Watching the World
The Effects of Noise
India has a population that is nearing one billion. According to Dr. S.B.S. Mann, professor at the Post Graduate Institute of Chandigarh, India, 1 person in 10, or almost one hundred million people, suffer from some sort of hearing loss. Speaking at the opening of the annual conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India, Dr. Mann blamed this major health problem on noise pollution caused by horns, engines, machinery, and airplanes. A large part of the blame, he said, could also be laid on the firecrackers that are so popular at festival time. During the festival of Dasehra, for instance, throughout the country huge effigies of Hindu mythological characters representing the evil forces in society are stuffed with hundreds of firecrackers and lit, creating tremendous outbursts of noise. This event is followed by the five-day Deepawali festival, during which millions of firecrackers are exploded.
Rain Forest Fragmentation
“Hunting, deforestation, and fires are not the only threats to the survival of plants and animals,” reports Brazil’s Jornal do Commercio. Fragmentation also puts species in danger of extinction. Fragmentation occurs when small patches of forest are spared deforestation. According to Brazilian agronomist Marcelo Tabarelli, many of these fragments are less than 25 acres [10 ha] each. “Areas of this size do not support large mammals,” says Tabarelli. For one thing, fragmentation “interrupts patterns of dispersion and migration.” This results in “a reduction in [plant and animal] populations.” Consider, for example, forest birds such as the toucan. Tabarelli notes: “They can still be found, but the probability that they will be able to hold on is very small.”
Interested Fathers Have Happier Sons
Fathers who show personal interest in their sons’ worries, schoolwork, and social lives produce “motivated and optimistic young men full of confidence and hope,” reports The Times of London. In a study of 1,500 boys aged 13 to 19 that was conducted by the Tomorrow’s Men project, more than 90 percent of the boys who felt that their fathers spent time with them and took an active interest in their progress showed “high self-esteem, happiness and confidence.” Conversely, 72 percent of the boys who felt that their fathers rarely or never showed interest in them had “the lowest levels of self-esteem and confidence, and were more likely to be depressed, to dislike school and to get into trouble with the police.” Adrienne Katz, of the Tomorrow’s Men project, observed that the actual amount of time father and son spend together need not be great. She says: “It is all about making the child feel wanted, loved and listened to.”
Reading Under the Blanket
Reading in dim light under the blanket may not be good for a child’s eyes, reports the German health newsletter Apotheken Umschau. At the University of Tübingen, a study conducted on chickens indicated that the growth of the eyeball can be affected when vision is even slightly distorted and the light is dim. When a child reads under the blanket in bed, both conditions are present: distortion, since the eye cannot focus properly when a book is held too close, and very low light. “Generations of teenagers, armed with flashlights, have devoured their favorite stories under the blanket, and by doing so they have laid the basis not only for their literary education but also for their nearsightedness,” states the newsletter.
A Comeback for Steam Locomotives?
Railroad buffs think nostalgically of the impressive steam locomotives of bygone days. Although their low efficiency and high pollution brought these classic engines to the brink of extinction, Roger Waller, an engineer with a Swiss locomotive factory, believes that steam power has a bright future. Eight of his company’s steam-powered cog-rail engines are already in service in the Alps, reports the Berliner Zeitung, and Waller has recently reoutfitted an older steam engine for use on standard rails. The rebuilt locomotive uses light oil as fuel instead of coal, thus reducing pollution. It also uses roller bearings to cut down on friction and good insulation to keep energy loss and heat-up time to a minimum. Says Waller: “It can run cheaper and [is] more environmentally friendly than any diesel locomotive.”
Learning to Smile
In Japan, where people take pride in good service, companies are increasingly “sending employees to schools to learn how to be more friendly,” reports Asahi Evening News. “Companies see smiles, laughter and humor as a cheap and effective way to promote sales amid the sluggish recession.” At one school, students sit in front of mirrors and practice smiling—“trying to create the most pleasant smile.” They are told to think of the person they love most. Instructors endeavor to help the students relax and thus smile naturally. Besides schools, some businesses send employees to take orders in fast-food restaurants where workers are trained to smile continuously. Does smiling help business? According to the newspaper, a cosmetics company that offered smiling courses to over 3,000 of its staff saw its sales jump 20 percent during that year. One employee pointed out that the course also improved the atmosphere in her office. “It is nice being surrounded by pleasant bosses who smile a lot,” she said.
Early Detection Saves Lives
“The key to proper management and treatment of cancers is early detection,” states a report in the Times of Zambia. Sadly, in some parts of Africa, an unknown number of people die of cancers that could have been detected early if the individuals had received medical examinations. For women, the most common forms of the disease are cancer of the cervix and cancer of the breast. In men, it is cancer of the prostate gland and cancer of the bowel. Zambia’s Central Board of Health is therefore recommending that people visit hospitals to be screened for cancer. The Times states that early detection “means less pain and trauma for both the patient and his or her family. In addition it enables doctors to take timely measures.”
Mechanical Milkmaid
“Milking twice per day imposes an unnatural regime on cows,” says Sue Spencer, a member of a team that developed a robotic milkmaid. According to Spencer, overfull udders can induce lameness and other ailments. So, what can a dairy cow do when she wants to be milked but it’s not the farmer’s regular milking time? The robotic milkmaid may be the answer! It is already in use on a farm in Sweden, according to New Scientist magazine. Whenever they feel the need, cows in this Swedish herd can simply walk into an open barn that houses the robot. Each of the herd’s 30 cows wears an electronic collar that enables the system to identify it. If the cow is due to be milked, a gate leading to the milking stall opens. The milking machine’s laser-guided mechanical arm then gently finds the cow’s teats and attaches milking cups.
Declining European Birthrate
“In the last year, the birthrate in the European Union (EU) has dropped to the lowest level since the end of World War II,” reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Eurostat, the statistical agency of the EU, announced that in 1998 about four million children were born in the EU, compared with six million per year in the mid-1960’s. On the average, in EU nations there are 10.7 births per 1,000 people each year. Which nation has the lowest birthrate? Italy, despite the stand of the Roman Catholic Church against birth control. It has only 9.2 births per 1,000 citizens. Ireland has the highest birthrate, with 14.1 per 1,000.
Eating Together
In many lands, parents lament that their children seldom eat with them, often preferring fast-food meals. But France may very well be an exception. According to the French newspaper La Croix, a recent study revealed that 84 percent of families in France ate their evening meal together. In fact, the study found that 95 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds felt that the atmosphere of family meals was positive. Experts emphasize the importance of eating meals together regularly as a family. Notes Dr. François Baudier, of the French Center for Health Education: “The meal is not just a time to eat but especially a time to share thoughts.”