Violent video games may actually reduce crime: study

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Rather than violent crime rates soaring when new violent video games are released, they actually drop as gamers are too busy at home playing the games.

Video games such as Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto – where gamers rack up points or cash for killing or savagely attacking victims – are routinely blamed for a rise in violent crime.  But experts claim violent video games may actually reduce crime as aggressive players are “too busy” shooting virtual enemies to cause trouble in the real world.

 

Twitter study tracks our mood

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Twitter tracks your emotions.

A large-scale study of posts on Twitter has found that no matter how grumpy people are when they wake up, and whether they stumble to their feet in Madrid, Mexico City or Minnetonka, Minn., they tend to brighten by breakfast time and feel their moods taper gradually to a low in the late afternoon, before rallying again near bedtime.

 

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Energy storage membrane set to revolutionize rechargeable batteries

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This simple looking membrane could change the industry.

If you want a rechargeable battery in a power-hungry device today, the only real choice is a lithium-ion battery. They are heavy, quite large depending on how much charge you need, and volatile. They also have a high cost and limited life span.

A replacement for lithium-ion has long been sought after, and recently there have been some breakthroughs such as the jelly-like polymer battery. However, researchers at the National University of Singapore may have come up with the best solution yet in the form of an new energy storage membrane…

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‘Stay sober’ pill – drink as much as you want without getting tipsy

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“Stay-sober” pill will let you drink as much as you want.

Scientists are developing a “stay sober” pill.   The pill will allow people to drink as much as they want while limiting the effects of alcohol on their brains.  In tests for the drug, mice given the drug did not even display signs of getting tipsy, despite being fed enough alcohol to make them stumble and fall over.

Brain continues to learn even while asleep

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‘Sleep memory’ is a new, previously undefined form of memory.

According to a study by researchers at Michigan State University, even after people have gone to bed for the night their brains can carry on processing information thanks to a “separate form of memory” that processes the day’s events.

30 most sleep-deprived cities in the U.S.

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A federal study concluded in 2008, certain states have higher incidence rates of sleeplessness than others.

Functioning on a few hours of sleep isn’t just miserable, it’s dangerous, as recent news has suggested.  Several air-traffic controllers were caught sleeping on the job last month, prompting the FAA to fire a few. Recent studies have proven that sleep deprivation can make people more unethical, less attractive, and can weaken problem-solving skills.

 

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U.S. government provides legal marijauna in decades old program

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Elvy Musikka, 72, displays her marijuana cigarettes, which she regularly receives from the U.S. Government.

On a moonlit highway in rural Oregon, sometime after midnight a state trooper is checking a car he has just pulled over.  In the car he finds less than an ounce of pot on one passenger.  That passenger is a 72-year-old woman blind in one eye. 

 

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Study: Financial traders are more reckless than psychopaths

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UBS trader Kweku Adoboli allegedly made unauthorized trades that cost the Swiss investment bank billions.

Financial traders are more uncooperative than psychopaths, and also that they have a greater tendency for lying and risk-taking, according to a new study from a Swiss University.  The new research about financial traders and their personalities may shed some light on the behavior of Kweku Adoboli, the so-called “rogue” UBS trader who allegedly lost the bank $2.3 billion through unauthorized trading.

 

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Having children reduces a man’s risk of heart disease

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Having kids reduces a man’s risk of heart disease by 20%.

Having children could mean healthier hearts for men. A decade-long study of 135,000 men found that those who remained child-free had a higher risk of dying from heart disease than those who ‘sowed their oats.’  Men who had children reduced their risk of heart disease by 20%.

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Medi-Ring – customizable ring to identify prescription medication bottles

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Featured invention at the DaVinci Inventor Showcase 2011

MEDI-RING® was developed by a pharmacist to help eliminate errors when taking prescription medications at home. In 2008, nearly 1.9 million people were treated or hospitalized in the U.S. for illness and injuries related to taking medicines, a 54% increase in incidents over previous years. The growing number of such errors can be attributed to an increase in the number of medications being prescribed, and the fact that many pharmacy labels indicate dosages, but fail to identify specifically what the medication treats. Also, according to the National Community of Pharmacists Association, “as many as 75% of Americans admit they don’t take medications as directed.” MEDI-RING® is a user-friendly device that snaps onto prescription bottles presenting a space on which the patient may write what the medication controls, and any other information they feel is necessary to take the drug correctly.

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