Special Reports

Sunday, 27 November 2016 01:13

Psychology experts warn cigarettes contain 4,000 chemicals that wreak havoc on your brain

The serious psychological impacts of smoking are rarely discussed Studies have shown build-up of the 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes can damage the brain Northumbria University psychology researchers Tom Heffernan and Anna-Marie Marshall explain the dangers A middle-aged cigarette smoker who has smoked for decades is two to three times more likely to die early than someone similar who has never smoked. Tobacco smoking is well known to be a major risk factor for various cancers, lung and cardiovascular problems, and is also linked to other health problems, such as complications in pregnancy, low sperm count in men, oral problems, and…

Saturday, 26 November 2016 01:49

8 digital skills we must teach our children

The social and economic impact of technology is widespread and accelerating. The speed and volume of information have increased exponentially. Experts are predicting that 90% of the entire population will be connected to the internet within 10 years. With the internet of things, the digital and physical worlds will soon be merged. These changes herald exciting possibilities. But they also create uncertainty. And our kids are at the centre of this dynamic change. Children are using digital technologies and media at increasingly younger ages and for longer periods of time. They spend an average of seven hours a day in…

Friday, 25 November 2016 02:44

Why the children of hands-on fathers are better behaved when they reach age 11

Oxford University study found fathers who were more emotionally committed in the first few months had better behaved children 11 years on Amount of time spent with the child or on domestic chores not significant Findings suggest psychological and emotional aspects are most powerful Children whose fathers embrace parenthood are less likely to be troubled as they approach their teens, researchers say. An Oxford University study has found that fathers who were emotionally committed and felt confident about parenthood in the first few months had better-behaved children 11 years later. The amount of time the father spent with the child…

Wednesday, 23 November 2016 01:46

A cure for ageing? Scientists discover breakthrough procedure to replace specific parts of ageing cells

As we age, our mitochondrial DNA mutates, eventually killing off cells Mitochondria are not good at naturally repairing mutations Scientists at Caltech and UCLA have developed a way to over-express certain genes, triggering mitochondria to clear out mutated genes It's a slight twist on the method that won 2016's Nobel Prize for Science The op, tested on flies, could pave the way for age-halting ops on humans A landmark study has identified a new way to replace ageing cells in our body. The research by scientists at Caltech and UCLA could pave the way to developing nip-n-tuck style procedures that…

Sunday, 20 November 2016 02:09

Facebook warriors are all talk and no action

68% of millennials talk about issues, such as animal cruelty and human rights online but only a third take action and even fewer actually protest Young people spend 28 mins a week discussing climate change, 38 mins talking about ethical living and 44 minutes discussing human rights Women are most likely to discuss and take action on issues than men More than two thirds of millennials moan about political issues online but only one third actually take any action, a new study suggests. Recent unexpected political revelations, such as Donald Trump winning the US presidency and Brexit, have seen Facebook…

Saturday, 19 November 2016 01:47

The rich outlive the poor by up to 9.5 years, study says

The United States is one of the richest countries in the world, but it would look dramatically different if its 50 states were organized according to income instead of geography. If that were the case, residents of the poorest state in the union would have a median household income that's just above the federal poverty line for a family of four. They would also expect to live shorter lives than people in more than half of the world's countries. It's not a pretty picture, according to the researchers who carried out this thought experiment. "In essence, there are several developing…

Monday, 14 November 2016 01:31

Using your mobile phone in public is making your walk become VERY silly - here's how

It's become the norm for us to fire off texts or browse while on the go, but there's an unexpected side-effect to it. For those of you familiar with the infamous Monty Python sketch, the words 'silly walk' may conjure up images of eccentric suited gentlemen, throwbacks from a different era - though no less sillier for it. Now, owing to the fact so many of us are beholden to our mobile phones , the silly walk has had a modern makeover. Seeing people with their heads bowed and their thumbs scrolling anywhere and everywhere is the norm. We're certainly…

Friday, 11 November 2016 01:32

Women DO have better memories than men (in middle age, at least)

