On:

Laugh & eat chocolate – Laughter is a highly complex process. Joyous or mirthful laughter is considered a positive stress that leads to a positive effect on health. It can help you STAY IN SHAPE! And if you’re not laughing enough, you’re probably eating chocolate.

Dr. Lee S. Berk has shown that repetitious “mirthful laughter” causes the body to respond in a way similar to moderate physical exercise. It enhances your mood, decreases stress hormones, enhances immune activity, lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and raises good cholesterol (HDL). Berk says, “We are finally starting to realize that our everyday behaviors and emotions are modulating our bodies in many ways.”
read more

On:

Practice, practice, practice – NASA’s Spirit Mars Rover has discovered strange blue rocks on the surface of Mars which contain high concentrations of carbonate–evidence that the planet once had a wet, non-acidic environment that may have been favorable for life. Meanwhile, an international crew has locked themselves away in a module with no windows and only e-mail contact with the outside world for 18 months, in preparation for a potential journey there so they can see if any life still exists there. They even have a room that simulates the surface of Mars, so they can practice leaving their ship!
read more

On:

How will this affect the oil spill? – If we know what’s coming, we can be prepared: A group of Florida scientists who have developed a computer model for predicting hurricanes with unprecedented accuracy are forecasting an unusually active season coming our way this year.
read more

On:

Do better looking defendants stay out of jail? – It may be the last place you want to be judged on your looks, but in a court of law it pays to be attractive. If you’re not good looking, get your lawyer to use your brain scan to prove you’re telling the truth.

A new study has found that unattractive defendants are 22% more likely to be convicted, and tend to get hit with longer, harsher sentences, with an average of 22 months longer in prison recommended by the study’s participants.

Researcher Justin Gunnell says, “22 months may not seem like a lot to an outsider, but I guarantee that to the person serving the sentence it will seem like a lot.”
read more