Race Cars Crash, Journal Reports
An article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that professional Formula 1 and MotoGP motorbike racing is “inherently dangerous.” The authors recommended “innovative clothing” to “selectively defend key anatomical structures” from excruciating whiplash, crashes, subsequent catastrophic explosions, and the odd chance of being run over after one's body is ejected, Wile E. Coyote-style, from the driver's seat. The authors also highlighted the health risk posed by high-speed cornering at a lateral force of up to 4.5 G. “Such lateral forces make breathing difficult, [and] are associated with unusual disorders,” they wrote, including, but not limited to, peeing one's pants and screaming for one's mommy. They concluded that, “if Formula 1 cars or MotoGP motorbikes lose control at more than 300 km/hr, there is very little that can be done to prevent the driver from being seriously injured.” Maybe some knee pads might help.
Helium-Hogging MRIs Ruin Birthdays
As a worldwide helium shortage worsens, many groups are blaming MRI machines—which use helium gas to cool their powerful magnets—for hogging the resource, reported the CBC, a Canadian news outlet. About one-fifth of the world's helium supply is used in MRI machines, and world demand for helium, largely driven by the increased use of MRI and diagnostic imaging, has grown by 25% since 2003. Members of the party entertainment industry have voiced concern, in high squeaky voices, about the shortage.
Beer Makes You Smart
Moderate alcohol consumption may enhance cognition, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience. In a study, rats were fed liquid diets containing varying amounts of alcohol. Some had no alcohol at all; some had a moderate amount (“equivalent to a level of consumption that does not exceed the legal driving limit,” one of the authors told Scientific American); and some rats had quite a bit. Not only did the moderate drinkers perform better on object recognition tests than their counterparts, but they also were more popular and got invited to more parties than did either the teetotalers or the sloppy drunks, no doubt due to the moderate drinkers' alcohol-enhanced Trivial Pursuit skills.