Well: Who Is to Blame When a Child Wanders at the Zoo?

The incident of the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo is a reminder that closed doors and barred gates are like beacons to some kids, just waiting to be breached or climbed.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TVEPe1

Not so dry after all: Moon's water came mostly from asteroids, not comets, study says

Icy comets may have a reputation for being the inner solar system’s ancient water delivery system, but a new study finds that most of the water in our nearest neighbor, the moon, was actually delivered by asteroids around 4.5 billion to 4.3 billion years ago.

The findings, published in the journal...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/22wreNI

Well: Day Care Infections May Mean Fewer Sick Days Later

Being in day care as an infant increased a child’s risk of having stomach bugs in the first year of life, but it also had a protective effect after that.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/25y1C8l

Check out Mars tonight: It's closer to Earth than it has been in 11 years

As you wind down from your Memorial Day festivities tonight, take a minute to find Mars glowing yellow and bright in the eastern sky. On the evening of May 30,  the Red Planet will come closer to Earth than it has in 11 years.  Because Mars and Earth are so close to each other tonight, our planetary...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/27ZOcAH

Well: Your Face Is Beautiful — Do You Want It to Change?

Braces? Diet? When it comes to appearance, parents must walk a fine line between proposing a change and seeming to demand it.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1UdM4uX

Well: Overcoming the Shame of a Suicide Attempt

I know that admitting to my behavior and owning my story is the only way it can no longer own me.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/25vEdEx

Well: Computer Vision Syndrome Affects Millions

Blurred or double vision as well as burning, itching, dryness and redness can interfere with work performance.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Uo7Ajt

Grab your yoga mat and hit the road for one of these summertime festivals

It was probably a sign of the times when yoga classes began popping up at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Or when Electric Daisy Carnival, the country's largest dance music festival, announced yoga would be offered in advance of the electronic dance music conference. (Partygoers at...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1qROJD3

What you need to know to protect your skin this summer

With the unofficial start of summer comes the deep dive into outdoor, exposed-in-the-sun activities synonymous with Southern California living.

But all of that extra time at the beach, road-tripping, hiking, volleyball playing, barbecuing or even just driving around when it’s so crazy hot and sunny...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/25sdl8l

Why over-the-counter birth control could actually lead to more unwanted pregnancies

Women in California who don’t want to wait to get birth control prescriptions from their doctors can now purchase their pills, patches, rings and shots directly from pharmacists.

The new program, which began earlier this month, has been widely hailed as a victory for women’s reproductive rights...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1WRJ1Pq

Make this the summer of the fitness vacation: Here are 3 great getaways

You’ve had it. Enough of traffic on the 405, the wait list for a seat at SoulCycle, the lines at Trader Joe’s. Grab a group of friends and haul out: It’s time to start thinking about summer vacation, so why not make it a fitness reboot?

These three fitness destinations are easy drives, all about...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1sDUx4m

First U.S. case of drug-resistant superbug is reported

For the first time, a U.S. patient has been infected with bacteria resistant to an antibiotic used as a last-resort treatment, scientists said Thursday.

The patient — a 49-year-old woman in Pennsylvania — has recovered. But health officials fear that if the resistance spreads to other bacteria,...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1X0W1D7

Health experts question federal study linking cellphones to brain tumors

National Institutes of Health expert reviewers are finding flaws in the agency's new study that connects heavy cellphone radiation to a slight increase in brain tumors in male rats.

The study bombarded rats with cellphone radiation from the womb through the first two years of life and found tumors...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/25qskQi

Why male fruit flies have such enormous sperm

Don't underestimate the manliness of the humble fruit fly: He may be small, but his sperm is not.

In fact, the sperm of the fruit fly Drosophila bifurca can stretch up to nearly 6 centimeters in length. That's several times the length of the male fruit fly himself, and about 1,000 times the length...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1TH21Qc

Well: We Lost Our Soldier, But We Are Still an Intact Family

Like many military widows, I want to defend my family to those who assume I am single because of infidelity, abuse or neglect.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Rw8tlt

Well: The Weekly Health Quiz: Nightmares, Back Pain and a Dangerous Sport

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WQiUZa

1.2 million college students drink alcohol on a typical day, and more than 703,000 use weed

There’s a lot more going on at colleges these days than just studying.

