//////////////Bad reputations tend to stick, even with foods. Continued negative press about a fruit, vegetable, or beverage is enough reason for many of us to banish it. Or maybe we indulge on occasion, but with a measure of guilt.
Eggs are inexpensive, contain the highest-quality protein on the planet and offer a lot of other nutrients.
Take avocados and peanuts, for example. Not too long ago they wore a big scarlet "F" for too much fat. Yet as peanuts and avocados sat languishing on many people's bad-for-you lists, researchers discovered that the fat in these two foods, mostly the monounsaturated kind, is extremely good for the heart--and for health in general. And the good news didn't stop there. Researchers continue to uncover disease-fighting chemicals or new health roles for these foods.
For the common mushroom, the "bad" reputation is a tad subtler. It's not perceived as unhealthy. But it is often dismissed as diet food, low in calories but with little to brag about nutritionally. Truth is, scientists are finding that mushrooms contain powerful compounds that boost immune function and may fight cancer.
Now that scientists are looking beneath the surface at mushrooms, avocados, and peanuts--as well as once-maligned eggs and coffee--redeeming qualities for each of these five foods are coming to light. They have nutritional respect and deserve a place at your table. All five are easy to enjoy on their own, or try them in our delicious recipes.
1. Peanut butter
Misconception: This creamy spread is an indulgence best enjoyed occasionally because it's high in fat and calories.
Why it's good for you:At least five major studies confirm that eating peanuts can lower risk for coronary heart disease. So it's no leap to think that peanut butter confers the same benefits. "Suffice it to say that eating peanut butter or peanuts has been associated with lower total cholesterol, lower ldl or 'bad' cholesterol, and lower triglycerides, all of which are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk," says Richard Mattes, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Purdue University.
Even better, these health benefits seem to occur without also promoting weight gain. One reason could be that peanut butter is a stick-to-the-ribs kind of food. When Mattes offered a group of volunteers seven different snack foods (including peanut butter, rice cakes, pickles, and almonds), study participants reported that peanut butter or peanuts were much more filling snacks than rice cakes or pickles and tamed hunger for much longer. Sure, peanut butter is high in fat and calories, but if a small amount can quell hunger, that might explain why dieters seem more satisfied with weight-loss plans that include the spread.
But dieting or not, Mattes says a tablespoon or two of peanut butter is all it takes to net a world of benefits for both the heart and waistline. And don't obsess about peanut butter being a source of trans fats. A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds no detectable trans fats in a standard 2 tablespoon serving. CookingLight.com: Nutrition faceoff: Peanut butter vs. cream cheese
2. Eggs
Misconception: Eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, so they don't have a place in my heart-healthy diet.
Why they're good for you: Eggs contain a variety of substances that appear to promote good health. Choline, a nutrient that is critical to brain function, is one example. Eggs, it seems, are one of the richest food sources of choline. Scientists at the University of North Carolina find adding choline to the diets of pregnant animals improves memory performance in their offspring. It may seem like a leap to apply this finding to people, but researchers are already encouraging pregnant women to eat eggs and other choline-rich foods (such as beef liver) during pregnancy.
Eggs are also being studied because they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that may keep eyes healthy and ward off the leading cause of blindness, macular degeneration. A recent report in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that we look at the egg as a whole package: Eggs are inexpensive, contain the highest-quality protein on the planet, and are loaded with small amounts of vital nutrients, including folate, riboflavin, selenium, B12, and choline. At 75 calories apiece, eggs are also a nutrient-dense food that makes a smart and low-calorie contribution to any menu.
3. Coffee
Misconception: The only thing you get from drinking coffee is a caffeine buzz.
Why it's good for you: The average cup of coffee has hundreds of different chemical compounds. Maybe that's why news reports about coffee vacillate between lauding its health benefits and labeling it harmful. Still, the benefits of coffee seem to outweigh the negatives.
To name just a few: Some Arizona researchers recently discovered that caffeinated coffee helps improve memory in older adults. A new study from the United Kingdom suggests that small amounts of coffee consumed throughout the day can increase alertness and improve performance on all kinds of tasks, including those that require hand-to-eye coordination and attention to detail. Preliminary studies suggest regular coffee drinking may lower risk of type 2 diabetes. A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that people who drink a daily four to six cups have a 28 percent lower risk of developing this illness--which is fast becoming an epidemic in this country--than folks who drink less than two cups each day. Researchers arrived at those numbers by pooling the results of nine different studies from the United States and around the world. Speculation is that caffeine deserves the credit, though it could be an antioxidant phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid. (If you drink several cups, spread them throughout the day to prevent the jitters, and avoid coffee late in the day, which can interfere with sleep.) CookingLight.com: Discover the perks of caffeine
4. Avocado
Misconception: I shouldn't eat avocados because they're high in fat.
Why they're good for you: A lot of attention centers on the fact that avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, the heart-healthy kind. Yet scientists are now more interested in the active compounds in avocados that might help prevent cancer. One recent study found that those compounds can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. While conducting the study, these researchers found avocados are loaded with a variety of antioxidants, including familiar disease-fighting compounds such as lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin E.
Another recently discovered benefit is that avocados help the body absorb phytochemicals from other foods. Researchers from Ohio State University recently reported that pairing avocados with salsa or salad allows for better absorption of antioxidants in those foods. The lycopene in tomatoes or the beta-carotene in carrots may be better absorbed if there's a slice or two of avocado in the bowl. Scientists suspect that the fat content of avocados helps the body absorb these antioxidants. CookingLight.com: Good fats vs. bad fats
5. Mushrooms
Misconception: Mushrooms are a low-calorie food with little nutritional benefit.
Your Health Tools
MayoClinic.com: Health Library
Heathology: Health Video Library
Why they're good for you: They may be 90 percent water and have only 18 calories per cup, but mushrooms are getting serious scientific attention. Laboratory reports and animal studies show that compounds in mushrooms may do everything from bolster immune function to suppress breast and prostate cancers to decrease tumor size. And now, Penn State researchers find that mushrooms, from the humble button to the giant portobello, harbor large amounts of an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. The scientific buzz is that fungi, for the moment, are the only foods that contain this compound.
