Inconclusive Evaluation of Music Therapy to Reduce Stress in Hospitalized Cats

What can one conclude from playing music for a few stressed cats? A new study suggests the answer: “Evaluation of Music Therapy to Reduce Stress in Hospitalized Cats,” Juliane Eg Paz, Fernanda Va da Costa, Luciana N Nunes, Eduardo R Monteiro, and Jenifer Jung, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, epub 2021. The authors, at […]

A Stress-Testing Machine to Gently Grasp a Jellyfish

A new era dawns, perhaps, in how humans try and perhaps succeed in gently handling squishy marine animals. A new study gives details. “Ultra-gentle soft robotic fingers induce minimal transcriptomic response in a fragile marine animal,” Michael Tessler, Mercer R. Brugler, John A. Burns, Nina R. Sinatra, Daniel M. Vogt, Anand Varma, Madelyne Xiao, Robert […]

Psycho-emotional status regulation of minigolf players (study)

When it comes to sporting activities, the psycho-emotional state of the players can have a profound effect on their performance. What positive steps can be taken to enhance it? A number of strategies are currently available : “[…] various ways and their combinations based on physiological reflexes are applied: breath holdings, relaxation of facial muscles, […]

Musical birds of a feather, when together, live ∼7.2 weeks less

Artists of all kinds often tend to cluster together (think Montmartre etc.) bringing the benefits of collaboration, interaction and inspiration. But what if there are just too many? For composers, in Paris or Vienna for example, there could be competition for limited resources such as concert halls. In other words they might incur high stress […]

Are Stressed Women More Attractive, or Less?

You may find it stressful to contemplate this study about attractiveness: “Facial attractiveness is related to women’s cortisol and body fat, but not with immune responsiveness,” Markus J. Rantala [pictured here, below], Vinet Coetzee, Fhionna R. Moore, Ilona Skrinda, Sanita Kecko, Tatjana Krama, Inese Kivleniece and Indrikis Krams, Biology Letters, epub May 22, 2013.  The […]

The Further Adventures of The Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand

Lively, if not entirely cheerful, debate can be provoked by mentioning this study done by a researcher at the Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand: “Effect of Stress-Related Changes in Sheepmeat Ultimate pH on Cooked Odor and Flavor,” T.J. Braggins, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1996, 44 (8), pp 2352–2360: “In this study […]

She ponders on and in a strapless evening gown

SciCurious essays a look—perhaps a deeper and more gleeful look than ever has been looked—at Charles Seim’s classic “Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown”. Seim [pictured below] is the very same Seim who is a decorated bridge designer. BONUS: The birth of “Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown” BONUS: Deborah Henson-Conant‘s five-movement orchestral work “Stress […]