Futurity.org » Adam Gorlick-Stanford

As global incomes rise, diabetes follows

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:49:26 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Health experts expect the number of diabetics in developing countries to increase as incomes rise around the world.

In China and India—two of the world’s most populous nations, both with fast-paced economies—the prevalence of diabetes is expected to double by 2025. Between 15 and 20 percent of the adult populations will develop the disease as household budgets increase, diets change to include more calories, and new health problems emerge.

Computers closing China’s education gap

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:23:43 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Migrant children in China are keeping up with their urban peers through an innovative computer-assisted learning program designed to boost scores and bridge the country’s digital divide.

“These kids are about two years behind their city peers,” says Scott Rozelle, an economist at Stanford University, discussing children at the Chunlei Migrant School, a private school in the Beijing suburbs.

Vitamins vs. eggs: Anemia in China

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:21:10 +0000

STANFORD (US) — China’s answer to anemia in rural regions has been to feed children eggs. Work by U.S. researchers suggests vitamins may work better.

“Part of the issue is that the government thinks nutrition is something that should be dealt with at home,” says Stanford University economist Scott Rozelle about China’s reluctance to incorporate vitamins into a daily regimen at school. Another hang-up could be that principals and teachers are reluctant to pass out pills they think are medicine.

Blame vodka for Russian mortality

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:55:18 +0000

STANFORD (US) — The end of an effective anti-alcohol campaign, not capitalism, can be blamed for a 40 percent surge in deaths in Russia between 1990 and 1994.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, working-age Russian men began dying in droves. Economists and political scientists blamed democracy and capitalism for leaving many people unskilled and unemployable, ushering in a sense of listlessness and depression that mixed too easily with cheap vodka.

How virtual acts change attitudes

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:02:29 +0000

STANFORD (US) — A virtual reality environment can literally change behavior in the real world, according to a new study.

People who were told to “cut down” a sequoia redwood in a 3-D forest were less likely to waste paper later, says Stanford University graduate student Sun Joo Ahn, whose doctoral dissertation outlines the findings. “We found that virtual reality can change how people behave.”

In other words: Metaphors matter

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:36:05 +0000

STANFORD (US) — The public is more supportive of increased law enforcement if its intention is to tame a crime “beast” rather than cure a crime “virus.”

A new study, published in the journal PLoS One, finds public support can hinge on a single metaphor used to describe a serious problem like crime.

It’s lovely to have something in common

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:01:31 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Simply sharing a love for something—a favorite band or book—is enough to make you care about someone you’ve just met.

In a set of experiments, researchers found that when two people share just a few things in common, one can take on the feelings and physical reactions of the other who has been placed in an uncomfortable situation.

Gadget tracks day in the life of flu

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:14:31 +0000

STANFORD (US) — When it comes to infectious disease, who and how many get inoculated isn’t as important as knowing how people interact with each other—whether they’re vaccinated or not.

In order to follow and better understand how viruses spread through real-life social networks, a group of researchers used wireless sensors to track high school students, teachers, and staff members throughout one day during the height of last January’s swine flu outbreak.

Software keeps track of third parties

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:59:02 +0000

STANFORD (US) — As the Federal Trade Commission pushes for a “do not track” mechanism to protect online consumer privacy, researchers are developing technology to make it work.

Stanford University graduate student Jonathan Mayer and post-doctoral researcher Arvind Narayanan, have created software that will let users opt out of third-party Web tracking and tell advertisers to stop following them online.

Be glad you’re getting older

Adam Gorlick-Stanford — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:04:37 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Perhaps we shouldn’t dread getting older. New research suggests aging comes with an unexpected perk: happiness.

We tend to become more emotionally stable as we age and that translates into longer, more productive lives that offer more benefits than problems, says Laura Carstensen, the study’s lead author and a psychology professor at Stanford University.