While scientists work to figure out how these findings will translate to dietary advice, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy mushrooms. Clare Hasler, Ph.D., a well-known expert in functional foods and executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the University of California, Davis, points out that mushrooms offer a healthy helping of the blood pressure-- lowering mineral potassium. "Most people might be surprised to learn that while orange juice is touted as one of the highest potassium foods, one medium portobello mushroom actually has more potassium," she says. "And five white button mushrooms have more potassium than an orange."
Eggs are inexpensive, contain the highest-quality protein on the planet and offer a lot of other nutrients.
Take avocados and peanuts, for example. Not too long ago they wore a big scarlet "F" for too much fat. Yet as peanuts and avocados sat languishing on many people's bad-for-you lists, researchers discovered that the fat in these two foods, mostly the monounsaturated kind, is extremely good for the heart--and for health in general. And the good news didn't stop there. Researchers continue to uncover disease-fighting chemicals or new health roles for these foods.
For the common mushroom, the "bad" reputation is a tad subtler. It's not perceived as unhealthy. But it is often dismissed as diet food, low in calories but with little to brag about nutritionally. Truth is, scientists are finding that mushrooms contain powerful compounds that boost immune function and may fight cancer.
Now that scientists are looking beneath the surface at mushrooms, avocados, and peanuts--as well as once-maligned eggs and coffee--redeeming qualities for each of these five foods are coming to light. They have nutritional respect and deserve a place at your table. All five are easy to enjoy on their own, or try them in our delicious recipes.
1. Peanut butter
Misconception: This creamy spread is an indulgence best enjoyed occasionally because it's high in fat and calories.
Why it's good for you:At least five major studies confirm that eating peanuts can lower risk for coronary heart disease. So it's no leap to think that peanut butter confers the same benefits. "Suffice it to say that eating peanut butter or peanuts has been associated with lower total cholesterol, lower ldl or 'bad' cholesterol, and lower triglycerides, all of which are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk," says Richard Mattes, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Purdue University.
Even better, these health benefits seem to occur without also promoting weight gain. One reason could be that peanut butter is a stick-to-the-ribs kind of food. When Mattes offered a group of volunteers seven different snack foods (including peanut butter, rice cakes, pickles, and almonds), study participants reported that peanut butter or peanuts were much more filling snacks than rice cakes or pickles and tamed hunger for much longer. Sure, peanut butter is high in fat and calories, but if a small amount can quell hunger, that might explain why dieters seem more satisfied with weight-loss plans that include the spread.
But dieting or not, Mattes says a tablespoon or two of peanut butter is all it takes to net a world of benefits for both the heart and waistline. And don't obsess about peanut butter being a source of trans fats. A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds no detectable trans fats in a standard 2 tablespoon serving. CookingLight.com: Nutrition faceoff: Peanut butter vs. cream cheese
2. Eggs
Misconception: Eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, so they don't have a place in my heart-healthy diet.
Why they're good for you: Eggs contain a variety of substances that appear to promote good health. Choline, a nutrient that is critical to brain function, is one example. Eggs, it seems, are one of the richest food sources of choline. Scientists at the University of North Carolina find adding choline to the diets of pregnant animals improves memory performance in their offspring. It may seem like a leap to apply this finding to people, but researchers are already encouraging pregnant women to eat eggs and other choline-rich foods (such as beef liver) during pregnancy.
Eggs are also being studied because they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that may keep eyes healthy and ward off the leading cause of blindness, macular degeneration. A recent report in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that we look at the egg as a whole package: Eggs are inexpensive, contain the highest-quality protein on the planet, and are loaded with small amounts of vital nutrients, including folate, riboflavin, selenium, B12, and choline. At 75 calories apiece, eggs are also a nutrient-dense food that makes a smart and low-calorie contribution to any menu.
3. Coffee
Misconception: The only thing you get from drinking coffee is a caffeine buzz.
Why it's good for you: The average cup of coffee has hundreds of different chemical compounds. Maybe that's why news reports about coffee vacillate between lauding its health benefits and labeling it harmful. Still, the benefits of coffee seem to outweigh the negatives.
To name just a few: Some Arizona researchers recently discovered that caffeinated coffee helps improve memory in older adults. A new study from the United Kingdom suggests that small amounts of coffee consumed throughout the day can increase alertness and improve performance on all kinds of tasks, including those that require hand-to-eye coordination and attention to detail. Preliminary studies suggest regular coffee drinking may lower risk of type 2 diabetes. A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that people who drink a daily four to six cups have a 28 percent lower risk of developing this illness--which is fast becoming an epidemic in this country--than folks who drink less than two cups each day. Researchers arrived at those numbers by pooling the results of nine different studies from the United States and around the world. Speculation is that caffeine deserves the credit, though it could be an antioxidant phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid. (If you drink several cups, spread them throughout the day to prevent the jitters, and avoid coffee late in the day, which can interfere with sleep.) CookingLight.com: Discover the perks of caffeine
4. Avocado
Misconception: I shouldn't eat avocados because they're high in fat.
Why they're good for you: A lot of attention centers on the fact that avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, the heart-healthy kind. Yet scientists are now more interested in the active compounds in avocados that might help prevent cancer. One recent study found that those compounds can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. While conducting the study, these researchers found avocados are loaded with a variety of antioxidants, including familiar disease-fighting compounds such as lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin E.
Another recently discovered benefit is that avocados help the body absorb phytochemicals from other foods. Researchers from Ohio State University recently reported that pairing avocados with salsa or salad allows for better absorption of antioxidants in those foods. The lycopene in tomatoes or the beta-carotene in carrots may be better absorbed if there's a slice or two of avocado in the bowl. Scientists suspect that the fat content of avocados helps the body absorb these antioxidants. CookingLight.com: Good fats vs. bad fats
5. Mushrooms
Misconception: Mushrooms are a low-calorie food with little nutritional benefit.
Your Health Tools
MayoClinic.com: Health Library
Heathology: Health Video Library
Why they're good for you: They may be 90 percent water and have only 18 calories per cup, but mushrooms are getting serious scientific attention. Laboratory reports and animal studies show that compounds in mushrooms may do everything from bolster immune function to suppress breast and prostate cancers to decrease tumor size. And now, Penn State researchers find that mushrooms, from the humble button to the giant portobello, harbor large amounts of an antioxidant called L-ergothioneine. The scientific buzz is that fungi, for the moment, are the only foods that contain this compound.
