Smoking pot through a bong doesn’t protect the nonsmokers in the room from the dangers of secondhand smoke, a new study warns. Bongs have been touted as a safe way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand marijuana smoke. But it can expose them to extremely high concentrations of fine particulate matter — five to 10 times…  read on >  read on >

An experimental drug shows promise in reducing tics in young people with Tourette syndrome. Ecopipam, which failed as a weight loss medication, may reduce tics by 30% in kids and teens with Tourette without the unpleasant side effects of current treatments, researchers say. “This drug significantly reduced tics, compared to placebo, and did not have…  read on >  read on >

A noninvasive ultrasound technique is capable of quickly pulverizing kidney stones, an early study shows — in what researchers call a first step toward a simpler, anesthesia-free treatment for the painful problem. The study reports on the first 19 patients who’ve had kidney stones treated with the ultrasound “bursts.” So far, it’s been able to…  read on >  read on >

Taking a stroll through a city park can give your mood a significant boost, but parks in some cities provide a bigger benefit than those in others, researchers say. In a new study, investigators measured the happiness effect of city parks in the 25 most populous U.S. cities and found that it was roughly equal…  read on >  read on >

The “love hormone” oxytocin may be able to turn highly territorial lions into social sweethearts, researchers say. Lions typically guard their turf fiercely, which can be a problem when they’re on reserves or in captivity and have less space to share than they do in the wild. The authors of a study published online March…  read on >  read on >

Many parents of preschoolers insist that naps are essential to recharge their little ones during the day and improve their mood. Turns out that daytime shut-eye may also boost early literacy skills. New research by scholars in Australia and England suggests that naps help preschoolers map letters to sounds, a key to reading success later…  read on >  read on >