Low-salt diets may raise heart disease risk - Health - Heart health - msnbc.com:
'via Blog this'
Cutting back on salt may not be as beneficial for your heart as once thought, a new study suggests.
While a diet low in salt reduces blood pressure, it increases the levels of cholesterol, fat and hormones in the blood that are known to increase the risk of heart disease, the study found.
Overall, the good and bad consequences of a low-salt diet may cancel each other out, so the diet has relatively little effect on the development of disease, said study researcher Dr. Niels Graudal, of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
November 9, 2011
Traffic Makes Us Dumber: Scientists Say Car Exhaust Causes Brain Damage
Traffic Makes Us Dumber: Scientists Say Car Exhaust Causes Brain Damage : TreeHugger:
'via Blog this'
Scientists are finding that traffic exhaust might be going right to your head. The particulate pollution that vehicles emit has long been known to cause a host of respiratory woes, like asthma and lung disease, especially in heavily congested areas. Now, as detailed in a disturbing report in today's Wall Street Journal, researchers are finding that a growing body of evidence suggests that car exhaust causes nothing less than brain damage.
'via Blog this'
Scientists are finding that traffic exhaust might be going right to your head. The particulate pollution that vehicles emit has long been known to cause a host of respiratory woes, like asthma and lung disease, especially in heavily congested areas. Now, as detailed in a disturbing report in today's Wall Street Journal, researchers are finding that a growing body of evidence suggests that car exhaust causes nothing less than brain damage.
Oil prices are in 'danger zone', warns the IEA
BBC News - Oil prices are in 'danger zone', warns the IEA:
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Oil could hit $150 a barrel soon if investment in the Middle East and North Africa fails to rise with demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.
Prices have remained high throughout 2011, partly due to Libyan unrest.
"We are in the danger zone for the global economy at current levels," said IEA economist Fatih Birol.
'via Blog this'
Oil could hit $150 a barrel soon if investment in the Middle East and North Africa fails to rise with demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.
Prices have remained high throughout 2011, partly due to Libyan unrest.
"We are in the danger zone for the global economy at current levels," said IEA economist Fatih Birol.
Single-molecule 'electric car' taken for test drive
BBC News - Single-molecule 'electric car' taken for test drive:
'via Blog this'
Scientists have shown off what can be described as the world's smallest electric car - made of a single, carefully designed molecule.
The molecule has four branches that act as wheels, rotating when a tiny metal tip applied a small current to them.
With 10 electric bursts, the car was made to move six billionths of a metre.
'via Blog this'
Scientists have shown off what can be described as the world's smallest electric car - made of a single, carefully designed molecule.
The molecule has four branches that act as wheels, rotating when a tiny metal tip applied a small current to them.
With 10 electric bursts, the car was made to move six billionths of a metre.
Should Every Home Be Built to Withstand an Earthquake?
Should Every Home Be Built to Withstand an Earthquake? - Yahoo! News:
'via Blog this'
Oklahoma experienced its biggest earthquake ever: a magnitude 5.6 temblor centered near the small town of Sparks. Fortunately, the damage was minimal — only 14 buildings and a few roads will need minor repairs — but the event, as well as the earthquake that surprised the East Coast in August, was another reminder that sizable quakes can strike many parts of the United States, not just the Pacific Coast.
In California, regulations require that buildings be constructed to withstand significant ground motion. In light of the recent quakes, should the rest of the country abide by similar guidelines?
'via Blog this'
Oklahoma experienced its biggest earthquake ever: a magnitude 5.6 temblor centered near the small town of Sparks. Fortunately, the damage was minimal — only 14 buildings and a few roads will need minor repairs — but the event, as well as the earthquake that surprised the East Coast in August, was another reminder that sizable quakes can strike many parts of the United States, not just the Pacific Coast.
In California, regulations require that buildings be constructed to withstand significant ground motion. In light of the recent quakes, should the rest of the country abide by similar guidelines?
