High amounts of red meat consumption elevates risk of premature death 20-40%

New York Times - Paying the Price for Loving Red Meat
and
NPR - Diets Rich In Red Meat May Be Risky

In a 10-year study of over 500,000 Americans, researchers did survey work and followed up on the cause of death of the roughly 71,000 participant deaths during the decade. After trying to control for factors such as smoking, overall caloric intake, exercise, weight-height ratio, and other lifestyle factors, researchers concluded that high levels of red meat intake increased mortality risk from heart disease and cancer by 20-40%. The 'high levels' were considered up to 4 oz red meat and 1.5 oz processed meat. Cutting back to eating red meat 1-2x/wk was recommended, and eating processed meat like hot dogs 1x/1.5 months rather than 1x/wk. The article also contains information on other studies done in the past, alternate meats like chicken and fish, and the benefits to them. Red meat consumption for Americans has more than doubled in the past 50 years.

Chewing sugarless gum in the afternoons can help hunger, energy

ScienceNews - To Limit Sweet Indulgences, Chew, Chew, Chew

A study funded by Wrigley (a chewing-gum company) found that those who chewed sugarless gum consumed an afternoon snack with an average of 45-60 fewer calories than the control group who chewed no gum. Participants were asked to chew the sugarless gum for 15 minutes/hr for 3 hours in the afternoon and others were given no gum. On another day, the participants' situation was reversed. Polling of the participants found that the gum-chewers reported significantly less strength in their cravings for sweet snacks. Cravings for starchy and salty foods grew throughout the afternoon regardless of gum chewing. Lastly, gum-chewing participants reported maintenance of their energy levels during the 3 hours in the afternoon, versus the control whose energy levels declined.

Robot-Computer hybrid employs the scientific method all by itself

Discover Magazine - I, for One, Welcome Our New Robot Scientist Overlords

Scientists developed a computer connected to robotic lab equipment and provided it with a variety of yeast strains and a database about those yeasts' genes and enzymes (compiled from previous scientific studies and lab work). They asked the computer to isolate the genes for specific enzymes-- the computer then reportedly came up with its own hypotheses, designed tests for them, performed the tests, and even interpreted the conclusions it reached. In all, it made 20 hypotheses and confirmed 12. The human scientists that designed the computer independently tested the conclusions and verified them. The computer's conclusions were modest but were worthy of publication and previously undiscovered. One scientist was quoted as saying that the computer was only operating at the level of 'graduate student'; the immediate possibility here is for robots to do the more labor-intensive 'mundane aspects of scientific research'.

Worries about the 'lost decade' are misplaced; we just finished one (Opinion)

The Big Money - Lost Decade? We Just Had One
http://slumz.boxden.com/f5/mar-1-worthwhile-read-lost-decade-we-just-had-one-1218158/

An opinion piece peppered with facts and perspective that nicely sums up the economic problems that have now come to pass. During the period of 1998 until 2008, most of the major stock market indices gained nothing and there was very little median income increase or career-oriented job creation. [Are internet-based companies in this mix?] By most measures-- stock market growth, home values, income, credit-- there has been little to no lasting growth; this makes the last decade the lost one and the burden now is to ensure that there isn't another lost decade-- from 2008 onward. One way part of the new administration's recovery plan that isn't getting as much press is the Treasury's 'quantitative easing' which is essentially giving lots of money to banks-- print money and flood the banks with cash so that they start lending at reasonable rates again.

Action video games improve visual perception

Discover Magazine - Heightened by Halo: First-Person Video Games Are Good for Your Vision

Researchers tested groups of people who regularly played first-person action video games for detecting differences in shades of gray-- a contrast sensitivity test that is commonly associated with how well one sees. Those who played the video games regularly outperformed those who didn't by an average 58%. When a small group of non-players were assigned to play over 50 hours of action video games over 9 weeks, their subsequent test performance increased by an average 43%. Those who were assigned more 'sedate' video games that weren't action-oriented (over that same time frame) only increased contrast sensitivity by 11%. The visual improvements persisted even months after people stopped playing the action video games.

