Tobacco related maladies are an increasing health concern for countries in Africa as the prevalence of smoking grows. 60 to 80 million of the world's smokers live in Africa, and many project that that number will double by 2021. Very few countries and cities have taken measures to address the problem and knowledge pertaining to the dangers of secondhand smoke is not wide spread.
International health groups are encouraging countries to ban smoking in public places and increase awareness about the dangers of tobacco. These organizations are clashing with tobacco lobbyists who are often politically connected. Scientists predict that should steps not be taken, illnesses, such as cancer, resulting from smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke will become as a serious an issue in Africa as malaria and HIV/Aids.
One of the sentiments expressed by the scientists quoted in the article was frustration about the fact that the effects of smoking and second hand are so well documented, but that very little is being done. I agree with this sentiment completely and have grown to love the ban on smoking in public places that is in Georgia, and am always surprised when I go to another state that does not have such a ban and am hacking away in a restaurant. Normally when I write these blog posts I try to be as neutral as possible in my summaries, and then state my opinion at the end. I found that rather difficult to do in this case (in fact, I don't really think I succeeded) just because the issue seems so clear cut to me.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Solar Sails; another step closer to space pirates.
The nonprofit Planetary Society,founded by Carl Sagan, recently announced, on what would have been his 75th birthday, plans to launch a solar sail powered spacecraft. The project received a $1 million donation from an anonymous benefactor ( a fellow space pirate fan perhaps?) that gave it the money to proceed.
The craft will be powered by a solar sail: A 32 square meter ultra-thin mirror made from Mylar. The craft requires no other propellant than the solar radiation provided by the sun. The motive force is provided by the continuous minute forces from photons as they bounce off of the sail. NASA has seen that at the distance the earth is from the sun, the sun produces about 1.4 kilowatts of power; divide that by the speed of light, and the solar radiation exerts a force of about 9 Newtons per square mile. While that is a small force, the constant acceleration would allow the craft to reach great speeds after a long enough time (think years). In the vacuum of space there is little friction to slow an accelerating object, so this low acceleration for a long time is becoming more popular for small unmanned probes.
While this technology is undoubtedly cool, it would take around three years to get up to speed and would really only be useful for long distance voyages for probes. Any sort of human travel for such distances will have to wait for a new advancement in space travel, or an extremely patient crew willing to essentially sacrifice their lives for science.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Can Volcanoes Cause Cancer?
In the modern age it seems as though almost everything can cause cancer. Add another cause to that list because scientists have discovered that increased amounts of volcanic activity are another possible cause. Scientists studied the residents around Sicily’s Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and discovered that the residents had a higher rate of thyroid cancer. The study was done by comparing people who lived in similar environments, but without volcanic activity. It was discovered that the people living around the volcano were two to three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer. Scientists also observed data from other volcanic areas, such as Iceland and Hawaii, and found similar results. However, thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. It is generally treated through radiation and, on average, 97% of patients are still alive five years after being diagnosed.
The scientists theorized that the people had a higher rate of cancer because of the water that comes from the aquifer surrounding the volcano. When the volcano releases CO2 gas it seeps into the aquifer and creates more acidic drinking water. The prolonged exposure to this water is what causes the cancer. Another theory is that the volcano releases radioactive radon, which is a known contributor to thyroid cancer, into the water supply. This last theory has not been tested, but is a possibility.
The good news is that the residents showed no signs of an increased rate in other cancers or diseases. Other than an increased rate in thyroid cancer the people in the area were perfectly healthy.
http://www.
Boost Your Creativity with Eye Movement
In this study, researchers showed that communication between the right and left brain hemispheres leads to more creativity. Since the right brain is known for creativity and the left brain for logic, if you put them together you "wind up with super creative, yet practical, ideas." In the study, 62 participants had to think of as many creative ways as possible to use everyday objects like paper clips, pencils, etc. in under a minute. Afterwards, they were told to move their eyes horizontally for 30 seconds in order to increase communication between the hemispheres before doing the task again with different objects. The control group stared straight ahead, so there was not as much crosstalk between the hemispheres.
I picked this article because I think the whole concept of creativity is interesting and I would like to know more about where it comes from. However, after reading this article I was skeptical. I don't really know how the researchers deemed certain uses for the object more "creative" than other ways; the process seems somewhat arbitrary. If the study does have merit, though, it would be incredible to be able to think of a new way of doing something just by moving your eyes.
Gravity is dead! Long live Gravity!
