The Link Between Nostalgia and Pain Relief

Scientists behind research outlined in a new paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience believe there’s a connection between nostalgia and pain relief. The study (helmed by a team at University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and titled Thalamocortical mechanisms for nostalgia-induced analgesia) involved an experiment in which participants had slight heat applied to their skin, they then rated their pain levels, …

V&A’s “Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear” Exhibit Confronts Gender Constructs

On view now until 6 November in London, Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear is the V&A’s first major menswear exhibition. From a Victorian codpiece and Vivienne Westwood’s 1980s fig leaf-printed underwear to Kim Jones’ 2021 Fendi 3D flower dress inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Orlando and Christian Siriano’s tuxedo gown worn by Billy Porter, the show traces the history of men’s apparel and highlights how femininity …

Neuroscientists Observe The Formation of a Memory in a Living Brain

A team of scientists from the University of Southern California watched zebra fish forming “fearful” brain memories, an observation that revealed a complex system of synaptic rewiring. The neuroscientists witnessed this overhaul of connections through imaging under a microscope, where memories blossomed in a fluorescent green color. This breakthrough, which, according to Wired, supports the idea that a “type of memory may be critical to …