The Cinnamon Challenge Lands Many Children In Hospital - Medical News Today

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Main Category: Pediatrics / Children’s Health
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Article Date: 22 Apr 2013 – 11:00 PDT

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The “Cinnamon Challenge”, which involves trying to swallow a teaspoon of cinnamon without water within sixty seconds, has led to many calls to poison centers, emergency departments visits and hospitalizations of teenagers who require ventilator support for collapsed lungs.

Swallowing a teaspoon of Cinnamon within sixty seconds is a nearly impossible challenge. Even on the online dare, there is a warning: “It’s going to burn, you are going to cough, and regret you tried.”

The Cinnamon Challenge is a dare that has spread throughout the Internet. While most children know about it, very few parents and teachers do, researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine wrote in the journal Pediatrics.

Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., the George Batchelor Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute, said:

“Given the allure of social media, peer pressure and a trendy new fad, pediatricians and parents have a ‘challenge’ of their own in counseling tweens and teens regarding the sensibilities of the choices they make and the potential health risks of this dare. Ingesting and Aspirating Dry Cinnamon by Children and Adolescents: The ‘Cinnamon Challenge.”

The authors said that parents need to be told about the Cinnamon Challenge, and they need to advise their children about the dangers. Parental advice really matters to kids, they added. “Schools and pediatricians should be encouraged to discuss with children the ‘Cinnamon Challenge’ and its possible harmful effects.”

Co-author Judy Schaechter, M.D., M.B.A., Interim Chair of Pediatrics, was surprised to find out during a recent dinner with a dozen pediatricians that none of them had ever heard of the Cinnamon Challenge.

Even though most teenagers who choose to do the challenge endure only temporary effects, the researchers wrote that poison centers are receiving an increasing number of calls related to the Cinnamon Challenge, and more kids are ending up in emergency departments and being hospitalized.

Cinnamon is a caustic powder consisting of cellulose fibers which do not dissolve and are not biodegradable in the lungs. Animal studies have shown that cinnamon can cause inflammation of the airways and lungs (if it is inhaled), and it can also cause lesions and scarring in the lungs and airways. People with asthma, pulmonary cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease or a hypersensitivity to spice need to be especially careful.

The authors wrote:

“Although we cannot make a strong statement on documented pulmonary sequelae in humans, it is prudent to warn that the ‘Cinnamon Challenge’ has a high likelihood to be damaging to the lungs. These discussions can also help children learn to weigh the risks and rewards of yielding to peer pressure when considering senseless and risky behaviors.”

Since August 2012, millions of people have watched at least 50,000 YouTube videos of adolescents and young adults coughing, gagging and chocking as they accept the Cinnamon Challenge. Most of the participants are aged from 13 to 24 years. This age has the “greatest need for conformity” (susceptible to peer pressure).

The authors are in no doubt that the growing Internet presence of the Cinnamon Challenge has led to a significant rise in calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. From January through June 2012, 178 calls related to this fad were made, compared to just 51 during the whole of 2011. Of those calls, 69% (122) were because of intentional misuse or abuse. 17% of callers required medical attention.

Serious or life-threatening consequences from the Cinnamon Challenge are extremely rare, the authors emphasized. However, “they are unnecessary and avoidable.”

Written by Christian Nordqvist

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Rookie News Anchor -- Fired Instantly for Dropping 'F***ing S***' On the Air

That was fast … a rookie news anchor in North Dakota has been fired before he even started … less than a day after dropping an embarrassing f-bomb on live TV.

The anchor’s name is A.J. Clemente — and you have to see the footage, which aired yesterday … his first day on the job. It’s incredible. Not only does he cuss on the air, he also plain sucks.

And A.J.’s superiors didn’t waste any time cutting him loose — he tweeted this morning, saying he’d been canned over the flub. He wrote, “Rookie mistake. I’m a free agent. Can’t help but laugh at myself and stay positive. Wish i didnt trip over my ‘Freaking Shoes’ out of the gate.”

Welcome to the viral video hall of fame, pal.

Obama: Science education must be 'priority' - USA Today

President Obama hosts the annual White House Science Fair, and promotes science and math education

President Obama holds a model rocket during the White House Science Fair(Photo: JEWEL SAMAD, AFP/Getty Images)

President Obama said Monday that Americans love technology, but may not have enough respect for the education necessary to create all those new products.

Obama promoted science, technology, engineering and math teaching while praising the winning student entries at the annual White House Science Fair.

“We need to make this a priority,” Obama said a ceremony honoring the winners.

The president also threw in more criticism of ongoing budget cuts known as the sequester, saying now is not the time to “gut” necessary investments in research and development. “The science fair projects of today could become the products or businesses of tomorrow,” he said.

There are also new volunteer programs designed to bring technology teachers and business leaders into contact with more students, Obama said.

Obama spoke after reviewing the winning entries in the White House Science Fair, which included riding a bike-powered water filtration system, a rocket launching project, and something called a “space elevator.”

Saying “this stuff’s really cool,” Obama thanked the students for “explaining to me what the heck is going on.”

Green spaces boosts wellbeing of urban dwellers - study

21 April 2013
Last updated at 20:55 ET

Parks, gardens and green space in urban areas can improve the wellbeing and quality of life of people living there, says a University of Exeter study.

Using data from 5,000 UK households over 17 years, researchers found that living in a greener area had a significant positive effect.

The findings could help to inform urban planners and have an impact on society at large, they said.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Science.

The research team examined data from a national survey that followed more than 5,000 UK households and 10,000 adults between 1991 and 2008 as they moved house around the country.

They asked participants to report on their own psychological health during that time to estimate the “green space effect”.

Dr Mathew White and colleagues at the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health found that individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas.

This was true even after the researchers accounted for changes over time in participants’ income, employment, marital status, physical health and housing type.

Benefits for society

Dr White compared the scale of the effects of living in a greener area to “big-hitting” life events such as marriage.

“We’ve found that living in an urban area with relatively high levels of green space can have a significantly positive impact on wellbeing, roughly equal to a third of the impact of being married.”

The effect was also found to be equivalent to a tenth of the impact of being employed, as opposed to unemployed.

Even when stacked up against other factors that contribute to life satisfaction, living in a greener area had a significant effect, the study said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

For people living busy lifestyles in densely populated areas, being able to get outdoors and access green space is a great way to escape the stresses of day-to-day life"

End Quote
Beth Murphy
Mind

“These kinds of comparisons are important for policymakers when trying to decide how to invest scarce public resources, such as for park development or upkeep, and figuring out what bang they’ll get for their buck,” said Dr White.

While the effect for an individual might be small, he pointed out that the potential positive effects of green space for society at large might be substantial.

“This research could be important for psychologists, public health officials and urban planners who are interested in learning about the effects that urbanisation and city planning can have on population health and wellbeing.”

Beth Murphy, information manager at the mental health charity Mind, said: “For people living busy lifestyles in densely populated areas, being able to get outdoors and access green space is a great way to escape the stresses of day-to-day life.

“Our research has shown that 94% of people who took part in outdoors ‘green exercise’ said it benefited their mental health and can have huge impacts on physical health.

“We believe this is food for thought for any policymaker involved in urban planning, or local authority developing its public health strategy.”

