Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 30, 2008

Beware Cheap Sunglasses

Summer is rapidly approaching. That means sunshine, the beach, and kiosks selling sunglasses with dubious information about the true level of UV protection they offer. UV light can damage the eyes by essentially giving the cornea a sunburn or, in the long run, causing cataracts and retinal and macular degeneration....

Apr 30, 2008

Girl's Twin Found Inside Her Stomach

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A 9-year-old girl who went to hospital in central Greece suffering from stomach pains was found to be carrying her embryonic twin, doctors said Thursday. Doctors at Larissa General Hospital examined the girl and surgically removed a growth they later discovered was an embryo more than...

Apr 30, 2008

Same Sex Couples Common in the Wild

As gay couples celebrate their newfound right to marry in California and opposition groups rally to fight the ruling, many struggle with this question: Is homosexuality natural? On this issue, Nature has spoken: Same-sex lovin' is common in hundreds of species, scientists say. Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins...

Apr 30, 2008

Causes of Morning Sickness Revealed

As irritating as morning sickness may be for pregnant women, it may protect embryos. Doctors have long known that morning sickness — the nausea and vomiting usually experienced in early pregnancy — is actually a good sign of a healthy pregnancy, despite the discomfort it brings. However, scientists have debated...

Apr 30, 2008

Mammography: Can It Be Improved?

Common Sense 101: if benefits outweigh the costs, generally people will opt in to whatever action is under consideration. If you can prevent or reduce your chance of death from cancer by early screenings at a nominal fee, you will probably get screened. Now throw a twist into the equation....

Apr 30, 2008

Brain Tumors: What Senator Kennedy's Diagnosis Means

Senator Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor after he experienced a seizure Saturday morning and was brought to Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors diagnosed Sen. Kennedy, 76, with a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe, a region of the brain involved in sensation (such as...

Apr 30, 2008

How to BBQ a Healthier Burger

Hankering after a juicy burger? Try an herbal topping and indulge guilt-free. Despite its notable nutrients — creatine, iron, B vitamins — ground beef spurs health fears from many directions. The American Heart Association frets over beef's saturated fat content, the main dietary cause of high cholesterol (which some link...

Mar 31, 2008

Seizure-Causing Computer Hack Predicted in Sci-Fi

Hackers used JavaScript code and flashing computer animation left in an epilepsy support message board to induce migraine headaches and seizures in users. The incident is being described as the first computer attack to deliberately harm the human users of computers. The message was posted on Saturday, March 22nd. The...

Mar 31, 2008

Fat Kids Get Fewer Cavities

Flying in the face of conventional thought, overweight children have fewer cavities and healthier teeth compared to other kids, a new study finds. Scientists are clueless as to why. Researchers at the Eastman Dental Center, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, analyzed data on nearly 18,000 children who...

Mar 31, 2008

Body Enhancement Nightmares: Top 10 Crimes Against Nature

Body Enhancement Nightmares: Top 10 Crimes Against Nature (Image credit: Dreamstime)The things we do to our bodies. Reality TV might present extreme makeovers as harmless and routine, but many cosmetic procedures, despite their popularity, carry serious risks. Check out these 10 things people do to themselves that they shouldn't....

Mar 31, 2008

The Multiple Mysteries of Herschel Walker and Sybil

In his new book Breaking Free, former Dallas Cowboys star Herschel Walker claims that for much of his life, he was really we. That's because he has Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, as it was renamed in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association). The diagnosis is controversial,...

Mar 31, 2008

Cultural Differences Found in Pee

Pee from more than 4,000 volunteers shows that people from different nations often have spectacularly different metabolisms. The finding could point to new ways to deal with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems, researchers said. After guts break down food and drink, chemicals left in their urine...

Mar 31, 2008

How the Black Death Changed the World

Each Monday, this column turns a page in history to explore the discoveries, events and people that continue to affect the history being made today. Seven thousand people died per day in Cairo. Three-quarters of Florence's residents were buried in makeshift graves in just one macabre year. One third of...

Mar 31, 2008

FDA Takes 2nd Look at Laser Eye Surgery Safety

Perfect vision in minutes. See better than 20/20 today. Throw away your glasses forever. You won't believe your eyes. The LASIK ads are so tempting. How can one resist those attractive women and men, nerds no more, liberated from the yoke of eyewear, at long last taking control of their...

Feb 29, 2008

House Calls Make Comeback

The next time you see the doctor, you might not spend an hour in a waiting room, read eight-month-old magazines or be examined in a cold, antiseptic room. You might not do any of these things, because the next time you see the doctor, you might see him at your...