All posts tagged: technique

Scientists demonstrate a novel sleep-based technique to weaken negative memories

Scientists demonstrate a novel sleep-based technique to weaken negative memories

Published by José

In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers detailed a way to weaken the recall of negative memories by reactivating newer, positive memories during sleep. The technique, known as targeted memory reactivation, not only diminished the intensity of negative memories but also heightened the involuntary recall of positive memories. This process further increased participants’ positive emotional judgments after sleep. The findings suggest that memory manipulation during sleep could pave the way for innovative treatments for trauma and emotional distress. Negative memories, particularly those that emerge involuntarily, can significantly impair mental health, disrupting daily life and cognitive functioning. Traditional methods of managing these memories, such as therapy or medication, often require effortful emotional engagement and may not always succeed in alleviating the emotional burden. Sleep plays a critical role in processing memories and offers a unique avenue for modifying how memories are stored and retrieved. Inspired by previous research showing that activating positive memories can improve emotional well-being, the researchers aimed to explore whether positive memories could be used …

New Psychiatric Technique Asks Schizophrenics to Engage in Dialogue With the Voices in Their Heads

New Psychiatric Technique Asks Schizophrenics to Engage in Dialogue With the Voices in Their Heads

Published by José

Image by Getty / Futurism Researchers have come up with an ingenious new approach to treating psychosis: creating an “avatar” for the often upsetting voices in one’s head and talking to them like they’re real, living people. As The Guardian reports, there have now been multiple clinical trials displaying the power of this so-called “avatar therapy.” Case in point, a new paper in the journal Nature Medicine demonstrates that giving voice and face to the dark forces inside the heads of people who suffer from auditory hallucinations can be a promising treatment strategy. Like customizing a character in a video game, people who undergo this experimental treatment create digital avatars that resemble or symbolize the voices they hear. Some people are talked down to by cruel authority figures and others are menaced by demons — and by creating an externalized avatar on a screen and having a therapist simulate the things they say, those persecuting voices can often be controlled. It’s a deceptively simple scheme that has time and again borne out promising results. These digitally-assisted interventions …

I’m a meditation teacher and I think this is the most effective technique to reduce stress in minutes

I’m a meditation teacher and I think this is the most effective technique to reduce stress in minutes

Published by skeptic

While stress may be unavoidable in our fast-paced modern world, guided meditations and breathwork are a great way to lessen the impact it can have on our physical health and mental wellbeing. These practices can not only reduce feelings of stress, they can also help us adapt and change how we react to stress. In my three years as a meditation teacher there’s one technique called cyclic sighing that all of my clients really click with. It works for me too. When I first tried this practice a few years ago, I found it instantly reduced my stress levels when I was feeling overwhelmed. What is cyclic sighing? Cyclic sighing, also known as the physiological sigh, was first identified in the 1930s as a technique that could quickly neutralize the body’s stress response and induce relaxation. Sighing is something we do naturally when we’re stressed or when we’re about to fall asleep, however the practice of cyclic sighing employs intentional sighing. It follows the pattern of a double inhale, followed by a long extended exhale …

New single-sex toilets rule ‘a distraction technique that targets trans people’, says drag queen | UK News

New single-sex toilets rule ‘a distraction technique that targets trans people’, says drag queen | UK News

Published by Sam

The government’s proposal to make single-sex toilets mandatory in new bars, restaurants, offices, and shopping centres is a “distraction technique that targets trans people”, a drag queen has said.  Crystal, a Canadian-British drag performer who featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, told Sky News the legislation is to distract people from a “flailing government”. “I don’t think this policy will do anything to protect anyone. There’s no evidence to suggest that mixed bathrooms are inherently more unsafe than sex-segregated ones,” the 38-year-old said. Image: Crystal told Sky News that the government’s new policy won’t “do anything to protect anyone”. “Meanwhile, there’s a lot of compelling evidence that shows that lots of people are made more unsafe by having only sex-segregated toilets. “People like trans teenagers, but I’m also thinking about cis[gender] people who are gender non-conforming, who don’t necessarily pass as the gender they were assigned at birth,” he added. “These are the people who are going to suffer when we start really policing people’s sex before they go to the toilet.” Crystal also said …

I added this one strength training technique into my weekly workouts and it helped me build strength faster than I ever have before

I added this one strength training technique into my weekly workouts and it helped me build strength faster than I ever have before

