Health, features and articles | Educational Science

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...

Mar 31, 2009

Mom's Diet Can Change Unborn Baby's Genetics

There's an old phrase that an expectant mother is eating for two. A new study indicates it's more apt than was known. A bad diet can actually alter a baby's genes. If a mother rat does not eat well, her offspring exhibit genetic changes that affect what they'll become. Because...

Mar 31, 2009

Laughter Is Indeed Good Medicine

Nobody can say if laughter is the best medicine, but it certainly seems to help. So suggests a new but very small study of diabetes patients who were given a good dose of humor for a year. Researchers split 20 high-risk diabetic patients —all with hypertension and hyperlipidemia (a risk...

Mar 31, 2009

Flu Special Report: The Basics

With swine flu outbreaks creating what U.S. health officials Sunday called a public health emergency, LiveScience presents a 4-part Flu Special Report this week to examines the science of influenza, what you can do to be safe, and the risk of a pandemic. Part 1 today: Flu basics. The flu...

Mar 31, 2009

Swine Flu Vaccine Could Take 6 Months

A vaccine for the new swine flu in humans could take at least six months to manufacture and distribute widely, a British doctor said. The reason: Vaccines must be developed from the specific flu strain, tested for safety, sent to manufacturers for mass production, and then distributed around the world....

Mar 31, 2009

Glowing Dogs Created in Lab

South Korean scientists claim to have put fluorescent genes into eggs to create four cloned dogs (all named Ruppy) that glow red under ultraviolet light. The same feat has been accomplished with mice, pigs and cats previously. Behind the effort: Showing that these genes can be implanted in eggs that...

Mar 31, 2009

5 Wild Diseases We Got From Animals

The swine flu is just one of many deadly diseases that have jumped from animals to humans. Bacteria and viruses that are deadly to one type of creature can evolve quickly to infect another. The cross-species infection can originate on farms or in markets, where conditions foster mixing of pathogens,...

Feb 28, 2009

Study: Athletes Indeed Need Supporters

Having support from friends and family can improve an athlete's performance, a new study suggests. While hard work and talent are not discounted, the study makes a statistical link between social support and performance among golfers. The researchers studied 197 British male amateur golfers, who all played at a high...

Feb 28, 2009

Exercise: The Best Medicine

It just seems too good to be true. Study after research study consistently promoting the endless benefits of exercise. Couch potatoes everywhere are waiting for the other shoe to drop, telling us that all of those scientists were wrong and we should remain as sedentary as possible. Yet four additional...

Feb 28, 2009

5 Things You Must Never Forget

5 Things You Must Never Forget (Image credit: Dreamstime)Whether it is a name, date or directions, there always seems to be something new to remember. Yet you probably feel like there's just not enough room in those little brain cells of yours to cram the latest tidbit. And unfortunately you...