Casual reading for the intellectually curious.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Why Parents Fear the Needle
By MICHAEL WILLRICH
New York Times
DESPITE overwhelming evidence to the contrary, roughly one in five Americans believes that vaccines cause autism — a disturbing fact that will probably hold true even after the publication this month, in a British medical journal, of a report thoroughly debunking the 1998 paper that began the vaccine-autism scare.
DESPITE overwhelming evidence to the contrary, roughly one in five Americans believes that vaccines cause autism — a disturbing fact that will probably hold true even after the publication this month, in a British medical journal, of a report thoroughly debunking the 1998 paper that began the vaccine-autism scare.
Why Bedbugs Won't Die
Irritating Pests Are Evolving Rapidly to Withstand Pesticides, Gene Study Finds
By ROBERT LEE HOTZ
Wall Street Journal
The first comprehensive genetic study of bedbugs, the irritating pests that have enjoyed a world-wide resurgence in recent years, indicates they are quickly evolving to withstand the pesticides used to combat them. [Slide Show]
The first comprehensive genetic study of bedbugs, the irritating pests that have enjoyed a world-wide resurgence in recent years, indicates they are quickly evolving to withstand the pesticides used to combat them. [Slide Show]
Should You Buy a New Car?
By Brett Arends
Wall Street Journal
Looking for a car or truck?
Conventional wisdom says that the smart move is to buy used. Purchasing a brand-new vehicle, it goes, is a big waste of money.
After all, a new car loses a fifth of its value the moment you drive it off the lot. That new-car smell, as they say, is one of the most expensive things you can buy.
There's just one problem.
It's not quite so easy.
Looking for a car or truck?
Conventional wisdom says that the smart move is to buy used. Purchasing a brand-new vehicle, it goes, is a big waste of money.
After all, a new car loses a fifth of its value the moment you drive it off the lot. That new-car smell, as they say, is one of the most expensive things you can buy.
There's just one problem.
It's not quite so easy.
Firm: People e-mailing less with webmail, more with phones
Seattle PI Blog
Webmail sites -- such as Microsoft's Hotmail.com and Google's Gmail.com -- saw a 6 percent overall drop in U.S. visitors from November 2009 to November 2010, the research firm said today. Meanwhile, the number of people who used their mobile phones for e-mail skyrocketed 36 percent.
Childhood Last Name Predicts Whether You Buy Early, Late: Study
Memories of always being last in line spur 'late alphabet consumers' to buy early
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
FRIDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The first letter of your childhood surname may influence your consumer behavior as an adult, according to a new study.
FRIDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The first letter of your childhood surname may influence your consumer behavior as an adult, according to a new study.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
DOGS GUIDED REMOTELY BY STEALTH SYSTEM
New tech could turn search dogs into remotely guided super dogs that could take on risky jobs.
By Alyssa Danigelis
Discovery News
Trained dogs are smart enough to find bombs, drugs, people, and the safest way to cross the street -- but only with a capable handler nearby. Now a new system developed at Auburn University could turn canines into remotely guided "super dogs" that can take on risky tasks.
"With our system you don't have to be in eyesight, versus human guides that do have to be within sight," said David M. Bevly, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University who worked on the research.
By Alyssa Danigelis
Discovery News
Trained dogs are smart enough to find bombs, drugs, people, and the safest way to cross the street -- but only with a capable handler nearby. Now a new system developed at Auburn University could turn canines into remotely guided "super dogs" that can take on risky tasks.
"With our system you don't have to be in eyesight, versus human guides that do have to be within sight," said David M. Bevly, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University who worked on the research.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Walking shoes: Features and fit that keep you moving
Walking shoes have some features other shoes don't. Here's what to look for and how to get the best fit.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Mayo Clinic
Wearing walking shoes that are comfortable and fit your feet can help prevent injuries such as blisters and calluses. A walking shoe should also be fairly lightweight and provide good shock absorption. But not all walking shoes are created equal. Find the fit and features that are right for you.
Wearing walking shoes that are comfortable and fit your feet can help prevent injuries such as blisters and calluses. A walking shoe should also be fairly lightweight and provide good shock absorption. But not all walking shoes are created equal. Find the fit and features that are right for you.
Room Service in Terminal B
Flight Canceled? How to Get a Cot, Food, a Shower and the Fastest Flight Out
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
Almost every night, stranded travelers can be found sleeping inside the terminals of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
"This is the new reality," said James Crites, DFW's executive vice president for operations. "You're becoming a hotel."
These days, airlines are canceling flights more readily due to bad weather and other disruptions. Rebooking is tricker than ever—as many discovered during the recent snowstorms in the South and Northeast—because airlines have reduced their schedules and are running at capacity. As a result, passengers should prepare for the dreaded airport sleepover.
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
Wall Street Journal
Almost every night, stranded travelers can be found sleeping inside the terminals of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
"This is the new reality," said James Crites, DFW's executive vice president for operations. "You're becoming a hotel."
These days, airlines are canceling flights more readily due to bad weather and other disruptions. Rebooking is tricker than ever—as many discovered during the recent snowstorms in the South and Northeast—because airlines have reduced their schedules and are running at capacity. As a result, passengers should prepare for the dreaded airport sleepover.
Scientists fight bugs with poo
By Kate Kelland
(Reuters) - Once a year, every year, Professor Thomas Borody receives a single-stem rose from one of his most grateful patients. She is, he says, thanking him for restoring her bowel flora.
It's a distasteful cure for a problem that's increasingly widespread: the Clostridium difficile bug, typically caught by patients in hospitals and nursing homes, can be hard to treat with antibiotics. But Borody is one of a group of scientists who believe the answer is a faecal transplant.
