Talking To Your Kids About Sex and Sexuality...And Why It's Important

If you have teenage kids today, chances are that you grew up at a time where openly discussing sexual topics with anyone but your closest friends was considered a taboo. Chances are your parents would have enrolled you in a seminary, fully equipped with a creepy exorcist, if sex even crossed your mind before marriage. But today, we live in a world where sex seems to be at the root of every industry, from advertising, to job hunting, to pornography (which, by the way, happens to be the one of the, if not THE, largest online industry). As a result, it's probably more likely your kid will know what a reverse cowgirl is before he/she figures out that Santa isn't real.

So What's The Problem With That?
Besides the fact that, on average, kids are exposed to porn at age 11, and that 80% of teens aged 15 - 17 admit to watching pornography, a lot of what happens off the screen might be troubling. For example, in the USA, 1 out of 3 girls get pregnant before the age of 20. Although this is staggering, by itself it doesn't amount to a lot. However, when you consider that 8 out of 10 of these pregnancies are unintended, a.k.a. preventable, that's where you as a parent come in.

"Well What Can I Do?"
You'll be surprised to hear that the answer is, A LOT. According to a study done by one of University of Montreal's research centers, it turns out that "45% [of teens] consider their parents to be their sexuality role model," while only 32% tried to model their friends. I bet you're probably as surprised as everyone else, because apparently "78% of the mothers who participated in the survey believed that their children modeled their friends' sexual behaviour." The study also found that a lot of households lack paternal communication regarding sexuality, which is obviously very detrimental.


The point here is that you have your work cut out for you. Your child likely models his/her sexuality after you. The only thing you have to do is to actually talk to them, and make sure they understand all the risks that come with being sexually active. I've only briefly outlined some pregnancy statistics. However, things I haven't mentioned, like STDs and STIs are also very important topics to make your kids aware of.


Conclusion
Be a role-model for your kids, and be open about sexuality with them. Your actions, and those few conversations you have with them might make the difference between them having a successful career and marriage, and dropping out of highschool to raise a misconceived child.


Sources: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/06/15/teens.look.parents.more.friends.sexual.role.models
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/12504-teen-pregnancy-rates-usa/

Surgery Restores Vision In Man After 55 Years Of Blindness In Right Eye

Picture Source: MedlinePlus

As a child, Mr. (not named...we'll call him Bob) experienced an accident where the impact of a stone to his right eye detached the retina from the rest of his eye, leaving him completely blind in his right eye. While a detached retina can normally be reattached, restoring the person's vision, prolonged detachment causes the retina to degenerate making it almost impossible to restore vision.

Fast forward 55 years into the future, and doctors at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary decided to take on his case...kind of by accident. 'Bob' only went to the hospital to complain of pain in his right eye. Upon diagnosis, he was found to have "total hyphema, neovascular glaucoma, high intraocular pressure and a detached retina" (If you somehow missed the 6 years of med school, the above basically means that his eye couldn't detect light, it was overcrowded by newly formed blood vessels, and he had very high blood pressure in his eye, respectively.) After an operation to relieve Bob of his pain, the doctors were able to restore his ability to distinguish light from dark. Psyched by the success of this operation, they decided to attempt to reattach his retina.
After he recovered from the surgery, and to everyone's amazement, Bob was finally able to see "to such an extent that he could count fingers at a distance of five meters."
Surgeries like these give us all hope for a brighter future, no pun intended!


Sources: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110617081630.htm

Men Buy Nice Cars To Get Laid...And It Works!

Depicted Above: Guy about to get laid.

The usual assumption you make when you see a guy driving a nice flashy sports car is "Oh, he's just trying to make up for his small package." But the real reason is very close. According to a series of studies done at Rice University, which consisted of about 1000 individuals, humans respond to flashy and luxury items very similarly to how peacocks respond to the flashing of their vibrant feathers. In other words, most men who bought porches, ferraris, and other flashy items did so because they were seeking immediate short-term sexual relationships. On the other hand, men who were looking for serious relationships and potential life-long partners avoided looking flashy.

