Health, features and articles | Educational Science

May 31, 2009

The Great Shampoo Sham

Shampooing can be complicated. First, there are the convoluted instructions: Lather, rinse, repeat. It doesn't say anything about stopping. And now there's a movement afoot, called the no poo movement, advocating no shampooing whatsoever. Shampoo is indeed a modern invention, as the no-poo'ers attest, developed roughly around the end of...

May 31, 2009

Marijuana Damages DNA and May Cause Cancer

A lot of studies have shown marijuana is not good for you. It can fry the brain and contribute to psychosis. The latest one finds convincing evidence that marijuana smoke damages the genetic material DNA in ways that could increase the risk of cancer. Toxic substances in tobacco smoke can...

May 31, 2009

Vinegar Might Fight Fat

Ordinary vinegar used to make salad dressings and pickles just might live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a promoter of health, a new study suggests. Nobody should start guzzling vinegar, but Japanese scientists found new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and...

May 31, 2009

For the Gullible Man: A New Baldness Calculator

A new baldness calculator, touted as being very accurate in an article at a British newspaper's web site that just lost even more of my respect, is little more than an advertisement cloaked in a quiz framed under the guise of science. It preys, of course, on the nearly universal...

May 31, 2009

Study Dispels Myth of Post-Workout Fat Burn

After an intense hour of sweating on the treadmill or pumping iron, most of us look forward to the extra post-exercise afterburn of fat cells that has been promised to us by fitness pundits. This 24-hour period of altered metabolism is supposed to help with our overall weight loss. Unfortunately,...

May 31, 2009

Potential New Drugs Put at 970 Million

Millions of new and useful drugs remain undiscovered. All chemists need to do is mix the right stuff. That's the view of a new study that analyzes the chemical universe to identify existing molecules that could be combined into as-yet unknown chemicals. The researchers estimate there are at least 970...

May 31, 2009

Getting Old Is Better Than Expected

When do we get old? People age 18 to 29 say old age starts at about 60. But those in middle-age figure it starts at 70. And those 65 and older put the threshold at 74. So it goes with other perceptions about aging in a new survey from the...

Apr 30, 2009

Old Age More Miserable for Women

Women live longer than men, on average, but its no secret that age takes its toll. A new study finds that largely owing to obesity and arthritis, which take root during early and middle age, old age can be miserable for many women — even when comparing men and women...

Apr 30, 2009

Clue to Narcolepsy Found

Narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally, is described by the National Institutes of Health thusly: At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience fleeting urges to sleep. There is no cure. But now there's a hint as to the...

Apr 30, 2009

Wealth: A Key to Health

Money is no cure-all, but wealth is a key to health, a new UK study suggests. The research, led by James Nazroo at University of Manchester, found several indicators that money actually buys better health: Those from lower socio-economic groups, on average, die earlier than their wealthier counterparts.Those from lower...

Apr 30, 2009

For Health, Recess as Good as Gym Class

As usual, your Mom was right. When she told you to get outside and play, she instinctively knew that would be good for you. Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that kids' natural short bursts of play energy contribute just as much to a healthy lifestyle as longer...

Apr 30, 2009

Genes Found Related to Onset of Menstruation and Menopause

Girls who begin menstruation earlier than average have a greater chance of being short and fat and are at greater risk for breast cancer and endometrial cancer later in life. Now scientists have found two genes involved in determining the onset of menstruation. The study also found genes related to...

Apr 30, 2009

60 Percent of Teens Text While Driving

Seven states and the District of Columbia have banned driving while texting, or DWT. But that doesn't stop people from engaging in the dangerous behavior. A new survey finds 26 percent of mobile phone users admit to DWT. Nearly 60 percent of respondents ages 16 to 19 do it. Drivers...

Apr 30, 2009

Test Tube Babies On the Rise Worldwide

More than 200,000 babies were born worldwide with the help of in vitro fertilization and other reproductive technologies in 2002, with a 25 percent increase between 2000 and 2002, according to a new report. However, the Octomom aside, multiple births resulting from assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have been on the...

Mar 31, 2009

Odd Illusion: Seeing Is Feeling

Ever stare long enough at something that's moving — a conveyor belt or a waterfall — until other objects seem to move even though they are fixed? It's an optical illusion called the motion aftereffect. In a new study, people had their fingertips stroked, then watched a stationary stripe on...