Journal of Meaningless Research (Vol. 2)Journal Objectives:
The theme of this issue is "dangerous data." In the western world, we tend to accept data as the truth, we don't question the biases, errors, and veracity in that data, and we often let that "truth" cloud our reason and subvert our better judgment. As Carver (1978) said, "Researchers use statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts - for support rather than for illumination."
|
|
Chewing gum significantly improves aspects of cognitive performance in healthy
young adults
Lucy M Wilkinson, Andrew B Scholey & Keith Wesnes* Abstract
Manufacturers have promoted the common belief that chewing gum improves performance.
In particular the notion exists that aspects of cognitive function including
concentration may be improved by chewing gum. To the best of our knowledge there is
no empirical evidence to support this contention. This study assessed the effect of
chewing sugar-free gum on cognitive performance in healthy volunteers. Since heart
rate changes can influence cognitive performance1, the previously reported effect
of chewing on heart rate was also examined. Seventy five participants, mean age (± SEM) = 24.6 years (± 1.22) took part in this parallel groups study. Each was randomly allocated to one of three conditions: (1) Natural chewing of sugar-free gum, (2) Sham chewing (participants performed chewing behaviour but without gum), (3) Quiet control. In the first two conditions participants performed the appropriate behaviour throughout testing. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised test battery. A baseline heart rate measure was taken for 60 secs following a five minute rest period. Heart rate was also monitored throughout the testing procedure. Results [Dropped to preserve space; view source to see complete data including F-statistics; gotta check the graphs.] Summary The results demonstrate that chewing gum is associated with selective enhancement of tasks assessing aspects of working memory and long-term declarative memory. Tests of attention demonstrated no enhancement effects as a result of chewing gum, although Simple Reaction Time was significantly slower during the sham chewing condition. This may reflect allocation of attentional resources to the performance of this unfamiliar behaviour. Such an effect may also underlie the apparent reduction in immediate and delayed word recall scores in the sham chewing condition, suggesting that these processes are involved in memory consolidation. Chewing gum elevated heart rate significantly above that in the sham chewing and control conditions. Discussion To the best of our knowledge these results represent the first demonstration of cognitive enhancement by chewing gum. The data are consistent with the notion that chewing targets aspects of long-term and working memory. Interestingly attentional tasks, which might be described as assessing purer aspects of ‘concentration’, were unaffected by chewing gum. Chewing gum was associated with elevated heart rate, we have previously speculated that such physiological responses may mediate cognitive enhancement through elevated cerebral blood delivery. Mastication has also been shown to increase regional cerebral blood flow, and this may be underlie the selective pattern of enhancement observed here. Further work is needed to assess the impact of chewing gum on other aspects of psychological functioning. Source: Click here [Editorial comment: Since chewing gum elevates heart rate and exercises memory, I suppose we can also use it for aerobic exercises and weight loss, and as a cure for Alzheimer's disease. Wrigley will be ecstatic if we told them that. The scary part of this story is that kids at Eaglerock Elementary (and maybe other schools too) are now asked to chew gum while taking tests. Check out this link]
|
|
Road noise can improve memory in children - study Yahoo News, June 3, 2005 LONDON (Reuters) - Living next to a noisy road does not impair a child's reading ability and can actually improve memory recall, according to a new study published Friday into the effect of noise on childhood learning ability. However, living under a flight path brings with it distinct disadvantages. And a combination of the two is deeply unhealthy, according to a three country study in the Lancet medical journal. Based on a sample of 2,800 children aged between nine and 10 years from 89 primary schools near three major airports -- Amsterdam's Schiphol, Madrid's Barajas and London's Heathrow -- the study is the largest of its kind. It found the reading age of children exposed to high levels of aircraft noise was put back by two months in Britain and up to a month in the Netherlands for a five decibel change in noise exposure. On the other hand, exposure to road traffic noise did not delay reading age and was unexpectedly found to help memory recall. However, a combination of the two was associated with increased stress and reduced quality of life in the children. As expected, the scientists who conducted the study found that schools located under flight paths were not conducive to a healthy educational environment. "In practical terms, aircraft noise might have only a small effect on the development of reading, but the effect of long-term exposure remains unknown," lead scientist Stephen Stansfeld said. "Our results are relevant to the design and placement of schools in relation to airports, to the formulation of policy on noise reduction and child health and to a wider consideration of the effect of environmental stressors on children's cognitive development," he added. Source: Click here [Editorial comment: Here's a solution to the quality problem of American schools. Let's move them next to busy highways. Of course, I'm kidding, but you have to trust a "scientific study" of N=2800. Goes on to show that junk research is still junk, no matter how rigorously it is conducted.]
|
|
Laugh Away Fat 1010wins.com, Mar 20, 2005 If you want to lose weigh? Laugh! According to an article in the Family Practice News, a daily laughter workout of 15 minutes can burn forty calories or melt away four pounds a year. This may go down as one of the most ridiculous studies ever attempted, but researchers at Vanderbilt University had 45 pairs of young adults watch a 90-minute comedy tape while sitting in what is called “a whole room calorimeter” designed to measure calories burned by various activities. Just to make certain that laughing burned the calories, the subjects were treated to a 30-minute documentary on the English landscape to see how many calories were burned without laughter. I am not certain if the researchers laughed all the way to the bank as they cashed their research check. Source: Click here [Editorial comment: Bad news for all those weight loss pills and supplements, personal trainers, etc. Why go through a tough regimen of diet and exercise when you can lose weight simply by laughing all day! A Google search reveals that researchers in this same university are now using Viagra to treat pulmonary hypertension among kids! Scary!]
|
|
Polygamy is the Key to a Long Life newscientist.com, Aug 19, 2008 Want to live a little longer? Get a second wife. New research suggests that men from polygamous cultures outlive those from monogamous ones. After accounting for socioeconomic differences, men aged over 60 from 140 countries that practice polygamy to varying degrees lived on average 12% longer than men from 49 mostly monogamous nations, says Virpi Lummaa, an ecologist at the University of Sheffield, UK. Lummaa presented her findings last week at the International Society for Behavioral Ecology’s annual meeting in Ithaca, New York. Source: Click here [Editorial comment: Lummaa also found that sons reduce a mother’s life span by an average of 34 weeks. Apparently, her research is funded by several European agencies, and her findings are published in journals and conference proceedings. What can I say - I'm speechless!]
|
|
Autism Linked to Rainfall 1010wins.com, Mar 20, 2005 Michael Waldman of Cornell University and colleagues discovered that autism in children is related to precipitation. In a paper published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, these researchers analyzed data from state and county agencies for children born in California, Oregon and Washington between 1987 and 1999 and plotted them against daily precipitation reports to make this insightful observation! Source: Click here [Editorial comment: In recent years autism has been blamed on everything from discarded iPod batteries to mercury from Chinese power stations, from antenatal ultrasound scans to post-natal cord clamping, from diet to vaccines. No one has a clue!]
|