Powdered alcohol became legal in March 2015 in the U.S., but in spite of that, a lot of states have already decided to ban its use. According to a health poll conducted by the University of Michigan, the initiative of banning powdered alcohol has a lot of supporters from the large public.
In almost all states, the main concern among the adults that were interviewed is that allowing powdered alcohol to reach the shelves will increase the possibility for underage alcohol abuse. And they might be right, considering that this new alcoholic product comes in ready-to-drink packets.
In a recent Science Daily report, Matthew Davis, head of the National Poll on Children’s Health, said that his poll’s target was to get the pulse of the nation in regard with the new product, seeing that so many states are already considering legislation before it even started selling on the market.
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health has surveyed people during May 2015, and the results showed a surprising support for the all-out ban on powdered alcohol: nearly 60 percent of adults in the U.S. think the product should not be allowed on the market.
High rates of support were also registered in the category of powdered alcohol banned from being sold online, with 84 percent adults in favor, while 85 percent of respondents thought that the product needs to change its marketing strategies.
Meanwhile, the adults who believe that banning powdered alcohol is unnecessary and pointless were not so many.
However, some think that prohibiting its use would only draw more attention and make underage people more curious about the product, adding that banning it won’t necessarily mean that youngsters won’t try it.
Powdered alcohol is scheduled to become available for sale starting this summer, but several states are pursuing banning bills, including South Carolina, Vermont and Louisiana. In Michigan, the ban against powdered alcohol has received a sounding 37-0 votes in senate.
Image Source: Today
For all the hype it created, the Apple Watch is actually a very subtle product – and we don’t mean the $17,000 18-Karat Yellow Gold version. It was designed in the signature style of Apple, with sleek features and almost unremarkable.
Apple Watch seems to be the answer to the ever-growing curb of how much the average user spends on their smartphone. It started slow, in 2007, with the iPhone launch; the no-app-store version was upgraded so much that four years later, in 2011, users spent a little more than a half an hour a day using apps.
Come 2013, an hour of each day was eaten away by apps, with estimations showing that the curb would point to the average iOS user spending almost 7 hours a day on checking apps in 2020!
It sounds absolutely crazy, and something definitely had to change before that point was reached, simply because we work with limiting factors such as human attention and time. The iPhone did a great job allowing developers to feed us apps we didn’t even know we wanted.
We are so enticed by the little ding that announces a new notification, that our brains are already trained to drop whatever we were focused on and go check what’s new. And even if the push notification did not interest us, it’s easy to switch to Facebook and spend more than 10 minutes just scrolling.
Bottom line: we are being overfed by digital information. Most of the social media platforms have already reached this conclusion and have developed their algorithms to show us less content, because we simply cannot take it all in. Everybody loves a stroll, but no one cares for the forced march.
Tech companies are trying out new ways of limiting their content before customers become critically overstimulated. In this kind of context, Apple Watch has room to thrive.
Apple Watch does not have a leading app to entice more users, but it doesn’t need one. What it does instead, is help you check your iPhone a lot less.
Even for the users who don’t apply great discipline to the apps that push notifications, Apple Watch only interrupts you for about a second; if the notification isn’t important, you are less likely to go check it and be dragged into the vortex of apps you have on your smartphone.
This is what Apple Watch does: it reduces the duration of each interruption of your day-to-day activities, encouraging you to stay more focused. Its features are designed as an assistant, not a master of your task.
It also has plenty of applications as a remote control, especially when it comes to audio. Listening to music, podcasts or whatever else is easier, as you avoid the temptation of being sucked into the abyss of your phone.
Apple Watch will soon become our antidote to the user’s iPhone attachment, helping them reduce the mental clutter caused by the constant information that we are being fed. It might seem contradictory with the company’s policy of keeping you connected, but without it, the cognitive load that your iPhone implies would soon make you crazy.
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A handfull of mixed peanuts per day can help people prevent cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.
