Reddit science
1Creatine, the cheap gym supplement, protected the brain from gut inflammation in rats with chronic colitis. It blocked brain inflammation, neuron loss and faulty electrical signals in the brain's memory center (hippocampus). Male rats were hit much harder than females. It's not yet tested in humans.
- In rats with chronic colitis, creatine supplements prevented hippocampal inflammation, neuron damage, and altered electrical activity. Males were far more affected than females. Researchers caution the findings tested prevention, not treatment, and remain unconfirmed in humans.
Rat dosage vs. human relevance
Rats got 1g/kg daily plus a loading dose, roughly 80-90g+ for humans versus typical 5-20g doses. Some questioned whether rats drank it all or raised allometric scaling. One comment stressed the results are rat-only and need human study.How creatine works and personal experiences
An exercise physiology student said creatine fuels quick energy rather than building muscle. Others cited recovery, training volume and water retention. Anecdotes ranged from 2kg water gain with no strength boost to relief from brain fog; one user's high dose was criticized.Kidney safety and lab tests
Creatine falsely raises serum creatinine, making kidney function look worse without real damage, and 5g/day was called safe. Users recommended a Cystatin C test; one said their doctor mistook lifting-skewed labs for early kidney failure.
2Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’. Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatment.
- A Cambridge and UEA study of 6,600+ people with autoimmune conditions found women were 46% more likely than men to report psychiatric misdiagnoses and 74% more likely to report psychosomatic ones, often waiting one to two years for diagnosis versus under three months for men.
Bringing a man to appointments
Users say women are taken more seriously when a man attends and frames symptoms as his concern. A social worker asked for data, noting this could trigger domestic violence protocols. Others cite worse treatment for women of color and resulting distrust of medicine.Why autoimmune disease skews female
About 80% of patients are women, linked to stronger immunity, hormones and trauma. A myasthenia gravis patient describes long dismissal. Others note that diseases detectable by lab tests or biomarkers are misdiagnosed less, and women more often have those without clear tests.Can anxiety cause illness
Users debated whether anxiety causes illness. Replies cited robust links between stress and poor health, plus cortisol-gut-inflammation pathways and malnutrition. Others raised chicken-and-egg nuance and argued that stress is often mislabeled as anxiety.
3University students say that procrastination is the biggest threat to their academic performance
- A study of over 65,000 US students found procrastination is the biggest harm to academic performance, cited by nearly half, more than twice depression. Experts say it's not laziness but emotional avoidance that can fuel stress cycles, and universities should offer effective interventions.
Criticism of the study's methodology
Users noted the survey's ~10% response rate likely causes selection bias, since procrastinators may not respond. Others said "procrastination" was poorly defined, the aggregated data muddles terms like ADHD and anxiety, and the author's self-help book raises doubts about rigor.Laziness versus ADHD, anxiety and distraction
Users disputed blaming laziness. They cited executive dysfunction, anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD worsened by university's lack of structure. Some blamed screens and social media, though others noted screen time mimics ADHD symptoms but doesn't cause it.Personal habits and college experiences
Many said last-minute work was the norm, especially in engineering. They advised discipline, routine and never skipping class. Some enjoyed the deadline rush or got away with it in easier subjects, and many joked about procrastinating on joining clubs or answering the poll.
4People who ghost tend to feel worse about it than the people they ghost realize. Study also indicates that even a brief reply can narrow this emotional misunderstanding.
- New research finds people who ghost others feel worse about their silence than those ghosted realize, especially when unintentional. Ghostees underestimate ghosters' guilt, but even a brief reply like "Sorry, can't talk now" narrows this gap and reduces self-blame.
Ghosting as maladaptive coping
Users frame ghosting as avoidance rooted in poor communication skills or avoidant attachment. Many say a brief, honest message would give both sides closure, and that the study could persuade ghosters they also harm themselves.Depression, anxiety and shame spirals
Self-identified ghosters describe paralyzing dread, depression, ADHD, chronic illness and guilt that grows the longer they wait. They stress that ghosting is often not personal and explain repeated cycles of reaching out and then disappearing.Lasting harm to the ghosted
Many share deep, lasting hurt from being ghosted by partners and longtime friends, sometimes calling it emotional abuse. Some reject sympathy for ghosters ("then don't") or question the study's self-reported guilt measures.
511.4 million people developed dementia in 2023 and the number of new dementia cases is set to rise to 24.7 million a year by 2050
- A UNSW-led study in JAMA Neurology estimates 11.4 million people developed dementia in 2023, rising to 24.7 million yearly by 2050. Analysing 38,418 people in 18 countries, it found higher incidence among women and in low- and middle-income countries, urging investment in prevention.
Aging population vs. falling rates
Many say rising case counts reflect an aging population and better diagnosis, not worse health. Users cite research showing US age-adjusted dementia rates fell about two-thirds over 40 years. Some criticize the headline for using absolute rather than population-adjusted numbers.Right to die laws
Users, many with family experience, call for right-to-die laws and honoring advance directives, likening dementia's decline to torture. Others raise ethical line-drawing issues, caregiver burnout, poor elder care, costly facilities, and religious or profit-driven obstacles.Causes and risk factors
Suggested causes include lead, forever chemicals, processed food, diabetes, anticholinergic drugs, hearing loss and menopause. One user outlines dementia subtypes. Others push back on unsupported claims, noting medication links may be confounded. Heart health is advised.
