April 25, 2024: Most people's personalities are a mix of introverted and extroverted traits, major advances in prostate cancer treatment, and California has record-breaking renewable energy production. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Some people claim that they are "introverts" who prefer their own company, or that they are "extroverts" who consider themselves outgoing and people-oriented. But the vast majority of people are probably "ambiverts," a personality type in the middle of the continuum between extroversion and introversion, experts say. People with extreme extroversion or introversion are the exception. Ambiversion combines traits from both extrovert and introvert depending on circumstances.
Why this matters: People may reduce themselves and others to an extreme end of the introvert-extrovert spectrum if they don't understand the gradations that can exist. And personality traits are certainly not set in stone–a 2000 review of more than 100 studies found that personalities change over time, though personality traits do become more stable with age but only reach the highest level of consistency after age 50.
What the experts say: To achieve happiness, one's best bet is to accentuate the positives of their personality. "If you want to be happy, you should first and foremost accept yourself, as research has shown us," says psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman. | | | Over the past decade, oncologists have devised powerful new techniques and methods for treating prostate cancer, which is transforming clinical practice, writes Marc B. Garnick, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, in the May issue of Scientific American. Such new treatments include the use of MRI in lieu of uncomfortable biopsies and so-called metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) that targets cancer-containing lymph nodes or bony areas with radiation. When combined with strategic use of hormone therapy, an MDT regimen can prolong remission time. And the newest standards for treatment prescribe combinations of two or even three drugs to address more advanced cases.
Why this matters: Prostate cancers are the most common cancers among men in the U.S. Nearly 270,000 people in America will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and it is the fourth most common cancer worldwide.
What the experts say: "All these advances have occurred over the past decade—an incredibly short interval in the context of cancer oncology," writes Garnick. "These new strategies have begun to transform this once rapidly fatal disease into a chronic condition that people can live with for years or even for their full life expectancy." | | | • A woman with life-threatening heart and kidney disease has become the first person to receive both a pig kidney transplant and a heart pump. | 5 min read | | | • Cicadas are starting to emerge! Expect a double brood this year. | 4 min read | | | • How you can cut down on PFAs (forever chemicals) in your water at home, according to an environmental engineer. | 4 min read | | | • A new interactive heat map shows where in the lower 48 states temperatures are high enough to harm health. | 2 min read | | | Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) in midair. Auscape International Pty Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo | | | • California—the fifth-largest economy in the world—has experienced a record-breaking string of days in which the combined generation of wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and solar electricity has exceeded demand on the main electricity grid for anywhere from 15 minutes to 9.25 hours per day. This remarkable achievement is just the start and demonstrates what is possible globally, writes Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. "Our energy plans for the world indicate the potential to convert all countries to [wind-water-solar power] at low cost. California's success and all of these plans indicate that fossil fuels, with or without carbon capture, bioenergy and nuclear power are not needed to power future grids." | 4 min read | | | On January 1, 2020, a mandate in California required that nearly all new low-rise residential construction projects have solar panels. And several other states like Colorado, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are considering similar mandates (though, in my opinion, the really sunny states like Arizona and New Mexico should jump on this!). You may have noticed that solar panels have become a common sight in many areas of the U.S. Click here to read about federal tax rebates for installing solar panels on your home. | Thank you for being part of our circle of science-curious readers! Email me anytime: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow! | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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