"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale."
~ Marie Curie
Image of the day:
BODY
~ Links Between Food Cravings, Types Of Cravings, And Weight Management -- "Accepting food cravings and keeping them in check may be an important component of weight management, according to findings from the first six-month phase of a calorie-restriction study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University."
~ Exercise, Rest, Repeat: How A Break Can Help Your Workout -- "Taking a break in the middle of your workout may metabolize more fat than exercising without stopping, according to a recent study in Japan. Researchers conducted the first known study to compare these two exercise methods exercising continually in one long bout versus breaking up the same workout with a rest period. The findings could change the way we approach exercise."
~ Antioxidants may protect against knee arthritis -- "People who have plenty of foods with antioxidants in their diets may be protecting themselves from bone changes associated with knee arthritis, according to a new study."
~ No love handles now? Just wait -- "How do you feel about gaining 10 to 20 pounds? Researchers say that most Americans probably will within the next 10 years if they continue their current exercise and eating habits."
~ Fitness: Improve the Health of Your Diet by Avoiding White Flour -- "I'd like to share some research with you that may make you think twice before eating your next sandwich on white bread. It will also help your efforts to lose weight and will improve your health."
~ High-intensity walking beneficial for elderly -- "High-intensity walking helps elderly adults keep their blood pressure in check, maintain thigh muscle strength, and increase their exercise capacity, according to results of a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings."
PSYCHE
~ Nature? Nurture? What makes us human? -- "That old chestnut - what defines human nature? Genes or experience? Are we free agents or genetically determined souls? These questions have fuelled a fierce fight - polarizing a battleground of social scientists, biologists, parents and politicians. World renowned science writer Matt Ridley is calling a truce, and arguing the case for Nature via Nurture." I like this view -- the post links to audio and a PDF of the lecture.
~ Study To Evaluate Lithium For Pediatric Bipolar Disorder -- "Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are participating in a national study to evaluate lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents."
~ Teen Self-Injury May Be Common -- "Teenage cutting and other forms of nonsuicidal self-harm may be more common than previously thought, researchers say."
~ Being Lonely Can Cause Physical & Mental Harm -- "According to psychologists researching in this area, humans are instinctually social creatures who need to engage in interpersonal interaction. They also agree that people who have close ties with others tend to be better motivated and can navigate through stressful challenges better than those who don’t. Conversely, people who lack proper social interaction have been found to suffer from a battery of physical illnesses, including the eroding of arteries and high blood pressure."
~ Friends: Life Support -- "Safeguards against the damaging effects of stress."
~ The Dangers of Loneliness -- "The deep-seated need for inclusion."
~ Further Exploration of Alcohols Link to Aggression -- "The relationship between alcohol and aggression is not just a Hollywood invention. The U.S. Bureau of Justice reported that when it comes to violent assault, 2/3 of relationship-partner perpetrators were inebriated, as were 1/3 of stranger-assailants."
~ Online papers on consciousness, part 3: Science of consciousness -- Compiled by David Chalmers.
CULTURE/POLITICS
~ 101 Greatest Simpsons Quotes -- "If “The Simpsons” have taught us anything it’s that two-dimensional characters are funnier than three-dimensional ones. There are as many great Simpsons quotes as there are Republicans in hell, which is another way to say “a lot.” For 18 years the residents of Springfield have been piling up the wittiest quotes ever uttered on TV." One favorite: "Homer: Son, when you participate in sporting events, it’s not whether you win or lose: it’s how drunk you get."
~ Young girl claims she is Kalpana Chawla -- "REINCARNATION? Four-year-old Upasana from Bulandshahar (UP) claims that her name is Kalpana Chawla."
~ Man's new best friend lays eggs -- "A growing number of urban and suburban families keeping chickens in their backyards. While the birds don’t cuddle like kittens or play like puppies, owners say they offer a soothing presence in the yard and an endless supply of organic eggs."
