Category Archives: Science
CDC releases new STD report, ruins Valentine’s Day for everyone
According to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people ages 15 – 24 account for half of the 19.7 million sexually transmitted infections diagnosed annually. The CDC reported data on eight sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes and HPV.
So, you know, happy Valentine’s Day or whatever.
Read more: - http://pulse.me/s/iw1m9
Tracey Conway: Your Sweet Heart: A Survivor’s Story
Valentine’s Day. Those two words summon a lurch in my stomach and a flutter in my heart. Who among us has not suffered at least one disappointing February 14, our hearts shattered by an unappreciative or unrequited love? Some of us, however, take a broken heart to a whole other level. Literal heartbreak. I did.
Eighteen years ago, shortly before Valentine’s Day, my heart began to race chaotically and erratically fast. I got light-headed, passed out and then — I died. This is not an exaggeration. I have proof: a copy of my Medical Incident Report. Question 24 of the form asks, “Patient Condition on Arrival of First Fire Department Unit.” Two answer options are provided: (1) Alive, or (2) Dead. My report has a big circle around option two. So it’s official.
It still seems absurd that a vibrant and healthy woman in her 30s could literally drop dead within seconds of growing dizzy. That just doesn’t happen to physically active, young people who are non-smokers. Or does it? I am here to assure you — it happens! Much more often than most of you know. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of natural deaths in the United States.
Read more: Tracey Conway: Your Sweet Heart: A Survivor’s Story – http://pulse.me/s/isiBj
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
As we continue into breast cancer awareness month, I would like you to think about this.
While it goes back as far as our failing education system, the overall disregard of cause and effect is the major contributor to our health problems as a country. Instead of focusing on preventative measures we wait until we get sick, and instead of asking why or how we got sick.
Scientists Restore Hearing in Animals Using Human Stem Cells
In a promising early study, researchers from the U.K. restored hearing in deaf gerbils by using human embryonic stem cells. It's an encouraging finding for some of the millions of people who suffer from hearing disorders.
"We have the proof of concept that we can use human embryonic stem cells to repair the damaged ear," lead author Marcelo Rivolta, a stem cell biologist at the University of Sheffield, in England, …
100,000 LED lights down the Sumida River, Japan
Photo: tokyo-hotaru.com
The inaugural Tokyo Hotaru festival was held last weekend. And kicking off the festivities were an impressive display of 100,000 LED lights – made to resemble hotaru (fireflies) – that floated down the Sumida River through central Tokyo. Dubbed “prayer stars,” the LEDs were provided by Panasonic, who claims that the balls, which were designed to light up upon contact with water, were 100% powered by solar energy. After illuminating a large stretch of the river, which also hosts a popular fireworks festival in the summer, the LEDs were all caught in a large net. Read the rest of this entry
Money and Happiness: China Surveys Suggest a Limited Link
After two decades of extraordinarily rapid economic growth, people in China aren’t much happier than when they started, suggests a new review of happiness and national income in the world’s largest, most economically accelerated country.
On the whole, China’s wealthy are slightly happier than before, but little appears to have changed among middle-income earners. Among lower income brackets, life satisfaction seems to have dropped precipitously.
These trends are not an argument against capitalism or economic growth — but they do hint at shortcomings in using standard economic metrics as shorthand for well-being.
“There is no evidence of an increase in life satisfaction of the magnitude that might have been expected to result from the fourfold improvement in the level of per capita consumption,” write researchers led by economist Richard Easterlin in their May 15 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper. Read the rest of this entry
Five Charged in China After Teen Trades Kidney for iPhone and iPad
Camping overnight at the Apple store looks pretty tame after this case. Five people in southern China have been charged for taking a 17-year-old boy's kidney in exchange for an iPad and an iPhone.
According to Reuters, one of the defendants received $35,000 for arranging the transplant for an unknown client. He split that money with a surgeon and three other defendants.
Human Hearts
(Art by Antony Micallef)
Recently, our band's business manager, Jonathan, shared a shocking story with us. His childhood friend had passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 42. At the funeral, Jonathan and his friends were talking about their mutual friend's passing, and decided to all get their hearts checked.
Jonathan went to the doctor, who recommended a "CT Angiogram." It bears mentioning that Jonathan is, at a glance, a…
15% of Surgeons Have Alcohol Problems
Percentage of surgeons who have a drinking problem — a higher rate than in the general population — according to survey responses from some 7,000 doctors. Those who showed signs of alcohol misuse or dependency were more likely to have made a major medical error in the previous three months and were also more likely to report depression and burnout. The survey didn't make clear why surgeons might be more prone to alcoholism, but the high-stress nature of their jobs could be a factor. [via Reuters]
Layout, Comments, Sharing, Rating & More
Hey guys, I just thought I should update you about what I’ve changed here lately. First, I’ve obviously changed the layout about 7390 times, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve found the right one now. I’m really happy with it and plan to keep it for a while.
The new header was created by none other than me, myself, and I, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. I’ve never done any graphic design before, so this header is the first thing I created (with Gimp, cause I can’t even afford a proper graphic design software).
Self conscious as I am, I immediately asked my 1,044 Twitter followers what they thought about it and I’m really grateful that two of them replied and liked it. Twitter can be funny sometimes. When you want to be left alone, everybody wants to talk to you, but when you actually ask people something you just hear the crickets chirr.
Some other great news is that you can share all the blog posts now on Tumblr, too! Just use the button in the share section right under the blog post. There you also find buttons for Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Google+ and many other social networks. Thanks to everyone who shares, will share and has shared my posts. It’s much appreciated.
In case you want to rate my blog posts, from now on you can do this on the home page without having to open the blog post, you want to rate, first. It’s nice to get some feedback, so feel free to give me grades, no matter if good ones or bad ones, or just leave a comment if you have something to say!
Also, welcome to all the new subsribers! I’ve gained a few during the last weeks and it means a lot that you want to have my blog posts in your mail box!
