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This theory is based on a comparison of autism with the weather records from three West Coast states: California, Oregon and Washington State. Researchers found that rates of autism were higher in children who lived in states where it rained a lot during their first 3 years.

How can this be? Since we suspect that autism is caused by a reaction to heavy metals in genetically susceptible infants, perhaps rain causes this type of pollution (often from power plants) to be brought closer to the ground, where it can be breathed in by infants and pregnant mothers.
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WE may have a melamine problem too! – In the November 17 edition of the New York Times, James E. McWilliams reports that “?Melamine is?integral to the material life of any industrialized society. It’s a common ingredient in cleaning products, waterproof plywood, plastic compounds, cement, ink and fire-retardant paint. Chemical plants throughout the United States produce millions of pounds of melamine a year. Given the pervasiveness of melamine, it’s always possible that trace elements will end up in food.”
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How to tell if food is made in China: Read the barcode! – The FDA is finally acting! They have started blocking milk products from China that may be contaminated with melamine.

In BBC News, Jonathan Beale reports that the FDA has not only banned milk imports, it has issued a nationwide “import alert,” since this has to do with more than just milk. The list of foods they plan to inspect include cereals, snack foods, cheese, ice cream, carbonated drinks, candy, puddings and pet foods, all of which may contain melamine, which is used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizer.

The FDA is planning to open offices in China to inspect these products before they are exported to the US.
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Your computer purchases may have helped to finally vanquish a long time killer.

As the climate warms, malaria-carrying mosquitoes may eventually arrive in the Northern hemisphere, so it’s not a moment too soon.

A new class of medicine has been found that kills the parasite that causes the most lethal form of human malaria. Researcher Doron Greenbaum reported that it irreversibly kills the parasites while sparing human red blood cells, which are responsible for the nearly 500 million cases of malaria worldwide and as many as two million deaths, most of them in children.
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