tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58713552024-03-14T02:34:02.824-07:00News that VexesIt's so tiresome to read 'new studies' that reveal Smoking, Stress or Obesity are Bad for you. Yet these studies appear all the time. It's time to take back the newswire from so-called Scientists!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-89991689795418278652023-10-01T19:09:00.001-07:002023-10-01T19:09:31.541-07:003 Hour Wait Time at Ferry Terminal Causes Delays!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzy3G6UdR_VRvBkYLYZmj2Kmeyk7uqTFteUYaC7DLiicZ6lSpgGikxa4IZSpBV1AUIDNUdBe7Samg_pF7ZTAJ4B6zmKuAx5chjYOonZJdwcqg9NXZHS6baD2TA8ug2OvnA5zbr2ZGe7yU1G5OBZRgykutzjj3Pk7N12oVToSZQ0DvmWBPBp5iGdw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="512" height="648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzy3G6UdR_VRvBkYLYZmj2Kmeyk7uqTFteUYaC7DLiicZ6lSpgGikxa4IZSpBV1AUIDNUdBe7Samg_pF7ZTAJ4B6zmKuAx5chjYOonZJdwcqg9NXZHS6baD2TA8ug2OvnA5zbr2ZGe7yU1G5OBZRgykutzjj3Pk7N12oVToSZQ0DvmWBPBp5iGdw=w370-h648" width="370" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-37837434767640985392019-10-31T15:32:00.000-07:002019-10-31T15:32:36.369-07:00Shocker - if you offer me less of something I buy less of itToday's News that Vexes is brought to you by the otherwise reputable journal Nature. Here we go folks - hold on to your forks: "<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02934-5" target="_blank">Even meat lovers go veggie when plant-heavy meals abound</a>" <br />
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Basically if you offer more vegetarian options, people will order more vegetarian food. Somehow, reading this article actually made me feel dumber.<br />
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The deets: the "scientists" went to a cafeteria and doubled the number of vegetarian options while reducing the number of meat options by a third. So, there were fewer meaty options and twice as many vegetarian options, like "wild mushroom, roasted butternut squash and sun blushed tomato risotto with parmesan" - by the way what is SUN-BLUSHED TOMATO? ("Aw shucks Mr. Sun, I'm blushing," said no tomato ever). <br />
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Anyway, in this significantly less-carnivorous environment, people ordered less meat. Someone is actually getting a PhD for this staggering 'research'. Congratulate PhD candidate Emma Garnett at Cambridge by <a href="mailto:eg334@cam.ac.uk" target="_blank">dropping her a note</a>!<br />
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Ready for a mind-blower? If you remove ALL the meat options, there is a very good chance [research still needed though] that people will actually buy zero meat options and buy only vegetarian options. I should get a PhD in vexation!<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-81718466565759878232019-03-15T16:51:00.001-07:002019-03-15T16:51:10.241-07:00A refreshing change - good news! And of course it's about cheese!<div>
Among our millions of readers are many eagle-eyed news trackers who are constantly on the lookout for influential news stories for News That Vexes. Though Smoking is still Bad and Exercise is still Good, you may want to be more discerning in your future cheese purchases. <b>Specifically, what music was your cheese exposed to while it was aged?</b></div>
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In some hard-hitting new research, it seems that <a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/sonochemistry_cheese-exposed-to-hip-hop-tastes-better--finds-swiss-experiment/44824418" target="_blank">cheese exposed to hip-hop tastes better</a>. Not that the cows were exposed to hip-hop, but rather the bacteria in the cheese prefers hip-hop. </div>
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Some of you might think this research is insane. Far from it - this research was done by veterinarian (Wait, did you say veterinarian? Yes, we did) <span style="color: red;">BEAT WAMPFLER</span>. Sadly his email address isn't available at press time, so congratulatory emails aren't possible at the moment. Luckily, the 'scientific support' for the experiment was provided by <a href="mailto:michael.harenberg@hkb.bfh.ch" target="_blank">Dr. Michael Harenberg</a> - who also provided this unintentionally hilarious quote:</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"We were overwhelmed," says Professor Michael Harenberg who provided the scientific support for the experiment. "At first I thought it was a typical Swiss reaction because cheese plays such a big cultural role here in Emmental. </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>But even journalists from South Africa approached us for interviews and information."</b></span></blockquote>
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Some possibly bad news for Dr. Harenberg - journalists don't want to talk to you because of your cheese, they want to know if you actually have coherent thoughts and can speak in complete sentences.</div>
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Thanks and a tip of the hat to our legions of readers who submitted this important news story.</div>
