugs). However, Span also acknowledges how the increased fatality from falls could be from numerous other causes. The article concludes with the notion that elderly patients should be wary of the type of prescription drug they are taking and seek alternative treatments. Additional link to post: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/health/falls-deaths-elderly-drugs.html?searchResultPosition=8

A Study Says Your Brain Can Travel Through Time. Here's What It Does to Your Memory.

2025-09-10 00:49:02 UTC

Madison Mendicina

Original study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505120122#executive-summary-abstract

This is a casual claim because the article states that “using ‘mental time travel’ techniques can actually enhance the brain’s ability to recall memories, especially in the short term”. It argues that, to an extent, recalling the emotions and thoughts experienced during the encoding of a memory enhances one's capacity to recall it.

A Massive New Study Says This Is What Happens to People Who Drink Black Coffee Every Day

2025-09-10 00:58:20 UTC

A study finds that drinking 1 cup of black coffee per day is linked to a 16% lower risk of death from any cause, and drinking more is linked to a 17% lower risk of "all-cause mortality." This is an association claim because it describes the correlation between two measured variables, the amount of black coffee drunk per day and risk of death over the study period. The original study is article is at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002231662500286X?via%3Dihub

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

2025-09-10 01:01:14 UTC

Scientists found a link between increasing temperatures and increased consumption of sugars through sugary drinks and frozen snacks. Americans categorized as low-income groups, men, outdoor workers, and people not used to heat are eating 100 million more pounds of sugar than 15 years ago. The increased sugar intake is going to worsen people's health because of increased risk of diabetes, heart problems, and obesity, just to name a few.

How cutting US air pollution could save 6,000 lives a year by 2030

2025-09-10 01:19:44 UTC

A study from Princeton found that reducing fossil fuel combustion will significantly benefit the overhealth of the US population. They predicted that incorporating more renewable energy to cut US air pollution could help prevent 6,000 air polluted-related deaths by 2030.

4 Dead, 7 Sickened by Flesh‑Eating Bacteria in Florida

2025-09-10 02:55:50 UTC

Link:https://people.com/flesh-eating-bacteria-florida-4-dead-vibrio-beaches-11774472

Summary/findings: As of mid-2025, Florida had reported four deaths and seven more cases of Vibrio vulnificus which is a dangerous "flesh-eating" bacteria that lives in saltwater and brackish areas. The number of cases has dipped compared to 2024, which saw a spike linked to Hurricane Helene. Though the bacteria still remains a serious public health concern to the people swimming in the gulf coast.

One number at age 7 could predict how long you live

2025-09-10 03:06:00 UTC

This ScienceDaily article discusses research from the original study "High Blood Pressure in Childhood and Premature Cardiovascular Disease Mortality" from Jama Network. The ScienceDaily article reports the association between elevated childhood blood pressure and the increase risk of dying in your mid-50s, prematurely, from Cardiovascular disease mortality. The ScienceDaily article provides an accurate representation of the Jama study's findings. I think this is an association claim because it describes a relationship between two variables (childhood blood pressure and adult mortality risk).

What’s behind a spike in childhood speech development delays across the U.S.

2025-09-10 03:45:56 UTC

Link:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whats-behind-a-spike-in-childhood-speech-development-delays-across-the-u-s

Summary:

PBS NewsHour has recently reported an increase in speech development delays among children in the United States, particularly due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several contributing factors have been identified, including the lack of social interactions, higher levels of screen time, and significant disruptions to early childhood education. The report also emphasizes the growing demand placed upon speech-language pathologists and the importance of early intervention services.

Chimpanzees pick up communication styles from their moms, not their dads - Association claim - Lexx Lang

2025-09-10 14:52:09 UTC

Summary: The journal, PLOS Biology (https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003270) found that young chimpanzees mostly pick up and learn communication patterns such as visual cues and vocal patterns from their mothers and maternal side of genetics, rather than their fathers. The researchers believe that the ability for this mimics how babies (humans) learn communication patterns and styles from their primary caretakers (parents in most cases), similar to the chimpanzees. The study identifies a relation between mothers' influence on the formation and development of communication behaviors in young chimpanzees. This therefore shows a correlation between being raised by the chimp's mother and learning specific communication patterns, therefore representing an association claim.