As always, women already know this. But despite that fact, they instinctually responded just like peacocks. Women asked to rate a man's attractiveness showed drastically different results based on only two factors: the car he was driving and the woman's sexual intentions. If the woman was only interested in a short fling, she would rate a man getting into a Porsche as much more attractive than the same man getting into a Honda Civic. Alternatively, women looking for a serious (and possibly life-long) relationship would rate the man getting into the Honda Civic as being more attractive, partially because they recognize the fact (or simply have a hunch) that the man driving the Porsche is not looking for anything serious.

The moral of the story: Driving a nice car usually means women won't take you seriously. But sometimes this can definitely be a good thing :D

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110616092647.htm

The Perfect Artificial Heart Just Made...And It Doesn't Even Pump!

Courtesy of the Texas Heart Institute
This is an X-Ray of Lewis with his rotor heart implants

The medical community was taken by storm this week with news from the Texas Heart Institute about their new robotic heart. It's so amazing, in fact, that you'd never even know if someone is equipped with it, because it's completely silent and doesn't produce a beat. Instead, it uses fan-like rotors which circulate a person's blood throughout their body producing a continual, smooth flow, similar to water flowing through a pipe.

So why is this such a revelation? You wouldn't believe it, but this is the first time medical researchers have ever even conceived the possibility of having a heart that doesn't beat! This was a big problem because they would always attempt to replicate the heart, creating very complex machines which failed frequently. By contrast, the new rotor heart has only one moving part (the rotor...in case you haven't caught on), and as such lasts much longer and works more reliably. Moreover, it "[reduces] the chance of infection or other complications."


Now, with every great medical find comes an equally great success story, and here it is:
Craig Lewis was a 55-year old man who was "dying from amyloidosis, a disease that causes buildup of  abnormal proteins that clog the organs until they stop functioning." When doctors gave him only 12 hours to live, he decided to give the experimental heart a try. Although he died two months later of complications in other major organs, Mr. Lewis far exceeded his doctors' expectations, and proved the 'roto-heart' to be an excellent alternative to the more conventional, pumping heart.


Sources: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/13/137029208/heart-with-no-beat-offers-hope-of-new-lease-on-life
http://news.discovery.com/tech/hearts-with-no-beat-pulse-could-save-lives-110614.html

Have You Ever Cheated On a Loved One? It Might Not Be Your Fault!

As much of a promiscuous a**hole as your girl/boyfriend at the time made you out to be, science has stepped in to your defense. While it may not have been the 'right' thing to do, new genetic research strongly suggests that it was more or less bound to happen.

While it was noted prior to this study that children of parents who have been promiscuous in the past are twice as likely to cheat themselves, the exact cause of this relationship remained unknown until now. When observing zebra finches, a species of bird which are socially monogamous (they stick to their partner), it was noted that some of the birds 'cheat' on their beloved. The researchers then took the eggs of those flirty birds and placed them in the nests of bird couples who remained strictly monogamous. They did this in order to ensure that these hatchlings would be brought up by monogamous parents.

After studying 5 generations of zebra finches (1,554 birds), the researchers ran a thorough genetic analysis of the birds, and discovered that the birds whose parents were promiscuous were much more likely to cheat on their partners than those whose parents remained faithful to each-other. "The birds could not have learned this behavior from their randy parents, since foster parents raised them. They must have inherited a tendency for it."


- - - If you're showing this article to a loved one you've cheated on, STOP READING HERE - - -


However, this doesn't mean you're completely off the hook! Researchers note that despite this intriguing relationship, promiscuity in humans still remains a complex behavior involving many variables such as how attractive the other person is, how much alcohol you've consumed, how much 
you care for your partner, etc.. 