On any given day, 1.2 million full-time students are drinking alcohol and more than 703,000 are using marijuana, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1THZwKq

Climate change is happening on Mars, where an ice age is coming to an end

By examining swirling patterns left in ice topping the Red Planet’s north pole, scientists using radar data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have put together an unprecedented look into our rusty neighbor’s most recent ice age.

The findings, published in the journal Science, offer fresh...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/25oG4Lx

Well: Should You Take a Vitamin? Do You Know What a Vitamin Is?

There are 13 vitamins that are essential for good health, but there is no real consensus on what they actually do and exactly how much of them we truly need.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WX1mva

Well: Kids on the Run

Programs like the Million Kid Run that make running a group activity encourage fitness, new research suggests.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/25o2pZD

New method for predicting breast cancer risk suggests about 30% of cases could be prevented

Ask almost any health-conscious woman who’s mustered under a giant pink ribbon, and she’ll tell you what an American woman’s chances are of getting breast cancer in her lifetime: one-in-eight.

But that’s a national average. And as the relative influence of genes, behavior and environmental factors...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1WmGCw8

Well: Doctors Getting ‘Pimped’

Medical training’s emphasis on demonstrating how many facts we know — typically in front of colleagues, nurses, patients and families — is problematic.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1VjAOlS

Well: After a Cancer Diagnosis, Reversing Roles With My Mother

I’d become my mother’s travel guide in this new country of illness.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TCd0dC

In politics, it's not what you say but how you say it, acoustical analysis shows

Even with very different messages, politicians may sound the same, new research finds. Scientists who analyzed the vocal stylings of four presidential contenders in the 2016 race – Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump – found that all four candidates altered their voices...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1sAyvPK

Archaeologists uncover a 5,000-year-old beer recipe in China

An ancient Chinese beer recipe brewed 5,000 years ago calls for some unusual ingredients by today's standards: barley, broomcorn millets and Job’s tears, as well as bits of bulbous root vegetables like snake gourd root, yam and lily.

The Yangshao people, who inhabited northeastern China, made their...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/20FrSa0

Well: A Low-Salt Diet May Be Bad for the Heart

A diet that’s too low in sodium may actually increase the risk for heart attacks and stroke.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TzoP4x

The work of Neanderthals: Ancient ring-like structures date from 176,000 years ago

Deep in a dark cave in southwestern France lie half a dozen mysterious structures that scientists believe were built by Neanderthals 176,000 years ago -- more than 130,000 years before the first modern humans arrived in Europe.

The structures, described Wednesday in the journal Nature, are located...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1Wjbldm

Well: Opioids Often Ineffective for Low Back Pain

The magnitude of relief did not reach the level the researchers defined as clinically effective, little different from drugs like aspirin.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WOKhCQ

Well: The Other Bathroom Wars

For people with disabilities and their families, the battle for accessible toilet facilities has been going on for decades.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WNYGz2

Well: The Breakup Marathon

A romantic breakup or divorce is a traumatic event. Some runners channel that into running better, faster or longer.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1YYs3Na

Well: Parents of Deaf Children, Stuck in the Middle of an Argument

Should children be fitted for hearing aids and taught to speak, or should they use sign language? Or a combination of both?

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1NKANFZ

Antidepressants aren't just for depression anymore, study finds

Antidepressants didn’t get to be the third-most commonly prescribed medication in the United States for nothing. In fact, says a new study, the medications taken by more than 10% of American adults may be so ubiquitous because they are used to do so much.

Depression medication, a new study suggests,...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1Ro2fUS

Inspired by evolution: Caltech bioengineer is first woman to win $1.1-million tech prize

Caltech biochemical engineer Frances Arnold has become the first woman to win the Millennium Technology Prize for her pioneering work on so-called directed evolution. Inspired by the biological processes that drive natural selection, Arnold launched a field that revolutionized protein engineering...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/22nV4Us

Well: Walkable Neighborhoods Cut Obesity and Diabetes Rates

Neighborhoods designed for walking may decrease the rates of overweight and diabetic people by more than 10 percent, a new study concludes.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1OTQATo

Well: Ask Well: Should You Fast Before a Cholesterol Test?