'Brown' fat could assist in weight loss in adult humans

NPR - Brown Far: Don't Try to Burn It
and
ScienceNews - The Other, Friendly Fat

'Brown' fats are so-called because of the large concentration of mitochondria (calorie burning cellular organelles) found in them, and their connection to red-blood capillaries. They are now known to remain present in adult humans (while it was previously thought they were in human babies but not adults). Brown fats are found in the neck, shoulders and back, and decline in adults as they grow older (rapid decline past age 50) and if they become overweight. The interesting thing about these fats is that they burn calories, especially acting as a sort-of heat source for the body once the air temperature drops to about 61f. Brown fats may decline in adults as 'white' fat increases, providing a layer of insulation and therefore requiring less heat production.

Cognitive decline may start as early as age 27

Telegraph - Old age begins at 27 as mental powers decline, scientists find

In a 7-year study conducted on 2000 18-60yr-olds, noticeable levels of declining performance on some cognitive tests appeared around 27. Decline in cognitive speed, reasoning tests, and spatial visualization appeared around 27. Memory decline appeared around 37. Performance on vocabulary or accumulated general knowledge increased until around age 60. The peak performance on many of the reasoning tests was 22.

Male circumcision reduces viral STD risks

Discover Magazine - Male Circumcision Cuts Risk of HIV, Herpes, and HPV Transmission

Research into the rates of infection of over 5,500 Ugandan men circumcised as adults showed lower rates for three viral infections HIV, Herpes and HPV. There was no reduction in syphilis, a bacterial STD. Circumcised men were 25% less likely for herpes, 30% less for HPV, and 60% less likely for HIV. The theory is that uncircumcised male foreskin is a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria.

FDA allows under 0.5 grams of trans fats in a serving size to be counted as 0 grams

NPR - Trans Fat: When Zero Isn't Really Zero

and NPR - The Skinny On Trans Fats

The FDA allows just less than 0.5 grams of trans fats in a serving size to be counted as 0 grams. This 'loophole' has meant some companies have reformulated to have only 0.49 grams of trans fats per serving size, effectively appearing to be 0 grams. 'Partially Hydrogenated Oil' or 'vegetable shortening' is the ingredient that produces trans fats, so if it is in the ingredients, it is in the food. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, and raise triglycerides; the article reports that researchers found that as little as 3.8% of dietary intake of trans fats can raise LDL-- for a 2,000 calorie diet that equates to about 8 grams of trans fats.

Twenty-somethings would give up current spouse for internet

Reuters - German twenty-somethings prefer internet to partner

When 1000 German 19-29yr-olds were given a survey sponsored by an internet provider, 84% said they would rather give up their partners than the internet, and 97% wanted to retain their cell phones over their partners. Some reasoning given was that they could always get another spouse. Also discussed in the article is that there is a noticeable age gap between the way 20-50yr-olds use the internet and how the 50+ crowd use it; the idea here was that the younger age groups use it more-or-less similarly, but the currently-aged 55yr-olds don't use it in that same way.

The efficacy of venting anger is experimentally dubious

ReliablePlant - Angry? Researchers say that breathing beats venting

This is a trade journal that picked up a review of Lohr's work on anger venting and control. Lohr has worked to debunk the theory that venting one's anger (either on inanimate objects, to the person who made you angry, in sports, or in some other therapeutic setting) is effective for getting rid of it. Instead, venting the anger has been shown in experiments to just make people more resentful or hostile, essentially continuing the aggressive state. The theory is that the angry state would naturally dissipate on its own and that venting it may be restarting or reanimating it. This could contradict Freudian theories of repression and Aristotelian theories of catharsis. New research shows that getting rid of anger is more effective when people relax, 'take a time-out', breathe deeply and to let the angry state dissipate.

Empathy for emotional pain needs to be learned (and taught slowly)

NPR - Compassion: Easier For A Broken Leg Than Heart

Using fMRI of 13 people, scientists gave subjects stories and video situations involving the emotions of others. For the physical pain scenarios, the subjects' brain activity was very similar to what would be active if they had their own physical injury, and the brain activity in these locations resulted very shortly after being exposed to the scenario. However, when scientists tried to elicit empathy for emotional pain, it was much more difficult. Using stories designed to elicit empathy for emotional pain, scientists were able to see the brain activity. Empathetic responses to emotional pain used much of the brain that responded to physical pain, but was also more complex, took longer to initiate, and longer to dissapate. The scientists claim it took the subjects' brains about 6 seconds to process emotional pain, while the physical pain was almost instantaneous. The theory is that empathy for emotional suffering is more complex and needs to be learned, while emapthy for physical pain is relatively innate. Lastly, people need time to experience and process empathy for emotional pain, making quick news stories or glib stories possibly ineffectual for eliciting the appropriate empathetic response.

