hunger

Washington State University researchers have discovered that cannabis stimulates appetite by activating specific hypothalamic cells in mice. This breakthrough, using calcium imaging technology, offers potential for new treatments for appetite disorders. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew research reveals that cannabis activates certain brain cells to stimulate appetite, paving the way for potential treatments for appetite-related disorders.While it is well known that cannabis can cause the munchies, researchers have now revealed…

The cost of making further progress in artificial intelligence is becoming as startling as a hallucination by ChatGPT. Demand for the graphics chips known as GPUs needed for large-scale AI training has driven prices of the crucial components through the roof. OpenAI has said that training the algorithm that now powers ChatGPT cost the firm over $100 million. The race to compete in AI also means that data centers are now consuming worrying amounts of energy.The AI gold rush has a few startups hatching bold plans to create…

Josh Hutcherson appeared to be enthusiastic about reprising his Hunger Games role as he appeared on Thursday’s (11 January) Good Morning America.The actor, 31, addressed the possibility of appearing as Peeta Mellark again alongside fellow stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth.Speaking about whether the new and old Hunger Games casts could ever merge on a new project, Hutcherson said: “Send a script in! I would love to.“Me, Jen and Liam... We all maintained friendships over the years. Shooting those movies together…

Every few years a YA franchise arrives that becomes a sensation. The Hunger Games was definitely in that category, with Jennifer Lawrence's film franchise wildly popular during its run in theaters. Panem recently retuned to big screens with the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which did well at the box office and reignited the public's interest in the property. As such, fans are wondering if the Hunger Games cast might be interested in reprising their roles for a new sequel. And Peeta actor Josh Hutcherson…

Josh Hutcherson knows a thing or two about heading up movies that turn into box office smashes, having co-starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the initial four Hunger Games films. He returned to that coveted spotlight with a few furry “friends” in tow thanks to Five Nights at Freddy’s, which wound up being the year’s most successful genre movie (if not the best horror of 2023). And it turns out the Katniss actress herself reached out to celebrate their respective successes.While Hutcherson was still gearing up for his…

Among the many success stories on the 2023 movie schedule to look back on, the return to The Hunger Games with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a major one. The prequel was a triumph, even beating out a Marvel title at the box office around Thanksgiving. What could come next after the one-off storyline centered around President Snow in his teen years? We have a couple of ideas for more prequels. First, Francis Lawrence, who helmed most of the Hunger Games movies, including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, spoke…

When you’re starving, hunger is like a demon. It awakens the most ancient and primitive parts of the brain, then commandeers other neural machinery to do its bidding until it gets what it wants.  Although scientists have had some success in stimulating hunger in mice, we still don’t really understand how the impulse to eat works. Now, some experts are following known parts of the neural hunger circuits into uncharted parts of the brain to try and find out. Their work could shed new light on the factors that have…

“Sure, we managed to have the brain say ‘Go eat,’” he says. “But that’s not really an explanation. How does that actually work?”  To answer that question, Lowell has teamed up with Mark Andermann, a neuroscientist who studies how motivation shapes perception (and who also happens to occupy the office next to his at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center). Together they are following known parts of the neural hunger circuits into uncharted parts of the brain, in some cases activating one neuron at a time to…

The holiday season is upon us, and with it, opportunities to indulge in festive treats. The proverbial saying “you eat with your eyes first” seems particularly relevant at this time of year. The science behind eating behavior, however, reveals that the process of deciding what, when and how much to eat is far more complex than just consuming calories when your body needs fuel. Hunger cues are only part of why people choose to eat. As a scientist interested in the psychology and biology that drives eating behavior,…

Reading The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes made me realize how much I missed this world. I also developed even more of an appreciation for the richness of The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins created a universe where so many Hunger Games characters could make riveting protagonists, especially some of the corrupt characters. I never thought I would enjoy a book about Coriolanus Snow. He is a character that we all hate. Yet,  The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showcases the complexity of…