While scientists work to figure out how these findings will translate to dietary advice, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy mushrooms. Clare Hasler, Ph.D., a well-known expert in functional foods and executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science at the University of California, Davis, points out that mushrooms offer a healthy helping of the blood pressure-- lowering mineral potassium. "Most people might be surprised to learn that while orange juice is touted as one of the highest potassium foods, one medium portobello mushroom actually has more potassium," she says. "And five white button mushrooms have more potassium than an orange."
/////////////////////HYPERTONIC SALINE NEB USEFUL IN BRONCHIOLITIS
/////////////////////
Energy needs 'to grow inexorably'
The world is becoming increasingly energy intensiveThe global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably through to 2030 if governments do not change their policies, warns a top energy official.
Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said such a rise would threaten energy security and accelerate climate change.
He said energy needs in 2030 could be more than 50% above current levels, with fossil fuels still dominant.
Mr Tanaka was speaking at the launch of the IEA's World Energy Outlook report.
Rapid economic growth in China and India would be the main drivers behind the rise, he said as he unveiled the agency's annual flagship publication.
"The emergence of new major players in global energy markets means that all countries must take vigorous, immediate and collective action to curb runaway energy demand," he warned.
"Rapid economic development will undoubtedly continue to drive up energy demand in China and India, and will contribute to a real improvement in the quality of life for more than two billion people.
"This is a legitimate aspiration that needs to be accommodated and supported by the rest of the world."
Rising emissions
The World Energy Outlook 2007 report warned that much of the increased demand for energy would be met by coal.
China 'to be top energy user'
As a result, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could rise by 57% - from 27 giga-tonnes in 2005 to 42 giga-tonnes in 2030, it said.
Even in the report's "alternative policy scenario", which takes into account the governments' proposed action to save energy and cut emissions, CO2 levels are set to rise by 25%.
But it offered a glimmer of hope within its "450 Stabilisation" case study.
It described a notional strategy for governments to stabilise CO2 levels in the atmosphere at about 450 parts per million (ppm), which some scientists and policy makers suggest is an acceptable concentration.
"Emissions savings come from improved efficiency in industry, buildings and transport, switching to nuclear power and renewables, and the widespread deployment of carbon capture and storage," the report said.
This approach would see global emissions peak in 2012 then fall sharply below 2005 levels by 2030, it suggested.
But it added: "Exceptionally quick and vigourous policy action by all countries, and unprecedented technological advances, entailing substantial costs, would be needed to make this case a reality."
Mr Tanaka stressed the need for urgency in the battle against climate change: "We need to act now to bring about a radical shift in investment in favour of cleaner, more efficient and more secure energy technologies."
The UK's Energy Secretary, John Hutton, endorsed the IEA's findings and agreed that urgent action by politicians was needed.
"As the IEA states, it is a lack of international political will, not technological innovation, that is preventing us from reducing emissions while securing energy supplies to power our homes and businesses for the years ahead," he told BBC News.
"The UK must continue to lead by example by embracing innovation while also ensuring it takes advantage of existing low carbon technologies.
"We share view that there should be the broadest possible energy mix and will be carefully examining the recommendations of this report as we prepare to introduce our Energy Bill."
Energy needs 'to grow inexorably'
The world is becoming increasingly energy intensiveThe global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably through to 2030 if governments do not change their policies, warns a top energy official.
Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said such a rise would threaten energy security and accelerate climate change.
He said energy needs in 2030 could be more than 50% above current levels, with fossil fuels still dominant.
Mr Tanaka was speaking at the launch of the IEA's World Energy Outlook report.
Rapid economic growth in China and India would be the main drivers behind the rise, he said as he unveiled the agency's annual flagship publication.
"The emergence of new major players in global energy markets means that all countries must take vigorous, immediate and collective action to curb runaway energy demand," he warned.
"Rapid economic development will undoubtedly continue to drive up energy demand in China and India, and will contribute to a real improvement in the quality of life for more than two billion people.
"This is a legitimate aspiration that needs to be accommodated and supported by the rest of the world."
Rising emissions
The World Energy Outlook 2007 report warned that much of the increased demand for energy would be met by coal.
China 'to be top energy user'
As a result, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could rise by 57% - from 27 giga-tonnes in 2005 to 42 giga-tonnes in 2030, it said.
Even in the report's "alternative policy scenario", which takes into account the governments' proposed action to save energy and cut emissions, CO2 levels are set to rise by 25%.
But it offered a glimmer of hope within its "450 Stabilisation" case study.
It described a notional strategy for governments to stabilise CO2 levels in the atmosphere at about 450 parts per million (ppm), which some scientists and policy makers suggest is an acceptable concentration.
"Emissions savings come from improved efficiency in industry, buildings and transport, switching to nuclear power and renewables, and the widespread deployment of carbon capture and storage," the report said.
This approach would see global emissions peak in 2012 then fall sharply below 2005 levels by 2030, it suggested.
But it added: "Exceptionally quick and vigourous policy action by all countries, and unprecedented technological advances, entailing substantial costs, would be needed to make this case a reality."
Mr Tanaka stressed the need for urgency in the battle against climate change: "We need to act now to bring about a radical shift in investment in favour of cleaner, more efficient and more secure energy technologies."
The UK's Energy Secretary, John Hutton, endorsed the IEA's findings and agreed that urgent action by politicians was needed.
"As the IEA states, it is a lack of international political will, not technological innovation, that is preventing us from reducing emissions while securing energy supplies to power our homes and businesses for the years ahead," he told BBC News.
"The UK must continue to lead by example by embracing innovation while also ensuring it takes advantage of existing low carbon technologies.
"We share view that there should be the broadest possible energy mix and will be carefully examining the recommendations of this report as we prepare to introduce our Energy Bill."
/////////////////////New, Controversial Guidelines from the U.K. for Children with UTI
The NICE guidelines differ from previous guidelines in that they recommend oral rather than parenteral antibiotics, less imaging, and little or no prophylactic antibiotics.
The NICE guidelines differ from previous guidelines in that they recommend oral rather than parenteral antibiotics, less imaging, and little or no prophylactic antibiotics.
//////////////////Today, newborns consistently survive at gestational ages of 23 to 26 weeks — 8 to 10 weeks younger .
