Science

You are currently browsing articles tagged Science.

Bonobos share like Humans

February 25, 2010 in Environmental | 1 comment

Bonobo monkeys are similar to Chimps. The major difference is their social behavior. Chimp communities are run by males, prone to fighting, group battles and infanticide. Bonobo communities are run by the females. They spend a large part of their day grooming each other, having sex with multiple partners and playing in groups. Bonobos show a great deal of compassion for each other and even for other animals. Their motto could

Bonobos having sex missionary style, a favorite sex position of the Bonobos

easily be “make love, not war”. Because the females have sex with all the males in the group, non of the males will kill the baby bonobos because there is no way of knowing whose baby is whose.

Recent studies have concluded that Bonobos also share like humans. Socially, the Bonobo monkey is the closest cousin to humans. Bonobos are strikingly human like. Learn more about Bonobos on Nova’s documentary video “Ape Genius”

Prenatal cosmetic use may determine if a child has behavior issues

February 10, 2010 in Health | No comments

When a women is pregnant, the makeup she wears, the deoderant she uses and the lotions she uses may effect her baby’s behavior later down the road. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that high levels of phthalates found in a women’s blood during pregnancy directly correlate with behavioral issues in their child at ages 4-9 years.

Phthalates are non-organic chemicals used in lotions, makeup products, soaps, nail polish, perfumes and shampoos. “Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, that interfere with the body’s endocrine, or hormone system.”1 Phthalates is also known as BPA when used in plastics.

Children whose mothers tested with a high level of Phthalates in their blood during pregnancy consistently reported behavioral issues in their 4-9 year olds associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD.

To avoid phthalates in personal care products, buy only all natural products and read the ingredients. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or have never heard of it, look it up on the EWG website before buying. Most Phthalates in personal products are called one of the following:

BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate)

DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate)

“fragrance” is another ingredient to avoid. If a chemical blend is a trade secret, manufactures are not legally required to disclose the contents on the lable. They simply denote this as “fragrance”, which likely contains parabens or phthalates.

The best paraben free products to replace your most common personal care products are:

Deoderant: Crystal Salt

Toothpaste: PerioBrite

Shampoo and Conditioner: Hugo Naturals

Lipgloss, cosmetics: Honeybee gardens

Lotion: Hugo Naturals

Hand and Body soap:Dr. Bronners or find home made soaps from your local farmer’s market.

Nail polish: just don’t use it! Nail polish is basically paint that you absorb through your skin.

Learn more: The Do-Nothing Method to Healthier Skin :: BPA powder on your receipts?!

References:

1. Science Daily

Digital Scans of the Mountains Under Ice Sheet.

February 9, 2010 in GIS | 1 comment

Antarctica’s mountain ranges have been digitally scanned! If the ice were to melt away, they would look very similar to the Cascade Range in the USA, home of Mnt. Rainer.

See all the photos here.

Having troube getting pregnant? Your bed may be to blame.

February 8, 2010 in Health | 1 comment

Recent studies have linked high levels of PBDEs in women’s blood to a difficult time getting pregnant. PBDEs are a type of flame retardant found in fabrics, furniture and mattresses. They are most prevalent in foams.

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are a class of organobromine compounds that became commonplace after the 1970s when new fire safety standards were implemented in the United States. The flame retardants are used in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets, plastics and other common items in the home. - Science Daily

It is not clear how PBDEs interfer with fertility, but reserach has suggested they effect hormone levels. Household dust from foam, couches, curtains, sheets, and mattresses is the main culprit for human absorbtion of PBDEs. Tempurpedic beds do not contain PBDEs

Video of the Known Universe

January 26, 2010 in Science | No comments

Non-stick pans wreak havock on your Thyroid

January 25, 2010 in Health | 2 comments

Recent studies link a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to human thyroid hormonal imbalances and diseases. PFOA is found in the coatings of non-stick cookware, stain resistant carpeting, upholstery and clothing. The most common way PFOA makes its way into the human body is by eating foods cooked in non-stick cookware or foods that touched non-stick coatings on fast food wrappers and styrofoam packaging.

Science Daily reports:

The researchers found that the individuals with the highest 25% of PFOA concentrations (above 5.7ng/ml) were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease than individuals with the lowest 50% of PFOA concentrations (below 4.0ng/ml). The most specific analysis included 163 women and 46 men who reported having current thyroid disease and who were taking thyroid medication at the time the blood samples were taken.

What is the moral of the story? Organic, all natural carpet, or just cut out the hairy stuff altogether. Get natural, organic furniture, not stuff made out of synthetics and PFOA. But more importantly, replace all non-stick cookware with stainless steel, woods and metals without the teflon coatings. Your thyroid will be much happier and more easily regulate your metabolism and mood without a bonbardment of PFOA.

The Greatest Show on Earth: Richard Dawkins

January 20, 2010 in Book Reviews | No comments

Perhaps the most comprehensive layman’s book on the science of Evolution, The Greatest Show on Earth inspires a deeper understanding of life on planet Earth.

Richard Dawkins is well known for his best selling book The God Delusion where he makes a compelling case against superstitions and religion. However, in his latest book, Dawkins makes a point to set aside supernatural disagreements and focus on the point of evolution. He does so in ernest because of the outspoken creationists who mislead young minds into believing the earth is only 10,000 years old and that people rode Dinosaurs.

The Greatest Show on Earth is written in a way that chronologically flows well and makes a point to explain the various ways in which evidence is verified. Dawkins goes into great length to explain to the average person how carbon dating and zirconium dating function and the strengths and weaknesses of each dating method. He covers the many experiments and observations being done today to watch evolution take place in bacteria, dog breeds, fish and much more. Dawkins includes detailed information on fossils and lineage that connect all living things together on the tree of life.

This book is also available on iTunes in audio formate from Audible.com. Dawkins himself narrates the book, which is a great way to glean the most accurate inflection from the author himself.

Yum, chemical soup in your dental products

January 4, 2010 in Health | No comments

So why should we care about 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate ? For starters it is found in some hair products and denture/dental products.

It is in so many products despite it’s ability to cause cancer in lab rats and toxicity of the human digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems.

8-Hydroxyquinoline sulfate is a metal chelating agent extracted from coal tar. It has been used in a wide variety of products, from “bag balm” for cows to cosmetics and drugs, for its ability to inhibit the growth of imidazolidinylurea microbes. 1

8-Hydroxyquinoline sulfate

The compound was previously used a preservative in cheese until it was deemed “harmful if swallowed” by the FDA, which has since banned it from all foods. 2 At some point in it’s history it was used as a pesticide, but is not considered obsolete. 3

A 2001 document on the effects of 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate on livestock prepared for the USDA by the Organic Materials Review Institute states that “Although it is not generally reported as a carcinogen or teratogen, a test of the food additive formerly used as cheese preservative (8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate) found tumors in the bladder, brain, and uteri of rats and mice when administered intervaginally.” 4

According to the EWG, 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate is considered a moderate health hazard with the ability to cause cancer, toxicity of the stomach, digestive tract, respiratory tract and cardiovascular system even in low exposure. It’s use in cosmetic products is either prohibited or strictly limited in most major countries. Finally, there have been no studies on the long term effects when left on the skin and absolutely no studies done on how much is absorbed into the bloodstream 5

Sources:

1. ACS Chemistry

2. FDA

3. http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Docs/ref_regulatoryINT.html#WHOObsolete

4. SkinDeep and OMRI NOSB Tap Materials Database

5. EWG

« Older entries