Source: http://news.discovery.com/human/playboy-gene-promiscuity-110613.html 

Your Dog Might Be Telepathic!

For all of you who wish your dog came with superpowers, your prayers might have just been answered. Have you ever felt like Ruffus understands you more than anyone else? It turns out your hunch might just be right. In a study inspired by some dogs' ability to 'smell' cancer, published in Learning & Behavior, a team of researchers from the University of Florida decided to study this man-dog connection.

In order to make sure that dogs aren't just really good at reading your body movements, the team involved a group of undomesticated dogs (wolves), and conducted two experiments involving the two types of animals. They "were given the opportunity to beg for food, either from an attentive person or from a person unable to see the potential begger." Astonishingly, both the Wolves and Dogs were successful in begging for food, as both approached the attentive person.


The team concluded that "both species - domesticated and non-domesticated - have the capacity to behave in accordance with a human's attentional state," and that this trait is something dogs are born with. It was also noted that this telepathy is less common and less defined in sheltered and abandoned dogs, suggesting that a dog's acceptance of its owner as a 'companion' helps strengthen this telepathic connection.


Source: http://tinyurl.com/3qb8prq

Now for some personal anecdotal evidence of this--I'll keep it short. Promise:

My grandfather owns two German Sheppard dogs, which he occasionally takes out to the family farm where they can run around freely; they obviously love this. The interesting part about this is that every time my grandfather makes a conscious decision to take them to the farm, the dogs (who are outside in a courtyard, physically separated from my grandpa) become ecstatic and wait for him right by the door, as if they know what's about to happen. This also occurs on random days and at random times each day, as to exclude the possibility of the dogs following a pattern (sorry to all you devil's advocates :( ).
 

Do Pick-Up Lines Work?

Bars and Clubs are notorious for bad pick-up lines, and almost everyone's used one at least once in their lives. But how often do they actually work, and which ones work and which don't? Well, you'd be surprised to find out that the answers are quite simple. In a study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, a team of researchers tried to answer that elusive question by surveying 70 female university students about different pick-up lines asked by different men. The results were...un-staggering.

The study classified 3 types of pick-up lines: 'Flippant' lines, which are usually funny, witty, and make you look like a douche. Non-Flippant Direct lines, which are kinda like "Hey I saw you across the room and had to meet you!". And finally, Non-Flippant Innocuous lines, like "Hey I think I know you, did we have class together?" 

And here are the reactions: Flippant lines, such as "If I could re-arrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together" - Glen Quagmire, usually make the guy look humorous and sociable, which are a plus. On the negative side, they also make him look untrustworthy and unintelligent. Women looking for something more than a one-night-stand usually scorn at these types of lines.

The differences between Direct and Innocuous lines are minimal. Although women react better, on average, to Direct lines, the end result is the same (Meaning that if she doesn't like you, the line makes no difference...surprisingly).

In conclusion, if the woman in question is just looking for some fun (probably like most of you reading this), it makes no difference what you say as your entrance...she just has to find you attractive (mind you, your sociability usually falls into this). If the woman is looking for a long-term partner, however, she will usually be much more receptive to Direct and Innocuous lines, but they won't take you anywhere unless you pass her subconscious standards of a "good dad".

Source: http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/110114_pickup.htm

AIDS Has Been Cured

And these buggers are to blame.
Photo Credit: TopNews.com.nz

That's right! Unfortunately, it's only been done once because the procedure is quite rare and also quite dangerous. The man in question is an American citizen who was living in Germany three years ago. While infected with the HIV virus, he also developed Leukemia, cancer of the blood. In an attempt to cure his Leukemia, doctors in Germany treated the man with a Stem Cell Bone Marrow Transplant from a donor who who was a perfect match, and also coincidentally carried an HIV resistant gene.

Over time, the man's immune system was 'replaced' with that of the donor (the lucky son of a gun inherited the HIV resistance gene), and today (3 years later), he shows no signs of either AIDS, HIV, nor Leukemia.

