Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Playing in dirt is good for kids, navigate maze faster than control group


Smarter, less anxious: study; Outdoor learning experiences and school gardens help students relax and learn better, researchers suggest

Parents, here's another reason for your kids to play outdoors in the dirt: It might make them smarter.

And, as a side benefit, dirt appears to be a natural anti-anxiety drug, but without the side effects.

Mice exposed to a bacterium found in soil navigated a maze twice as fast, and with less anxiety, as control mice, in studies presented yesterday at the 110th general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.

The researchers say we've become so urbanized we risk losing a connection with an organism in nature that may actually be beneficial to humans.

Dr. Dorothy Matthews became intrigued by Mycobacterium vaccae - a natural soil microbe - in 2007, when British scientists published a study showing that when mice were injected with a heat-killed version of the organism, it stimulated neurons in the brainstem to start producing serotonin.

"Serotonin is a molecule that has a number of different effects, but one of them is modulating mood and decreasing anxiety," says Matthews, an associate professor of biology at The Sage Colleges in Troy, NY.

Serotonin also plays a role in learning. "If you're nervous, if you're frightened, you just can't think straight," Matthews said. She wondered, could M. vaccae have an effect on learning in mice?

The bacteria-exposed mice consistently ran the maze twice as fast as non-exposed mice. They also showed fewer anxiety behaviours - less freezing, wall-climbing, stopping and grooming, returning to the start, or defecation.

After the bacteria were removed, the mice started running the mazes slower than they did when they were ingesting the bacteria. "They experienced a kind of serotonin withdrawal," Matthews said. They were still faster than the controls, on average, an effect that lasted for another month of testing.

Matthews says people are exposed to M. vaccae just by virtue of being outdoors. "It's only been the last 100 years or so that we've become more urbanized and are eating our foods in a different way."

We no longer eat foods that we grow or gather ourselves, she says - foods that haven't been "washed multiple times, and dunked in hot water, or processed or grown with pesticides."

Making time in school curriculums for children to learn outdoors might decrease their anxiety and improve their ability to learn new tasks, she says.

"There's a movement now in some schools to actually have gardens that are part of the school experience."

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Obama needs to wake up and smell the.... By Yonatan Frimer

Maze Cartoon Obama sleeping and ignoring the polls:

Obama President Polls Maze Cartoon

Editorial cartoon maze of President Obama sleeping as a hot cup of coffee marked "Polls" is next to him and a caption that reads, "Wake up and smell the....." Created by Yonatan Frimer.
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This maze topic in the news:

Barack Obama Sees Approval Ratings Decline After Pro-Abortion Elena Kagan



Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama has seen has approval ratings decline in the aftermath of his selecting pro-abortion Solicitor general Elena Kagan for the open Supreme Court position. Obama's approval ratings are at one of their lowest points in the last month and heading back down to their health care-dominated levels. The Rasmussen Reports daily shows 45%...(read more)

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Cartoon Maze Editorial of the all new 100 mpg hummer

The all new electric hummer, h3 - Maze Cartoon

hummer hybrid electric

Editorial maze cartoon of the all new Electric Hummer. No longer will Humvees and Hummers be called gas guzzlers. Now they are better for the environment than a Toyota Prius.
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Maze Topic in the news

Raser Technologies Unveils 100+ MPG Plug-In Hybrid Hummer at THE SAE World Congress In Detroit


Click here to read the article source

Technology in New Electric Hummer Could Drive Bold Leap Ahead for U.S. Automakers, Making Popular Trucks & SUVs ‘Greener Than a Prius’

Raser Technologies, Inc. unveiled a 100+ mpg Hummer H3 powered by Raser’s plug-in hybrid E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) at the 2009 SAE International World Congress, Cobo Center, Detroit, MI.

Raser developed the 100+ mpg Electric H3 demonstration vehicle working closely with Hummer. Just one year ago at the 2008 SAE World Congress, Raser and its development partner FEV Inc., Auburn Hills, MI, a leading automotive integrator, introduced Raser’s E-REV power train, similar in function to the Chevy Volt but designed for use in a variety of larger full-sized SUVs and light trucks. The vehicle was developed in association with the Plug-in Hybrid Development Consortium, co-founded by Raser along with leading electric utilities, lithium ion battery companies and other automotive technology companies.

hummer_stats2

Raser CEO Brent M. Cook said, “The technology in this electric-powered Hummer is a leap ahead for U.S. Automakers. It could make the nation’s popular light trucks and SUVs greener than a Prius.”

The vehicle has performed well in initial test drives and dynamometer testing conducted by FEV. Video from recent test drives of the 100+mpg H3 is available online: http://rasertech.com/hummer

The plug-in electric Hummer H3 has a range of about 400 miles, driving its first 40 miles exclusively on batteries before turning on its combustion generator. Most vehicles drive fewer than 40 miles a day, most drivers would rarely use gas and average more than 100 mpg in gas fuel economy over time.

Raser’s E-REV power train was designed for most full-sized 4WD SUVs and light trucks, which represent nearly half of the vehicles on U.S. roads today because of their versatility and wide application in fleets.

“We chose the Hummer H3 and H3T as demonstration vehicles because trucks and SUVs are the best-selling vehicles in America and can benefit the most from increased fuel economy and reduced emissions,” said Cook.

The Electric Hummer H3 is propelled entirely on electricity by Raser’s 200kW advanced AC induction motor connected to a 4WD transmission. A small high efficiency EcoTech engine uses Raser’s 100KW electric generator to recharge the batteries while driving and provides additional electric power when needed.

“Our goal was to demonstrate that electric vehicle technology is a viable solution for a variety of vehicle platforms,” said Gary Rogers, president and chief executive officer of FEV. “This full-sized SUV extended-range electric vehicle shows that fuel economy in larger vehicles does not mean sacrificing power and utility.”


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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Editorial Cartoon Maze on Einstein's Theory for World Wars

Einstein's Theory of Warmaze cartoon new start treaty by Yonatan Frimer
Editorial Cartoon Maze on Einstein's Theory that World War 4 will be fought with sticks. In the foreground an HTV-2 rocket flies off, a weapon that is intended to replace the atomic bomb.
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Saturday, May 1, 2010

Maze cartoon of Obama's camaign promise of "Change" By Yonatan Frimer

The Promise from Obama Maze

maze of obama change
Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format
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Editorial Maze Cartoon "Obama's change"

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Maze Cartoon topic in the news:

GDP grew by 3.2 percent in first quarter

By Ian Swanson - 04/30/10 09:18 AM ET

The nation’s gross domestic product increased 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010, bolstering the Obama administration’s arguments that the economy is improving.

The jump in GDP was lower that the 5.6 percent increase registered in the last quarter of 2009, but still represents significant economic growth. It’s the third quarter in a row that the U.S. economy has expanded.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to make a statement on the figures from the Rose Garden on Friday morning. (Read More)


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