Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Things that caught my eye

Early signs of arthritis can be found in the mouth

Pancreatic cancer risk linked to weak sunlight: Harm may come from low vitamin D

High costs of dental care leave many with too little money for basic necessities

FDA to Study Safety, Effectiveness of Healthcare Antiseptics
This is a bunch of legalese explaining that basically medical experts do not actually know the efficacy or side effects of the antimicrobial chemicals they use.   So they're going to study that now.   Thanks FDA.

Anxiety is not overcome in the brain's fear center
 If a person is anxious, the hippocampus does not pass the information to the amygdala, where feelings of fear are normally processed but to the prefrontal cortex, where decisions are made. Klausberger: "For example, imagine you are setting off on a very high "skywalk" in the mountains and you are anxious and unsure whether to proceed. In order to see the view, your curiosity has to prevail and overcome your anxiety. The decision of whether to indulge your curiosity and step out or to stay where you are and keep safe is taken in the prefrontal cortex."
citation


 Arizona Bacon Fest.   Because Arizona Bacon Fest, duh.


My new favorite science story.   It's even better than the french cheese effect.

Microwave oven baffled astronomers for decades
The source of strange radio signals that have left astronomers at Australia's most famous radio telescope scratching their heads for 17 years has finally been discovered. It turns out that it was a microwave oven.  
 I believe it is the perfect metaphor for everything I think about.