The theory of gravity has had some holes for a long time (> my life time). The main problem is that the universe doesn't contain enough observable matter to account for all the mass that the observed effects of gravity imply. Physicists explain the discrepancy with dark matter, unobservable matter that doesn't interact with light in any observable manner. However, some scientists have proposed modified theories of Newtonian dynamics that account for most of the observational discrepancies without resorting to dark matter. Unfortuantly, these modified theories have their own problems, relating to conflicts with the general and special theories of relativity. The theories that don't go against the theory of relativity rely on gravitational feilds to explain the holes in our observations. NASA and other groups are building radio telescopes in hopes of putting these theories to the test, and discovering the nature of dark matter.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dark-matter-modified-gravity
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dark-matter-modified-gravity
The Harmful Effects of Pollution on Your Brain
We've known for a long time that pollution has harmful effects on your lungs and respiratory system. What scientists are starting to uncover, though, is that pollution may also have destructive effects on your brain. Air pollutants from cars and coal plants like Black carbon and ozone have been found to hurt one's vocabulary, reaction times, and intelligence.
One study tested the IQ of five year olds from NYC, and the study found that those exposed to high levels of pollutants in the womb had on average 4 IQ points less then those who did not experience the pollutants to the same degree. The pregnant mothers had personal air monitors with them that detected the levels of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) a common air pollutant. While some of the children were exposed to high level of pollutants the specialists point out that that amount was no higher then average amount of pollutants in big urban metropolises. To emphasize the degree of pollutants effects on the brain, they commented that the results were very similar to those of exposure to lead while in the womb.
I find this article to be one more reason to invest in reducing our pollution and carbon footprint. The article concludes by suggesting you to limit your outdoor physical activity, particularly on heavy smog days. I find this notion especially worrisome in Atlanta, where we do have such high amounts of pollution and smog.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Will E.T. Look Like Us?
____In a recent video posted on YouTube, Michael Shermer of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, offers his opinion on the subject-matter of what aliens would look like (if we ever encounter them, that is). He argues against the classic, Hollywood produced alien, that he describes as having an "emaciated torso and limbs, spindly fingers and a bulbous, bald head with large, almond-shaped eyes." In fact, Shermer believes that the chances of encountering an organism with similar features to that of humans is simply out of the question. He claims that the odds of encountering another "bipedal primate" (humans being one) is astronomical. Shermer says:
"If you think about it for a second, only one species in the history of life on earth, of the hundreds and hundreds of millions of species, only one has become a bipedal primate. The chances of that happening anywhere else...is virtually zero."
____There are several opinions and speculations on Shermer's idea. One critic argues, "if it had not been for the end-Cretaceous catastrophe, ...a bipedal dinosaur might have evolved into a reptilian humanoid." Meaning, there might have been organisms with the physical characteristics shown in the attatched picture. Other opinions lead to the topic of "higher intelligence" and the environments needed to produce said species.
____Personally, as a kid, I always imagined all kinds of aliens of a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Hollywood produced a number of bipedal aliens in such movies as Star Wars, and M.I.B. I never thought about the unlikelihood, not of encountering an alien, but of there existing a creature similar to what we usually imagine. Shermer has an interesting point. I recommend that you watch his short video.
Watch the video here or read the article here. (note the beginning is weird)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Nausea makes your baby smart?
According to a new study, there is some kind of relationship between nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and the long term brain development of the baby. Along with her research team, pediatric researcher Irena Nulmanospital for Sick Children in Toronto has found that children scored higher on certain cognitive tests if their mother experienced nausea and vomiting during her pregnancy. All the children in the study were within the normal range of results for these cognitive tests. A likely explanation for the relationship between these two seemingly independent events is hormone levels. One theory is that vomiting reduces the mother's calorie intake, which causes insulin levels to drop. When levels of glucose in the blood rise, insulin is released into the bloodstream and signals liver, muscle, and fat cells to take up glucose from the blood and store it. According to this theory, when insulin levels drop, it is known that levels rise of hormones that contribute to development of the blood supply to the baby's developing brain.
Find the original article here.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monkeys and El Niño
(Sorry about my last summary. See the comment that I wrote about it.)