Heatwaves May Quietly Make You Age Faster, Scientists Say

2025-09-10 15:32:41 UTC

Article link: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a65912646/heatwaves-human-aging/

Claim: Association. The article claims to link heatwave exposure to accelerated aging processes. However, they do not establish it as the direct cause.

Summary: A 15-year study of 25,000 Taiwanese adults found that each 1.3 °C increase in cumulative heat exposure corresponded to approximately 8-11 days of added biological aging. Outdoor manual laborers and rural residents experienced even greater aging, up to 33 days over two years. Researchers hypothesize that heat-induced DNA damage, such as telomere shortening, may underlie this effect.

Original Study:

Long-term impacts of heatwaves on accelerated ageing

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02407-w#citeas

2025-09-10 16:03:00 UTC

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2838505?guestAccessKey=f420494d-a51d-442c-9d7c-4d14dbbe1aae&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=090425

This article addresses the positive effects of LSD for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. These findings stem from clinical trial in which the participants were either given a placebo or 25 mg, 50mg, 100mg, or 200mg of LSD. The positive results for the higher dosed groups lasted the entirety of the 12 week study. It also considers other environmental confounds such as guides/therapists and aesthetically pleasing treatment centers in the overall understanding of this treatments impact on the higher dosed group.

Key Atlantic current could start collapsing as early as 2055, new study finds

2025-09-10 16:22:49 UTC

A new study using 25 advanced climate models found that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that moderates global climate, could begin to collapse as early as 2055 due to human-driven climate change, leading to impacts like harsher winters, crop losses, and rising sea levels on the East Coast.

Risk of concussions and benefits of amateur sports.

2025-09-10 16:27:04 UTC

Article link:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/sep/04/concussion-risks-outweighed-by-benefits-amateur-sport-study-finds?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Summary: A study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that those who sustained concussions in amateur contact sports, meaning they do not play at professional levels, tended to have better recall than those who received concussions doing non-sport-related activities. The article explores how participating in sports enhances cognitive function and is not associated with long-term cognitive decline. They discuss how the benefits of playing contact sports outweigh the risk of receiving a head injury. Scientists express the importance of not misinterpreting the results, as this only applies to amateur sports players. Professional contact sports have more frequent and severe head injuries and therefore have different risks.

Dozens of heatwaves linked to carbon emissions from specific companies

2025-09-10 16:29:01 UTC

A new study in Nature shows that carbon emissions from 180 major oil, gas, and cement producers made about half the increase in intensity of 213 major heatwaves from 2000 to 2023. Particularly, emissions from the top companies, like ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, individually made more than 50 heatwaves “virtually impossible” without their contributions.

Link to studies: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09450-9

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3

The carnivore diet: why it’s not good for your health

2025-09-10 16:40:10 UTC

Katherine Rodriguez. A 2021 survey of self-selected carnivore diet followers found that the carnivore diet could severely raise cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases long-term. Although some participants reported weight-loss and improved blood sugar, the findings were self-reported and not verified. Overall, the diet is very high in saturated fat and has zero fiber, raising health concerns.

Loneliness Drives Teens to Seek Rewards

2025-09-10 16:41:35 UTC

_{This study reports that there is a high likelihood that teens are becoming more susceptible to seeking out interactions that will bring them "rewards" such as dopamine. Most teens that participated in the study after being alone in a room for a couple hours, and did not talk with their friends through the phone, sought out games that give rewards or prizes for completion. Those who were able to chat with friends and or family did not seek out rewards shortly after their isolation. My only issue with the research method/design, is that there were only 40 people that were participating in the experiment. To make such a strong claim after only testing the theory with 40 people between the ages of 16-19 is not honest science because there should be more data that would solidify the claim.}

What causes stuttering? It might be in your DNA

2025-09-10 16:50:46 UTC

Although research has been limited, scientists have long believed that stuttering has a genetic basis. Researchers Piper Below and Dillon Pruett discovered 57 genetic regions associated with stuttering, including one gene linked to rhythm and beat synchronization, using data from 23andMe. According to their findings, stuttering is caused by a variety of small genetic variations, which helps explain why there are variances in recovery between boys and girls, as well as connections to disorders such as autism and depression. Rather than searching for a “cure,” these researchers want their work to shed light on the mystery of stuttering, recognize it as a meaningful part of humanity, and create more individualized ways of supporting people who stutter.