Women aged 45-55 found to outperform men in all memory measures Happens even as women in menopause suffer forgetfulness and 'brain fog' But, women in earlier stages of menopause process have better memory Those in postmenopause have lower rates of learning, information recall From forgetfulness to ‘brain fog,’ women are often plagued by memory-related problems during menopause – but despite the many obstacles, they still have a better memory than men. In a new study, researchers compared the memory capabilities of middle-aged women and men, and found that women outperform their counterparts across all measures. The findings also shed light…

Saturday, 05 November 2016 15:30

Which jobs are prohibited for the former US presidents?

Edward Davies The other answers are kind of correct, however, not completely. The only position(s) that can be prohibited are those of President and likely (but not conclusively) Vice-president. However this only comes into play if the president in question has served more than 6 years in that office. So technically, the position(s) is off-limits to Mr. G. W. Bush and Mr. Clinton. However, Mr. G. H. W. Bush and Mr. Carter would still be legally allowed to serve in those positions. Brian Collins, I am Mrrrican, and actually do know stuff about our history and laws. If the President…

Saturday, 05 November 2016 02:26

What should you choose: Time or money? - Hal E. Hershfield and Cassy Mogilner Holmes

Given the choice between more time or more money, which would you pick? For a beach vacation, you might pay more for a direct flight to gain a couple of extra hours getting sand between your toes. On the other hand, you might take a better-paying job that requires late nights at the office. One of us, Professor Hershfield, recently faced such a choice. He was invited to teach a weekend seminar out of state. But he had a baby girl at home, born 12 weeks earlier. The pay would offset the costs of child care, but the job would…

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Friday, 04 November 2016 01:57

Smoking 'causes hundreds of DNA changes'

Smoking leaves an "archaeological record" of the hundreds of DNA mutations it causes, scientists have discovered. Having sequenced thousands of tumour genomes, they found a 20-a-day smoker would rack up an average of 150 mutations in every lung cell each year. The changes are permanent, and persist even if someone gives up smoking. Researchers say analysing tumour DNA may help explain the underlying causes of other cancers. Pamela Pugh, 69, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. She started smoking aged 17 and quit in her early 50s. But she said: "Even though I gave up many years ago, the…

Thursday, 03 November 2016 13:39

Senegal entrepreneurs transforming Africa's secondhand trade

Secondhand T-shirts, jeans and dresses are piled high for blocks along the busy streets in Dakar's Colobane neighborhood, where people buy donated European and American fashions at a fraction of their original price. Mourianne Gnagna Cisse, 52, picks through a pile of shorts, setting aside ones she thinks will bring the most profit when she resells them in her village. She has done this for a decade to support her four children. "It allows me to eat," she said. "Life is hard. I have no other way of making money." Today, she'll buy crisp cotton shorts for 200 CFA ($0.30)…

Thursday, 03 November 2016 01:37

Were YOU bullied as a child? Why the effects could last a lifetime

* Study tracked the mental health of 9,000 people over 40 years * Found consequences of childhood bullying were still 'significant' at 50 * Persistent bullying was also linked to adult relationships breaking down * Researchers suggest interventions could save the NHS millions in care It has long been considered a cruel and unnecessary blight on too many youngster's childhoods. But the consequences of childhood bullying can be felt into adulthood when it comes to mental health, a new study has found. Persistent bullying when young is also linked to relationships breaking down and low employment, they said. Scientists have…

Monday, 31 October 2016 14:31

2 billion children breathe toxic air worldwide, UNICEF says

As Indians awoke Monday to smoke-filled skies from a weekend of festival fireworks, New Delhi's worst season for air pollution began - with dire consequences. A new report from UNICEF says about a third of the 2 billion children in the world who are breathing toxic air live in northern India and neighboring countries, risking serious health effects including damage to their lungs, brains and other organs. Of that global total, 300 million kids are exposed to pollution levels more than six times higher than standards set by the World Health Organization, including 220 million in South Asia. For the…

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