Current Global Warming Is Unprecedented Compared to Climate of the Last 20,000 years, Study Finds
Current Global Warming Is Unprecedented Compared to Climate of the Last 20,000 years, Study Finds | ThinkProgress:
'via Blog this'
A common argument against global warming is that the climate has always varied. Temperatures rise sometimes and this is perfectly natural is the usual line.
However, Svante Björck, a climate researcher at Lund University in Sweden, has now shown that global warming, i.e. simultaneous warming events in the northern and southern hemispheres, have not occurred in the past 20,000 years, which is as far back as it is possible to analyse with sufficient precision to compare with modern developments. Svante Björck’s study thus goes 14,000 years further back in time than previous studies have done. “What is happening today is unique from a historical geological perspective,” he says.
'via Blog this'
A common argument against global warming is that the climate has always varied. Temperatures rise sometimes and this is perfectly natural is the usual line.
However, Svante Björck, a climate researcher at Lund University in Sweden, has now shown that global warming, i.e. simultaneous warming events in the northern and southern hemispheres, have not occurred in the past 20,000 years, which is as far back as it is possible to analyse with sufficient precision to compare with modern developments. Svante Björck’s study thus goes 14,000 years further back in time than previous studies have done. “What is happening today is unique from a historical geological perspective,” he says.
NASA develops super-black material that absorbs light across multiple wavelength bands
NASA develops super-black material that absorbs light across multiple wavelength bands:
'via Blog this'
NASA engineers have produced a material that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it -- a development that promises to open new frontiers in space technology.
'via Blog this'
NASA engineers have produced a material that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it -- a development that promises to open new frontiers in space technology.
The Archaeology News Network: Cooking may have driven human evolution
The Archaeology News Network: Cooking may have driven human evolution:
'via Blog this'
Next time you’re out to dinner, you may want to think twice before ordering your steak rare. In a first-of-its-kind study, Harvard researchers have shown that cooked meat provides more energy than raw meat, a finding that challenges the current food labeling system and suggests humans are evolutionarily adapted to take advantage of the benefits of cooking.
“Every day, humans in every global society devote time and energy to processing food — cooking it, grinding it, slicing it, pounding it — yet we don’t understand what effect these efforts have on the energy we extract from food, or the role they might have played in our evolution,” Carmody said. “It is astonishing, since energy gain is the primary reason we eat.”
'via Blog this'
Next time you’re out to dinner, you may want to think twice before ordering your steak rare. In a first-of-its-kind study, Harvard researchers have shown that cooked meat provides more energy than raw meat, a finding that challenges the current food labeling system and suggests humans are evolutionarily adapted to take advantage of the benefits of cooking.
“Every day, humans in every global society devote time and energy to processing food — cooking it, grinding it, slicing it, pounding it — yet we don’t understand what effect these efforts have on the energy we extract from food, or the role they might have played in our evolution,” Carmody said. “It is astonishing, since energy gain is the primary reason we eat.”
Proof the Universe is Fine-Tuned for Life? Scientists Find Antarctica Meteorites Contain Essential Building Block of DNA
Proof the Universe is Fine-Tuned for Life? Scientists Find Antarctica Meteorites Contain Essential Building Block of DNA:
'via Blog this'
NASA-funded researchers found evidence this past summer that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life.
"People have been discovering components of DNA in meteorites since the 1960's, but researchers were unsure whether they were really created in space or if instead they came from contamination by terrestrial life," said Dr. Michael Callahan of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "For the first time, we have three lines of evidence that together give us confidence these DNA building blocks actually were created in space."
'via Blog this'
NASA-funded researchers found evidence this past summer that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life.
"People have been discovering components of DNA in meteorites since the 1960's, but researchers were unsure whether they were really created in space or if instead they came from contamination by terrestrial life," said Dr. Michael Callahan of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "For the first time, we have three lines of evidence that together give us confidence these DNA building blocks actually were created in space."
Autistic brains are heavier: study
Autistic brains are heavier: study - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):
'via Blog this'
The brains of boys with autism are heavier and contain many more neurons than those without the disorder, US researchers say.
