APP- etites: Downsizing the Fat Continent
The US Census Bureau conducted its first National Health Survey in the early 1960s. The results of the survey indicated that 23 percent of American adults were overweight. The number increased steadily over the course of two more national surveys over the years. By the late 1970s, the proportion of overweight American adults had swollen to […]
Don’t Wash Raw Chicken, USDA Warns
You might think it’s good hygiene to give that bird a rinse before you cook it. A US government report says otherwise. The report, a joint effort between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and researchers from the University of North Carolina, supports findings of previous research on the subject. Why Washing Raw Chicken Could Make […]
How Mosquitoes Shaped History
In Spanish, the word mosquito means “little gnat,” but there is nothing diminutive about its association with human suffering. There is little doubt that few creatures on the planet evoke as much aversion as the mosquito. Their buzzing presence and their itchy, irritating bites can ruin any afternoon outdoors. There is also the infuriating noise, completely […]
Pesticides Causing Mass Bee Deaths in Brazil, Say Researchers
Bees are dying in alarming numbers in the southern regions of Brazil. Beekeepers in four states there report that some 400 million bees have died over the past three months. Researchers say the main cause of death of the bees is pesticides. They point to two chemicals, in particular: neonicotinoids and fipronil. Aldo Machado, vice president of […]
Scientists are Creating Human-Monkey Hybrids in China
Scientists may have just taken a leap into the vast unknown by injecting human cells into monkey embryos. Is this a life-saving breakthrough, or are we headed for catastrophe? The Spanish daily, El Pais, claims a team of researchers have created embryos that are part human, part monkey. The Spanish-born biologist, Juan Carlos Izpisúa […]
Biologists Look to the Dawn of Life to Study the Causes of Cancer
Has cancer touched your life? People who have loved ones or friends afflicted with the disease are often left to wonder why cancer exists at all. The answer, like the disease, is surprisingly complicated. Can Early Life Hold the Key to Understanding Cancer Causes? Cancer is part of life’s ancient apparatus. The disease is […]
Bugs, Mites and Mould – How Often Do You Wash Your Bedsheets?
Tuesdays – mine. Wednesdays – the kids. It’s a routine. Call it a habit. I’d call it a necessity. You can call me weird if you’re someone who does it annually! Say what? You mean there are people who wash their sheets once a year? Apparently so! How Often Do You Wash Your Bedsheets? In […]
Australian Runs 535 Half Marathons in 535 Days!
Overweight and over-worked, Aussie Matt Daniels decided it was time to change… he would run 535 half-marathons in 535 days! And he did it for someone he’d never met! Every day, day after day, rain, hail or shine, come hell or high water, he’s put on his running shoes and hit the pavement. And he […]
Would You Use Your Partner’s Toothbrush to Avoid Dementia?
Say what??? Let’s start with a couple of facts, some new, some old. But first, a question… You’re bleary-eyed from a bad night’s sleep. Your brother is visiting and you had a drink too many. The bathroom is still in semi-darkness but you don’t turn on the light yet because you’re not ready for – […]
What’s Wrong With This Picture? The Dark Side of Streaming Consumption You’re Ignoring
“Hulu viewers streamed a lot of television (this year)…more than 26 million hours per day to be exact (that’s nearly 3,000 years of TV watched each day!).” Source – Hulu Hold on! Wasn’t ancient Greece just coming into existence 3,000 years ago? Cleopatra was only born 2,000 years ago! And yet Hulu viewers are watching […]