Green spaces boosts wellbeing of urban dwellers - study

21 April 2013
Last updated at 20:55 ET

Parks, gardens and green space in urban areas can improve the wellbeing and quality of life of people living there, says a University of Exeter study.

Using data from 5,000 UK households over 17 years, researchers found that living in a greener area had a significant positive effect.

The findings could help to inform urban planners and have an impact on society at large, they said.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Science.

The research team examined data from a national survey that followed more than 5,000 UK households and 10,000 adults between 1991 and 2008 as they moved house around the country.

They asked participants to report on their own psychological health during that time to estimate the “green space effect”.

Dr Mathew White and colleagues at the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health found that individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas.

This was true even after the researchers accounted for changes over time in participants’ income, employment, marital status, physical health and housing type.

Benefits for society

Dr White compared the scale of the effects of living in a greener area to “big-hitting” life events such as marriage.

“We’ve found that living in an urban area with relatively high levels of green space can have a significantly positive impact on wellbeing, roughly equal to a third of the impact of being married.”

The effect was also found to be equivalent to a tenth of the impact of being employed, as opposed to unemployed.

Even when stacked up against other factors that contribute to life satisfaction, living in a greener area had a significant effect, the study said.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

For people living busy lifestyles in densely populated areas, being able to get outdoors and access green space is a great way to escape the stresses of day-to-day life"

End Quote
Beth Murphy
Mind

“These kinds of comparisons are important for policymakers when trying to decide how to invest scarce public resources, such as for park development or upkeep, and figuring out what bang they’ll get for their buck,” said Dr White.

While the effect for an individual might be small, he pointed out that the potential positive effects of green space for society at large might be substantial.

“This research could be important for psychologists, public health officials and urban planners who are interested in learning about the effects that urbanisation and city planning can have on population health and wellbeing.”

Beth Murphy, information manager at the mental health charity Mind, said: “For people living busy lifestyles in densely populated areas, being able to get outdoors and access green space is a great way to escape the stresses of day-to-day life.

“Our research has shown that 94% of people who took part in outdoors ‘green exercise’ said it benefited their mental health and can have huge impacts on physical health.

“We believe this is food for thought for any policymaker involved in urban planning, or local authority developing its public health strategy.”

'X Factor' official: Kardashian out, Lopez in

It's been assumed for weeks, but now Fox is making it official: Khloe Kardashian is leaving Fox's The X Factor, while her co-host Mario Lopez will remain with the show.

"Khloe Kardashian will not be returning to co-host The X Factor," the show's producers said in a statement. "We really enjoyed working with her and wish her all the best in her future endeavors."

Meanwhile the Extra host has survived the cut and will likely serve as the show's sole host for the third season. He joins returning judges Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato, with at least one more judge (presumably two) yet to be announced. Producers previously confirmed former judges Britney Spears and L.A. Reid would not come back for another season.

"I'm thrilled Mario is back for Season Three of The X Factor," said Cowell in a statement. "Hosting a live show and keeping the judges – especially Demi – in line, is not an easy job, but Mario is a pro and we are glad he's coming back."

It will be interesting to see who Cowell persuades to join as a judge for the show given Factor's track record for high talent turnover. X Factor returns to Fox this fall.

YouTube video showing possible 420 rally shooting suspect shared by Denver ...

According to Kendrick Lamar, people come to Los Angeles for the city's "women, weed and weather."

The History of 420 as told by Cheech and Chong. Adding 'Cheech & Chong's History of 420' to your timeline Spinner Remove this item from your Timeline Permanently turn social sharing OFF. Facebook's social sharing

Ultimately, the Congress must reform or repeal the marijuana laws, but elected representatives still feel no pressure to do so. There are 36 U.S. Senators that represent medical marijuana states, but none of them have ever

We know, we know. Our friends in Washington and Colorado can legally enjoy bong rips while the fate of San Francisco's medical marijuana community still remains in the hands of the justice department.

At a marijuana celebration for the 4/20 counterculture holiday in Denver Saturday, police say shots were fired, resulting in at least two injuries. One victim is said to have been shot in the leg, and another down with unknown

Nicole Eggert - Diving Competition 'Splash' Has Claimed Its Latest Victim, Nicole ...

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Jonas Brothers Glad 'People Are Actually Showing Up' After Reunion

For Jonas Brothers fans, the band’s reunion was a long time coming. And the trio thanks them for always staying enthusiastic throughout the entire process.

“It feels really nice. It’s kind of like we never left. We spend a lot of time together, even when we’re not doing music, but finally making music together is great and we are very happy that people are actually showing up to concerts and listening to the music yet again,” Joe told MTV News during “Live From MTV” earlier this week, when they also dished about their new single, “Pom Poms,” and their forthcoming 2013 album release.

However, the new music didn’t just come together over night. After creating a batch of tunes, the guys scrapped them and decided to start over. Kevin said, “It wasn’t right where we wanted it to be. It wasn’t progressive enough. I think this record we wanted to take the time needed.”

In the end, Nick says, this album is about shaking things up musically after spending some time apart, working on various other projects, like solo albums and stints on Broadway.

“I think it was a collective decision. We came to a place where we had sort of done our individual projects, and it felt like we were in a place where we were ready to create again and come back with some different inspirations,” he said. “And we knew it was important to make this different from our previous releases and step outside of our comfort zone and really make this our best record yet. We worked hard and we took our time with it too. And we’re very proud of the result and excited for fans to hear the rest of the record besides ‘Pom Poms.’ “

No release date has been set for the album, but the guys will also hit the road this summer for the Jonas Brothers Live Tour. It’s slated to begin on July 10 in Chicago with stops planned in their home state of New Jersey, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Phoenix.

Have you stuck with the Jonas Brothers through the years? Boast your fandom in the comments!

FCC Chairman Is On Board With David Ortiz's F-Bomb - Deadspin

Pretty wild, this social media and internet driven world we live in. Literally anything — a phrase, a meme, a video, anything — can catch on early on a Saturday afternoon and be a phenomenon by the time you wake up on Sunday (and sometimes fizzle by

David Ortiz encapsulated all of the emotion and passion that was present in Saturday's pregame ceremonies at Fenway Park when he took to the microphone. In Ortiz's first game back, he thanked the city and law enforcement

David Ortiz hit cleanup during the emotional pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park on Saturday. And he knocked it out of the park.

FCC Chairman Is On Board With David Ortiz's F-Bomb. We brought you video (you can see it here) of David Ortiz speaking to the Fenway crowd during yesterday's Boston Marathon remembrance/reminder to stay strong before the Red Sox game.

Pretty wild, this social media and internet driven world we live in. Literally anything — a phrase, a meme, a video, anything — can catch on early on a Saturday afternoon and be a phenomenon by the time you wake up on Sunday (and sometimes fizzle by

Cravens co-chairs for Relay for Life - Newnan Times

Coweta County

by Alex McRae

• Sunday, April 21, 2013
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Alex McRae

The honorary co-chairs for the 2013 Relay For Life of Coweta County are Pat and Gene Craven, of Newnan.

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This year more than four million people in 20 countries are expected to participate in "Relay For Life" events that benefit the American Cancer Society — including the event next weekend in Coweta County.

The Relay For Life is the Cancer Society's biggest fundraiser. The first event was actually an informal affair that took place in May 1985, when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked and ran for 24 hours around a track in Tacoma, Washington. That single walk raised $27,000 to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer.

