The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
The placebo effect even works for sleep
New research suggests we perform better on cognitive tests if we’re told we had a good night’s sleep
http://www.salon.com/2014/02/09/the_placebo_effect_even_works_for_sleep_partner/
Regular reader(s) will know I am interested in the placebo effect, this article is …
Blind eye to scientific fraud is dangerous
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/06/opinion/wong-scientific-fraud/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
I debated blogging about the above article. When I read it I was motivated, but as I started to think about what I would write that would be different than stuff I …
The Bill Nye-Ken Ham Debate Was a Nightmare for Science
In a much-hyped showdown, “the Science Guy” tried to defend evolution against creationist Ken Ham, and proved how slick science-deniers can be. How did the guy who’s right go so …
Sugar not only makes you fat, it may make you sick
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/03/sugar-not-only-makes-you-fat-it-may-make-you-sick/?hpt=hp_t2
This is interesting because the evidence is building up that refined sugar (and be sure to always include refined starches (such as refined flour)!) is actively bad for …
Lizard Breath May Have Evolved Before Dinosaurs
http://news.discovery.com/animals/dinosaurs/monitor-lizards-breathing-may-have-evolved-before-dinos-131211.htm
This is interesting and has me wondering how it is that we are only just now discovering it. That birds had a funky way of breathing that seemed to super charge their …
Self-Healing Battery Electrode Shows Promise for Smartphones, EVs
http://www.dailytech.com/SelfHealing+Battery+Electrode+Shows+Promise+for+Smartphones+EVs/article33767c.htm
I didn’t get the impression that this design had higher density, just that it lasted longer. Sure, that is nice, instead of replacing your PV/wind turbine batteries every 5 years you …
Does calculator overstate heart attack risk?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/18/health/cholesterol-calculator/
When I first read an article about this new way of doing things that was expected to double or triple the number of people on statins I was very skeptical (see here for …
ANOTHER DEVASTATING Chelyabinsk METEOR STRIKE ‘7x as likely’ as thought
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/06/chelyabinsksized_meteors_impacts_seven_times_more_common_than_first_thought/
I think that we (as a species) have been very lucky over the last few thousand years. Just a few large volcanoes (not ‘huge’, merely ‘large’), no massive tsunamis …
Why You’re Likelier to Cheat in the Afternoon
Willpower takes work, and the later it gets, the more your energy runs down
http://science.time.com/2013/10/31/why-youre-likelier-to-cheat-in-the-afternoon/?hpt=hp_t3
A brief one for those of my reader(s) that like that sort of thing. People are more …
Opinion: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Nutrition research must overcome pseudoscientific measures and self-interest to make progress in the fight against obesity.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/37918/title/Opinion–A-Wolf-in-Sheep-s-Clothing/
I have a strong interest in nutrition (my degree, after all, is in biochemistry and nutrition) …