The results of a new study show that El Niño cycles pose a significant threat to many monkey species. The study looked at the correlation between El Niño years (when the tropical Pacific warms to abnormally high temperatures), fluctuations in monkey populations, and changes in the abundance of foods that the monkeys consume. To measure population levels, researchers used data from surveys of South American monkeys conducted over the past several decades. The study focused on species that primarily ate either fruits or leaves. In addition to the population surveys, the study relied on a survey of the annual abundance of fruits and plants on an island in Panama whose vegetation is representative of the areas where the other surveys were done. This gave the researchers an idea of how plentiful food was for the monkeys over the last few decades. Fruit supplies were generally abundant during the hot, dry El Niño seasons and scarce during the cold, wet La Niña periods (the cooling phase of the El Niño cycle). This pattern was consistent with the rises and falls in the fruit-eaters’ populations. Conversely, leaves were scarce during El Niños and abundant during La Niñas, and the populations of the leaf-eaters varied accordingly. Besides its implications about the weather-food-population pattern, the study indicates that multiple groups of species went into decline at the same time, one year after the end of an El Niño period. This synchronized reduction in population could lead to cross-species extinction. For me, the most alarming part of the study is its prediction that global warming will lead to more intense El Niño weather patterns, and therefore, steeper drops in monkey populations. Also, since monkeys are being affected so much by El Niño, there is reason to believe that El Niño may threaten other species as well.
This article can be found at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=el-nino-monkey-central-south-america
The results of a new study show that El Niño cycles pose a significant threat to many monkey species. The study looked at the correlation between El Niño years (when the tropical Pacific warms to abnormally high temperatures), fluctuations in monkey populations, and changes in the abundance of foods that the monkeys consume. To measure population levels, researchers used data from surveys of South American monkeys conducted over the past several decades. The study focused on species that primarily ate either fruits or leaves. In addition to the population surveys, the study relied on a survey of the annual abundance of fruits and plants on an island in Panama whose vegetation is representative of the areas where the other surveys were done. This gave the researchers an idea of how plentiful food was for the monkeys over the last few decades. Fruit supplies were generally abundant during the hot, dry El Niño seasons and scarce during the cold, wet La Niña periods (the cooling phase of the El Niño cycle). This pattern was consistent with the rises and falls in the fruit-eaters’ populations. Conversely, leaves were scarce during El Niños and abundant during La Niñas, and the populations of the leaf-eaters varied accordingly. Besides its implications about the weather-food-population pattern, the study indicates that multiple groups of species went into decline at the same time, one year after the end of an El Niño period. This synchronized reduction in population could lead to cross-species extinction. For me, the most alarming part of the study is its prediction that global warming will lead to more intense El Niño weather patterns, and therefore, steeper drops in monkey populations. Also, since monkeys are being affected so much by El Niño, there is reason to believe that El Niño may threaten other species as well.
This article can be found at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=el-nino-monkey-central-south-america
Can deficient levels of vitamin D impair brain function?
For years, our fear of skin cancer has prompted us to minimize our exposure to the sun. However, this practice could be detrimental to our health: the synthesis of vitamin D, which is known for promoting bone health and regulating calcium levels, cannot proceed without direct sunlight. Our avoidance of the sun could even have the unintended consequence of impaired cognitive function – new research has linked vitamin D to the workings of the brain.
Scientists have found that vitamin D facilitates neurotransmitter synthesis and nerve growth. In addition, the “sunshine vitamin” appears to protect neurons and reduce inflammation. One recent study divided subjects into four groups (severely deficient, deficient, insufficient, and optimum) based on vitamin D blood levels, and then tested the cognitive function of those four groups. The researchers discovered a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment. A second study corroborated the results of the first study, and showed that people with low vitamin D levels tended to process information more slowly.
We still have a lot to learn about the effects of vitamin D on brain functioning. For instance, we do not know if administering the vitamin to those who lack it will improve their cognitive performance, or if high levels of the vitamin will lessen cognitive losses. Also, since cognitive impairment can be a precursor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, vitamin D is a topic of interest among Alzheimer’s scientists.
The article stated that we need 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D daily, which is the amount that our bodies can produce in 15-30 minutes of sun exposure 2-3 times a week. This doesn’t seem like a lot of sun exposure to me, so I was surprised that vitamin D deficiency was such a large problem.
This article can be found at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-d-make-a-difference
Scientists have found that vitamin D facilitates neurotransmitter synthesis and nerve growth. In addition, the “sunshine vitamin” appears to protect neurons and reduce inflammation. One recent study divided subjects into four groups (severely deficient, deficient, insufficient, and optimum) based on vitamin D blood levels, and then tested the cognitive function of those four groups. The researchers discovered a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment. A second study corroborated the results of the first study, and showed that people with low vitamin D levels tended to process information more slowly.
