Back when I was in the news delivery business, I ran across my share of oddball stories. Inept burglars were among my favorites, like the one I read about the other day. The fellow broke into a house, gathered up some valuables, then – apparently suffering a case of the late-night-snackers – prepared a sandwich, sat down at the homeowner’s kitchen table, and promptly fell asleep.
It’s hard and hungry work, it seems.
The homeowner called police and walked lightly until they arrived to take him into custody.
And there were always scientific studies to report. I remember one university discovery in particular, the question put to them: Why do children fall off tricycles? The answer? They tend to lose their balance.
Somebody paid for that information.
Here’s another one, just out. Incredibly, it isn’t just a single investigation. There are four new ones, just released, on the subject of cigarettes and smoking and whether or not it is bad for one’s health.
They haven’t put that question to bed yet?
See if any of these answers are surprising.
A British study followed more than one million women aged 50 to 65 years of age. In a report published in the Lancet, mortality was significantly higher in women with a history of smoking compared to women who never smoked. Woo-hoo! I could have told them that!
In Japan, they followed fewer people, but they determined that smoking more than doubled the early death rate compared to those who didn’t smoke.
There were two other studies, but you get the idea.
If anyone out there has a bag of money and are considering funding a major study, swing by with your question and currency.
Here’s a freebie.
People who eat too much tend to be heavier than those who eat smaller portions. Exercise is good too.
How’s that for some science?