////////////////credit-time=
Are We Happier Facing Death?
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007 By SORA SONG
Russell Underwood / Corbis
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Here's one for the annals of counterintuitive findings: When asked to contemplate the occasion of their own demise, people become happier than usual, instead of sadder, according to a new study in the November issue of Psychological Science. Researchers say it's a kind of psychological immune response — faced with thoughts of our own death, our brains automatically cope with the conscious feelings of distress by nonconsciously seeking out and triggering happy feelings, a mechanism that scientists theorize helps protect us from permanent depression or paralyzing despair.
Doctor's View
When the Patient Is a Celebrity
It turns out that a football player with a busted knee can teach an orthopedist a thing or two about the practice of good medicine
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It might explain the shift toward more positive emotions and thought processes as people age and approach death, and the preternaturally positive outlook that some terminally ill patients seem to muster. Though it looks a lot like old-fashioned denial, that's not the case, says lead author Nathan DeWall. It's not that "'I know I'm going to die, but I just con myself into thinking I'm not.' I don't think that's what's going on here," says DeWall. "I think what's happening is that people are really unaware of [their own resilience]" — whereas, with denying behavior, people usually know they're engaging in it — "so, when people are exposed to serious threats, such as when they consider their own death, which is about as serious as it gets, people are coping, but they're completely unaware of it."
DeWall, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, and Roy Baumeister of Florida State University tested that theory — the so-called "terror management theory" — in a series of experiments involving 432 undergraduate volunteers. About half of the students were asked to contemplate dying and being dead, and to write short essays describing what they imagined happening to them as they physically died. The other half of the group was asked to think and write about dental pain — decidedly unpleasant, but not quite as threatening. The researchers then set about evaluating the volunteers' emotions: First, the students were given standard psychological questionnaires designed to measure explicit affect and mood. Then they were given assessments of nonconscious mood: in word tests, volunteers were asked to complete fragments such as jo_ or ang_ _ with letters of their choice. Some word stems were intended to prompt either neutral or emotionally positive responses, such as jog or joy; others could be filled in neutrally or negatively — angle versus angry. In a separate word test, students paired a target word such as mouth with its best match: cheek, which is similar in meaning, or smile, which is similar in positive emotional content.
Students in the death-and-dying group, it turns out, had all gone to their happy place — at least in their unconscious. There was no difference in scores between the groups on the explicit tests of emotion and affect. But in the implicit tests of nonconscious emotion — the wordplay — researchers found that the students who were preoccupied with death tended to generate significantly more positive-emotion words and word matches than the dental-pain group. DeWall thinks this mental coping response kicks in immediately when confronted with a serious psychological threat. In subsequent research, he has analyzed the content of the volunteers' death essays and found that they're sprinkled with positive words. "When you ask people, 'Describe the emotions that the thought of your own death arouses in you,'" says DeWall, "people will report fear and contempt, but also happiness that 'I'm going to see my grandmother' and joy that 'I'm going to be with God.'"
If the premise of DeWall's study seems too contrived to apply to the real world, consider this: While the number of people actually confronted with death at any given time is extremely small, the number who are going to die at some point is 100%, says Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard, from whose research the term "psychological immune response" springs. "We are all walking around, unlike every other animal, thinking, 'Oh, my God, eventually this all ends,'" says Gilbert. "This creates a state of existential dread. This knowledge pervades our everyday existence." The point of the current study, therefore, is that our psychological immune system doesn't respond to imminent death, but to the fact of death — to the thought that death is inexorable.
In his current research, DeWall is finding that other threats, such as that of social rejection, elicit a similar psychological immune response — except, intriguingly, in depressed people — and he thinks that it's a mechanism that healthy people are probably employing constantly, as a way of fending off a lifetime of serious misfortunes: not just the looming specter of death, but also the fact that you're not going to get that promotion, or that your spouse is cheating on you, or that your kid is on drugs. "It's very difficult to keep people in bad moods, and I think this is one of the reasons why," says DeWall. "Let's say we didn't have this. I think we would have a lot more difficulty coping with failure and threats and our own mortality. It would be difficult for us to find solutions. We would be thinking about how bad we were feeling all the time."
So, if a healthy psychological immune system is a marker of well-being, then perhaps a lack of natural coping abilities signals poor mental health. But of course it's not as simple as all that. A long-term bad mood isn't necessarily a sign of maladjustment. Sometimes, it's just called adolescence.
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007 By SORA SONG
Russell Underwood / Corbis
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Here's one for the annals of counterintuitive findings: When asked to contemplate the occasion of their own demise, people become happier than usual, instead of sadder, according to a new study in the November issue of Psychological Science. Researchers say it's a kind of psychological immune response — faced with thoughts of our own death, our brains automatically cope with the conscious feelings of distress by nonconsciously seeking out and triggering happy feelings, a mechanism that scientists theorize helps protect us from permanent depression or paralyzing despair.
Doctor's View
When the Patient Is a Celebrity
It turns out that a football player with a busted knee can teach an orthopedist a thing or two about the practice of good medicine
tiiQuigoWriteAd(755774, 1290760, 180, 200, -1);
It might explain the shift toward more positive emotions and thought processes as people age and approach death, and the preternaturally positive outlook that some terminally ill patients seem to muster. Though it looks a lot like old-fashioned denial, that's not the case, says lead author Nathan DeWall. It's not that "'I know I'm going to die, but I just con myself into thinking I'm not.' I don't think that's what's going on here," says DeWall. "I think what's happening is that people are really unaware of [their own resilience]" — whereas, with denying behavior, people usually know they're engaging in it — "so, when people are exposed to serious threats, such as when they consider their own death, which is about as serious as it gets, people are coping, but they're completely unaware of it."
DeWall, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, and Roy Baumeister of Florida State University tested that theory — the so-called "terror management theory" — in a series of experiments involving 432 undergraduate volunteers. About half of the students were asked to contemplate dying and being dead, and to write short essays describing what they imagined happening to them as they physically died. The other half of the group was asked to think and write about dental pain — decidedly unpleasant, but not quite as threatening. The researchers then set about evaluating the volunteers' emotions: First, the students were given standard psychological questionnaires designed to measure explicit affect and mood. Then they were given assessments of nonconscious mood: in word tests, volunteers were asked to complete fragments such as jo_ or ang_ _ with letters of their choice. Some word stems were intended to prompt either neutral or emotionally positive responses, such as jog or joy; others could be filled in neutrally or negatively — angle versus angry. In a separate word test, students paired a target word such as mouth with its best match: cheek, which is similar in meaning, or smile, which is similar in positive emotional content.
