Starbucks lovers who make their day complete with a daily latte, cappuccino, or mocha have some good news. A new 10-year United States study shows that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to pass away due to several causes of death including pneumonia, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and heart disease, compared to those who never drink a cup of Joe including fans of hot and iced tea. The study's volunteers had a lower risk of death by consuming up to five cups of the popular drink, which included decaf coffee.
Scientists found out the relationship between neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acitvity and autism symptoms, which may identify new ways to diagnose and treat the disorder.
People living in a rural Russian city are so disenchanted with local politicians that they have voted in an unofficial poll to give a fluffy cat a chance to serve as mayor. The residents are tired of politicians who are corrupt and give special treatment to friends and family that they have voted through a social media page to give a feline the chance to run city hall.
The Christmas season can cause some people to get into the spirit as they hang up decorations, shop for presents, and give to charities; while other people have the "bah humbug" attitude of being uninterested or annoyed like Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol." A new study shows that the Christmas spirit resulting in feelings of joy or repulsion is caused by areas in the brain that cause people's reaction to the festive time of year. They are activated by things such as family dinners and socially-shared emotions.
Chinese archaeologists unearthed a marble sphinx carving estimated to be at least 1,000 years old from an ancient tomb in Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported.
Ocean Park Hong Kong offers visitors the chance to interact with different kinds of animals more closely and more personally via its “Get Closer to the Animals” program. Visitors can choose from a variety of animals, such as penguins, dolphins and pandas.
A speech purportedly delivered by Nobel laureate Tu Youyou appears online and is getting praises for its unexpected use of poetic language. Tu actually delivered a lecture, not a speech, and it is far from sounding poetic.
The regional cultural protection center in Tibet Autonomous Region has announced on Monday, Dec. 14, that its culture department has finished recording a traditional folk talking and singing performance as a way to preserve the dying tradition, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
An alleged bank thief ran past an Iowa TV reporter who was reporting about the bank robbery that happened the day before at the same place. The live report about a string of robberies in the Minnesota area was starting on the morning of December 15, Tuesday, when a bank employee ran up and told the journalist that the criminal had just plundered the building.
A new American study shows that external and environmental factors including unhealthy diets, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, air pollution, and sun exposure result in up to ninety percent of all cancers. This seems to repudiate past research that "bad luck" due to cell mutations have a major effect on developing cancerous tumors. The new study means that lifestyle changes such as starting a workout program or quitting smoking might be more effective at preventing the deadly disease than scientists thought in the past.
Anti-depressants and autism have been found to have a connection. Researchers found that expecting women who are taking anti-depressant medications are putting their unborn child in great danger of developing autism.
A Massachusetts mailman has to fight through a flock of turkeys instead of barking dogs as he completes his daily route walking door-to-door to deliver important letters and packages to homeowners and renters. The Cape Cod mail carrier always brings a pole to keep the wild turkeys away from him until he climbs back into his mail truck and then drives away from the big birds.
Six government organizations across Shanghai have established a 100.6 million yuan ($15 million) fund to support seniors and other needy people as the end of the year draws closer and the Lunar New Year, the country’s most important holiday, just over a month away.
The company Wen is facing a class action lawsuit from hundreds of women who claim the company's hair care product line resulted in permanent damage to their hair, causing it to fall out and result in major scalp damage. Plaintiffs from 40 states claim that the cleansing conditioner's "harsh chemicals" caused various problems such as rashes, itchy scalps, discolored and broken hair, hair loss, and baldness. However, celebrities state on the company's 24/7 infomercials that the multi-purpose products can replace several individual items including shampoos and conditioners.
The local consumer pricing supervision bureau of Zhangjiang in east China’s Jiangsu Province has issued a warning to a restaurant in the city that has started to bill customers a fee for breathing purified air.
