Obama's Deep-Space Plan Puts NASA on a Bold Course
It's been nearly 41 years since NASA, after a series of technological small steps (not to mention a few missteps) and giant leaps, was able to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's seemingly far-fetched promise: to put a man on the moon within the decade. Since then, though, NASA's directive has been less clear. Should it concentrate again on the moon to understand it better? Should its sights be trained on goals closer to home, on earth and environmental science? Or perhaps it should be looking much farther afield, toward the final frontier -- deep space? ...
Breastfeeding Would Save $13 Billion, But at What Cost to Working Moms?
Researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance have a novel plan to save billions of dollars a year in health care costs: just increase the number of women who breastfeed. If 90 percent of new moms in America breastfed for six months, say researchers in this month's edition of the journal Pediatrics, over $13 billion would be saved each year in combined health care costs, including fewer infections and fewer doctors visits, and indirect expenses, like missed work. ...
Space Cowgirls Set Record: 4 Women Astronauts Orbit Earth
Monday's launch of the Discovery space shuttle was exceptional beyond the fact it's one of NASA's last scheduled rides into space. Three of the seven crew members were women, which, in addition to NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson who is already on the International Space Station, brings the number of women in space to its highest ever total: four. Even with the record-setting week, women still make up less than a third of the 13 astronauts currently in space. Russia sent the first female astronaut up in 1963 -- 20 years before NASA did. Last month, China announced that it would be sending ...
Caster Semenya Heads Back to the Track, Without IAAF Backing
After several months of waiting for test results to determine her gender, record-breaking South African runner Caster Semenya has announced that she plans to return to the track -- with or without the go-ahead from the International Association of Athletics Federation. "I hereby publicly announce my return to athletics competitions," Semenya said in a statement, calling the highly publicized speculation about her gender an infringement "not only my rights as an athlete but also my fundamental and human rights, including my rights to dignity and privacy." ...
Would You Like a Calorie Count With That? Reform Law Will Open Diners' Eyes
At a McDonald's in downtown Washington, D.C., Raymond Golt is trying to guess how many calories are in the small order of french fries he just ordered. "Maybe 60 or 70 calories," he says of his 230-calorie snack. Tiera Thomas errs in the opposite direction, estimating that her 610-calorie meal of Filet-o-Fish and a large sweet iced tea total a combined 1,140 calories and that her 7-year-old son's 540-calorie Big Mac rings up at 900 calories. Whether guessing too high or too low, diners tend to be poor estimators of the nutritional value of their food. But a new provision included under ...
Under One Roof: Is the Multi-Generational Family Back to Stay?
A recent report from the Pew Research Center found that 16 percent of Americans -- 49 million people -- now live in households with more than one adult generation of family members. But it's not just the recession that's driving the change. The multi-generational family is back for other reasons -- and it could be here to stay. Of course, there's no denying that the recession has accelerated the move toward extended families living together. "From 2007 to 2008, there were approximately 2.6 million more people moving in to multi-generational households. That's a 5 percent jump in just one ...
Thousands Pack National Mall to Demand Immigration Reform
While lawmakers fiercely debated health care reform before a historic vote in the Capitol on Sunday, thousands of people rallied on the National Mall outside to demand that Washington put immigration reform on the front burner. Entire families turned out, including young children and parents with strollers. Others came with church, school, or community activist groups. As the crowd marched past the Capitol at the end of the rally, they were joined by several drummers and a marching band. Many demonstrators also held hand-lettered signs and chanted "Si, se puede" (Yes, we can) and "Obama, ...
Court Rules Vaccination Doesn't Cause Autism
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled that vaccinations -- or, more specifically, thimerosal, an additive in some vaccinations -- does not cause autism. The court considered three separate claims for damages, but ruled Friday in each of them that the vaccinations the children received were unconnected to their eventual diagnoses of autism. Autism diagnosis rates have risen. This winter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in 110 children had autism -- up from their previous estimate of one in 150. But why the rates are rising -- or whether the increase in ...
'Life' on Screen: 22 Hours of Nature at its Most Riveting
The United Nations has declared 2010 the Year of Biodiversity, audience members at the Washington, D.C., screening of "Life," the Discovery Channel's new 11-part series, were reminded this week. It was a fitting introduction for the documentary, which looks at some of nature's most unusual creatures, while worldwide, it is estimated that three species go extinct every hour -- a rate that has many concerned about environmental impacts, as well as the possibility of a planet that is increasingly less diverse. ...
Parents, Wake Up -- 'Educational' Videos for Babies Don't Work
Color me surprised. Another study has come out saying that educational videos for infants are not helpful, and might be harmful. This latest study is set to be published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in May -- and it reports that educational DVDs aimed at infants are not likely to boost their word power. Yes, I too am shocked (shocked!) that sticking your 1-year-old in front of the DVD player for an hour a day will not, in fact, turn her into a prodigy. The APAM study is not the first with this finding. One done almost three years ago by researchers at the University ...
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