It’s not just about the weight, it’s about being healthy. Excess fat in teenagers (even in teenagers who aren’t overweight) can lead to less elastic blood vessels, thereby increasing their risk for heart disease later in life. That’s why even young people need to eat healthy and exercise.
crapbag
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a safe level of smoking. Smoking just 1 to 4 cigarettes a day can dramatically increase a person’s risk of getting heart disease and lung cancer by as much as three to five times.
Completely quitting smoking is worth it, epsecially given that “smokers die on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers but stopping, even in middle age, can halve the risk”.
Completely quitting smoking is worth it, epsecially given that “smokers die on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers but stopping, even in middle age, can halve the risk”.
Researchers have found a link between being a lefty and being at risk for breast cancer. They still don’t know why the link exists, but they think that it might have something to do with the sex hormones people are exposed to in the womb that induce left-handedness and also affect breast tissue.
Here’s a novel idea for health care billing: All-you-can-visit clinics. Just pay your doctor $500 a year for unlimited visits.
This article discusses some of the problems menopausal women experience, and the particular difficulties female executives face.
The article also mentions something interesting: "Fatter women are more likely to have hot flashes than thinner women".
The article also mentions something interesting: "Fatter women are more likely to have hot flashes than thinner women".
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Talk about unintended consequences. Who would have thought that having all these hit TV shows about forensics on the air would have such damaging consequences?
Apparently, shows like CSI are not only leading more people to enter the field of forensics; they are also teaching criminals how to better evade the law.
Criminals have become more careful about not leaving fingerprints and DNA evidence, and some have even gone as far as planting misleading clues to throw off forensic experts.
Even worse, the razzle-dazzle pseudoscience on these TV shows has started affecting the legal system. Juries now go in with unrealistic expectations, making them harder to convince with actual forensic evidence.
Maybe TV shows should put a disclaimer before each episode to remind people that these shows are works of fiction, and that the science (or technology, or law, or medicine) that's depicted on TV shows is not really real.
Some people, inspired by shows like CSI, are now going into forensics thinking that they will get to do exciting things like interview suspects, when in reality, forensic investigators never actually get to do anything like that.
The lesson for us all is: Don't trust what you see on TV. And the lesson for criminals is: Watch a lot of TV, because you might actually learn something.
Apparently, shows like CSI are not only leading more people to enter the field of forensics; they are also teaching criminals how to better evade the law.
Criminals have become more careful about not leaving fingerprints and DNA evidence, and some have even gone as far as planting misleading clues to throw off forensic experts.
Even worse, the razzle-dazzle pseudoscience on these TV shows has started affecting the legal system. Juries now go in with unrealistic expectations, making them harder to convince with actual forensic evidence.
Maybe TV shows should put a disclaimer before each episode to remind people that these shows are works of fiction, and that the science (or technology, or law, or medicine) that's depicted on TV shows is not really real.
Some people, inspired by shows like CSI, are now going into forensics thinking that they will get to do exciting things like interview suspects, when in reality, forensic investigators never actually get to do anything like that.
The lesson for us all is: Don't trust what you see on TV. And the lesson for criminals is: Watch a lot of TV, because you might actually learn something.
The Chinese are really serious about preparing for the Olympics in 2008. They've instituted new a rule in Beijing: From now on, public toilets will only be allowed to have two flies each.
Don't underestimate the power of the Chinese government. After all, if they were able to limit children to one per family, why wouldn't they be able to limit the number of flies per toilet?
post edited September 23, 2005 at 12:40 AM
Don't underestimate the power of the Chinese government. After all, if they were able to limit children to one per family, why wouldn't they be able to limit the number of flies per toilet?
post edited September 23, 2005 at 12:40 AM
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A word of advice to women thinking of entering a beauty pageant:
Don't do it just because other people think it's a good idea. You might actually win.
Don't do it just because other people think it's a good idea. You might actually win.
In August 2001, FEMA predicted that the three catastrophes most likely to hit the US were a terrorist attack on NYC, a hurricane in New Orleans, and an earthquake along the San Andreas fault. The first two have come to pass. We need to ready ourselves for the third.