We still have a lot to learn about the effects of vitamin D on brain functioning. For instance, we do not know if administering the vitamin to those who lack it will improve their cognitive performance, or if high levels of the vitamin will lessen cognitive losses. Also, since cognitive impairment can be a precursor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, vitamin D is a topic of interest among Alzheimer’s scientists.
The article stated that we need 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D daily, which is the amount that our bodies can produce in 15-30 minutes of sun exposure 2-3 times a week. This doesn’t seem like a lot of sun exposure to me, so I was surprised that vitamin D deficiency was such a large problem.
This article can be found at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-d-make-a-difference
Temptation
Apparently there are two leading hypotheses to why people are tempted to do illicit things and what allows some to resist temptation while others succumb. The "Will" hypothesis suggests that all humans share the same temptations, but some people are able to stifle their urges while others can't. According to the "Will" hypothesis people must resist their temptation. The other leading theory is the "Grace" hypothesis. According to the "Grace" theory people do not act on temptation because they simply do not experience it. So each person will succumb to different temptations based on what they are predisposed to do. This implies there is no internal struggle to control urges, the urges simply do not exist.
A recent experiment has supported the "Grace" theory. Researchers recorded the brain activity of subjects playing a computer game. The subjects were supposed to predict the results of several coin tosses and for each correct guess they would receive money. One group had to make all of their guesses before the coin was ever flipped, but the other group self reported their guesses after they had already witnessed the coin tosses. This meant the second group could cheat in order to get more money by claiming to have made correct guesses. The researchers measured no increased brain activity in the control related regions of the brain in the subjects who chose not to cheat. Furthermore, the subjects who chose to cheat took no longer to make their decisions than the subjects who did not cheat. This was in accordance with the "Grace" Hypothesis. It seems that the subjects who did not cheat simply never considered the possibility.
I found the two different theories on temptation to be very interesting. I suppose I always believed in the "Will" theory, but after reading the "Grace" theory I was intrigued. I have been in situations when a friend tells me about how easy it was to cheat on a test and I realize I hadn't ever considered the possibility. While I don't believe that people never have to struggle to decide whether to act morally or ethically, I wonder if there is something to the "Grace" theory.
Read more here
A recent experiment has supported the "Grace" theory. Researchers recorded the brain activity of subjects playing a computer game. The subjects were supposed to predict the results of several coin tosses and for each correct guess they would receive money. One group had to make all of their guesses before the coin was ever flipped, but the other group self reported their guesses after they had already witnessed the coin tosses. This meant the second group could cheat in order to get more money by claiming to have made correct guesses. The researchers measured no increased brain activity in the control related regions of the brain in the subjects who chose not to cheat. Furthermore, the subjects who chose to cheat took no longer to make their decisions than the subjects who did not cheat. This was in accordance with the "Grace" Hypothesis. It seems that the subjects who did not cheat simply never considered the possibility.
I found the two different theories on temptation to be very interesting. I suppose I always believed in the "Will" theory, but after reading the "Grace" theory I was intrigued. I have been in situations when a friend tells me about how easy it was to cheat on a test and I realize I hadn't ever considered the possibility. While I don't believe that people never have to struggle to decide whether to act morally or ethically, I wonder if there is something to the "Grace" theory.
Read more here
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Companies can read your mind
I caught your attention I hope.
A small but important field in marketing is growing: neuromarketing. Researchers, with the hopes of finding a connection between brain activity and consumerism, have begun doing research on what parts and aspects of our brain make us buy things. The researcher's basic question was, "How does activity in brain cells mirror things we are crazy about as opposed to things we absolutely hate or that just don’t speak to us?" Clinton Kilts of Emory University headed up a study in 2003 to investigate the connection between consumerism and our brains. His experiments were simple: a researcher would show volunteers various pictures of consumer products and the volunteers had to rank order them in terms of appeal. Afterward, the volunteer had his or her brain scanned with an MRI as pictures of the same consumer products appeared. One, small region of the brain constantly lit up when people's favorite products were shown. Blood would flow to the front or the medial prefontal cortex of the brain. This medial prefontal cortex is mostly involved in people's self-identification and construction of personality, making this a very important discovery. Kilts quickly drew the conclusion that the best products appealed to people's self-image.
Another interesting study on this subject started at MIT and involved the dispute between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. When volunteers received unmarked Coke's and unmarked Pepsi's, the vast majority preferred Pepsi. When placed in the MRI, researchers saw that Pepsi set off greater activity in the so-called ventral putamen than Coca-Cola. This area has a role in the rewards system of our brain. Leading you to believe that more people would choose Pepsi just because it rewards you more. However, when volunteers knew that they were drinking Coca-Cola or Pepsi, the MRI showed that now the medial prefrontal cortex was acting up. And the volunteers would subsequently admit to liking Coca-Cola more.
