Learning! Roundup: Screen Time, Mouth Maps, Extinction, Testosterone, and More!

A roundup of research from the past week, including screen time being okay, different impacts of testosterone, and society being less polarized than you think.
Photo by Charisse Kenion.

Screen Time: Maybe Not So Bad?

A new study looking at data from 17,000 teens found little relationship between screen time and well-being, even when the screen time was right before bed. So... now if you like being contrarian or like using your phone all the time you have some ammo against the anti-screen-time warriors.

A Phonetic Map of the Human Mouth

Ever been curious of what parts of your mouth make different sounds? If you are a speech pathologist or an actor or singer, then you have probably already satisfied that curiosity. For the rest of us, here is a phonetic map of our mouths!


A third of the wild bee and hoverfly species in Britain are in decline, leaving them in a "risky" pollination situation.


We used to think that increases in testosterone automatically meant increases in aggression, but it turns out that men are affected differently by increases in their testosterone. Personality traits like dominance and whether you define yourself based on your own traits or in relation to others produced different effects from the testosterone.

Not So Polarized

Aside from the damages of screen time, another thing people love to talk about these days is how polarized our society has become, all thanks to social media. Well, new research on that front shows that what's likelier is that people who are moderate are still around, they just keep their mouths shut - at least online. This makes a decent amount of sense, don't you think.


It feels like all of a sudden, all anyone will talk about is microdosing, which is taking small amounts of psychedelic drugs. This study shows that people who microdosed three days a week for a month had great experiences: more positive emotions, easier social interactions, increased productivity, and even fewer headaches. It also carried none of the negative effects that can come from regular use of psychedelics. 

The Receptionist Delivers!