Science Friday: Lightbulb Battles
Science Friday: Bright ideas. Here or below.
MyBlog
Bad Idea: Raising Medicare Eligibility Age
Here is a totally dumb idea: raising the Medicare eligibility age to 67. In case this stupid plan gets bandied about yet again in the debt ceiling discussion, refer to this article, which explains why this bad idea is really, truly bad. Really, we should get everyone IN Medicare and then control health care costs from there. And, here’s why means testing isn’t great, either.
Like Water for Tea
I just consumed a pot of Bao Zhong Oolong, from Mem Tea Imports in Boston, and so I figure it is time to tea up a recent edition of the Kojo Nnamdi show dedicated to the topic of tea. The deal with tea is pretty much the same as with coffee: freshness, quality water, and the right pour (in the case of tea, it’s about steeping time). Did you know you could use tea as a base for soup or other dishes? What else have you discovered about tea?
Weight Loss Wednesday: New Report on Diet and Health
I’m not sure I agree with the way this NYT article starts out, but the underlying study that the story is covering is getting much press and for good reason: Harvard researchers tracked the eating habits of many people over a long time and came up with several interesting findings about food choices related to weight gain and loss as well as the role of exercise.
The gist of the study, titled “Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men,” is that:
“Specific dietary and other lifestyle behaviors may affect the success of the straightforward-sounding strategy ‘eat less and exercise more’ or preventing long-term weight gain.”
The Times article implied that we should throw out the calorie counting, but researchers seem to be saying that if you only count calories, you’ll be missing part of the equation. The kinds of calories you’re eating matter quite a bit. But that doesn’t mean you can eat as much of the “good” foods as you want (in other words, the total calories still matter).
Interesting findings are that cheese had a “neutral” effect on weight gain, and that yogurt and peanut butter were linked to weight loss. The least surprising finding is that french fries are really, really bad (and probably much worse smothered in mayonnaise).
Here is a link to the abstract of the study, published June 23, 2011, in the New England Journal of Medicine. The full article, and all its glorious details about good and bad foods, can be purchased at the site.
IOM: Free Family Planning
The Institute of Medicine, a panel that advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on a variety of health issues, recommended that women’s preventive services include contraception education and other measures that should be covered by health plans at no costs to patients under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA).
The new consensus report, to be discussed at 10 a.m. today on a live webcast, recommends that eight preventive health services for women be added to the services that health plans cover.
Science Friday: Composting
Science Friday: Budding gardener alert: here’s a composting lesson. Here or below.
Sacrifice Acknowledged, If Not Shared
There is a lot of talk in DC these days about shared sacrifice with regard to the federal deficit, with many saying that trillions of dollars in savings should be found from all quarters and constituencies.
As the fight goes on, the president paused yesterday to award the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, who in 2008 demonstrated what sacrifice is all about. Let’s hope these “leaders” look to Petry’s noble example to do the right thing on the debt, deficit, spending, and taxes.
Science Friday: Tech Smart Teens
Science Friday: Students come up with a better, faster wheelchair. Here or below.
Frank Rich is Back
Frank Rich, former columnist for The New York Times, is back in print with a no-punches-pulled story about President Obama’s financial follies from his new perch at New York Magazine. The story, if not the accompanying photo (which is odd), is classic Rich: well-written and beautifully on point. I hope Mr. Obama is a subscriber; I know I will be now that Rich’s illuminating prose and prescient insights can be found there.