So why did everyone miss the party of the century? Well unfortunately, this procedure is very rare. The donor has to be a perfect match AND contain the HIV resistance gene (a rarity in itself). Then, the procedure is extremely expensive, and most doctors won't treat you accordingly because they consider it unnecessary due to its risks as "drugs can keep HIV in check in most cases" - Dr. Michael Saag, which leads me to my next point - it's very risky. As it stands today, the death rate among these types of procedures is 5%, which means 1 in every 20 people who are treated will die from the procedure.


Ultimately though, it's still an amazing advancement in medicine, and will hopefully lead researchers to a more promising and practical cure to AIDS.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/6fcj3y6 

Are You An Amazing Problem Solver? You Might Be Depressed!

Pictured Above: Man analyzing his hate for the world.

Just kidding! But on a serious note, if the title statement were reversed (i.e. Are you depressed? You may be a good problem solver.) it would hold true in a lot of cases. New studies done at various universities across the U.S. found that people who suffer from depression are much better candidates for analyzing and making good decisions when confronted with high-stakes situations, such as buying a new home or hiring someone. The reasoning behind this is that sufferers of depression are often pessimistic, driving them to further investigate and analyze a situation before 'jumping the gun'.

Depressed people were also found to be especially apt at sequential decision making (i.e. situations where a decision is made, then an event occurs, then another decision is made, then another event occurs, so on and so so forth). For example, patients were found to make better decisions on whom to marry and when, for the same reasons mentioned above.

Tip of the Day: If you've been with your partner for a while and are thinking of popping the question, get depressed for a few days.


Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/73973/title/Thinking_better_with_depression

Birth Control Pill For......Men?

Besides the use of condoms, the burden of contraceptives has always fallen on women, ranging from oral hormone regulation (birth control pills) to vaginal insertions that block sperm. Although the idea has been around for a long time, no feasible male "Birth Control Pill" could be produced because of very common side-effects, such as losing your balls, and their inconsistent effectiveness across various men.

But now, new research from Colombia University offers a very real possibility for men to share that burden with women through the use of an oral contraceptive. The secret is, get this, Vitamin A! Not some crazy testicle warping machine, or even hormonal treatments. Just a simple vitamin. The team of researchers have found a chemical compound that blocks Vitamin A from reaching your boys. In turn, this vitamin deprivation halts the production of sperm from anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks. As opposed to previous methods of sterilization, where the male was permanently left in that state, this chemical only makes you sterile for a short period of time.

Although they haven't actually made such a pill yet, they're still experimenting with the topic and hoping to have something good for us soon. I'll keep you all posted on this.

Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21505053
               http://news.discovery.com/human/male-birth-control-pill-drug-110606.html

Free Will: Why You Reading This Blog Might've Been Predicted

The debate over whether or not humans have free will has been raging since the dawn of humanity. However, a recent study published in Science offers a thought-provoking perspective on the topic. The study involved university students who were asked to complete a set of puzzles:

“S­tu­dents were seated at a ta­ble to work on two seem­ingly un­re­lat­ed lan­guage puz­zles. For some stu­dents, the first puz­zle in­clud­ed words re­lat­ed to achieve­ment (such as win or achieve), and for oth­ers it did not. Stu­dents who were ex­posed to achieve­ment words were found to out­per­form the oth­ers on the sec­ond puz­zle.”

So what the hell does this have to do with free will? Apparently lots, because the fact that a simple exposure to positive language impacts your performance implies that your conscious abilities and inclinations are directed by subconscious processes.

In other words, your brain decides what you're going to do, and how well you do it before you even consciously think about it. But wait, doesn't that mean I still have free will, like, my subconsciousness is still part of me, right? Well, kind of. Your subconscious mind is just that, SUBconscious, so you're never aware of it or its endeavors. The very idea of free will is something that hinges on a conscious level. We FEEL as though we make our own choices. But doesn't the fact that something we're not aware of, pre-determining our actions and choices, mean that we're not as free willed as we'd like to think? No one has a concrete answer to that, but it's definitely something to think about.

