Doomsday Clock Advances

The doomsday clock, conceived by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) to illustrate how close mankind is to nuclear disaster, has been advanced two minutes, to read five minutes before midnight—the “figurative end of civilization.” The clock has only been reset 18 times in its 60-year histor...

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Prescription for Danger

“Medicines claimed more lives in Germany last year than traffic accidents did,” reported the newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten. Reportedly, some 25,000 people died in 1998 from wrongly prescribed drugs. This is three times as many as were killed in traffic accidents during the same period. Self-medication is said to play only a secondary role. The main problem seems to be a lack of information and training among doctors about the medicines and their effects. Pharmacologist Ingolf Cascorbi said that according to one estimate, “in Germany each year, 10,000 deaths and 250,000 cases of persons suffering from serious side effects could be avoided...

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An Explosion of Technology

In Albania it is not unusual to see an older person riding a donkey while talking on a cell phone. In India a beggar might pause in his solicitations to make or take a call on his phone. Yes, from cell phones to computers to television, technology has found its way into every corner of the world—even crossing the divide between rich and poor—and has become a part of life for many. The pervasiveness of technology is perhaps most apparent in the proliferation of cell phones, many of which are no longer just phones. Advanced models enable users to access the Internet, send and receive e-mail and text messages, watch TV, listen to music, take photos,...

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Studying The Squid’s Beak

The beak of the squid baffles scientists. They wonder: ‘How can something that is so hard be attached to a body that has no bones? Should not the combination of materials cause abrasion and hurt the squid?’ The tip of the squid’s beak is hard, whereas the base of the beak is soft. The composition of the beak—which is made up of chitin, water, and protein—changes in density so gradually from soft to hard that the squid can use its beak without causing any harmful abrasio...

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Glass spells danger for birds

When windows are clean and clear, birds often see only what is on the other side, which may include greenery and sky. As a result, unsuspecting birds sometimes fly straight into the glass at full speed. Also, they may see decorative plants inside glass lobbies or homes and try to land on them. Coated reflective glass can also be a problem. Under certain conditions, birds may see, not the glass, but a reflection of the surrounding area or sky and, here again, come to grief. Birds have even been killed by glass at visitors’ centers and on observation towers at bird sanctuaries and wildlife refuges! Ornithologist and biology professor Dr. Daniel...

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The Appeal of Online Dating

Do you fear rejection? Or do you simply feel there is a lack of potential marriage mates in the area where you live? Then computer dating may appeal to you. For one thing, on-line matchmaking services promise you control over your “dates.” Search boxes that display age groups, countries of residence, personality profiles, pictures, and anonymous screen names are provided. Armed with the power of choice, it may seem that dating on-line is more efficient and less stressful than face-to-face encounter...

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Lost Work Ethic

Many Finnish employers are perplexed by a new generation of job applicants who do not seem to have a clue about the social skills necessary to hold a job. “The recruits tend to interpret work hours freely and think that they can clock in and out whenever they please,” says Anne Mikkola, a restaurateur, in an interview made by a Finnish national service broadcasting compan...

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Youths and The Internet

“The Internet provides an unprecedented number and variety of meeting places, from message boards to instant messaging to so-called social networking sites,” says Science News magazine. Young people have quickly adjusted to life online. Indeed, in 2004 nearly 9 of every 10 people in the United States between the ages of 12 and 17 used the Internet, which is accessible in virtually every corner of the glob...

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Loango - Beach Like No Other

Loango National Park is possibly one of the most outstanding wildlife destinations in Africa. It conserves miles of unspoiled beaches fringed by freshwater lagoons and dense equatorial forest. But what really make Loango’s beaches unique are the animals that walk along the sand—hippos, forest elephants, buffalo, leopards, and gorilla...

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The Shark - Action Is Essential for Survival

Should the plight of the shark concern us? It may be difficult to feel the same sympathy for sharks as we might for elephants or whales. However, we must recognize their vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of the oceans. For example, their feeding habits currently serve as a check on other fish population...

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Jai Singh - Devoted to the Study of Mathematical Science

Jai Singh was born in 1688 in the Indian state of Rajasthan. His father, a maharaja in Amber, the capital of the Kachavaha clan of Rajputs, was under the authority of the Mogul powers in Delhi. The young prince was educated in such languages as Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. He also received education in mathematics, astronomy, and the martial arts. But one subject was closest to the prince’s heart. A text of his times states: “Sawai Jai Singh from the first dawning of reason in his mind, and during its progress toward maturity, was entirely devoted to the study of mathematical science (astronomy)...

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Punjabis and Kidney Stones

People from the state of Punjab and surrounding areas of India are more prone to get kidney stones than any other community in the world, reports India Today International. Punjabis are known for working hard and eating heartily, but often they do not drink enough water in the scorching summer months, says the report. For this reason, their region was described at a recent international urologic conference as the “stone belt” of the world. The average size of a kidney stone there is between two and three centimeters [about an inch], compared with one centimeter [less than half an inch] in Europe and the United States. The report attributes this...

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Temperatures in Parked Cars

During 2004, 35 children died of heat stroke in the United States after being left in parked vehicles, says Pediatrics magazine. Studies show that when outside temperatures exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheit [30°C], temperatures inside a vehicle can quickly reach 134 to 154 degrees [57 to 68°C]. Even with an outside temperature of 72 degrees [22°C], the temperature in a car can still rise by about 40 degrees [22°], with most of the increase taking place within 15 to 30 minutes after parking. Leaving the windows one and a half inches [4 cm] open made little difference, as did running air-conditioning before turning the car off. The authors of the article...

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Is Obesity Really a Problem?

“Adolescent obesity is like an epidemic.”—S. K. Wangnoo, senior consultant endocrinologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, India.As the above comment shows, many middle-class Indian families have changed to a life-style that is resulting in teenage obesity. This epidemic has become a pandemic that is spreading in many countries as more people exercise less and become addicted to junk food. A consultant in adolescent medicine stated: “The next generation [in Britain] will be . . . the most obese in the history of mankind.” The Guardian Weekly reported: “Obesity was once mainly an adult problem. Now Britain has a young...

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Do You Need Insurance?

In some lands certain kinds of insurance are compulsory. In others, most kinds are practically unknown. In addition, the cost of insurance and the type of coverage provided vary widely from country to country. But the fundamental principle of insurance—sharing risk—remains the same. Naturally, the more property a person owns, the more he has to lose. Similarly, the more family responsibility a person has, the greater the impact if he or she dies or becomes physically disabled. Having insurance can alleviate one’s concern about the possibility of suffering a loss of property or a disabling acciden...

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Thinking About Games Fuels Aggression?

How long does aggression last after a person plays violent video games? Researchers randomly assigned male and female students to play violent or nonviolent video games for 20 minutes. Afterward, half of the people in each group were asked to think about their game. “The next day,” says the report, “participants competed with an ostensible opponent on a competitive task in which the winner could punish the loser with painful noise blasts through headphones.” Increased aggression was evident among males who were told to think about the violent gam...

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Dangers of Polluted Water

According to a United Nations report, “more people now die from contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence including wars.” The UN reports that two million tons of waste—agricultural and industrial, as well as sewage and so on—are discharged every day into rivers and seas, spreading illness and damaging ecosystems...

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