A year later, 340 supporters joined Dr. Klatt on his overnight stroll and the idea took off. Since then, Relay For Life has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, raising more than $4 billion to fight cancer.

Success like that is only possible because the events are organized in a way that allows local people dedicated to the cause and familiar with their communities to plan to execute events that make the most of local facilities and volunteers and is publicized in a way that draws big crowds and raises big bucks for this wonderful cause.

The honorary co-chairs for the 2013 Relay For Life of Coweta County are Pat and Gene Craven, of Newnan, both of whom have been touched deeply by the ravages of cancer.

In fact, Gene, who worked at William L. Bonnell Co. in Newnan for 44 years, is a cancer survivor.

Gene was walking in the local Relay For Life event long before he was diagnosed with cancer. He walked in support of friends, family members or co-workers who were cancer victims, survivors or still fighting the disease.

Pat — a longtime employee of the Coweta County School System who has always been involved in community activities — says her acquaintance with cancer goes back decades. She still remembers when her grandfather's younger sister became ill with cancer. The disease was treated much differently then.

"Nobody talked about it," Pat says. "It was very hush hush, not really socially acceptable."

Talking about cancer or joining the public fight against the disease was not a problem in 2003, when Gene was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"We were shocked," Pat says. "I guess you always are."

Gene had a family history of cancer and insisted on immediate surgical intervention. He was still recovering when he walked in the Relay For Life Survivor's Lap that year with Pat by his side. Gene wasn't quite strong enough to finish that first walk after surgery, but Pat was, and the two of them have been back for every local Relay For Life event since, not just as walkers, but volunteers, helpers, cheerleaders and encouragers in general.

Pat also walks in remembrance of her brother and his wife, who both succumbed to cancer within a span of 10 months in 2005 and 2006.

"I really enjoy it," Pat says of the Relay for Life effort. "I like to support everyone who is out there. And we really like helping with the organizing and planning. There's a lot to do."

The planing for each year's event begins in January and Pat says people would not believe the time and effort that goes into staging a successful relay.

"I'm impressed with all the businesses, offices, banks, schools, churches and other organizations that come out and put forth such a great effort to raise money for this great cause," Pat says. "We are really touched by how many people support this event each year."

Organizers are expecting another successful event this year. And they want to emphasize that the the Relay For Life is designed for anyone to participate in and enjoy.

Coweta's 2013 Relay for Life begins Friday evening, and continues overnight into early Saturday at the Coweta County Fairgrounds. Teams will have tents set up around the track.

"We encourage everyone to come out and support the event whether you have been touched by cancer or not," Pat says. "I'm convinced we can win this fight against cancer and this event helps make that possible."

Al Michaels Arrested -- Legendary Sportscaster Busted for DUI

Al Michaels — perhaps the most well-known sportscaster in the world — was arrested Friday night for suspicion of DUI … TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … Michaels went through a DUI checkpoint in Santa Monica at approximately 10:00 PM on Friday and when he spoke to officers, they detected an odor of alcohol.

We’re told he was pulled over and given a field sobriety and after performing poorly, he was placed under arrest. Michaels was released from jail at 4:15 AM on Saturday on his own recognizance. 

According to our sources, Michaels blood alcohol level was right at the legal limit — he blew a .08 and a .09 in two breathalyzer tests.

Our sources say Michaels could not have been nicer throughout the ordeal.

Michaels was the play-by-play man for “Monday Night Football” for 20 years before moving over to “Sunday Night Football.” He’s also done baseball and basketball … but is best known for his call of the legendary “Miracle on Ice” hockey game at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Twitter and Apple prepare to launch music services

Apple and Twitter are both expected to make significant incursions into the music space in the near future in moves that could challenge Spotify, Pandora and other independent music services.

Apple is understood to be preparing a music streaming service that would challenge existing ones such as Spotify and Pandora in the US, after reports said that it was close to securing licensing deals with Universal Music and Warner Music, two of the three major music labels. Negotiations with the third, Sony Music, are said to be “less advanced”, while there is no indication of independent labels’ willingness to sign.

But industry gossip points to a launch of the service, perhaps called “iRadio”, later this year. That would cement Apple’s position in the digital music space, where its iTunes Music Store â€" which is ten years old this month â€" already makes it the biggest music retailer in the world.

Music streaming is a fast-growing space, where the number of subscribers grew 44% in 2012 to 20m.

Twitter meanwhile is expected to launch a dedicated product optimised for music, being readied by Twitter for launch at this weekend’s Coachella music festival, where artists including Blur will be playing.

Twitter Music, which is being teased with a holding page, is thought to offer users a version of Twitter optimised for music, including enhanced player tools supporting Soundcloud and iTunes, rich follower tools for favourite bands, suggestions and trends, and a recommendation service between friends.

The service has been built by the We Are Hunted team, an Australian music discovery and sharing tool quietly acquired by Twitter this year. The deal was only announced yesterday with a statement on the a href=”"We Are Hunted/a site which said: “While we are shutting down wearehunted.com, we will continue to create services that will delight you, as part of the Twitter team.

“There’s no question that Twitter and music go well together. Artists turn to Twitter first to connect with fans, and people share and discover new songs and albums every day. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on at Twitter … you will hear more from us.”

Apple’s negotiations with labels were reported by a href=”"The Verge/a, noting that talks with Sony were less advanced. Apple hopes that iRadio, as the planned new service had been dubbed, will help push download sales by helping users discover new music â€" implying that its Genius recommendation tool and Ping network have not done the job.

Negotiations have not run smoothly; Apple had initially been pushing for a royalty rate of around 6c per 100 streamed songs â€" roughly half what rival service Pandora currently pays. Current negotiations have doubled that rate. There has been speculation that the basic iRadio service would be free and ad-supported, and launch at Apple’s next developer conference in summer.

Music analyst Alice Enders said that Twitter Music was unlikely to present any challenge to the mainstream commercial music space. “It is not a game changer â€" it’s niche, a recommendation-based service for people that aren’t representative of the billions of people that consume music,” she said. A commission-based system for sales on a third-party site would be an unlikely revenue stream, she said, because it would drive users off the Twitter platform, so further promotional advertising products are the most likely revenue streams for the service.

But Apple’s service was most likely to present a challenge to Pandora, the online radio service that now claims to be used by as much as one third of the US online audience, she said.

“The real question is Apple going to attract users away from Pandora,” said Enders. “It’s a big decision for the recorded music industry whether Apple should become a subscription service, noting that the all-you-can-eat service seems to be the nirvana for the music industry even though there is the potential to cannibalise download sales.”

She added that though successful in the US, the Pandora model has not achieved that scale in other markets which would limit the potential for an Apple product based on that model.

Soundcloud declined to comment on Twitter Music, and Twitter said it could not comment beyond the statement on We Are Hunted‘s site.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Universal Music made no comment.

The pros and cons of going braless

Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, of Besançon’s university hospital in France, has been studying women’s breasts, in and out of brassieres, for 15 years. He has found that, after a year, the bosoms of bra wearers sag an average of 7mm more than free-range boobs. That’s right â€" seven whole millimetres! Ditch the lady harness for a year, and you too could see significantly less than a centimetre’s difference in the pendulousness of your breasts. This may not work if you’re middle-aged or older, as Prof Rouillon’s attention, to date, has been focused on the breasts of young women.

