December 2008
29 posts
Time added to 2008 allows for longer smooch -... →
Always short of time? Not enough moments in the day? Tonight you’ll get an extra second to enjoy 2008. Use it wisely; perhaps an extra long smooch is called for… (- _^)
This is because an extra second will be added to our standard time measurements, which are based on atomic clocks, on the cusp of 2009 to bring it in sync with the rotation of the Earth.
(^O^) Happy New Year!...
Tired and Achy? Check Your Sinuses | Reader's... →
If you feel worn-out and sore, it could be all in your head — specifically your sinuses. It’s even possible that your arthritis, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome is a misdiagnosis of pain and tiredness from recurring sinus infections, says Alexander C. Chester, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center… More…
Blind People Use Same Emotional Expressions... →
Facial expressions of emotion are hardwired into our genes, according to a study published today in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research suggests that facial expressions of emotion are innate rather than a product of cultural learning. The study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that sighted and blind individuals use the same facial expressions, producing the same...
FDA OKs 1st Eyelash Drug Latisse →
The FDA has approved Latisse, the first drug to promote eyelash growth, according to Allergan, the company that makes Latisse. It will be available by prescription starting in the first quarter of 2009.
Well, it’s finally official! For background, see my earlier post of December 4. —DC
Why Do Athletes Use Eye Black? →
I’ve often wondered if that black goop under so many athletes’ eyes really worked… Well, this 2005 study (which improved upon the methodology used by two Yale doctors in a 2003 study) indicates that wearing eye black can indeed improve contrast sensitivity, presumably by reducing glare.
So where can you get some of the real deal? The following is from Uncrate, the #1...
Flying Champagne Corks Are Bad News For Your Eyes →
For most people bringing in the New Year means celebrating with friends and family, champagne toasts and cheer, but if you get hit in the eye with a champagne cork (at ~50 mph), it may mean a trip to the emergency room to try and save your sight… Article
Here are some tips on opening a bottle of champagne properly: - Make sure sparkling wine is chilled to at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit...
New eye drop treatment can stop blinding disease →
It’s an eye disease that forces people into a dark, blurry world. Every day, people with keratoconus watch their vision slip away. A normal cornea is round, but in keratoconus the cornea stretches into a cone shape, blurring vision. Until now, a cornea transplant was the only option. Now, a few tiny drops may save their sight… Watch video
Corneal Collagen Cross-linking...
The Christmas Truce of 1914 - Open Salon ... →
A truly remarkable story… An enduring symbol of hope, chivalry and the power of the Christmas spirit that helped to highlight, however briefly, a heartening moment of shared humanity… —DC
Blind, Yet Seeing - The Brain’s Subconscious... →
BLINDSIGHT A patient whose visual lobes in the brain were destroyed was able to navigate an obstacle course and recognize fearful faces subconsciously…
According to a study published in the Dec. 23 issue of Current Biology, researchers from Harvard University and Tilburg University in the Netherlands have provided a “dramatic demonstration…of so-called blindsight, the native...
Medical Myths Revealed, in Time for the Holiday... →
Are poinsettias really toxic? Can you cure that eggnog hangover? These and other holiday myths put to rest… More…
The A Cappella Video Channel →
“Primarily A Cappella” offers here for your viewing pleasure a collection of a cappella videos including classics and brand new clips. A Cappella Video Channels - Home | Contemporary | Vocal Jazz | Christian | Choral | Vintage | Barbershop | Christmas |
Wow! What a gem of a find… Some fantastic videos of my favorite genre, Barbershop, and other styles, all on one site! Enjoy! ...
Boy Or Girl? It's In The Father's Genes →
The work by Corry Gellatly, a research scientist at Newcastle University, has shown that men inherit a tendency to have more sons or more daughters from their parents. This means that a man with many brothers is more likely to have sons, while a man with many sisters is more likely to have daughters…
Hmm… Does this new revelation correlate with your personal experiences? —DC
The Yawn Explained: It Cools Your Brain: Discovery... →
If your head is overheated, there’s a good chance you’ll yawn soon, according to a new study that found the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature. The finding solves several mysteries about yawning, such as why it’s most commonly done just before and after sleeping, why certain diseases lead to excessive yawning, and why breathing through the nose and...
Really? The Claim - Blind People Do Not See... →
…Although individual experiences vary, researchers say people who go blind before age 5 rarely experience visual imagery in their dreams. But those who lose their vision after age 5 often continue to see in their dreams, though the frequency and clarity diminish over time.
