A scientific review and meta-analysis has examined the potential for psilocybin‚ the active compound in “magic mushrooms”‚ to treat major depression and depressive disorders. The evidence shows that psilocybin could be a safe and effective treatment that needs further study.Despite advances in treatments for depression and other mental health therapies‚ there are still many patients who do not respond well to conventional options. In fact‚ what is known as treatment-resistant depression affects over 30 percent of patients with major depressive disorders. There is therefore an urgent need for alternative novel approaches to address this gap. And there is one compound that shows particular promise.  The magic in “magic mushroom”Psilocybin is a naturally occurring hallucinogenic compound responsible for the "magic" associated with some species of mushrooms. But while this fungal feature has received a bad reputation since the counterculture movements of the 1970s‚ academics and wider society are increasingly seeing its potential as a treatment for severe depression‚ as well as mood disorders‚ obsessive-compulsive disorder‚ and alcohol and tobacco use disorders.“Numerous trials have been published in recent years demonstrating psilocybin’s profound antidepressant effects in randomized‚ placebo-controlled clinical trials‚ the gold standard for determining the efficacy of a drug‚” the authors of the new review study told PsyPost. Research on this subject has reached a point where it is now worth conducting a formal review of the evidence to see what the state of the field is at the moment. The team’s meta-analysis‚ an approach that systematically examines and merges the findings of multiple similar studies to produce new insights‚ sifted through thousands of publications related to psilocybin and psychotherapy. During their search‚ the team focused on studies that included participants diagnosed with “major depressive disorder” or “distressing depressive symptoms” associated with life-threatening cancer. In addition‚ the diagnosis had to have been confirmed and based on “standard clinical assessments or structured interviews”‚ such as those included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5). This led to a sample of 686 participants from 13 randomized controlled trials that met these criteria.The systematic review and meta-analysis found that patients receiving psilocybin-assisted therapy demonstrated greater improvements in depressive symptoms than those who did not receive it. This was consistent across subgroups‚ including those experiencing depressive disorders and those with depression associated with life-threatening cancer. Interestingly‚ the results showed that both remission rates and response rates – the number of patients showing a significant reduction in depression symptoms – were highest among the psilocybin group than in the control groups.The evidence suggests that the antidepressant action associated with psilocybin kicks in a lot quicker compared to the much slower antidepressant effects of current treatments. Moreover‚ the benefits of psilocybin therapy also appear to last for several months. In most cases‚ patients took to the treatment well‚ but non-serious adverse reactions were common across all studies. This included people experiencing headaches‚ nausea‚ fatigue‚ anxiety‚ dry mouth‚ palpitations‚ and short-term high blood pressure. In most instances‚ these symptoms are manageable within a clinical setting and serious adverse events were rare.There were isolated instances of more severe effects‚ such as worsening depression symptoms or suicidal ideation‚ especially among those with a history of these issues. This‚ the authors write‚ suggests "an unclear relationship between psilocybin and suicide risk”. They add that‚ "on the other hand‚ a study of lifetime recreational psilocybin users has shown that drug use is associated with significantly reduced odds of recent suicidal behaviour.”As such‚ “psilocybin’s safety profile in psychiatric patients must be closely monitored in future studies‚ and those with a lifetime history of suicidal behaviour should be included to provide generalizable results.”Crucially‚ nearly all trials included in the study used psilocybin in conjunction with supportive and integrative psychotherapy. "The average person should approach the findings of our paper with cautioned optimism‚ particularly with how psilocybin should be used in both clinical and non-clinical settings‚” the authors told PsyPost. “While the effect size (a measure of how effective psilocybin is at reducing depressive symptoms compared to placebo) of psilocybin was moderate‚ the studies have several limitations. It is difficult to find a placebo drug that can mimic psilocybin’s obvious psychological effects while not having the depressive action. In fact‚ such a drug does not yet exist.”It is therefore very possible that participants in the study were unblinded‚ the authors added‚ which means they knew what treatment options they were receiving. The team also emphasized that‚ even though the results are encouraging‚ "psilocybin should only be prescribed in a monitored‚ clinical setting.” They do not recommend or condone self-medication with this compound. “This is particularly important to highlight given the increasing presence of illicitly yet conspicuously sold psilocybin in large urban centres‚” the authors concluded.The study is published in Psychiatry Research.

