the eye of Nova's mind

Chinese man brings gay conversion therapy lawsuit -- "'According to the law, both sides should sign an agreement before electric shock or hypnosis is carried out, but (the clinic) did not offer,' said Li [Doilong, the man's lawyer]. 'The staff told my client the electric shock felt like "being bit by a mosquito" but it turned out not to be.'"

Seattle cop under investigation for busting too many pot smokers | Seattle cop who issued 80% of marijuana tickets reassigned -- Let's see. That one officer wrote 4/5ths of all such citations. "The police department said 36 percent of the tickets were issued to African-Americans, who make up just eight percent of the city's population." I'd like to see the Venn diagram on that one.

Utah language school blogger writes about homophones, gets fired for 'associating the school with homosexuality'

Scientists Shed Light on Link Between Depression, Dementia

Federal judge's ruling on California death penalty stuns experts

Judge Tells Young Detroit Man He Needed a Beating

Kitchen friendships, sex acts lead to firings for Aramark's prison staff

Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold

Family That Walks On All Fours Not A Product Of 'Reverse Evolution'

New brain protein tied to Alzheimer's disease

3 Things to Know About Niacin and Heart Health (NYT)

Serial murders of secret infants, as alleged in Utah, 'very rare'

‘Bully’ suffers jeers, name-calling himself -- "An Ohio man sentenced by a judge to spend yesterday wearing a sign reading “I AM A BULLY” at a busy suburban Cleveland intersection was greeted by a boisterous stream of honking car horns, jeers and insults." Technically, this should fall under "cruel & unusual treatment".

While You Were Watching 'Game of Thrones,' Neil deGrasse Tyson Shared His Solution to Global Warming

Angry at your spouse? Check your blood sugar

Crankier Babies May Get More TV Time

Finding May Explain Why Women More Likely Develop Alzheimer's

Bullying occurs among children higher up on the social ladder, according to new research -- "The study concluded that girls are more likely to be subject to this type of bullying. The highest incidences of bullying occurred among girls, but boys were more likely to target girls who were climbing social rungs rather than boys who were doing the same." Sexist high-school assholes.

Casual marijuana use linked to brain changes -- "Gregory Gerdeman, a biologist and neuropharmacologist at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., said he has no reason to doubt the new study's findings but worries generally about marijuana research funded by federal agencies, like the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is charged with limiting drug use."

If He's Sexually Aggressive In Bars, It's Not Because He's Drunk -- "When researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of Washington observed young people's behavior in bars, they found that the man's aggressiveness didn't match his level of intoxication. There was no relationship. Instead, men targeted women who were intoxicated."

College-entrance SAT exam set for major overhaul in 2016

Related: The New SAT: America Treats Its Language Like Garbage

Alzheimer's deaths much more common than realized: study

Gambler sues casino, says he lost $500,000 playing drunk

Colorado man ends up in court with $700 debt after buying $42 worth of Girl Scout cookies

Hospital Won't Assist In Transfer For Brain-Dead Girl -- "The hospital 'does not believe that performing surgical procedures on the body of a deceased person is an appropriate medical practice,' [the chief of pediatrics] said."

Wait, scratch that: Hospital Says It Will Help Move Brain-Dead Girl -- Fast-moving facts in this story. I have no doubt the hospital got pushback after its announcement.

Concussions May Increase Alzheimer's Risk, But Only For Some

Experimental Tool Uses Light To Tweak The Living Brain -- optogenetics

U-M tinnitus discovery opens door to possible new treatment avenues | Neuroscience may offer hope to millions robbed of silence by tinnitus

10 classic Sesame Street moments we wouldn't show today's kids: Kermit the frog used to be a real jerk -- Most of these are pretty innocuous, though the Kermit one is a bit surprising in retrospect. (I also specifically remember the "yo-yo master & the lost kid" one. Considering that Sesame Street came out in 1969, it's not surprising that they utilized the very popular Yellow Submarine-esque animation.)

Religion as a Product of Psychotropic Drug Use

Ohio teacher suspended for telling student 'We don't need another black president': Fairfield Freshman School teacher has been suspended without pay and could be terminated | more

Synthetic marijuana officially illegal -- "Long before the restrictions became final, head shops [...] began selling varieties of Spice that claim to use different chemical recipes than those banned by the DEA."

FDA: Data Mixed on HIV Drug's Myocardial Infarction Risk

Sangamo HIV drug shown to boost immune cell counts

Can you get hooked on diet soda? -- Someone on my FL was just mentioning the desire for diet soda. Very timely article.

Mother's Alzheimer's Disease May Boost Your Risk: Study: People With Maternal History Had Twice the Brain Shrinkage as Those with No History

'Stroke belt' mystery: Fried fish may be to blame for higher death rate

The Deadliest Diets: Study ID's 2 Eating Patterns That Make Older Adults Die Sooner

Test for early Alzheimer's 'seems possible'

Childbirth deaths from spinal anesthesia rising

'Chocolate cough remedy' in sight -- "Scientists are carrying out the final stages of clinical trials of a drug that contains theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate and cocoa."

Keeping the mind active staves off dementia at first but speeds it up later: Brain training games, crosswords and puzzles help maintain a healthy mind in the elderly but can eventually speed up dementia late on in life, new study claims.

I must admit: I don't understand the particulars of this study as they have been reported. I will need to delve into the study's actual details to puzzle out the findings and their implications.

Edit: Ah, now it makes more sense. See this article in MedPage Today.

ADHD Tied to Brain's Reward Pathway | Deficits in brain's reward system observed in ADHD patients

Infections may speed Alzheimer's memory loss -- "Catching a cold or the flu could speed memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease[.]" So can "even bumps or bruises".

Scientists find three new gene links to Alzheimer's

Liposuction leftovers make easy stem cells: study

Moths as good as mice for many drug tests: study

Mice Levitated in Lab