Repeated studies have found no clinically significant differences between results from cholesterol tests done on a full stomach and those done after fasting.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TAPvP0

Well: Parents Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Training Babies to Sleep

Letting babies cry themselves to sleep doesn’t harm parent-child attachment, a new study finds.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/25dExnO

A single hormone shot put diabetic animals into long-term remission, study says

In research that may point the way to new treatments for Type 2 diabetes, obese and diabetic mice who got a single shot of a growth-promoting peptide directly into their brains experienced lasting remission from the metabolic disorder without any sustained changes to their diet or their weight.

...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/2457jVf

Well: Lawsuits Over Baby Powder Raise Questions About Cancer Risk

Thousands of women claim talcum powder caused their ovarian cancer, but research into a potential link has produced mixed results.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1U9Hsc9

Well: What American Parents Can Learn From Chinese Philosophy

Look for your passion? Be true to yourself? That’s not what Confucius would say.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Tqhd4e

Well: Supporting Children Who Serve as Caregivers

More than a million children as young as 8 are serving as caregivers to family members.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/25bdgm9

Meet some amazing animals and plants that are new to science

Life on Earth can be found in the most surprising places, from the deep sea to pitch-black caves to just off the main road of a Gabonese National Park. Each year, about 18,000 species are discovered and described by scientists in thousands of academic publications, where regular folks may never...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/27QnDxU

The New Health Care: Sorry, There’s Nothing Magical About Breakfast

Don’t feel bad if you’d rather skip it. Studies have not proved its importance.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WK6fHc

Public Health: It Isn’t Easy to Figure Out Which Foods Contain Sugar

Many consumers will be surprised by research showing the large amounts of added sugars in products that are generally thought of as healthy.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/20jf3lw

Surfing icon Laird Hamilton shares his 10-point plan to live forever

Perpetual youth is a whimsical notion suited to screen writers and 16th century Spanish explorers but a career requirement for Laird Hamilton.

In the ocean as many as five hours most days, the inventor of tow-in big-wave surfing, modern-day stand-up paddleboarding and hydrofoil surfing uses a unique...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1s0UOhE

Do you sit at a desk all day? Here's the perfect stretch for your back

Oh, your aching back.

Yoga Medicine founder Tiffany Cruikshank says this easy, gentle stretch can help with that: "This is a great pose to do at the end of the day, after you've been sitting at your desk for many hours."  

What it does

Releases a tense, tired back and helps with an overall sense...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1sK4Jcj

Using yoga to heal after the devastating loss of a child

Ten years ago, Pasadena resident Kiley Hanish and her husband, Sean, were expectant parents, excitedly planning a future as a family.

When their son Norbert was stillborn, the couple found themselves adrift with few resources to manage their grief.

Kiley Hanish, an occupational therapist, and her...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1sJTJeM

Found: First-ever evidence of comets beyond the solar system orbiting a sun-like star

Just as we have grown accustomed to stories of increasingly small planets being discovered around distant stars, along comes a new study that ups the ante.

This week, for the first time ever, scientists have announced evidence of icy comets orbiting a sun-like star about 160 light-years from Earth....

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1XFgsUU

Well: How Much Do You Know About Raising Introverted Teenagers?

Take this quiz to find out.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1U41Ueh

Well: Is Your Teen’s Introversion a Problem for Your Teen — or for You?

It may be harder to raise an introverted teen than to be one, says Susan Cain, the author of “Quiet.”

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1sGqlWO

Well: Is Your Teen’s Introversion a Problem for Your Teen — or for You?

It may be harder to raise an introverted teen than to be one, says Susan Cain, the author of “Quiet.”

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1sGqlWO

Pregnant women with Zika in U.S. spikes with new counting method

The number of pregnant women in the United States infected with Zika virus is suddenly tripling, due to a change in how the government is counting cases.

Previously, officials had reported how many pregnant women had Zika symptoms and positive blood tests. In a change announced Friday, the Centers...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1ToRZxO

Well: Who You Calling Cheerleader?

Stunt, derived from cheerleading, is gaining popularity in New York City public schools.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1RdoVXM

6 nutritional rules that everyone can agree upon

That bag of quinoa & black bean tortilla chips may boast the words “organic” and “natural” and "healthy" on the label, but it’s still a bag of chips – and loaded with calories. 

