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Mar262019 by adminNo Comments

The most aggressive spider societies don't always thrive

Science

March 25 (UPI) -- When colonies of the same spider species must compete for resources, the most aggressive spider society doesn't always thrive. New research suggests the success of a particular colony's success depends on the disposition of its neighbors. The African social spider Stegodyphus dumicola lives in colonies. Some spider colonies exhibit aggressive behavior, while others are more docile. African social spiders from different colonies don't compete face-to-face, but different colonies living in the plant compete for the same flying insects. Some colonies thrive, while others fail. "Consider the coordinated attacks of prides of lions or wolves, or the dazzling swirling behavior of starlings or schools of sardines," Jonathan Pruitt, an evolutionary biologist at the University of...

Jan312019 by adminNo Comments

Parents who don't vaccinate kids tend to be affluent, better educated, experts say

Health

Vaccines are universally backed by respected scientists and federal agencies, but that isn’t enough to convince every parent to vaccinate their children. The decision to fly in the face of near universal scientific opinion doesn't come as a result of a lack of intellect, however, as experts who have studied vaccines and immunology acknowledge that many parents who don't vaccinate their children are well-educated. They also appear to be the victims of a widespread misinformation campaign, the experts said. Daniel Salmon, who is the director of the Institute of Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, said that existing research suggests that there are some common attributes that many parents who choose not to vaccinate their children share. "They tend to be better educated. Th...

Dec242018 by adminNo Comments

Spike Lee: I don't need an Oscar to validate my work

Entertainment

The awards ceremony buzz has started, as we enter a season of ceremonies celebrating film. But despite four Screen Actors Guild award nominations, and a trio of nods in the Golden Globes for his latest movie - BlacKkKlansman - director Spike Lee is feeling positively pessimistic.The film tells the true story of Ron Stallworth, an undercover African-American detective from Colorado tasked with infiltrating the Klu Klux Klan in the 1970s.A prolific filmmaker, Lee has now directed close to 40 films, which he refers to as "joints" due to the collaborative nature of the process.However, despite working in Hollywood for over four decades, he feels the fact he has never been nominated in the best director category at the Oscars or BAFTAs is an oversight.While he can't avoid the aw...

Dec172018 by adminNo Comments

Nigella: Don't airbrush my 'sticking out stomach'

Entertainment

Nigella Lawson has revealed she has had to tell US TV stations to not airbush her "sticking out" stomach. The best-selling chef, 58, accused them of hating fat and said it was "pernicious" to assume everyone will be "grateful to be airbrushed thinner".Lawson wrote: "I've had to tell American TV stations not to airbrush my sticking out stomach."The hatred of fat, and assumption that we'd all be grateful to be airbrushed thinner is pernicious." I’ve had to tell American tv stations not to airbrush my sticking out stomach. The hatred of fat, and assumption that we’d all be grateful to be airbrushed thinner is pernicious.— Nigella Lawson (@Nigella_Lawson) December 15, 2018 The British chef was applauded for her stan...

Dec82018 by adminNo Comments

Ho, ho, ho — don't eat raw cookie dough: CDC

Health

The holidays are upon us and for many that means family time in the kitchen preparing delicious baked goods and maybe even licking the spoon before the cookies go into the oven. So the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out a warning this week to, “Say No To Raw Dough!” Dr. Todd Ellerin -- who admits he doesn’t bake -- said it’s the raw flour and uncooked eggs that can make us sick. The Director of Infectious Diseases at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts and an instructor at Harvard Medical School says, “People may not be aware that flour is not treated to destroy bacteria and there have been outbreaks of a certain type of E. coli linked to the ingestion of raw dough,” said Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at So...