Tuesday, January 12, 2010

NOW They Tell Me...

I've been using either an ear-bud or a speakerphone when I'm on my cell phone for years and years now, what with all the brouhaha that began back in the '90s about cell phones causing brain cancer.  And now this:
After years of speculation that cell phones may harm your brain, new research suggests they may actually fight Alzheimer's disease.

Yes, you heard right.
Microwave radiation from cell phones may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer's-like symptoms, according to a new study involving genetically tweaked mice.
(Related: "Rat Made Supersmart — Similar Boost Unsafe in Humans?")
The results were so surprising that study co-author Juan Sanchez-Ramos didn't believe them at first.

"It's such a dramatic and counterintuitive effect," said Sanchez-Ramos, a University of South Florida neuroscientist.
"I joked that the animals must have been mislabeled or that the power wasn't switched on."
Which only goes to show there's a study that proves any-damned-thing.   Well, nearly anything.  I spent the better part of my adolescence looking for a study that proved promiscuous women lived longer, got better grades, had fewer zits, made more money, yadda, yadda.  In vain, as it turned out.  And by the time those sorts of studies DID materialize I was a happily married man.  And now that I'm a single old geezer it's simply too late.  (sigh)

In other news... NatGeo remade their web site, and it's worth a look.  Bigger photos are the best of the enhancements.

7 comments:

  1. "...new research suggests they may actually fight Alzheimer's disease."

    I reckon I'd better break down and get me one of those things. I've resisted, but maybe I should look into it, seeing as I'm sundowning much earlier each day now.

    Buck, from reading your work over the last few months, I have no doubt that you are a NatGeo fan.

    Y'all must have gotten the same magazines at the house when you were a kid as we did. If you know what I mean...

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  2. Back in the 70's I remember hearing a joke that said something like, "Scientists have now proved that wearing leisure suits causes cancer in mice."

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  3. Y'all must have gotten the same magazines at the house when you were a kid as we did. If you know what I mean...

    Andy: I do and I'm pretty sure we did. ;-)

    Lou: I dunno abut mice and cancer, but leisure suits make my eyes narrow and my lips tighten up and go all white. They also are responsible for spontaneous, uncontrollable hypercritical words shooting out of my mouth, too.

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  4. Life is what's gonna kill us all. The big test that we all face is whether or not we will enjoy our time and if we can survive death.

    Since leisure suits has been mentioned, I will give the first thought that pops to my little mind;

    Martin Mull playing the character Barth Gimble on that clever show, "Fernwood 2 Night".

    Happy Kyne and the Mirthmakers, anyone?

    W/V "sycles" What Buck rides.

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  5. Ah, the Fernwood reference is lost on me, being the cultural idjit I AM. But I did get the "sycles" bit!

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  6. From the Dept of Absolutely Ridiculous Studies, there was a study released within the past couple of weeks about scientists doing a study about the existence of a g-spot. Their finding? They were unable to prove its existence...insert your own joke about finding it or the inability to do so here. xkcd had a pretty good comic about it.

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  7. Mike: Heh. Yeah, the jokes just flew through MY dirty ol' mind...

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