Cellphones are bad, mmkay? Or at least that is what many want us to believe, what with all these warning labels and studies telling us that mobile users will end up with brain cancer and kidney damage . Not to mention the dangers of phone addiction — horror of horrors — for our youth. Now, the National Institutes of Health have shown that radiation from your phone’s antenna turns you into a supergenius increases brain activity. Using positron emmission tomogrophy (PET) scans on 47 individuals with a muted phone on each ear (to prevent aural brain stimulation), the study found a seven percent increase in brain activity in the area closest to the phones’ antennas when receiving a call. The catch — scientists don’t know “whether this is detrimental or if it could even be beneficial,” so don’t go trading your Cell-Mate in for a Bluetooth headset just yet. Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: handsets alter brain activity — scientists don’t know what that means originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Here’s a real-world change being chalked up to climate change: The number of brown owls is increasing as the number of gray owls decreases, say Finland researchers. Gray plumage is normally a dominant trait in winter climes, possibly because snow makes brown owls more visible to predators, the BBC explains….
Continue reading …An international team of researchers says it has found a gene and its associated protein that appears to play a key role in how well women withstand stress and fear, which may influence the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a stressful event.
Continue reading …photo via flickr There has been considerable consternation about the Park Service’s decision to move the Solar Decathlon off the National Mall to parts unknown. The decision to move would of had an negative effect on the students who have been working on their designs based on the specifics of the Mall, and it would have been a lost opportunity to show the world that the US is still serious about clean energy and energy efficiency. Well, good news! Today the Energy and Interior Departments announced that the competition is staying where it belongs–on the National Mall. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Hollywood Ca, group of blond fatty’s leaving the W hotel well after bar close with there shoe’s having been stolen from the after party they left…only to find a group of black girls having been the ones to have there shoes waiting outside to fight them and use the very shoes against them in a all out Allstar weekend Brawl. The Streets of Hollywood, where youtube stars are made everyday
Continue reading …There’s not exactly any shortage of ways to mount your iPhone or iPod touch to your bike, but there’s decidedly fewer options that actually turn your iOS device into a full-fledged cycling computer that’s able to replace those from the likes of Garmin . This new iBike Dash device promises to do just that, though. It not only houses your device is a protective, waterproof shell, but it includes an ANT+ speed sensor and is compatible with other ANT+ devices so you can measure heart rate and cadence. It also has room for an extra rechargeable battery to extend your run time, and it naturally makes use of a free app that takes advantage of your iPhone’s GPS capabilities (no built-in GPS here to help out iPod touch users). Of course, all that means this one also costs considerably more than a simple bike mount — look for the basic model to set you back $199, while the deluxe package (including cadence and HR monitors along with an extra battery and charger) runs $329. Continue reading iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer iBike Dash turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a cycling computer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Gastric bypass, the most commonly performed surgery for obesity in the U.S., appears to help patients lose more weight and may treat diabetes more effectively than newer techniques, two studies show.
Continue reading …In response to these rumors , last night at least a hundred firemen arrived at the Capitol to show solidarity and protect the protesters. Stay tuned for developments: Amid the largest protests Madison, Wisconsin has seen in decades, newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker last week issued a stark message to public labor unions occupying the capitol building: we have options, and using the National Guard against protesters is among them. Since then, a myriad of rumors have circulated through crowds gathered at the state capitol, united in protest of a bill that would strip public unions of their collective bargaining rights. One rumor, which had not yet come to pass, even suggested that like Egypt’s former dictator did in Tahrir Square, Gov. Walker may call in police to forcibly clear out the capitol. And according to a Wisconsin police union president, whether the police agree or disagree with their governor’s politics, they would “absolutely” carry out any order given to them … even if that order included using force against their fellow Americans gathered in peaceful protest. That’s the message from Wisconsin Law Enforcement Association (WLEA) executive board president Tracy Fuller, whose organization recently issued a statement condemning the governor’s attempt to strip public unions of their collective bargaining rights. Fuller is also a Wisconsin State Patrol inspector. “This bill has some provisions that make no sense, unless the basic intent is to bust unions,” he recently wrote, in a post found on the WLEA website. “One provision makes it illegal for public employers to collect dues for labor organizations. The employer can take deductions for the United Way, or other organizations, but they are prohibited from collecting union dues. “How does that repair the budget?” Fuller explained to Raw Story that he was speaking only for himself when he wrote of his regrets over the troopers’ endorsement. This detail was initially misreported by David Schuster, who claimed it was the Troopers Association itself that had come into a spot of buyer’s remorse over Walker.
Continue reading …Midwesterners will be very sympathetic: San Francisco might get its first snow in 35 years this weekend—a whole inch, give or take. The city’s had flurries now and then over the years, but it hasn’t had what the San Francisco Chronicle refers to as the “gold standard” of snowfall…
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