Climate Change of Story
NASA and the U.S. Department of Commerce began investigations into the Bush Administration's alleged suppression of global warming research, officials at the agencies confirmed Nov. 1. This fall, Democratic senators requested an examination into whether the Administration tried to prevent some researchers from sharing their work with the public. Scientists, including NASA climate scientist James Hansen, have complained that politically appointed officials tried to keep them from talking to the media about climate change. A report in the October issue of the journal Nature said administration officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the Commerce Department, prevented the release of a report that linked global warming to hurricane strength. The Bush administration denies any wrongdoing.
In May, China fined Chinese director Chen Kaige and others behind the film
"The Promise" for causing environmental damage. Now, Chen has been nominated for a "Green Chinese" award for raising environmental awareness. During the course of making his movie, Chen and his crew built roads without permission, destroying a lakeside in the southwest province of Yunnan. The awards committee, composed of members from several government departments, explained that because Chen's environmental carelessness caused a media flurry, he encouraged conversation on environmental protection. More than 200 online voters nominated Chen.
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Home Inequity
Poor people living in high-income neighborhoods have higher death rates than those who live in lower income areas, according to a Stanford University report. Researchers analyzed data from an earlier study, and examined at death rates and socioeconomic characteristics of more than 8,000 people living in California. One possible explanation for the finding is that the cost of living in a high-income neighborhood could leave little money for buying healthy food or receiving quality healthcare. The psychological toll of being poor in a wealthy neighborhood could also be a factor, the researchers suggested.
The home-team advantage has now been statistically proven. A British economist has released the results of his analysis of more than 2,500 English Premiership soccer matches: referees—regardless of how big the crowds were, or how well the teams played—were more likely to award yellow or red cards to the away team than the home team. The results are important, the economist says, because decisions made by referees can influence the final result of a game—and thus the financial success of the club.
Bedtime Dangers
Innate abnormalities in the brain stem may be the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association reported Nov. 1. SIDS is defined as the sudden and mysterious death of an infant less than a year old. The new study shows that the brains of infants who died of SIDS were unable to use and recycle serotonin, a brain chemical involved in, among a host of other things, regulating breathing and blood pressure. Researchers say that this bolsters the theory that SIDS occurs when an underlying genetic predisposition is paired with an environmental risk, such as sleeping face down.
When older adults go to bed lonely, their cortisol levels are elevated the next morning, researchers at Northwestern University found. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is produced when people feel stressed, lonely, sad, or angry. Chronically elevated levels are associated with depression, obesity, and other health problems. The researchers say that a boost of cortisol in the morning could help these adults better handle daily stresses.
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