Critique of The China Study – Part 1
The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell examines the health impacts of plant based protein and animal based protein. He also emphasizes the point that the findings of his research are groundbreaking...
Category: FYI
Eat More Pizza?
Despite the bad rep that pizza seems to have nowadays because of its relatively high caloric content (with macros consisting of relatively high saturated fat and carb content) that may be contributing to the...
Hookah: The Unbeknownst Silent Killer
It has been brought to my attention that for some reason, people are misled to think that hookah is a “safe” alternative to cigarette smoking. Indeed, hundreds of hookah bars have already been set...
Call to action: PhD level thinkers needed for healthcare transformation
It is without a doubt that the recent movement in big data will escalate to greater heights in years to come. McKinsey and Co. projects a large shortage of data scientists of 140,000 to...
Concerning Ethnic Differences of Testosterone in Men
If you live in a diverse country, then you have probably noticed the variations in the body structure between ethnic groups. While individuals within an ethnic group can vary widely in terms of body...
Marriage and Love- From a Sociological Perspective
Undoubtedly, we’ve all heard something along the lines of “the divorce rate is so high in America!” Have you ever wondered why? Maybe you have a couple theories. Is romantic love, which is seen...
A Chemical Weapon Employed in WWI Paves the Way for Modern, Chemotherapeutic DNA Alkylating Agents
The SN2 (Substitution, Nucelophilic, Bimolecular) reaction is an uninteresting reaction introduced in basic organic chemistry in which a nucleophile, rich in electron density, bombards an electron-deficient carbon and displaces the previously attached electronegative group....
Thymine Photodimerization: An Organic Chemist’s View
In the Diels-Alder Reaction, a landmark reaction known to any organic chemistry student, a conjugated diene can react with a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond, dubbed the “dienophile” (and rightfully so!), with relative...
Can Crown-like Ethers Help Humans Clinch Victory in the Ever-Lasting War Against Pathogenic Microorganisms?
Many times in organic chemistry, a reaction involves polar or charged and nonpolar reagents. The challenge to the practicing organic chemist then becomes finding an appropriate solvent that will dissolve both reactive species. Let’s...
Popular pre-workout products found to be spiked with meth analogs!
If you’re an avid gym goer than you know that many people use pre-workout supplements, some of the most popular being Craze by Driven Sports and Detonate by Gaspari. However, it was recently...
Consistency of Calipers on Body Fat Measurements
DXA scanning is considered the gold standard for effective body fat measurements. The DXA scan is able to output decently reliable numbers, but is not absolutely precise and has been known to have error...
How violent video games change people
In 2011, the Supreme Court upheld a federal appeals decision to remove California’s ban on selling violent video games to minors. Despite claims that violence in games may desensitize young people and lead to...
How do I know if my food’s gone bad?
Spoiling food sucks. Finding food that expired a day or two ago is pretty close. Sometimes when whatever food product I’ve missed the expiration date by is expensive/tasty/I’m-craving-for, I’ll disregard the labeled date and...
Do computers make physicians obsolete?
As someone employed in medical research, I’m a little bothered when my friends self-diagnose using webMD or self-medicate rather than consult physicians. I think those of us trained in health-related fields are especially prone...
How long is the optimal midday nap?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep daily, but for some of us with night shifts or early mornings, 7-9 is difficult to achieve. Instead we recharge our heads and our willpower...
Chewing gum prevents ear infections!
Chewing gum is a massive $19 billion dollar industry–and for good reason. Wrigley reports the average person chews 300 pieces a year, amounting to 100,000 tons of gum total annually (that is 90,718,474 kg). At...
Sleep deprivation increases brain sensitivity
Busier folks lose a lot of sleep. Consequences include teary eyes, frequent yawning, and inattention during meetings or work. Apparently, not getting enough REM sleep also increases sensitivity to dopamine. Tufic et al. published findings...
Lasers Create Cancer Cure!
A substantial part of what makes cancer so deadly is that the tools we have to fight specific cancers work for some cases and don’t for others. That’s why despite numerous discoveries that promise...
How to not die by sitting all day
I’ve heard more than once from resident ergonomics coaches the company hires that sitting is killing me, albeit slowly. This postlet is a shout-out to the folks at Visual.ly for showing us just why...
Lost in translation! Emotions with no English names
This is peculiar–it really highlights how much language controls thinking. (Click for full size) They’ve actually compiled a neat database of untranslatable words. Check it out here. Source via io9
Jet Lag makes you stupid! How to deal with it.
Flying is rarely enjoyable. Enclosed, highly-populated cabin aside, flying also entails jet lag. Experiencing jet lag can exhausting and uncomfortable for days. Turns out, there may be more reason to avoid it. Gibson et al. from...
Man vs Statistics! Untrained Survival Verdict
Welcome to the Man vs Stats! Note: this is not a guide to surviving. This is probability. Statistics is king. You find a gray mushroom and eat it. If it turns out 99% of gray mushrooms...
Ultimate Hair Dye! Chemical-Free and Permanent! A bit expensive…
Little upset with gray hairs? Or maybe you’re one of those young people with persisting gray spots. If you like to live on the cutting edge, French scientists may have something for you. Shrutisagar...
Man vs Statistics: Shipwrecked! What are my chances?
Note: this is not a guide to surviving. This is probability. Statistics is king. You find a gray mushroom and eat it. If it turns out 99% of gray mushrooms in that area are...
Man vs Statistics: Surviving the plane crash!
Well, let’s get to it. Survival! What are my chances in a Lost situation? Not Bear Grylls, not that guy from Survivorman or the 2 people on that new show who have to survive...
Forget survivormen! Average guy’s chance at survival in the wild?
I’ll admit–watching survivor shows on Discovery Channel is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine. I’m not sure why; watching Bear Grylls resort to drinking his own urine (quite often actually) doesn’t sound particularly...
Egg Shells hold key to rapid healing
Eggs are great; they’re high in protein and have loads of vitamins and minerals. A clinical study out of Taiwan suggests they just might make the ultimate bandages. Researchers from the Department of Plastic...
Obese might face benefit cuts in the UK
It has been proposed by Westminster Council to cut benefits to obese people that refuse to exercise following a doctor’s orders. Although the initiative has not been made into law yet, I hope it...
Risk Analysis: Cellphone radiation might do more than cause cancer!
There is plenty of literature and published work on the genetic toxicology (or lack thereof) of radiofrequency radiation, most findings are concerned with microwave ovens and radar equipment. Several epidemiological studies linking proximity to cellphone...
Cholesterol! Why you should care
Facts: One in five adults in America has cholesterol levels in the borderline high/high range (107 million above 200mg/dL). Cholesterol, as recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), should be checked once within...