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-91906688063491571132018-12-11T19:19:00.000-08:002018-12-11T19:19:01.066-08:00James Bond - Vexing, not Stirred.<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Today's annoyance comes from the <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/209/11/licence-swill-james-bonds-drinking-over-six-decades" target="_blank">Medical Journal of Australia</a> - a journal that sounds prestigious, doesn't it? In case the original research is too complicated for you, gentle reader, it's summarized in this high quality(?) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2018/12/11/shaken-not-slurred-james-bond-had-severe-chronic-alcohol-problem-public-health-experts-say/?utm_term=.d80a0df8805b" target="_blank">Washington Post article</a>. The fact that this hard-hitting science reportage appears in the "Entertainment" section of the paper perhaps tells you something about its scholarship.</div>
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So to save you time, some <i>scientist</i> - I use the term loosely - has analyzed the drinking behavior of a certain British Secret Service Agent named Bond - James Bond. It turns out HE DRINKS TOO MUCH. </div>
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Sample tidbits: </div>
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Bond had a “severe” and “chronic” drinking problem — and he performed some pretty risky maneuvers while under the influence of alcohol. “Chronic risks include frequently drinking prior to fights, driving vehicles (including in chases), high-stakes gambling, operating complex machinery or devices, contact with dangerous animals, extreme athletic performance and sex with enemies, sometimes with guns or knives in the bed,” lead author Nick Wilson said in a statement.</blockquote>
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Want to congratulate the lead author Nick Wilson? Drop him a note <a href="mailto:nick.wilson@otago.ac.nz" target="_blank">here</a>. Australians embarrassed by the true absurdity of this research can take heart knowing it actually from a university in New Zealand. On the other hand, this study (again it's hard to keep a straight face when calling this a <i>study</i>) won first place in the Medical Journal of Australia’s Christmas competition.</div>
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Who will be the first to tell author Nick Wilson that Bond is a fictional character? I'd wait until after Christmas because he may doubt the existence of Santa if he finds out there's no James Bond.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-35520402408556257542016-09-09T21:34:00.001-07:002016-09-10T12:00:21.996-07:005-Second Rule Revisited [but it's still vexing]Long-time readers of News That Vexes may remember <a href="http://newsthatvexes.blogspot.com/2006/06/5-second-rule-rules-reader-of-news.html" target="_blank">this little post</a> from June 2006 - a scant TEN years ago. That article's link doesn't work any more, but we care about you, so you can reread that reported "news" <a href="http://www.aeonity.com/david/5-second-rule-not-myth" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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That 10-year old article basically said the 5-second rule for food dropped on the floor IS TRUE. Caveat: "Sticky food though, will pick up bacteria faster than dry food." REALLY? Yes, really.<br />
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Now comes NEW research from Rutgers (It appears 'Rutgers' is Latin for "We have nothing better to study"). <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-09/ru-rrd090816.php" target="_blank">This hard-hitting article</a> says that <br />
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Rutgers researchers have disproven the widely accepted notion that it's OK to scoop up food and eat it within a "safe" five-second window. Donald Schaffner, professor and extension specialist in food science, found that moisture, type of surface and contact time all contribute to cross-contamination. In some instances, the transfer begins in less than one second. Their findings appear online in the American Society for Microbiology's journal, <em>Applied and Environmental Microbiology</em>.</blockquote>
One of my favorite parts of this 'news' story is that the researchers preemptively attempt to tell us that this is not dumb, nor are the researchers stupid:<br />
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"We decided to look into this because the practice is so widespread. The topic might appear 'light' but we wanted our results backed by solid science," said Schaffner</blockquote>
Hooray for SOLID SCIENCE!<br />
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Another jewel: the subtitle of <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-09/ru-rrd090816.php" target="_blank">the press release</a> is, "<b>Eating food off the floor isn't safe</b>." Thanks Doc - But where were you yesterday when I was having dinner on the linoleum??! <br />
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Personally I'd pay good money (25-30 cents) to see a Matt Lauer-moderated debate between <a href="mailto:blaschek@uiuc.edu" target="_blank">Peter Blaschek</a> - the U of Illinois researcher who said the 5-second rule is TRUE and this Rutgers professor who says it's FALSE.<br />
