Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 28, 2009

Teen Leaders More Likely to Have Kids Later

We live in an age of overachieving young people. These kids do great in school, are sports team captains, have lots of friends who follow them around in awe, and get raises at their part-time jobs because they have the skills to get others to work hard too. Some of...

Jan 31, 2009

First Sign of Chocolate in Ancient U.S. Found

Chocolate residues left on ancient jars mark cacao's earliest known presence north of what is now the U.S.-Mexico border. The residues, found on pottery shards excavated from a large pueblo (called Pueblo Bonito) in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico, suggest the practice of drinking chocolate had traveled from what...

Jan 31, 2009

Study Suggests Why Gut Instincts Work

Sometimes when you think you're guessing, your brain may actually know better. After conducting some unique memory and recognition tests, while also recording subjects' brain waves, scientists conclude that some gut feelings are not just guesswork after all. Rather, we access memories we aren't even aware we have. We may...

Jan 31, 2009

Study Suggests Multivitamins Don't Work

Long-term multivitamin use has no impact on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease or overall mortality in postmenopausal women, a new study finds. The message is simple and echoes the advice of most researchers who have looked into the effects of diet: Eat real food. Several other studies have...

Jan 31, 2009

The Strangest Valentine's Day Stories

The approach of Valentine's Day generates more meaningless articles and borderline news than any other holiday. Not to mention some bizarre rituals and events (see Zoorotica, below). Surveys about love are done, studies having anything to do with relationships or chocolate are held for release this week, and people start...

Jan 31, 2009

Infectious Superbug Invades Beaches

CHICAGO — Add the MRSA superbug to the list of concerns you bring to the beach nowadays, a research doctor said today. It's still safe to go in the water, especially if you shower thoroughly before and after swimming, but antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a strain of bacteria that can cause...

Jan 31, 2009

New Artificial DNA Points to Alien Life

CHICAGO — A strange, new genetic code a lot like that found in all terrestrial life is sitting in a beaker full of oily water in a laboratory in Florida, a scientist said today, calling it the first example of an artificial chemical system that is capable of Darwinian evolution....

Jan 31, 2009

Pill Could Erase Bad Memories

Scientists have discovered a drug that could erase fearful memories in humans. The method, using existing blood pressure pills, could be useful for weakening or erasing bad memories in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, the researchers say. Unfortunately, other research has shown, bad memories stick better than good ones. Studies...

Dec 31, 2008

'Tetris' Game Quells Bad Flashbacks

Tetris, one of the most popular video games ever, could help reduce flashbacks among people with post-traumatic stress disorder. A study of healthy volunteers who played the falling-blocks game for 10 minutes a half hour after viewing traumatic images of injury, including advertisements highlighting the dangers of drunk driving, showed...

Dec 31, 2008

The Recession Could Make You Fat

Studies have shown that obesity and income are related. One reason: Poor neighborhoods tend to have more fast food restaurants and fewer grocery stores, so it's harder for residents to eat well. In Seattle we have found that there are fivefold differences in obesity rates depending on the zip code...

Dec 31, 2008

Caffeine Can Cause Hallucinations

People who take in the caffeine equivalent of three cups of brewed coffee (or seven cups of instant) are more likely to hallucinate, a new study suggests. The researchers found that people with a caffeine intake that high, whether it came from coffee, tea, chocolate or caffeinated energy drinks or...

Dec 31, 2008

Report: Older Drivers in Fewer Deadly Crashes

As the baby boomer generation ages, the elderly are becoming a bigger segment of the driving population. And while some are racing around town like the little old lady from Pasadena, a growing number seem to be becoming more cautious. Contrary to expectations, older drivers are involved in fewer fatal...

Dec 31, 2008

Mellow Demeanor May Stave Off Dementia

People who are socially active and mellow may be less likely to develop dementia, a new study finds. Dementia is a loss of mental function, such as memory and reasoning, that is severe enough to interfere with everyday life. Several diseases can cause dementia, including Alzheimer's (the most common cause...

Dec 31, 2008

Acupuncture Works ... As Placebo

Headache sufferers can find relief in acupuncture, even if the needles are stuck in the wrong places, scientists now say. Two separate systematic reviews of data show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for prevention of headaches and migraines. But the results also suggest that faked procedures, in which needles...

Dec 31, 2008

FDA Approves Test to Inject Embryonic Stem Cells into Humans

The federal government has approved the first study by a company that will use human embryonic stem cells injected into a human. The Geron corporation announce the approval today. The therapy used in the study is designed to treat spinal cord injuries by injecting stem cells — which are able...