Month: July 2014

The image of the stereotypical nerd wearing a pocket protector and glasses is hard to let go of. New studies suggest that, in fact, there might be some correlation between how long someone studies, and how likely they are to need glasses for nearsightedness.The study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, was conducted by researchers at University Medical Center Mainz in Germany, and a total of 5,000 German residents were tested. Their findings suggested that educational level was a more important predictor of myopia, also known as nearsightedness, than genetics. "About 50 years ago myopia was thought to be almost completely determined by genetics," said Alireza Mirshahi, a researcher and ophthalmologist at the University. "We see that genetic factors do play a role, but the role of e...

As the problem of increasing street violence becomes more prevalent in large cities around the world, more people have begun working together to brainstorm affordable ways of preventing violence. Whether it's New York City, or Chicago, or notoriously dangerous cities in England and Northern Ireland, residents have been coming together to find out what causes violence, and what can be done to keep it from claiming more innocent lives. There's no need to discuss the methods of violence, or whether gun control laws should be changed, or if politicians deserve to be blamed for what has happened. All of those topics have been covered ad nauseam in a plethora of news sources, and will probably continue to be discussed indefinitely. Instead, it's time to focus on what individual citizens and n...

Believe it or not, many professional and Olympic athletes have something in common completely unrelated to their physical capabilities: a huge number of ultra-successful athletes all have ADHD. Having made this correlation, experts are now wondering, is there something about ADHD that allows an athlete to perform better? Or is this just an interesting coincidence? It seems very likely that ADHD and athleticism are found together not because they are directly related, but because the restlessness commonly found in people with ADHD isoften ameliorated by engaging in activities which require close attention to a multitude of details -- activities like sports, which are fast-paced and require extreme bouts of concentration on one detail for only seconds at a time before another detail must ...

It's getting to be the height of summer, and that means that people are much more likely to get out on the road to ride their motorcycles. If you're one of them, you should know that safety is one of the biggest concerns. For other motorists, looking twice before making turns and navigating the roads carefully is important, but here are some things to keep in mind while you're out riding your motorcycle, courtesy of The Poughkeepsie Journal. Carol Bullard, registered nurse and motorcycle enthusiast, offers a few tips to optimize safety while riding a motorcycle:Wearing a helmet and protective clothing can protect your body in the event of an accident. Taking special precautions in response to weather conditions can is also essential to motorcycle safety. There is rain gear available, and i...

A small city in Illinois, enacted a city ordinance designed to help landlords deal with problem tenants. Called the Crime Free Housing Ordinance, which passed Monday, July 15, 2014, gives landlords the ability to evict residents who have committed crimes on their rental property. However, the ordinance also gives the city the ability to discipline landlords who are seen as remiss in preventing crime on their properties. According to the new ordinance, landlords in the city of Pekin, Illinois are now required to attend a four-hour seminar to learn about the new ordinance, as well as receive tips on screening potential tenants, additional information on landlord-tenant laws in the state of Illinois, and other pertinent details. Following the seminar, each landlord must attach a copy of th...