California has been working on preparing for a major earthquake, but more needs to be done. This other article discusses this, and advises California residents to prepare survival kits that include 7 days worth of food and water. Read the article for details on what to include in your survival kit.
Researchers at the Southern California Earthquake Center said there is an 80% to 90% chance that a temblor of 7.0 or greater magnitude will strike Southern California before 2024.
California has been working on preparing for a major earthquake, but more needs to be done. This other article discusses this, and advises California residents to prepare survival kits that include 7 days worth of food and water. Read the article for details on what to include in your survival kit.
Slate tries to determine the safest place to live in the US.
One thing you can be sure of, it's not Texas or California. Texas, which is "frequently hammered by tornadoes, thunderstorms, and floods", has the most declared disasters among US states, followed by California, which is "susceptible to earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, torrential rains, rip currents, and even volcanoes".
One thing you can be sure of, it's not Texas or California. Texas, which is "frequently hammered by tornadoes, thunderstorms, and floods", has the most declared disasters among US states, followed by California, which is "susceptible to earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, torrential rains, rip currents, and even volcanoes".
For some time now, the Miss America Pageant has been looking for a new home after ABC dropped it. It has finally found one on Country Music Television.
This article mentions some famous people (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer) who were once beauty pageant winners.
This article mentions some famous people (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer) who were once beauty pageant winners.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
New laws will ban soft drinks from California high schools and require healthier food to be sold in schools.
Marvel won't just be licensing out its characters anymore, it has decided to produce its own movies.
Fertility problems are often thought of as a woman's problem. But more than a third of infertility problems can be attributed to men. According to this study, 9% of British men suffer from poor fertility, and this problem seems to be becoming more prevalent with time.
The most likely culprit is smoking, followed by drinking, and stress. Other possible causes of infertility are excess weight, pesticides, pollutants, and female hormones in the water supply from the urine of women who take hormone pills.
Smoking is not just bad for your fertility, it may also have an effect on the gender of your offspring. This study from 2002 found that cigarette smoking makes it less likely that your child will be a boy. Normally, more boys are born than girls (although this usually evens out later in life because of the higher mortality among males). This study found that:
This means that smoking makes it more likely that you will have a girl. Researchers suspect that the y chromosome, which determines maleness, may be more sensitive to damage caused by smoking.
So couples who want to have a boy should make it a point to quit smoking today. But this doesn't mean that someone who wants to have a girl should take up smoking. Smoking has many negative effects on the fertility of men and women and on their offspring, and should be avoided by anyone wanting to conceive healthy children.
Scientists also suspect that certain industrial pollutants might make it more likely for those exposed to have male children. No matter how desperately someone may want a boy, exposing oneself to harmful pollutants is a bad idea. Utimately, everyone's first priority should be to have a healthy baby, regardless of gender.
Besides, there are other ways to select the sex of your baby. They just happen to be very expensive.
But considering what some people will do just to have a boy, maybe it is better for them to just bathe in pollutants. Sure beats female infanticide.
The most likely culprit is smoking, followed by drinking, and stress. Other possible causes of infertility are excess weight, pesticides, pollutants, and female hormones in the water supply from the urine of women who take hormone pills.
Smoking is not just bad for your fertility, it may also have an effect on the gender of your offspring. This study from 2002 found that cigarette smoking makes it less likely that your child will be a boy. Normally, more boys are born than girls (although this usually evens out later in life because of the higher mortality among males). This study found that:
the sex ratio was 1.21 boys to every girl in the group in which neither parent smoked... However, it fell to 0.82 boys to every girl in the group where both mother and father smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day. The ratio of male births was also reduced to 0.98 boys to every girl among couples where the mother was a non-smoker, but the father smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day.
This means that smoking makes it more likely that you will have a girl. Researchers suspect that the y chromosome, which determines maleness, may be more sensitive to damage caused by smoking.
So couples who want to have a boy should make it a point to quit smoking today. But this doesn't mean that someone who wants to have a girl should take up smoking. Smoking has many negative effects on the fertility of men and women and on their offspring, and should be avoided by anyone wanting to conceive healthy children.
Scientists also suspect that certain industrial pollutants might make it more likely for those exposed to have male children. No matter how desperately someone may want a boy, exposing oneself to harmful pollutants is a bad idea. Utimately, everyone's first priority should be to have a healthy baby, regardless of gender.