Students in the death-and-dying group, it turns out, had all gone to their happy place — at least in their unconscious. There was no difference in scores between the groups on the explicit tests of emotion and affect. But in the implicit tests of nonconscious emotion — the wordplay — researchers found that the students who were preoccupied with death tended to generate significantly more positive-emotion words and word matches than the dental-pain group. DeWall thinks this mental coping response kicks in immediately when confronted with a serious psychological threat. In subsequent research, he has analyzed the content of the volunteers' death essays and found that they're sprinkled with positive words. "When you ask people, 'Describe the emotions that the thought of your own death arouses in you,'" says DeWall, "people will report fear and contempt, but also happiness that 'I'm going to see my grandmother' and joy that 'I'm going to be with God.'"
If the premise of DeWall's study seems too contrived to apply to the real world, consider this: While the number of people actually confronted with death at any given time is extremely small, the number who are going to die at some point is 100%, says Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard, from whose research the term "psychological immune response" springs. "We are all walking around, unlike every other animal, thinking, 'Oh, my God, eventually this all ends,'" says Gilbert. "This creates a state of existential dread. This knowledge pervades our everyday existence." The point of the current study, therefore, is that our psychological immune system doesn't respond to imminent death, but to the fact of death — to the thought that death is inexorable.
In his current research, DeWall is finding that other threats, such as that of social rejection, elicit a similar psychological immune response — except, intriguingly, in depressed people — and he thinks that it's a mechanism that healthy people are probably employing constantly, as a way of fending off a lifetime of serious misfortunes: not just the looming specter of death, but also the fact that you're not going to get that promotion, or that your spouse is cheating on you, or that your kid is on drugs. "It's very difficult to keep people in bad moods, and I think this is one of the reasons why," says DeWall. "Let's say we didn't have this. I think we would have a lot more difficulty coping with failure and threats and our own mortality. It would be difficult for us to find solutions. We would be thinking about how bad we were feeling all the time."
So, if a healthy psychological immune system is a marker of well-being, then perhaps a lack of natural coping abilities signals poor mental health. But of course it's not as simple as all that. A long-term bad mood isn't necessarily a sign of maladjustment. Sometimes, it's just called adolescence.
////////////////////ABSENCE OF COMMUNICN ITSELF A SIGN OF DISTRESS
///////////////////The London Free Press, Canada, carried this article:-A road not takenNovember 6, 2007By DONNA CASEY The memories are buried away in a secret, hidden place, but Steven Fletcher remembers his slow descent into the abyss of believing he was better off dead.He was a rugged 23-year-old engineering grad when his car collided with a moose on a Manitoba highway, sending his life into a freefall.He landed in a hospital bed -- his mind alert, his voice gone and his four limbs limp and lifeless.Tubes shoved up his nose and down his throat kept him alive. For hundreds of days and nights, family and friends kept a bedside vigil.Sometimes, Fletcher's eyes told everything he couldn't say when his nurses struggled to suction his lungs. He was terrified he was going to drown in his own phlegm.Today, Fletcher is a trailblazing parliamentarian, the first quadriplegic member of Parliament in Canadian history.Today, Fletcher acknowledges he's torn about whether the state should help people end their own lives."If I had the option of euthanasia in the first two years after my accident, I probably would have taken it. Not probably -- I would have," says the 35-year-old Conservative MP."In a way, I contradict myself. It would have been a perfectly reasonable, rational thing to do. Life is complicated."Following his accident, he spent a year in hospital. His goal was to breathe on his own and to defy doctors' predictions that he would live the rest of his life in an institution.He beat the odds and reclaimed his life, but Fletcher says he can understand the terror Sue Rodriguez lived with, knowing that her ALS would slowly paralyze her body and close her throat."I think at the end of the day people want to be empowered to have control in how they live and they want to be empowered in how they die," says Fletcher.In countries where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal, disability rights groups have pointed to the "slippery slope," how allowing the right-to-die for terminally ill people will lead to bending the rules for people with chronic illnesses or disabilities who find their conditions unbearable.Mark Pickup remembers watching Rodriguez on the steps of the Supreme Court in 1993 when the country's top court was hearing her appeal to strike down Canada's assisted suidide law. Rodriguez told reporters she was seeking a right that people with disabilities wanted."I can remember me thinking that she speaks for herself, she doesn't speak for me. I don't want death with dignity, I want life with dignity," says Pickup.The 54-year-old Edmonton disability advocate and blogger says support for assisted suicide is "just prejudice against people with chronic illnesses and disability."I'm not hearing about assisted suicide for healthy folks, just for disabled ones," says Pickup, who has had advanced-stage multiple sclerosis for 20 years.Earlier this year, a 38-year-old Nova Scotia woman with MS travelled to Switzerland to have an assisted suicide at a clinic run by the right-to-die group Dignitas.Elizabeth MacDonald died on June 8 at a Zurich flat where she took a lethal dose of barbiturates. Her husband Eric, a retired Anglican priest, recounted how she had suffered excruciating pain for years.Pickup says Elizabeth MacDonald needed better pain control, not assisted suicide."If she suffered that kind of pain, that's unacceptable and unnecessary," says Pickup.People with serious degenerative disabilities suffer depression that "skews perspective" on their situation, says Pickup."We need to be helped through that cloud, not acquiesced to wish that we could die. There's a point when people hold up others even when the others could care less. That's hardly the time to make a final judgment on whether we should live or die," says Pickup who testified before a Senate committee on euthanasia and assisted suicide in 1994.However, some critics say organized disability groups are using the assisted suicide cause as a convenient rallying cause."They don't trust the health care system, they don't trust organized medicine and it's a way for them to pound their drum and be noticed," says Paul Spiers, chair of Autonomy, a U.S. disability group.He said a community that prides itself on fighting for choices and rights wants to deny "the last civil right.""If we're so adamant in the disability community to have choice -- choice of what restaurant we go to, whether or not we can fly on airlines, whether or not we stay in a hotel -- how can we be against this most personal choice?" says Spiers, a Montreal native.But an appeal to "the myth of autonomy" ignores the duty to the common good, says Pickup."If I choose assisted suicide, it doesn't affect just me. It will affect my wife, my children and my siblings. It will affect my doctor, because I will ask her to stop being a healer and start being an executioner and it will affect my society by entrenching the notion that there is a life unworthy of life," says Pickup.Ten years of assisted-dying in Oregon has produced better protection for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, says Spiers, not "a junkyard of wheelchairs."Spiers says Canada has a tradition of recognizing and protecting human rights, making an aid-in-dying law a natural fit with its socially-progressive values."(Canada) certainly protected people's rights in terms of sexual preference so why not preference in dying? If you can prefer which partner you're going to live with, why not how you're going to die," says Spiers.
