July 29, 2011
Science Friday: Lightbulb Battles
Science Friday: Bright ideas. Here or below.
July 27, 2011
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?
July 22, 2011
Science Friday: Cilia Simulation
Science Friday: Super-cilias! Here or below.
July 20, 2011
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.