Rouillon’s research is the most comprehensive of its kind, but it’s not the first study to show similar findings: an oft-quoted Japanese experiment from 1990 had similar results. So, science has blown the claim that bras keep our peaks perky out of the water; it has quashed the myth that all vagina-bearers need lifelong surgical supports across their upper torsos lest their delicate feminine backs wilt. Is it time to sack the straps? If not to prevent droopiness and backache, why do we underwire and wrap our lady lumps at all?

I have invited two figments of my imagination to productively thrash these questions out. In the blue corner, we have Pro â€" an irritating lap cat of the patriarchy; in the red corner, we have Con â€" a battle weary feminist, to whom nobody listens. Have at ‘em champs!

Pro: Wearing a bra hides the deeply provocative contours of female nipples from view, allowing women to participate more fully in society.

Con: They’re nipples. Nipples. Why am I ashamed? Why are you staring?

Pro: Wearing a bra allows women to mould their body shapes into the kinds deemed most sexalicious by mainstream culture, thus making us more confident and happy. Thin of tit? Pad those little pixies out â€" we got foam ’til you can afford you some silicon! Matronly of mammary? Just hoist those mammas up with industrial strength rigging, and it’s plain sailing for you and your twin buoys!

Con: Our boobs are fine the way they are. Confidence based on the degree to which your tits conform to societal tit-ideals isn’t really confidence.

Pro: Bras are so sexy! They package you up in bows and lace like a Christmas present. Like two Christmas presents! What girl doesn’t want to be a year-round festivity for the lucky lover in her life?

Con: Is sexiness something we have to buy now? Can you really purchase chemistry in La Senza for £19.99? Is arousal underwired? We already possess the physical accoutrements beloved of our lovers. They come free with two X chromosomes. The commodification of women’s bodies and sexualities damages us psychologically and detracts from our ability to experience sexual pleasure.

Pro: Nuh-uh. And anyways, going braless might mean slightly less saggy boobs, but wearing a bra allows you to pretend that your boobs don’t sag at all. No brainer!

Con: Let’s interrogate the vilification of boob sag. What, in fact, is wrong with droopy tits?

Pro: Ew. Don’t swing ‘em in my direction.

Con: I hate you.

Pro: You hate everyone â€" you’re an embittered feminist to whom nobody listens.

Con: Oh yeah? Well, at least my breasts are 7mm higher than yours when we’re both topless.

Pro: 7mm, big woop! They’re looking pretty saggy under that shapeless hemp shift dress is all I’m saying.

Ladies, ladies. Enough. Kindly return to the confines of my consciousness while I reflect on the significance of your cat fight. Is Pro right? Should I continue to doctor the contours of my God/evolution-given shape to increase my confidence, please my lovers, and feel all purdy? Or is Con right? Would we all be happier if we celebrated our boob differences rather than calling them faults and correcting them with wire and padding? I mean, I’m leaning towards Con, personally, but that’s because I’m closer to battle-weary feminist than lap cat of the patriarchy.

Thinking about the logic of bra wearing is a bit depressing. It’s more socially inculcated hatred of our bodies really, isn’t it? I mean, I don’t think I ever wore a bra to prevent droop (ain’t got nothing to droop, honey) or backache. I just kind of wore one because everyone else did. And now I’m used to it, and when I do go braless I’m often annoyed by the eye-to-nipple ratio I experience in social situations, so I don’t do it very often. But maybe it’s time to start: a resolution which will make me a braless feminist with a recently shaved head and all my own body hair. Does anyone know where I can buy a shapeless hemp shift dress?

Sounds synchronized to brain rhythms may improve sleep, memory

Want better sleep? A new study suggests ditching the white-noise machine and tuning into your brain’s own rhythms.

The research from the University of Tubingen in Germany suggests that slow sounds tuned into the brain’s rhythms during sleep improves not only those rhythms but memory as well.

RELATED: OVERNIGHT DIET: DO YOU BELIEVE THE HYPE?

During deep sleep, the brain’s electrical patterns follow a slow oscillating rhythm, the scientists said.

Head researcher Jan Born and colleagues played rhythmic sounds generated to match electrical brain readings of 11 sleepers, playing the sounds of their own brain oscillations to them during deep sleep. “The beauty lies in the simplicity,” Born said in a statement.

RELATED: DANISH MAN ACQUITTED OF SEX ASSAULTS BECAUSE HE SUFFERS FROM ‘SEXSOMNIA’

After they’d been exposed during sleep to stimulating sounds that were in sync with the brain’s slow oscillation rhythm, the subjects were better able to remember word associations they had learned the evening before. Out-of-sync sounds, however, didn’t have any effect.

In addition to boosting memory, Born suggests that the brain rhythms might improve sleep for those suffering from insomnia. But don’t rush out and buy slow sleep sound recordings just yet — the sounds will need to be tuned to each person’s own rhythms for the effect to work, the study notes.

RELATED: DIABETES LINKED TO LOW SLEEP HORMONE LEVELS: STUDY

Findings were published online April 11 in the journal Neuron.

Previously lost Soviet Mars 3 lander discovered by Mars Orbiter

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On May 28, 1971, the former Soviet Union sent a lander to the Red Planet. Called the Mars 3, it followed the ill-fated and crashed Mars 2 to the planet, landing on the surface on December 2 of the same year and achieving the first successful soft landing on Mars in human history. The Mars 3 opened to release its PROP-M rover, transmitted for all of 14.5 secondsâ€"and fell silent. The craft has not been seen or heard from since.

Until now, that is. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter relayed images taken by the orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (or HiRISE) that potentially revealed the Soviet craft’s location in 2007. A group of internet-based Russian Curiosity enthusiasts caught wind of what portion of Mars had been photographed and searched for their lost legacy.

Mars 3 is thought to have landed in the area known as Ptolemaeus Crater (or latitude 45 degrees south, longitude 202 degrees east specifically). Vitali Egorov of St. Petersburg, Russia, knew this. Head of the aforementioned Russian Curiosity group, Egorov used crowdsourcing to enable his subscribers to search the 2007 images for evidence of the lander’s resting place. On December 31, 2012, they did. Or at least, they think they did.

Egorov provided modeling of what certain pieces of the craftâ€"hardware such as the parachute, retrorocket, lander and heat shieldâ€"might look like via HiRISE imagery, and then dispersed the information amidst his investigators. Potential candidates were located in the miniscule details of the southern regions and lay in patterns consistent with entry, descent and landing.

Alexander Basilevsky of the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry in Moscow advises Egorov and his group. He contacted Alfred McEwen, HiRISE Principal Investigator, asking that the region where the suspected remains of Mars 3 were be revisited. McEwen complied, while Basilevsky and Egorov touched base with Russian engineers for more clarification.

New HiRISE images of the area, tailored to highlight the hardware candidates, were received on March 10 of this year. The supposed parachute is consistent with understood measurements (7.5 meters in diameter; a fully spread parachute would measure 11 meters). The other suspected pieces are a retrorocket candidate (complete with chain-like extension, which would have connected it to the lander), one for the lander itself with its four open petals (from which its rover would emerge), and what could be the heat shield (if given that it is partially buried).

NASA does believe the evidence favors the Mars 3 having finally been found, but it cannot yet say for certain.