/////////////////////Grief-stricken Sally Clarke 'drank herself to death'
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Frances Gibb, Legal Editor
Sally Clark, the solicitor wrongly convicted of killing two of her children, died accidentally from acute alcohol intoxication, a coroner ruled yesterday. Caroline Beasley-Murray said that there was no evidence that Mrs Clark, 42, intended to commit suicide.
She was found dead at her home in Hatfield Peverel, Essex, in March, four years after being acquitted on appeal of murdering her two baby sons.
What the coroner called the tragic history of events leading to her death began in 1999 when Mrs Clark was found guilty after a trial at Chester Crown Court of murdering her sons, eight-week-old Harry and 11-week-old Christopher. She was given two life sentences. She spent three years in jail before being cleared by the Court of Appeal in 2003, but she never recovered from her ordeal, and suffered serious psychological problems.
John Pheby, the coroner’s officer, told the inquest at Chelmsford, Essex, that Mrs Clark had been found in bed, apparently not breathing, by her cleaner on March 16. Paramedics were called and confirmed that she was dead. Postmortem tests showed a concentration of alcohol in her blood that was five times the drink-drive limit.
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Related Links
Further tests into Sally Clark's death
Sally Clark
David Rouse, a Home Office pathologist, concluded that Mrs Clark had died as a result of acute alcohol intoxication. He told the hearing that Mrs Clark had attempted to rebuild her life on being freed from prison in January 2003. “According to her family, this was not an easy time for her and she underwent various assessments – eventually being diagnosed with a number of serious psychiatric problems,” he said.
“These included enduring personality change after catastrophic experience, protracted grief reaction and alcohol dependency syndrome.
“With the complete support of her husband, Stephen, and family, she attended various hospitals and clinics in an attempt to overcome this problem.”
Neither Mr Clark, who is also a solicitor, nor any other relative was at the inquest. The family was represented by a solicitor, Fiona Murphy.
A family spokeswoman said after the hearing: “All Sally’s family and friends knew her as a loving and devoted mother, wife and daughter, a view also shared by all the professionals who cared for her and her children.
“Sally was unable to come to terms with the false accusations, based on flawed medical evidence and the failures of the legal system, which debased everything she had been brought up to believe in and which she herself practised.”
After suffering what the Court of Appeal called “one of the worst miscarriages of justice in recent years”, it was not surprising that Mrs Clark’s ordeal had culminated in psychiatric problems and that she was never able to return to being the happy, kind and generous person her family had known and loved, the spokeswoman added. “The hope is that some good may come out of the tragedy of her untimely death and that a sense of balance will be restored, which will not only protect infants but also their innocent parents.”
Mrs Beasley-Murray said: “There has clearly been a most tragic history leading up to Mrs Clark’s sad death. The court’s hope is that Mr Clark and the family will be able to treasure all the happy memories they have of Mrs Clark.”
Christopher was discovered dead in his Moses basket, in December 1996, and Harry collapsed in a bouncing chair, in January 1998. The expert evidence of Professor Sir Roy Meadow, a paediatrician, was central to Mrs Clark’s trial. He told jurors that the probability of two natural, unexplained cot deaths in the family was 73 million to 1. The figure was later disputed by the Royal Statistical Society and other experts, who said that the odds of a second cot death in a family were closer to 200 to 1. That evidence triggered an appeal and Mrs Clark’s release.
John McManus, one of the founders of the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, called yesterday for more protection for victims of wrongful conviction. He said: “Something like this was bound to happen. You get offered counselling after leaving the Big Brother television house and yet there’s nothing for people like Sally Clark. You can’t just come out and pick up the pieces of your life. In my opinion, this woman died of a broken heart and basically used alcohol to take away the horrors.”
Sir Roy was struck off by the General Medical Council later but reinstated on appeal.
Professor David Southall, the paediatrician who had accused Mrs Clark’s husband, Steve, of killing the babies, is facing a GMC “fitness to practise hearing”, which starts today.
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Too sad, what a tower of strength and support her husband was. It was revealed that she had a drinking problem before her arrest. She spent 3 years in jail with no alcohol, it's too bad she couldn't stay sober. This unfortunate family suffered needlessly, let's hope her husband can move on to happier times.
Sally, Vancouver,
My heart goes out for the woman ,there,s nothing worse then being accused of something you have not done ,like me moving to Runcorn and my daughter was abused by a neighbours son ,i couldnt talk proper i had a severe stutter and had to explain to people what happened to my daughter and what happened to me as a lad and ended up being taken as a freak having my windows smashed and attacked and accused of being a pedophile ,yeah it did drive me nuts and yes i learnt to talk fluent . God rest her soul
johnny, runcorn , cheshire
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Frances Gibb, Legal Editor
Sally Clark, the solicitor wrongly convicted of killing two of her children, died accidentally from acute alcohol intoxication, a coroner ruled yesterday. Caroline Beasley-Murray said that there was no evidence that Mrs Clark, 42, intended to commit suicide.
She was found dead at her home in Hatfield Peverel, Essex, in March, four years after being acquitted on appeal of murdering her two baby sons.
What the coroner called the tragic history of events leading to her death began in 1999 when Mrs Clark was found guilty after a trial at Chester Crown Court of murdering her sons, eight-week-old Harry and 11-week-old Christopher. She was given two life sentences. She spent three years in jail before being cleared by the Court of Appeal in 2003, but she never recovered from her ordeal, and suffered serious psychological problems.