Association claim

original report: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02267-2

Is unhealthy food actually unhealthy? Science says...

svv19 — 2025-09-10 16:57:42 UTC

Brazilian researcher Carlos Monteiro made up the term ultra-processed foods (UPF's), to explain rising obesity since traditional diets were replaced by heavily industralized products. Since then governments and scientists have debated wether UPF's are harmful because of their processing itself or simply the nutritional makeup. Critics argue the UPF category is too broad and vague but supporters say it highlights the role of modern food systems that shape public health.

Sucralose is affecting the efficiency of Cancer treatments

2025-09-10 17:00:05 UTC

Sucralose, found in many "zero sugar" or "diet" items such as soda, syrups, and energy drinks, are affecting the potecy of treatment for patients with cancer. Sucralose affects the gut microbiome and the T cells that help help your body recognize and attack tumors.

Rapid autopsies on people infected with HIV may help researchers find a cure

2025-09-10 17:05:31 UTC

Analyzing patients afflicted with HIV immediately after death allows doctors to locate "reservoirs" in the body where the virus migrates in the presence of antiretroviral drugs.

Even if not losing weight, simply eating better has drastic positive effects on weight.

lmh317 — 2025-09-10 17:10:29 UTC

Association: Shows connections between diet and body health, at multiple levels.

This article shows that consumption of a green Mediterranean diet, creates more positive effects than the number on the scale going down. It lowered triglycerides, leptin, and blood pressure, while increasing HDL cholesterol, even when weight remained the same.

Drinking Coffee Linked to Healthy Aging in Middle-Aged Women

2025-09-10 17:25:18 UTC

At the 2025 Nutrition conference, researchers reported in a study of nearly 50,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study that moderate midlife (about three cups per day) caffeinated coffee consumption was associated with a 2–5% higher probability of "healthy aging" (living to age 70 without major chronic diseases and with superb mental, physical, and cognitive health).

Effects of a 14-day social media abstinence on mental health and well-being: results from an experimental study

2025-09-10 17:33:41 UTC

BMC psychology tested if 14 days of abstinence from social media would improve mental health using randomly assigned groups. While there was a decrease in depression, anxiety, "fomo", and loneliness after the abstinence, this decrease in negative feelings was also observed in the other group that did not take the abstinence. The findings suggest there might be some positive effects to taking breaks from social media, however we can not claim this is the main reason for poor mental health.

The physics of Penguin Poop

2025-09-10 17:34:47 UTC

Physicists examined Adelie and chinstrap penguins and determined that they can generate pressures of 60 kPa which is several times higher than humans to propel their poop from their nest. Then, using fluid dynamics and trajectory modeling, they showed that penguin poop can be propelled as far as 1.3 meters like a tiny biological cannon. The absurd yet careful research even received a Nobel Prize, showing physics can tell the story behind nature's strangest behaviors.

As temperatures rise each summer, so does American's sugar intake.

2025-09-10 18:01:03 UTC

Deanna Moyer. NPR reports on a recent scientific studying linking warmer temperatures to increased sugar intake. This increase is reportedly due to sugary, cold drinks such as sweet tea, lemonade, and frozen slushes. They also report that with climate change, longer summer weather, and increasing temperatures, American's sugar intake over during this time of year has steadily increased over the past few years and the trend is expected to continue.

Increased Social Media Use Linked to Rising Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents

2025-09-10 18:23:14 UTC

A recent study in JAMA Network Open tracked nearly 12,000 children beginning at ages 9–10 over the course of three years. The researchers found that when a child’s social media use increased, they were more likely to show higher levels of depressive symptoms the following year. Interestingly, the reverse pattern did not hold, children who already had higher depressive symptoms were not more likely to increase their social media use in the future. This suggests that greater social media use may play a contributing role in the development of depressive symptoms during early adolescence, rather than being a result of them.

