Painful Labor: A Modern Thing

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  581 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Ask any woman who has given birth and she'll be happy to wax lyrical about the bad fit between the modern human pelvis and a baby's big head. Ask any anthropologist and he or she will also be happy to explain, in similar gory detail, that painful labor is the product of an evolutionary compromise to accommodate upright walking in a species that also has an oversized brain. That compromise came, anthropologists used to believe, about 2. [Read More]

Study: Antidepressants Don't Help Autistic Children

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  657 words  |  Patria Henriques

The use of antidepressant medication to improve symptoms in autistic children may not be effective. According to a new statistical review of previously reported studies, the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) antidepressants did not improve overall function. "There is no evidence of effect of SSRIs in children and emerging evidence of harm. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of SSRIs in adults from small studies in which risk of bias is unclear," according to Katrina Williams of the School of Women’s and Children’s Health at the University of New South Wales in Australia and her team. [Read More]

This Towering Iceberg That Broke Free of Antarctica Last Year Doesn't Want to Leave

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  650 words  |  Fernande Dalal

An entire year has passed since a Delaware-size iceberg broke away, in dramatic fashion, from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica. But it hasn't traveled far. Instead, dense sea ice in the Weddell Sea has kept the iceberg close to its former home, according to newly acquired satellite imagery. But even though this icy giant — dubbed A-68 — is a homebody, it's still taken a beating since it calved from the ice shelf on July 12, 2017. [Read More]

What 11 Billion People Mean for the Planet

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1044 words  |  Patria Henriques

A population explosionThe human population is exploding. Earlier this year, the United Nations released a new report that said the global population was on pace to reach 11 billion people by the end of the century — a full 800 million more people than were expected by 2100 (with a range between 9 million and 13 million), and a whopping 4 billion more than call Earth home today. The bump in the predicted number was made in part because birthrates in sub-Saharan Africa are not dropping as fast as predicted. [Read More]

Why Heat Waves Can Mean High Death Tolls

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  377 words  |  Patria Henriques

Researchers have long known that heat waves kill more people than other weather-related disasters do. And amid the hottest year on record and a scorching summer in the United States comes new research warning just how deadly heat waves can be. Unlike a tornado or hurricane, a heat wave's impact on human lives is usually not realized until much later. An estimated 70,000 people died when parts of Europe boiled in the summer of 2003, according to a history of that heat wave being compiled by Richard Keller, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [Read More]

Why Processed Foods May Promote Gut Inflammation

 Posted on June 13, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  490 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

SAN DIEGO – Certain food additives may interfere with your gut bacteria, causing changes that boost inflammation in the intestines and potentially promote the development of some chronic diseases, a new study suggests. In the study, researchers looked at ingredients called emulsifiers, which are added to many processed foods, including ice cream and peanut butter, to improve those foods' texture and extend their shelf life. The researchers used a special piece of lab equipment that's intended to simulate the human gut, including its bacteria, and consists of a series of pumps and glass containers. [Read More]

'Young Blood' Transfusions to Prevent Aging Are Unproven and Risky, FDA Warns

 Posted on June 12, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  396 words  |  Trudie Dory

If you think the idea of getting a transfusion with "young blood" to ward off aging sounds far-fetched, well, U.S. health officials agree. Today (Feb. 19), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was concerned about reports of "bad actors" offering infusions of blood plasma from young people to purportedly treat age-related conditions and diseases, such a memory loss, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Such treatments are not only unproven, but they also come with potentially serious risks, the agency said. [Read More]

7 Marine Animals That are Not OK with Seismic Blasting (Photos)

 Posted on June 12, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  1012 words  |  Patria Henriques

Jaime McClain is a campaign communications intern at Oceana. Follow her on Twitter at @Jaime_McClain. She contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The United Nations designates June 8 as World Oceans Day, and this year the theme "Healthy oceans, healthy planet," encourages individuals to consider actions that help protect the health of our oceans and our coastal communities. For those on the East Coast of the United States, the recent proposal by U. [Read More]

7 Strange and Sad Facts About the Gulf Oil Spill

 Posted on June 12, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  636 words  |  Trudie Dory

Even after weeks of spilling crude into the sea, the Gulf oil spill remains remarkably fluid, with size estimates and plans for containment changing almost daily. Meanwhile, the event has generated its fair share of odd containment attempts and other offbeat situations. 1. Engineers contemplated stuffing the leak with golf balls and old tires. So said Admiral Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on CBS' "FaceThe Nation." Called a " [Read More]

8 Tactics to Bust the Office Bully

 Posted on June 12, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  581 words  |  Patria Henriques

Enduring abuse from an office bully can be physically and emotionally damaging, scientists find. Turns out that targets face just as big a challenge when trying to explain their plight to others, particularly managers who could nip the bullying in the bud. Scientists who have studied the bully phenomenon say it's important to tell your story, for one because disclosure of a traumatic or distressing incident aids in emotional recovery. [Read More]