President B.H. Obama on Swine flu:
I’ve consulted with our public health officials extensively on a day-to-day basis, in some cases an hour-to-hour basis. At this point they have not recommended a border closing. From their perspective it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases [...]
The wisdom of crowds is put to the test: Can markets predict the likelihood of a swine flu pandemic?
Or rather, can they accurately predict the probability? There seem to be plenty of indicators that can be used, ranging from shares in anti-virals to virtual betting markets. The only question is whether those estimates have any [...]
Health authorities are worried about so-called “Mexican swine flu” which has killed around 20 people so far.
is this the real deal? Or is it a false alarm, like the “bird flu” panics that amounted to nothing.
Most likely it’s a false alarm, but there’s a reason why health officials watch these deadly diseases so closely. [...]
Scientists have managed to extend the lifespan of worms, by tricking their bodies into using the “hypoxic response” – a situation where the body adapts to limited oxygen supply – even when there was no need for the response (ie. there was plenty of oxygen in the air.
Does this have implications for humans? Possibly.
The researchers, [...]
Also tagged blank slate, genetics, health, lifespan, longevity, optimism, personality, wormsFairfax-owned “Essential Baby” has a typically lightweight piece on the topic of immunisation. The bottom line:
The way I look at vaccination is: there is a tiny risk of an adverse reaction, compared to a much, much bigger risk of my children contracting a host of diseases if I had chosen not to vaccinate them. I’m [...]