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Why not drop <a href="mailto:don.schaffner@rutgers.edu" target="_blank">Dr. Shaffner</a> an email congratulating him on his research? He's had the last word at least. Well, that is until some 4th grader corroborates - or disproves! - this research at their elementary school science fair.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-82209678302110462016-05-14T10:34:00.001-07:002016-05-14T10:34:30.646-07:00So THAT'S what 'mandatory' meansToday's story is truly vexing in every sense of the word - we can't make this stuff up. But of course we NEVER make stuff up here at News That Vexes. ["We're vexed so you don't have to" - note, we're still working on this slogan.]. We are proud to say we can't make this stuff up because we're simply not insane enough. Here we go:<br />
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<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/mandatory-flu-shots-tied-surge-health-worker-vaccinations-152457633.html" target="_blank">Mandatory flu shots tied to surge in health worker vaccinations</a><br />
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According this simultaneously stunning yet mind-numbing research, <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Mandatory vaccination policies may encourage more healthcare workers to get annual flu shots and help prevent the spread of influenza. ... After a mandatory vaccination policy, the study found that 94 percent of employees got inoculated for the 2013-2014 flu season.</span></blockquote>
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Wait for it:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“Mandatory flu vaccination programs are the most effective mechanism for increasing health care worker vaccination rates,” said lead study author Dr. Elizabeth Frenzel, a researcher in infection control and employee health at MD Anderson. <b>Failure to comply could result in termination.</b></span></blockquote>
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SHOCKING! You may not be an expert in reading highly technical papers, so let us help you: this paper says that <span style="color: red;"><b>threatening to fire employees unless they get a flu shot causes employees to get a flu shot.</b></span> It's some sort of amazing and bizarre cause-and-effect reaction. </div>
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This is science at its best. Feel free to email the amazing <a href="mailto:efrenzel@mdanderson.org" target="_blank">Dr. Frenzel</a> to congratulate her! Best yet: this article required EIGHT authors. Super bonus, read the original 'research' <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.024" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-53477918700514455812016-03-17T18:23:00.001-07:002016-03-17T18:23:50.435-07:00Now we know; now we know...You know how it is when you're trying to sleep and there's a bright light shining on you that makes it hard to sleep? Gosh I hate that. <br />
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Well get this - if you live somewhere where there are bright lights shining on you, it just may actually be hard to sleep! But don't worry - this is science from News that Vexes, so we're not totally sure about it. I don't want to get ahead of the news though, so hang on...<br />
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First the breaking news:<br />
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<a href="http://news.health.com/2016/03/02/sleepless-in-the-city-nighttime-light-pollution-may-be-to-blame/" target="_blank">Light Pollution May Trigger Insomnia</a></h1>
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Now let's look at the science. Literally the first sentence is:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">People who live in neighborhoods that are lit up at night with neon signs and streetlights are more likely to report sleep problems, new research suggests.</span></blockquote>
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Awesome, I love bright shiny <b>new </b>research. This time it's from actual real scientist Dr. Maurice Ohayon from the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center, which is a real thing. Drop him a note to congratulate him here for making it on News that Vexes: <a href="mailto:mohayon@stanford.edu">mohayon@stanford.edu</a> </div>
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Also, in the spirit of true cash-squandering boondogglery, he'll be presenting this research at the Convention Center in beautiful downtown Vancouver Canada on April 15-21, 2016. Maybe tickets are still available!</div>
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Here are some more choice tidbits: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 23.184px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">“Exposure to light at night can have powerful biological and behavioral consequences,” </span></span></blockquote>
said George Brainard, a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, who called the Stanford team’s analysis an <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">“<u>important epidemiological study</u>.”</span> (Is he getting some kind of kickback or something?)<br />
