Anishka's

Hormones and cancer?

A U researcher recently showed the correlation between obesity and cancer. Although it sounds so clicheed nowadays (like we have not heard of that before?), the originality of this discovery lies in the fact that it provided a basis for this correlation-This researcher showed that it's in fact the hormonal upsurge (in this case, insulin) that might promote the formation of cancerous cells. So could it be that other things that lead to a hormonal upshot-like binge-eating, followed by dieting, and other activities that disrupt the hormonal balance actually contribute to cancer? So can we come up with other activities that might lead to a hormonal imbalance and indrectly promote cancer?

Farm bill, anyone?

The Nobel prize this year (2004) in Economics went to an ex-U of M Economics professor who researched on the way government policy affects lives-this takes an even greater meaning in this election season; well, the thing that I do not understand is how US politicians can be blind to the implications that their domestic policies have worldwide-take the case of outsourcing-one canditate is for it, so obviously the other canditate is against it; tax cuts-one candidate is for it, so obvioulsy the other candidate is against it; tuition tax benefits to families; one candidate is for it, so obviously the other candidate is against it-war in iraq; one candidate for it; so obviously th other candidate is against it- farm bill, one candidate is for it; the other candidate is against it. I quite frankly have no respect for either candidate because neither has shown consistent consideration for the people in US and people abroad.

Take the farm bill for example; well it does take into account the plight of the small-town US farmer (which is great-I think US farmer income needs to be subsidized to a certain extent); but various studies have shown that it hurts farmers in other countries (specially farmers who live below the poverty-line). Why do political leaders have to take one stand in complete opposition to their contenders? Why do they not for change come up with policies that is a compromise for people living in the US as well as worldwide?

Does anybody have any answer?

World's wild cats

I recently read an article in TIME about the plight of wild cats- How their population is dwindling worldwide owing to agricultural needs of human beings getting in the way of their very survival-wild cats (meaning cheetahs, cougars, leopards, tigers, lions) were meant to roam across continents-It has been estimated that a single cat can cover as much as 400 square miles in search of prey or mate-taking that into account, nature reserves just become giant zoos for such animals-the long-term solution lies in trying to link nature reserves (so called ecological corridors) in order to give such cats more freedom to roam and procreate healthily (inbreeding has become a major problem, across cat species). But then comes the issue of direct contact with human beings, since such ecological corridors will be very proximal to human habitations..