Today, MyScienceWork is trying to get you hooked. This week marks the anniversary of MyScienceNews, AKA the ex-MyScienceWork blog. For two years, we have been digging through the news, shaking, squeezing and turning it upside down to find some really original stories to share. The interns at MyScienceWork have taken this opportunity to revisit their favorite articles. From fear, to colors, to addictions, a whole menagerie of themes awaits you…
This article is a translation of “MyScienceWork, mon dealer d'infos” by Timothée Froelich.
To celebrate the second anniversary of MyScienceNews, the team’s interns decided to dig into the archives. Today, it is all about drugs, games, and IQ. Without either demonizing or underestimating the consequences of addiction, MyScienceWork addresses their mechanisms and puts the subject into a more social perspective.
MyScienceWork looks at the spiral of addiction (Image: rosepetal236)
Addictions disrupt the reward circuitry of the brain and affect our behaviors. Dopamine neurons and GABA* neurons are the main actors of this process. Let’s take a look back at a study (in French) that gets right to the heart of our grey matter.
Mieux comprendre les neurones de l’apprentissage et de l’addiction aux drogues, Laurence Bianchini, January 2012
Virtual worlds, avatars, multi-players, and violence: these are the main elements of the most addictive games. In this article (in French), MyScienceWork addresses the new addiction of pathological gaming. If the neurologicical consequences resulting from it are still little known, the psychological and social consequences are devastating.
Cyberaddiction et Jeux Vidéo, Laurence Bianchini, March 2012
Widely spread by the media, an American study stated in August 2012 that regular use of cannabis during adolescence caused significant decreases in IQ scores. MyScienceWork put these results into perspective. MyScienceWork is a bit more cautious. Even if the study seems to be thorough, the media machine may have gotten carried away.
Cannabis: When the media gets high, IQ points get low, Stephany Gardier, October 2012
Being well informed is the first step to having an accurate understanding of this public health issue. So, what do you say, MyScienceWork addicts? It’s time to let go of your mouse, step away from your computer… But come back tomorrow for our next, very colorful selection!
* gamma-aminobutyric acid