Beer goggles: no effect on men, some on women

Telegraph - Beer goggles idea is a myth, claim scientists

Researchers went to people in cafes and bars with photographs of women, some with digitally enhanced faces and makeup to make them look older. The relative drunkenness of the variable (the control had no drink) was rated on a qualitative scale (e.g. 'relaxed', 'boisterous', 'drunk'). Women with drink overestimated the age of the women in the photographs, while men with drink tended to do no worse than the control. The other important outcome is that overall men and women with drink rated the photographs as less attractive than the control did, not more.

Saccharine or sucrose in water is more attractive to rats than cocaine

PLoS ONE: Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward

In a scholarly publication, scientists divulged the results of a study done on rats where they could make an exclusive choice (9x/day) between highly sugar-sweetened water and intravenous cocaine injections. To their surprise, the rats chose the sugar-water over 80% of the time compared to cocaine. This was true of 'naive' rats who had no prior exposure to the substances, and also of cocaine-sensitized rats who had exhibited a prior addiction to cocaine. Even the cocaine-addicted rats chose the sugar-water over maximal levels of cocaine the vast majority of the time. Scientists conclude that refined sugar is a 'supernormal stimuli', making self-control difficult and possibly leading to addiction. The findings of sugar trumping cocaine seem to be counter to current theory on the physiology of cocaine addiction, indicating a possible need to revise the theory. The findings are also counter to previous studies done where monkeys who were offered cocaine or sweetened dry food opted for the cocaine. Possible explanations are that the sweetened dry food wasn't wet and therefore had drawbacks (e.g thirst inducing), that the food alternative wasn't sweet enough (or that there wasn't enough of it), or that there is a relevant biological gap between rats and primates. Lastly, scientists speculate that the easy availability of sweetened foods in modern society might act as a shield from the spread of other addictive drugs.

The sub-prime borrower was the victim in this debacle (Opinion)

Forbes.com - Don't Blame the Borrowers

The common rhetoric was that the sub-prime debacle was caused by people rushing into home ownership who shouldn't have been there in the first place. Yet first-time home buyers accounted for around 10% of the sub-prime mortgages issued. Nearly 4 times that amount were issued to people buying second (or more) homes. (Evidence for this is given in a hyperlinked white paper.) Other sub-prime lending went to refinances of existing homes that borrowers used to pay down credit-card debt, put on an addition, pay for college, lower their monthly payment, etc. This article argues that mortgage lenders and salespeople used three main tactics to lure homeowners into sub-prime loans: bait-and-switch salesmanship, breaking the appraiser system, and inflating a borrower's income claims. This article argues the commonly-held view that salespeople are liars. The second abuse is blackballing honest appraisers and providing financial inducements to those who rubber-stamped an appraisal. The last issue was getting borrowers to misstate upwards their incomes so they could qualify for larger and larger loans (to pay for higher and higher house prices). In many cases, the broker or lender just specified the income of the borrower, who trusted the process and signed on the dotted line.

Microwaves are more efficient than ovens

Slate - Are microwave ovens good for the environment?

This article by the Green Lantern is a discussion of the energy costs of using the microwave versus a conventional oven. First, a comparison between ovens: gas ovens are less efficient than electric ones in cooking your food, but the cost of electricity delivery to your home outweighs the efficiency of an electric oven, making the gas oven superior by comparison. Studies in energy use between ovens and microwaves have found that small portions cooked in the microwave offer far more savings than trying to cook larger ones, yet even stove-cooking enough for 4 can cost 1.5-2.5x the energy that a microwave will use. Overall, energy used for cooking is estimated to use only 3% of a household's consumption in the US.