Deep below the mountains of Sicily‚ a vast deposit of ancient freshwater has been found. Although it has been trapped here for 6 million years or so‚ geologists believe could offer a solution to the modern-day water shortages faced by the many arid lands around the Mediterranean coastlines.It's estimated that the deposit contains 17.5 cubic kilometers (4.1 cubic miles) of water‚ forming an aquifer that spans 700 to 2‚500 meters (2‚300 to 8‚200 feet) deep beneath the Hyblaean Mountains in southeastern Sicily off the coast of Italy.The discovery was made by scientists from the University of Malta‚ the University of Roma Tre‚ and the University of Bologna by looking at maps and data from previous surveys looking for oil deposits‚ then using this information to build 3D models.They believe the water ended up here some 6 million years ago‚ indicating it may have something to do with the Messinian salinity crisis‚ a 700‚000-year-long geological event when the Mediterranean Sea became parched and almost completely dried up the basin. The Messinian salinity crisis was caused by the closing of the trait of Gibraltar‚ the narrow passage of water that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. Scientists theorize that the crisis came to an end around 5.33 million years ago when the Zanclean megaflood suddenly refilled the Mediterranean Basin and reconnected it to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar. Prior to this flood when the basin was still dry‚ the seabed was exposed and rainwater was able to trickle down into the crust. It was then soaked by an aquifer‚ a water-bearing rock‚ like a sponge where it has remained ever since. The Mediterranean basin is particularly vulnerable to climate change. With the region set to become warmer and increasingly arid in years to come‚ many are worried that there might not be enough drinkable water to supply its growing population. The researchers explain that groundwater deposits found under Sicily’s Hyblaean Mountains could help address the problem in southern Italy‚ as well as other regions in North Africa that are also home to subterranean bodies of groundwater. “The discovery of such an extensive‚ preserved‚ and deep-freshened groundwater body has significant implications as an unconventional source of potable water‚ especially considering the numerous water-scarce areas along the Mediterranean coastlines (e.g.‚ Morocco‚ Tunisia‚ Egypt‚ Lebanon‚ and Turkey)‚” the study authors write in their conclusion.“Indeed‚ the geological setting and controlling factors in our study area occur elsewhere in the Mediterranean region‚ e.g.‚ in the Adriatic Carbonate Platform and the Apulia Platform in Italy‚ in the Nara Platform in Tunisia‚ etc where other extensive‚ deep freshened groundwater bodies may be hosted in carbonate aquifers‚” they added. “The technology to explore and utilize such deep groundwater bodies nowadays exists‚ making these potentially extensive groundwater resources available for utilization.” The study is published in the journal Communications Earth &; Environment.

You may have noticed‚ perhaps around the time you started studying magnets in school‚ that we don't power vehicles by strapping a magnet to the front of them and propelling them forward with a second magnet just out of reach in front of it. Instead‚ we continue to power our cars using electricity and the remains of not dinosaurs like chumps.This tells you one of two things: Either there is a very good reason that a magnet truck won't work‚ or you are the first person on Earth to come up with the idea of plonking a big ACME magnet on your van and are about to change the world.Occasionally‚ people think (or most probably joke) that they're in the latter.              IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.As you can probably see from the setup‚ the vehicle would not work in practice. If it did‚ you'd have yourself a perpetual motion machine‚ which is frowned upon by the laws of physics. If you'd like to see the magnet car tested‚ it of course has been for science demonstrations.            As people have pointed out‚ the one big reason why the magnet car doesn't work is those pesky and meddlesome laws of physics. Specifically‚ the law that an object at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts upon it‚ aka Newton's First Law of Motion; and the law that when one object exerts a force on a second object‚ the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first‚ Newton's equally (but not oppositely) successful Third Law of Motion.The key part here is an outside force. The magnet‚ despite being dangled in front of the car like a carrot in front of a donkey‚ is still part of the same system as the car‚ attached by a bar and/or rope. They are not applying any force to any outside object‚ attracting only to each other and canceling out‚ and so remain as stationary as your car. If you're having difficulty getting your head around it‚ imagine a different kind of force. As Rhett Allain explained for Wired‚ stretching out a giant rubber band in front of a car is also an attractive force that would propel the car forward if you were to walk in front of the car towing it. But you would not expect to be able to take the same large rubber band‚ lean out of the sunroof‚ stretch it out ahead of you‚ and still be propelled forward by it. If you're still unconvinced‚ next time your car breaks down‚ try giving it a push entirely from the inside.

It's the Here Comes the Pain tour. Continue reading…

Things can take a comical turn when people insist on singing their own versions. Continue reading…

Nick Jonas thought he had a eureka moment with a Jersey Mike's sandwich‚ but it reeked of basicness.

Classic eggnog is delicious‚ but this list includes many creative opportunities that can boost and give your eggnog more character‚ flair‚ and body.

You might not spend a lot of time fantasizing about dining in Antarctica‚ but if you do‚ your mind's eye should see to it that you have sledging biscuits.

If you're a lover of waffles‚ you've probably experimented with many variations. One addition you might not have come across yet is incorporating sour cream.