Published by skeptic

Here at Fit&Well, we give you all the fitness information you need to stand on your own two feet in the gym. But not this time.  Instead, I want to share the benefits of single-leg movements and other unilateral exercises—moves that target one side of your body at a time.  For the last five weeks, I’ve been incorporating more of these moves into my training with the goal of building more strength and muscle. And I’ve already noticed week-on-week increases in the weights I’m able to lift.  Want proof? I’ve noticed my barbell back squat numbers creeping in the right direction; I started by lifting five sets of five reps at 220lb/100kg, and most recently hit four sets of four reps at 115kg/250lb.  That’s one of several reasons why I think this strength training technique deserves a spot in your exercise plans.  How I added unilateral exercises into my schedule I’m a big fan of unilateral exercises but that doesn’t mean every exercise I do is unilateral. I like to use them alongside bilateral moves as …

Our laser technique can tell apart elephant and mammoth ivory – here’s how it may disrupt the ivory trade

Our laser technique can tell apart elephant and mammoth ivory – here’s how it may disrupt the ivory trade

Published by skeptic

In recent years, the global trade in elephant ivory has faced significant restrictions in an effort to protect dwindling elephant populations. Many countries have stringent controls on the trade of elephant ivory. The sale of mammoth ivory, sourced primarily from long-extinct species, however, remains unregulated. But it’s a significant challenge for customs and law enforcement agencies to distinguish between ivory from extinct mammoths and living elephants. This is a process that is both time-consuming and requires destroying the ivory. Now our new study, published in PLOS ONE, presents a major breakthrough – using a well known laser technique to tell mammoth and elephant ivory apart. Our results couldn’t come soon enough. The number of African elephants has dramatically declined from approximately 12 million a century ago to about 400,000 today. Annually, over 20,000 elephants are poached for ivory, primarily in Africa. This decline not only disrupts ecological balance, but also diminishes biodiversity. Ultimately, it highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these species. The hunt for mammoth ivory is also a problem. The …

‘Yell at your robot’ technique teaches robots household chores

‘Yell at your robot’ technique teaches robots household chores

Published by skeptic

This robot can respond to verbal commands and corrections on the fly. Xiaoyang Shi | Stanford University A robot can learn how to correctly wash dishes or pack a bag of trail mix by listening to human voice commands. That could pave the way for future workplace or household robots capable of learning in the moment as they interact with people. It is “almost impossible” to train home-helper robots that can perfectly manage chores in every situation, says Lucy Xiaoyang Shi at Stanford University in California. “So we do want to have this method of… Source link

Highest power efficiency achieved in flexible solar cells using new fabrication technique

Highest power efficiency achieved in flexible solar cells using new fabrication technique

Published by skeptic

Flexible solar cells have many potential applications in aerospace and flexible electronics, but low energy conversion efficiency has limited their practical use. A new manufacturing method has increased the power efficiency of flexible solar cells made from perovskite, a class of compounds with a specific crystalline structure that facilitates the conversion of solar energy into electricity. Current flexible perovskite solar cells (FPSCs) suffer from lower power conversion efficiency than rigid perovskite solar cells because of the soft and inhomogeneous characteristics of the flexible base material, made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the perovskite films of FPSCs are built upon. FPSCs also have lower durability than rigid solar cells that use glass as a base substrate. Pores in flexible solar cell substrates allow water and oxygen to invade the perovskite materials, causing them to degrade. To address these issues with current FPSC technology, a team of material scientists developed a new fabrication technique that increases the efficiency of FPSCs, paving the way for its use on a much larger scale. How did the team increase the power …

High-glam makeup artist Claudia Neacsu on why ‘the right technique’ is so important for a flawless finish

High-glam makeup artist Claudia Neacsu on why ‘the right technique’ is so important for a flawless finish

Published by skeptic

A quick flick through makeup artist Claudia Neacsu‘s Instagram page, and it’s abundantly clear as to how she has fostered her loyal clientele. High-octane, glamorous makeup is her signature, but the looks she creates have a party-girl levity to them, featuring iridescent shimmers and Hollywood-grade glosses. Since the age of 18 she has honed her craft, now a London Fashion Week backstage regular and the artist of choice for many a London It-girl. The Beauty Breakdown with… Claudia Neacsu © Claudia NeacsuThe makeup artist loves trying new products MORE: The Beauty Breakdown: Model and influencer Chloe Lloyd on the £20 lip liner she wore on her wedding day READ: The Beauty Breakdown: Digital content creator Aamirah Essof on why hydration is her ‘number one priority’ Her Beauty Philosophy As one would expect from a makeup artist, Claudia puts a great deal of emphasis on skill. “I believe technique is 50% and the products you use are 50% of the look,” she explains. “You can have the best products ever, but if you don’t use the right technique, they …