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YES, WE GET IT - BRIGHT LIGHTS AT NIGHT MAKE IT HARD TO SLEEP!<br />
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But check out this bold assertion by this Brainard guy again:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 23.184px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">“Do I think that light is part of the culprit? Absolutely, I do,” Brainard said.</span></span></blockquote>
Whoa whoa whoa, simmer down now Dr. Brainard! I beg you, please tell me there are some caveats before I believe this far-fetched nonsense:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 23.184px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although the study doesn’t prove cause-and-effect, the scientists believe that intense outdoor illumination in the evening interferes with quality of sleep.</span></span></blockquote>
Thank you. I thought for a second there you were trying to tell me you were <b>certain </b>annoying lights at night are actually annoying. Much more study is in order, perhaps to present at conferences in Hawaii or New Zealand or Paris?<br />
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We can't fault these guys for not being thorough:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 23.184px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Those exposed to higher light levels also were more likely to report fatigue, wake up confused during the night, and have excessive sleepiness and impaired functioning.</span></span></blockquote>
Almost like they didn't sleep well the night before with all the bright lights shining on them. But I should keep my mouth shut, I'm no scientist.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 23.184px;"><br /></span>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-39586311313905139262016-03-15T21:40:00.000-07:002016-03-15T21:40:13.626-07:00Vaccine Refusal Increases Risk of Disease You're Refusing to be Vaccinated Against<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, you may be incredulous, but <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2503179" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">startling new</a> <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/vaccine-refusal-tied-increased-risk-measles-pertussis-153304067.html" target="_blank">research </a>shows: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">More than half of 1,416 measles cases reported in the U.S. since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000 were for people with no history of measles vaccination</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">That's right - If you haven't had a measles vaccine, you just might get measles! I'm agog, agape, aghast!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hmm, but now I really wonder about Pertussis (aka whooping cough) vaccines...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Among more than 10,000 pertussis patients with known vaccination status, 24 to 45 percent of people in the five largest statewide epidemics since 1977 were unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.</span></span></blockquote>
Aieeee! I think I get it now. No vaccination increases risk of getting the disease. Is there more?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Omer and colleagues found that the majority of measles and pertussis cases in the outbreaks they analyzed were due to people intentionally skipping vaccinations. ... </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">For the subset of pertussis reports from outbreaks with detailed data on unvaccinated individuals, 59 to 93 percent of cases were for people who intentionally skipped their inoculations</span></span></blockquote>
I was really hoping this astounding research was presented at a conference in an amazing place like Hawaii or Bermuda. But all I can find is that it was published in the JAMA by lead researcher Dr. Saad Omer who can be congratulated for making it into News That Vexes by email here: <a href="mailto:somer@emory.edu" target="_blank">somer@emory.edu </a>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-6864377951617996822015-08-20T11:05:00.000-07:002015-08-20T11:05:18.394-07:00This is why we ScienceIn the past, we here at News That Vexes have tried to shine the harsh light of Vexation on the charlatans and simpletons who make Science that is Not Science (e.g., smoking is bad, exercise is good). Rarely do we cover hard-hitting science results we can use in our daily lives. So we are elated, overjoyed, dare I say it, cock-a-hoop! about this 10 year old study that we've only just become aware of.<br />
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<a href="http://www.printfriendly.com/print/?source=homepage&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dairyreporter.com%2FR-D%2FCheese-unlocks-your-wildest-dreams-says-study" target="_blank">Eating Cheese Before Bedtime Lets You Choose Your Dreams</a>.<br />
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This research was done in 2005 by Nutrition Scientist Judith Bryans. Drop her a note of congratulations at <a href="mailto:jbryans@dairyuk.org" style="background-color: white; color: #0063a3; font-family: 'Open Sans', arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; transition: color 0.2s ease-out;">jbryans@dairyuk.org</a><br />
