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by William Atkins
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According to the 2009 "Scorecard on Health System Performance" by the nonpartisan organization Commonwealth Fund Commission, the states in New England and the Upper Midwest did the best with respect to providing the best health care to its citizens, while the Southern states fared the worst.
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by William Atkins
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NASA astronomers have revised their estimates as to the likelihood that near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis will impact Earth in the year 2036. The chance for a collision has gone from 1-in-45,000 (0.0022%) to 1-in-250,000 (0.0004%). Whew! I feel better!
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by William Atkins
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On Friday, October 9, 2009, the LCROSS spacecraft and its booster rocket will be crashed into the Moon about four minutes apart. With a medium-sized telescope and a clear night sky overhead, you will be able to see the event. If you would rather stay inside, then watch it on NASA TV.
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by William Atkins
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NASA announced on October 6, 2009, that its Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered another ring around the planet Saturn. And, it’s a big one. The thickness of the newly found ring would allow one billion Earths to be strung end to end.
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by William Atkins
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According to a study performed in Norway, people who do not drink alcoholic beverages are more at risk from anxiety and depression when compared to those people who consume low levels and moderate levels of alcohol on a regular basis.
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by William Atkins
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The New Economics Foundation says that people can be happy without sacrificing their economic well-being. The Happy Planet Index shows that people can live long and happy lives without degrading their country’s natural resources. The people of Costa Rica are a fine example!
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by William Atkins
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British archaeologists have discovered a smaller 'Stonehenge' that they are calling 'Bluehenge' due to the color of the original stone that made up each monolith. Bluehenge was found down a pathway from the more famous monument.
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by William Atkins
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According to a British study, children who eat a lot of candy and chocolate, and eat it every day, are more likely to be violent when adults. A critic of the study responds by saying, "This is either utter nonsense or a very bad April Fool's Day joke." Science will no doubt decide with further studies.
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by William Atkins
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In October 2009, the morning sky will be exceptionally filled with the planets Venus, Mercury, and Saturn. Later on in the month, the Moon will join the trio.
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by William Atkins
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The Phobos-Grunt mission has been delayed by two years in order to provide better reliability to the mission. When launched, it will go to Mars and its moon Phobos. Part of the spacecraft will return samples back to Earth.
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by William Atkins
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According to a Danish study, over half of the babies born since the year 2000 within developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and countries of Western Europe, should live to be centenarians.
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by William Atkins
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An international team of researchers has unearthed the ancient remains of a 4.4 million year old species of hominid that opens up secrets about our past that were unknown to us, at least until now.
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by William Atkins
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A U.S. study finds that not getting enough sleep each night could play a role in the development of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers suggest that sleeplessness should be evaluated when treating Alzheimer’s.
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by William Atkins
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people of the United States lack sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet. And, children are worse than adults. Maybe we should change the saying of "Where's the beef?" to "Where's the fruit?"!
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