Recent medical studies suggest that nuts can have a very good effect for people who want to prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer. People should, therefore, eat nuts and peanuts to lower death risks, but there are, nevertheless, certain aspects they should take into consideration to prevent other negative consequences.
The first medical researches in this domain were started in 1986 when professors at the Maastricht University discovered that a specific intake of nuts and peanuts per day can have a very good effect on people’s health. The study was recently revisited as nutritional experts wanted to get additional information on the matter.
They have thus, gathered a group of 120,000 Dutch people, who received different quantities of peanuts each day. The evolution of each and every respondent has been carefully documented every day, so scientists could keep a track of their bodily modifications.
Results have shown that people who eat 15 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have bigger chances of lowering death risks. These products have proven themselves particularly useful in preventing difficult diseases, such as, cancer, diabetes and strokes.
Participants with higher chances of developing Alzheimer have had a good evolution during the experiment. Doctors have, therefore, concluded that neurodegenerative diseases can also be prevented with the help of the peanuts.
Even though nuts and peanuts have a good influence on people’s health condition, researchers warn that the daily intake should be carefully measured to obtain good results. In their opinion, daily quantities that are larger than 15 grams will lead to unwanted outcome, such as, additional body fat and heart problems.
In addition, scientists have mentioned that consuming sweet products containing nuts or peanuts is not a good solution, either. Patients should not eat peanut butter as this will not bring them any health benefits. On the contrary, sugar-based products are more likely to worsen the health condition of individuals, even if they contain traces of nuts.
In the end of the experiments, researchers have named several categories of nuts that people can consume in order to prevent death risks. The most effective products in this category are tree nuts and peanuts, but the same positive results were also noticed in pistachio and macadamia.
The findings of the recent tests have been published in the Journal of Epidemiology.
Image Source: Mirror.co.uk
The team enoyed every moment during their last mission on ISS.
NASA delivered ISS astronauts’ first impressions from space upon Earth’s reentry causing many space aficionados to beg for more useful information. The three astronauts have spent more than six months in space in order to determine the effects of zero gravity upon individuals during long-term space missions.
The Expedition 43 was formed by Commander Terry Virts of NASA, Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. The trio was sent into the space last fall and has been sending data ever since.
The group of astronomers had to return on Earth several months ago, but the mission was postponed due to several technical issues that ISS encountered. According to the declaration of the scientists working at NASA, the first rocket that was sent on Earth failed to properly land.
The rocket landed on water on early May, so the administration decided to postpone the mission for a couple of weeks. Virts, Cristoforetti and Shkaplerov have finally entered Earth’s atmosphere at the beginning of the week and now, NASA is releasing ISS astronauts’ first impressions from space.
Padalka, who has been a commander on four other ISS missions, has spent 878 days in orbit. Experts at NASA have estimated that he is the commander with the most days spent in space.
Nevertheless, Padalka told the press that every mission has its own particularities. He has always felt like the first time in space, even though he has been on many other missions before.
As his most recent mission on the International Space Station has just ended, Padalka is now preparing for other upcoming projects. He has expressed his concerns for the upcoming missions as the last space launches have all started with glitches.
The team hopes the new ISS mission will not encounter any other problems and that everything will go as planned. The crew concluded their declaration by saying that everything is working properly on the International Space Station.
Although the crew has spent six months in the outer space, they still need more analyses related to the possible medical issues that astronomers may encounter when spending too much time within the zero gravity. Further experiments will be carried out in the future as NASA plans on starting a new mission on Mars by 2020.
