The top 10

New Scientist compiles life’s top ten greatest inventions. Fun stuff !

Cramps

For other curious women who have also wondered about the biological necessity for menstrual cramps, here’s an explanation from the FDA :
… is a result of the normal production of prostaglandins by cells in the lining of the uterus. The lining of the uterus–which has built up and thickened during the early stages of the [...]

What’s Nature worth ?

When I took the ‘Environment & Population Assement’ class last year, we had an economic professor from Rice University come in and give a guest lecture on the economics of environmental policy-making. To be honest, he went a little too in-depth into economic theories for a public health class. But I did learn about the [...]

How Toxoplasma changed human culture

Here’s a fascinating story on how the parasite Toxoplasma gondii could have influenced (partly) the manner in which people from different parts of the world developed along different cultural lines.
When the parasite infects the brains of rats and mice, it alters their behavior, making them more reckless than normal–reckless enough that they don’t avoid [...]

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Most travelers resort to tackling jet lag with melatonin or sedatives and caffeine pills. But the most useful solutions to jet lag are actually napping and caffeine.
“Using a combination of nap and caffeine is better than using them separately, if you can believe it. It takes 15 to 30 minutes for caffeine to kick in. [...]

Don’t worry, be happy

Everyone knows that stress is detrimental to health, and new research shows that stress hormones can remodel the brain and also harm the immune system.
A good fix for mental stress is exercise. Now, if only we could find the time and energy !
Technorati Tags: stress, immune system, brain

Curry power

Scientists at the National University of Singapore have discovered that curry eating enhances cognitive performance in the elderly. [Via] The compound curcurin found in turmeric (a staple ingredient of curry), is an antioxidant that may inhibit buildup of plaques in people with Alzheimer’s. Hmmm. I have two questions:
Has it been shown Alzheimer’s occurs less frequently [...]

Power of thinking without thinking

Instinct is a strong word, poorly defined. Personally, it manifests as a strong sense of one set of choices being right. It’s also usually accompanied by a racing heart, sweaty palms and my brain groaning against what it thinks is a ’stupid’ decision. There is an overwhelming sense of something feeling like the right thing [...]