Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Human Rights Law Blogs -> Never In Our Names

Human Rights Law

: Never In Our Names

Science Tidbits

By possum

Once again the time has come to gather around for exciting and tantalizing news in the realm of science.  New discoveries.  New takes on old knowledge.  The base of information and knowledge grows at a rate much too fast to keep up with all that is available.

Over the fold are some selections from a few of the many fine science news sites around the world.  Today's tidbits include a relationship between IQ and risk of death, ozone and increased risk of death, eliminating human death from rabies is possible in Africa, rapid recharging of batteries on the horizon, and we may expect an increased use of tobacco in times of economic stress.  Follow over the fold and down the yellow brick road for one more session of science education and entertainment.
A study of one million Swedish men shows a lowered risk of death with higher IQ and more education.

The researchers say the link between IQ and mortality could be partially attributed to the healthier behaviours displayed by those who score higher on IQ tests.

Previous studies have shown increased IQ scores as a result of early education.  Makes school and a good education all the more important if one considers life expectancy as part of the equation.

From the no real surprise category comes evidence of a link between the ozone in smog and increased risk of death from respiratory disease.

The researchers found that people living in areas with the highest concentrations of ozone, such as the Los Angeles metropolitan area and California's Central Valley, had a 25 to 30 percent greater annual risk of dying from respiratory diseases compared with people from regions with the lowest levels of the pollutant.

Clean air really is more healthy.  No surprises in this one.

From a veterinary perspective rabies is one frightening disease.  In Africa one person dies every 10 minutes as a result of rabies infection from a dog bite.

Analysis of data on rabies transmission in two districts of rural Tanzania (Serengeti and Ngorongoro) and suggest that with

sustained, international commitment, global elimination of rabies from domestic dog populations, the most dangerous vector to humans, is a realistic goal.

New materials which may allow rapid recharging of batteries are on the horizon today.

MIT engineers have created a kind of beltway that allows for the rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material, an advance that could usher in smaller, lighter batteries -- for cell phones and other devices -- that could recharge in seconds rather than hours.

Just imagine a car that recharges in minutes and keeps right on running.  The possibilities are incredible.

In spite of the known risks of smoking and other uses of tobacco, experts suggest we may expect an increase in tobacco consumption in times of economic distress.

In an economic downturn, products seen as giving comfort in the midst of stress tend to sell very well. In the U.S. and abroad, tobacco is no exception.

For more science news see these and other websites:

General Science Collectors:
Eureka Science News
New Scientist
LiveScience
PhysOrg.com
Space Daily

Blogs:
ScienceBlogs
Tetrapod Zoologyvertebrate paleontology
Laelaps more vertebrate paleontology
Cantauri Dreams space exploration
Deep Sea News marine biology
A Few Things Ill Considered Techie and Science News:
Wired News
Techonology Review
Space Review
List of Geoscience Blogs

Science RSS Feed: Medworm

NASA picture of the day.  For more see the NASA website.  These pictures are evidence of your tax dollars hard at work.

The Dead Sea, NASA, Public Domain

Peace.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on March 13, 2009 (boomark / email).