The main article's done, but keep reading if you'd like to know my perspective on free will.


Now, my perspective on free will. I know I've wrote quite a bit already, and you're most likely tired of this topic already, so I'll cut to the chase:

Imagine a game of billiards. Technically speaking, you can, with the right formulas, predict exactly where all the balls on the pool table will end up following a shot. In my opinion, the universe works the same way. We have atoms all around us that follow certain universal laws. Therefore, if one COULD (not saying will, because that's impossible) know the exact position, trajectory, and speed of every particle in the universe, one could possibly predict the entire future of the universe and everything in it (including the fact that you actually cared enough to read this far into the article).

Now if you're a physics major, you might argue that on a quantum level, our current laws of the universe don't make sense, and that merely observing a particle changes its behavior. I agree, but I am not arguing that its a possible task, because its not. I'm simply arguing that on a philosophical level, our future is already set in stone because there are laws to how the universe functions (on any level, we simply haven't gotten to that point of understanding yet.)

I might not be fully aware of some claims that I have made (maybe some of you physics majors know better), so please comment and share your knowledge with the rest of us :D.

Lost or Planning On Losing a Finger? No Worries!

If you've lost part of your finger in an accident recently, you might have a good shot at growing it back! All you need is a freshly cut finger and a pig's bladder. Once you have the bladder, you can extract (in powdered form) a substance called an Extracellular Matrix, which when applied to a raw severed part of your body, acts as a regeneration stimulant. Normally when you cut yourself (or lose a limb) your body naturally scars the area, which prevents it from growing anything back. When Extracellular Matrix is applied, however, "it begins to break down into surrounding tissue, [and] causes the cells in that tissue to start repairing the damage the way they would in a developing fetus (or a salamander that loses a limb) -- they divide and rebuild, creating new, normal tissue, not scar tissue." Using this method of regeneration, people have completely regrown sizable lengths of their fingers, fully functional and fully wired with all nerve cells.


On a deeper note, scientists have found it interesting that human fetuses can fully repair physical damage done in the womb, but lose this ability upon birth. Since fetuses achieve this through a combination of Stem Cells and Extracellular Matrix (Matrices?), it might be possible that the substance's application to raw body tissue puts cells in that region in a Stem Cell state, where they can repair and regenerate lost tissue.


At the moment, scientists are working on finding ways to fully regenerate lost limbs, and Extracellular 
Matrix might turn out to be the solution.


Source: http://tinyurl.com/4jpqfcn 

Irony At Its Best: Atheists know more about religion than believers!

Pictured Above: Haters hatin'

At least according to a study done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, where 3500 people were randomly asked 32 relatively simple/fundamental questions about their own and other popular religions. One such question, posed to Catholics, revealed that almost HALF of the them did not know that the Catholic Church believes the bread and wine given at communion actually and literally 'transform' into the flesh and blood of Christ. Funnier still, is that just "about as many Americans did not know that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist." On the other hand, Atheists and Agnostics (those who are unsure) polled seemed to have a significantly better understanding of a broad number of different religions.

But the saddest part of this whole ordeal is the fact that even government officials pushing religion on the public don't seem to know squat about it. To quote the original article: "Comedian Stephen Colbert interviewed Georgia Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, who co-sponsored a bill to require display of the Ten Commandments in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Colbert asked Westmoreland to name the Ten Commandments." To be fair to Congressman Westmoreland, ten is a LARGE number of items to remember, so we should all cut him some slack if he forgets a couple. Unfortunately for him, the sad truth remains that the Congressman could only name 3 of them. But don't worry!...because apparently 60% of the U.S. population can't name them either. Everyone wins! :D

Source: http://news.discovery.com/human/atheists-best-informed-about-religion.html