Wealthiest Countries Are Also the Smartest Countries: Study

World richest country map

The smartest 5 percent, made a big contribution to the strength of their economies.

It’s not just how free the market is. Some economists are looking at another factor that determines how much a country’s economy flourishes: how smart its people are. For a study published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, researchers analyzed test scores from 90 countries and found that the intelligence of the people, particularly the smartest 5 percent, made a big contribution to the strength of their economies.

 

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Life Expectancy in the U.S. Sets New Record, Surpasses 78 Years

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Life expectancy at birth rose for babies born in 2009.

U.S. life expectancy has hit another all-time high, rising above 78 years. The estimate of 78 years and 2 months is for a baby born in 2009, and comes from a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

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e-Books Could Lead to a “Reading Divide”

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“If reading becomes dependent on technology that must be purchased, then I think we may see the literacy divide persist and even widen.”

The rapid rise of e-books could lead to a “reading divide” as those unable to afford the new technology are left behind, even as U.S. reading and writing skills decline still further.

 

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PepsiCo Unveils World’s First Plastic Bottle Made Entirely From Plant-based Materials

pepsico plant based bottle

PepsiCo’s 100% plant-based bottle.

Remember the Cola Wars? Get ready for the Bottle Wars. PepsiCo Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a bottle made entirely of plant material, which it says bests the technology of competitor Coca-Cola and reduces its potential carbon footprint.

 

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Lisa Calkins Speaks at DaVinci Institute on Mobile App Development

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“So You Want a Mobile App, Now What?”

Amadeus Consulting, a Boulder-based custom software development company, announced today that Chief Executive Officer Lisa Calkins was featured as the keynote speaker and instructor of the DaVinci Institute’s “So You Want a Mobile App, Now What?” event. The event, held on March 15 at the Institute in Louisville, CO is a part of the ongoing Inventor Bootcamp Series.

 

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Absorbing Too Much Chlorinated Water Increases Risk of Cancer

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People who regularly swim in chlorinated pools or take lots of showers or baths are at an increased risk of cancer.

Swimming too much – or even taking too many baths or showers – could increase the risk of developing bladder cancer, warn environmental health experts.  Carcinogenic chemicals called trihalomethanes (THMs), created as a byproduct of chlorinating water, can be absorbed through the skin, they say.

One in Five Men Have Not Gone to a Doctor in the Last Year and 6% Would Not Go Even If They Have Chest Pains

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Visiting a doctor is not one of man’s priorities.

On the list of a man’s priorities, it seems that visiting the local doctor does not sit highly.  More than one in five men have not visited a GP or other healthcare professional in the last 12 months, according to a survey published March 15, 2011.

 

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Brilliant Forced Perspective Photography – Part 1

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Forced perspective is a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It is used primarily in photography, filmmaking and architecture. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator or camera.

 

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Peer-to-Peer Healthcare Widespread in U.S: Report

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The internet gives patients and caregivers access not only to information, but also to each other.

Many Americans turn to friends and family for support and advice when they have a health problem. This report shows how people’s networks are expanding to include online peers, particularly in the crucible of rare disease. Health professionals remain the central source of information for most Americans, but “peer-to-peer healthcare” is a significant supplement.

 

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First Space-Based Gas Station Set to Open in 2015

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Space gas to become a reality soon?

In space, no one can hear you scream — about the soaring prices at the pump, that is. For what will be the very first time, plans for a space-based satellite filling station have been announced, with a launch date set for 2015. It may sound like a bit of unnecessary convenience some 22,369 miles above our heads, but experts say that the gas station will do much more than make Earth a planetary truck-stop. “This is a first-time-ever, huge, huge, huge event,” says the director of the Space Protection Program — and it’s sure to make space a little cleaner, too.

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Breathtaking Saturn Cassini Video

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The Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn in 2004, sending the clearest images of the most striking planet in the Solar System. Working at home, Stephen Van Vuuren used those photos to create the most hypnotizing space film I’ve seen. There is no CGI and no 3D models in these images.  Just images from NASA.  Jump to 0:56 for the final result of his work, so far.

 

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