Science news: Unemotional #Botox? Internet addiction?

It's becoming recognized that Botox's facial wrinkle elimination also cuts down on users' facial expressions. Does that, in turn, cut down on users' abilities to empathize with others' emotions and expressions?

Initial research says yes.

The "gorilla unawareness" problem with focused human psychology is well known. But, can we also miss real-life situations, not just staged ones?

Again, initial research says yes.

It turns out people focused on some compelling issue can miss something as serious as an assault on a city street.

Psychologist Ira Hyman of Western Washington University in Bellingham says the new findings illustrate people’s tendency to overestimate their awareness of immediate surroundings. “We don’t yet know how strong this illusion is,” Hyman says.

Stay tuned on this one.

Meanwhile, speaking of psychology, traditional ideas of free will may be taking yet another hit.

Did "the bacteria made me do it" sound real? Maybe it should. After all, it's well known what the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis can do to cats.

Internet "addiction," or actual addiction? Now, while "process" addictions are different from chemical ones, and some people prefer the term "compulsion," they're still real. And, the fact that the Net, with heavy enough usage, can "rewire" at least younger brains, says there is cause for ... at least some concern, right?