Behind wild eyes: special-effects contact lens... →
The Los Angeles Times (12/14, Lytal) featured a story on Kevin Carter, who creates special-effects contact lenses for use by movie actors. Carter began his career by working for his father, “who makes therapeutic contact lenses.” He explained that clients “would send us a photograph of their good eye, and I would duplicate the iris pattern and the color onto a contact lens...
Best Careers 2009: Optometrist - US News and World... →
U.S. News profiles 30 careers that offer strong outlooks and high job satisfaction.
I have to concur with this article… I absolutely LOVE what I do! —DC
Look up tonight for a spectacular treat in the... →
In 2004, Greek amateur astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis photographed an apogee Moon and a perigee Moon, and set the images side by side to show the difference.
If the full moon tonight looks unusually large, it is not your imagination – it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years…
Why? The Moon’s orbit is an ellipse with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth...
Scientists develop software that can map dreams -... →
A team of Japanese scientists have created a device that enables the processing and imaging of thoughts and dreams as experienced in the brain to appear on a computer screen. While researchers have so far only created technology that can reproduce simple images from the brain, the discovery paves the way for the ability to unlock people’s dreams and other brain processes.
“By...
Placebo effect: New survey gives life to ethical... →
USA Today (12/11, Rubin) reports, “Doctors have known about the placebo effect, a product of the interaction between mind and body, for decades,” and they have “seen patients’ discomfort diminish after taking a sugar pill, or getting an injection of saltwater.” Still, “is it ethical for doctors to deceive patients by not telling them” that they are...
Anxiety Underlies “White Coat” Hypertension →
“The so-called white coat effect is a conditioned response to being examined by a physician, rather than related to general anxiety,” according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The new study suggests that spikes of anxiety can cause the blood pressure of some people to rise when a doctor is examining them, a phenomenon known as the “white coat effect.” Nine...
Babies Blink Less Than Adults Do - NYTimes.com →
In the New York Times (12/9, D5) Really? column, Anahad O’Connor writes that normal newborns “rarely close their eyes, except, of course, when sleeping,” blinking “spontaneously at a rate far below that of adults.” Published in the Annals of Neurology, a study once found that newborns “blink on average less than twice a minute, a rate that steadily increases...
Scientists Recommend Brain Drugs to Healthy People →
A team of scientists recently revealed in an opinion piece published online Sunday by the journal Nature that healthy people should be granted the right to take brain stimulants such as the ones given to the elderly who are memory-impaired.
Brain research is accelerating, and a new era of “cognitive enhancement” - the use of brain-stimulating drugs and devices by healthy people - is...
Smile in the Sky - Astronomy Picture of the Day →
At sunset, Monday’s western sky showed off stunning colors and dramatic clouds reflected in Brisbane Water on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It also featured the remarkable conjunction of the crescent Moon, Venus, and Jupiter forming a twilight smiley face. While the gathering of the two bright planets and Moon awed skygazers around planet Earth, astronomer Mike Salway...
Allergan Eye Drug Effective at Enhancing Eyelashes... →
The Wall Street Journal (12/4, Dooren) reports that the drug Lumigan (bimatoprost) may be “effective at increasing eyelash length and thickness, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewer said Wednesday.” Drugmaker Allergan is currently “seeking FDA approval to sell Lumigan under the proposed brand name of Latisse for cosmetic use to enhance upper eyelashes.” On Dec....
Contact Lens Cases Often Contaminated- HealthDay →
“The picture that arises from this study is disturbing,” wrote Dr. Assaf Kratz and Dr. Tova Lifshitz of the Soroka Medical Center. “It seems that the commonly used disinfecting solutions provide little protection from contamination of contact lens storage cases….” Read more…
Don’t forget to regularly replace those contact lens cases (at least every six...
BBC NEWS | In Pictures | Your pictures: Smiling... →
And how the Venus, Jupiter, crescent moon conjugation looked to observers from different vantage points around the world… This one was taken from Bangkok, Thailand… Spectacular! Full gallery here. —DC
Venus, Jupiter will 'shine' Monday night -... →
Every once in a while, something will appear in the night sky that will attract the attention of even those who normally don’t bother looking up. It’s likely to be that way on Monday evening, Dec. 1. A slender crescent moon, just 15 percent illuminated, will appear in very close proximityto the two brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter…
Look to the southwest just...