Education is the transmission of civilization.

According to the Commission for the Prevention of Youth Violence, almost 40 children and adolescents are killed by violence each week in the United States.

Magic mushrooms really cause 'spiritual' experiences!!

“Magic” mushrooms really do have a spiritual effect on people, according to the most rigorous look yet at this aspect of the fungus's active ingredient. About one-third of volunteers in the carefully controlled new study had a “complete” mystical experience after taking psilocybin, with half of them describing their encounter as the single most spiritually significant experience in their lifetimes. However, psilocybin use has been associated with side effects such as severe paranoia, nervousness and unwanted flashbacks and so experts warn against experimentation.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn9522-magic-mushrooms-really-cause-spiritual-experiences.html

Abortion drug could rapidly treat depression.. Uhmm.. really?

A hormone treatment used to induce abortion could provide a rapid-acting treatment for depression. The drug, called RU486, was one of two new rapid treatment strategies. Most antidepressants are thought to work by raising levels of the signalling chemical serotonin, which acts in the brain. But these drugs can take several weeks to take effect. The new treatments could be effective within days or even hours. The hormone treatment is based on earlier findings that stress plays a major part in triggering and prolonging depression. Stress hormones appear to damage a part of the brain called the hippocampus. The region is susceptible because it is particularly rich in hormone receptors, allowing it to regulate ongoing hormone release.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn9516-abortion-drug-could-rapidly-treat-depression.html

Stress in pregnancy hits offspring's emotional brain

Stress experienced by a pregnant female can alter the structure of her offspring’s brain, particularly regions vital for emotional development, scientists have discovered. Furthermore, in rodents at least, the effects differ in male and female offspring. That might help explain the different susceptibilities of men and women to emotional and psychiatric disorders, says Katharina Braun, from the University of Magdeburg, in Germany.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn9535-stress-in-pregnancy-hits-offsprings-emotional-brain.html

Innocence is Lost.

"Given the current social structures in American schools, serious violence and terrorism by youths is inevitable. Even if a student who is constantly degraded doesn't commit a serious crime at school, the chances for him or her becoming a violent offender later in life are increased. I use myself as an example. I am already active in the right-wing, and its only a matter of time before I will be willing to follow the example set by Tim McVeigh*. I plan to join the military to get the skills I need to take out my rage on others. I am probably a potential serial killer as well. I enjoy reading and listening to things that talk about the destruction of the standing social order. Sometimes when I am angry or lonely, I look at pornography and fantasize about raping the popular girls at my school. Other times I think about building bombs and lighting shit on fire. But soon, fantasies about rape and murder of teenage girls will no longer be sufficient. My interest in arson and explosives would also be troubling to anyone who knew of my inner thoughts. Currently, I am planning to torch an abandoned barn and then listen to the fire department on my scanner just to see what it would be like."

White, 18-year-old boy in New York

*Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the men responsible for one of the most shocking terrorist attacks within America - the Oklahoma City bombing.
(in http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/mcveigh/dawning_1.html )

Why teenagers should steer clear of cannabis

Adolescents' use of marijuana may increase the risk of heroin addiction later in life, a new study suggests. Researchers say the work adds to "overwhelming" evidence that people under 21 should not use marijuana because of the risk of damaging the developing brain. The idea that smoking cannabis increases the user's chance of going on to take harder drugs such as heroin is highly contentious.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn9488-why-teenagers-should-steer-clear-of-cannabis.html

Romantic Breakups Change a Woman’s Brain.

When a romantic relationship ends, the emotional backlash for women can trigger brain changes visible on MRI scans, new research shows. This new window into women’s grief sheds light on the connection between normal sadness, grief, and depression, writes lead researcher Arif Najib.

http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=148734

Há dias de feira.

São vazias as horas, aquelas que passam por mim.
Deixam pegadas, como tu, para que não as esqueça.
Quando nada mais importa, o fim é uma porta que se fecha.
Olá. Adeus. Olho para mim e vejo o quanto me vendi.

Mother tongue may determine maths skills.

Our mother tongue may influence the way problem-solving circuits in our brains develop, suggest the researchers. But they add that different teaching methods across cultures, or genes, may also have primed the brains of Chinese and English speakers to solve equations differently. The findings may help educators to identify the best way to teach young students maths.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9422?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn9422