Today in the News (1 Jun 09)

Sorry, I am a little behind on things today, so this will be a short entry.

Evolution:
Okay, not strictly evolution, but interesting non the less since it makes the whole 6000 (or even 10,000) year old earth rather difficult to reconcile. Pottery over 17,000 years old!

And just another clue to evolution in the teeth of a pre-historic hippo type creature. You'd thing that the mountains and mountains of evidence would eventually just crush them...

Vaccines:
Ah, all those evil vaccines fighting melanoma now! If you have ever known anyone who has fought melanoma, you can appreciate the advance!

Apparently the cervical cancer vaccine (HPV) even benefits older women. Although I would tend to take this particular study with quite a large grain of salt considering the source (see, we can be skeptical about claims that warrant it!).

And I have to include this story from The Independent. Read the last section!

Autism:
Again, in brief; a study shows that anti-depressants do NOT help autistic children. Speaking as a parent of a child with autism spectrum, I must say it took us nearly 7 years to find what worked for her. It's a LONG and DIFFICULT process. The key is not to give up and not to be satisfied with just a simple answer.

Again, with all the news of genetic links to autism, it can help in the early detection, and better treatment. Even though we know quite a bit about autism, there is still quite a bit that we need to figure out on the neurological level.