“Together, this set of features and their layout on the ground provide a remarkable match to what is expected from the Mars 3 landing, but alternative explanations for the features cannot be ruled out,” said McEwen. “Further analysis of the data and future images to better understand the three-dimensional shapes may help to confirm this interpretation.”

Penske teams may face penalties after parts taken

Penske teams may face penalties after parts taken

April 13, 2013,

David Caraviello,

NASCAR.com

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Last-minute scramble sends Logano to back as he fails to get to grid on time

FORT WORTH, Texas — As driver introductions wound down at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday evening, two cars remained in the garage area because NASCAR had confiscated some of their parts.

The Penske Racing teams of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano face potential penalties in the coming week after parts of the vehicles’ rear-end housings were taken in pre-race inspection. The late inspection hang-up prompted a rush to get the cars through inspection before the race started, and Logano had to move to the rear of the field because NASCAR ruled his vehicle didn’t get to the starting grid on time.

Keselowski was able to keep his 16th-place starting spot. But both teams might be in for penalties due to parts that Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president for competition, told reporters were “not in the spirit of the rule.”

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  Keselowski, Johnson back where rivalry took root

“In pre-race inspection they felt like there was something that was a questionable item that they wanted replaced,” said Travis Geisler, Penske’s director of competition. “We replaced all the parts in question. They have them all. We’re working through the process here as it goes to get through inspection. Unfortunately a little tighter timeline here than we’d like to be on, but I certainly understand their position and don’t disagree with where they are.”

A rear-end housing is a casing that contains the gears and axels in the back of the vehicle. Teams began to get creative in that area last season, with the yawed setups sometimes employed on the previous generation of Sprint Cup car. Saturday, Geisler said the Penske teams weren’t trying anything particularly unorthodox in that area of the vehicles.

“There isn’t anything in there that’s groundbreaking as far as new pieces and parts,” he said. “But it’s a sport that moves all the time. (NASCAR is) doing what they need to do to ensure an even playing field, which I certainly agree with and expect them to do week in and week out. If there’s a question in their mind, we’d much rather put it out of their mind by changing the parts and making sure that they’re comfortable that we’re all on an even playing field. And I feel confident that we are all here tonight.”

Getting there, though, was a scramble. The Penske vehicles were the last two vehicles in the garage area, and Keselowski’s car successfully cleared the laser inspection platform as driver introductions wound down. Crewmen continued to scramble under the rear of the No. 22 car, which needed three passes to get though the laser platform, and passed the final stages of inspection just as the command to start engines was given.

“That’s what these guys do for a living, so it’s not really a crisis,” Geisler said of the 11th-hour changeover. “We do those kinds of things during practice at times. Everybody’s set up for it. It’s obviously not expected at this point in the day, but that’s racing. You have to expect the unexpected, and that’s the way it goes.”

Having gotten the cars on track in time for the start of the race, the Penske team now faces the prospect of penalties from NASCAR. “We always have a good, open dialogue with them. They’ll keep us in the loop about how they feel about what’s going on there,” Geisler said. “I’m sure well all discuss that in the upcoming days.”

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Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries Face Off In Court

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are scheduled to come face-to-face today for the first time since their split.

The former lovebirds are required to appear at a settlement conference at the downtown L.A. courthouse this AM.  The drill is … try and hash out a resolution to avoid a trial.  

But here’s the deal … Mandatory settlement conferences are routine, but this case has as much a chance of settling as Farrah Abraham has getting admitted to a nunnery.

Sources tell us … Kris is shockingly still demanding $7 mil to go away, even though he says all he wants is an annulment.  We’re told Kim not only is unwilling to give him a penny … she’s now demanding that he pay her attorney’s fees.

This case is destined for trial.

Brains as Clear as Jell-O for Scientists to Explore

Scientists at Stanford University reported on Wednesday that they have made a whole mouse brain, and part of a human brain, transparent so that networks of neurons that receive and send information can be highlighted in stunning color and viewed in all their three-dimensional complexity without slicing up the organ.

Even more important, experts say, is that unlike earlier methods for making the tissue of brains and other organs transparent, the new process, called Clarity by its inventors, preserves the biochemistry of the brain so well that researchers can test it over and over again with chemicals that highlight specific structures and provide clues to past activity. The researchers say this process may help uncover the physical underpinnings of devastating mental disorders like schizophrenia, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder and others.

The work, reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature, is not part of the Obama administration’s recently announced initiative to probe the secrets of the brain, although the senior author on the paper, Dr. Karl Deisseroth at Stanford, was one of those involved in creating the initiative and is involved in planning its future.

Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which provided some of the financing for the research, described the new work as helping to build an anatomical “foundation” for the Obama initiative, which is meant to look at activity in the brain.

Dr. Insel added that the technique works in a human brain that has been in formalin, a preservative, for years, which means that long-saved human brains may be studied. “Frankly,” he said, “that is spectacular.”

Kwanghun Chung, the primary author on the paper, and Dr. Deisseroth worked with a team at Stanford for years to get the technique right. Dr. Deisseroth, known for developing another powerful technique, called optogenetics, that allows the use of light to switch specific brain activity on and off, said Clarity could have a broader impact than optogenetics. “It’s really one of the most exciting things we’ve done,” he said, with potential applications in neuroscience and beyond.

“I think it’s great,” said Dr. Clay Reid, a senior investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, who was not involved in the work. “One of the very difficult challenges has been making the brain, which is opaque, clear enough so that you can see deep into it.” This technique, he said, makes brains “extremely clear” and preserves most of the brain chemistry. “It has it all,” he said.

In the mid-2000s, a team led by Dr. Jeff Lichtman at Harvard developed a process called Brainbow to breed mice that are genetically altered to make their brain neurons fluoresce in many different colors. The new technique would allow whole brains of those mice with their rainbow neurons to be preserved and studied.

“I’m quite excited to try this,” Dr. Lichtman said.

There are several ways to make tissue transparent. The key to the new technique is a substance called a hydrogel, a material that is mostly water held together by larger molecules to give it some solidity.

Dr. Chung said the hydrogel forms a kind of mesh that permeates the brain and connects to most of the molecules, but not to the lipids, which include fats and some other substances. The brain is then put in a soapy solution and an electric current is applied, which drives the solution through the brain, washing out the lipids. Once they are out, the brain is transparent, and its biochemistry is intact, so it may be infused with chemicals, like antibody molecules that also have a dye attached, that show fine details of its structure and previous activity.

Techniques like this, said Dr. Insel, “should give us a much more precise picture of what is happening in the brains of people who have schizophrenia, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and depression.”

The tricky part was getting the right combination of temperature, electricity and solution. And it was very tricky indeed, said Dr. Chung. Over the course of years spent trying to make it work, he said, “I burned and melted more than a hundred brains.”

But with the paper’s publication, the recipe is now available to anyone who wants to use it, and, he said, “I think it will be relatively easy.”

The technique has its limits, of course. Dr. Chung said more work needed to be done before it could be applied to a whole human brain, because a human’s brain is so much larger than a mouse’s, and has more lipids.

Dr. Chung said he planned to start his own lab soon and to work on refining the technology. But he pointed out that it is already known that it works on all tissue, not just brains, and can be used to look for structures other than nerve cells. On his laboratory bench, he said, “I have a transparent liver, lungs and heart.”

