Inhaling “Laughing Gas” Could Treat Severe Depression, Live Seven-Arm Octopus Spotted In The Deep Sea, And Much More This Week

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Nitrous Oxide: Inhaling “Laughing Gas” Could Be Surprisingly Effective For Treating Severe Depression

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), also known as laughing gas, could be a game-changing treatment option for severe depression, according to a new meta-analysis. The study incorporated seven clinical trials and four protocol papers from teams across the globe, and found good reason to think that inhaling the gas at clinical concentrations could help where other treatments have had no effect. Read the full story here

World’s Largest Dinosaur Tracksite Has At Least 16,600 Footprints And Sets Many World Records

A record-breaking site in Bolivia preserves foot, tail, and clawprints left behind by hundreds, or even thousands, of dinosaurs in mud at the edge of what was then a lake. Finding all the prints, let alone establishing which came from the same individuals, will be an immense task, but already 16,600 prints have been found, the largest number ever recorded at one site. This set of tracks also sets the record for the most trackways, tailprints, and continuous swimways. Read the full story here

A Wobbling Brown Dwarf Might Be A Sign Of The First Discovered "Exomoon" – A Moon Outside The Solar System

A pattern in the movements of a brown dwarf that orbits a Sun-like star is likely to be caused by a moon. If confirmed, this would be the first known exomoon, that is a moon orbiting a planet that in turn orbits a star other than the Sun. However, if the data is to be believed, what we are seeing is on a very different scale to the moons close to home. Read the full story here

Live Seven-Arm Octopus Spotted In The Deep Sea – Only The Fourth Time It’s Been Seen In 40 Years

It’s no secret the deep sea is home to some strange-looking animals, so might we introduce you to yet another weirdo: the seven-arm octopus, AKA “the blob octopus”. This ocean giant can weigh up to 75 kilograms (165 pounds), but despite its huge size, it's rarely been seen alive. Read the full story here

How Does Time Pass On Mars? For The First Time, We Have A Precise Answer

Time is relative. If you don’t believe me, get into a plank for one minute. How was that? Longest minute of your life? And that’s just psychological time. Physical time, too, is relative, and it's fairly easy for two clocks to become out of sync. Differences in speed or gravity do the trick, so a clock on Earth and a clock on Mars would not keep the same beat. Now, we know what the difference is – and it does not stay constant. Read the full story here

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Feature of the week:

What Is Christougenniatikophobia, And What Do I Do About It?

While many of us are decking the halls with boughs of holly, pity the poor Christougenniatikophobiacs out there this season – and not just because it takes them so darn long to pronounce what’s wrong with them. Why? Because this condition describes a terrible fear of nothing less than… Christmas itself. And yes, that means that once a year, just as everybody around them reaches the apex of “excited and merry”, these guys are stressing out more than any other time. It must be incredibly isolating… if it’s real. But is it? And if so, what can you do about it? Read the full story here