Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed.
Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.
(READ the full story in Science Daily)
A former leftist guerrilla who was tortured and imprisoned during Brazil’s long dictatorship was elected Sunday as president of Latin America’s biggest nation, a country in the midst of an economic and political rise.
“Starting tomorrow we begin a new stage of democracy,” said Dilma Rousseff, 62. “I will rule for everyone, speak with all Brazilians, without exception.”
At least a quarter of a million people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC yesterday, heeding a call for sanity in response to the current nasty political climate issued by comedian and fake news reporter Jon Stewart.
After almost three hours of skits, music and video montages centering on the rally’s two competing ideas of “restoring sanity” and “keeping fear alive”, Stewart had the last word with a 12 minute speech exploring the notion that most Americans are reasonable, despite what we see on political campaigns and cable news shows.
Individuals responsible for two of the most famous personal melt-downs in America this year appeared via taped message in support of Stewart’s call for reasonableness, each offering a mea culpa for their bad behavior, including the Jet Blue flight attendant who cursed out a passenger by loud speaker before fleeing down an escape slide. Also appearing was the woman who flipped over a restaurant table on Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Tee shirt and merchandise sales from the event are being donated to the National Mall to help with restoration.
At the end of a beautiful sunny day, the crowd likely agreed with Jon, who said he “felt good”.
Washington Metro shattered a 19-year record for subway ridership Saturday, with 825,437 Metrorail trips recorded. A typical Saturday averages 350,000 fares. (On the date of Glenn Beck’s rally in August, Metro logged 510,020 trips.
(LEARN more and see more photos at Wikipedia)
At least a quarter of a million people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC yesterday, heeding a call for sanity in response to the current nasty political climate issued by comedian and fake news reporter Jon Stewart.
After almost three hours of skits, music and video montages centering on the rally’s two competing ideas of “restoring sanity” and “keeping fear alive”, Stewart had the last word with a 12 minute speech exploring the notion that most Americans are reasonable, despite what we see on political campaigns and cable news shows.
Middle school and high school students from around the country presented their award-winning innovative inventions at the first ever White House Science Fair.
Solar powered cars, soccer playing robots and ideas for treating cancer, were presented by the best and brightest of America’s future in technology and engineering.
After 347 days, 27,000 miles, 16 countries, 14 punctures, and 4000 hours of sunshine-generated power, Gwyn Roberts arrived at his destination last month, completing his “Overland in the Sun” London to Cape Town adventure.
He completed the first 24,000 miles (to Mozambique) with three friends in a 21-year-old Landcruiser converted by Gwyn to use solar electricity.
The trip raised money and awareness for SolarAid, a British charity that fights global poverty by bringing clean, renewable power to poor rural areas of Africa, installing solar additions to schools and clinics.
Since his departure, October 11 2009, thousands of fans across the world followed the journey on his website, Facebook, Twitter, watching it unfold and experiencing the unparalleled friendship, generosity and hospitality of the African people Gwyn met.
Not only was the Landcruiser transport and home for the Englishman, it was also a photovoltaic solar power station. More than simply powering the car, it charged laptops, mobile phones, lights and cameras. It even boiled water.
The solar electricity ran the car’s cooling fan, power steering, stereo and lights normally powered by the engine’s drive belts. Consequently, fuel consumption was improved by nearly two miles per gallon, saving over 560 litres of diesel fuel, offsetting the precise amount of carbon emissions for his return flight from Johannesburg to London.
Roberts points to several tough spots on the trip: Being self-sufficient for six days while travelling through the harsh conditions of Kenya and Ethiopia and having to visit an eastern Sudan police station three times in one day.
But, mostly, the sun certainly shone brightly over Gwyn in Africa.
“It has been a great opportunity to show people across the continent how SolarAid can help to empower Africans living in poverty through solar energy additions.”
To learn more about the trip and donate, visit his campaign.
A snorkeler has been hailed a hero after he pulled on the tail of a great white shark while it was attacking a young woman who was leading a swim-with-the-dolphins tour.
As the shark bit down on her, a man in her tour group grabbed hold of the tail of the shark, which then made it let go.
Rescuers said he had undoubtedly saved Elyse Frankcom, 19, from fatal injuries.
(READ more from Australia in News.com)
Google offers voters an instant map with directions to every polling place in the nation.
Are you wondering about the location of your polling place ahead of U.S. elections next Tuesday? Just enter your home address on the website.
This excellent service brought to you by Google Maps is available now online at www.maps.google.com/vote.
Election day is this coming Tuesday, Nov. 2. For more details, such as what time the polls open, check out the Vote411.org website and check the box for “Polling Place Details.”
Vote 411 offers a range of details, searchable by state, such as in-person voting rules and ID requirements.