“People aren’t aware of what they’re consuming and the number of calories,” says Dr. Edward H. Phillips, co-medical director...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1XEzCu3

California's fight against the Zika-carrying 'cockroach of mosquitoes'

Randy Garcia points a flashlight into a bush and shakes the leaves. Martin Serrano climbs a ladder to peer into rain gutters. Yessenia Avilez ducks under stairs and flips over a plastic tarp collecting water.

In a Silver Lake backyard resembling a small jungle, the team -- dressed in khaki shirts...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1XEndWO

Americans could prevent roughly half of all cancer deaths by doing these four things

Roughly half of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented or forestalled if all Americans quit smoking, cut back on drinking, maintained a healthful weight and got at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.

These same measures would also reduce the number of new cancer diagnoses by...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1U3iL0Z

Well: Ask Well: Can Nightmares Cause a Heart Attack?

There are case reports of people with no previously known risks having a heart attack after a nightmare, though they appear to be quite rare.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/27GVQ2N

Well: A Truce With My Aging Stepdog

I was the intruder who kicked him out of his daddy’s bedroom and wouldn’t let him lick the dirty dishes. But he doesn’t remember that anymore.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1ODf4us

Well: The Weekly Health Quiz: Potatoes, a Penis Transplant and Zika in Europe

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1U3diat

Well: Bad News Delivered Badly

Whether a medical judgment is optimistic or pessimistic, poor communication can upset patients who are already anxious.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1OCgeXf

Supersized tsunamis once roiled ocean on Mars, scientists say

Mars might have been a wilder water world than we thought. Scientists scanning the terrain have discovered signs of two massive tsunamis in the northern hemisphere — events that might have been caused by massive, crater-carving impacts.

The findings, described in Scientific Reports, bolster the...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/20bUJCz

Well: Diet High in Saturated Fats May Be Linked to Dense Breasts

Teenage girls who eat a diet high in saturated fat are at increased risk of developing dense breasts, a risk factor for breast cancer.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TshNfR

Nearly 8 in 10 public pools in CDC study failed routine safety inspections

Summer’s right around the corner, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are here to remind you that there’s nothing like a dip in a public pool — a place where you might encounter tiny bits of fecal matter, parasites like Cryptosporidium and volatile chemicals that can irritate your...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1W4zBjx

Well: Why Does the Physical Exam Stop at the Navel?

It’s like our patients are Humpty Dumpty, and the pieces are divvied out between different medical fields.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WFeHaG

To hear a bat is to know one. So researchers compiled a massive playlist of bat sounds.

If you’re looking for bats, sometimes the best way to spot them is to listen.

The elusive mammals fly by night and mainly “see” the world through sound, using echolocation to find food and to navigate. For scientists wishing to study bats, these ultrasonic calls can be the giveaway to their presence.

...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1U1gyQB

Well: Learning to Live With a Child’s Allergies

You read every ingredient in everything you buy. You come to know certain products so well that when they get a new ingredient, it’s like a friend getting a haircut.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1ONIxYa

For these spiders, the right wedding gift can save a groom's life

During courtship, males of the spider Pisaura mirabilis offer a prey wrapped in silk to the female as a nuptial gift.

It sounds awfully chivalrous, but researchers say the behavior is not as selfless as it sounds. 

Scientists have hypothesized that nuptial gift-giving proves a male's fitness as...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1qurvTs

Well: Skin Problem? Websites May Offer Poor Care

Consulting a dermatologist over the Internet may have serious drawbacks, a new study suggests.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1rU6dQi

Spider science: Researchers create synthetic silk that mimics the phase-shifting behavior of webbing

Scientists have discovered a remarkable property of a certain type of spider silk: It acts like a solid when you stretch it, but liquid when you squish it. And they’ve proven that they understand how this "liquid wire" works by actually creating synthetic strands that can do the exact same thing...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1OI4p7l

Hot gas, blazing stars remind us, once again, that the universe can be a beautiful place

Here to remind us that the universe can be a breathtakingly gorgeous place is this lush new image of an emission nebula where hot young stars are super-heating a vast expanse of gas 163,000 light-years from Earth. The blue and white dots in the picture are super-hot stars that are just a few million...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/2058kLT

Well: Exercise Tied to Lower Risk for 13 Types of Cancer

The potential cancer-fighting benefits of exercise seem to hold true even if someone is overweight, a comprehensive new study found.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TnqNmr

Well: What Should You Pay for a Child’s Guitar (Or Any Musical Instrument)?

