It’s one of the great mysteries of medicine, and one that affects the lives of millions of people: Why do women’s immune systems gang up on them far more than men’s do, causing nine times more women to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus? Part of the answer, it turns out, may lie in the skin. New evidence points to a key role for a molecular switch called VGLL3. Three years ago, a team of University of Michigan researchers showed that women have more VGLL3 in their skin cells than…
Read MoreAuthor: Tom Patriot
WORST Movie Mistakes That Slipped Through Editing
Everything to Know About Kourtney Kardashian’s 40th Birthday Party
The Kardashians know how to throw a party, and Kourtney’s 40th birthday bash was no exception. From her smoking party outfit to her raunchy cake, here are the highlights of the reality star and Poosh founder’s big night. Kourtney wore a vintage Versace naked dress. Kourt pulled out all the stops for her birthday look, opting for a revealing vintage Versace gown with a sheer skirt and sheer panels running up the sides. The celebrant wore black sandals and kept her hair down with the daring look. All of her sisters were…
Read MoreThe brain’s imperfect execution of mathematically optimal perception
Human perception is based on mathematically optimal principles, but the brain implements those principles imperfectly, suggests new research by Elina Stengård and Ronald van den Berg of the University of Uppsala, Sweden. They present their findings in PLOS Computational Biology. The human brain uses imprecise sensory inputs to determine truths about the surrounding environment. Previous research has suggested that human perception is “Bayesian,” meaning that the brain accounts for uncertainty of sensory observations in a mathematically optimal way. However, some of those studies have been criticized mathematically, and other research suggests…
Read MoreWill Your Money Last as Long as You Do?
My 95-year-old mother-in-law is one person I never suspected would run out of money, but that’s exactly what’s happening. When her husband died, she received a life insurance settlement, and she’s received a nice pension payout every year since, taking care to preserve that pension by living a frugal lifestyle. Still, the assisted-living facility where she lives raises the rent every year — more than the increases in her pension and social security. And, something else: She’s living longer than everyone expected. In fact, she’s still going strong and could easily…
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