My picks from ScienceDaily

Culture Influences Brain Function, Study Shows:

People from different cultures use their brains differently to solve the same visual perceptual tasks, MIT researchers and colleagues report in the first brain imaging study of its kind.

Aroma Of Chocolate Chip Cookies Prompts Splurging On Expensive Sweaters:

Exposure to something that whets the appetite, such as a picture of a mouthwatering dessert, can make a person more impulsive with unrelated purchases, finds a study from the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. For example, the researchers reveal in one experiment that the aroma of chocolate chip cookies can prompt women on a tight budget to splurge on a new item of clothing.

Teens Getting Help For Suicidal Behavior From An Online Community:

It's a topic people often don't want to talk about, but suicide is a serious issue that needs serious attention. According to a University of Alberta researcher, teens are difficult to reach and there have traditionally been few services that directly target adolescent suicidal behavior. Elaine Greidanus says many teens aren't picking up a phone, or seeing a counsellor, they're more likely logging on for emotional support.

Is An Aspirin A Day Good For You?:

Is an aspirin a day good for you, and how much should you take? Ten years after the FDA issued recommendations about the use of aspirin for people who have had heart attacks or are at risk for them, it may be a good time to talk to your doctor about the aspirin you're taking.

Millions Of Young People Have Used Cough Syrup To Get High:

About 3.1 million people in the United States aged 12 to 25 (5.3 percent of this age group) have used over-the-counter (non-prescription) cough and cold medicines to get high at least once in their lifetimes, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The level is comparable to LSD, and more than the reported use of methamphetamines, among those aged 12 to 25. White youths were more than three times as likely as Black youths to have misused these drugs during the past year.

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I'm unsurprised by the results of that one study -- it's been common folk wisdom for years in some fields. Thirty years ago, when my parents were looking to sell their house, the real estate agent told my mother to keep some cookie dough in the fridge, and bake a few cookies just before a showing, since (the agent claimed) doing so would make the house sell faster.

By Interrobang (not verified) on 15 Jan 2008 #permalink