Latest news with #EmoryUniversity
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Did you know that human beings are born with these two innate fears?
This one's especially for them, the ones who wear 'fearless' t-shirts a tad bit too proudly! Human beings, as it turns out, aren't entirely fearless. However, they are rather minimalist when it comes to innate fears. These aren't gamma‑ray phobias or existential dread—they're simpler, more down‑to‑earth. Believe it or not, we're born wired with just two primal fears —and those are the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Everything else? Learned through our interactions with the world. Intrigued? Let's take a quick ride through your first two fears and explore why the rest are mostly social souvenirs. The fear of falling (the 'visual cliff awakening) Picture this: you're six months old, crawling on a platform. Ahead of you—plummeting to the floor below—is nothing but clear plexiglass. A trusted figure is calling, 'Come on, sweetie!' But you hesitate. Most infants don't cross that transparent glass. Turns out, we detect the drop and recoil instinctively. That hesitation isn't learned—it's built-in. This experiment, known as the 'visual cliff' (1960) – where infants aged 6–14 months refused to crawl out over what looked like a sheer drop‑off – shows that newborns' fear of heights and drops emerges early. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This innate caution isn't a cultural quirk—it's wired into our very genes to help us survive. Tiny humans without depth perception would likely bump their heads (and worse!) far too often. Neuroscientists call it an evolutionary safety net: the fear of heights and falling prevents young adventurers from testing the very limits of gravity before they're ready. The reflex is so built‑in that even some animals—kittens, chicks, puppies—display similar hesitancy. But hold on, here's the kicker: crawling actually triggers that fear to bloom. Babies who haven't yet learned to crawl often don't mind inching across the edge—but once they can crawl? A mix of experience, awareness, and motor coordination teaches them that gravity can be unforgiving. From there emerges caution—a primal, adaptive filter in the chip of our survival software. The fear of loud noises (the 'startle reflex') Did you ever jump at the sudden clang of a dropped pot or a car backfiring? That's your acoustic startle reflex in action. From day one, our nervous systems are tuned to flinch and duck at sharp, loud sounds. Newborns don't stroll through a carnival and casually shrug at fireworks—they flinch. That sudden jolt? It's our built‑in acoustic startle reflex, triggered by a noise loud enough to hint at danger: a thunderclap, a crash, a gunshot. Neuroscientist Seth Norrholm at Emory University explained to CNN that this startle response is hardwired as a danger signal—an instinctive 'something's wrong here!'—built into our primitive brain circuits, saying, 'If a sound is loud enough, you're going to duck… Loud noises typically mean startling. That circuitry is innate.' Even infants react: a pressure‑cooker whistle can reduce a newborn to tears and frantic alarm, while a blender whirr still makes toddlers flinch. This isn't just cute baby behavior or drama—it's survival code. What about the other fears? (Spiders, snakes, or public speaking?) Well, this is where it gets fun: none of these are inborn. They're learned. It's all nurture after nature's handshake. Take the classic Little Albert experiment: baby Albert was neutral around a white rat—but after pairing the rat with a loud noise, he started fearing it. The rat became a cue for fear. That's classical conditioning in action—wired reflex meets learned association. Spiders and snakes? Infants may show heightened attention to images of snakes or spiders, but they don't exhibit fear—just alertness. The leap to panic requires learning, and babies only have a predisposition to notice them faster—learning later fills in the rest. Darkness? A toddler afraid of the dark? It's likely tangled in imagination and stories—not wiring. Public speaking, social rejection, or the fear of failure? Purely human-made constructs—taught, absorbed, amplified through culture, life experience, and sometimes trauma. The modern aphorism, 'We are born with only two fears…' often pops up in self‑help, lifestyle, and pop smarty circles to empower people: if those big, paralyzing fears aren't innate, you can unlearn them. Nature vs nurture: The endless loop The two built-in fears fit our bodies like mission-critical apps. All others are downloadable: we install them throughout life based on experiences, culture, imagination, parental caution, news media… You name it! In fact, some experts emphasize it's not just that learned fear crops up—it's how easily we learn certain things. Babies are primed to quickly associate certain threats (like heights or loud noises), while other sounds—say, the blender or the pressure cooker—get conditioned slowly. A child might hate the sound of a blender, not because of wiring, but because mom took a decade to cook with it near her ears. As the saying goes, 'the only fear we're born with is the fear of falling. Everything else is learned…' and yes, many therapists encourage remembering that—because if we can learn fear, we can also unlearn it. That realization carries a sense of comfort. If those two fears are innate—and every other one isn't—then we shape our fears. We also reshape them, too. No wonder therapy, exposure techniques, and heartfelt conversations can melt the chill of fear over time. So next time you're jittery before a speech or tense over some unknown, remind yourself that fear wasn't in your genetic blueprint. You downloaded it somewhere—and you can delete it, one step at a time. Did you know Shah Rukh Khan rejected David Dhawan's two films for this reason?