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Some highlights:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Cheddar</b>, officially Britain's most popular cheese with 55 per cent of the market, enhanced dreams about celebrities.<br /><b>Red Leicester</b> is likely to have you dwelling on the past and <b>Lancashire </b>will get you focused on the future.</blockquote>
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My favorite part of the article:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
With more than 700 varieties of British cheese it seems there is much left to discover.</blockquote>
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Yes - WE NEED MORE SCIENCE! (This could actually be the foundation for a great Science Fair Project.)Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-11702371360134409482015-08-02T22:22:00.000-07:002015-08-02T22:22:19.786-07:00Secrets for learning math finally revealedThis <i><b>startling new research</b></i> from the Florida International University is chock full of groundbreaking information.<br />
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Here's the article, titled <a href="http://www.printfriendly.com/print/?source=homepage&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Feducation%2Farticle29241421.html" target="_blank">FIU study: Encouragement key for math students</a>. <br />
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Since this is the internet, I will preface this with SPOILER ALERT!<br />
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This article says students will do better learning math if they have "clear explanations of concepts and — just as important — encouragement or interest." Yes, that's a direct quote.<br />
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Another gem: "She’s even seen non-math majors develop an interest in math once they understand the subject." Yes, <b>things can actually be interesting if we understand them</b>!<br />
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This blockbuster report was written by <a href="mailto:zhazari@fiu.edu" target="_blank">Professor Zahra Hazari</a> - drop Professor Hazari a note of congratulations if you wish. Though Professor Hazari interviewed 9000 (!!!) students to reach these stunning conclusions, she also relates this personal anecdote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hazari nearly failed learning fractions in sixth grade. Her seventh-grade teacher, however, pulled her aside and explained them to her in a way she understood. She didn’t struggle again after that.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Once it all made sense, it was easy,” Hazari said.</blockquote>
Yes - once it makes sense, it makes sense.<br />
<div style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal; height: 1px; overflow: hidden; width: 1px;">
<br />Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article29241421.html#storylink=cpy"</div>
Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-87474852571730840942015-06-30T12:36:00.000-07:002015-07-01T12:24:11.291-07:00Fireworks pollute air, study saysNews flash: lighting tons of stuff on fire and hurling it high in to the open air may actually cause air pollution. Read about it <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/06/30/fireworks-air-quality/29509259/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/o-breathe-fireworks-pollute-air-study-says-181323633.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This ground-breaking study appeared in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231015301369" target="_blank">Atmospheric Environment</a> and was authored by totally actual real scientist <a href="mailto:dian.seidel@noaa.gov" target="_blank">Dian Seidel</a>.<br />
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I'm guessing Dian Seidel is not a rocket scientist, because using a rocket would probably cause pollution too.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-17012175257931938412014-08-13T14:42:00.001-07:002014-08-13T14:43:57.669-07:00Drone crashes into lake: possibly damagedHere at News That Vexes Headquarters, we were watching a non-cat video today about scenic Grand Prismatic Hot Spring in Yellowstone Park. http://www.usatoday.com/media/cinematic/video/13740331/<br />
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Per this USA Today news story: "Officials at Yellowstone National Park say a tourist has crashed a drone into the Grand Prismatic Spring, possibly damaging it."<br />
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Where's the news story?! Of course if your drone goes into a lake it's going to get damaged! And look, Grand Prismatic Hot Spring has tons of weird bacteria (that's where the colors come from), and in the center, it's wicked HOT. None of these things are good for drones.<br />
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The bottom line is: keep your drones out of lakes or they'll get damaged.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-86978133019157146432013-02-08T19:12:00.000-08:002013-02-08T20:28:46.291-08:00High-Fat Foods may be Bad for You!<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/southern-diet-fried-foods-may-raise-stroke-risk-170536216.html" target="_blank">A shocker from the South</a>!<br />
