25% of British Children Don’t Play Outside

british childeren 234

British children enjoying the great indoors.

What happens when you survey 1,000 British parents and 500 children on their leisure activities? You might find out that a quarter of the kids don’t play outside. Or that 12% of adults admit to having ‘no interest’ in the outdoors and 5% thought that trees which don’t lose their leaves during winter are called Carnivores. But wait, it doesn’t stop there. 6% of British adults thought strawberries grew on trees, so it should come as no surprise that 25% of British kids did not know what a mouse looked like.

Yet, oddly, the same surveyed parents do recognise the benefits of outdoor play. The report revealed that 71% of parents think their children are happier when they play outdoors and 92% believe outdoor play is good for their children’s health. So why are they spending twice as much time glued to a computer or TV screen, than being outdoors?

Continue reading… “25% of British Children Don’t Play Outside”

Early Bowel Cancer Detected by Dogs in Japan

Continue reading the main story


labrador_retriever-1

Dogs sniffed out bowel cancer in more than nine out of 10 cases.

A Labrador retriever has sniffed out bowel cancer in breath and stool samples during a study in Japan.

The research, in the journal Gut, showed the dog was able to identify early stages of the disease.

It has already been suggested that dogs can use their noses to detect skin, bladder, lung, ovarian and breast cancers.

Cancer Research UK said it would be extremely difficult to use dogs for routine cancer testing.

The biology of a tumour is thought to include a distinct smell and a series of studies have used dogs to try to detect it.

Continue reading… “Early Bowel Cancer Detected by Dogs in Japan”

26% of Mobile Apps Are Opened Only Once

localytics Screen-shot-2011-02-01-at-2.29.04-PM

The statistics show it all.

With 300,000 iPhone apps and 200,000 Android apps available for download, consumers aren’t willing to tolerate apps that at first sight don’t meet their standards.

Twenty-six percent of apps are only opened once after download, according to a study by software company Localytics…

Continue reading… “26% of Mobile Apps Are Opened Only Once”

EFF: FBI May Have Committed More Than 40K Intelligence Violations Since 9/11

FBI2345678

The FBI committed massive civil liberties violations since 9/11.  Are you surprised?

A new report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation analyzes more than 2,500 pages’ worth of FBI documents extracted using Freedom of Information Act litigation and finds disturbing, system-wide violations of civil liberties on a scale that is far beyond anything reported to date…

Continue reading… “EFF: FBI May Have Committed More Than 40K Intelligence Violations Since 9/11”

‘Mussel Gel’ Can Repair Tissue and Bond Medical Implants

mussel

Mussel byssus enables mussel to surfaces even in water.

A new gel that the inventors say you can play with like Silly Putty, can repair torn skin, bond implants, or act as an adhesive for underwater machinery.  The invention, under development for several years, is now patent pending, and it’s all thanks to the biomimicry of a mussel’s byssus, the hair-size filaments that form a sticky foam enabling the mussel’s fierce attachment to rocks, substrates, and beds on the sea walls and floors.

 

Continue reading… “‘Mussel Gel’ Can Repair Tissue and Bond Medical Implants”

Hot Wheels Video Racer Lets Kids Record Their Stunts

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xujxUWs-rs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Hot Wheels have been a popular toy for years, especially with boys. Whether it’s collecting miniature versions of your dream cars, watching them speed along custom tracks, making them crash dramatically, or a blend of all three, there’s always something fun about them. Like most toy brands that have been around for a while, Mattel’s Hot Wheels were due for some revamping, a way to keep up with the times and revitalize a brand so it can compete with newcomers…

Continue reading… “Hot Wheels Video Racer Lets Kids Record Their Stunts”

Dairy Industry Fights FDA’s Proposed New Drug Testing for Milk

4-diary industry

How could there possibly be antibiotics in my milk?

The dairy industry is butting heads with the FDA over the agency’s plan to increase testing for antibiotics in milk. Food safety advocates are concerned about overuse of drugs in dairy cows (and increased antibiotic resistance in humans), while the industry says the new testing procedures would cause a lot of milk to be wasted because the results can take a full week to come back.

Certain farms are already caught regularly with milk containing illegal levels of drugs—and farmers also use drugs that are not regularly tested for.

Continue reading… “Dairy Industry Fights FDA’s Proposed New Drug Testing for Milk”

BYU Chemists Turn Gold to Purple, on Purpose

chemiststurn

Chemists developed a method of artificial photosynthesis, and proved it by turning gold atoms into purple-colored nanoparticles.

Professor Richard Watt and his chemistry students suspected that a common protein could potentially react with sunlight and harvest its energy – similar to what chlorophyll does during photosynthesis.

First-Ever Global Map to Delve Deep Into Earth Surface Helps Reveal Water Supply

9 Ground Water 78

Water, water everywhere?

Questions such as how much fresh water we have left on Earth, where it is located, and how we can access it are all nearly impossible to answer. However, scientists working on understanding and revealing the planet’s surface structure are helping to hone in on an answer. University of British Columbia researchers have created a world’s-first with their new map that outlines how fluid flows through Earth’s various porous surfaces. Information gleaned from the map can help us discover more about water supplies worldwide.

Continue reading… “First-Ever Global Map to Delve Deep Into Earth Surface Helps Reveal Water Supply”

New Polymer That Heals Itself Could Lead to Medical Implants or Engine Parts That Fix Themselves

healingstacked

Broken polymer chains reform to repair a crack in this material when it is pressed together and exposed to UV light.

A new polymer material that can repeatedly heal itself at room temperature when exposed to ultraviolet light presents the tantalizing possibility of products that can repair themselves when damaged. Possibilities include self-healing medical implants, cars, or even airplane parts.

 

Continue reading… “New Polymer That Heals Itself Could Lead to Medical Implants or Engine Parts That Fix Themselves”

Portugal: 10 Years of Decriminalized Drugs

drugs cartoon 111212

Here’s a good Boston Globe report on the first decade of Portugal’s bold experiment with drug decriminalization and increased treatment. Ten years ago, Portugal — whose drug problem had been spiraling out of control — decided to treat drug addiction as a public health matter, not as a criminal matter. They decriminalized possession of drugs, and increased treatment available to addicts, and experienced an immediate, dramatic and sustained drop in negative effects from drug use — though the use of some drugs went up…

Continue reading… “Portugal: 10 Years of Decriminalized Drugs”

Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.