The study, while small, suggests brain overgrowth may be occurring in the womb, according to the findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers carried out post-mortem examinations on the brains of seven autistic boys, aged between two and 16, most of whom had died by drowning.
'via Blog this'
The brains of boys with autism are heavier and contain many more neurons than those without the disorder, US researchers say.
The study, while small, suggests brain overgrowth may be occurring in the womb, according to the findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers carried out post-mortem examinations on the brains of seven autistic boys, aged between two and 16, most of whom had died by drowning.
How Biking Can Save Cities Billions of Dollars in Health Expenses
How Biking Can Save Cities Billions of Dollars in Health Expenses - Transportation - GOOD:
'via Blog this'
Nearly 70 percent of Americans' car trips are less than two miles long. It's a no-brainer that biking instead of driving to take care of these trips is a great way to get exercise while cutting air pollution. While we've always assumed that the cumulative effect of many individuals making that choice would be longer, healthier lives and cleaner air in our cities, a recent scientific study put some rigor to our hypotheses and proved us right.
'via Blog this'
Nearly 70 percent of Americans' car trips are less than two miles long. It's a no-brainer that biking instead of driving to take care of these trips is a great way to get exercise while cutting air pollution. While we've always assumed that the cumulative effect of many individuals making that choice would be longer, healthier lives and cleaner air in our cities, a recent scientific study put some rigor to our hypotheses and proved us right.
November 7, 2011
US wealth gap between young and old is widest ever
US wealth gap between young and old is widest ever - Health - msnbc.com:
'via Blog this'
The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.
The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.
'via Blog this'
The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.
The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.
So much for Facebook: Most people now only have TWO close friends
So much for Facebook: Most people now only have TWO close friends | Mail Online:
'via Blog this'
Most Americans have hundreds of friends at their fingertips just by logging on to Facebook.
But the number that can actually be counted as close friends or confidantes is going down.
A researcher has found that the friends people feel they can confide in has shrank to two, down from three almost 25 years ago.
'via Blog this'
Most Americans have hundreds of friends at their fingertips just by logging on to Facebook.
But the number that can actually be counted as close friends or confidantes is going down.
A researcher has found that the friends people feel they can confide in has shrank to two, down from three almost 25 years ago.
Light 'promising' in cancer fight
BBC News - Light 'promising' in cancer fight:
'via Blog this'
Light is a "promising" tool in the fight against cancer, say researchers in the US.
A study, published in Nature Medicine, showed how a drug could be created which sticks to tumours, but is then only activated when hit by specific waves of light.
It means a treatment can be highly targeted and not damage the surrounding tissue.
'via Blog this'
Light is a "promising" tool in the fight against cancer, say researchers in the US.
A study, published in Nature Medicine, showed how a drug could be created which sticks to tumours, but is then only activated when hit by specific waves of light.
It means a treatment can be highly targeted and not damage the surrounding tissue.
Studies Suggest Link Between Smog, Joint Disease
Studies Suggest Link Between Smog, Joint Disease - Yahoo! News:
'via Blog this'
Exposure to certain types of air pollution is associated with an increased risk for the painful joint disease known as rheumatoid arthritis, new research suggests.
This link is strongest for sulfur dioxide, one of the six most common air pollutants in the United States, according to the findings from two studies scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, in Chicago.
In the studies, investigators looked at 2,092 rheumatoid arthritis patients and more than 93,000 people without the disease in the United States and Sweden, and used their home addresses to estimate their long-term exposure to several common air pollutants, both gaseous (for example, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) and particulate (soot or dust).
'via Blog this'
Exposure to certain types of air pollution is associated with an increased risk for the painful joint disease known as rheumatoid arthritis, new research suggests.
This link is strongest for sulfur dioxide, one of the six most common air pollutants in the United States, according to the findings from two studies scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, in Chicago.
In the studies, investigators looked at 2,092 rheumatoid arthritis patients and more than 93,000 people without the disease in the United States and Sweden, and used their home addresses to estimate their long-term exposure to several common air pollutants, both gaseous (for example, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) and particulate (soot or dust).
Dirty secrets: What's behind carbon's rise?