Artificial sweeteners aged the brain by over 1.5 years, study says

2025-09-10 18:36:58 UTC

Eleni Sakoufakis

CNN Health posted an article that discusses a study that reviewed artificial sweeteners impact on the brain. In this study researchers found how sweeteners can age the brain by up to 1.5 years. The study did in fact show an association with cognitive decline and high intake of sweeteners, but there was no way to confirm a cause to brain aging from sweeteners.

The original study: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214023

Research suggests doctors might quickly become dependent on AI

2025-09-10 19:21:12 UTC

This NPR article summarizes a study about the connection between AI and a decline in doctors' ability to recognize polyps and other abnormalities during colonoscopies on their own. The researchers found that in the absence of AI assistance, doctors appeared to be around 20% worse at spotting abnormalities. The end of the article calls for "more studies like these examining how AI might be changing the way doctors work in the real world."

Study Finds “Small But Significant” Impact of Electronic Media Use on Mental Health in Children

sxe588 — 2025-09-10 20:21:48 UTC

This study from Brian and Behavior said there are small but significant effects between media usage and children’s depression. Depression was also tied to kids watching video games. However, anxiety was linked to playing video games, specifically ones with a chat box. The article does make a point to state that it is not an official cause. It could be that kids struggling with their mental health turn to screens more, making this an association claim.

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

amu41 — 2025-09-10 21:50:04 UTC

A new study published in Nature Climate Change found that as U.S. temperatures rise (especially between 54 °F and 86 °F), Americans consume significantly more added sugars, such as sugary drinks and frozen desserts. Researchers estimate this translates to over 100 million additional pounds of sugar consumed annually compared to 15 years ago, and they attribute this increase causally to temperature changes.

Food, Drinks and Weight

2025-09-10 22:41:09 UTC

Chris Delanos. This CNN article reviews a study about diet soda. Now, scientists have found that when you mix the artificial sweetener sucralose with a carbohydrate, it can change the body's metabolism, which can lead to metabolic syndrome. The scary part is that researchers found that when mixing a carbohydrate with sucralose, using "sensitive brain scans," they found that it changes the part of the brain that controls our metabolism.

Carbon emissions from oil giants directly linked to dozens of deadly heatwaves for first time

xxz943 — 2025-09-10 22:44:51 UTC

Global heating is causing more frequent and severe heatwaves, resulting in an estimated 500,000 heat-related deaths each year. One example is the 2021 heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, which was nearly 3°C hotter due to climate change. A recent Nature study found that emissions from each of the 14 largest fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, have individually contributed to over 50 extreme heat events that would have been nearly impossible without their emissions, increasing their likelihood by at least 10,000 times. In total, 180 major “carbon-major” companies were responsible for nearly half of the global increase in heatwave intensity between 2000–2009 (1.4°C) and 2020–2023 (2.2°C).

Margarine linked to divorce?

2025-09-10 23:45:33 UTC

This article is a causal suggesting that Margarine consumption is linked to divorce rates. The article actually goes on to discuss how a Harvard student created a website to help others look carefully at claims rather than believing it straight away. The article goes on to show a graph where they followed margarine consumption and divorce rates over the time period of 10 years, with both increasing.

The original website it was taken from: https://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

Drugs like Ozempic might lower cancer risk

2025-09-11 00:32:01 UTC

A new study of nearly 90,000 overweight and obese adults in Florida found that people who took GLP-1 drugs (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda) were about 17% less likely to develop obesity-linked cancers compared to those who did not. While the results suggest a protective effect, researchers caution that the evidence is observational, meaning the reduced cancer risk could be due to weight loss, direct biological effects, or other factors. The study also flagged a possible increased risk of kidney cancer, showing the need for further research. Once again proving the point that it's important to keep in mind every factor that may be playing an altering role in the research, and correlation does not equal causation.

link: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ozempic-cancer-risk-glp1-weight-loss