Besides, there are other ways to select the sex of your baby. They just happen to be very expensive.
But considering what some people will do just to have a boy, maybe it is better for them to just bathe in pollutants. Sure beats female infanticide.
Face transplants are on the horizon. A doctor and clinic are ready to do it. Now all they need is a patient willing to undergo the transplant.
Designed to help people with disfigured faces, face transplants use the skin from a deceased donor's face to reconstruct a person's face, making it possible for the person to avoid the long process of having to undergo multiple surgeries using skin grafted from his own body.
The face transplant is still a controversial idea. Read this article to learn why.
Designed to help people with disfigured faces, face transplants use the skin from a deceased donor's face to reconstruct a person's face, making it possible for the person to avoid the long process of having to undergo multiple surgeries using skin grafted from his own body.
The face transplant is still a controversial idea. Read this article to learn why.
Sitting down together for a family meal at least 5 times a week is a good idea, according to this article. It gives family members a chance to talk to each other and connect, and may also help kids avoid weight problems.
Friday, September 16, 2005
From earsplitting movies, concerts and clubs to leaf-blowers, motorcycles and jack hammers, we are bombarded daily with noise pollution that can cause hearing loss. You can add your headphones and ear buds to that list.
Many people listen to music using headphones and ear buds, to drown out the noise, without realizing that the volume levels they are exposing their ears to are also damaging their hearing. Also, listening on these devices for long periods can be bad for you. So trying to listen continuously to all 1000 songs on your iPod is not a good idea. More young people nowadays exhibit hearing damage that used to be seen only among older people.
About the best advice for anyone is to use ear plugs. Bring them with you everywhere, so you’ll always be prepared. When the sound gets too loud at a movie or concert, use your ear plugs to protect your ears; and if there are environmental noises that you want to drown out (including your roommate’s snoring), put your ear plugs on.
If you do use headphones or ear buds, use them judiciously, at moderate volume levels, and rest your ears whenever possible.
Many people listen to music using headphones and ear buds, to drown out the noise, without realizing that the volume levels they are exposing their ears to are also damaging their hearing. Also, listening on these devices for long periods can be bad for you. So trying to listen continuously to all 1000 songs on your iPod is not a good idea. More young people nowadays exhibit hearing damage that used to be seen only among older people.
About the best advice for anyone is to use ear plugs. Bring them with you everywhere, so you’ll always be prepared. When the sound gets too loud at a movie or concert, use your ear plugs to protect your ears; and if there are environmental noises that you want to drown out (including your roommate’s snoring), put your ear plugs on.
If you do use headphones or ear buds, use them judiciously, at moderate volume levels, and rest your ears whenever possible.
Just like humans, female fiddler crabs check out the size of a potential mate’s pad before deciding if he’s marriage material.
And just like people, female bats often find their moms’ new boyfriends irresistible. Even though it’s open season on step dads, these bats won’t engage in incest. Like most girls, they just find Dad gross.
And just like people, female bats often find their moms’ new boyfriends irresistible. Even though it’s open season on step dads, these bats won’t engage in incest. Like most girls, they just find Dad gross.
What you think really does matter. Our perception of pain varies according to our expectations.
In another study, researchers found that placebos trigger actual changes in brain chemistry, increasing endorphin levels in strategic areas of the brain.
In another study, researchers found that placebos trigger actual changes in brain chemistry, increasing endorphin levels in strategic areas of the brain.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
This is straight out of a science-fiction movie, only it’s happening right in our backyards.
Some parasitic worms have been found to grow inside the bodies of grasshoppers, slowly consuming the insides of their hosts and turning the grasshoppers into zombies. When the worms decide that they are done with the grasshoppers’ bodies, they orchestrate a return to their natural habitat, the water. The worms take control of the grasshoppers’ brains, causing the zombie grasshoppers to be overcome with a desire to “swim” to their deaths in water, even though grasshoppers are incapable of swimming.
Some parasitic worms have been found to grow inside the bodies of grasshoppers, slowly consuming the insides of their hosts and turning the grasshoppers into zombies. When the worms decide that they are done with the grasshoppers’ bodies, they orchestrate a return to their natural habitat, the water. The worms take control of the grasshoppers’ brains, causing the zombie grasshoppers to be overcome with a desire to “swim” to their deaths in water, even though grasshoppers are incapable of swimming.