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Brain-dead, pregnant nurse kept on life support gives birth via C-section
A pregnant woman who has been brain-dead since February – and kept alive via life support in order to comply with Georgia's abortion law – gave birth prematurely to a baby boy, ending the months-long medical and ethical ordeal at an Atlanta hospital. Atlanta nurse Adriana Smith, 31, gave birth on June 13, three months premature via C-section, to a baby who weighs 1 pound 13 ounces and is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at Emory University Hospital Midtown, according to local reports. Smith's family members named the baby Chance and hope he'll get a fighting one himself. 'He's expected to be OK,' Smith's mother April Newkirk told local outlet 11 Alive. 'He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He's here now.' Newkirk previously told the press that the boy could be born with a variety of health problems and that the family is hoping his name brings him good fortune, according to reports. As the grandmother prays for her grandbaby's tenuous health, Newkirk's daughter Adriana Smith, who turned 31 over the weekend, will finally be taken off of life support, the outlet reported. 'It's kind of hard, you know. It's hard to process,' she said tearfully. Smith entered herself into Emory University Hospital, where she worked as a nurse, in February, with severe headaches. At the time, she was nine weeks pregnant. She was discharged from the hospital with medication, but soon returned due to the intensity of the headaches. A CAT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain. Her health deteriorated while at the hospital, where, within hours, she was declared brain dead. Smith was then moved to Emory Midtown, where doctors have utilised life-supporting technologies to keep her alive to be in compliance with the state of Georgia's LIFE Act, commonly referred to as the 'heartbeat bill.' That law bans any abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and provides foetuses with full legal rights and protections. Newkirk said that doctors had told the family that Smith was being kept alive to maintain compliance with the law, according to The Guardian. 'We didn't have a choice or a say about it,' she said before Chance's birth. 'We want the baby. That's a part of my daughter. But the decision should have been left to us – not the state.' Many believed that Chance would not survive due to the circumstances of his gestation, which further impelled critics of the pro-life policy. 'The chances of there being a healthy newborn at the end of this is very, very small,' Steve Ralston, director of the maternal foetal medicine division at George Washington University, told The Washington Post. The hospital's decision to keep Smith alive drew heavy criticism from pro-choice advocates who claimed the dizzying ethical conundrum and extreme heartache are a result of bad legislation. 'Because of Georgia's cruel abortion ban, Adriana Smith's family is living through a nightmare,' Reproductive Freedom For All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said in a statement in May. 'Families deserve the freedom to make their own decision about their loved ones, and prolonging their suffering isn't just horrible policy; it's inhumane. Anti-abortion politicians, including Donald Trump and Governor Kemp, need to be held accountable,' the statement concluded. State representatives also weighed in as the controversy reached its peak. 'This is not healthcare. This is sanctioned cruelty,' State Democrat Rep. Kim Schofield said in a statement. The hospital has not publicly commented on the case, citing patient privacy laws. Smith, who also has a seven-year-old son, was due to be taken off life support on Tuesday, 11 Alive reported.
WebMD
3 days ago
- Health
- WebMD
FDA Approves First Twice-Yearly Shot to Prevent HIV
June 19, 2025 – The FDA has approved the first twice-yearly shot to reduce the risk of HIV infections. Originally approved in 2012, the drug – known as lenacapavir but sold under the name Yeztugo – offers a new way to protect against this life-threatening infection that affects more than a million people in the U.S. and has no cure. The shot is given before potential exposure to the virus. HIV spreads through unprotected sex and shared needles (including dirty needles from tattoos and body piercings). It weakens the immune system, and in its advanced stage, the body can no longer fight off infections, leading to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Only about a third of eligible people in the U.S. use available HIV prevention, with especially low use among women, Black/African American and Hispanic communities, and people in the South. This is mainly due to stigma, low awareness about existing options, and challenges with daily pills or frequent shots. Carlos del Rio, MD, a distinguished professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, said that getting a shot just twice a year could make it easier for people to stick with prevention. "Yeztugo could be the transformative PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] option we've been waiting for – offering the potential to boost PrEP uptake and persistence and adding a powerful new tool in our mission to end the HIV epidemic," said del Rio, who is also co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research in Atlanta. Gilead, the drug's maker, said the FDA approved Yeztugo based on two major studies, which showed that it worked better than taking a daily pill form of PrEP in preventing HIV with a nearly 100% success rate. In one trial, none of the 2,134 women who received Yeztugo got HIV, while in the other, only two out of 2,179 people did. It was well tolerated with no new safety concerns, which led the academic journal Science to name lenacapavir as its 2024 "Breakthrough of the Year." Yeztugo attacks a protective shell that HIV needs to stay alive, which helps stop the virus from growing and spreading. Most HIV drugs only work at one part of the virus's life cycle, but Yeztugo works at several points. It also still works even if other HIV drugs have stopped working. It is given as a shot under the skin and is only for people who test negative for HIV. Before starting Yeztugo and before each shot, your provider will test for HIV to prevent the virus from developing resistance to the medication. The treatment begins with two shots and two tablets, followed by two more tablets the next day – then continues with one shot every six months. If a shot is delayed by over two weeks, a weekly pill can be used for up to six months. If over 28 weeks pass with no treatment, patients may need to restart. If a patient gets HIV while on Yeztugo, they'll need full HIV treatment, as Yeztugo alone isn't enough. Yeztugo helps lower the risk of HIV when taken as prescribed, along with safe sex practices like using condoms.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tyler Perry sued for sexually harassing 'The Oval' actor over 4 years