Brain activity differs between the sexes when viewing art

Discovery Channel News - Men, Women Admire Beauty Differently in Brain

In a very small study using only 10 men and 10 women, brain activity between the two sexes differed when viewing artworks. Subjects were given a variety of art to consider and judged them either 'beautiful' or 'not-beautiful'. Scientists found that objects judged as beautiful elicited more brain activity than those that weren't, but more interestingly that men had brain activity focused on the right side of their brains, while women had activity in both sides. (The most activity was in the parietal lobe, which is used for visual processing and spatial orientation.) The theory is that women link their spatial perception to language, while men do not.

Being empathetic about self-control reduces our own willpower

ScienceDaily - You Wear Me Out: Thinking Of Others Causes Lapses In Our Self-control

Previous work in the exercise of will-power and self-control has shown that it depletes when used, impairing subsequent exercises in self-control. This experiment asked participants to imagine they were someone who had to exercise self-control, e.g. a hungry waiter surrounded by a lot of delicious food that he couldn't eat. Participants were then asked how much they'd spend on a series of luxury items, and others were asked to perform memory tasks or word games. Those who were asked to imagine the waiter's hunger were more likely to pay more for the luxury items and performed worse on the follow-up tasks than the controls. The theory was that imagining using self-control left the subjects in a mentally weakened state, especially regarding their capacity to exercise their own self-control.

America's reverse brain drain

Washington Post - They're Taking Their Brains and Going Home

For the past few decades the US has been a major attraction for educated foreigners and foreign-born US-college graduates. Foreign students would study at US universities then graduate into the US workforce and make up a large part of the scientific and technological community. Nearly 25% of all international patents name foreigners living (and working) in the US as the inventors. The 2000 census showed that while immigrants were only 12% of the population, 47% of all US scientist- and engineer-doctorates were immigrants. The article focuses mostly on Indian and Chinese migrants, India and China being the two major countries that suffered 'brain drain' into the US during past decades. But this trend is threatened by flagging US employment opportunities, greater business and growth opportunities in India and China, and a 'lumbering US Immigration bureaucracy'. The myriad problems associated with getting a visa for an employed foreign national in the US is highlighted in this article.

Crush raw garlic and don't store it to maximize allicin

Physorg.com - Love that garlic? Fresh may be healthier than bottled
and
Physorg.com - Recipe for healthy garlic: Crush before cooking

The ingredient allicin in garlic is believed to be help prevent blood clots, reduce cancer risk, and help fight off bacterial infection. Allicin breaks down rather easily; when stored in water, about half of the allicin in the garlic broke down in 6 days, in vegetable oil: 1 hour. Though allicin loses its bacteria-fighting benefit when broken down, the components are still believed to fight blood clots and cancer.

Allicin is produced by a catalyst enzyme alliinase, which becomes inactive when garlic is cooked-- effectively reducing allicin in cooked garlic. However the act of crushing or chopping the raw garlic prior to cooking activates alliinase, which catalyzes allicin. Researchers believe that chopping or crushing raw garlic 10 minutes prior to cooking will help retain some of the health benefits of allicin that are found in raw garlic.

Commercial shipping has a significant environmental impact

Physorg.com - Commercial ships spew half as much particulate pollution as world's cars

Commercial ships give off both carbon dioxide and particulate pollution, half of which are sulfates and the other half are 'organic compounds' and black, sooty carbon. The sulfate emissions are capped under global trade agreements, but the soot isn't. Vessels with lower sulfate emissions also emit less soot, but what they do emit stays in the air longer than the soot the higher-emitting sulfate engines put out. Particulate pollution has been linked to premature deaths in coastal populations, making this a health issue since it is reported that 70% of shipping takes place within 250 miles of a coast.

Linguistic categories may influence perception

Physorg.com - Scientists show that language shapes perception

This short article reported on a study done that tracked brain activity of Greek-speakers and English-speakers. The Greek language has two different words for blue, light blue (e.g. the sky) and dark blue (e.g. pen color), while the English has just blue. By tracking 'event related brain potentials' down to the millisecond, the study showed patterned differences in brain activity between the Greek-speakers and the English ones. Importantly however, these differences arose around 100 milliseconds after processing the colors, prior to the usual time that language 'invades' our thinking (200 milliseconds). Scientists concluded that linguistic categories may influence how we actually perceive objects.