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People whose diets are heavy on deep-fried foods and sugary drinks like "soda" were more likely to suffer a stroke, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/southern-diet-fried-foods-may-raise-stroke-risk-170536216.html" target="_blank">a new study</a> finds.<br />
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I know what you're thinking. What do they mean, "deep fried foods"? Well, again, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/southern-diet-fried-foods-may-raise-stroke-risk-170536216.html" target="_blank">this article</a> comes to the rescue. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We're talking about fried foods, french fries, hamburgers, processed meats, hot dogs," bacon, ham, liver, gizzards and sugary drinks, said the study's leader, Suzanne Judd of the University of Alabama in Birmingham.</blockquote>
WHUH?? I don't believe it. Is there an independent expert available?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This study does strongly suggest that food does have an influence and people should be trying to avoid these kinds of fatty foods and high sugar content," said an independent expert, Dr. Brian Silver, a Brown University neurologist and stroke center director at Rhode Island Hospital.</blockquote>
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HMMMM, I'm starting to think fatty and high sugar foods may be bad for you. Not sure. MORE STUDIES NEEDED. Though I know this much: no more gizzards or liver for me.<br />
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Send mail to the lead 'scientist' of this study to congratulate them: <a href="mailto:sejudd@uab.edu">sejudd@uab.edu</a><br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-23776761875015759612012-11-02T10:30:00.004-07:002012-11-02T10:30:43.368-07:00Twice as much instruction time may boost student success in algebra!<a href="http://educationnext.org/a-double-dose-of-algebra/" target="_blank">This enriching article</a> claims that by spending twice as much time teaching algebra, students will ... do better in Algebra!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Double-dosing had an immediate impact on student performance in algebra, increasing the proportion of students earning at least a B by 9.4 percentage points, or more than 65 percent. "</blockquote>
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Putting on my Brainiac Hat (it's shiny!) makes me think that all we have to do now is double the hours of reading and science and history too. Then our students will rule supreme. <br />
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Of course, to do this we need to double the number of hours in a day - are you listening, Stephen Hawking? Also, please double teachers' salaries. <br />
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Taking off my Brainiac Hat now and putting it back in its velvet-lined case.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-34902839481927358842011-11-03T09:34:00.000-07:002011-11-03T09:44:28.228-07:00Perhaps only in the Philippines?It seems that if doctors tell their patients (or they see ads) to use formula instead of breastfeeding - new mothers are "6.4 times more likely to stop breast-feeding babies."<br /><br />This blockbuster study was published in September, but the results were released only this week - probably because of how truly surprising and unexpected the results were?<br /><br />Note it took SIX authors to create this study, though they don't publish the names of these genius doctors - longtime readers know we love to publish their names to tell them they've been published in News That Vexes.<br /><br /><br />All sarcasm aside, the study reports "Not breast-feeding also was associated with a 5.8 times increased risk of all-cause deaths in the first two months of life, with risks elevated up to the second year" We at News That Vexes strongly support breast-feeding.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-70391986861393412652011-10-24T13:43:00.000-07:002011-11-03T09:45:15.141-07:00Profanity on TV linked to foul-mouthed kids<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 16px; "><h3 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font: normal normal bold 2.4em/normal Verdana, Arial, 'sans serif'; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><br /></h3></span>Aha! So finally we learn where those TV writers get all their filth from: CHILDREN!<br /><br />From this headline it's clear that the more foul-mouthed our kids are, the more bad language we'll have to put up with in our TV shows and video games. <br /><br />Well I for one am dang diddley fed up with it!<br /><br />See for yourself <a href="http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2011/10/23/profanity-on-tv-linked-to-foul-mouthed-kids/">here</a>.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-91403093263092368552011-03-09T18:42:00.000-08:002011-03-09T18:43:23.679-08:00New record set for number of Kinects sold. 10 million! That breaks the previous record of Kinects sold by, erm, uh...Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-62139340290393867372011-03-09T14:29:00.000-08:002011-03-09T14:45:21.110-08:00Welcome to 2011 - where <a href="http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-sleep-decisions-20110308,0,1836299.story">a new study</a> indicates you tend to make bad decisions when you're tired. <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; "><blockquote>The authors suggest that changes in the brain chemical dopamine after sleep deprivation lead to altered decision-making behavior. </blockquote></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">Wait, are you telling me that instead of thinking about an important decision, you're thinking, "Hey, I'm really tired." - or perhaps just nodding off? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">Attention Gamblers! [who also read <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>] - or who frequent <a href="http://newsthatvexes.blogspot.com/">News That Vexes</a>: "The more tired you are -- even if propped up by medications, alcohol, coffee or bright lights and noise -- the less likely you are to carefully evaluate your risk of losing."</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; ">These unsurprising surprising results courtesy of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/mchee@pacific.net.sg">Michael Chee</a>, MD. Drop him a line to congratulate him!</span></span></span></div>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-8706500355215417162009-10-05T12:56:00.000-07:002009-10-05T12:57:40.120-07:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091002/hl_nm/us_sneakers_heels">For less foot pain, pick sneakers over heels</a><br /><br /><ul><li>This article is rich with data:<br />it's important to pay attention to the shoes that you're buying and make sure they fit</li><li>for women, wearing "good shoes" reduced the likelihood of having pain in the heel, ankle and lower Achilles tendon</li></ul><br />Now let's not be too hard on the researcher, Alyssa Dufour - she's only a graduate student at Institute for Aging Research Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston- maybe <a href="mailto:alyssadufour@hrca.harvard.edu">drop her an email</a> and congratulate her on her dubious debut on News that Vexes. May she have a long career here!Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-88764466846005923592008-03-10T15:16:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:28:39.454-07:00<strong><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080310/hl_nm/alzheimers_families_dc_2">If both parents have Alzheimer's, your risk soars</a></strong><br /><br />New research from UW! If both parents have a hereditary illness, there's increased risk their offspring will have it too.<br /><br />One of the researchers humbly implies this is obvious old news:<br /><blockquote>"I think it confirms that there's a strong genetic component in the disease and that's not a surprise," said Dr. Thomas Bird, whose study was published in the Archives of Neurology.</blockquote><br /><br /><em><strong>Ya think?</strong></em> So what's next for <a href="mailto:tomnroz@u.washington.edu">Dr. Bird</a>?<br /><blockquote>The researchers have been doing the study for about two decades and intend to continue for at least another decade.</blockquote><br />OK Doc, we'll get back to you.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-55378542213421763612008-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:002008-01-13T13:03:55.656-08:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080111/hl_nm/family_study_dc_1">Family dietary coach fuels healthy eating: study</a><br /><br />Why do people do studies about topics as obvious as this? Perhaps to help 'diet coaches' feel worthwhile? I think a follow-up study on why diet coaches have low self-esteem might be in order.<br /><br />The other idea is that these sorts of results are reported at fancy Club Med type resorts where committees meet, so this study gets the "scientist" a free trip to a posh vacation. That doesn't seem to be the case in this groundbreaking (?) study however.<br /><br />Thus I'm at a loss about this study. One might even say I'm vexed. Here's the leadoff paragraph:<br /><blockquote>Having a nutrition coach actively coach families on how to make healthy changes in their diet appears to help parents and their children improve their nutritional intake, researchers found. </blockquote><br />This result thanks to Damien Paineau, manager of scientific studies and coaching for Nutri-Health, in Rueil-Maimaison, France. Sadly I couldn't find M. Paineau's email for us to congratulate him on this 'breakthrough'.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-46028813394462759752008-01-08T11:40:00.000-08:002008-01-08T11:50:27.349-08:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080107/hl_nm/activity_obesity_dc">Regular physical activity helps teens avoid obesity </a><br /><br /><blockquote>Participating in physical activities in and out of school more than two times a week protects adolescents from becoming overweight young adults, according to new research. </blockquote><br />Hmmm... Thanks <a href="mailto:rblum@jhsph.edu">Dr. Blum</a> at Johns Hopkins! Click his name to send him mail for his brainiac breakthrough. On the DUH! scale, this rates an 8.4.