Tyler Perry sued for sexually harassing 'The Oval' actor over 4 years Show Caption Hide Caption Love Tyler Perry? Emory University has a course on his life, career Dr. Tameka Cage Conley has created a course in Emory University's Oxford College on the life of filmmaker, actor and philanthropist Tyler Perry. Ariana Triggs, USA TODAY Tyler Perry has been sued by an actor alleging Perry threatened the man's series regular role on TV and for several years used his "professional power for sexual leverage." Derek Dixon on June 13 filed a lawsuit against Perry – an actor, writer and director known for films from the wide-ranging "Madea" franchise as well as the new Netflix thriller "Straw" – alleging quid pro quo sexual harassment, work environment harassment, sexual assault and battery, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the complaint, obtained by USA TODAY June 17, Dixon is seeking $260 million due to allegedly being targeted by Perry, who he said sought "a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr. Dixon." Perry initially approached Dixon with career opportunities and cast him in the BET+ show "Ruthless," the lawsuit says. Dixon eventually ended up on the BET show "The Oval," which is Dixon's biggest onscreen credit; he appeared in 85 episodes from 2021 to 2025, per IMDB. Perry then subjected Dixon "to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation when Mr. Dixon did not reciprocate Mr. Perry's unwanted advances," Dixon claims. This led to Dixon allegedly quitting in Season 6. TMZ was first to report the news. Tyler Perry's lawyer accuses Derek Dixon of 'setting up a scam' Perry's lawyer denied the allegations in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam," said attorney Matthew Boyd. "But Tyler will not be shaken down and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." Accuser: Tyler Perry 'provided vulnerable men with acting positions', expected 'gratification' Dixon says he first met Perry while working at Perry's studio opening party in September 2019 and was offered a chance to audition for one of Perry's TV projects. Months later, in January 2020, Perry allegedly made his first physical advances on Dixon. Describing Perry as "a powerful media mogul," Dixon leveled claims of an alleged "sustained pattern of workplace sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation." Throughout his lawsuit, Dixon leveled claims of "sexual aggression," including over text, and provided screenshots. "Using his influence, Mr. Perry provided vulnerable men with acting positions, roles, show contracts, cars, and money. Once the object of his desire was hooked, Tyler Perry would then put them in fear of losing it all unless they engaged in Mr. Perry's perverted desire for sexual gratification," Dixon's lawsuit reads. "Mr. Perry would easily ''ill off' a character in a show of an actor who failed to indulge Perry's sexual fantasies," the suit continues. In turn, "Fearing that his career would end before it began, Dixon put up with these comments and continued to maintain that he was not the sexual type," the actor alleges. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Baby delivered from brain-dead woman on life support in Georgia
ATLANTA (AP) — The baby of a woman in Georgia who was declared brain dead and has been on life support since February was delivered early Friday morning, her mother said. April Newkirk told WXIA-TV that 31-year-old Adriana Smith's baby was born prematurely by an emergency cesarean section early Friday, the Atlanta station reported Monday night. She was about six months into her pregnancy. The baby, named Chance, weighs about 1 pound and 13 ounces and is in the neonatal intensive care unit. 'He's expected to be okay,' Newkirk told the TV station. 'He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him.' Newkirk said her daughter had intense headaches more than four months ago and went to Atlanta's Northside Hospital, where she received medication and was released. The next morning, her boyfriend woke to her gasping for air and called 911. Emory University Hospital determined she had blood clots in her brain and she was declared brain-dead. She was eight weeks pregnant, according to WXIA. Newkirk said Smith would be taken off of life support Tuesday. The Associated Press reached called and emailed Emory Tuesday for comment. It is unclear why Emory decided to deliver the baby. The Associated Press has also tried to contact Newkirk. Smith's family said Emory doctors told them they were not allowed to remove the devices keeping her breathing because state law bans abortion after cardiac activity can be detected — generally around six weeks into pregnancy. Georgia Republican Attorney General Chris Carr later issued a statement saying the law did not require medical professionals to keep a woman declared brain dead on life support. 'Removing life support is not an action 'with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy,'' Carr said. Newkirk said Smith loved being a nurse at Emory. She also has a 7-year-old son. Her family celebrated her 31st birthday Sunday with several advocacy groups. Newkirk did not speak at the event. 'I'm her mother,' Newkirk told WXIA. 'I shouldn't be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me.'