Image Source: Space Coast Daily
Going to `the hole`, or the SCU (Solitary Confinement Unit) also called sometimes `the punk city` is one of the worst nightmares of a incarcerated person. It basically means that if you have the ill luck of getting into the SCU, you will be isolated from any form of human contact, outside the necessary relations with the prison staff. So you can imagine how dreadful it must be to stay for a day or to at the punk city, let alone 43 years. It is not only the absence of needed light or the poor food you receive, but is one of the most effective kinds of psychological torture. Come on, you`ve seen the movies. Now, the most recent info in connection to the case of an SCU convict talks about an inmate freed after 43 years of solitary confinement. It would be fascinating to observe in which way he gets back to the other members of the Homo Sapiens species.
The case of Albert Woodfox, an inmate who has lived the last 43 years of his life in the solitary confinement unit has attracted the interest of the international community. Over the past years, numerous demonstrations have been held in order to pledge for the release of Albert Woodfox, with protesters claiming that almost half a century on your own, within the same four walls, will not only drive you crazy, but it will suck out your soul.
James Brady, a Louisiana judge, has approved the release of Albert Woodfox after he banned the prosecutors appeals for the third time. Woodfox is now 68 and he has been kept at the SCU since April 18, 1972.
Albert Woodfox is part of the Angola 3 group, a group including 3 men for whom an organization bearing the same name has fought through protests and demonstrations, aiming at achieving the release of the Angola 3.
In 1972, Albert Woodfox was involved in a prison riot which led to the death of a prison guard. He was convicted to spend his sentence at the solitary confinement unit, even though he denies all charges against him until this day.
The other two men in the Angola 3 group, Robert King and Herman Wallace have been released in the past years, after also spending their time in the SCU of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, in 2001 and 2013 respectively. The penitentiary is near a former slave plantation called Angola, which gave the name of the group and the organization pledging for their cause.
Image Source: BBC
The new P8 Lite handset from Huawei offers great quality-price report.
Based on the recent reports published by the company’s officials, Huawei debuts new P8 Lite handset in America starting this weekend. The new smartphone will be available on Amazon, BH, Electronics and Fry’s and analysts expect it to become a hit due to its good quality-price report.
The Chinese producer has been trying to come up with a new product that could compete against existing smart gadgets in America for quite some time now. Its objective has finally been accomplished now that the Huawei debuts new P8 Lite handset in American stores.
The official price of the smartphone has been set at $249.99, but costs may vary depending on the region where the device is being commercialized. At a first look, the product specifications seem to make up for the requested money, tech savvies have agreed.
Many financial advantages have been prepared for those customers who will be among the first to purchase the new handset. Huawei offers a $50 discount to users who purchase the new P8 Lite within 72 hours. Moreover, a $50 airtime and data card, a free Huawei Bluetooth dial stereo speaker, an interesting snap on case and a Net 10 SIM card will be bestowed as gifts to the first clients.
As the name of the device might suggest it, the design of the new Huawei P8 Lite is incredibly slim and thin, even though it has been featured with a 5-inch, 720p Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen. The smartphone is only 7.6 mm thick, in spite of the advanced tech characteristics that have been embedded on it.
Based on the producer’s description, the P8 Lite model has 2GB of RAM memory, a 13-megapixel rear camera, whereas the front camera take 5-megapixel pictures. The 2,200 mAh battery is built in and, therefore, it cannot be removed from the device.
Users, who opt to switch their old smartphones with the newer P8 Lite, will benefit of a 16BG inbuilt storage capacity. This capacity may be extended up to 32GB by using a microSD card.
Future enjoyers will be able to quickly connect to the Internet using one of the many connectivity tools provided by Huawei on the new handset. 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are some of the Internet options that customers may use in order to access online pages.
Huawei has further stated that the new P8 Lite model will be available on the U.S. market starting today. The main retailers that will commercialize the new handset are Amazon, BH, Electronics and Fry’s, but many more companies will start selling the product once it becomes more popular among American consumers.
Image Source: Droid Life
Teen bullying can have negative repercussions in the long run. Most adult depressions are said to have been caused by frequent bullying during the earlier stages of life.
