A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests.... The military, for example, administers amphetamines to pilots flying long distances, and has funded research into new drugs like the stimulant modafinil and orexin A in an effort to help troops stay awake with the fewest side effects .

   more »

This argument is the starting point for Jason Mark in a long piece in The Utne Reader which looks at the tension within the green movement over the role of nuclear energy in an era when climate change is the greatest threat to the planet: The argument over nuclear power reveals a long-standing tension in the environmental movement between those who say there are technical fixes to the greenhouse gas challenge and others who believe that we need a wholesale restructuring of society if we are to avoid global meltdown.... And so we find 'greenies' like Stewart Brand, he's the guy behind the Whole Earth Catalog, a After decades of decline, the nuclear industry is on the upswing, cheered along, oddly enough, by green activists who once fought the industry but now say that nukes are better than coal given the global threat of climate change.

   more »

The official notice from the PMO that Prime Minister Harper would be available to speak to the media about Benazir Bhutto’s assassination went out at 1346 Ottawa time this afternoon, giving reporters 29 minutes to get to the Calgary airport. The PMO was curious why not many reporters were able to show up. ...   more »

While leaders of other governments get in front of a camera so we can hear the outrage in their voice, Canada simply issues a press release:

December 27, 2007 (1:00 p.m. EST)
No. 186
CANADA CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF PAKISTANI OPPOSITION LEADER BENAZIR BHUTTO
The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign ...   more »

It’s now more than five hours since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has already done a live televised statement calling for calm in his country. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who was meeting with Bhutto hours before she was killed, did a televised press conference, to express his ...   more »

More proof that Canadian consumers tend to talk a lot about being environmentally conscious but often fail to change their own behaviour: Sales for gas-guzzlers in Canada jumped in November compared to year-ago levels while sales of tiny efficient vehicles dropped. This change came despite the presence of some generous ...   more »

Video greetings from the Prime Minister and the leaders of Canada's federal political parties.   more »

To celebrate the season, I'm happy to pass on this helpful video, produced in 1958 by the public relations department at the Ontario Agricultural College, the college that would be nucleus for my alma mater, the University of Guelph. Here it is: How to Carve a Turkey.   more »

Voters will also select a new MP in the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River where rookie Liberal MP Gary Merasty decided within a year to pack it in. Political renegade/oddball David Orchard wants to contest this seat for the Liberals but leader Stephane Dion apparently has other ideas.... And, just as with Graham's old seat in Toronto, look for this one to stay Liberal with a victory by another former contestant for the leadership that Dion won: Martha Hall Findlay -- see you in the House this spring along with Bob Rae.

   more »

Earlier this month, I reported on a decision by sporting goods retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op to remove some products made with bisphenol A from store shelves. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical most often used to harden plastics products, such as baby bottles, water bottles, etc. Environmentalists say bisphenol A has ...   more »