Mozart Effect: A Popular Myth Debunked and Explained
Pregnant women everywhere can pull the headset away from their bellies. A thorough review of research has debunked the idea that classical music can boost the intelligence of newborns or, for that matter, pretty much anybody. The article, "Mozart Effect, Schmozart Effect," analyzed 40 studies completed during the last 15 years. The conclusion? There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that classical music will lead to superior smarts. That's not exactly news to most in the scientific community, which has largely dismissed the popularized version of the theory. But how did a single research ...
Study: Compound in Red Wine Could Help Prevent Eye Disease
In the latest health win for red wine lovers, new research concludes that a compound in the beloved beverage could keep peepers healthy and prevent certain eye diseases. Resveratrol, already linked to longevity and Alzheimer's prevention, also seems to prevent excessive blood vessel growth in the eyes. And while many of the purported health benefits of resveratrol are still murky, researchers were able to determine the precise mechanism by which the compound acts on the eyes. "A great deal of research has identified resveratrol as an anti-aging compound, and given our interest in age-related ...
Recall Alert: Kellogg Pulls 4 Cereal Brands
Kellogg Co. has announced a voluntary recall of four cereal brands, after customer complaints of a "waxy" smell and an unpleasant flavor. What exactly is being recalled? Unfortunately for you, four of the company's most popular varieties: Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks. The recalled cereals, which were shipped across the United States and sold until March, have a "KN" marking after the best before date. Why? The cereals just didn't taste good. Abput 20 people called Kellogg to complain about "an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell," according to spokeswoman J. ...
More Kids Dying in Overheated Cars, Experts Warn
On Monday, 2-year-old Hunter Iles was playing with friends outside his family's Hineston, Ala. home, when he climbed inside his parent's parked car. Hours later, Hunter was pronounced dead at a local hospital -- the eighth child this month alone to die after being trapped in a locked, overheated car. Now, a researcher at San Francisco State University is warning that this year sets to top previous fatality records, with July -- typically the deadliest month for children trapped in sweltering cars -- still looming. What's the latest data? Jan Null, a meteorologist at SFSU, has been keeping ...
Fetuses Don't Feel Pain Before 24 Weeks, Experts Say
A new report out of the U.K. bolsters evidence that fetuses don't feel pain before 24 weeks. Most doctors are using the conclusion to confirm the legitimacy of current abortion limits in the country, while anti-abortion advocates are suggesting that the review was marred by biases. The analysis of prior research, done by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, found that the brain's nerve connections are inadequately established to process pain before 24 weeks. Furthermore, the womb environment is akin to unconsciousness, leaving fetuses "undeveloped and sedated." The RCOG ...
Med Schools Swap Scalpels for Video Game Controllers
Patient care isn't the only realm of medicine becoming increasingly digitized. Medical schools might soon incorporate video games to boost student training. And if a new study is right, most of those enrolled in med school are enthusiastic about the idea, which is already taking off in health-care circles across the country. Here's why: Med students support it. In a survey of 217 med school students at the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a whopping 98 percent backed the idea of using more video games and new media in med school curriculum. That's likely a ...
Officials Warn: Whooping Cough Now an Epidemic in California
Whooping cough has reached epidemic status in California, and officials warn that the state could see its highest number of cases in 50 years. The contagious ailment is now being linked to five deaths in the state, including two infants. What is it, exactly? Whooping cough, which causes months-long coughing in adults and can lead to fatalities in kids, is an upper respiratory infection transmitted via air or spit particles. Why now? Outbreaks typically occur in ebbs and flows, usually in five-year cycles. The last peak in California, in 2005, saw 3,182 diagnosed cases. Already this ...
Rafik Saifi, Algerian Soccer Player, Slaps Female Journalist
Rafik Saifi, an Algerian soccer player, slapped a female journalist covering his team's loss during today's World Cup match against the United States. Asma Halimi, a reporter with the Algerian paper Competition, was working in the press area at Loftus Versfeld Stadium after the game, which saw Algeria ousted from the tournament. According to eyewitnesses, Saifi, who plays forward for the team, saw the journalist and slapped her. She responded with a solid hit to his mouth, before being taken away by security officials. "I said nothing to him and he reached over and hit me," Halimi told ...
Study: Cell Phone Towers Not a Cancer Risk for Kids
Pregnant women who live near cell phone towers aren't putting their children at risk of developing cancer, according to a major new British study. The research, published online in the British Medical Journal, is the largest study of its kind, and the first to explore the issue among kids in the UK. A team at Imperial College London identified 1,397 kids who'd been diagnosed with leukemia or a brain tumor. Those kids were then each matched to four healthy controls, and compared based on their family's proximity to a phone tower. There didn't appear to be any association between living near ...
Counterintuitive Crash Rate: Study Finds Seniors Are Best Drivers
You might not need to worry quite so much about Granny getting behind the wheel -- a surprising new study has concluded that seniors are now getting into fewer fatal car accidents than ever. A nine-year study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found a 37 percent decline in fatal automotive incidents among drivers aged 70 and older. That decline sharply outpaced the drop in accidents among other age groups. Nonfatal accidents also dropped for seniors, even though they increased among middle-aged drivers. Even the researchers are surprised. "The stats are running counter to what ...
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