Violent behavior in children and young adults has long been condemned as teen bullying has strong connections with adult depressions, new study confirms after scientists perform a comprehensive experiment. Based on their recent findings high school teenagers, who have been constantly tyrannized by their colleagues tend to victimize themselves more often and develop depressions at an advanced age.
The mystery behind depressions often affecting adults nowadays has long intrigued psychologists and researchers as they try to identify the main factors leading to these condition. A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Oxford under the close surveillance of leading professor Lucy Bowes shows that teen bullying has strong connections with adult depressions.
The test was carried out on 3,898 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from UK. Respondents were handed two questionnaires and were asked to provide accurate answers to the respective questions. The first questionnaire contained questions about 13-year-old bullying, whereas the second was mainly focused on the identification of depression-related illnesses at the age of 18 years old.
Statistics indicate that there is a strong link between harassing behavior at younger ages and increased depression incidences throughout the adult stages of life.
More specifically 15 percent of the 683 respondents, who confessed that they were bullied at least twice a week when they were 13, admitted to have suffered from severe depressions at 18.
7 percent out of 1,464 respondents who experienced occasional bullying at 13, developed depressive behavior by the age of 18.
A very small percentage of the people who were interviewed during the experiment have suffered of depressions by the age of 18 even though they had not been bullied at all in their pre-adolescent life.
In spite of the significant data that the experiment has gathered, scientists claim the study does not prove that bullying leads to depressive behaviors.
Researchers have also taken into account other possible factors, such as mental and behavioral problems, stressful life or family events, but no noticeable link was established between these factors and adult depressions.
The findings of the research will be taken into consideration in the future for the diminishment of bullying behavior among high school students. Parents’ support is requested in order for anti-bullying campaigns to be effective.
Researchers have already established that bullying can take many forms from name calling, to stealing belongings and to physical aggression. The next step would be to determine which of the said forms is more likely to lead to adult depressions and possibly prevent it from happening again in the future.
Image Source: Minnpost
Sunscreen lotions can only reduce skin cancer risks, not fully expel them, scientists warn.
As a new edition of Sun Safety Week begins: find the best sunscreen options for summer 2015. Researchers at the Sun Safety Alliance organize similar events each year hoping to convince people that keeping their skin safe in the sun is vital to prevent skin cancer.
The Sun Safety Alliance has been involved in numerous studies to determine the best protection people can use when exposing their skin to direct sun rays. Their results are constantly enriched with new discoveries related to the nature of sunrays and to the influence they have on the health of our skin.
More than a decade ago, scientists have identified UVA and UVB rays as the main culprits for skin cancer incidence. Nowadays, they are explaining the main differences between the two in order to enable people to better understand the consequences that these have on their epidermis.
In spite of the numerous efforts that are being made to keep oneself protected in the sun, experts believe there is no such thing as safe tan. On the contrary, both UVA and UVB rays are noxious for people as they can cause different types of lesions to the skin.
UVA rays are more common, but also more harmful. 95 percent of the sunrays that arrive on Earth’s surface are UVA. They can cause deeper skin lesions than UVB rays, but the latter should not be ignored, either as they can also lead to skin cancer.
Although people use sunscreen protection, this does not guarantee a 100% efficient protection against UVA and UVB rays. Experts warn people that these measures are only meant to reduce risks; they do not fully expel the negative effects of direct sunlight exposure.
These measures have been once more confirmed during the Sun Safety Week event which will last until the 8th of June. According to the Safety Sun Alliance, ultraviolet radiations reaches its peak between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.; therefore people should avoid sun exposure during this time interval. Moreover, sunscreens with the highest SPF level should be preferred to the less protective options.
Dermatologists have further advised people to wear hats and to cover their bodies as much as possible if they cannot stay in the shadow during this time of the day. Drinking natural juices and water is also vital during the hot months of the summer as it helps our skin stay hydrated.
