| News Capsules - November-December - Online Extra |
Drug Burns Up Calories
Sedentary mice who took a drug
called AICAR for four weeks
burned more calories and had
less fat than untreated mice,
scientists have reported. They
also said that a second drug
along with exercise training
allowed mice to increase their
endurance by 68%. It is not clear
whether or not this “exercise pill”
would similarly help humans, but it
my be tempting for athletes
seeking a competitive edge.—
usatoday.com (7/31/08)
Controversial Method
to Treat Autism
Under pressure from desperate
parents, the government is going
to test an unproven method called
chelation for treating autistic
children. The treatment removes
heavy metals from the body and is
based on the theory that mercury
in vaccines triggers autism. The
National Institute of Mental Health
supports the test, but some
scientists see it as an unethical
experiment in voodoo medicine.—
(Racine) Journal Times (7/9/08)
Talk Therapy Used Less Now
U.S. psychiatrists are using talk
therapy less often these days
because of an expanded use of
pills and insurance polices that
favor short office visits. A new
study came to these conclusions,
finding the percentage of office
visits for psychotherapy, or talk
therapy, fell from 44% in 1997 to
29% in 2005. TV ads hype drugs
for depression, but there is almost
no marketing for psychotherapy,
which has comparable if not better
outcomes, an expert says.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/5/08)
Sedentary mice who took a drug
called AICAR for four weeks
burned more calories and had
less fat than untreated mice,
scientists have reported. They
also said that a second drug
along with exercise training
allowed mice to increase their
endurance by 68%. It is not clear
whether or not this “exercise pill”
would similarly help humans, but it
my be tempting for athletes
seeking a competitive edge.—
usatoday.com (7/31/08)
Controversial Method
to Treat Autism
Under pressure from desperate
parents, the government is going
to test an unproven method called
chelation for treating autistic
children. The treatment removes
heavy metals from the body and is
based on the theory that mercury
in vaccines triggers autism. The
National Institute of Mental Health
supports the test, but some
scientists see it as an unethical
experiment in voodoo medicine.—
(Racine) Journal Times (7/9/08)
Talk Therapy Used Less Now
U.S. psychiatrists are using talk
therapy less often these days
because of an expanded use of
pills and insurance polices that
favor short office visits. A new
study came to these conclusions,
finding the percentage of office
visits for psychotherapy, or talk
therapy, fell from 44% in 1997 to
29% in 2005. TV ads hype drugs
for depression, but there is almost
no marketing for psychotherapy,
which has comparable if not better
outcomes, an expert says.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/5/08)
Fossil Birds Found
With Dinosaurs
More fossilized birds are being
discovered in the same sediments
as dinosaurs. Scientists in China
have reported found a fossil bird
with modern-looking wings
alongside dinosaur fossils. These
findings challenge the idea of
evolutionists that modern birds
evolved from dinosaurs.—
Answers (Oct-Dec., 2008)
An Invisibility Cloak?
Scientists have come up with two
new materials that can bend light
the wrong way, creating the first
step to a possible invisibility
cloaking device. One material is a
type of fishnet of metal layers that
reverses the direction of light.
The other approach uses tiny
silver wires. Each new material
works to reverse light in limited
wavelengths. However, one
researcher indicated they were a
long way from creating an invisible
man.—yahoo news Reuters
(8/10/08)
Fear New York Earthquake
A study of recent earthquake
activity around New York City has
found many small faults, once
believed to be inactive, that could
contribute to a major, disastrous
earthquake. Two of the faults lie
near the Indian Point nuclear
power plant 25 miles north of New
York City. Magnitude 6 or 7
earthquakes are rare in the area,
but nobody knows if New York is
due for one.—(Racine) Journal
Times (8/24/08)
With Dinosaurs
More fossilized birds are being
discovered in the same sediments
as dinosaurs. Scientists in China
have reported found a fossil bird
with modern-looking wings
alongside dinosaur fossils. These
findings challenge the idea of
evolutionists that modern birds
evolved from dinosaurs.—
Answers (Oct-Dec., 2008)
An Invisibility Cloak?
Scientists have come up with two
new materials that can bend light
the wrong way, creating the first
step to a possible invisibility
cloaking device. One material is a
type of fishnet of metal layers that
reverses the direction of light.
The other approach uses tiny
silver wires. Each new material
works to reverse light in limited
wavelengths. However, one
researcher indicated they were a
long way from creating an invisible
man.—yahoo news Reuters
(8/10/08)
Fear New York Earthquake
A study of recent earthquake
activity around New York City has
found many small faults, once
believed to be inactive, that could
contribute to a major, disastrous
earthquake. Two of the faults lie
near the Indian Point nuclear
power plant 25 miles north of New
York City. Magnitude 6 or 7
earthquakes are rare in the area,
but nobody knows if New York is
due for one.—(Racine) Journal
Times (8/24/08)
Neanderthals
Weren’t Dumb
New research shows that
Neanderthals were not stupid and
could make tools as good as the
early ancestors of modern
humans. The findings challenge
the assumption that early Homo
sapiens caused Neanderthals to
go extinct because of better
tools. Researchers from British
and U.S. universities tested both
Neanderthal and homo sapiens
tools and discovered no
statistical difference in efficiency
of the two technologies.—yahoo
news AP (8/26/08)
Life Expectancy Tops 78
Life expectancy in the U.S. now
tops 78 for the first time, but the
country still trails 30 other
countries in estimated life
expectancy. The increase is due
mainly to falling mortality rates in
almost all the leading causes of
death. Babies born in 2006 can
expect to live on average 4
months longer than those born in
2005. Japan has the longest life
expectancy—83 years for children
born in 2006.—Yahoo News A.P.
(6/11/08)
Flu Antibodies Hang Around
Survivors of the 1918 pandemic
flu still have antibodies in their
systems looking to kill the old flu
strain. This discovery was made
by scientists testing the blood of
32 people aged 92 to 102 who
had been exposed. While there is
no pressing need for a 1918 flu
vaccine since it has long since
mutated out of its deadly form, the
study shows the remarkable
durability of the human immune
system.—Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (8/18/08)
Weren’t Dumb
New research shows that
Neanderthals were not stupid and
could make tools as good as the
early ancestors of modern
humans. The findings challenge
the assumption that early Homo
sapiens caused Neanderthals to
go extinct because of better
tools. Researchers from British
and U.S. universities tested both
Neanderthal and homo sapiens
tools and discovered no
statistical difference in efficiency
of the two technologies.—yahoo
news AP (8/26/08)
Life Expectancy Tops 78
Life expectancy in the U.S. now
tops 78 for the first time, but the
country still trails 30 other
countries in estimated life
expectancy. The increase is due
mainly to falling mortality rates in
almost all the leading causes of
death. Babies born in 2006 can
expect to live on average 4
months longer than those born in
2005. Japan has the longest life
expectancy—83 years for children
born in 2006.—Yahoo News A.P.
(6/11/08)
Flu Antibodies Hang Around
Survivors of the 1918 pandemic
flu still have antibodies in their
systems looking to kill the old flu
strain. This discovery was made
by scientists testing the blood of
32 people aged 92 to 102 who
had been exposed. While there is
no pressing need for a 1918 flu
vaccine since it has long since
mutated out of its deadly form, the
study shows the remarkable
durability of the human immune
system.—Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (8/18/08)
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