6The untraceable repercussions of chatbot medical advice errors
- Works on AI and online health information, including a bromism case linked to chatbot advice, AI-generated wellness ads and doctor deepfakes, public chatbot use for health queries, misinformation's effect on vaccine hesitancy, algorithmic bias, and LLMs' persuasive and fact-checking roles.
Untraceable harm and accountability
The paper argues AI health harms leave no trace, as with a man hospitalized for bromide toxicity after ChatGPT advice. No malpractice law covers chatbots, so the authors urge logging, vetted sources and liability. Some say social media misinformation is worse.Poor health literacy fuels unnecessary visits
An urgent care RN says patients arrive convinced they need antibiotics or have cancer after AI lists possibilities. Others note Googling did this for decades and AI adds disclaimers. Critics say needless visits strain limited healthcare resources.AI fills gaps left by flawed medical care
Users share cases where doctors missed diagnoses (diverticulitis misread as UC, varicocele, NSAID ulcers) and ChatGPT helped. Others ask "compared to what?", citing a 5% primary care diagnostic error rate, wait times and costs. Skeptics doubt AI can assess physical conditions.
7A recent neuroimaging study indicates that creative drawing ability is connected to an extensive network of white matter pathways that link sensory, motor, and cognitive brain systems.
- A study of 142 young adults found that higher drawing creativity was linked to stronger white matter wiring across brain networks connecting sensory, movement and thinking systems, suggesting creativity emerges from interplay of many brain systems rather than a single creative center.
Whether drawing ability can be learned
One user said drawing is easy to learn by closely observing and copying, sharing blind-contour exercises. Others pushed back, saying some people struggle despite effort and that brain differences, like white matter, may make it much harder for some.Aphantasia's role in artistic ability
A user asked whether the findings relate to aphantasia, noting that some animators have it. One person with aphantasia said their drawing hasn't improved. Another said an aphantasic artist friend showed them that imagination matters less than working things out on paper.Skepticism about obvious findings
A commenter sarcastically mocked the study as circular, joking that it simply concludes you need drawing skills to draw well.
8Nutrient legacies from elephant megacarcasses create coldspots of biodiversity and hotspots of ecosystem processes
Land version of a whale fall
Users compared elephant carcasses to whale falls, where dead whales feed deep-sea ecosystems. Some found the parallel fascinating. Others pointed out that the effect on biodiversity is the opposite, since elephant carcass sites reduce diversity.Why nutrient excess lowers diversity
Commenters suggested that high nutrients may let a few species outcompete others rather than directly suppressing them. They also noted that fungi compete poorly with bacteria and asked about nitrogen "root burn." Some were surprised nitrogen persisted so long and credited the dry climate.Size of the affected area
Users asked how large the enriched patch is. Others cited the paper's figure of about 80 m² per elephant, compared with 12 m² for muskoxen and under 1 m² for bison. The paper also discusses how scavenger density may influence these effects.
9Americans interpret major political events through a deeply polarized lens. Republicans prioritize social order/ conformity and view protests that disrupt social order as threatening. Democrats place higher value on individual rights/ inclusion and view protests by marginalized groups as necessary.
- A study by Rongbo Jin and Spencer Lindsay finds Americans' views of the 2020 BLM protests and January 6 are shaped by dislike of the other party, faction loyalty, and beliefs about threats to democracy, with each side framing its stance as saving democracy.
January 6 contradicts the social order claim
Many users ask how the study squares Republicans' supposed preference for social order with January 6. Some argue they only value order that benefits them or believed the election was rigged. One user says J6 was an isolated event, unlike months of 2020 protests.Debate over which party values individual rights
Users question why the self-described party of individual rights scores lower on them, often answering "rules for thee, not for me." One commenter says protests blocking traffic infringe on his rights, and others push back. Some counter that Democrats oppose Second Amendment rights.Critiques of the study's framing and categories
Some argue terms like "social order," "conformity," and "marginalized groups" are subjective and ideologically loaded, and that both sides seek conformity to their own values. Others want research to go beyond a simple liberal-versus-conservative split to include factions and independents.
10Youth are less likely to seek mental health services if they have a tumultuous relationship with their father, although the exact nature of this link is still unclear, while relationships with mothers and best friends showed no such association. According to a study on 822 adolescents aged 12 to 18
- An NTNU study of 822 Norwegian adolescents found that more conflict with fathers predicted less later use of specialised mental health services, even after accounting for other factors. Relationships with mothers or best friends showed no link, and the cause remains unclear.
Fathers' attitudes and masculinity
Users suggested fathers' negative views of therapy, toxic masculinity, emotional suppression and fear of abuse make help-seeking harder. One reply called the toxic masculinity claim a "just so" story. Another said supportive dads may get kids heard in a biased system.Cost, access and study limits
Many suspected cost and access drive the finding, since fathers may control finances. Others asked why only father conflict mattered and proposed dads' employment and time at home as a confounder. One user questioned whether 822 adolescents is a big enough sample.Debate over "tumultuous"
A user complained "tumultuous" isn't a common word, drawing heavy pushback. Replies called it ordinary vocabulary, labeled the complaint anti-intellectual and pointed to dictionaries. Non-native speakers encouraged learning it, and another user admitted first reading it as positive.