Dr. Reid agreed that Clarity had applications in many fields. “It could permeate biology,” he said.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 10, 2013

An earlier version of this article misstated Dr. Clay Reid’s work with Dr. Jeff Lichtman of Harvard. Dr. Reid was involved in Dr. Lichtman’s Connectome Project, not on the Brainbow team.

'Glee' Enlists Patty Duke, Meredith Baxter as Blaine Preps Proposal

Fox's musical dramedy jumped 20 percent among adults 18-49 for an episode that dealt with a shooting at the school. Glee delivered 6.8 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in the demo, climbing from its last original episode three weeks ago. Lead-in

E! News confirms that veteran actresses Patty Duke and Meredith Baxter will guest star as a lesbian couple that has been together for 25 years, first appearing on the Glee Season 4 finale and then recurring on Glee Season 5… assuming there IS a Glee

E! News confirms that veteran actresses Patty Duke and Meredith Baxter will guest star as a lesbian couple that has been together for 25 years, first appearing on the Glee Season 4 finale and then recurring on Glee Season 5… assuming there IS a Glee

E! News confirms that veteran actresses Patty Duke and Meredith Baxter will guest star as a lesbian couple that has been together for 25 years, first appearing on the Glee Season 4 finale and then recurring on Glee Season 5… assuming there IS a Glee

New Glee castmembers appearing in the finale reveal some SERIOUS spoilers about a prospective wedding coming in season five!

WrestleMania 29: Superstars That Will Use Momentum to Carry WWE in 2013

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WrestleMania 29 results, featuring CM Punk vs. Undertaker and John Cena vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship.

WrestleMania 29 results, featuring CM Punk vs. Undertaker and John Cena vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship.

Full coverage of WrestleMania 29 from New Jersey, including GIFs, videos and results.

This year's WrestleMania was a real mixed bag. Spencer Hall, Jason Kirk and Bill Hanstock talk about the highs and lows of professional wrestling's biggest night.

Test-tube baby pioneer Sir Robert Edwards dies

10 April 2013
Last updated at 12:15 ET

Professor Sir Robert Edwards (left) with Louise Brown (right) and her mother Lesley Brown in 2008

The world’s first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, has led the tributes to the pioneer of IVF, who has died aged 87.

Prof Sir Robert Edwards was knighted in 2011, five decades after he began experimenting with IVF.

His work led to the birth of Ms Brown at Oldham General Hospital in 1978. She said he had brought “happiness and joy” to millions of people.

IVF is used worldwide and has resulted in more than five million babies.

Prof Edwards died in his sleep after a long illness.

Ms Brown said: “I have always regarded Robert Edwards as like a grandfather to me.

“His work, along with Patrick Steptoe, has brought happiness and joy to millions of people all over the world by enabling them to have children.

“I am glad that he lived long enough to be recognised with a Nobel prize for his work, and his legacy will live on with all the IVF work being carried out throughout the world.”

‘Immense impact’

The University of Cambridge, where Prof Edwards was a fellow, said his work “had an immense impact”.

Continue reading the main story

Robert Edwards is known as “the father of IVF” and he certainly has a big family.

Louise Brown, born in 1978, was the first test-tube baby.

Since then, more than five million children have been born through IVF.

In vitro fertilisation has completely changed the prospects for couples unable to have children.

Fertilising an egg with sperm outside the body and implanting the resulting embryo means infertility is no longer a certain barrier to starting a family.

The technique sparked a huge ethical debate in 1978 and attracted media attention around the world.

Born in Yorkshire in 1925 into a working-class family, Prof Edwards served in the British army during World War II before returning home to study first agricultural sciences and then animal genetics.

Building on earlier research, which showed that egg cells from rabbits could be fertilised in test tubes when sperm was added, Edwards developed the same technique for humans.

In a laboratory at Cambridge in 1968, he first saw life created outside the womb in the form of a human blastocyst, an embryo that has developed for five to six days after fertilisation.

“I’ll never forget the day I looked down the microscope and saw something funny in the cultures,” Edwards once recalled.

‘Remarkable man’

“I looked down the microscope and what I saw was a human blastocyst gazing up at me. I thought, ‘We’ve done it’.”

“Bob Edwards is one of our greatest scientists,” said Mike Macnamee, chief executive of Bourn Hall, the IVF clinic founded by Prof Edwards with his fellow IVF pioneer Patrick Steptoe, a gynaecological surgeon.

Prof Martin Johnson, one of his first students, said: “Bob Edwards was a remarkable man who changed the lives of so many people.

“He was not only a visionary in his science but also in his communication to the wider public about matters scientific, in which he was a great pioneer.

“He will be greatly missed by his colleagues, students, his family and all the many people he has helped to have children.”

Prof Peter Braude, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at King’s College London, said: “Few biologists have so positively and practically impacted on humankind.

“Bob’s boundless energy, his innovative ideas, and his resilience despite the relentless criticism by naysayers, changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice in the gift of their own child.”

Edwards was too frail to pick up his Nobel prize in Stockholm in 2010, leaving that job to his wife Ruth, with whom he had five daughters.

He remained a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, until his death.

His work was motivated by his belief, as he once described it, that “the most important thing in life is having a child.”

“Nothing is more special than a child,” he said.

MTV star Farrah Abraham's porn video 'a new low of lows,' experts say

LOS ANGELES â€"  There’s low, and then there’s low.

Former MTV reality star Farrah Abraham, 21, who shot to fame as a subject of the network’s “16 and Pregnant” in 2009 and its spinoff “Teen Mom,” admitted this week that she had sex on camera with professional porn star James Deen. It was then widely assumed the idea was that the video was to then be “leaked” as a celebrity sex tape.

While sex tapes are nothing new in the scandal drenched Hollywood community, some argue that hiring a “pro” to orchestrate a fake sex tape is evidence of a whole new level of desperation.

“Staging an event like this is really a desperate cry for fame. As the old adage goes, fame is fleeting and only lasts fifteen minutes. But today’s stars, and reality stars in particular, are looking for ways to make their fame last as long as possible,” sociologist popular culture expert Dr. Hilary Levey Friedman told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “The way to keep building fame is to be talked about, and in our crowded media space it takes something quite controversial to get so much ink.”

Life and career strategist Suzannah Galland says Abraham’s stunt says a lot about our culture.

“Hollywood’s impact has misguided youth yet again. This is a new low of lows where the latest self-creative hype is shaped around being crude and in your face,” she said. “It’s very clear that being an exhibitionist is in demand, and will encourage other aspiring fame seekers to crave the same kind of attention.”

Even though it worked for the likes of Kim Kardashian, who several years ago shot to international fame and spawned a reality television empire after her sex tape with rapper Ray-J surfaced, some industry experts are not convinced that celebrity sex tapes in today’s media climate have the same fame and fortune-wielding impact. 

In other words, Abraham may very well have taken her clothes off for nothing.

“The power of sex tapes to boost a would-be celebrity’s career is very difficult to predict. I don’t know whether it will revive, boost or prolong Farah’s career, but it has limited her options,” said Quentin Boyer, public relations director for adult entertainment site Pink Visual. “Reality TV evidently doesn’t mind if its assorted personalities have a ‘porn past,’ but a whole lot of other industries and markets do.”

However, Joanna Angel, the co-founder of the Burning Angel porn company,  says the press surrounding Abraham’s video is proof it was a good idea.

