MBOX EXCLUSIVE
DRAMATIC DATA: AMERICAN FAMILY IN 30-YEAR ECONOMIC DECLINE—(1) Because of inflation the average wage today has the same spending power it had thirty years ago in 1974. graphs, data, links (2) House prices and rents have inflated much faster than wages, so now both parents must work. "In just over half a decade the number of America’s working families paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing has grown 76%." NHC.Org  (3) 25% OF AMERICAN FAMILIES SERIOUSLY FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED—"In this report, a national team of academic scholars and other experts conclude that 30 million workers in America—one in four—are seriously distressed and dissatisfied with their personal financial situations." source   (4) HEALTH CARE WORKERS PRICED OUT OF HOMEOWNERSHIP IN MAJORITY OF U.S. METRO AREAS, NEW STUDY FINDS— nhc.org

GIRLS MORE LIKELY THAN BOYS TO SEEK REVENGE?—"Violent events involving preadolescent and early adolescent girls are more likely to be in response to a previous event and to involve the home environment and family member intervention." Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

 TEFLON CONTAINS CARCINOGEN?—"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft report concluded that previous studies on rats showed the chemical [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)] was a "likely" carcinogen, and advised that the EPA should carry out further tests."  Nature   NewYorkTimes

CAN THESE PLANTS CLICK EDIT AND UNDO TYPING?—"In a discovery that has flabbergasted geneticists, these second-generation plants replaced the abnormal code of their parents with the regular code possessed by earlier generations." Nature  "Cress with two mutant copies of one gene seem to be able to correct the DNA they pass on, ensuring that at least a few of their offspring revert to normal." New Scientist

 BLACK HOLE GALAXY? Predicted in 1925 by W. J. Sidis—"A British-led team of astronomers have discovered an object that appears to be an invisible galaxy made almost entirely of dark matter – the first ever detected. Without any stars to give light, it could only be found using radio telescopes." PhysOrg.com  "Strong evidence for a massive galaxy totally devoid of stars has been found in the Virgo cluster, about 50 million light years away from Earth. The new galaxy, which consists of a gigantic cloud of hydrogen gas and exotic dark matter, contains enough material to give birth to tens of millions of stars. Yet something is preventing this from happening."  NewScientist   Wrote Sidis: "We thus find the universe to be...a sort of three-dimensional checkerboard, the positive spaces counting as white (giving out light), and the negative spaces as black (absorbing light). Thus what we see is simply the white space that we are in. The surrounding black spaces are invisible." The Animate and the Inanimate, Chap. 12    ASTROBIOLOGY TODAY

STILL NO FOSSILS FOUND BUT MARS HAD OCEANS—"Today we have strong evidence for an exciting answer: Yes." NASA, March 2004 "We think Opportunity is parked on what was once the shoreline of a salty sea on Mars. Some rocks on Mars probably formed as deposits at the bottom of a body of gently flowing saltwater." March 2004 and August 2004   Rover 1 "Oppoerunity" Photo Menu   Rover 2 "Spirit" Photo Menu   Mbox News NASA Photo Archives   Cetera

MACDICTIVE?—"American researchers are investigating the possibility that fast foods may be just as addictive as hard drugs. 'It seems that the rats ingest more and more and the changes that we see in the brain are similar to what we would see if we gave a rat morphine or heroin'." New Scientist    SWEET DRINKS ADD CALORIES TO DAILY DIET BUT DO NOT ACT AS FOOD—"The children did not eat any less food to compensate for the extra calories in the sodas, lemonades and other drink treats Journal of Pediatrics   KRISPY KREME 'CERTIFICATES' APPEAL TO ADDICTIVE CRAVINGS?—"Customers can pick up their doughnuts right when that Krispy Kreme craving hits 'em!"  krispykreme.com

PSYCHOTRONICS UPDATES—[In the 1960s Dr. Jose Delgado flipped a switch and stopped a charging bull in its tracks (The Physical Control of the Mind, and Man's Intervention in Intracerebral Functions).] Now it's  (1)  REMOTE CONTROLLED RATS—"Signals from a laptop up to 500 metres away make the rats run, climb, jump and even cross brightly lit open spaces, contrary to their instincts...The research arm of the US defense department is funding the work." Nature  (2) REMOTE CONTROLLED FRUIT FLIES "We can not only passively observe but actively control behavior."  Cell    Science Daily     Science Live   (3)  REMOTE CONTROLLED SHARKS—"Engineers funded by the US military have created a neural implant designed to enable a shark's brain signals to be manipulated remotely, controlling the animal's movements, and perhaps even decoding what it is feeling. They hope to transform the animals into stealth spies, perhaps capable of following vessels without being spotted."  New Scientist

 

Thoughts to Think About Death Penalty: What if there is no punishment in the afterlife? How well would Congress do on an 8th-grade math test?  Sample Test

BASEBALL MAKES MAJOR LEAGUE ERROR—George Sisler's 257 hits in the 154-game season of 1920 are, by simple math, equivalent to 271 hits in the 162-game season we have now. So Ichiro Suzuki's 262 hits in 2004 did not actually set a new record. But Baseball's official book of its records, The Baseball Almanac, claims it does: Baseball Almanac  Baseball News   "George Sisler was the nearest thing to a perfect player."—Ty Cobb   Hall of Fame

SURVEYS

"Most of the seventh-graders who responded about being driven by someone under the influence [of alcohol] are quite likely referring to their parents." napanews.com

"NRDC 's report points out that as much as 40% of all bottled water comes from a city water system, just like tap water." bottledwaterblues.com

Survey Archives