These days, post-apocalyptic movies are more popular than ever. Asteroid collapse, nuclear war, zombie apocalypse - all scenarios depicting a new post-apocalyptic world and people forced to fight to survive in a dangerous environment develop our imaginations and, in a way, prepare us for the worst. According to scientists, these films prepared us for the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Johnson, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with other scientists, including specialists in the field of horror films, conducted a study involving 310 volunteers who were to complete a specially prepared questionnaire to assess their resilience (mental resilience) of each of them and prepare for the pandemic. They then described their degree of fascination with various movie genres such as horror movies, psychological thrillers, catastrophe and post-apocalyptic movies, science fiction, and comedies.
Participants in this study were also asked to describe, among other things, their past and present experiences with films that were clearly related to the pandemic, and their degree of interest in them. The researchers then analyzed the available data and came to a conclusion after taking into account the personality influences.
It found that people who watched more post-apocalyptic movies, pandemic movies, zombie attacks, and alien invasions were more helpful and better prepared for the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers concluded that the films in question could be a mental test.
Of course, not only movies help you better prepare for such events. Books develop the imagination to an even greater extent, while computer games on specific topics can also develop cognitive and decision-making skills. According to John Johnson, the stories in movies, books, art, and games are not only entertainment, but they can also prepare you for life.
The myth that violent video games are the cause of aggressive behavior by children and adolescents appeared years ago. Science has refuted these theses more than once, but in the minds of people who are stunned by television, the correlation between games and aggression always remains "obvious". However, if someone is interested in the true state of affairs, a scientific study has emerged quite recently that leaves no illusions in this matter.
A nearly 10-year study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking found no link between violent video games in childhood and an increase in violent behavior in later years. For the purposes of the study, specialists chose Grand Theft Auto. So, has the game of stealing, shootings, and fights had any effect on the minds of children?
At the start of the study, researchers recruited 500 participants aged around 14. During the trial period, participants completed a survey on the time spent playing GTA. After a decade had passed and all data had been summarized, the participants were divided into three groups. Group 1 only played in childhood and gradually lost interest as she grew up to a certain age; Group 2 played moderately during childhood, and chose such games more often as she grew up; Group 3 hardly played in childhood but began to play more and more with age. Consequently, only group 2 showed any influence on the game, however, it was not related to the level of aggression but rather preferences.
The children in group 1 who spent the most time violent games at an early age showed no significant difference in their level of aggression in adulthood compared to children who played very little. The moderate group, which played consistently throughout adolescence, showed the highest level of aggression, but it was also within the norm. Research shows that violent play early in a child's development does not lead to aggression later in life.
Scientists found that the Earth rotates faster than 50 years ago, and the days are slightly shorter. It is true that the difference is small, but for physicists and programmers, it is quite a problem. It is possible that we will need the so-called negative leap second.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Earth made 420 revolutions orbiting the sun. Today our planet makes about 365 revolutions. Part of the impact of slowing our planet down was the Moon, which attracts the Earth's oceans. In the 1950s, atomic clocks appeared that made it possible to measure time without the influence of external factors, such as temperature. However, as time went on, there was a discrepancy between the time of atomic clocks and the time measured by astronomy. It is because of this discrepancy that in 1972 the so-called leap second.
This works similarly to adding an extra day at the end of February every four years to compensate for the fact that the Earth orbits the Sun in 365.25 days. However, the leap seconds are not added cyclically as they depend, inter alia, on the rotation of the Earth and are therefore unpredictable.
Research on the speed of rotation of our planet is carried out by the IERS organization (International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service). When the time traced by the motion of the Earth becomes out of sync with that of atomic clocks, scientists around the world freeze them for one second at 23:59:59 on June 30 or December 31. Thanks to this treatment, astronomical clocks can catch up.
The first leap second was added in 1972. Scientists added them every few years, but the last such operation was in 2016. It has been noticed that the Earth rotates faster than 50 years ago. Meanwhile, researchers assumed that our planet would slow down and, as they admit, they were not ready for such a scenario.
Scientists say that if this trend continues, we will need to take into account the so-called negative leap second. And that means subtracting one second from atomic clocks. For the average person, it will practically have no effect. But it will be a complete novelty that could negatively impact computer systems ranging from telecommunications to navigation.
Religious people are more prone to the benefits of taking placebo medications or medications that promise spiritual and supernatural healing. Recently published research has shown that a placebo can elicit significant brain responses as well as a positive experience of religious belief.
The placebo effect has been used in medicine for centuries. What is it about? There are many different types of placebos with different effects on health parameters. In order to fulfill the assumptions of a placebo, several conditions must be met. The patient must be convinced that he has received the real medicine. Multiple psychological mechanisms are associated with placebo responses. An increase in hope, positive expectations, and a decrease in anxiety can change the attitudes that guide a patient's response to treatment.
This study examined the placebo effect in the context of religious beliefs and practices. Participants were given a harmless substance (tap water) along with a verbal suggestion that the water would come from the sanctuary of Lourdes (a Catholic pilgrimage site with reports of miraculous healings). 37 women took part in the placebo study and believed that the water from the sanctuary of Lourdes had a positive effect on their spiritual, emotional, and physical condition. In one group, participants drank tap water labeled "Lourdes water" (placebo). In another (control) session, they received tap water labeled "tap water".
Participants assessed their physical condition during the experiment and were asked about specific thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations immediately after each of the two treatments. Placebo decreased rsFC (resting or idle brain activity) in the anterior and parietal cognitive control networks and increased rsFC in the attention network (islet cerebellar junction). During the sessions, participants rated their emotional state as very pleasant and calm. Immediately after the session, participants reported an increase in the intensity of pleasant body sensations and positive emotions (eg, gratitude) after drinking the Lourdes water. These results provide the first evidence that a placebo, in the context of religious beliefs and practices, can change the emotional state and induce real changes in the structure of the brain's cognitive control.
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