Nine out of 10 Americans have a chemical called bisphenol A in their urine, said Nicholas D. Kristof. BPA, which can be found in plastic food containers, soup can linings, ATM receipts, and many other consumer products, is a proven “endocrine disruptor”—a substance that mimics or alters human hormones. Studies have already linked BPA to breast cancer, diabetes, and hyperactivity, […]
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Why are Americans so fat—and getting fatter with every passing year? said Brian Stelter in The New York Times. Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese, and so are one third of children and teens. This week, HBO began airing a four-part documentary, The Weight of the Nation, that aims to serve as a “wake-up […]
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■ Kim Kardashian underwent special toe liposuction so that she could fit into a stylish pair of stilettos for her recent wedding to rapper Kanye West, said Look (U.K.).The reality star spent $5,000 on an operation in which podiatrists “use tiny instruments to remove a small amount of fat— typically from the big toes,” said cosmetic surgeon Wendy Lewis. The […]
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The discovery of nine brains which were found along a street in the upstate town of Gouverneur, NY had residents turning their heads. However, authorities confirmed that they were believed to have been part of a collection for educational or research purposes. Criminal activity has been ruled out, but nobody seems to know how they got there. Local residents discovered […]
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Spending evenings in front of a glowing computer, TV, or cellphone screen can put you at risk of depression, Science News reports. Nighttime exposure to light from gadgets has already been shown to contribute to insomnia, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Now, a new study shows that screen glow can cause mood-related changes in the brain. For weeks, researchers exposed hamsters […]
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A new study has found the strongest link yet between air pollution and autism, which experts now say affects one in 50 U.S. schoolchildren. Pregnant women who lived in areas with high levels of diesel exhaust and airborne mercury were found to be twice as likely to have a child with autism as those living in places with the lowest […]
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If thinking about your own death freaks you out, there may be over-the-counter solution. A new study shows that the main ingredient in Tylenol, acetaminophen, can help calm existential dread in the same way it reduces the physical pain of a headache. To get volunteers worried about their own mortality, University of British Columbia researchers asked them to watch scenes […]
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Alaska man shot himself – Waited 5 days to go to doctor An Alaska man who accidentally shot himself in the head self-treated his wound for five days with antibiotic ointment rather than go to a doctor. Police said that James Doppler, 43, was “playing around” with his .22 long rifle when he pulled the trigger, blasting himself in the […]
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To the surprise of doctors, new research on acupuncture has found that the ancient Chinese healing technique provides real pain relief. Acupuncture involves sticking needles into specific points in the body that Chinese healers believe contain unseen energy pathways; the needles supposedly stimulate the flow of “qi,” or energy. Western medicine has viewed these claims with deep skepticism, contending that […]
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