A 73-year-old Oregon man traveled three miles in his wheelchair before hunters found him and helped rescue his 61-year-sister after their car got stuck for two nights in the snow.
(READ the AP story at WTOP News)
From Mattie Stepanek to Mary Tyler Moore, Oprah Winfrey throughout her 25 years as host of the Oprah show has met and introduced America to many amazing guests. Now, in her final season, she remembers her favorites with this heart-warming list of her top 20 shows.
They’re the unforgettable moments that have most moved, elated, surprised, scared and utterly goose-bumped her.
(WATCH the slideshow at Oprah.com)
Progress in research on depression has been hampered by disarray among theories about the nature of the condition. In a recently published article, two neurobiologists presented a novel theory that integrates these contradictory accounts. Built on findings from a wide range of research, the theory not only reconciles disparate views of depression, but suggests possible new ways to treat it.
The researchers’ synthesis suggests that depression may be an inflammatory condition of the brain and their findings indicate that current FDA-approved anti-inflammatory drugs could be an effective treatment.
Progress in research on depression has been hampered by disarray among theories about the nature of the condition. In a recently published article, two neurobiologists presented a novel theory that integrates these contradictory accounts. Built on findings from a wide range of research, the theory not only reconciles disparate views of depression, but suggests possible new ways to treat it.
The researchers’ synthesis suggests that depression may be an inflammatory condition of the brain and their findings indicate that current FDA-approved anti-inflammatory drugs could be an effective treatment.
Perhaps nowhere does the American character shine so distinctively as in the way individuals take on seemingly intractable problems.
Here are ten of the most innovative service programs, particularly noteworthy because their creators refused to be daunted by the breadth of the challenge, the absence of any model to guide them, or even a lack of expertise.
The efforts of these everyday Americans are having an impact and millions are benefiting in the process.
(READ the story in the US News & World Report)
We weren’t in our seats five minutes when it began: “Look at this,” my cousin Peter said, tilting his iPhone so I might see the screen. “I took these pictures this morning. I used an App to create a video panorama…”
Peter was visiting from San Francisco; we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. The last thing I wanted to do was look at his photos of the National Archives building, but there we were, peering at the small screen as if it would soon reveal the lost secrets of the universe.
Israel and the Palestinian Authority are among 15 Mediterranean nations who have just signed a historic agreement to work together to combat the effects of climate change, one month ahead of the next United Nations conference on climate change, scheduled for November in Cancun.
The largest solar project in the world broke ground in the Mojave desert yesterday as the first ever to be built on federal land. Scheduled to begin generating clean, renewable electricity for 140,000 California homes by mid-2013, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will create new jobs for 1,000 union construction workers.
Ivanpah, headed by BrightSource Energy, is the first of six large-scale solar projects likely to start construction in the state by the end of the year, taking advantage of Government grants soon to expire. The projects are critical to California’s goal of getting 33 percent of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2020.
Scientists searching the Amazon have discovered new species — creatures such as a baldheaded parrot, a blue-fanged tarantula and a bright red catfish — at the rate of about one every three days for the past 10 years, the World Wildlife Fund reported Monday.
The amazing diversity includes compounds, like those found on the skin of the poison dart frog, that have direct medical benefits for people worldwide.
(READ more from McClatchy News)
The largest solar project in the world broke ground in the Mojave desert yesterday as the first ever to be built on federal land. Scheduled to begin generating clean, renewable electricity for 140,000 California homes by mid-2013, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will create new jobs for 1,000 union construction workers.
Ivanpah, headed by BrightSource Energy, is the first of six large-scale solar projects likely to start construction in the state by the end of the year, taking advantage of Government grants soon to expire. The projects are critical to California’s goal of getting 33 percent of the state’s power from renewable sources by 2020.
There haven’t been many exciting developments in the toilet paper industry — until Monday. Kimberly-Clark announced a new Scott tube-Free line of toilet paper, now available in a test market with Walmart and Sam’s Club stores throughout the northeastern U.S.
Not that exciting, you say? Consider this: Kimberly-Clark estimates that the 17 billion toilet paper tubes produced each year in the U.S. generate 160 million pounds of trash…
Since the state’s Sunshine Solar Program opened up in the spring of 2009, the solar demand in Pennsylvania has been “going like great guns ever since.”
“Prior to that, solar was almost non-existent (here),” according to Department of Environmental Protection spokesman John Repetz. “We’ve come a very long way as far as solar development and we’ve greatly increased our capacity.”
Prior to 2009, the state produced about 4 megawatts of electricity from solar-generated sources; today, that figure’s up to about 30 MW, with proposed systems ready to supply about 100 MW.
(READ the story in the Republican Herald)
