Our species’ twisted family tree In second grade I got influenza and was bedridden for a week. On the advice of Mrs. Pils, our school librarian, my mom brought home a book for me to read: “Turi of the Magic Fingers,” a coming-of-age-cavekid tale that left me forever curious about our evolutionary past. It turns out that the […]

Study shows musical training may preserve memory and hearing as we age Musical training, even late in life, may slow hearing, memory loss and other age-related delays in neural timing, according to findings recently published in Neurobiology of Aging. PsychCentral reports: In the study, researchers in the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory discovered that older musicians had a distinct […]

Thousands affected by tropical storms in Mozambique – UN humanitarian arm Thousands affected by tropical storms in Mozambique. 31 January 2012 – The United Nations humanitarian agency reported today that an estimated 117,000 people have been affected by two tropical storms in Mozambique last week, adding that it is closely monitoring the situation. According to Government […]

UNESCO chief condemns latest murder of journalist in Somalia. 31 January 2012 – The head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting and defending the freedom of the press today condemned the murder of a journalist in Somalia and called for measures to improve the safety of media professionals in the Horn of Africa country. […]

Sri Lanka: UN agency funds irrigation improvement projects 31 January 2012 – The United Nations fund tasked with promoting rural development will provide a $22-million loan to Sri Lanka to finance the improvement of the South Asian country’s irrigation infrastructure and crop diversification, as well as projects to expand market opportunities for smallholder farmers. Farmers water […]

UN scales up food assistance for more than 80,000 people in South Sudan An internally displaced mother and her children among IDPs in South Sudan. Photo: UNMISS/Gideon Pibor 31 January 2012 – The United Nations World Food Programme announced today that it will scale up its assistance to reach 80,000 people affected by the recent […]

Former Haitian leader must face charges for human rights abuses, says UN 31 January 2012 – The United Nations today voiced its concern at reports that former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier may not face charges relating to the serious human rights violations that took place during his 15-year rule, while stressing that justice must be ensured […]

UCSF School of Medicine Leaders Explore Bioinformatics in Research, Patient Care and Education Sam Hawgood, MBBS, dean of the UCSF School of Medicine, right; with Clay Johnston, MD, PhD, director of the UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute, center; and Joseph DeRisi, PhD, co-chair of the UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, at the UCSF […]

Harvard Thinks Big 2: “Beyond Point-and-Shoot Morality” – Joshua Greene … … Joshua Greene, Assistant Professor of Psychology (March 7, 2011) ### About Harvard University. Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 […]

Harvard Thinks Big: “Religion in the Age of Pluralism” – Diana Eck … … Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies and Frederic Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society, on what everyone needs to know in a new era of faith and globalization. (March 1, 2011) ### About Harvard University. Established […]