~ Senate Panel Approves Huge Tobacco Tax To Fund Child Healthcare -- "In an overwhelming majority of 17 to 4, and in defiance of a threatened veto by President Bush, the US Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to expand child healthcare using a large increase in tobacco tax."
~ The YouTube Debate's Oddest Queries -- "Monday night's Democratic debate will be the first in which all the questions have been submitted by YouTube users. Here's a selection of 10 you probably won't see."
~ Senate Passes Student Aid Bill -- "The Senate passed a bill early Friday to increase aid to college students. The bill would give more money to Pell grant recipients, who are among the poorest."
~ Bush Proclaims Unlimited Executive Privilege Powers -- "'Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine US attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege,' write Dan Eggen and Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post."
HABITATS/TECHNOLOGY
~ Study Sheds Light on Why Humans Walk on Two Legs -- "A team of anthropologists that studied chimpanzees trained to use treadmills has gathered new evidence suggesting that our earliest apelike ancestors started walking on two legs because it required less energy than getting around on all fours."
~ Unique Material May Allow Capacitors to Store More Energy -- "Imagine an electric car with the same acceleration capability as a gas-powered sports car, or ultrafast rechargeable “batteries” that can be recharged a thousand times more than existing conventional batteries. According to physicists at North Carolina State University, all of these things are possible, thanks to their research on a polymer - or plastic material - that when used as a dielectric in capacitors may allow the capacitors to store up to seven times more energy than those currently in use."
~ Physicists get ultra-sharp glimpse of electrons -- "MIT physicists have developed a spectroscopy technique that allows researchers to inspect the world of electrons confined to a two-dimensional plane more clearly than ever before."
~ Electrical fields from everyday equipment and materials could increase infection risk -- "Electrical fields generated by everyday electrical equipment such as computers, and excess static charge created by many modern materials, could be bad for your health, says new research published by Imperial scientists."
~ New La Nina Could Stir Up Hurricanes -- "The U.N. warns a La Nina could mean more hurricanes in the Atlantic."
~ New Fingerprint Technique Could Reveal Diet, Sex, Race -- "The improved method is faster and provides more information."
~ The ethanol backlash is here! -- "Ethanol, the substitute for gasoline that in the United States is largely derived from corn, is hot. Statistics from the Renewable Fuels Association show that production doubled between 2002 and 2006, from 2.1 billion to 4.9 billion gallons, allowing the United States to surpass Brazil as the Saudi Arabia of ethanol."
INTEGRAL/BUDDHIST
~ Killing the Buddha -- "Part of the appeal of Buddhism for me is its investigative spirit. We’re encouraged to question the teachings to see if they are consistent with our own experiences. We should discard whatever gets in the way of understanding. Or, as the Zen saying goes, 'If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.'"
~ Mystical Arts of Tibet for world healing -- "The Drepung Loseling monks have appeared all over the world, sharing the stage with artists from Philip Glass to the Beastie Boys. They perform ancient temple music and mystical masked dances from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition robed in elaborate brocade costumes and playing traditional Tibetan instruments."
~ The Unbelievable -- "Problem with Harris is he won't recognize levels of religious faith, i.e. levels of spirituality, at least basic ones such as prerational, rational and postrational. He does not criticize magical and mythical religion, but religion as such, belief as such, faith as such."
~ Dealing with Kundalini -- "I’ve been describing my experiences with kundalini in detail as part of my description of my personal journey. But since kundalini-related experiences normally get such a bad reputation and are billed as being really terrifying, I just wanted to briefly describe the way I dealt with living, albeit briefly, with this often overwhelming and powerful energy."
~ Z2 - Riding the Kundalini Dragon: Integrating Altered States! -- "The Zymposium is an online community event in which a group of presenters take turns blogging on their own pages on a specific topic. All the presenters - as well as whomever wants to jump in from the readership engage each day in a discussion (via the comments section of that blogpost) of that day's piece and the ideas/issues it raises."
Tags:
No comments:
Post a Comment