Reuters
(Reuters) - Once a year, every year, Professor Thomas Borody receives a single-stem rose from one of his most grateful patients. She is, he says, thanking him for restoring her bowel flora.
It's a distasteful cure for a problem that's increasingly widespread: the Clostridium difficile bug, typically caught by patients in hospitals and nursing homes, can be hard to treat with antibiotics. But Borody is one of a group of scientists who believe the answer is a faecal transplant.
Giant crayfish found in Tennessee is new species
by Maggie Fox
Reuters
Reuters
(Reuters) - A new species of giant crayfish literally crawled out from under a rock in Tennessee, proving that large new species of animals can be found in highly populated and well-explored places, researchers said on Wednesday.
Alcohol Calorie Calculator
collegedrinkingprevention.gov
The New Cold Warrior
When Your Old Shovel Isn't Tough Enough, High-Tech Gear Is Easy on Driveway, Joints
By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS
Wall Street Journal
he makers of the Snow Joe, the Sno-Thro, the SnoBoss, the Sno Wovel and a bevy of other products say clearing snow off the driveway doesn't have to be so darn hard.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Internet time tied to teen depression symptoms
Reuters
When Self-Knowledge Is Only the Beginning
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
It is practically an article of faith among many therapists that self-understanding is a prerequisite for a happy life. Insight, the thinking goes, will free you from your psychological hang-ups and promote well-being.
New York Times
It is practically an article of faith among many therapists that self-understanding is a prerequisite for a happy life. Insight, the thinking goes, will free you from your psychological hang-ups and promote well-being.
Bending and Stretching Classroom Lessons to Make Math Inspire
By KENNETH CHANG
New York Times
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — At the aptly named Tiny Thai restaurant here, a small table, about two and a half feet square, was jammed with a teapot, two plates of curry, a bowl of soup, two cups of tea, two glasses of water, a plate with two egg rolls, a plate of salad and an iPhone.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — At the aptly named Tiny Thai restaurant here, a small table, about two and a half feet square, was jammed with a teapot, two plates of curry, a bowl of soup, two cups of tea, two glasses of water, a plate with two egg rolls, a plate of salad and an iPhone.
Shooting Suspect Had Been Known to Use Potent, and Legal, Hallucinogen
By A. G. SULZBERGER and JENNIFER MEDINA
Yet it is striking how closely the typical effects of smoking the herb, Salvia divinorum — which federal drug officials warn can closely mimic psychosis — matched Mr. Loughner’s own comments about how he saw the world, like his often-repeated assertion that he spent most of his waking hours in a dream world that he had learned to control.
New York Times
TUCSON — No one has suggested that his use of a hallucinogenic herb or any other drugs contributed to Jared L. Loughner’s apparent mental unraveling that culminated with his being charged in a devastating outburst of violence here.
TUCSON — No one has suggested that his use of a hallucinogenic herb or any other drugs contributed to Jared L. Loughner’s apparent mental unraveling that culminated with his being charged in a devastating outburst of violence here.
Yet it is striking how closely the typical effects of smoking the herb, Salvia divinorum — which federal drug officials warn can closely mimic psychosis — matched Mr. Loughner’s own comments about how he saw the world, like his often-repeated assertion that he spent most of his waking hours in a dream world that he had learned to control.
Grown-Up Problems Start at Bedtime
By ANDREA PETERSEN
Wall Street Journal
Every parent knows that a tired kid is a cranky kid. Now, scientists are discovering that children with chronic sleep problems are at increased risk for developing a mental illness later in life.
Every parent knows that a tired kid is a cranky kid. Now, scientists are discovering that children with chronic sleep problems are at increased risk for developing a mental illness later in life.
Monday, January 17, 2011
5 tips to maximize financial aid packages for college
For those scrambling to get up to speed, the FAFSA is used to determine how much applicants or their families should contribute toward education costs. Schools then use that figure — known as the expected family contribution — to determine how much financial aid should be awarded to bridge the cost of attendance.
By Candice Choi
(The Associated Press)
By Candice Choi
(The Associated Press)
Seattle Times
NEW YORK — It's crunchtime for families counting on loans and grants to pay for college.
NEW YORK — It's crunchtime for families counting on loans and grants to pay for college.
Banks allow ads in online checking accounts
By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post
First they showed up in your e-mail. Then they found their way onto Facebook. Now ads are coming to your checking account.
First they showed up in your e-mail. Then they found their way onto Facebook. Now ads are coming to your checking account.
Cunning, Care and Sheer Luck Save Rare Map
By MICHAEL WILSON
It was rolled up among other yellowed maps and prints that came off a delivery truck at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s stately office near the East River. Carolyn Hansen, the society’s map cataloguer, began to gently unfurl the canvas. [Interactive Graphic]
New York Times
It was rolled up among other yellowed maps and prints that came off a delivery truck at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s stately office near the East River. Carolyn Hansen, the society’s map cataloguer, began to gently unfurl the canvas. [Interactive Graphic]
Defying Conventional Wisdom to Sell Glasses Online
By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER
New York Times
Shopping skeptics said people would never buy certain things —shoes, diamond rings, cars — online because they needed to see the products in person. They were wrong. E-commerce companies have found success in all of those fields.
But some purchases still happen mostly offline, including one of the most personal: prescription eyeglasses.[Graphic]
Shopping skeptics said people would never buy certain things —shoes, diamond rings, cars — online because they needed to see the products in person. They were wrong. E-commerce companies have found success in all of those fields.
But some purchases still happen mostly offline, including one of the most personal: prescription eyeglasses.[Graphic]
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