Science News Round Up: Religion, climate change, and new problems facing pre-schoolers and the elderly point to the need for democratic socialism
Thomas Riggins
Links to some of the most interesting science stories reported this week relating to both political and social affairs and health news from which everyone may benefit. You can comment on these reports at the end of the round up.
Religious upbringing linked to less altruism
Humanists and other non believers will be happy to find out that mean spiritedness and selfishness are more pronounced in children brought up in religious versus non religious environments. Surveys show such children are less altruistic and to favor more severe punishments for those who run afoul of the law than other children. These results are just the opposite of the way the Sunday school meanies are usually portrayed.
While 97% of climate scientists maintain the evidence shows human caused climate change is going on and threatens the planet school science texts give children the impression that the scientists are divided 50/50 on the issue and no special actions may be needed to combat the change. People need to demand that state educational authorities only purchase and assign textbooks that correctly present the scientific facts and don't miseducate children.
This article reports on 28 extreme climatic events which happened in 2014. Ten of these events
can be traced to human caused climate change. As scientific knowledge of climate increases more extreme events will be able to be explained in the future.
This is an important article. Preschoolers can be tested for working memory problems which makes it possible for the state, through its educational systems, to implement programs that can help improve the working memory of children and thus deduce the risk that these children will become school dropouts. The downside of the article is its emphasis on parental responsibility to solve this problem which should be a basic priority of the educational system.
Growing old can be risky business
This article discusses new ways that have been designed to cheat senior citizens out of their life savings. These are not the normal Republican ways -- slashing medicare, "entitlements, and cost of living increases, but new fraudulent schemes that get seniors to put their money in bogus investments. The capitalist system is most efficient in spawning new ways to exploit children, minorities and seniors. This exploitation will only end under socialism; electing Bernie is the first step!
