halloween

Why Do We Love Being Scared? The Science Behind Horror Movies

Posted on by Anna Bennett
Haunted mansion with pointed towers in a foggy, moonlit forest, creating a spooky, eerie atmosphere.

There’s something oddly captivating about watching a film that makes you jump, scream, or better yet—a film that sticks with you long after watching. Millions of people embrace the fear, willingly diving into the dark world of horror movies. But why? What is the appeal of subjecting ourselves to terror? The reasons we watch and enjoy scary movies go far beyond the jump scares—they’re deeply psychological.

For those who find themselves covering their eyes or clutching the nearest pillow, it might be hard to understand. Yet, as the hair-raising month of October ends, many people spent the 31 days leading up to Halloween watching films designed to scare the daylights out of them. In this blog, we explore why people enjoy fear (or why they don’t) and what psychology reveals about the movies that truly terrify us.

Continue reading “Why Do We Love Being Scared? The Science Behind Horror Movies”

Don’t Dump your Pumpkin! Post-Halloween Uses

Posted on by Riley Bell

Pumpkins have historically been a sure sign of the Halloween season in the United States. Although they are most used for Halloween, there are many ways to use pumpkins after those spooky October days.

Every year in America, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin gets tossed in the trash and wasted. Instead of leaving them to rot in the landfill, try one of these ways to get more use out of your pumpkin after this year’s Halloween!

Hopefully, after reading this list, you are able to revel in the fact that a pumpkin is not just for Halloween. Not only can this help you save money, save time, and cook delicious dishes, but it also takes a much more eco-friendly approach instead of wasting food or creating garbage.

Continue reading “Don’t Dump your Pumpkin! Post-Halloween Uses”

Halloween Costumes: Retro Science Style

Posted on by Promega

“Back when I was in the lab…”: it seems like every former scientist has a story. Kind of like Thanksgiving Dinner among your elderly relatives, scientists are quick to one-up each other with horror stories from our days at the bench—stories that included escape artist rats, a leaky sequencing gel apparatus, and the iconic radioactively contaminated post doc.

We turned to our favorite science cartoonist, Ed Himelblau, to ask for some retro Halloween costumes based on stories of things that used to be common in the lab that don’t seem like such a great idea now. Enjoy…and if you have a few retro horror science costume ideas of your own, please share them.

Continue reading “Halloween Costumes: Retro Science Style”

Top 10 Things to Do When You (or Your Kids) Have Too Much Halloween Candy

Posted on by Promega

Halloween party with children wearing fancy costumes

 

10. Set a daily limit. (An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) Allow X number of pieces of candy per day, then put the bag away, under lock and key.

9. Parental help (good for the child, not so good for the parent). In my childhood, though it was not apparent at the time, Dad was helping by eating some of the candy. Many Promega parents engage in this practice with their children now.

8. Burn more energy. Go for a run or walk or outside to play. For every X pieces of candy, a walk or bike ride around the block. Continue reading “Top 10 Things to Do When You (or Your Kids) Have Too Much Halloween Candy”

Top Ten Uses for Pumpkin

Posted on by Promega

In honor of Halloween, here is a Top Ten Uses of Pumpkin list for your enjoyment:

10. Means of transportation on the high seas or emergency flotation device (pumpkin boats; see the video).

9. Elementary Math Lessons. Determine circumference and radius. How much does a pumpkin weigh? Estimate the number of seeds. Check out pumpkin math ideas here.

8. Cholesterol-lowering snack. After ruthlessly scooping out the innards of a pumpkin, clean the seeds, bake them in the oven and enjoy your healthy snack. Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols, compounds that that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, as well as magnesium, a mineral needed in the diet.

7. Physics Laboratory. Pumpkin Chuckin’ Contest (video).

Continue reading “Top Ten Uses for Pumpkin”