Until recently is was believed that the morning sun helps people catch a healthy sun tan, but medical researchers warn people now that the slightest trace of tan suggests the skin is suffering. Suntan, be it as mild as it may be, it is nothing but a sign that the skin has suffered lesions. The gold-brown tan that we all strive for, is just as noxious as the darker tans as they show the skin has been damaged.
Scientists are, nevertheless, aware that people cannot go through the summer months without getting intentionally or unintentionally tanned. Therefore, they recommend people to use as many sunscreen options as possible and to avoid sun exposure during the mid-day interval.
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Recent scientific releases indicate that the first prehistoric beaver lived in Oregon, newly-found fossil confirms. Biologists have estimated that the first prehistoric beaver came to North America from Asia approximately 30 million years ago.
The recent floods affecting America have had good parts, as well. Waters have unearthed the fossil of what appears to be the first prehistoric beaver. Surprisingly, the bone structure appeared near the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, so it was immediately taken within the facility and subjected to many analyses.
Many relevant findings have been inferred from the analyses of the beaver bone structure. According to scientists, the most important aspect is that the beaver belongs to the modern and not to the ancient species of the said animals.
The name of the species was identified to be Microtheriomys brevirhinus and it is said that it appeared on the territory of the North American around 30 million years ago. Although the beaver was half the size of the species we have seen today, it was still capable of crossing the Bering land bridge and settle on the U.S. territory.
The bone structure that was recently identified by scientists lived 7 million years ago. No other details are known in relation to the eating habits or the behavior of the brevirhinus, but it is believed that it has co-existed with dinosaurs, tree-toed horses, two-horned rhinos and other such rare species during the Oligocene period.
The recent find helps scientists enrich the existing classification of beaver species and hopefully, enable them to make new interesting discoveries in relation to the evolution of the castorid family. Many more beaver species are said to have lived in the region as scientists have unearthed approximately 100 different bone fossils.
The recently found bone fossils and the analyses of other 20 types of rodent species will be presented in the upcoming number of the Annals of Carnegie Museum.
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Aran Khanna, student at Harvard in computer science and mathematics, has recently developed an extension for Chrome that allows users to find out creepily precise location of people using the Facebook Messenger app.
The extension dubbed as Mauraders Map received its name from the Harry Potter universe, where a magical map can show the identity, location and movement of anyone in Hogwarts.
We’ve grown so used to seeing the location feature appear in both iOS and Android mobile app that it passes unnoticed too many times. But maybe it’s time we started acknowledging its presence again, as it appears that it is possible to use GPS and track one’s latitude and longitude coordinates, as this app does.
If you aren’t creeped out by now, listen to this: according to Khanna, these coordinates pin-point with the accuracy of a staggering five decimal places – in other words, you can identify both the college dormitory your friend sleeps and his room number.
And all that is made possible by the Javascript location data, which is designed to store time stamps. If you haven’t manually toggled the option to not reveal your location, this feature can track your movements minute by minute, going back several months.
Khanna’s app allows a person to see another user’s location back to the first line of messages sent in a conversation – you don’t even have to be Facebook friends; it’s enough to have been added in the same messaging thread, and voilà!
A lot of people across all mobile interfaces have been rather surprised to hear what Khanna had to say, shocked that Facebook makes it so easy for their friends (and sometimes complete strangers!) to receive so much personal information about themselves.
The extension was first developed on Mapbox, one of the well-known mapping platforms, but it became so popular ever since the Next Web has discovered it that its API (application program interface) key has been since revoked.
Faced with these privacy issues, Facebook commented that it is working on a way to disable the tracking possibilities via the location feature. In the last years, several privacy incidents (remember the Edward Snowden scandal?) have brought the public’s attention onto the issue of personal privacy.
International intelligence agencies have been under severe scrutiny, accused of shamelessly snooping on people; in the US, the NSA’s massive collection of phone information is on the path of being outlawed, and other surveillance laws are underway.
Image Source: AnalogIndex