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Why Do IQ Scores Vary By Nation?
Jul 28th
Newsweek – July 26, 2010 Global differences in intelligence is a sensitive topic, long fraught with controversy and still tinged by the disgraceful taint of pseudosciences such as craniometry that strove to prove the white “race” as the most clever of them all. But recent data, perplexingly, has indeed shown cognitive ability to be higher in some countries than in others. What’s more, IQ scores have risen as nations develop—a phenomenon known as the “Flynn effect.” Many causes have been proposed for both the intelligence gap and the Flynn effect, including education, income, and even nonagricultural labor. Now, a new study from researchers at the University of New Mexico offers another intriguing theory: intelligence may be linked to infectious-disease rates. The IdeaThe brain, say author Christopher Eppig and his colleagues, is the “most costly organ in the human body.” Brainpower gobbles up close to 90 percent of a newborn’s energy. It stands to reason, then, that if something interferes with energy intake while the brain is growing, the impact could be serious and longlasting. And for vast swaths of the globe, the biggest threat to a child’s body—and hence brain—is parasitic infection. These illnesses threaten brain development in several ways. They More >
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MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN: IMPACT AND EFFECTS
Jul 28th
Oxford Research Group Briefing Paper – July 2010
Paul Rogers EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MILITARY ACTION
This report concludes that military action against Iran should be ruled out as a means of responding to its possible nuclear weapons ambitions. The consequences of such an attack would lead to a sustained conflict and regional instability that would be unlikely to prevent the eventual acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran and might even encourage it. Oxford Research Group’s (ORG) analysis in its last report on the issue in 2006 (Iran: Consequences of a War) examined the capabilities and intentions of the United States and Israel to carry out military action. While US action against Iran may now be unlikely, given the policies of the Obama administration, Israel’s potential for action against Iran has increased. This report examines the improvements in Israeli strike capabilities in the past four years and points to Israel’s newly developed ability to conduct major attacks on Iranian nuclear and missile programmes. Long-range strike aircraft acquired from the United States, combined with an improved fleet of tanker aircraft, the deployment of long-range drones and the probable availability of support facilities in north-east Iraq and Azerbaijan, all increase Israel’s potential for action against Iran. Many More >
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Shocking New Report: The CIA Performed Human Experiments on Prisoners Under Bush
Jun 8th
A new report details how the effects of torture on detainees were closely studied in order to perfect ‘enhanced interrogation techniques.’
A US military trooper standing in front of an old airplane hangar used for media activities at Camp Justice, site of the US war crimes tribunal compound at Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base, Cuba, in 2009. President Barack Obama appears near a compromise to allow military tribunals to move forward for the alleged September 11 plotters in exchange for a deal to close Guantanamo Bay. Photo Credit: AFP/Pool/File – Brennan Linsley
Over the last year there have been an increasing number of accounts suggesting that, along with the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” torture program, there was a related program experimenting with and researching the application of the torture.
For example, in the seven paragraphs released by a British court summarizing observations by British counterintelligence agents of the treatment of Binyan Mohamed by the CIA, the first two of these paragraphs stated:
- It was reported that a new series of interviews was conducted by the United States authorities prior to 17 May 2002 as part of a new strategy designed by an expert interviewer….
- BM had been intentionally subjected to continuous sleep deprivation. The effects of More >
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South Korea Aims to Develop its Medical Tourism Industry
Jun 8th
The medical tourism market in South Korea is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 30% during 2010-2012, says a new research by RNCOS.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 08, 2010 – After gaining its economy on semiconductors, ships and steel, South Korea is now pushing its surgeons’ skills in the beauty business to carve out a new position. This is boosted by active government support, boom in cosmetic surgery and a pool of experienced surgeons. The country is looking forward to surpass Singapore, Thailand and India to become Asia’s new medical tourism hub. As per our new research on the sector called “Asian Medical Tourism Analysis (2008-2012)”, the medical tourism market in South Korea is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 30% during 2010-2012.The growth in the South Korean medical tourism industry has been well-supported by the government efforts and initiatives. For example, in February 2009, the government has reserved 5% of the total hospital beds for foreign patients. It is mainly due to quality services provided to foreigners visiting the country for treatment and to ensure that there is enough space for domestic patients also. Besides, in an effort to increase the share of private sector More >
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Naoto Kan: Focus on US, China, India & Vietnam
Jun 8th
“India views Japan as an important strategic partner. The two countries would benefit from close consultations on China. How to befriend China while at the same time being beware of it?” ________
By B.Raman
(June 08, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mr.Naoto Kan, who takes over as the Prime Minister of Japan on June 8,2010, is an unknown quantity in international relations. As the Finance Minister in the outgoing Cabinet of Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, his time was largely taken up by Japan’s economic problems arising from its massive public debt, sluggish growth and an aging population. Economic problems will continue to take up a lot of his time as the Prime Minister too.
In a written statement issued on June 4, he described economic recovery and growth as the biggest challenges that he would face as the Prime Minister. Japan is the slowest growing economy in Asia, and is expected to be overtaken by China later this year. Industrial production and exports are picking up, but this has not had any impact on the unemployment situation and deflation. He said in his statement: “I will tackle and pull Japan out of deflation through comprehensive measures from the Government and the Bank of Japan.” He More >
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