John Pheby, the coroner’s officer, told the inquest at Chelmsford, Essex, that Mrs Clark had been found in bed, apparently not breathing, by her cleaner on March 16. Paramedics were called and confirmed that she was dead. Postmortem tests showed a concentration of alcohol in her blood that was five times the drink-drive limit.
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Related Links
Further tests into Sally Clark's death
Sally Clark
David Rouse, a Home Office pathologist, concluded that Mrs Clark had died as a result of acute alcohol intoxication. He told the hearing that Mrs Clark had attempted to rebuild her life on being freed from prison in January 2003. “According to her family, this was not an easy time for her and she underwent various assessments – eventually being diagnosed with a number of serious psychiatric problems,” he said.
“These included enduring personality change after catastrophic experience, protracted grief reaction and alcohol dependency syndrome.
“With the complete support of her husband, Stephen, and family, she attended various hospitals and clinics in an attempt to overcome this problem.”
Neither Mr Clark, who is also a solicitor, nor any other relative was at the inquest. The family was represented by a solicitor, Fiona Murphy.
A family spokeswoman said after the hearing: “All Sally’s family and friends knew her as a loving and devoted mother, wife and daughter, a view also shared by all the professionals who cared for her and her children.
“Sally was unable to come to terms with the false accusations, based on flawed medical evidence and the failures of the legal system, which debased everything she had been brought up to believe in and which she herself practised.”
After suffering what the Court of Appeal called “one of the worst miscarriages of justice in recent years”, it was not surprising that Mrs Clark’s ordeal had culminated in psychiatric problems and that she was never able to return to being the happy, kind and generous person her family had known and loved, the spokeswoman added. “The hope is that some good may come out of the tragedy of her untimely death and that a sense of balance will be restored, which will not only protect infants but also their innocent parents.”
Mrs Beasley-Murray said: “There has clearly been a most tragic history leading up to Mrs Clark’s sad death. The court’s hope is that Mr Clark and the family will be able to treasure all the happy memories they have of Mrs Clark.”
Christopher was discovered dead in his Moses basket, in December 1996, and Harry collapsed in a bouncing chair, in January 1998. The expert evidence of Professor Sir Roy Meadow, a paediatrician, was central to Mrs Clark’s trial. He told jurors that the probability of two natural, unexplained cot deaths in the family was 73 million to 1. The figure was later disputed by the Royal Statistical Society and other experts, who said that the odds of a second cot death in a family were closer to 200 to 1. That evidence triggered an appeal and Mrs Clark’s release.
John McManus, one of the founders of the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, called yesterday for more protection for victims of wrongful conviction. He said: “Something like this was bound to happen. You get offered counselling after leaving the Big Brother television house and yet there’s nothing for people like Sally Clark. You can’t just come out and pick up the pieces of your life. In my opinion, this woman died of a broken heart and basically used alcohol to take away the horrors.”
Sir Roy was struck off by the General Medical Council later but reinstated on appeal.
Professor David Southall, the paediatrician who had accused Mrs Clark’s husband, Steve, of killing the babies, is facing a GMC “fitness to practise hearing”, which starts today.
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Too sad, what a tower of strength and support her husband was. It was revealed that she had a drinking problem before her arrest. She spent 3 years in jail with no alcohol, it's too bad she couldn't stay sober. This unfortunate family suffered needlessly, let's hope her husband can move on to happier times.
Sally, Vancouver,
My heart goes out for the woman ,there,s nothing worse then being accused of something you have not done ,like me moving to Runcorn and my daughter was abused by a neighbours son ,i couldnt talk proper i had a severe stutter and had to explain to people what happened to my daughter and what happened to me as a lad and ended up being taken as a freak having my windows smashed and attacked and accused of being a pedophile ,yeah it did drive me nuts and yes i learnt to talk fluent . God rest her soul
johnny, runcorn , cheshire
////////////////////////
Gaze 'key to facial attraction'
The best look to make yourself attractiveYou can alter your attraction to the opposite sex simply by looking straight at them and smiling, research suggests.
A study of hundreds of volunteers at Stirling and Aberdeen Universities found averting the eyes even a fraction can make you appear less attractive.
In the Royal Society's Proceedings B journal, they say the direction of gaze plays a role alongside a symmetrical face or healthy skin.
An expert said it may stop people wasting energy on pointless courtships.
It suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful
Professor Ruth MaceUniversity College London
The study used pictures of male and female faces which had been subtly digitally manipulated.
In one picture, a woman might be looking straight at the camera, while in the next, a tiny adjustment meant she would be looking marginally to the left or right.
The difference was so small that it was not immediately obvious to the viewer.
However, after these pictures were shown to 460 men and women, who were asked to rate them for "attractiveness", it became clear that it was having a pronounced subliminal effect.
In some pictures, there was an eight-fold difference in ratings between the "straight to camera" and averted gazes.
While many studies have found links between face shape, expression and other physical "cues" to attraction, this is one of the first to look in more detail at the direction of gaze.
The researchers wrote: "Mating effort is a finite resource that should be allocated judiciously, and preferences for direct gaze in opposite-sex faces would increase the likelihood of allocating mating effort to potential mates who are most likely to reciprocate."
Success stakes
One of the paper's authors, Dr Claire Conway, said: "People prefer faces that appear to 'like' them, showing that attraction is not simply about physical beauty."
Professor Ruth Mace, a researcher into evolutionary anthropology at University College London, said that while this seemed an obvious principle, it could be a sign of evolution at work.
She said: "It's a pretty clear signal whether a person is interested in you or whether you are wasting your time.
"But it suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful."
Gaze 'key to facial attraction'
The best look to make yourself attractiveYou can alter your attraction to the opposite sex simply by looking straight at them and smiling, research suggests.
A study of hundreds of volunteers at Stirling and Aberdeen Universities found averting the eyes even a fraction can make you appear less attractive.
In the Royal Society's Proceedings B journal, they say the direction of gaze plays a role alongside a symmetrical face or healthy skin.
An expert said it may stop people wasting energy on pointless courtships.
It suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful
Professor Ruth MaceUniversity College London
The study used pictures of male and female faces which had been subtly digitally manipulated.
In one picture, a woman might be looking straight at the camera, while in the next, a tiny adjustment meant she would be looking marginally to the left or right.
The difference was so small that it was not immediately obvious to the viewer.