We ought to put every object of child desire through its own wants-versus-needs test, one that inevitably ends with a question about how much is enough.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TYSbWL

Congress moves to fund Zika response, but experts say it's not enough

Under mounting pressure to provide additional funding to combat an anticipated Zika virus outbreak in the U.S., congressional Republicans have begun to move legislation to approve more money.

But public health experts called the response insufficient and warned that congressional moves to shift...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/204t7iJ

Well: Potatoes Tied to High Blood Pressure Risk

Eating potatoes four or more times a week may increase the risk for hypertension, a large new study has found.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TiDOKK

For loved ones of critically ill patients, hope often trumps understanding of a physician's prognosis

We have virtually all been there, are there now or will be there someday: A loved one is critically ill, and his or her physician is talking to us about the patient's prognosis.

She wants to know how we would like to proceed. She's asking what we think our loved one, hovering in a twilight world,...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/27xqSKr

Well: Where Does the Time Go? How to Keep Track

The time-management expert Laura Vanderkam explains how she records what she does all day, in half-hour increments.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1smkWTX

Well: Is Your Food ‘Natural’? F.D.A. to Weigh In

Even the most educated consumer can’t know what the food label “all natural” means.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1TUOUF6

Exercising drives down risk for 13 cancers, research shows

In addition to protecting hearts, preserving memory and lifting moods, exercise is a powerful cancer-preventive, says new research. Physical activity worked to drive down rates of a broad array of cancers even among smokers, former smokers, and the overweight and obese.

But to get those benefits,...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1ssxHx0

Well: Clumsiness as a Diagnosis

Though parents may be worried, the need for a diagnosis depends on whether the child is actually struggling.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Tjdkej

Well: Coloring Your Way Through Grief

After several people close to her died, a grief counselor developed an adult coloring book meant to help people with all kinds of losses.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1sr0Qc5

6 nutritional rules that everyone can agree upon

That bag of quinoa & black bean tortilla chips may boast the words “organic” and “natural” and "healthy" on the label, but it’s still a bag of chips – and loaded with calories. 

“People aren’t aware of what they’re consuming and the number of calories,” says Dr. Edward H. Phillips, co-medical director...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1WxQNxP

6 subscription boxes for the fitness fanatic in you

Whatever your sport, chances are there’s a box for it.

Subscription deliveries of health and fitness apparel, supplements and sports gear have taken off recently, with big brands such as Adidas even jumping into the fray recently to reach its time-starved customers.

For consumers, subscription...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1TcYqHD

L.A.'s newest fitness mashup? Cardio pilates

Does Pilates leave you wanting more?

A new fitness studio in Santa Monica is offering a hybrid of pure Pilates —  and extreme cardio.

Andrea Speir, owner of Speir Pilates, has set out to distinguish herself from other Pilates purveyors by adding cardio to the workouts on the standard reformer —...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/227Oq4H

This Memorial Day, take a walk to honor those who died serving their country

Is it weird to take a walk in a cemetery? It needn’t be. This is a gentle stroll inside the Los Angeles National Cemetery that takes you along shaded lanes separating broad green lawns, teaches some interesting American military history and offers a chance to honor the men and women who died in...

via L.A. Times - Health http://ift.tt/1WwopN5

How is this possible? Mysterious microbe is missing mitochondria

Imagine meeting another human who lacks a heart, lungs or some other crucial organ, and yet seems to be functioning completely normally. An international team of scientists has discovered the single-celled version of this conundrum: a eukaryotic microbe that has lost its mitochondrion, which scientists...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/27kLB3Y

Butchered remains of 14,550-year-old mastodon in Florida fills in picture of earliest Americans

Thirty feet beneath the murky waters of the Aucilla River, about 40 miles southeast of Tallahassee, archaeologists have found evidence of some of the earliest known humans in the Americas.  In submerged sediments that date back 14,550 years, a team of scuba-diving researchers has uncovered six...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1OoEC3F

Well: Ask Well: The Downside of Smoothies

Do I absorb more sugar and calories when I drink fruits and vegetables in a smoothie as opposed to just eating them whole?

