When Humans and Machines Collide When human evolution and technology collide billions of us became experimental subjects. The results include new behaviors, new diseases, and new versions of old disorders. So prepare now for the future – the new world of electronic insomnia. But first a very short look at the past. We’ve Even Got […]
Diet and exercise won’t solve obesity (5/27/11)
The Missing Link That Explains Obesity? It’s front-page news – the missing link to explain why we’re so fat. In the May 26th New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope reports on a new study led by Timothy Church that “a sizable portion of the national weight gain can be explained by declining physical activity during the […]
Banned in Arkansas – Lazy Cakes are off the shelves (5/23/11)
Regulators Begin Actions on Drugs as Foods Lazy Cakes, a brownie filled with now 7.8 mg of melatonin, unknown amounts of valerian root and other “herbal” drugs, was banned last week by the Arkansas Department of Health. It also facing a ban in Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts. When I wrote about Lazy Cakes […]
How to get the perfect nap Part II (5/16/11)
Sleep Inertia Ever wake up feeling that you’re not waking up? That parts of your brain do not want to and cannot rise from slumber, that alertness is far away? Welcome to the problem of sleep inertia. Sleep inertia can and often occurs when people wake up not feeling fully rested. In theory, if we’re […]
Let air traffic controllers nap (4/20/11)
Sleeping and Flying It’s a national emergency: air traffic controllers have fallen asleep in Reno, Washington, and several other cities. Planes carrying severely ill patients arrive at airports where “nobody” is in charge. The government head of air traffic control has been asked to resign. What’s going on? It’s very much the same situation that […]