Amazing Science Facts, Science Educational Facts

Amazing Science Facts

New York: Smarter children may enjoy longer lives, the results of a new study suggest. The study, which followed elderly adults deemed gifted by childhood IQ tests, found that the higher their early IQs were, the longer they lived -- up to a point, at least. The survival advantage began to plateau after a childhood IQ of 163, an intelligence level few people reach.

Dr. Laurie T. Martin and Laura D. Kubzansky of the Harvard School of Public Health report these findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Though the reasons for the link between IQ and longevity are not clear, it does not appear to be merely a reflection of income and social position. As children, the participants were from affluent families and most were white. Yet childhood IQ was still a factor in their lifespan.

Similarly, in an earlier study of Americans with more varied childhood IQs and family incomes, Martin found that IQ was related to health problems independently of socioeconomics. This, she told Reuters Health, suggests that IQ affects longevity among lower-income people as well. As research has already linked IQ to mortality, the current study, according to Martin, was in part an attempt to see how far the IQ-health advantage extends. The researchers expected there to be a cutoff at which a high IQ no longer brought any extra health benefits.

And there was. But, Martin said, they were surprised at how high that cutoff turned out to be. IQs of 163 or higher are not often seen; the average IQ score in the general population is 100 (by definition), and children who score above 130 are considered "gifted."

The current study is based on data from 862 men and women followed since childhood, starting in 1922, until 1986. All had childhood IQs of 135 or higher, with the average being 151. The researchers found that, up to the cutoff point of 163, participants` risk of dying during a given period decreased as their IQ increased; for example, those with a childhood IQ of 150 had a 44 percent lower risk of death than those with an IQ of 135.

Though it`s not clear why childhood IQ itself might affect a person`s lifetime health, Martin and Kubzansky point to several possibilities. For one, these children may be more likely to take up healthy habits like regular exercise, while shunning health risks like smoking. They are also more likely to get high-paying, prominent jobs as adults, with all the advantages that confers.

And in general, Martin noted, IQ scores reflect a "set of skills," like reasoning, planning and communication, that affect how people manage their health -- from talking with their doctors to dealing with a complex healthcare system. Understanding exactly why IQ affects longevity, according to Martin, could ultimately help improve health and healthcare for everyone.

Source: The Hindustan Times

The Fascinating World Of Dinos

Long, long ago, in fact around 165 millions years ago, there roamed giant sized animals called the Dinosaurs. They were Dinosaurs were one of several kinds of prehistoric reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era, the "Age of Reptiles."

Although dinosaurs` fossils have been known since at least 1818, the term dinosaur (deinos means terrifying; sauros means lizard) was coined by the English anatomist Sir Richard Owen in 1842.The oldest known dinosaur is Eoraptor, a meat-eater from about 228 million years ago!

The largest dinosaurs were over 100 feet long and up to 50 feet tall (like Argentinosaurus, Seismosaurus, Ultrasauros, Brachiosaurus, and Supersaurus). The smallest dinosaurs, like Compsognathus, were about the size of a chicken. Most dinosaurs were in-between.

There were many types of dinosaurs that walked the earth during different times. Some walked on two legs (bipedal), some on four (quadrupedal), while some could do both. Despite their huge body, some of the dinosaurs like the Velociraptor were very fast. However, some like the Ankylosaurus, were slow and lumbering. Some were armour-plated, some had horns, crests, spikes, or even frills. Some had thick, bumpy skin, and some even had primitive feathers.

The dinosaurs dominated the Earth for over 165 million years during the Mesozoic Era, but mysteriously went extinct 65 million years ago. According to one theory, the end of the Cretaceous period was a time of high volcanic activity which may have led to the extinction. A more widely accepted theory is that an asteroid impact caused major climactic changes to which the dinosaurs couldn`t adapt.

Though extinct now, these mighty animals continue to live on as birds.

A Blue Whale`s penis is 6 feet long, and as big around as a human. It contains a 3 foot bone to keep it partially erect at all times.

Aphids are born pregnant without the benefit of sex. Aphids can give birth 10 days after being born themselves.

In Alaska, it is legal to shoot bears. However, waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

A pulsar is a small star made up of neutrons so densely packed together that if one the size of a UK pound coin landed on Earth, it would weigh approximately 100 million american tons.

Fireflies like to light up together. Two fireflies found near each other will eventually start lighting up at the same time.

A bird sees everything at once in total focus. Whereas the human eye is globular and must adjust to varying distances, the bird`s eye is flat and can take in everything at once in a single glance.

A crocodile cannot move it`s tongue.

Rising Of The Oceans

Global warming has resulted in the penetration of heat into the ocean leads to the thermal expansion of the water; this effect, coupled with the melting of glaciers and ice sheets, results in a rise in sea level. Sea-level rise will not be uniform globally but will vary with factors such as currents, winds, and tides as well as with different rates of warming, the efficiency of ocean circulation, and regional and local atmospheric (e.g., tectonic and pressure) effects.Many islands and atolls in the Pacific and Indian Oceans rarely exceed 3 - 4 m above mean sea level in elevation and therefore they could be vulnerable to changes of this magnitude.

Fresh Air Blows Cold Germs Away

The more outdoor air is pumped into office ventilation systems, the lower the inside levels of viruses that cause the common cold, according to a new report. Few studies have considered the possible link between the ventilation of buildings and respiratory illness in their occupants, note the authors of the study in a magazine.

Early Chemo For A Longer Life

Early low-dose chemotherapy appears to substantially improve short-term survival in patients with the most aggressive and common form of brain cancer, offering the first significant advance against the disease in decades. Whether the treatment can help cure brain cancer remains to be seen, but the approach at least seems to slow the often-rapid progression of the disease for some. The treatment, tested in a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, involves the drug Temodar. Until now, the medicine has typically been used only after radiation to shrink the tumour. A study shows that giving low doses of the capsule at the very start doubles the chance of being alive two years later.

Snoring can mean health disorder

For long have snores been the butt of jokes. But doctors warn that it is no laughing matter. Bad eating habits and increasing obesity among people are leading to greater sleeping disorders, with snoring becoming one of the most common diseases Doctors say the phenomena - sleep apnoea syndrome - starts from snoring and the patient is unable to go into deep sleep at night because snoring causes breathing problems. This leads to lack of oxygen in the brain and other body parts that forces patients to wake up several times. Lack of sleep at night leads to a chain reaction, with the person unable to concentrate on work during daytime. He can fall asleep any time of the day while doing anything, including driving. Doctors say such incidents could prove to be dangerous. Doctors have cautioned wives and other family members to take the snoring habit seriously as it could be dangerous for the patient.