Video Games and Children’s Well-Being

2025-09-11 00:46:37 UTC

This UNICEF press release describes findings from the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) project, which shows that well-designed video games can support children's well-being by promoting autonomy, creativity, emotional regulation, and social connection in children. The research combined a 10-week intervention with 255 children across three countries, 14 months of home observations with 50 families, and lab studies of 69 children measuring heart-rate, eye-tracking, and emotional responses. I believe that this article is a causal claim, since it argues that the design of games can directly shape children's well-being outcomes. Here's the link to the original report: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/responsible-innovation-technology-children

Tyler Shapiro

2025-09-11 00:55:31 UTC

Researchers at the University of Chicago evaluated claims that TikTok spreads misinformation through medical videos. Through analyzing videos using hashtags #sinusinfection #sinusitis #sinus, they were able to test the influence of the app's rapidly changing algorithm. In just 24 hours, the study showed that 44% of the reviewed videos featured misleading, non-factual medical information.

Smoking: A Positive Decline

2025-09-11 01:25:20 UTC

This study conducted by PBS concluded that teen smoking is at an all-time low in 25 years. This article points out the drastic decline in E-cigarette use, smoking, and E-cigarette use. Health officials suggest that public health campaigns, price increases, and stricter regulations have likely contributed to the decline. I believe this article is conducted upon a frequency claim due to the specific quantity and rates used to describe how much teen tabbaco use has decreased. For example, e-cigarette use fell under 6% for the first time in a decade.

Casual Claim

2025-09-11 01:35:05 UTC

The study claims that drinking coffee, whether that be caffeinated or decaffeinated, will increase your lifespan. Specifically, in study of half a million British adults, coffee drinkers were found to have lower mortality rate.

The foods that delay dementia and heart disease. Backed by a 15-year study

2025-09-11 01:51:15 UTC

Study of over 2,400 older adults found that healthy diets slow the development of dementia and heart disease, while inflammatory diets accelerate these conflicts. Researchers created 4 diets, MIND, AHEI, AMED, AND EDII, with the first 3 having better results than the last. The findings highlight how diet plays a big role in the contributions of the increase/decrease of these diseases.

I believe this is an association study

Systematic attribution of heatwaves to the emissions of carbon majors

2025-09-11 02:43:57 UTC

This study assessed heatwave events from 2000-2023, finding that 213 of them were either worsened or more likely to happen because of climate change factors (like fossil fuel production), and that almost 25% of these events would not have happened without it. It also found that the top 180 cement and fossil fuel producers contributed greatly to this phenomenon.

“Study Suggests BJJ Chokes Do Not Impair Cognitive Function And May Improve Arterial Blood Flow”

jme192 — 2025-09-11 03:02:17 UTC

This study compared 11 elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes with 11 fitness-matched non-athletes and found that the athletes had significantly higher resting cerebral blood flow, with no cognitive impairment. Researchers suggest BJJ training, including repeated exposure to neck chokes, may actually lead to neuroprotective adaptations.This is an association claim, since the study links BJJ experience with brain outcomes but does not prove direct causation.

Elevated cerebral perfusion and preserved cognition in elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes; evidence for neuroprotection

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34343371/

American consumption of ultra-processed foods

2025-09-11 03:27:26 UTC

Summary: This article talks about how the calories from "ultra-processed" foods are contributing to America's obesity epidemic. The claims made are statistically sound and even offer insights from scientists not involved with the research to provide an external opinion. Though the data used coherently support the paper's argument, it is hard to verify the claims due to the magnitude of the data sets in the original paper. Moreover, though the scientist interviewed provides a helpful external opinion, it would have been beneficial to speak with a professional involved with the research.

EA#4: Three Claims in Popular Media (PSY290 FA25) by Spencer Evans

Can dogs understand the meaning of words? Scientists are trying to figure it out

Switching from Aspirin to Clopidogrel Reduces the Risk of Serious Cardiovascular Disease

Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents

Study links diet soda to faster brain aging

Joe Rogan Misreads Earth’s Climate History

Newfound immune cell in mice may contribute to chronic inflammation associated with aging in humans

Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024

Cats track their owners’ movements, research finds

'One and done' dose of LSD keeps anxiety at bay

Higher BMI and high-intensity sports participation are linked to more knee damage in younger adults

The Disease Burden Associated With Overweight and Obesity

Study links air pollution to increased dementia risk

Problematic Online Gaming Mediates the Association Between Hyperactivity and Mental Health Issues

Does drinking coffee decrease depression risk in women?

