New Science News for March 30th

Concentrating better but at what cost?

Apparently nearly 4 million Americans (most children and young adults) are taking amphetamine like stimulants to deal with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These stimulants doe manage to help the person concentrate more, but there are concerns that over prescription of the drugs could lead to dependency and possibly “rare but dangerous side effects”. According to New Scientist researchers and doctors are calling for a review of the way ADHD is treated.

“ADHD is a socially and educationally debilitating condition, and places children at higher risk of serious accidents. The success of stimulants such as methylphenidate in treating ADHD is unprecedented in psychiatry. Unlike antidepressants, which work well in only about half of those who take them, methylphenidate is highly effective in most children and young adults with ADHD. Against these benefits, we now have 25 cases of sudden death from heart problems, and reports of hallucinations in up to 5 per cent of those taking the drugs.” More can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19025451.800


Getting bored in class, might the teacher know soon!

A new piece of equipment is being developed for people with autism to let them know if the person they are talking to is getting bored. The device will be able to tell boredom by analysing the facial expressions of the listeners. At the moments students are safe as the device requires considerable computing power and a digital camera.
“If the wearer seems to be failing to engage the person listening, the computer vibrates”
More can be read at: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025456.500


Total Solar Eclipse

Well the solar eclipse that happened on Wednesday was pretty well blocked by clouds; however it could have been watched on line through a website partly run by NASA. Apparently some 90,000 people watched the webcast of the total eclipse that swept across the Atlantic, the Sahara and Turkey. More details and links to two video clips of the eclipse can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8919

What killed the dinosaurs?

It has long been held that a giant asteroid that collided with the Earth was responsible for killing off these giant reptiles. However one palaeontologist claims climate change is to blame for the major extinctions that have happened during Earth’s lifetime. He even suggests that we are in the midst of an extinction now. Arguments have broken out between palaeontologists around the world. More details can be read in the New Scientist magazine.