Category: Science (Page 1 of 3)

Leaves are dropping, so get outside.

Why Leaving the Leaves Is Better for Your Yard

It’s time to rake your lawn when the NYT starts posting articles with biologists explaining why you shouldn’t rake up the fallen leaves.

That campaign has spread awareness that fallen leaves provide overwintering habitat for many ecologically critical organisms. But that’s not all they do. Now, we can look at the consequences of leaf removal by the numbers, data that makes a more nuanced case for a gentler approach that supports plants and soil, and also offers insights into the most effective how-to practices to employ.

I don’t know where these eggheads live, but their houses don’t have the suburban green carpets that the rest of us envy. 

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Science says that chocolate is good for you.

Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events,

I’ve been buying this nutritional supplement from Aldi for years.

Cocoa extract supplementation did not significantly reduce total cardiovascular events among older adults but reduced CVD death by 27%.

Finally, nutritional science has some good news.  The study looks legit.

The study was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  There were 12,666 women over 65 years old, and 8776 men over 60 years old in a double-blind, placebo controlled study.  A 27% reduction in death by cardiovascular disease is substantial.

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Imitation eggs aren’t eggs.

SciTechDaily:  Why Plant-Based Eggs Are Finally Getting the Spotlight

The team also asked participants to rate how plant-based eggs would compare to traditional ones. Unsurprisingly, expected taste and appearance still favor the classic egg.

A plant-based egg, is not an egg.  Not even a little bit.  A traditional egg comes from a chicken.  If the cook is using ostrich or turtle eggs to make my omelet, he is obliged to make that clear.

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Magic always has a cost.

This post is about fluoridated water and dental health.  Sparky doesn’t have much to do with it, but I will get to him at the end.

RFK, Jr. Protects The Nation’s Precious Bodily Fluids

Chemistry can seem like magic, so know the cost.  In engineering terms, “everything is a trade off.”  This substack article addresses RFK’s interest in fluoride.

The battle over fluoride has been raging for longer than I have been alive, dating as far back as the 1930s. While the scientific basis for opposing fluoridization may have changed, the arguments to a large degree remain unchanged. 

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Medicines for Dogs, Not People.

Drug to Extend Dogs’ Lives May Be Approved by FDA

The drug aims to extend the lifespan of senior dogs and maintain their quality of life as they age, building on the company’s previous RXE acceptance for a longevity drug specifically targeting the short lifespan of large breed dogs.

I don’t get how this works.  I assume that dogs and people have similar physiologies, and two years living with Sparky hasn’t changed my mind.  I have a developed prefrontal cortex and Sparky can poop whenever he wants, otherwise, our bodies work pretty much the same way.

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