This is a disturbing article about infant rape in Africa. The practice may be growing due to a myth that having sex with a virgin child will cure one of HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases. If you cannot stomach reading a description of this practice, do not read this article.
Who would have thought that Bruce Lee would become a symbol of peace for an ethnically divided city?
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
When civil servants are made to work for political appointees who place politics above the missions of their agencies, these career professionals are bound to leave in frustration. This is what has been happening in the US.
I don't know how the government can recover from this exodus of talent. Once these people find other jobs, how likely are they to return to government service?
I don't know how the government can recover from this exodus of talent. Once these people find other jobs, how likely are they to return to government service?
History has repeated itself, it seems. This article draws parallels between the lack of preparedness and mishandling of the response to the 1995 Chicago heat wave and the recent disaster in New Orleans.
You may wonder why so many people seem to die from disasters in a country as affluent as the United States. Another article discusses why this happens.
Americans are increasingly building in dangerous areas, and engaging in practices that make those areas even more unsafe. Americans are also not properly prepared for disasters.
Some other countries, despite having limited resources, are able to make sure that their people are aware, prepared, and properly educated and trained about what to do in a disaster. Americans need to start working on this, so that they can be better-prepared the next time disaster strikes.
Americans also need to devote more attention and resources to disaster prevention, making sure to take environmental risks into account when planning private and commercial development of land.
You may wonder why so many people seem to die from disasters in a country as affluent as the United States. Another article discusses why this happens.
Americans are increasingly building in dangerous areas, and engaging in practices that make those areas even more unsafe. Americans are also not properly prepared for disasters.
Some other countries, despite having limited resources, are able to make sure that their people are aware, prepared, and properly educated and trained about what to do in a disaster. Americans need to start working on this, so that they can be better-prepared the next time disaster strikes.
Americans also need to devote more attention and resources to disaster prevention, making sure to take environmental risks into account when planning private and commercial development of land.
It’s happened. There are people today willing and eager to sell advertising space on their bodies.
Is this the future of advertising? I hope not. But I think we’re headed there.
There’s advertising everywhere nowadays. I’ve recently heard of the existence of so-called “underground advertising” (from The Corporation [IMDb page], a documentary film about the “psycophatic” nature of corporations that is well worth watching). In this insidious new twist, advertisers are hiring people to have conversations on the street within the earshot of others, about how good certain products are, hoping that people will overhear these staged conversations and buy their products. Some people are even being paid to recommend particular brands to their friends.
When even our friends are giving us sales pitches instead of their honest opinions, then we have to ask ourselves what our world has come to.
This is not just sad; it’s dangerous. We’re willingly selling our souls—not to the devil, but to corporations—and this something that has become completely acceptable in our world today. Corporations are increasingly running our lives, and they are gaining more and more power in the world. This is a new age, where money is king, and corporations reign. We need to become more aware of what we’re ceding to our new corporate overlords.
This message was not brought to you by Cingular Wireless, AOL-Time Warner, Microsoft, Citigroup, McDonald’s, or the Disney Corporation.
Is this the future of advertising? I hope not. But I think we’re headed there.
There’s advertising everywhere nowadays. I’ve recently heard of the existence of so-called “underground advertising” (from The Corporation [IMDb page], a documentary film about the “psycophatic” nature of corporations that is well worth watching). In this insidious new twist, advertisers are hiring people to have conversations on the street within the earshot of others, about how good certain products are, hoping that people will overhear these staged conversations and buy their products. Some people are even being paid to recommend particular brands to their friends.
When even our friends are giving us sales pitches instead of their honest opinions, then we have to ask ourselves what our world has come to.
This is not just sad; it’s dangerous. We’re willingly selling our souls—not to the devil, but to corporations—and this something that has become completely acceptable in our world today. Corporations are increasingly running our lives, and they are gaining more and more power in the world. This is a new age, where money is king, and corporations reign. We need to become more aware of what we’re ceding to our new corporate overlords.