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-53205998572407576432007-10-21T13:53:00.000-07:002007-10-21T14:12:10.543-07:00<a href="http://http//www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USPER58617020071015">Curbing Calories Works in the Long Run</a><br /><br />One of our alert worldwide News That Vexes correspondents (yes, only one of the many, many) alerted us to this most excellent and informative story that we find just a wee bit vexing.<br /><br />It seems that<br /><blockquote>Old-fashioned calorie-cutting and exercise really can keep the pounds off for the long haul, according to a review of dozens of clinical trials.<br /><br />In an analysis of 80 weight-loss studies, researchers found that approaches that focused on trimming calories -- with or without exercise -- were most effective at keeping the pounds off over four years.</blockquote><br />Wuh- huh?? DOZENS of clinical trials? Where have I been?<br /><br />We actually could quote almost every line of this article, since each sentence is a pure gem of wisdom and nugget of sublime sapience.<br /><br />In some stunning further research, the scientists conclude by dropping this mega bombshell:<br /><blockquote>"However," they stress, "if weight-loss interventions are discontinued entirely, weight regain is likely to occur."</blockquote><br />Feel free to congratulate <a href="mailto:marionfranz@aol.com">Dr. Marion Franz, a registered dietitian and health consultant with Minneapolis-based Nutrition Concepts by Franz Inc.</a> (what a coincidence! Dr. Franz works at "Nutrition Concepts by Franz"! Maybe that's a requirement to work there: "Last name must be Franz.")Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-53770118622137505672007-10-04T13:36:00.000-07:002007-10-04T14:17:50.063-07:00Flu Shots? What day is it?<br /><br />Here at News That Vexes, we have long contemplated a special section with a two-column format where scientists can battle it out. Will a drink a day kill you - or will it make you live longer? As we all know, coffee is good, no wait - bad, wrong! <strong>good </strong>for you. When blogging software has an easy 2-column template for a lazy editor to use, you'll be the first to see it here.<br /><br />As a case in point, just today we read two stories: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071003/hl_nm/flu_elderly_dc">Flu jab cuts illness and death in elderly</a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070924/hl_nm/vaccines_elderly_dc">Flu vaccines may not save elderly lives: experts</a><br /><br />In one corner:<br /><blockquote>In a study of relatively healthy elderly HMO members, getting a flu shot significantly reduced the odds of being hospitalized with an influenza-related ailment and of dying. "Our study confirms that influenza vaccination is beneficial for reducing hospitalization and death among community-dwelling HMO elderly over a 10-year period," lead author <a href="mailto:nicho014@umn.edu">Dr. Kristin L. Nichol</a>, from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Reuters Health.</blockquote>In the other,<br /><blockquote>Getting an annual flu vaccine may not save the lives of seniors, and health officials may want to look at other ways to protect the elderly, researchers said on Monday. No studies have conclusively proven that influenza shots prevent flu-related deaths in people over the age of 65, and some of the arguments that have been used to support this idea are based on faulty data, the researchers argue in the Lancet medical journal. [Translation: "In Your Face, Dr. Nichol!"]</blockquote><br />I guess we should keep it simple and get the shot every other year.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5871355.post-75621258463508433522007-09-09T17:25:00.000-07:002007-09-09T17:33:35.823-07:00<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/toddlerstudyproveshumansoutsmartapes">New Study Shows Humans Smarter than Apes</a><br /><br />I find this story particularly puzzling (but hey it's good news! So I'm not complaining).<br /><br />One juicy bit that seems odd:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Humans differ from the great apes because their brains are about triple the size of their closest primate cousins. Human brains have also developed language, symbolic math and scientific reasoning skills.</blockquote><br />So what's the news? It's this:<br /><br /><blockquote>This is the first study to compare the performance of toddlers and apes on cognitive and physical tests.</blockquote><br />Also, at least they were thorough in their testing:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><p>Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany studied 230 subjects, including 100 chimpanzees, 30 orangutans and 100 human children 2.5 years old.<br /><br />As part of one of the social learning tasks, the researchers demonstrated how to pop open a plastic tube to retrieve the food or toy inside. The children watched and copied the researcher; the apes attempted to break the tube or pull it apart with their teeth. </p><p></p></blockquote><br />Ha Ha! You dumb apes! In your face! This proves I'm smarter than you. <br /><br />But don't feel too bad, apes. This research shows that you might be as smart as scientists in Leipzig.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13343910480154453595noreply@blogger.com0