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/24VjsBX

In South El Monte, a small machine shop is a big part of Space Launch System

Mankind's path to Mars winds through a small machine shop in South El Monte.

It is there, in the unassuming shops of AMRO Fabricating Corp., that NASA is getting the walls built for its powerful new heavy-lift rocket, called Space Launch System, that's set to blast beyond low-Earth orbit within...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/27jaoWc

Well: Donating an Organ to My Son

As a physician and as a mom, I was used to solving problems. Now I just needed to say a prayer and be available for parts donation.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1VVvhCU

Well: The Weekly Health Quiz: Intense Exercise, Diet Soda and Things We Worry About

Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1WtZfyL

Coastal Commission backs a bill to ban private meetings with panel members

Responding to public outcry, the California Coastal Commission on Thursday endorsed legislation that would ban private meetings and communications between individual commissioners, development interests, lobbyists, environmentalists and other parties with an interest in the planning agency's decisions.

...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1TJ8MLi

Despite autism fears, here's why pregnant women should keep taking their prenatal vitamins

Some preliminary findings presented this week at a meeting of autism researchers may have mothers-to-be fretting about their prenatal vitamins.

The blockbuster statistic that sent tongues wagging was this: Women who got too much folate and vitamin B12 during pregnancy were 17.6 times more likely...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1TJ8ML6

Deep sleep puts the 'REM' in remembering

When it comes to mental health and cognitive function, the importance of rapid eye-movement sleep — that deep, restorative stage of sleep that we cycle in and out of throughout the night — is so well established that experiments depriving humans of it would be considered unethical.

But there are...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1X4LViA

Well: Pesticide Exposure May Increase Risk of A.L.S.

Exposure to pesticides may increase the risk for Lou Gehrig’s disease, a new study has found.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1qgmT3b

Well: Giving New Doctors the Tools They Need

They say if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I wonder, then, why my toolbox often seems so inadequate for fixing my patients.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1ZJqkLR

Well: Learning to Walk in My 60s

In 1951, at the height of the polio epidemic, I knew about my limp before I knew much else about myself.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1X3Vf6v

In science, follow the money – if you can

In science as in politics, most people agree that transparency is essential. Top journals now require authors to disclose their funding sources so that readers can judge the possibility of bias, and the British Medical Journal recently required authors to disclose their data as well so that experts...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1Wsbb37

Well: Out With the Old

It may be better to give up your bad habits all at once, rather than one at a time.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Yns3Gc

Well: The New Performance Enhancer in High School Sports? Nutrition

More schools are starting to see nutrition as a critical component of athletic training.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1Okp3Kw

Well: Diet Soda in Pregnancy Is Linked to Overweight Babies

Drinking one can of diet soda a day doubled the risk of having an overweight 1-year-old.

via NYT > Fitness & Nutrition http://ift.tt/1sedtqR

Coastal Commission chairman may recuse himself from vote after failing to disclose private meetings

The chairman of the California Coastal Commission on Wednesday asked the agency's attorney to determine whether he should recuse himself from voting on a massive development along the Orange County coast after he held two unreported private meetings with project representatives.

Steve Kinsey's...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1TG8vc1

Starfish-like creatures reveal surprise about biodiversity in the deep ocean

Most of us are vaguely familiar with the brittle star -- the slender, five-armed cousin of the starfish. But perhaps you were not aware of how amazingly ubiquitous they are throughout all the oceans and seas on the planet. 

This diverse group of animals can be found across the globe, from the poles...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1X2eNYL

Fossilized space dust from 2.7 billion years ago holds surprise about Earth's ancient atmosphere

Each year, more than 3,000 tons of space dust fails to burn up in our planet's atmosphere and falls instead to Earth's surface.

These micrometeorites are just a few microns in diameter, but scientists say that embedded in the fossilized specks of this extraterrestrial debris are chemical clues...

via L.A. Times - Science http://ift.tt/1rGszor