Science & Society

There have been several reports in the media lately of riotous British stag/hen parties being held abroad, heavily fueled by alcohol. Postings on some party websites describe in graphic detail, (sometimes very graphic detail), the wild goings-on at these events most commonly held in Eastern European countries such as Poland or the Czech Republic. Websites and agencies promoting these trips away educate you, not on the culture and history of the country, but on how to go out and get blitzed or find the best brothels on your stag or hen night. NoClaimsDiscount.co.uk ( http://www.…

Globally every year, obese people waste billions on food products that 'imply' that they aid weight loss, but are totally ineffective, says a nutritional expert on British Medical Journal (www.bmj.com) today.  Professor Lean from the University of Glasgow, is hopeful that a new European Union (EU) Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices, adopted this year in UK, will finally protect vulnerable consumers who are tricked into to buying useless food products or supplements in attempts to combat their disease.  Unlike medicines, food products that are marketed for health reasons are…

Radiant Floor Heating Warm air rises. A traditional forced-air heating system for the 35-foot-high public spaces in the museum would be wasteful in the extreme. Instead, the Academy is installing a radiant heating system in the museum’s floors. Tubes embedded in the concrete floor will carry hot water that warms the floor. The proximity of the heat to the people who need it will reduce the building’s energy need by an estimated 10% annually. Denim Insulation Insulation also keeps buildings warm. The Academy, rather than using typical fiberglass or foam-based insulation, chose to use a type of…

Only people in the tobacco industry denial mindset realistically state that repeated exposure to sex and violence in the media does not lead to problems in children but television advocates can at least latch on to a study saying they may be the biggest but they aren't the only problem; a new study by Myeshia Price and Dr. Janet Hyde from the University of Wisconsin in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence says low self-esteem, poor relationships with parents, and low academic achievement are some of the other factors that may add up to young people having sex before the age of 15. The good…

A study of people living with the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) has provided an idea of the economic cost of living with the incurable, life-long condition.   The independent research is one of the largest ever studies into the financial impact of MS and has revealed that the cost of being diagnosed with MS is on average nearly GBP17,000 per person. Care provided informally by families accounts for more than 70% of this. For the 85,000 living with the condition, this works out to be a total expense to the economy of GBP1.4billion, making MS second only to tumours as the…

Russian semiologist Yuri M. Lotman has analyzed how epidemics of fear work through the study of witch-hunting processes that claimed thousands of victims in Catholic and Protestant countries centuries ago. In the article, published in the latest edition of the Revista de Occidente magazine, the most senior representative of cultural semiotics in Spain highlighted that the witch persecution intensity curve “paradoxically coincides with progress in the field of culture and science”. “As Renaissance ideas spread, so do fear and processes”, asserted the expert. During rationalism, “the horrors of…

OK, this isn't strictly science, but take this U.S. civics quiz and then see if you do better than your average US government official. Is it really surprising that government officials did worse than the average in this survey? I got 31 out of 33 - how did you all do?

...at Redneck Genetics. It's now Dr. Redneck Geneticist. Justin successfully finished his PhD this week - head on over and congratulate him, now that he's sober again.

More than a decade ago, Jackie Speier, Jan Yanehiro, Michealene Critini Risley and Deborah Collins Stephens forged a relationship to meet in mutual support. These women credit the friendship and network that included other women of like mind, heart and tenacity as crucial to their subsequent personal and professional stability and triumph. In 2007, the four applied their insight and skills to write "This is not the life I ordered: 50 ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down," Conari Press. I met with the authors in a small conference room at Conari Press in San…

A course of organised water aerobics has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor. Research published in the journal Reproductive Health has shown that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. Rosa Pereira led a team of researchers from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo, Brazil who investigated the effects of the aquarobics class on a group of 71 expectant mothers. About half of the women were randomly allocated to attend three 50-minute sessions a week over the course of their…