Unfortunately, this research leads to some startling possibilities for the future. Soon after he conducted this experiment, Kilts began working with a profitable marketing firm that used neuroscience. Companies could possibly begin finding ways of scanning our brains and deducing what we would be willing to buy. Obviously, the possibility of this is questionable to say the least. But the thought of it worries me.
Here
A small but important field in marketing is growing: neuromarketing. Researchers, with the hopes of finding a connection between brain activity and consumerism, have begun doing research on what parts and aspects of our brain make us buy things. The researcher's basic question was, "How does activity in brain cells mirror things we are crazy about as opposed to things we absolutely hate or that just don’t speak to us?" Clinton Kilts of Emory University headed up a study in 2003 to investigate the connection between consumerism and our brains. His experiments were simple: a researcher would show volunteers various pictures of consumer products and the volunteers had to rank order them in terms of appeal. Afterward, the volunteer had his or her brain scanned with an MRI as pictures of the same consumer products appeared. One, small region of the brain constantly lit up when people's favorite products were shown. Blood would flow to the front or the medial prefontal cortex of the brain. This medial prefontal cortex is mostly involved in people's self-identification and construction of personality, making this a very important discovery. Kilts quickly drew the conclusion that the best products appealed to people's self-image.
Another interesting study on this subject started at MIT and involved the dispute between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. When volunteers received unmarked Coke's and unmarked Pepsi's, the vast majority preferred Pepsi. When placed in the MRI, researchers saw that Pepsi set off greater activity in the so-called ventral putamen than Coca-Cola. This area has a role in the rewards system of our brain. Leading you to believe that more people would choose Pepsi just because it rewards you more. However, when volunteers knew that they were drinking Coca-Cola or Pepsi, the MRI showed that now the medial prefrontal cortex was acting up. And the volunteers would subsequently admit to liking Coca-Cola more.
Unfortunately, this research leads to some startling possibilities for the future. Soon after he conducted this experiment, Kilts began working with a profitable marketing firm that used neuroscience. Companies could possibly begin finding ways of scanning our brains and deducing what we would be willing to buy. Obviously, the possibility of this is questionable to say the least. But the thought of it worries me.
Here
Sunny D Makes you Bright
Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels and it also promotes bone health. It is formed when our skin is exposed to direct sunlight, but with the attempts to prevent skin cancer with sunscreens, the production slows down, and many people suffer from low levels of Vitamin D. It is now added to most milks, which allows people to get Vitamin D when they drink milk. And some Calcium supplements have Vitamin D in them as well. Scientists have now linked the fat soluble Vitamin D's hormone-like activity to a number of functions throughout the body, including the brain.
Studies at the University of Wisconsin have suggested that the presence of Vitamin D can protect neurons and reduce inflammation. Some European scientists have preformed mental tests on people with varying Vitamin D levels. The subjects with the optimal Vitamin D level preformed higher on the mental tests than the subjects with lower levels.
Other European studies have shown that people with lower vitamin D levels have slower information processing speeds than people with optimum levels. This relationship was very prominent in males over the age of 60.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimers and dementia. Alzheimer scientists are now looking into the benefits of Vitamin D for Alzheimer patients, but there is still a lot that scientists don't know.
How much is enough? About 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily is enough for a healthy adult, which is about as much as our skin will make with 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure two to three times a week. Other factors like where you live, skin color, and how much clothes you were can vary the amount of Vitamin D that is produced. And this does not mean that you should stop wearing sunscreen either, because skin cancer is BAD!
Find the article here
Studies at the University of Wisconsin have suggested that the presence of Vitamin D can protect neurons and reduce inflammation. Some European scientists have preformed mental tests on people with varying Vitamin D levels. The subjects with the optimal Vitamin D level preformed higher on the mental tests than the subjects with lower levels.
Other European studies have shown that people with lower vitamin D levels have slower information processing speeds than people with optimum levels. This relationship was very prominent in males over the age of 60.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimers and dementia. Alzheimer scientists are now looking into the benefits of Vitamin D for Alzheimer patients, but there is still a lot that scientists don't know.
How much is enough? About 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily is enough for a healthy adult, which is about as much as our skin will make with 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure two to three times a week. Other factors like where you live, skin color, and how much clothes you were can vary the amount of Vitamin D that is produced. And this does not mean that you should stop wearing sunscreen either, because skin cancer is BAD!
Find the article here
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