BBC News - Dirty secrets: What's behind carbon's rise?:
'via Blog this'
Late last week, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which hosts the US's official emission-counting agency, released data showing a huge surge in carbon dioxide emissions from 2009 to 2010.
Now, consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) has an analysis showing that greenhouse gas emissions rose by more than economic growth.
And this in a world where the vast majority of governments have endorsed reports saying that man-made climate change is set to bring serious impacts to societies and economies unless it's checked.
'via Blog this'
Late last week, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which hosts the US's official emission-counting agency, released data showing a huge surge in carbon dioxide emissions from 2009 to 2010.
Now, consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) has an analysis showing that greenhouse gas emissions rose by more than economic growth.
And this in a world where the vast majority of governments have endorsed reports saying that man-made climate change is set to bring serious impacts to societies and economies unless it's checked.
How should society pay for services ecosystems provide?
How should society pay for services ecosystems provide?:
'via Blog this'
Over the past 50 years, 60 percent of all ecosystem services have declined as a direct result of the conversion of land to the production of foods, fuels and fibers.
This should come as no surprise, say seven of the world's leading environmental scientists, who met to collectively study the pitfalls of utilizing markets to induce people to take account of the environmental costs of their behavior and solutions. We are getting what we pay for.
'via Blog this'
Over the past 50 years, 60 percent of all ecosystem services have declined as a direct result of the conversion of land to the production of foods, fuels and fibers.
This should come as no surprise, say seven of the world's leading environmental scientists, who met to collectively study the pitfalls of utilizing markets to induce people to take account of the environmental costs of their behavior and solutions. We are getting what we pay for.
November 5, 2011
Self-Improvement, at the Risk of Self-Acceptance
Self-Improvement, at the Risk of Self-Acceptance - NYTimes.com:
'via Blog this'
SOMETIMES I get tired of always striving to be better — of knowing there are ways, endless ways, I can improve myself or members of my immediate family.
When I feel really down, I think of how far we have to go. We could, for example, start our own vegetable garden, use that homegrown produce to make delicious and healthy meals and compost the leftovers in the composter we don’t yet have. Then we could turn off — or even throw out — the television and read to each other from the classics while sitting in our hand-carved chairs.
'via Blog this'
SOMETIMES I get tired of always striving to be better — of knowing there are ways, endless ways, I can improve myself or members of my immediate family.
When I feel really down, I think of how far we have to go. We could, for example, start our own vegetable garden, use that homegrown produce to make delicious and healthy meals and compost the leftovers in the composter we don’t yet have. Then we could turn off — or even throw out — the television and read to each other from the classics while sitting in our hand-carved chairs.
Close Friends Less Common Today, Study Finds
Close Friends Less Common Today, Study Finds | Amercians' Confidantes & Social Isolation | Close Social Networks Decrease | LiveScience:
'via Blog this'
If asked how many friends you have, some may have trouble distinguishing between the lengthy list of Facebook friends and those close pals you confide in. Well, it turns out, Americans' lists of the close type has shrunk to two, down from three confidantes 25 years ago, a new study suggests.
The study also found that the number of us who have zero confidantes, or the socially isolated, has not increased over these decades, as scientists had suspected based on a 2006 study showing a near tripling of Americans' social isolation between 1985 and 2004.
'via Blog this'
If asked how many friends you have, some may have trouble distinguishing between the lengthy list of Facebook friends and those close pals you confide in. Well, it turns out, Americans' lists of the close type has shrunk to two, down from three confidantes 25 years ago, a new study suggests.
The study also found that the number of us who have zero confidantes, or the socially isolated, has not increased over these decades, as scientists had suspected based on a 2006 study showing a near tripling of Americans' social isolation between 1985 and 2004.
Global warming emissions increase by largest amount on record
Global warming emissions increase by largest amount on record - latimes.com:
'via Blog this'
The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped last year by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global warming.
The new figures for 2010 mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst-case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago.
'via Blog this'
The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped last year by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global warming.
The new figures for 2010 mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst-case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago.
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