Category Archive

New study says you’re fat because your friends make you eat. Obesity spreads through social networks, according to the study, so if your friends put on weight, you’re more likely to put on the pounds, too. Your family members or spouse can also influence you; as they get heavier, you’re more likely to gain along with them. But, your friends—even … Read More

Anonymous Liberal’s takedown of John Stossel is too good not to reprint here: In his latest column, John Stossel mocks Michael Moore and explains why our health care system would be so much better if we just allowed the free market to work its magic. He writes: America’s medical system has problems, but profit is the least of it. Government … Read More

It’s amazing how Bush can care soooo much about fetuses, and so little about children: The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic … Read More

Unbelieveable: Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations. The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top … Read More

As I get older, it’s natural that the average age of my peers gets higher.  Which explains why I’m not as "funny" as I used to be. The truth is, I’m just as funny as always — it’s just that my geriatric peers don’t "get" my jokes.  And here’s scientific proof: A new psychology study at Washington University was no … Read More

It turns out …you can stand in front of an operating microwave.

Heather points to this upsetting story: A couple says their vacation was ruined when an RV park owner told them they weren’t welcome after discovering their 2-year-old foster son had the HIV virus. Last week, Dick and Silvia Glover went to the Wales West RV Park in Silver Hill, Ala., with their foster son Caleb. When the boy was banned … Read More

Guess what?  When you space out, you’re actually problem-solving: Daydreaming might feel like the ultimate waste of time, but it’s just the opposite. Recent research from Dartmouth College suggests that during daydreaming, your brain may actually be processing important issues that aren’t relevant at that immediate moment — anything from strategizing about tonight’s dinner to wondering about your kid’s mysterious … Read More

HP is making digital cameras with "slimming technology". That’s right — as a standard feature in some of their cameras, the subjects will look subtly thinner.  C/Net explains how for the geeks out there. Pretty smart feature.

AP: A man with a form of tuberculosis so dangerous he is under the first U.S. government-ordered quarantine since 1963 had health officials around the world scrambling Wednesday to find about 80 passengers who sat within five rows of him on two trans-Atlantic flights. The man told a newspaper he took the first flight from Atlanta to Europe for his … Read More

As does Fanta, Sprite, Coke, and almost all other soft drinks.  The real culprit here is sodium benzoate, a natural item found in berries.  It’s normally harmless, but when ingested in large quantities, it screws with your mitochondria, the cells that power your DNA. Sodium benzoate is used in many sodas, as well as pickle juice and sauces. The problem … Read More

Preschoolers are asked "What happens when people get old?"  A Flickr gallery provides their drawings and answers.

Interestingly, the researcher behind this study is a 17-year old high school student.  He notes however, quite correctly, that most people with pacemakers don’t have iPods.