» Follow me on Twitter

While many people say that “too much iPod” can cause hearing loss, a group of doctors on the other hand are using iPods to improve their listening skills.

The problem: Currently, a previous research shows that doctors get an average of only 40% in correctly identifying heart sounds. Now imagine if your doctor said that all is OK but there is really something wrong - he just didn’t hear it properly… Hmmm…

The solution: Train them to identify these sounds better

A new research involving 149 general internists listened 400 times to five common heart sounds during a 90-minute session using iPods. The result? The average score doubled to 80%. Now that’s a definite improvement.

Proficiency with a stethoscope—and the ability to recognize abnormal heart sounds—is a critical skill for identifying dangerous heart conditions and minimizing dependence on expensive medical tests, said lead researcher Dr. Michael Barrett, clinical associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital. “It’s important to know when to order a costly echocardiogram or stress test,” Barrett said.

Barrett believes the skill of learning heart problems is best learned through intensive drilling and repetition, not by traditional methods, usually a classroom lecture or demonstration in medical school and then on the job.

Now I can begin to hear the sound of relief.

» Follow me on Twitter

It’s not just the sugar in the world’s most popular sodas that can damage your teeth. Worst than the sugar is the acid. Prolonged exposure to soft drinks can lead to significant enamel loss, even though many people consider soft drinks to be harmless or just worry about their sugar content and the potential for putting on pounds, the study says.

(more…)

We all know that brushing our teeth and a regular visit to the dentist is good for our health but did you know that a clean teeth can actually save your life? Most people know that the tedium of good oral hygiene - regular brushing, flossing and trips to the dentist’s office - reduces tartar, plaque, cavities, gingivitis and bone loss and helps the breath smell like roses.

(more…)

Really, why is the sea blue? Good friend Benj Arriola wrote a very nice piece on why the sky is blue and I do have to say that everything he has to say about the color of the sky is pretty much accurate. However, he did mention that the sea is blue because of the sky. While this is partially true, it is not entirely correct and so I decided to write this blog post to answer the question of the why the sea is colored blue.

(more…)

While most of us consider colors mainly for the aesthetic value, a research led by University of Rochester psychologist Andrew J. Elliot says there is more to it than just design.

(more…)