Snippets from Science

• Exposure to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) is a big issue for people living around Green Bay and the Fox River. There is absolutely no question that ingestion of too much fish containing PCBs can lead to neurological problems in children. Dr. Isaac Pessah, of the U. of California, says that PCB exposure can contribute to mental impairments, hyperactivity, and seizure disorders. PCBs appear to interfere with the ability of nerve cells (neurons) to interconnect with one another, and also to induce overexcitability of certain nerve cells, leading to a chemical imbalance in the brain. The effect of PCBs on the adult brain is uncertain. (Dana Foundation’s Brain in the News, May 2009)

• If a child has an adoptive parent who is an alcoholic, but neither of his or her biological parents are alcoholics, the child does not have an increased risk of becoming an alcoholic. In fact, there is evidence that the risk is decreased. One interpretation is that for children without a genetic predisposition, “seeing the consequences of alcohol in the home motivates them to avoid alcohol altogether.” (Mealey, 2000, Sex Differences, Developmental and Evolutionary Strategies)

• A placebo is a pill, physical manipulation, or verbal communication that is perceived to relieve a medical problem. Since many symptoms have a psychological component and don’t arise from organic disease, the placebo effect can have a powerful influence on our sense of well-being. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. T. Bruce Moseley performed sham operations on the arthritic knees of patients who volunteered for a “trial experiment.” After “recovery,” many experienced pain relief and normal knee function. In a 2005 study, researchers at the U. of Michigan injected salt solution into seven volunteers experiencing moderate, sustained levels of pain. Another seven pain sufferers did not receive an injection. Interviews confirmed that the injected volunteers felt less pain. Brain scans and tests showed that their brains released endorphins, the body’s own pain suppressing molecules, to help diminish the pain. Non-injected volunteers showed no release of endorphins. (Scientific American, Feb. 2009; Soc. for Neuroscience news release, 8-23-05; other sources)

• To prevent organ rejection, the drug cyclosporine, a powerful suppressor of the immune system, is given to people who have transplants. In one study, the drug was given along with a flavored drink for a period of time, and the immune system remained subdued. Later, when patients were given flavored drink without cyclosporine, “…the immune systems were as quiet as when on the drug. It was like finding that Kool-Aid can prevent transplant rejection. Mind over matter had struck again.” (Sharon Begley in Newsweek, 2009)

• It’s not all doom and gloom about the environment. Gregg Easterbrook, of the highly-regarded Brookings Institute, points out the following. “Since 1976…urban ozone [think smog] has declined 31%.” “Airborne levels of sulfur dioxide, the main component of acid rain, have dropped 67%.” “Airborne lead, considered the most dangerous air pollutant when the EPA was founded in 1970, has declined 97%.”