Basic Pursuits

It has long been known that eating fewer calories induces a longer lifespan. This theory has been tested in a number of species, including this latest work from the University of Buffalo. It shows that rats eating a "normal" ad-lib diet, that is, they eat all they want, do not live as long or as actively as rats eating 40 percent of normal.

In a recent article describing the obesity epidemic in the U.S. a "health-care cost expert" said,

Yesterday I happened to tune into National Geographic's "The Science of Obesity" when it was examining how sumo wrestlers keep their weight up.

Sumo wrestlers, whose sport depends upon their being big and, well, fat, employ time-tested techniques to help them bulk up.

Misdirection is the primary way a magician does his tricks. He deliberately cause us to look away from the set-up of his next trick.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is causing a bit of misdirection. It recently released a database on incidences of food born illnesses. Seems like a good thing, right? It would be except that the CSPI's attitude sucks. It's press release implies that we are in clear and present danger of a food born illness.