However, after these pictures were shown to 460 men and women, who were asked to rate them for "attractiveness", it became clear that it was having a pronounced subliminal effect.
In some pictures, there was an eight-fold difference in ratings between the "straight to camera" and averted gazes.
While many studies have found links between face shape, expression and other physical "cues" to attraction, this is one of the first to look in more detail at the direction of gaze.
The researchers wrote: "Mating effort is a finite resource that should be allocated judiciously, and preferences for direct gaze in opposite-sex faces would increase the likelihood of allocating mating effort to potential mates who are most likely to reciprocate."
Success stakes
One of the paper's authors, Dr Claire Conway, said: "People prefer faces that appear to 'like' them, showing that attraction is not simply about physical beauty."
Professor Ruth Mace, a researcher into evolutionary anthropology at University College London, said that while this seemed an obvious principle, it could be a sign of evolution at work.
She said: "It's a pretty clear signal whether a person is interested in you or whether you are wasting your time.
"But it suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful."
/////////////////////////As you go the way of life you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think.-- Native American Proverb Two roads diverged in a wood and I –I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.-- Robert Frost
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Sartre: The Road to Freedom
Posted: 07 Nov 2007 12:19 AM CST
Feeling most free when imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, the French existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre revolutionized the world of the 20th century with his conception of radical freedom: no matter how stark a situation you find yourself in, you always, without exception, have a choice to do something about it. For a nation that had been obliterated by the vicissitudes of war, Sartre's message was the motivation France needed to rebuild itself, making an intellectual hero out of Sartre. His conception of freedom was so extensive that his arguments implied that even God can't touch our freedom: we are always free to disobey.Of course, as Sartre himself was quick to realize, radical freedom entails radical responsibility. Since there is always a choice we can make, Sartre argued, the condition of each of our lives is ultimately our responsibility, and so we have no recourse to excuses, rationalizations, alibis or other explanations. Whatever happens to us, it is our own fault because it was our own choices that led us there. Even God can't save us because we make the choice to believe and/or obey God. To use God as an excuse for our actions is an instance of bad faith: a refusal to accept or admit responsibility for the choices we ourselves have made.In the following documentary from the BBC, you'll get to learn about the life and philosophy of Sartre, and about his struggle and love affair with freedom, and how this idea would ultimately undermine our very conception of our own personal essence and metaphysical identity.
The following is one of my favorite lines from a conference Sartre once gave, entitled Existentialism Is a Humanism. The idea is that radical freedom does not imply nihilism and anarchy, as many students quickly tend to conclude, because as a choice of our own making, every choice is a reflection of our own character; every choice says something about who and what we are:
To choose this or that is at the same time to affirm that which is chosen.
Sartre: The Road to Freedom
Posted: 07 Nov 2007 12:19 AM CST
Feeling most free when imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, the French existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre revolutionized the world of the 20th century with his conception of radical freedom: no matter how stark a situation you find yourself in, you always, without exception, have a choice to do something about it. For a nation that had been obliterated by the vicissitudes of war, Sartre's message was the motivation France needed to rebuild itself, making an intellectual hero out of Sartre. His conception of freedom was so extensive that his arguments implied that even God can't touch our freedom: we are always free to disobey.Of course, as Sartre himself was quick to realize, radical freedom entails radical responsibility. Since there is always a choice we can make, Sartre argued, the condition of each of our lives is ultimately our responsibility, and so we have no recourse to excuses, rationalizations, alibis or other explanations. Whatever happens to us, it is our own fault because it was our own choices that led us there. Even God can't save us because we make the choice to believe and/or obey God. To use God as an excuse for our actions is an instance of bad faith: a refusal to accept or admit responsibility for the choices we ourselves have made.In the following documentary from the BBC, you'll get to learn about the life and philosophy of Sartre, and about his struggle and love affair with freedom, and how this idea would ultimately undermine our very conception of our own personal essence and metaphysical identity.
The following is one of my favorite lines from a conference Sartre once gave, entitled Existentialism Is a Humanism. The idea is that radical freedom does not imply nihilism and anarchy, as many students quickly tend to conclude, because as a choice of our own making, every choice is a reflection of our own character; every choice says something about who and what we are:
To choose this or that is at the same time to affirm that which is chosen.
///////////////////SATYA KA PRAHAR
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//////////////////////////HYPERTONIC SALINE NEBS IN BRONCHIOLITIS
//////////////////Does the Universe Have a Purpose?
This is the first in a series of conversations about the “Big Questions” the John Templeton Foundationis conducting among leading scientists and scholars.
Unlikely.
Lawrence M. Krauss is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University.
Yes.
David Gelernter is a professor of computer science at Yale and a National fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Perhaps.
Paul Davies is a physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist. He is the director of the Beyond Center at Arizona State University.
No.
Peter William Atkins is a Fellow and professor of chemistry at Lincoln College, Oxford.
Indeed.
Nancey Murphy is Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Yes.
Owen Gingerich is Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Very Likely.
Bruno Guiderdoni is an astrophysicist and the Director of the Observatory of Lyon, France.
No.
Christian de Duve is a biochemist. He received the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.
Yes.
John F. Haught is Senior Fellow, Science & Religion, at the Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University.
Not Sure.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the Director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium.
Certainly.
Jane Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace.
I Hope So.
Elie Wiesel is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and University Professor at Boston University.
This is the first in a series of conversations about the “Big Questions” the John Templeton Foundationis conducting among leading scientists and scholars.
Unlikely.
Lawrence M. Krauss is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University.
Yes.
David Gelernter is a professor of computer science at Yale and a National fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Perhaps.
Paul Davies is a physicist, cosmologist, and astrobiologist. He is the director of the Beyond Center at Arizona State University.
No.
Peter William Atkins is a Fellow and professor of chemistry at Lincoln College, Oxford.
Indeed.
Nancey Murphy is Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Yes.
Owen Gingerich is Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Very Likely.
Bruno Guiderdoni is an astrophysicist and the Director of the Observatory of Lyon, France.
No.
Christian de Duve is a biochemist. He received the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.
Yes.
John F. Haught is Senior Fellow, Science & Religion, at the Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University.
Not Sure.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the Director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium.
Certainly.
Jane Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace.
I Hope So.
Elie Wiesel is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and University Professor at Boston University.
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