We’ve been reassured that low doses of X-rays, like the ones we get at the dentist’s office, are not harmful. But now researcher Markus Lobrich says they may be even MORE harmful than higher doses of X-rays. Low doses of X-rays may actually do long-lasting damage to cells.
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Most people admit that smoking can kill you, but many of us are unsure about second hand smoke. Surely being in a smoky room can’t be that bad for you?but a new study shows it is. The evidence was revealed unintentionally when Helena, Montana imposed a six-month ban on smoking in all public places. Doctors discovered the number of heart attacks in the area went down by almost half. While some of this drop could be due to people who stopped smoking, most of it can be attributed to the lack of second hand smoke.
Statistician Stanton Glantz says, “This striking finding suggests that protecting people from toxins in second-hand smoke not only makes life more pleasant, it immediately starts saving lives.”
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Evidence has been found in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq that a group linked to al-Qaeda called Ansar al-Islam was producing three types of chlorine gas, as well as ricin. Documents and equipment were found in the rubble of an bombed facility that is described as “a cookbook and kitchen” for chemical weapons. Other items included latex gloves, penicillin, a freezer and lab equipment. Two suspected al-Qaeda terrorists escaped into Iran but surrendered to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Iran says it will hand over captured Ansar terrorists, but they haven’t done it yet. “We asked the Iranian authorities to hand over to us any of the Afghan Arabs or Islamic militants hiding themselves inside the villages of Iran,” says Boorhan Saeed, a pro-U.S. Kurdish fighter.read more
Now that China has finally admitted the SARS epidemic started in the southern province of Guangdong and is letting investigators into the country, new discoveries are being made about the virus. One of these is that the first people who came down with the disease ate or handled wild game, such as chickens, ducks and owls. “We will explore further if the disease was passed to human beings from wild animals. You know, Guangdong people like eating exotic animals and I don’t find it a healthy practice,” says Bi Shengli, of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The earliest cases of SARS have been traced to either chefs or bird sellers.
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