Thursday, October 18, 2012

Poll: Nearly 50% affirm creationism

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Proving once again that Americans aren't buying pro-evolution scientists' dogma, 46 percent of adults in Gallup's latest survey say they believe God created human beings within the past 10,000 years -- the highest percentage for that answer since 2006 and the second highest since the question was first asked in 1982.

Gallup asks Americans their thoughts on evolution every year. This year 46 percent agree that "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so" -- the same percentage as 2006. In 1993 and 1999 it was 47 percent. When it was first asked in 1982, it was 44 percent.

Another 32 percent of Americans in this year's survey believe in theistic evolution, agreeing that "human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided the process." Another 15 percent believe in evolution and say God played no role.

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8-Year-Old Spurs Classroom Discussion by Dressing as a Different Historical Figure Every Day for a Year

For Stella Ehrhart, an 8-year-old third grader in Omaha, deciding what to where to school is more complicated than just picking a shirt and pants. But she’s up for the challenge.
Every day since the second grade at Dundee Elementary School, Ehrhart has dressed as a different historical figure, according to the World-Herald, which recently profiled the girl.
Stella Ehrhart of Omaha Dresses as a Different Historical Character Every Day Since Second Grade
Ehrhart as Grace Kelly on her wedding day. (Photo via World-Herald)
Ehrhart has dressed as Grace Kelly, Queen Elizabeth, Billie Holiday, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Rosa Parks, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Jan Brady of “The Brady Bunch,” many among others.

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Violent Crime Up 18 percent in 2011, First Rise in Nearly 20 Years

WASHINGTON (AP) — Violent crimes unexpectedly jumped 18 percent last year, the first rise in nearly 20 years, and property crimes rose for first time in a decade. But academic experts said the new government data fall short of signaling a reversal of the long decline in crime.

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported Wednesday that the increase in the number of violent crimes was the result of an upward swing in simple assaults, which rose 22 percent, from 4 million in 2010 to 5 million last year. The incidence of rape, sexual assault and robbery remained largely unchanged, as did serious violent crime involving weapons or injury.

Property crimes were up 11 percent in 2011, from 15.4 million in 2010 to 17 million, according to the bureau’s annual national crime victimization survey. Household burglaries rose 14 percent, from 3.2 million to 3.6 million. The number of thefts jumped by 10 percent, from 11.6 million to 12.8 million.
The statistics bureau said the percentage increases last year were so large primarily because the 2011 crime totals were compared to historically low levels of crime in 2010. Violent crime has fallen by 65 percent since 1993, from 16.8 million to 5.8 million last year.

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Scientists Say They’ve Developed a Pill to Erase Memories While You Sleep

Sometimes in one’s life, there are moments that you may wishes to forget. For the more than 7.7 million patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, this wish could not be more apparent.
With researchers long trying to find techniques and medications to help mitigate some of the effects for those with PTSD, scientists at Stanford University think they’ve developed a way to manipulate these fears without having to dredge up the painful memories as some techniques currently require.
The researchers announced their findings a study with mice at the at the Society for Neuroscience, according to Nature. They believe their research could ultimately lead to an ability to erase memories, or at least the negative response to certain memories, while a patient is sleeping.

Nature states that some therapy to help patients face their fears include repeatedly recalling a memory in a “safe” environment where a psychiatrist or other physician can help them begin to control the effects of triggers that call up the painful thoughts. Lead Author Asay Rolls is reported as saying this technique can lead to PTSD relapse as patients might begin to associate the positive effects with being in the psychiatrist’s office.

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Baby Born On SEPTA’s Broad Street Line


Studies Show How Sleep Affects Weight Gain, Memory and PTSD