Adriana Barton

Do music lessons make us smarter?

New post in my free series for readers of my book “Wired for Music.”

Chapter 5: A Musician’s Brain looks at the stark brain differences between early learners and those who receive music training after the age of 9 or so.

adrianabarton.com/visual-guide...

Healthy rats who receive gut bacteria from #Alzheimer’s patients suddenly develop impaired cognition and hippocampus decline.

“Notably, the severity of impairments correlated with clinical cognitive scores in donor patients.”

New research in the journal Brain:

academic.oup.com/brain/advanc...

Wildfire smoke can attach to carpets, drapes or counters, potentially causing health problems even after an initial cleaning activity by air purifiers.

Surface cleaning—e.g. vacuuming, dusting, mopping—can help limit health risk. 

Colorado State University:

www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

A Pennsylvania Shop Offered Tarot Readings. Then the Police Came. The police chief in Hanover visited the shop to “educate” its owner about an archaic state law that prohibits fortunetelling.

A witchcraft-themed shop in Pennsylvania was featured in a business newsletter. Then the local police chief informed the store that any complaints about its tarot card readings would lead to an investigation, citing an archaic state law that makes it illegal to predict the future for money.

How much money does the Catholic Church have? - Marketplace When people say, “more money than God,” what might be a real number for that amount of money on Earth that God has?

Blistering words. I wonder which actions the Church itself plans to take?

With vast holdings covering an area the size of Texas, the Church has an opportunity to set a powerful example.

Actions speak louder (though words are a start).
www.marketplace.org/2023/02/10/h...

First on CNN: HHS awards more than $500 million to study Covid-19 vaccine nasal sprays and more | CN... In the future, some Covid-19 vaccines may not be jabs in the arm. They could be a nasal spray or even a patch on the skin. Those are just two examples of the kind of next-generation vaccine technology...

Big news!

www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/h...

Breaking:

Supreme Court rules environmental impact legislation largely unconstitutional

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

#cdnpoli #ableg

Nova Scotia moves away from the Atlantic Loop to focus on local On Wednesday, Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton announced that the province will seek other forms of energy to transition off coal.

Nova Scotia announces plan to achieve an 80% renewables (solar and wind) electrical grid by 2030.
www.nationalobserver.com/2023/10/11/n...

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Thx, will do!

Thanks!

Thx!

Hi all! I am a health and science writer (and former staff journalist at The Globe and Mail).

Also author of “Wired for Music: A Search for Health and Joy Through the Science of Sound.” A blend of neuroscience, history, anthropology, evolutionary biology and memoir.

Love these introductions!

A meta-analysis of the 28 randomized trials assessing treatments for severe Covid nature.com/articles/s41... Data for IL-6 blockade (tocilizumab), baricitinib, remdesivir, and other drug interventions summarized

My first book hit the shelves a year ago today. Wonderful things have happened since:

📘Finalist for national science book award

📕Coverage in Boston Globe, Guardian, BBC science podcast, CBC Radio, etc.

📘Hardcover out of stock in four months

Gratitude to readers + supporters of “Wired for Music.”

What Happened to Sweaters? The quality of knitwear has cratered. Even expensive sweaters have lost their hefty, lush glory.  

Have you noticed that sweaters all kind of suck now? I wrote about why that is. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Global temperature increase of just 1°C will expose billions to heat and humidity so extreme they cannot naturally cool themselves. 🌍

Research from Penn State and Purdue published in PNAS:

www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....

Detail from one of my mother Susan Feindel’s mosaics.

This one is entitled “Chrondus Crispus: Western Altlantic Marine Life Used in Conventional Medicine.

On permanent display at IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.