“The fact of the matter is a few weeks ago this girl was just some girl on a past season of a reality TV show. She was actually one of the more responsible moms on the show â€" yes I watch it â€" which should be a good thing, but unfortunately it made her yesterday’s news really quickly,” Angel said. “The more messed up moms on the show, like Amber and Janelle, are in gossip magazines all the times because they are constantly in and out of rehab or jail or whatever. In any case, everyone is talking about her now. And what is she going to do, get a ‘real job?’ It’s hard to go from being on TV to being a manager at Best Buy.”

Getting down and dirty for the cameras isn’t Abraham’s only attempt to stay relevant since her MTV series wrapped in August of last year. Immediately after the show’s conclusion, she released a song and a music video featuring her young daughter, Sophia, wrote a book entitled “My Teenage Dream Ended,” marketed her own pasta sauce, and completed some sexy bikini modeling shoots.

But it seems Abraham isn’t quite ready to admit she made her video for the cash and attention. Instead she is claiming that she is a “great woman, mother and entrepreneur” and that she simply wanted her own personal video made and photos taken for her own personal viewing pleasure when she is older, so that she will have her “best year to look back on.”

“Society has taught this young woman and many others that ‘shock and awe’ gets attention and that being a sex on our object is highly valued by our culture. We reward immature and trashy behavior and glaze over and ignore those who are making a positive difference in our world,” concluded media activist and director of the “Cover Girl Culture” documentary, Nicole Clark. “It is a sad reflection that many girls have learned from our society, over which Hollywood has a huge influence, that they need to be remembered as sex objects in order to feel worthy and successful.”

Luke Bryan ACM Entertainer of the Year Win Evokes Tears of Both Sorrow and Joy

Luke Bryan. Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images. It took a few moments for Luke Bryan to gain his composure after hearing his name called as entertainer of the year at Sunday night's (April 7) Academy of Country Music

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Dinosaur embryos FOUND: Resurrection 'out of the question'* - boffin

Dinosaur embryos wiggled around in their eggs just like the embryos of modern birds, scientists have found. The boffins made the discovery after a cache of fossilised dino bones and eggs were dug up in southwest China.

The scientists are hoping to find out more about the Jurassic-era creatures by analysing remnants of complex proteins found in some of the 190-million-year-old fossils.

The researchers studying the oldest dino-embryo fossils ever found have hypothesised that they moved within the egg to exercise muscles and encourage their bones to grow.

More than 200 fossilised bones were dug out of a site near Lufeng in Yunnan, south west China. All the specimens come from the genus called Lufengosaurus, a long-necked, herbivorous beast which weighed more than a tonne and grew up to nine metres long.

Normally scientists find eggs within nests, meaning that they are all at similar points of development. But the huge Lufeng sample featured dinos which were in several different growth stages.

Robert Reisz, a palaeontologist from the University of Toronto Mississauga, in Canada, said: “We are looking at various stages in the embryonic life of this animal, and we can put this together to get a growth trajectory of the embryo itself – something that has never been done before.”

Researchers analysed the femurs of the specimens and found that the bone appeared to be growing extremely quickly within the egg, which indicates that eggs may have been incubated for just a short period.

They also found that the bones were pulled around by muscles inside the eggs, bending them into shape.

“This suggests that dinosaurs, like modern birds, moved around inside their eggs,” said Reisz. “It represents the first evidence of such movement in a dinosaur.”

DInosaur embryos are incredibly rare, generally found only in strata traced back to the Upper Cretaceous, and difficult to study, for the obvious reason that they are found within eggs which scientists are often loathe to crack.

So there was great excitement when three years ago, palaeontologists found the remains of 20 Lufengosaurus embryos among a pile of fossilised bones which dated back to the Jurassic period and are 190 to 197 million years old.

Prof Reisz added: “The nests were inundated by water and basically smothered, and the embryos inside the eggs died and then decayed. “And then more water activity moved the bones and concentrated them into a very small area. We only excavated 1m² of the ‘bone bed’ and we got more than 200 bones.

He suggested the team’s finding proved that dinosaurs emerged from their eggs in a relatively developed state, ready to face the perils of the Jurassic era.

The research was published in Nature. ®

*DNA’s half-life is about 500 years, though fragments of incomplete degrading DNA remain as the proteins slowly dissolve over hundreds of thousands of years. These remains are 190 million years old. Nevertheless, one of the scientists found it necessary to explain, here, that “resurrecting a dinosaur is out of the question.”

Dark Lightning Zaps Airline Passengers

You’ve probably never seen it, but it’s possible you’ve been exposed to it if you’ve ever flown through a thunderstorm. Dark lightning, flashes of gamma rays that occur at altitudes in which commercial aircraft fly, doesn’t produce much light, but it does produce radiation.

New research presented Wednesday at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna pinpoints the amount of radiation that dark lightning produces — and how much pilots and passengers might be getting exposed to.

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“The good news is that the doses are not super scary — it could be worse,” said lead research Joseph Dwyer, a physics professor at Florida Institute of Technology. “It’s similar to going to the doctor’s office and getting a CT scan.”

The existence of dark lightning itself was discovered on a NASA spacecraft in 1994. In the electrical fields of a thunderstorm, electrons zoom close to the speed of light, colliding with atoms to emit the gamma rays.

In 2010, Dwyer and colleagues determined that dark lightning occurred at altitudes where airplanes commonly fly. That prompted the current work, which involved a physics-based model that can show exactly how the discharge happens.

The preliminary work showed how much radiation was being emitted, but the size of the space it was produced in was unclear. With the current model, Dwyer’s team was able to pinpoint the exposure dose that someone on an airplane would likely receive.

“This work is very important because it gets you into the zone where you start to understand how often and how likely they are to happen,” said University of California Santa Cruz physics professor David Smith, who has worked with Dwyer but was not involved in the modeling work.

The next step, Smith said, is to start determining how often the flashes occur. Because the bursts are so brief — about 10-100 of microseconds — they are usually undetected, although it’s possible you could see a diffuse, purple light, Dwyer said.

“Unless you have gamma ray detectors on board, no one would think anything of it,” Smith said.

The National Science Foundation is currently working on an armored plane that could fly through thunderstorms, Smith said. If an instrument were placed on board, researchers may begin to get a better idea of the frequency of the flashes. Currently, the bursts are thought to occur much less frequently than the lightning we see, but that could mean anywhere from 1/100th to 1/1000th as often, Smith said.

NEWS: Mystery of Ball Lightning Solved?

“It’s a very rough number,” Smith said. “The other question is, are there somewhat weaker ones that happen more often?”

Until those questions are answered, researchers say there’s no need for pilots to change course, since avoiding thunderstorms is already part of the gig. Depending on future findings, though, frequent flyers may want to watch the weather when they fly.

“It’s kind of cool that it’s been 250 years since Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, and we’ve realized there’s a different kind of lightning going on that we never knew about,” Dwyer said.

New details emerge in Lone Star College stabbings, suspect's history

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Fallon Fox Called 'Disgusting Freak' by UFC Fighter Matt Mitrione, Who Is ...

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UK lawmakers pay tribute to former PM Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher was a character so singular that it wasâ€"and still isâ€"hard to conjure up the feeling of wanting to grow up to be her. That is a triumph, if one as cold as it is dazzling.

Morrissey BLASTS Margaret Thatcher after her death!