This message was not brought to you by Cingular Wireless, AOL-Time Warner, Microsoft, Citigroup, McDonald’s, or the Disney Corporation.
This may be why there's so much sex and violence on TV. They know you can't keep your eyes off these kinds of images. This may also be one reason we don't associate TV watching with thinking clearly, or even thinking at all.
Actually, it has been argued that watching TV makes you smarter, and playing video games can make you more skilled at things like surgery! So who knows?
Actually, it has been argued that watching TV makes you smarter, and playing video games can make you more skilled at things like surgery! So who knows?
What do you get when you bring Disneyland to the mainland Chinese? A park that needs a lot of janitors.
Monday, September 12, 2005
A bit of history about the company that introduced the first mass-produced, inexpensive, disposable ballpoint pen.
This is cool! Renaissance men were into special effects, but we're only discovering their tricks now.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
If you have been taking Vitamin B-6 and folic acid, hoping these will help prevent a heart attack, read this article. You may be doing yourself more harm than good.
This is a pretty amazing method being used to treat large burns. Doctors are now planning to test the method to see if it really is more effective.
You may not realize it, but your kids are watching you when you smoke and drink. And they are learning from your behavior.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Researchers found that the word associated with a smell changes how people perceive it. People who were given cheddar cheese to smell reacted differently based on whether the smell was labeled "cheddar cheese" or "body odor". As expected, they found the smell more pleasant when it was labeled "cheddar cheese".
You can do a little experiment yourself. You know how sometimes your farts smell like whatever you just ate? Next time you have a fart-defining dish, point out the delicious aroma in the air to the people next to you, and then tell them that you just farted. See whether the pleasure on their faces turns to disgust.
You can do a little experiment yourself. You know how sometimes your farts smell like whatever you just ate? Next time you have a fart-defining dish, point out the delicious aroma in the air to the people next to you, and then tell them that you just farted. See whether the pleasure on their faces turns to disgust.
It looks like there will be more strong hurricanes coming, but many meteorologists think that this may just be a part of the natural cycle of hurricanes and not due to global warming.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
This article discusses what Kanye West tried to say on TV. Black people and poor people are suffering the most from Hurricane Katrina. This natural disaster has put a spotlight on inequality in the United States, and how those at the bottom are often neglected and end up paying the largest price.
Watch out for another disaster coming, except this is something that we can already foresee. The US government has been stripping FEMA down, and has even removed disaster preparedness from its mandate.
We can see the magnitude of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. All sorts of natural disasters will continue to happen and have huge effects on people's lives and the nation's economy. There is clearly a need to have a federal agency responsible for preparing for these and all types of emergencies. But the people running the government are apparently only worried about preparing for terrorist attacks, so they have reduced FEMA's role. Now state and local governments will be increasingly on their own when natural disaster strikes.
It is sad that for years, scientists have been warning us about the dangers in New Orleans, but nothing was done, and funding was even cut, curtailing efforts designed to prevent this kind of disaster. Now, all we can do is hope that people will learn from this tragedy, and that things will be done to prevent other disasters in the future and to prepare people for them.
If you're wondering whether hurricanes have been getting worse, one researcher thinks that they have, and that is most likely because of global warming. That's another thing that we need to do something about, but aren't. The government won't even acknowledge that global warming exists. I guess if we don't admit there's a problem, there won't be anything to fix.
We can see the magnitude of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. All sorts of natural disasters will continue to happen and have huge effects on people's lives and the nation's economy. There is clearly a need to have a federal agency responsible for preparing for these and all types of emergencies. But the people running the government are apparently only worried about preparing for terrorist attacks, so they have reduced FEMA's role. Now state and local governments will be increasingly on their own when natural disaster strikes.
It is sad that for years, scientists have been warning us about the dangers in New Orleans, but nothing was done, and funding was even cut, curtailing efforts designed to prevent this kind of disaster. Now, all we can do is hope that people will learn from this tragedy, and that things will be done to prevent other disasters in the future and to prepare people for them.
If you're wondering whether hurricanes have been getting worse, one researcher thinks that they have, and that is most likely because of global warming. That's another thing that we need to do something about, but aren't. The government won't even acknowledge that global warming exists. I guess if we don't admit there's a problem, there won't be anything to fix.