Protein Bars - Popular but not digestible.

What happiness strategies actually work.

One in three Australians throw unwanted clothes away, study finds

Human stem cells age more rapidly in space, study finds

A study on whether how press releases word their information affects how the news reports it.

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

Penny Markowski, Causal Claim Article

What causes stuttering? It might be in your DNA

Language Models Rival Humans in Emotional Intelligence Tests

Physical inactivity causes 1 in 10 deaths worldwide

Astronomers spotlight distant planet in hunt for extraterrestrial life

Association Between Consumption of Low- and No-Calorie Artificial Sweeteners and Cognitive Decline

Chemicals in marijuana may affect women’s fertility

Social Media Influencers Are Fearmongering to Promote Health Tests with Limited Evidence

Fewer People Are Reading for Fun, Study Finds

Starry Skies May Guide Bogong Moths Home

Caffeine Enhances Memory Performance in Young Adults during Their Non-optimal Time of Day

Are Shrooms the Answer to Addiction? Study finds success rates with new psychedelic component. https://time.com/3399433/quit-smoking-psychedelic-drugs-acid-test/

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Social Media Exposure to Upward Comparison Targets on Self-Evaluations and Emotions

Joe Rogan claims study shows Earth cooling – but report’s authors say he’s wrong

Falling asleep to your favorite show doesn’t have to ruin your sleep, experts say.

Sleep and teen athletes

Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health

“NASA satellites show Antarctica has gained ice despite rising global temperatures. How is that possible?” — Live Science (by Patrick Pester, May 2025).

Why Are More Older People Dying After Falls?

A Study Says Your Brain Can Travel Through Time. Here's What It Does to Your Memory.

A Massive New Study Says This Is What Happens to People Who Drink Black Coffee Every Day

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

How cutting US air pollution could save 6,000 lives a year by 2030

4 Dead, 7 Sickened by Flesh‑Eating Bacteria in Florida

One number at age 7 could predict how long you live

What’s behind a spike in childhood speech development delays across the U.S.

Chimpanzees pick up communication styles from their moms, not their dads - Association claim - Lexx Lang

Heatwaves May Quietly Make You Age Faster, Scientists Say

Key Atlantic current could start collapsing as early as 2055, new study finds

Risk of concussions and benefits of amateur sports.

Dozens of heatwaves linked to carbon emissions from specific companies

The carnivore diet: why it’s not good for your health

Loneliness Drives Teens to Seek Rewards

What causes stuttering? It might be in your DNA

Is unhealthy food actually unhealthy? Science says...

Sucralose is affecting the efficiency of Cancer treatments

Rapid autopsies on people infected with HIV may help researchers find a cure

Even if not losing weight, simply eating better has drastic positive effects on weight.

Drinking Coffee Linked to Healthy Aging in Middle-Aged Women

Effects of a 14-day social media abstinence on mental health and well-being: results from an experimental study

The physics of Penguin Poop

As temperatures rise each summer, so does American's sugar intake.

Increased Social Media Use Linked to Rising Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents

Artificial sweeteners aged the brain by over 1.5 years, study says

Research suggests doctors might quickly become dependent on AI

Study Finds “Small But Significant” Impact of Electronic Media Use on Mental Health in Children

As world gets hotter, Americans are turning to more sugar, study finds

Food, Drinks and Weight

Carbon emissions from oil giants directly linked to dozens of deadly heatwaves for first time

Margarine linked to divorce?

Drugs like Ozempic might lower cancer risk

Video Games and Children’s Well-Being

Tyler Shapiro

Smoking: A Positive Decline

Casual Claim

The foods that delay dementia and heart disease. Backed by a 15-year study

Systematic attribution of heatwaves to the emissions of carbon majors

“Study Suggests BJJ Chokes Do Not Impair Cognitive Function And May Improve Arterial Blood Flow”

American consumption of ultra-processed foods

4 Dead, 7 Sickened by Flesh‑Eating Bacteria in Florida