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London (CNN) — Margaret Thatcher was "an extraordinary leader and an extraordinary woman," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a special session of Parliament Wednesday. He led tributes to Britain's only female prime minister two days after

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Turbulence ahead as climate changes

New research linking climate change to turbulence points to bumpier flights and rising costs for airlines

Get ready for more choppy, nerve-fraying transatlantic flights.

New research shows that climate change will cause more turbulence for transatlantic fliers by the middle of this century, and possibly lead to higher costs for airlines and passengers.

According to a paper published in the scientific journal, Nature, climate change will significantly increase turbulence over the North Atlantic, a popular route between North America and Europe.

The report concluded that “journey times may lengthen and fuel consumption and emissions may increase” as a result.

This increase in emissions could then intensify global warming problems, causing a vicious circle for pilots, fliers and the environment.

Currently, turbulence causes about $150 million a year in damages to planes and other expenses, said Paul Williams, one of the report’s authors from the department of meteorology at the University of Reading. There was a high chance overall industry costs would rise as turbulence intensifies, he said.

British Airways, one of the heaviest users of the North Atlantic routes, said it invested heavily in systems to help its pilots detect and avoid turbulence.

“The technology and training to predict, avoid and mitigate turbulence has improved hugely over the past 20 years and we would expect that pattern to continue into the future,” it said in a statement.

Related: Absurd airline fees

The U.K.-based researchers used a climate model from Princeton to analyze the specifics of how turbulence will increase in the winter.

“We were surprised by how robust the results were for the North Atlantic region,” said co-author Manoj Joshi, a lecturer in climate dynamics from the University of East Anglia.

The results showed that the area above the North Atlantic that would experience “significant” turbulence will double, explained Williams. “Significant” turbulence can be classified as turbulence that would prompt the pilot to turn on the seat belt sign, he said.

Joshi said he expects to find similar results when he looks at the North Pacific region, between Japan and the west coast of the United States.

Researchers discover new evidence that dinosaurs were strong swimmers

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An international research team has discovered new evidence that dinosaurs were strong swimmers, capable of paddling long distances. They posit that learning more about dinosaurs can help them track evolution over millions of years.

University of Alberta graduate student Scott Persons says that “from dinosaurs we’ve learned about colour vision in some of today’s animals, and the ancient animals are linked to the evolution of other life we take for granted, like birds and flowering plants.”

Persons and his colleagues studied strange claw marks discovered on a river bottom in China that is thought to have once been a route frequented by dinosaurs.

In close proximity to fossilized footprints of several Cretaceous era animals researchers located a series of claw marks that they think suggest a coordinated, left-right, left-right progression.

According to Persons, the claw marks were made by the tips of a two-legged dinosaur’s feet as it swam in the river with only its tippy toes scraping the bottom. The claw marks stretch a distance of approximately 15 meters which the researchers contend is proof that dinosaurs were able to swim with coordinated leg movements. These tracks were made by the meat-eating theropod dinosaur.

Fossilized evidence suggests that more than 100 million years ago the river in China experienced dry and wet cycles. According to Persons, the “dinosaur super-highway” has given researchers plenty of foot prints of theropods and four-legged sauropods to study.

According to a University of Alberta news article written by Brian Murphy, Persons and his colleagues plan to continue examining dinosaurs’ ability to swim with the ultimate goal that the analysis will offer information about animals. Persons says that paleontology has already yielded a few connections between life on Earth 65 million years ago and today.

“Want to know why our pet dogs or livestock have limited colour vision? It’s because early mammals sacrificed cones for rods in their eyes so they could see better in the dark and better avoid dinosaurs,” notes Persons in the news article.

The study’s findings were described in detail in the journal Chinese Science Bulletin.

Metta World Peace says he'll play Tuesday

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace is hoping to come back sooner rather than later.(Photo: Mark J. Terrill AP)

EL SEGUNDO – Kobe Bryant has a nickname for Metta World Peace that was more than fitting on Monday afternoon, when the Lakers small forward made the stunning announcement that he would play in Tuesday night’s game against New Orleans just 12 days after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

“I call him Logan now – he’s Wolverine,” Bryant said of the popular X-Men character.

Metta World Beast is more like it.

“I’m not very surprised,” Bryant also said. “He takes care of himself. He eats all the right stuff. Still, it’s extremely impressive.”

If it were up to World Peace, who was expected to miss at least six weeks, he said he would have played three games ago when the Lakers defeated Dallas on April 2. This wasn’t a case of World Peace going rogue with his own recovery plan, either, as Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni put the odds of World Peace playing against the Hornets at “90, 80 (percent).” After going through an extensive pregame shooting routine before the Lakers’ game against the Clippers on Sunday, World Peace took part in all of Monday’s practice and put in extra work afterward.

“Tomorrow morning he’ll go through some more tests, and if he passes he’ll play,” D’Antoni said.

The Lakers need all the help they can get, of course, as they trail the Utah Jazz by 1/2 a game for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference and, with five games left, are on the verge of missing the postseason for the first time since 2005. The Jazz, who have four games left, hold the tiebreaker between the two teams because they won two of three meetings with the Lakers this season.

Lip-smacking link between monkeys, humans

The lip-smacking vocalizations gelada monkeys make are surprisingly similar to human speech, a new study finds.

Many nonhuman primates demonstrate lip-smacking behavior, but geladas are the only ones known to make undulating sounds, known as “wobbles,” at the same time. (The wobbling sounds a little like a human hum would sound if the volume were being turned on and off rapidly.) The findings show that lip-smacking could have been an important step in the evolution of human speech, researchers say.

‘It shows that this evolutionary pathway is at least plausible.’

- Thore Bergman of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

“Our finding provides support for the lip-smacking origins of speech because it shows that this evolutionary pathway is at least plausible,” Thore Bergman of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and author of the study published Monday, April 8, in the journal Current Biology, said in a statement. “It demonstrates that nonhuman primates can vocalize while lip-smacking to produce speechlike sounds.”

Lip-smacking â€" rapidly opening and closing the mouth and lips â€" shares some of the features of human speech, such as rapid fluctuations in pitch and volume. [See Video of Gelada Lip-Smacking]

Bergman first noticed the similarity while studying geladas in the remote mountains of Ethiopia. He would often hear vocalizations that sounded like human voices, but the vocalizations were actually coming from the geladas, he said. He had never come across other primates who made these sounds. But then he read a study on macaques from 2012 revealing how facial movements during lip-smacking were very speechlike, hinting that lip-smacking might be an initial step toward human speech.

To investigate this scenario himself, Bergman analyzed recordings of the geladas’ wobbles. He found that the rhythm of these wobbles closely resembled that of human speech. Specifically, the wobble resulted from a male making a “moan” (something geladas produce by vocalizing while inhaling and exhaling) and lip-smacking. The lip-smacking movements corresponded to the mouth movements made during human speech.

An example of a call involving complex facial movements is the “girney” vocalization in macaques. These are thought to be produced by lip movements and teeth chattering, but evidence suggests the movements and sound don’t occur at the same time. By contrast, the gelada lip-smacking and vocalizing seem to happen concurrently.

The findings suggest lip-smacking represents a possible pathway in the evolution of speech, though not the only one, Bergman said. In addition, lip-smacking may also serve a purely social function, just like human conversations.

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