The baseball season is here and as usual, all the fans I know are in despair about their respective teams (since one of them has to win every game–there are no ties in baseball–you’d think SOMEONE would be happy, but nobody seems to be).
In many ways, baseball is a metaphor for life, and this is best expressed in movies about the sport. Some examples:
"Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains." (Bull Durham)
read more
More than a million people die every year from air pollution in China, which has the fastest growing economy in the world. But how do you convince people to come and work in what is ALSO the most polluted city in the world? China’s big pollution problem (which blows around the globe) may cause a major slowdown in their economic development plans.
read more
Not because of any radiation that might be emanating from it, but because texting–instead of meeting with friends face to face–is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.
Neuroscientists have found evidence that experiences leave imprints–not only in our brains, but on our HEARTS. They’ve learned that people who practice what’s known as "lovingkindness" are less likely to have a heart attack.
read more
In the future, doctors will be able to diagnose the diseases we’re likely to get, such as heart disease and diabetes, by looking at our DNA. That way, they’ll be able to give us concrete advice about our health habits. But what if they have to consult the company who has patented our genes first? You may not know it, but you don’t "own" your own genes–Through more than 40,000 patents on DNA molecules, companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit.
When a research team examined two types of patented DNA sequences–long and short fragments–they discovered that 41% percent of the human genome is covered by DNA patents that often cover whole genes.
read more