The Census bureau announced today that 50.7 million people in the U.S., including 7.5 million children, did not have health insurance in 2009, up from 46.3 million in 2008. The number of U.S. residents with insurance in 2009 was …
No More Outdoor Smoking in New York City?
New York City’s government proposed legislation yesterday to ban smoking in city parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas like Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Despite rumors, the ban would not extend to city streets.
Pharmageddon Deferred: New Measures to Stop Opioid Abuse
There’s a party going on and the entire country is invited. The problem is, it’s an opioid party—and too many Americans have been accepting the invitation.
A Severe Migraine Could Give You a New Accent
After Kay Russell had a severe migraine attack in January, friends noticed a difference in her right away. The Gloucestershire native began to speak with what sounded like a French accent instead of her native southwestern …
A New Artificial Ovary May Someday Boost Women’s Success with In Vitro
For the first time, human eggs have been matured in a three-dimensional “artificial ovary,” a development that could one day make in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment easier and more effective.
CommittedCulture
Will Better Education Get Women Into the Corner Office?
Last academic year, for the first time, women got more doctoral degrees than men. Women now get more degrees of any caliber: bachelor’s (ironic, no?), master’s (again!) and now doctorates.
Study: An Earlier ‘Last Call’ May Reduce Assaults
It may seem like a drag when the bartender rings that bell and shouts, “Last call for alcohol!” But in addition to a legion of weary bartenders, everyone else may benefit from an earlier closing time, according to a new study in …
How Kids Get Clobbered by Racial Discrimination
Lou Dobbs thinks I’m a silly fool. He said so last year, right on the radio. Dobbs was mad at me because of a story I wrote about how quickly ethnic names are disappearing in favor of Americanized ones among second- and …
Study: Can We Tell Our Genes to Make Us Fat?
The fight against obesity has engaged many fields of medicine: genetics to predict it; nutrition to prevent it; surgery to manage it; and endocrinology to deal with one of its biggest side effects, diabetes.
Diagnosing Postpartum Depression with a Brain Scan
Postpartum depression strikes about 15% of mothers in the first months after delivery, but it’s not clear yet which women are at risk. Now researchers at University of Pittsburgh report on a brain-imaging test that may identify …
Family MattersExercise
The Older Kids Get, The Less They Move
Every parent knows that overscheduling kids is a no-no. Not only is it exhausting for parents, who must cart those little people from place to place, but kids need time to relax. Or do they?
The ‘Other’ Salt: 5 Foods Rich in Potassium
A recent report shows that consuming just 4.7 grams of “good salt” (potassium) is the equivalent of cutting out 4 grams of “bad salt” (sodium) in terms of reducing blood pressure.
But there are only so many bananas (.5g each) …
Brain Science: Does Being Left-Handed Make You Angry?
We used to think that the left brain controlled your thinking and that the right brain controlled your heart. But neuroscientists have learned that it’s a lot more complicated.